Hunting the "King" with Mike Birch.

Full transcript for Episode 49: Hunting the "King" with Mike Birch..

Tyce

Hey folks, welcome to the Bird Dog Podcast. Today I've got my good friend Mike Birch back on the show. Mike has been a client for years and, honestly, one of the people I'd blame for getting me even deeper into waterfowl. He recently came back from hunting King Eiders on St. Paul Island, Alaska with Aleutian Island Outfitters — one of the most bucket-list waterfowl hunts there is. We're recording this from his office, surrounded by an incredible wall of duck mounts he's collected over the years. Mike, thanks for doing this.

Mike

Welcome to the office. Yeah, the seed was planted at our taxidermist Troy's studio. I was dropping off or picking up ducks — probably both — and he had a King Eider on the bench. We got to talking about it, and I fell down the rabbit hole. Where do they live? Where do you hunt them? How do their migrations work? Like most things waterfowl, it just pulled me in. And I told myself I was going to St. Paul Island.

The trip actually came together fast. I thought I'd have to wait a year or two and get on a list. But I called Aleutian Island Outfitters on a whim to ask about solo cancellation spots, and the guy said he had one open in about two months. I took it. For anyone who's flexible — cancellation hunts are real. You often save money and sometimes the timeline is faster than you'd expect.

Tyce

Walk us through the travel. Getting to St. Paul is half the adventure.

Mike

It's a full two-day journey each way if everything lines up. Salt Lake to Seattle to Anchorage — stay overnight — then fly to King Salmon the next morning to refuel, and then a three to four hour flight out across the Bering Sea to St. Paul. You have to stop at King Salmon because if conditions at St. Paul don't allow you to land and you have to turn back, you need the fuel. Smart call by the pilot. And conditions on St. Paul are entirely weather dependent — I know groups that got stuck in Anchorage for an extra day or two waiting for a break. Plan for that. Relax and know it's Alaska in January.

The island itself is about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide, population around 400 — mostly indigenous people. It was originally a Russian outpost, and the infrastructure reflects that. Old buildings, one working toilet at the lodge, one working shower most days. The accommodations are basic. But the guide's wife and daughter were there cooking hot homemade meals — hot breakfast, hot dinner — and honestly that was more than enough. You're there to hunt Eiders. You don't need a resort.

The group I hunted with was a great mix — a family from Indiana, a couple of guys from Kentucky who had clearly saved a long time for this trip, and three Amish hunters from Ohio. I didn't know Amish guys hunted. They were fantastic. One of them was my roommate, had to be six-foot-five, hands like dinner plates. Absolute mountain of a man. Really good group.

Tyce

What do you need to know about gear going in?

Mike

Everything gets wet and salty. Don't cut corners on your outer layer — get the best waterproof shell you can find. I went with Grundéns. And bring multiple complete sets of base layers, mid layers, socks, gloves, and beanies. A fresh dry set for every hunting day. You could dry clothes at the lodge, but I didn't want to mess with it — I just wanted dry gear ready every morning. I opened my gun case when I got home and the gun was destroyed with rust. It went straight to a shop to be completely refinished. The Benelli is fine now, but take that seriously — wipe your gun down every evening and oil it. The salt environment is brutal.

On shot — I went tungsten, four or five shot. These birds are crossing at a decent pace, not decoying tight. Go with your best stuff. You're spending significant money to be there; don't skimp on shells. Waders are optional since you're not wading, but I wore them. It's another layer between you and the ocean spray. At minimum, waterproof boots.

Tyce

Tell us how the hunt itself works. I think a lot of people picture a blind and decoys. This is completely different.

Mike

Completely different. You're hunting from boats — they have banks boats (hard-sided, partially enclosed, a bit of shelter from spray) and zodiacs (flat and exposed, but you're right on the water). Hunting mornings, typically done by midday when the movement slows down. The motor is never off. You're not anchored. You're in constant motion because you have to be — you're about a quarter mile offshore in eight to twelve foot swells.

The Eiders are transitioning between a section of rough reef water they call "the washing machine" — you can watch it from a distance, wouldn't take a boat in there — and the calmer areas around the island. The birds fly low, right on the deck of the waves. There's a long rope of decoys dragging behind the boat, not so much to decoy the birds as to give them a reference point — something that makes them want to swing through your area.

Here's what no one told me before I went: the shooting is exponentially harder than anything you've experienced duck hunting. You're in a zodiac, sliding around on a slick deck, running into the other guy, bracing against swells. The birds are moving fast and low. As you rise up on a swell you might get a window; as you drop into a trough you're hidden and so are they. You're trying to lead a fast-moving bird while the entire platform under you is moving. I was sliding down the bottom of the zodiac trying to shoot a King Eider. I wish someone had filmed it. A little bit of cussing, a little bit of laughing.

The harlequins and long tails are hunted differently — you move into the coves and essentially jump-shoot them against the rocks. The guide corners them into a bay and they come flying past you. Still from the boat, still with the swells, just in tighter quarters. Those are great birds and the hunt for them has a completely different feel.

Tyce

What did you come home with?

Mike

Three species — King Eider, Harlequin, and White Wing/Black Scoter. The guide recommended shooting three drakes and one hen on your Eider limit. I shot my four. The Harlequin double was a highlight — I connected on two birds with one shot in rolling ocean swells. I'm pretty proud of that one. The guide recovered every bird with a long-handled net. You prioritize retrieval immediately — if a bird is down, you're going for it before anything else. I can't think of a single bird we didn't recover the entire trip.

Tyce

Cost and logistics for anyone wanting to plan this?

Mike

Aleutian Island Outfitters was around four to five thousand dollars when I went — check their current pricing. Flights on top of that. Budget for a two-day travel each way and potentially a weather day. This is not a trip you hack together — the island has about 400 people and no real accommodations outside the outfitter. Go through them, do it right. They are outstanding. Safety is their first, second, and third priority, and they've been running this operation a long time. They're going to put you on birds and make sure you have a great experience.

If King Eiders are on your bucket list, start saving now. There are only a couple places on the planet to hunt them. This trip lived up to everything I imagined.

Tyce

Mike, I appreciate you taking the time. You've been trying to get me to go on this hunt for a while — maybe one day. Thanks for bringing me a bird at least.

Mike

Thanks for having me. Go hunt some Kings.