Issuu

FISHING • HUNTING • ADVENTURE

AKSPORTINGJOURNAL.COM

Volume 14 • Issue 11 www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles WRITERS Shoren Brown, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Tiffany Herrington, Mary Catharine Martin SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Janene Mukai, Gabriel Patel

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120 Renton, WA 98057 (206) 382-9220 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com www.media-inc.com ON THE COVER The 19th Annual Combat Fishing Tournament will be held on May 21 in Seward. The event brings together Alaska-based junior enlisted military service members for what is considered to be the largest military appreciation fishing tourney in the country. (ARMED SERVICES YMCA OF ALASKA)

DESIGNERS Kha Miner, Gabrielle Pangilinan WEB DEVELOPMENT/INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES media@media-inc.com

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

CORRESPONDENCE X @AKSportJourn Facebook.com/alaskasportingjournal aksportingjournal.com Email ccocoles@media-inc.com

CONTENTS

VOLUME 14 • ISSUE 11

32 FISHING FOR THE TROOPS What started as a dispute in a piano bar turned into a lightbulb moment for two friends, fishing Captain Bob Candopoulos and businessman Keith Manternach. Their vision was to create a fishing tournament catered to active-duty servicemen and -women based in Alaska. As the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska Combat Fishing Tournament hits its 19th anniversary on May 21 in Seward, Tiffany Herrington chats with the cofounders and others who make it such a special spot on the fishing calendar.

(ARMED SERVICES YMCA OF ALASKA)

FEATURES

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

CONSERVATION CLASS IS IN SESSION

9 11

LESSONS LEARNED FROM BRISTOL BAY

JUDGMENT TIME FOR BEAR HUNTERS

A University of Alaska Southeast campus course isn’t your typical chemistry lecture or English literature class. Instead, Federal Subsistence Board Policy and Procedures teaches students how to have their voices heard on fishing and hunting regulations at subsistence board meetings. Mary Catharine Martin of SalmonState chatted with both instructors and students from a class that is quintessentially Alaskan.

Editor’s Note The Alaska Beat: News and notes from around the Last Frontier 15 Outdoor Calendar 17 Shoren Brown Q&A: Standing up for wild Alaska 57 From Field to Fire: Gun dog training tips

Shoren Brown has been on the front lines of protecting Alaska’s natural resources for decades, and no place has inspired him more than Bristol Bay and its fight to block the Pebble Mine. Brown was a contributor to a new Patagonia-published book of essays chronicling conservation issues around the globe. Check out Brown’s excerpt, and we also have a candid interview about his Last Frontier crusade. When it comes time to determine if a bear is worth pulling the trigger on, Scott Haugen reminds hunters that field judging skills are as important as being able to make a successful shot. A veteran of many Alaska bear hunts, Haugen has a checklist of five physical features to look for if you are gunning for a big bruin.

Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Inc. Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Inc. Publishing Group and will not be returned. Annual subscriptions are $39.95 (12 issues) or $59.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Inc. Publishing Group, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057 or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Inc. Publishing Group, subject to availability, at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Copyright © 2025 Media Inc. Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

The decades-long fight by many to try and protect Bristol Bay’s bears and salmon inspires the editor, who grew up in a more urban environment but admires fighters like Shoren Brown, who is featured in this month’s issue and has spent a career defending Alaska’s wild places. (PETER PEARSALL/ U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)

f there’s one constant when it comes to Tom Hanks, it’s that if the twotime Academy Award-winning actor attaches his name to a project, it will be worth a watch. Sure enough, Hanks narrates an NBC documentary series called The Americas, which, according to the network, chronicles “the extraordinary worlds and wildlife of North and South America.” From Hanks’ play-by-play accounts describing the flora and fauna of South America’s majestic Andes, Mexico and our own Gulf Coast, desert Southwest and Appalachia regions, The Americas just reinforces the need to ensure that these wild places are preserved forever. And knowing how much sweat equity has gone into safeguarding Alaska’s most pristine ecosystems moves me as a city boy who, I’m almost ashamed to say, took much for granted when I was younger. My family took annual summer trips to the California-Nevada border destination

of Lake Tahoe, a spectacular alpine lake surrounded by the tall peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Back then, my first thoughts focused on the buffet at the casino we’d always go to, the miniature golf course I begged my dad to take us to and the pool at the same motel we always stayed at before I remembered how gorgeous the lake was. As I got older and fishing became a passion and my dad and I rented a boat to troll, I actually appreciated what a gift Lake Tahoe is. I can understand those folks like Shoren Brown who feel the same way about protecting Alaska’s Bristol Bay at all costs. Writer Tiffany Herrington told me what struck her about her interview with Brown (page 17) was his passion and unfiltered opinions, which in turn led to his honesty. I figure that’s the kind and also abrasive, aggressive disposition one needs to follow through on a cause like this for so long. The fight to keep a Pebble Mine-style operation out of

Bristol Bay may never truly end; it could outlive all of us. It’s also why series like The Americas are such educational tools to remind us of what’s worth saving. It’s not a surprise that the episode that most affected me is titled “The Frozen North” and features the Last Frontier prominently. In one segment, Hanks describes Alaska pink salmon preparing for the final act in their incredible life journey: spawning the next generation of fish to start the process all over again. “There’s no time to rest. Pink salmon gather at the starting line of a race that will test them to their limits,” Hanks says of the humpies’ final act, including surviving a “killer assault course.” The noble cause that salmon live and die for is why we need the Shoren Browns of the world to never back down from a cause that’s this important to finish – or at least pass the baton to the next generation. -Chris Cocoles

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

‘RED’ ALERT FOR TRANSBOUNDARY MINE THREAT TO SOUTHEAST ALASKA RIVERS

report from Canada’s SkeenaWild Conservation Trust found that pollutants from Red Chris, a large copper and gold mine just across the Southeast Alaska border in British Columbia, is infiltrating creeks and lakes along the route of Canada’s Iskut River, the main tributary of the Stikine River, which as a transboundary waterway provides salmon and other fish for both sides of the border. “SkeenaWild Conservation Trust’s review of the Red Chris operation offers valuable insights into potential issues at future mines in the region, helping to ensure that mining for critical minerals does not compromise human health, clean water, healthy ecosystems, or wild salmon populations,” the report says. “Now is also a critical time to address outstanding problems at Red Chris’ existing operations prior to any expansion.” On the Alaska side, the Stikine meets saltwater near the community of Wrangell, where residents depend on the river’s natural resources for subsistence purposes. The conservation organization Salmon Beyond Borders refers to the Stikine as “North America’s fastest free-flowing navigable river.” “Report findings include that critical fish habitat near the mine has been destroyed and the seepage of contaminants like selenium and copper from the Red Chris mine’s waste facility and waste rock piles is higher than predicted and could negatively impact aquatic life,” Salmon Beyond Borders stated in a press release. “The levels of selenium detected in fish tissue in nearby lakes are increasing and could be harmful to the fish and to the humans eating them.” Critics of the Red Chris mine say its tailings pond is designed similarly to one at the Mount Polley mine, another Canadian operation that in 2014 released 6.6 billion gallons of toxic sludge into BC’s Fraser River, damaging that watershed’s salmon population. Salmon Beyond Borders says the Red Chris waste facility is six times the size of Mount Polley’s, and advisor Heather Hardcastle called it “mind-boggling” that Canadian officials have authorized these mines next to salmon rivers, given the importance of the fish stocks in both U.S. and Canadian communities. “The clean, cold salmon river systems of this region are the true wealth, not specks of gold and a giant lake of acidic mine waste that threatens the health of the entire Stikine-Iskut watershed,” Hardcastle says. Salmon Beyond Borders director Breanna Walker was grateful the report shed some light on what could happen to the Stikine in the event of a Red Chris tailings accident. “While the toxic seepage of the Red Chris mine tailings dams impacts highlighted by the report are localized at this point, it is a cautionary tale. This is exactly why almost every Southeast Alaska municipality and several tribes have called for a ban on mine waste dams along the Taku, Stikine and Unuk transboundary salmon rivers,” Walker added. “This is not about the U.S. versus Canada; it’s about the chronic problems with modern large-scale mining and the lack of industry-wide standards and polluter-pays policies that will adequately protect people and the environment.”

