During our trip to Grayling last week, we also got to enjoy not only the lovely weather and scenery, but also some time for hunting. Moose season closed while we were there, and our friend Marvin graciously took us out in his boat to for an overnight his trapping cabin, hunting along the river as we went. The family was able to go along, and it was a beautiful an outing as could be hoped for! The down side was that the moose hid themselves well. We are thankful for the generosity of men in the village who have shared some moose meat with us.
Departing Fairbanks
Almost to Grayling, over the Yukon River
Jared’s first bird: grouse = wild chicken 🙂
Christa’s first bird
Makin’ their Grandpa Deaner proud! (and their Dad!)
Beautiful day to head out on the mighty Yukon
Beach scene at Grayling
Our youngest hunter
Timothy was SO excited to go for a boat ride
With a Timothy-sized door!
Pretty cushy, hunting from the comfort of the skiff’s cabin with Marvin, our host and guide
Boating the Yukon
Looking at the remains of Holikachuk, from which residents moved to establish Grayling about 1964
Jared’s #2 grouse, taken with a .22 shot from the bow of the boat
James and our host Marvin getting us settled in to the cabin
Kids tended the fire, keeping us cozy!
Hunters’ breakfast: bacon, duck eggs fried in bacon grease, whole wheat pancakes with plenty of butter and pure maple syrup
High bush cranberries (the ones we *didn’t* eat the day before!), frosty with the morning’s chill
Cache
Millers at Marvin Deacon’s cabin, off the Innoko River
We are here
Peaceful water at the cabin, just before boarding the boat for the final moose hunt of the season
Marvin’s wood duck houses at his cabin. The eggs are a beautiful turquoise, and he gets an abundant supply from them in the spring.
A T-sized bench!
Moose hunting crew: Jared and Christa did the calling with moose antlers and a coffee can. Curious? See the video here.
What a gorgeous day to be searching the slough for moose!
Time to get those grouse ready for dinner!
Suffering: James made a trip out to Grayling earlier in September to spend a week working on the house and enjoyed the Deacons’ hospitality one evening. Moose roast and crab were served up. Interesting story: villages within 50 miles of the ocean’s coast are given rights to an allocation of federally controlled fisheries along the coast, and Grayling happens to be 49.7 miles from the western coast. So Grayling has fishing boats operating that both sell and provide the village residents with fish.
Millers in Alaska 
Hi James,
I really enjoy your updates. It’s great that you have good family time together.
Blessings, Rob
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