Miller, I'd hardly call what you gave me a 'rod'! Maybe a swizzle stick!!
As with most trips, hunting and otherwise, I had expectations of how it would go down. Though it didn't meet those, it was one hell of an adventure. Not sure if I'll ever hunt Sitka's again, but if I do it will be later in the year. The grass was butt high on a TALL HORSE! Quite a bit more brush bucking than I expected! :BLEEP: But, once above that the walking was vertical, but not too bad. These deer aren't tall, but built more like me; short and fat. They would duck their heads and wiggle through the brush like a busted pheasant.
Once we finally got to the beach and up to 'Buck Basin' Miller and BOY (my coworker) had spotted 8 deer. Craig went right, BOY and I went left. About 3/4 of the way up the mountain (just over 2000' according to Miller) BOY spotted a bedded buck at 325yds and started putting the sneak on. Miller caught up with me and we watched the sneak, the whole while contemplating whether we should just shoot from where we were.

The buck was joined by another and topped out over the hill. Miller went over the top and BOY/Me sidehilled around. A bit over 1/2 mile later we bumped another buck, which took off with BOY shooting at it. He went to check for signs of a hit while I stayed above him to see if anything else came out. I stopped and could hear something moving in the brush just below me. About 40yds down hill a buck was slipping through, it went behind a 'pine'

tree and I shot it as it stepped out. Bang flop.
According to our transporter, dragging the deer out sans guts is the best way to get them off the hill. Mine was shot about 1.5 miles from the beach. Dragging a whole deer across a sidehill, through head high grass, over/around alders, and devil's club certainly is a way to get them down. But, packing one in a backpack has to be easier. Not to mention getting to the wrong part of the beach and having to drop your buck off a small cliff (miller's got the pic)!
The last day on the hill BOY spotted another buck and as able to close the distance to about 150yds and put the hurt on him. That short sucker took two shots to bring down, but he's a NICE one!
PS- The Alaskan Bush Company sells beer! hump