ALASKA BEAT TWEET OF THE MONTH

Alaskans can finally see the sunlight at the end of the tunnel as winter goes away.

British Columbia’s Red Chris mine waste dam and open pits in the headwaters of Canada’s Iskut River, a major tributary of the AlaskaBritish Columbia transboundary Stikine River, which has plentiful salmon runs that could be threatened by a tailings failure. (COLIN ARISMAN)

27,700

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s king salmon harvest allocation for Panhandle sport anglers, part of a total harvest target of 130,850 for commercial and sportfishing. aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

“Come and knock on our door!” ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

T A STEELHEADER’S

FROM THE ASJ ARCHIVES – MAY 2019

DEBATE: JIGS OR BEADS

“It’s a fair bet to assume that beads and jigs account for the majority of steelhead landed by gear anglers throughout the Last Frontier,” longtime steelheader Tony Ensalaco wrote back in 2019, “and there is no denying that either of them can be deadly at any given time.” (TONY ENSALACO)

“ ”

ruth be told: I’m always apprehensive about expressing my opinions when the subject of adult steelhead feeding in freshwater comes up. There are a lot of fishermen who believe the fish will continue to feed once they have entered a river. But from my experience, I haven’t found that to be true. I have performed countless makeshift autopsies on hatchery steelhead that were taken home for the grill or the smoker and haven’t found any definitive evidence that steelhead feed in streams. Can it, or does it happen from time to time? Probably, but I don’t believe they enter a river with that intention, as much as they are instinctual creatures that will bite something that happens to float past. I have found an occasional egg or two in the stomach of steelhead, but that was a rarity, even when the river was teeming with spawning salmon. I’ve also found bits of twigs and leaves, along with unidentified river gunk, which tells me they’re picking up whatever that comes at them. Besides that, on several occasions I have observed steelhead holding along a current seam that appeared to be mouthing and rejecting various debris that drifted past, telling me that it’s their way of defending their space. The fact of the matter is that we will never know the true reason why a steelhead hits a bait until we find a way to communicate with animals. The most important takeaway is knowing how to get fish to bite and not be too concerned about why they do it. -Tony Ensalaco

THEY SAID IT

“Paving over such perfection would leave a permanent scar on the beauty of the nation. The choice between one-time mining opportunities and causing irreparable harm that would destroy the region’s sustainable economies, versus ensuring salmon populations, pristine waters and the incomparable natural beauty of this region for generations is an easy one.”

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

–Sarah Dyrdahl, Northwest regional director for American Rivers, which ranked the Sustitna River the eighth most endangered river in the U.S. due to the proposed West Susitna Industrial Access Road that would cross almost 200 streams along its route. MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

OUTDOOR CALENDAR May 10

Spring brown bear hunting season opens in Game Management Unit 10 (Aleutians) May 13-Sept. 2 Homer Halibut Derby (homerhalibuttournament.com) ASYMCA Combat Fishing Tournament (for May 21 Alaska service members), Seward (alaska.asymca.org/combat-fishing-tournament) May 24-Aug. 31 Valdez Halibut Derby (valdezfishderbies.com/ halibut-derby) Last day of brown bear hunting season in GMU May 25 6D (Montague Island and remainder of unit) Brown bear hunting season ends in several units May 31 Valdez Halibut Hullabaloo (valdezfishderbies June 6-15 .com/halibut-derby/halibut-hullaballoo) Slam’n Salm’n Derby, Ship Creek, Anchorage June 13-21 (thebaitshackak.com/events/2021-slamnsalmn-derby) Brown bear hunting season ends in several units June 15 Black bear hunting season ends in several units June 30 Last day 2024-25 hunting regulations are valid June 30 2025-26 hunting regulations take effect July 1 Mount Marathon Race, Seward July 4 (mountmarathon.com) July 19-Aug. 31 Valdez Silver Salmon Derby (valdezfishderbies.com/silver-derby)

early bird outfitter @northwest_earlybird

Salmon Fishing

Steelhead +

Trip This Fall! r ou Y k 253-363-5666 Boo earlybird-fishing.com earlybirdfishing01@gmail.com

For more information and season dates for Alaska hunts, go to adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.main.

The 19th annual ASYMCA Combat Fishing Tournament – Alaska service members are eligible to enter – is set for May 21 in Seward. Read our feature and preview of the event on page 32.

(ARMED SERVICES YMCA OF ALASKA/COMBAT FISHING TOURNAMENT)

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

NO WAY BUT THROUGH INSIDE THE CAMPAIGN THAT BROUGHT THE PEBBLE MINE PROJECT TO A HALT

Alaska is a long way from the Louisiana swamps where Shoren Brown first discovered a love for the wilderness, but protecting the Last Frontier’s most pristine lands and waters has become his muse. (SHOREN BROWN)

BY TIFFANY HERRINGTON

horen Brown is no stranger to a fight. As director of the U.S. Nature Initiative and a principal at Riverrun Consulting, Brown has spent over two decades building conservation campaigns that bring together unlikely allies across political lines. He was the strategic architect of the federal campaign to protect Bristol Bay, helped lead the national field effort that safeguarded the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2005 and has worked on public lands campaigns across the West. Raised in the swamps of southern Louisiana, Brown’s early love of wild places and rural communities shaped a career that’s taken him from Southeast Alaska to the halls of Congress. His contribution to the recently published book Tools to Save Our Home Planet (read an excerpt on page 43) distills hard-earned lessons from a life spent

defending landscapes, watersheds and the people who depend on them. In our conversation, Brown reflects on the gritty realities of grassroots organizing, the unexpected allies who helped turn the tide and what it truly takes to protect one of the last great wild fisheries in the world. From his early days at the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, to his long-running role as a strategist and spokesperson in the fight against the Pebble Mine, Brown shares stories that are as sharp as they are inspiring. What follows is an unfiltered look at a man shaped by wilderness, driven by justice and determined to make sure the next generation inherits more than just a memory of wild places.

Tiffany Herrington Shoren, you’ve had

quite the journey – from the swamps of Louisiana, often called a sportsman’s paradise, to the wilderness of Alaska.

