Hunting the Skagit Alpine for Big Bucks in the 1980's. Jorma Jyrkkanen

When i worked as a biologist in the Skagit Valley I discovered the deer liked to rut in the alpine and that is where I spent five fabulous hunts. I went by myself mostly and was very lucky, bringing home 4 bucks in five years. I always packed minimally because the hike back is long and hard. Had to cross the Skagit river by canoe and then hike to the top, and with a deer in the pack it was hard work getting back. On this occasion, I got my buck late in the day and just got him cleaned and packed when it started to snow so I climbed into my sac after having a feed of cooked liver. Next morning the trail back was hidden by deep snow and I fell off the ridge crashing with full pack into juniper and fir 100 feet below. After an hour of extrication, I managed back on the trail. I slipped crossing a swollen creek halfway down and fell into it face first. After getting up soaking wet I made it down to my canoe, across the river and to my truck at the end of the old dump road, now grown right over. When i took my boots off, my big toe nails had been torn right off but due to cold feet I hadn't felt it. Boots were full of blood. I had three months in convalescence while growing new toenails and they never did get it right fully. Who got who is the question. I loved these hunts. They were tests of endurance and spunk though. I miss the Skagit Alpine in fall. Beautiful and loaded with blue berries. This is how I fed my wife and kid while a zoology student at UBC.