That depends entirely on your hunting style: During the early “bucks only” season, hiking to the high ground to get big bucks is my favorite. Not only do you get some top choice meat for the freezer but the views of Prince William Sound from the high ground are fantastic! During the “everything open” season, you get to hunt the lower ground – staking out the deer from ambush sites and hunting the edges of open clearings as well as beach combing. This technique usually works well when the high ground is getting some snow cover.

What is the weather like in Prince William Sound?

The spring is usually cool and rainy often with frost at night but with some warm days in between.
The early fall is usually mild with plenty of black flies so bring a good head net and bug spray. Also bring good quality game bags for your meat as well as black pepper to keep the flies off it.
The late fall to winter can be cold and wet, often with a mix of snow and rain at higher elevations. There is a risk of your water taxi pickup being delayed due to high seas so always take food and fuel for a longer period than what you intend being out there.

What kind of gear should I bring?

Communications:
I always recommend that hunters bring a Satellite Phone which they can rent at a reasonable rate from Surveyor’s Exchange in Anchorage as well as a waterproof VHF radio that has a regular battery pack (you can’t recharge your battery in the bush but you can change out the AA batteries.) A VHF radio is the best way to call for help in Prince William Sound as the USCG monitors Channel 16 24/7. The satellite phone keeps you in contact with your family and the water taxi (in case you need an early or later pickup.)

Tents:
As far as tents go, bigger is better. If you don’t have enough airflow, you will get damp every night. I use a Timberline 4 man tent with vestibules at either end to store gear under. This style is not too big – you can easily find enough flat area to put it up and there is plenty of room inside. It withstands the wind and rain storms in the late season and I stay dry in the wettest of conditions. There are plenty of other good quality tents out there – be sure to get one where the rain fly goes all the way to the ground. Adding another tarp over the tent also helps. 

Sleeping bags:
Synthetic fabrics dry in the bush – almost everything else does not. I don’t buy any sleeping bag that is rated for higher than -20 F. Stay away from those with cheap zippers and those that are too tight. You should be able to move around some.

Cooking gear:
Nowadays most hunters I meet either own or have used a Jet Boil cooking system. For heating coffee water, soup or anything else, there is nothing that beats it. I still keep my triple burner Coleman duel fuel stove for when I want to cook up an elaborate meal. What you bring all depends on how much cooking you plan to do. Everyone likes a good hot coffee on a cold morning and the Jet Boil will give that to you in a few minutes. If you like a full breakfast in the mornings and a hot meal in the evenings, then the Coleman duel fuel is the best. Whatever stove you bring make sure that it uses fuel that will burn in below freezing temperatures.  

First Aid Kit:
An American Red Cross First Aid Kit in a waterproof container is recommended.

Fire Starting Kit:
It is best to take along a variety of products and keep them in waterproof containers. Choose products that will burn even in the rain.

Binoculars:
Take a lightweight pair of binoculars for spotting your game – it is a very unsafe practice to use your rifle scope to spot game.

Wet weather gear:
An absolute must in Prince William Sound – it is important to bring a set of heavy duty vinyl rain gear like what the commercial fisherman use – dark green being your best color option for the sound. You do sweat in them at times but it’s the only type that remains waterproof for long periods of rain and it makes a great wind stopper. Bring a set of breathable gortex rain gear for light days but plan to get wet if that’s all you have!

Hand held GPS with extra batteries:
If you’re in trouble and you need help, you need to know where you are!

• Where should I go? Well, this is where your research comes in. As a game transporter I cannot tell you where to go but there are plenty of good resources out there that you can use: The web has a lot of hunting forums such as The Outdoors Directory. These forums sites are always full of people’s hunting experiences and you can learn a lot from them as well as ask specific questions. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has a wealth of information from the state biologists on their site and you can call them and talk to someone that has firsthand knowledge of the area you’re planning to hunt. Google Earth has some great satellite images of the areas giving you a good idea of what kind of terrain to expect. Trail Illustrated Maps (also sold as National Geographic Maps) are great topographical maps that can help you plan your hunt. Map Number 761 covers Western Prince William Sound. These maps are made of plastic so they hold up well in wet weather. 

HELPFUL LINKS

TRANSPORT:
Aquetec Water Taxi www.whittierwatertaxi.com
Whittier Tunnel Information www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml

WHITTIER:
Swiftwater Café – Whittier www.swiftwaterseafoodcafe.com
Whittier parking www.whittieralaska.gov/docs/smbh_parkingmap_staging_info.doc

WEATHER:
Prince William Sound Weather www.wunderground.com/MAR/PK/129.html
National Marine Weather www.arh.noaa.gov/zonefcst.php?zone=125

HUNTING REGULATIONS:
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Hunting Regulations www.adfg.state.ak.us
Purchase Hunting Licenses On-line www.admin.adfg.state.ak.us/license

GENERAL INFO:
Outdoordirectory forums www.forums.outdoorsdirectory.com
Google Earth www.earth.google.com
Trails Illustrated Maps www.natgeomaps.com/ti_alaska

GEAR:
Sportsman Warehouse www.sportsmanswarehouse.com
Cabelas www.cabelas.com
B and J Commercial www.bandjcommercial.com
Wiggy Sleeping bags www.wiggys.com
Jetboil Cookware www.jetboil.com
Timberline Tents www.timberlinetent.com
Packs Barneys Sports Chalets www.barneyssports.com
Surveyors Exchange – Satellite Phone Rental www.tse-ak.com/default.aspx?cid=38

Recommended additional gear for all drop offs:

Satellite phone and good quality VHF radio with spare batteries

GPS

Supplies for extra days

Good quality fire starting kit

4-season tent with fly that goes all the way to the ground

High quality synthetic sleeping bag rated for below zero use

Commercial grade wet weather gear

First Aid Kit

Bear Spray (for those you don’t want to bring home)

High quality cook stove that functions well at low temperatures with fuel

for extra days

Links

Aquetec Water Taxi
Prince William Sound Weather
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Hunting Regulations
Purchase Hunting Licenses On-line
Whittier Tunnel Information