How have these very different places influenced you and shaped your take on environmental activism? Shoren Brown Yeah, I mean, I grew up running around the swamps as a kid. The three of us were homeschooled. We were pretty wild. My parents were pretty anti-establishment, so all my early memories are of running around with sticks and machetes, being in nature with my little brother and our friends. That upbringing totally shaped the way I interact with people and with nature. In some ways, I’ve been trying to get back to the way I grew up my whole life, because it was incredible. We ran around the woods, set ant hills on fire, chopped down trees, chased snakes and alligators, tried to kill ourselves on the neighbor’s three-wheeler; thank god those things got banned. Growing up that way, connecting with people in the woods, in nature – that’s just how we lived. Me and my closest friends

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

spent time outdoors together, whether we were hunting or fishing or burning ant hills. There’s a kind of connection that happens in that space that doesn’t happen in development. It just doesn’t. After undergrad, I moved to Juneau. That place rocked me. I was blown away by how vast it was, how wild, and how many people there were who were born from that place – people living in extremely rural Alaska, harvesting their own food from the water and land. I totally fell in love with it. I worked for the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, met tribal leaders, talked to commercial fishermen on the docks, worked with Mark Kaelke, who ran a sportfishing business, and learned how to fly fish for the first time in the Gastineau Channel. That experience led me to D.C., where I found myself one of the few people who’d worked in conservation in Alaska and was also willing to put on a suit every day. That duality made the transition into national work and the fight for Bristol Bay a pretty easy one.

TH So what led you into the fight for Bristol Bay? SB I was a lobbyist for Trout Unlimited and the National Wildlife Federation, working in D.C. for a bunch of conservation-focused hunting and fishing groups, mostly on salmon issues around the Snake River dams and the Pacific Northwest. I’d worked with [SalmonState director] Tim Bristol before – back in the day at Southeast Alaska Conservation Council in like 1999. We shared an office wall, and I’d hear him yelling through

it all the time. I remember thinking, “I want to be like that guy someday.” Later, he was working for TU and invited me up to a meeting in Bristol Bay. I fished during the season opener at Brian Kraft’s [Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge], guided by Kate and Justin. I got to fish the Naknek River for the first time and caught what I thought was a giant rainbow trout; turns out it wasn’t actually that big. I met tribal leaders, went to the boatyard in Naknek, and talked to commercial fishermen. It was like my Juneau experience on steroids. At that time in the campaign, there was real unity in opposition to the mine, but no central strategy. Everyone was coming together, but the mine still felt like a done deal. I remember thinking, “This is a ripe environment for someone like me.” I’d worked with the White House, Congress, grassroots groups – you name it. The foundation was there, but the house hadn’t even been designed yet. Right around then, the film Red Gold came out. I had just gotten married – it was 2009 – and I remember telling my wife, “This is it. I’m gonna do this, no matter what it takes.” I had that gut feeling. I’ve only had it a few times in life – when my kid was born, when I got married and that trip to Bristol Bay. I knew it was worth the fight. And I did. For nearly eight years, I woke up every day trying to move the ball forward on the Clean Water Act 404(c). It became a little bit of an obsession. But it was worth it.

Bay campaign? SB So many moments. A lot of personal connections … with people who had grown up in Bristol Bay and were just incredibly appreciative that someone from the Lower 48 was showing up and trying to help protect their jobs, their way of life. And then there were the big ones. Like when some of the mining companies actually surrendered their leases. They gave up their stock, donated it to local groups, and just walked away. That was during the Obama Administration. It was huge. I remember we were on a trip in D.C. and the gravity of it hit us. We were up against three or four multinational companies. And suddenly, one of them drops out. You start thinking, “Wait, we might actually pull this off.” Getting the [Environmental Protection Agency] to do the original watershed assessment was another key moment. Bringing scientists together, getting real data. It confirmed that there would be irreversible damage. It breathed new life into a lot of folks who’d been at this much longer than me. Some of them had been opposing Pebble for over a decade. And when President Obama came to Bristol Bay – that was incredible. He went to the elementary school in Dillingham. Kids were in traditional regalia. A salmon spawned on his shoe. The whole thing was surreal. He listened to the people. And love or hate him, he showed up. That matters.

TH Looking back at your time fighting Pebble Mine, was there a moment that really changed the course of the Bristol

TH Can you share a story where local community efforts made a real difference? SB Sure. It took Senator Mark Begich a

In 2005, Brown was part of the group that lobbied to implement protections on Northern Alaska’s vast Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, part of which could be threatened by potential natural gas drilling. (DANIELLE BRIGIDA/U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE) 18

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

CALL THE LODGE FOR AVAILABLE DATES

One of Brown’s first experiences in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed was fishing the famed Naknek River. After meeting with Native leaders, commercial fishermen and other locals who depend on the region’s natural resources, he knew opposing the Pebble Mine was a necessity. (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)

long time to get to the right place on Bristol Bay. We brought in Paul, this incredible grassroots advisor who had worked with the Democratic Party. He helped us understand that unless we got Alaska’s elected officials on board, we weren’t going to get the White House to act. So we focused. We poured energy into getting constituents to call, write, show up. Senator [Lisa] Murkowski too. I remember this meeting in D.C.: Murkowski walks into the room and there’s this wild cast of characters – sportfishing lodge owners, commercial fishing leaders, tribal elders, conservationists – all sitting together. She said, “What are you all doing here?” That was the moment. People who typically argue over fish allocation were unified. [Former state Senator] Rick Halford was there. He used to brag about his 4 percent League of Conservation Voters rating. Now he’s sitting there talking about how important a 404(c) is for Bristol Bay. When you create enough on-ramps for everyone to be involved, and don’t shut people out for being too conservative or too liberal, amazing things can happen. 20

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Juvenile Bristol Bay salmon like these at Togiak National Wildlife Refuge are at risk if the massive Pebble Mine project ever gets off the ground. Of the area he’s fought so hard to protect, Brown says, “One of the biggest lessons I learned in Bristol Bay is that it’s one thing to say you care about the environment. It’s another thing when your family’s future, your personal finances, your livelihood – when those are tied to a place that’s under threat. That’s when people fight like hell.” (TOGIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE)

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

A DREAM WE CALL

ALASKA

With our extensive family of Alaskan lodges and wilderness adventures, you are sure to find the trip of a lifetime! Whether you come to fish, fly, boat, view bears, or paddle, we’ll make sure you leave with memories that will last forever!

PLAN YOUR TRIP TODAY!

• Iliamna River Lodge • Rainbow River Lodge • Bear Haven Lodge • Royal Wolf Lodge • The Ridge Lodge • Alaskan Remote Adventures Lodge • The Rock at Talarik Outpost

Chad: 503.720.5063 | chad@rainbowriverlodge.com Bill: 907.671 .708 1 | bill@iliamnariverlodge.com

salmon · halibut · rockfish · ling cod · trophy trout · steelhead

Anglers Haven Lodge offers an unforgettable fishing experience, set in a breathtaking location!

LATE SUMMER SALE Silver and Gold Packages - $2675 Available 15 Aug - 14 Sept • 7 Nights lodging • 2 days Coho salmon • 2 days Steelhead/trophy trout • 1 halibut/rockfish combo trip • Fish processing included • All trips fully guided

BOOK NOW!

49anglers.com • anglershaven.ak@gmail.com • 907-201-2007 aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

BOOK NOW!

