Well guys in about 3 weeks I will be headed for the training academy in Sitka Alaska as a state trooper recruit. I guess you wont be seeing much of me in the forums then. Not that I have any illusions of being missed!! Just didnt want any speculating as to my whereabouts like with 10ring(where is he anyway?) Really excited about living in Alaska and the hunting opportunities there,really the biggest reason for the move. If I get stationed somewhere with internet access I will have to check in and see how everyones doing after moving up there. Good hunting everyone,I will miss out on this hunting season but I think it will be worth it in the long run.

Sitka is BEAUTIFUL.... BEAUTIFUL!

I dont know much about hunting there... it doesnt have alot of the critters they get in the interior like grizz and Caribou, I think even moose are kindof rare there. There are goats and sheep there and I know alot of blacktail deer... most people hunt them in the winter as the snow drives them down to the beaches. Fishing is FANTASTIC there though... halibut, tons of different types of salmon etc etc.

I've been all over the inside passage from Ketchikan on up to seward, over the mt there to Soldotna, Kenai and on up to Anchorage. Love fishing along there.


-DallanC

roklok,

I figure most of Alaska has the internet. After all you can transmit 56K/DSL signals through phone lines

Anyways have a good move to Alaska. And have a fun time as a State Trooper.

PS. As for 10Ring I've got no idea where he went. He just dropped off the Radar.

Dimitri

Good luck roklok!! And remember; you don't need to outrun the bear; you only need to outrun your partner! LOL
Let us hear from you when you earn your stripes, wings, bullets, or whatever it is you'll have when you graduate. Best of luck!
Yotebuster

Roklok:

Lucky, lucky you!, and good luck with the academy.
I just got back from Alaska, and I could live there. Beautiful. Nice people, too.

Stay well.

If you fly in (airport looks like the deck of an aircraft carrier, water both ends.) and drive over the bridge into town pay attention to the color of the water in the harbor. It's a beautiful deep blue and crystal clear.
Then there is the totums in town and the ole fort and the museum at the college that has indian and eskimo artifacts. There is just lots of stuff to see and do in your off time besides study.
Fishing is everywhere you drop a hook especially where you see one of the many bald eagles fishing.
From an ole retired cop remember one thing. Stay safe!
Good luck in the Academy and pay attention to what the ole goats have to say. They have been there, done it all, and survived to tell you the tale.

OK roklok, I'm jealous, but, after being in Arizona so long, I don't think I could take the cold. Have fun & good hunting
Keep it coming...

Good luck roklok with your move to Alaska and your time in the Academy.

I support totally what popgun said. The "old and bold" have been there and done it and are now instructing at the Academy to pass on the benefit of their experience so you can learn from their mistakes. Look and listen....as one of my instructors said when I joined the Army....eyes and ears open, mouth shut.

Enjoy your time up there mate and be safe. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing some pics when you get the chance.

Cheers, Vince

I forgot to mention that you should get a pilots license. Most of the transportation in Alaska is by air and what a place to learn to fly! The pilots license will be a feather in your cap at work, especially if you go for a commercial helicopter rating.

Also, when you get settled at a station up there remember to invite us up for a hunt.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone,I am really getting excited about it all,less than 2 weeks away. I just got a packet today from academy outlining procedures and rules.Am feeling a bit overwhelmed but I believe I will get through it. Just might have to do about 2 million push-ups till I get everything straight. As for the pilots license,if I understood correctly,they train a lot of their troopers as pilots after a couple of years of service,I would like to get my license. When I was in Anchorage in june for the preliminary testing/interview I was amazed at all the float planes taking off from Lake Hood flying into the bush,seemed like every couple minutes one would fly over the hotel I was staying at.

Well I am off ,talk to you all later.

Hey guys,How did everyones season go? First hunting season I have missed in 20 years. I think it will pay off though in years to come.Today was the last day of the academy,tommorrow I will fly back to Pennsylvania. I then have to pack up my things and drive up to Fairbanks where I am to be stationed.Really excited about the hunting up here,for example around Fairbanks three black bears can be taken a year with no closed season.One grizzly per year although in some areas it is 2 per year. I actually had a lot of fun here in Sitka,although it was pretty intense training with lots of "abuse" such as pepper spray and Taser. Saw lots of bald eagles and blacktails,thousands of salmon and a brown bear.Sitka is truly one of the prettiest towns I have ever seen.I will keep ya posted if I manage to bag anything up here.

Glad to hear that you made it through the academy. That says allot about you and your stick to it attitude. Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!
Remember while on the job trust no one, beleave nothing they say, and check everything out.
Now that you are buttered up, keep us in mind for a hunt?
Fairbanks is an interesting town too with lots to do. Some great food too. One place we went to had crab legs piled on a table about 2 feet high and steaming hot. There was much more to eat there but I never got past the crab leg table.
You forgot to mention the moose at Fairbanks so I will. When we were making our approach for landing the rivers were full of moose all around the airport.
Stay Safe,
Chris

roklok,

Glad to hear the Academe went good!

Dimitri

Congratulations on passing the Academy mate. No mean feat by anybodies standard.

I must reiterate what Chris Popgun said.....believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see. There are two sides to every story....the TRUE story and the one the "grubs" want you to hear....good luck seeing through the second one. Cover your butt every step of the way and double check everything...even those things that appear to be okay.
Be safe on the job and give your trust sparingly and carefully.....we don't want to loose a friend and hunter.

Good hunting mate and have a few dozen of those crab legs for me that Chris mentioned....they go well with chilli too mate.

Cheers, Vince