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

ctually d lands

The secret to successful campaigning? “When you create enough on-ramps for everyone to be involved, and don’t shut people out for being too conservative or too liberal, amazing things can happen,” states Brown. (SHOREN BROWN)

TH Facing off against a behemoth like [Pebble Limited Partnership] must’ve been daunting. What were some of the toughest challenges you dealt with? SB One of the toughest things? They bought up almost every major lobbying firm in D.C. out of the gate. Their strategy was to retain every big-name lobby shop with access so they’d be conflicted out of working with anyone else. Literally just dropped $100,000 here, $100,000 there, to lock up firms and control the narrative. It was disgusting. That’s part of what gives D.C. a bad name. I remember doing a talk at Yale – this was at the height of the conflict – and Tom from PLP was on the panel via Zoom. It was me, Jason Metrokin from [Bristol Bay Native Corporation], Bob Waldrop from [Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association], and a few others. Tom’s up on this massive screen behind us, saying things that just weren’t true, over and over. Finally, I couldn’t take it and said, “Respectfully, Tom, you’re full of sh*t.” And you could’ve heard a fish fart in that room; it went completely silent. Then he just laughed. That was 22

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

a moment. It really showed how little they cared. These guys were in it for the money, period. They’d say or do anything. And to be clear, that’s not representative of the entire mining industry. Most of them are actually pretty responsible. But PLP? They fought dirty. They made the whole industry look bad.

TH How did engaging with lawmakers and political pressures shape the direction of your campaign? And were there any unexpected surprises along the way? SB It shaped a lot of what we did. I think one of the biggest surprises for me personally was when the first Trump Administration denied the Pebble Mine permit through the Army Corps of Engineers. It wasn’t a nail in the coffin, but it was a massive step forward. I mean, even a pro-development, antiregulation administration looked at that project and said, “Wrong mine, wrong place.” And that’s what we’d been saying for decades at that point. And here’s the thing: We didn’t dismiss anyone. We didn’t say, “Oh, we’re not talking to Donald Trump Jr.”

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

We had multiple conversations with him, through various channels. He’d fished in Bristol Bay six or seven times before his dad was even president. Same with [Fox News host] Tucker Carlson. I don’t have much in common with the guy, but I helped fund some of the people who built a relationship with him around this issue, and he ended up playing a huge role in the permit being denied. We all came together. The threat was so big, and we were so focused on winning, that the strategy was, we don’t say no to anyone unless they’re actively hurting someone on the team. People are calling me again now, with Trump back in the picture, asking how we did it. And the truth is, there’s no secret sauce. Just stop setting up your campaign in a way that automatically excludes massive portions of the American public. We’ve got polling – like the Colorado College poll, which oversamples MAGA voters – and it shows the same thing every year: People overwhelmingly support conservation, public lands and clean water. We’re talking 60 to 70 percent support. But a lot of those folks are never

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

engaged by conservation organizations, because so much of the messaging leans left and doesn’t speak to their values. That’s a huge missed opportunity. Those people could be allies, donors, champions – if we just made space for them.

TH Campaigns like Bristol Bay take years to build. What kept you going when progress felt slow or setbacks hit hard? SB The community. The people. I’ve got friends from the Bristol Bay effort who will be my friends forever. It was those calls when things got tough – when someone picked up the phone and said, “I believe in you. We can do this.” That mattered way more than any talking points, memo or website. We live in a culture that’s obsessed with instant gratification. But if you want to do something meaningful – something that actually makes this country a better version of itself – you’ve got to be willing to bleed for it. And you’ve got to do it over the long haul. Durable change doesn’t come easy. Quick wins? They get undone fast. But long, difficult, committed work – that’s what lasts. It’s hard to accept that in an age where you can press a button and have something show up at your door in 48 hours. But I don’t think that’s what America was built on. I think we have to get back to having the hard conversations and doing the long work it takes to make things better. Makes me sound like an old guy; but that’s where I’m at. TH You often talk about balancing wise advice with trust in your own gut. How did you decide when to stick with conventional wisdom and when to forge your own path? SB I have no idea [laughs]. I mean, you’ve got to trust your gut, and you’ve got to know who your people are. When you’re at the center of something like I was in the Bristol Bay campaign, you talk to different people for different reasons. Some you talk to every day because you need to keep them engaged and on the team. Others, you talk to them because they’re your people. They’ll tell you the truth. They’ll push you when you need it, and catch you when you smash your face on the ground. 24

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Learning who those people are – and the difference between those two types of conversations – that’s critical. I learned a few hard lessons around that. But once you figure it out, it becomes a kind of compass. Most of what I work on now? It’s as much art as science. I’ve been doing this for 25 years. You gather good data, you base your decisions on it but don’t ignore your instincts. There are things in this work that are simply unknowable. And if you only operate from what’s known, you’re going to miss opportunities. We throw around phrases like “fail forward” or “don’t be afraid to fail,” and that’s fine. But they’re a lot harder to live than they are to say. Especially in conservation right now – we’ve got to rewrite the playbook. The last 90 days alone have shown that the old way of doing things doesn’t cut it anymore. If you’re still approaching saltwater, freshwater or land conservation like you did 10 years ago, you’re going to struggle. This is one of those “watch the horizon” moments. You have to get creative. Listen to your gut. Maybe the thing you’ve believed for 25 years doesn’t match the moment anymore. That’s when it’s time to pivot.

TH In today’s fast-paced world, what do you think the future holds for long-term, sustained activism like the kind you led in Bristol Bay? SB I actually think we’re going to see a lot more of it over the next few years. What’s happening right now with the Park Service and other federal agencies – the massive layoffs, the frozen funding – it’s bad. And I’m not saying the federal government is perfect, but I also know a lot of good people who work at [Bureau of Land Management], the Forest Service, [US] Fish and Wildlife [Service]. And when those positions vanish, it doesn’t just hurt public lands; it hurts businesses, communities. I live in Missoula [Montana]. In the Bitterroot Valley, you’ve got hundreds of guys who do restoration work – fixing culverts, managing fire breaks, making sure homes don’t burn down in the summer. Right now, a lot of them don’t know how they’re going to make ends meet because the funding’s frozen or

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

the phones aren’t even being answered anymore. That’s going to hit hard. One of the biggest lessons I learned in Bristol Bay is that it’s one thing to say you care about the environment. It’s another thing when your family’s future, your personal finances, your livelihood – when those are tied to a place that’s under threat. That’s when people fight like hell. And I think we’re only months away from a whole lot of people waking up and saying, “This isn’t working for me.” And when that happens, I hope to be involved in helping them fight for what matters.

TH Could you share one memorable story from your time in Alaska that really captures the spirit of your work and the passion behind these conservation efforts? SB I’ve told a lot of the good ones already – at least the ones that are fit for print [laughs]. But the one I always come back to is being in the gym in Dillingham. The whole community was there: Kids in traditional regalia, commercial fishermen, elders. And then the president of the United States [Barack Obama] walks in. That moment – it was the pinnacle. We had fought so hard and for so long to get Bristol Bay and the Pebble issue on the national radar. And then here’s one of the most powerful people in the world saying, “Yeah, I’m going to fly halfway across the globe to sit in this gym and listen to these people.” That’s what democracy is supposed to be. No one in that room was thinking about who made what, or how their grandfather voted. They were thinking: we pulled together and fought for over a decade. And the president came to hear us. That moment will stay with me forever. Honestly, it could’ve been any president. If it had been Donald Trump, that would’ve been great too. The point wasn’t who; it was that we managed to shine a spotlight on a place and a people who were being threatened and deserved to be heard. That’s the kind of moment that makes it all worth it. ASJ Editor’s note: To learn more about what Shoren Brown does, check out natureinitiative.org. Tiffany Herrington is a writer based in the Seattle area.

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

SOUNDING BOARD

A UNIVERSITY CLASS TEACHES THE NEXT GENERATION OF HUNTERS AND ANGLERS HOW TO HAVE THEIR SAY

Wrangell’s Jackson Carney, a student in the Federal Subsistence Board Policy and Procedures class at the University of Alaska Southeast, testifies before the Federal Subsistence Board. The four-week course prepares students to comment on state fish and wildlife management topics that are such a critical part of Alaska’s lifeblood. (RYAN MORSE)

BY MARY CATHARINE MARTIN

laska’s public lands and waters are used by virtually every Alaskan who hunts, fishes and/ or traps and wants to keep doing so, though not every Alaskan knows how to advocate for management that is rooted in their and their community's best interests. For the past 10 years, Heather Bauscher, an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska Southeast, has been working with young people to ensure they know how to make decision-makers hear their voices. It all started when she was a student at UAS, taking the same class she now teaches,

which was part of her goal of becoming a wildlife biologist. “At first I was overwhelmed, like a deer in the headlights. Then I watched folks go up and give testimony and change outcomes,” she said. “People in Alaska have more ability to influence how their fish and wildlife resources are managed than anywhere else in the country.” She attended so many management meetings that board members started teasing her about it. Then, between fishing commercially, leading an after-school program at Pacific High School, finishing her Master of Arts in teaching, and working seasonally in wildlife management, she began teaching the class that had first familiarized her with public processes

governing the management of Alaska’s lands and waters. Now, that class, Federal Subsistence Board Policy and Procedures, is a four-week practicum, with two weeks of classes leading up to federal subsistence board meetings. The University of Alaska Southeast, USDA Office of Tribal Relations and US Forest Service are partners, along with the Sitka Conservation Society, where Bauscher now works as the fisheries community engagement specialist. In addition to teaching the practicum course at UAS, now with additional support from USFS Tongass subsistence biologist Ashley Bolwerk, and at the request of the Southeast Regional

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Cupiit Yurartet, a Yup’ik dance group, performed and invited audience members to join them at the Federal Subsistence Board meeting in February. (RYAN MORSE)

Advisory Council (SERAC), the course has been collaboratively turned into a four-hour workshop that has been taken “on the road.” Over the past three years, they have traveled to 13 communities, providing more than 100 people across Southeast Alaska with a toolkit on public engagement. “You can’t learn to navigate these spaces through books. It’s all about being there,” Bauscher said. “You can set them up for success so they have positive first experiences. And they can apply that to the other regional boards, their local assembly, their tribal council.”

we’re trying to change in the future, whether it’s when we can go hunting or something in my community, I can use the skills that I learned in that meeting.” Carney testified on gillnetting. “It means a lot to me and my family – having the ability to get smoked salmon is a really unique thing we get the opportunity to do,” he said.

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

ONE OF THE STUDENTS, Naomi Jones of

Tyonek, authored a commentary about her experience, and the importance of

Naomi Jones of Tyonek, a senior at Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka who enrolled in the policy and procedures class, authored an opinion piece in the Alaska Beacon about her experience. “This class showed me how much our regional advisory councils listen to the voices in their communities,” she wrote, “and that they actually bring these concerns to the Federal Subsistence Board.” (RYAN MORSE)

THIS YEAR, STUDENTS FROM Hoonah, Petersburg, Wrangell, Sitka, Tyonek, Kenai, Nondalton and the Iliamna Lake area attended the Federal Subsistence Board meeting in Anchorage. They spoke on topics from sea otter management, to gillnetting on the Stikine River, to herring. Ultimately, all of those topics came from who they are, where they’re from and what practices are important to their family. “It was a really cool realization that they (board members) were just like you and me,” said Jackson Carney of Wrangell after the Federal Subsistence Board meeting. “No matter what 28

When the class attended the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting, which in February focused on proposals to reduce chum salmon bycatch by trawlers, Carney ended up talking with people from around the state about different ways of smoking salmon. “Smoked salmon is something that ties together all Alaskans,” he said. “We all have our own ways. And the ability to pass that on to our kids is something we want to have forever and ever and ever.” Some of the young people have already expressed a desire to stay involved and to be members of their regional advisory councils. One is interested in employment helping to manage the councils. That’s something that makes Bauscher happy. “When there aren’t enough local people bringing this perspective, that’s part of the reason we end up with the decisions we end up with,” Bauscher said. “That disappointment builds resentment of process, rejection of participation, and ultimately hurts us more. It allows others to dominate those spaces. Hopefully these opportunities help change that.”

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Students, teachers and mentors made their voices heard at the 2025 Federal Subsistence Board Meeting in Anchorage as part of the four-week course. “Ultimately, the goal is to ensure Alaskans, and young people, have a say in the decisions that affect them,” writes author Mary Catharine Martin. (RYAN MORSE)

subsistence, in the Alaska Beacon. “This class showed me how much our regional advisory councils listen to the voices in their communities, and that they actually bring these concerns to the Federal Subsistence Board. The board members listen to these concerns as well, and they make sure they are doing the right thing for the rural communities across Alaska,” she wrote. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure Alaskans, and young people, have a say in the decisions that affect them. “True prosperity comes from ensuring our resources remain healthy and abundant for future generations,” Bauscher said. ASJ Editor’s note: Mary Catharine Martin is the communications director of SalmonState, an organization that works to keep Alaska a place where wild salmon and the people whose lives are interconnected with them can thrive. Check out salmonstate.org for more information. 30

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Heather Bauscher (left) and Ashley Bolwerk are teachers of the Federal Subsistence Board Policy and Procedures class at the UAS Sitka campus. “You can set them up for success so they have positive first experiences,” Bauscher said. “And they can apply that to the other regional boards, their local assembly, their tribal council.” (LIONE CLARE)

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

LIGHTWEIGHT. The lightest 200-hp four stroke on the market LIGHTWEIGHT. The lightest 200-hp four stroke on the market POWERFUL. 2.8L displacement and Variable Camshaft Timing give it the best power-to-weight ratio POWERFUL. of any 200-hp four stroke 2.8L displacement and Variable Camshaft

Timing give it the best power-to-weight ratio of any 200-hp four stroke

COMPACT. COMPACT. Nearly 120 pounds lighter than our Nearly 120 pounds lighter than our four-stroke V6 F200 four-stroke V6 F200

THE F200 IN-LINE FOUR.

FORWARD THINKING. FORWARD THINKING. THE F200 IN-LINE FOUR.

Show the water who’s boss with the F200 In-Line Four. Incredibly light, responsive and fuel efficient, it serves up plenty of muscle to handily propel a variety of boats. On top of that, its 50-amp alternator offers Show the water boss the F200 In-Line Four. Incredibly responsive and fuel efficient, the power to addwho’s a range of with electronics, and its 26-inch mounting light, centers and compatibility with either itmechanical serves up plenty of muscle to handily propel a variety of boats. On top of that, its 50-amp alternator offers or digital controls give you the flexibility to easily upgrade your outboard or rigging. Experience the power to add a range of electronics, and its 26-inch mounting centers and compatibility with either legendary Yamaha reliability and the freedom of forward thinking, with the F200 In-Line Four. mechanical or digital controls give you the flexibility to easily upgrade your outboard or rigging. Experience legendary Yamaha reliability and the freedom of forward thinking, with the F200 In-Line Four.

WASHINGTON

OLYMPIA US Marine Sales & Service (800) 455-0818 www.usmarinesales.com YamahaOutboards.com/F200InLine

Follow Yamaha on Facebook® and Twitter™

REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal

YamahaOutboards.com/F200InLine

Follow Yamaha on Facebook® and Twitter™

intended to be an endorsement. 2013 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. REMEMBER to always observe all©applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal intended to be an endorsement. © 2013 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

WHEN COMBAT FISHING’S A GREAT THING

ANNUAL TOURNAMENT HONORS THOSE WHO SERVE AT ALASKA’S U.S. MILITARY INSTALLATIONS BY TIFFANY HERRINGTON

t first light in the Alaska port of Seward, the harbor buzzes with anticipation. Dozens of boats line the docks. The air smells of salt and diesel. Young service members, some still rubbing sleep from their eyes, step off buses in borrowed rubber boots and weatherproof jackets. They laugh nervously, sip coffee and pose for group photos under the gray dawn. Then, with a sharp blast of a horn, they’re off. It’s go-time for the Armed Services Combat Fishing Tournament. Held each year on the Wednesday

before Memorial Day, the tournament is the largest military appreciation fishing event in the country. What started in 2007 as a simple idea between two friends – Captain Bob Candopoulos and Keith Manternach – has become a beloved tradition. Each year, more than 200 junior enlisted service members are treated to an all-expenses-paid day of halibut fishing in Alaskan waters, complete with gear, guides, awards and enough fish to feed a squadron.

FOUNDERS BEHIND THE MISSION To understand the heart of the Combat Fishing Tournament, you have to

understand its founders. Candopoulos came to Alaska in 1980 and began his maritime career working on commercial halibut boats. But it wasn’t long before he shifted to charter fishing, a career he’s now been in for more than 37 years. As owner of Saltwater Safari Company (907-2245323; saltwatersafari.com), Candopoulos became known for pioneering long-range fishing trips out of Seward, opening up new frontiers for anglers eager to chase halibut, lingcod and even salmon sharks. “I liked being out on the water, sure,” he says, “but what really stuck with me was the people. I liked showing folks something they’d never forget.”

May 21 marks the 19th year for the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska Combat Fishing Tournament in Seward, which brings together junior enlisted military service members stationed in Alaska with local skippers for a fish- and fun-filled outing. (JBER PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; ARMED SERVICES YMCA OF ALASKA)

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

heated encounter in a casino piano bar. “Someone paid to stop ‘Proud to Be an American’ midsong,” Candopoulos recalls. “The place erupted.” Security cleared the room. Outside, cooling off over beers, the two men agreed they wanted to do something substantial for the young men and women who serve. “When we get back to Alaska,” Candopoulos said at the time, “I’m taking some soldiers fishing. You can be my deckhand.” Manternach was in. Their idea ran into immediate hurdles. Military regulations prevented civilians from donating services directly to service members. “I was ready to take 64 people out on my two boats over two days,” Candopoulos says. “They told me no. Said I needed to be a nonprofit.” That’s when Mari Jo Imig from the Armed Services YMCA entered the picture. “She said, ‘Let’s make it a tournament,’” Candopoulos recalls. “I didn’t know how to run a tournament, but she did. And we were off.” The first year, 66 junior enlisted service members participated. There were awards, a small banquet and a new sense of purpose. “Once the other charter guys saw what we were doing, they were all in,” Manternach says.

MORE THAN A CATCH

Keith Manternach (right) cofounded the tournament after a chance encounter at a piano bar. He and Alaska fishing boat captain Bob Candopoulos are constantly moved by the stories of the event’s participants. (ARMED SERVICES YMCA OF ALASKA)

That guiding philosophy made Candopoulos a natural host for the military members who would eventually take part in his tournament. Manternach, meanwhile, brought the idea to life from the other side of the dock. A local businessman, outdoorsman and son of a veteran, Manternach had spent years fishing with Candopoulos. He wasn’t looking for recognition. He just wanted to give back. “My dad served. I never did,” Manternach says. “But I always felt like I owed something. These junior enlisted folks – most of them can’t afford a charter. They’re young, far from home and Alaska can be isolating. This 34

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

tournament is a way to say, ‘We see you. We appreciate you.’” It’s not just lip service. For nearly two decades, Manternach has helped coordinate transportation, logistics and sponsorship – right down to getting state troopers to escort busloads of soldiers down the highway to Seward. “That first year we didn’t even know if we’d be allowed to do it,” he laughs. “Now, we’ve got captains knocking on our doors to be included.”

A PIANO BAR AND A QUIET SPARK Candopoulos and Manternach’s idea wasn’t born in an office or boardroom. It came together in Reno, Nevada, after a

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

Today, the tournament still carries that original spirit – one of appreciation, camaraderie and saltwater therapy. Captains from nearly every charter operation in Seward donate their boats and time. Local volunteers hand out breakfast burritos at 5 a.m. and hot meals at the closing banquet. And the fishing? It’s world-class action. “Whatever they catch, they keep,” says Sarah Riffer, executive director of the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska. “Captain Jack’s Seafood Locker processes it all, then we truck it to Anchorage and fly it to service members stationed across Alaska. Sometimes we even fly it to remote (United States) Coast Guard stations.” Every fish caught is bled, fileted and flash-frozen. It’s a full-circle moment for the anglers, many of whom have never held a fishing rod, let alone landed a 40-pound halibut. Riffer adds, “We hold pickup events

Fish KODIAK right the first time!

Go with a quide who loves catching!

Kodiak Island is the ultimate bucket list trip! Do it right the first time! Salmoncrazy Adventures will make sure you catch! _________________ Call Captain Jeff Sanford ˚ 907-942-2506 ____ or ____ www.salmoncrazyadventures.com

at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Fort Wainwright and Eielson AFB. Even remote stations get their fish.” It’s not just about the fish, though. “There’s a psychological benefit to being seen, to being treated,” she says. “This is about connection.” At the end of the day, the American Legion hosts an awards banquet. There are prizes for first, second and third biggest fish. There’s even an award for smallest catch, plus the infamous “biggest chummer,” earned by the greenest stomach on the water. The banquet is lively, heartfelt and often hilarious. Captains share stories from the day. Service members swap sea tales over ribs and reindeer sausage. “There’s a guy every year who shows up in shorts and flip-flops, even though we tell them not to,” Riffer laughs. “We hand him boots and socks and hope for the best.”

BUILDING BONDS ON, OFF THE WATER Flight engineer Alex Doty remembers his first tournament vividly. “I’d never been deep sea fishing before. My wife found out about it and signed me up,” he says. “That first halibut took me half an hour to reel in; it was heavy. But it was awesome.” What stuck with him wasn’t just the fishing, but the bonding. “We were just a bunch of guys from my squadron on a boat together. Nothing to do but fish and talk. It brought us closer.” Afterward, Doty turned his catch into a block party with his neighbors. “Most of them had never had halibut before. We had a crawdad boil, grilled the fish; it brought everyone together.” He went back four more times and became a tournament ambassador. “Every year, I’d run around the squadron telling everyone to sign up. It’s more than a trip; it gives you a sense of community.” Indeed, for many, the tournament is about more than fishing. It’s a moment of reprieve in a high-stress environment. “It gives them space to breathe,” Riffer says. “To just be a guy or a gal with a rod and a boat and a horizon.”

A LEGACY OF SERVICE Captain Bob Candopoulos’s inspiration came from his father, a World War II prisoner of war. “He spent three and a half years in a German camp,” Candopoulos 36

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Big halibut like this are commonplace for those servicemen and -women who get a reprieve from their high-stress military duties. “It gives them space to breathe,” says Sarah Riffer, executive director at the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska. “To just be a guy or a gal with a rod and a boat and a horizon.” (ARMED SERVICES YMCA OF ALASKA)

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

says. “He came home through a prisoner exchange program, 6 feet, 3 inches and 140 pounds. He didn’t talk much about it, but I always wanted to do something for guys like him.” Candopoulos has since guided thousands of anglers, but he says the tournament is the best thing he’s ever done. One year, four Army Rangers handed him a folded flag. “They told me it flew over their base in Iraq. Some of their brothers didn’t make it home. They wanted me to have it.” He pauses. “I still have it. It’s one of my most treasured possessions.” Manternach remembers a moment on a bus headed down to Seward. A young soldier leaned over and asked, “Is somebody important on board?” He replied, “Yeah; all 300 of you.” Riffer has had her own moments too – and often small, quiet ones. “One

young woman told me, ‘No one’s ever done anything like this for me before.’ That stuck with me.”

ANCHORED IN GRATITUDE Despite its size, the tournament remains intimate. There’s no corporate gloss. Every dollar, every fish, every volunteer hour is given with heart. “It costs $65,000 to $70,000 a year,” Riffer says. “One donor in Ohio sends us $100 every year with a note saying, ‘Sorry it’s not more.’ That’s the soul of this tournament.” Volunteers, charter captains and local businesses pour their support into the event. “Even Senator (Dan) Sullivan helped pass a law so we could legally take these kids fishing on a nonrevenue day,” Manternach adds. The Armed Services YMCA covers liability, insurance and logistics. “We handle the paperwork so the captains can

focus on giving these kids the best day of their lives,” Riffer explains. “Every year, it works because people believe in it.” That belief shows up in the details in the form of donated deck boots, fish fileting, Alaska Airlines flights coordinated at the last minute – even troopers escorting bus convoys from Anchorage to Seward. One year, a Coast Guard medic quietly won a case of king crab. At the banquet, another soldier recognized his name. “That guy saved my life in Afghanistan,” he whispered. “He held a tourniquet on my leg for an hour.” “That’s the stuff we can’t plan,” Sarah says. “But it happens. And it’s powerful.”

COMMUNITY SUPPORT The tournament is sewn into the fabric of Seward. Charter operators, some of whom rarely work together, share

“I liked being out on the water, sure,” says cofounder Candopoulos of Saltwater Safari Company, “but what really stuck with me was the people. I liked showing folks something they’d never forget.” (JBER PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE)

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

On a cruise or independently traveling? THIS is the adventure for you!

907-738-0289

Sitka, Alaska

• Snacks and water • State of the art fishing gear

• On board restroom • An exciting Sitka Alaska fishing experience

sitkaexpeditions.com/salmon-fishing

The filets from the fish caught get distributed to military bases all over Alaska. (JBER PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE)

bait and banter like old friends on this day. “It’s the one day a year we’re not competitors,” Candopoulos says. “We’re teammates.” Local businesses donate meals, prizes and cash. The local chamber of commerce helps promote the event. The American Legion prepares an awards banquet fit for heroes. “The Legion ladies cook all day,” Riffer says. “Roast beef, mashed potatoes, fresh rolls. It’s a full spread.” Captains bring their A-game, guiding boats through prime fishing territory like Montague Island, Middleton and other hidden gems Candopoulos pioneered decades ago. “We want these kids to catch fish. Big fish,” he says. Even on rough days – when the seas churn and a few participants turn green – the crews keep spirits high. “Some of the best memories come from the worst weather,” Riffer says with a laugh. “They always come back with a story.”

rises over Resurrection Bay, it’s not just another day on the water. It’s a fishing trip like no other – where rank fades, camaraderie takes the lead and halibut is the only thing anyone’s measuring. ASJ Editor’s note: The Combat Fishing Tournament will be held on May 21. Visit the ASYMCA’s official page to find more details, donate, or get involved by going to alaska. asymca.org/combat-fishing-tournament.

Alex Doty, an Alaska flight engineer, has become a tournament ambassador for this event that gives back to those who serve their country. “Every year, I’d run around the squadron telling everyone to sign up,” he says. “It’s more than a trip; it gives you a sense of community.” (ALEX DOTY)

LOOKING AHEAD The Combat Fishing Tournament turns 19 this year, continuing its legacy of connection, gratitude and camaraderie. There’s hope the concept will inspire others and catch on elsewhere. “There’s no reason a place like San Diego couldn’t host their own Combat Fishing Tournament,” Candopoulos says. “We’ll help them. We’d love to see this ripple outward.” For now, Seward remains the home port. And every May, when the sun 40

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Manternach, who didn’t serve in the military, felt like he owed something to service members. “These junior enlisted folks – most of them can’t afford a charter,” he says. “They’re young, far from home and Alaska can be isolating. This tournament is a way to say, ‘We see you. We appreciate you.’” (ARMED SERVICES YMCA OF ALASKA)

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

NOW BOOKING Halibut and Salmon fishing trips for July thru September! Yakutat Bay Adventures offers a unique saltwater fishing experience in Yakutat, located on the Gulf of Alaska. Known for its world-class fishing spots, abundant fish species, and stunning scenery, it’s the ideal destination for anglers.

www.yakutatbayadventures.com travis@yakutatbayadventures.com 208-790-4113 Alaska Airlines services Yakutat twice a day. Yakutat Bay Adventures is available to help with finding lodging and rental cars if needed.

A TEACHING MOMENT FOR CONSERVATION

BOOK EXCERPT: LESSONS LEARNED FROM BRISTOL BAY AND THE PEBBLE MINE FIGHT

The Bristol Bay community’s long fight to protect its salmon-rich watershed from the proposed Pebble Mine has seen plenty of ebbs and flows. An essay in a new book chronicling conservation efforts around the globe focuses on what can be learned from the battle. (RUSS TAYLOR/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE)

Editor’s note: Alaska arguably is ground zero in the fight to save the planet’s natural resources, at least as far as the United States is concerned. From President Donald Trump’s agenda of “drill baby, drill” in caribou herd ranges of the Arctic, to transboundary rivers along the Southeast Alaska/Canada border threatened by mining, and the never-ending saga of Bristol Bay’s salmoninspired crusade to prevent the Pebble Mine from ever being developed, the Last Frontier is a battleground for conservation, fish, wildlife and angling and hunting. A new book features 56 essayists who discuss various issues around the globe, including longtime Alaska campaigner Shoren Brown (see an interview with him on page 17), who chronicles the battle to keep the mining operation out of the Bristol Bay watershed, home to salmon runs that annually generate more than $2 billion in value. That book, Tools to Save Our Home Planet: A Changemaker’s Guidebook, is being published by Patagonia, and its founder, Yvon Chouinard, wrote the foreword. “In these pages, you’ll find the best practices and tricks of the trade from those on the front lines, fighting for the planet and for thriving communities. Learning from and being inspired by those on the front lines is the best way I know to gain momentum in this fight for our lives.” Brown, who’s also been on the front lines to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as well as represented interests in Southeast Alaska, has a special connection to Bristol Bay, its people and the fish that have sustained generations of residents who fear a Pebble Mine accident could wipe out that resource. The following is excerpted from Tools to Save Our Home Planet: A Changemaker’s Guidebook. Reprinted with permission by publisher Patagonia.

BY SHOREN BROWN

ince time immemorial, the Bristol Bay watershed has been one of the world’s largest wild salmon nurseries. Every year tens of millions of fish – over half of the world’s wild sockeye – return through the wild rivers of this unaltered watershed. Along the way they feed stunning congregations of wildlife, such as giant coastal brown bears, as well as people from all around the world. This vast, largely roadless landscape also provides tens of thousands of jobs and over $2 billion in annual revenue and is the cornerstone of ancient Indigenous cultures that thrive to this day. For more than two decades, the people of Bristol Bay have fought the threat of the Pebble Mine, a monstrous gold and copper mine proposed in the heart of the watershed. The commitment of the residents to defend their homeland has inspired people – the world over and with diverse backgrounds and cultures – to cross political lines and divisions to rally together. On January 30, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Final Determination under its

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Author Shoren Brown has invested much of the last few decades rallying for the cause and working with both sides of the political spectrum to do so. “One of our greatest strengths was that we intentionally set out to include people and perspectives from different backgrounds and political persuasions,” he writes. (SHOREN BROWN)

Clean Water Act Section 404(c) authority to protect the most productive wild salmon ecosystem in the world. Here are a few lessons learned from the decades-long effort. Fair warning: This is not a formulaic checklist that leads to success. In fact, if we learned anything, it is that every issue campaign is different and every decision is situational. Don’t expect a “playbook” that you can use to defeat any multinational company. Instead, we will dig into the way we thought about this campaign and how those approaches do and don’t make sense in the context of other issues.

SOME THOUGHTS ON GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM In many ways the campaign to stop Pebble Mine is a story about grassroots activism. In many ways it is not. A pivotal aspect of the campaign’s success was our ability to mobilize individuals at local, national and even international levels and sustain that mobilization over time. Environmental organizations, Alaska Native groups, chefs, hunters and anglers, commercial fishermen, businesses, and concerned citizens organized protests, petition drives, and community outreach events to raise awareness. Grassroots efforts played a crucial role in building a groundswell of opposition. But grassroots activism alone would never have defeated such powerful and entrenched mining corporations or convinced three separate presidential administrations to stand up to those companies. Grassroots actions were part of a layered approach 44

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

that included mobilizing political donors, lobbyists, opposition research, paid media, and other key tactics. In an ideal world, “people power” alone could defeat the corporations that threaten our home planet. But in this case, it’s a much more complex story.

RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST Relationships and trust matter. This seems obvious, yet I frequently see campaigns falter because people fail to build trust. In our case, we structured intentionally to keep a core group of allies together for over a decade of winning, losing, elation, frustration, and, at times, extreme exhaustion. While the broader coalition ebbed and flowed, the same roughly 12 people stuck together. Twice a year we gathered to recommit to our campaign plan, establish specific lanes for each partner, and ensure everyone stayed at the table. Success for that core group depended on people and organizations willing to use their resources for the collective win. Had our core leadership group crumbled, I am convinced that Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) would be digging a mine in Bristol Bay as I write this.

CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE THAT WORKED FOR US Every campaign must figure out the structure that works best for them. In our case, we struggled for years while everyone pursued different approaches, intentionally undercut each other’s

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

strategies, and ran with confusing messages and no clear pathway to success. The first step forward was to settle on a single goal – stopping Pebble Mine via the Clean Water Act. Then we invested exclusively in building the campaign structure that would achieve that goal. After several false starts, we focused on function rather than campaign form. We spent a lot of time building trust and not so much on governance, and lived by a very specific ethos: If you truly want to work on the Pebble campaign, you need to be all-in and give maximum effort, represented by the amount of time and/or money (or both) you invest. The result was a small, centralized structure with a close-knit steering committee, a shared campaign fund, and a campaign director who woke up every day with only one objective. Without those ingredients, it would have continued to be chaos.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT AND BE READY While this may or may not apply to your effort, it must be a part of any discussion about the campaign that ultimately defeated the Pebble Mine. We underestimated the great lengths that PLP would go to intimidate and silence our grassroots supporters and allies. Over the years, PLP relied on some questionable legal tactics to subpoena nearly all the key players in the campaign – Patagonia included. I was served three separate times. PLP demanded every document we had produced over a decade. It was terrifying. Our core group pulled together, hired attorneys and fought the subpoenas. Ultimately no one was forced to hand over their hard drive. Certain groups, however, ignored good counsel and released thousands of emails and campaign documents, which did incredible damage to our momentum and trust within the broader coalition. The stress and pressure that PLP put on our campaign with their aggressive legal tactics threw us into a tailspin that took more than a year to straighten out. Plan for the worst and be prepared.

TUCKER CARLSON DID WHAT? One of our greatest strengths was that we intentionally set out to include people and perspectives from different backgrounds

and political persuasions. We knew the odds were overwhelmingly against us and our campaign would have to survive multiple changes in political leadership. For instance, during the Obama administration it would have been very easy to focus entirely on the progressive side and push conservative political donors and hunting and fishing allies to the outskirts. Many of those folks strongly disliked the Obama administration and especially the EPA. Instead, we developed meaningful strategies and tactics to keep those valuable partners engaged. This paid huge dividends when Donald Trump was elected in 2016 and the vast majority of our campaign suddenly had no access to the White House or decisionmakers at EPA. Because our conservative allies were still engaged and at the table, we were able to engage both [Donald] Trump Jr. and Tucker Carlson, who had direct discussions with the president about their own opposition to the mine. The Trump administration eventually denied permits through the Army Corps of Engineers – one of a small number of big conservation wins during that administration – and one that set the Biden administration up to use its Clean Water Act 404c authority three years later.

GET POLITICAL Perhaps the greatest thing our campaign had was a formidable network of anti-

Pebble activists from diverse racial, social and vocational backgrounds who were unafraid to tie our issue to specific elections, something conservation campaigns almost never do. In 2014, Alaska Senator Mark Begich (a Democrat) was focused on reelection and therefore soft on the Pebble Mine. We needed that to change quickly. Our campaign up to that point had done no electoral work. With the steady guidance of Paul Tewes, an Obama campaign Jedi master, we raised our first C4 money and launched a very public campaign that showed Senator Begich that we would hold him accountable at the ballot box unless he took a stronger position. Under overt electoral pressure he changed his tune and our campaign kicked into high gear. Simply put, we would have failed if we had framed Pebble as a campaign that Mr. Begich “should care about because it’s the right thing,” rather than an issue that was a difference-maker in his election. This effort also took our Alaska grassroots organizing to the next level as we invested in building an in-state voter file so we could track our supporters and mobilize that anti-Pebble constituency in elections. The work continued into the 2020 U.S. Senate race, when former Pebble cheerleader Dan Sullivan shifted his position, and in 2022 when the Alaskans for Bristol Bay Action PAC supported both Senator Lisa Murkowski

and newly elected Mary Sattler Peltola.

PLAN FOR A MARATHON, PRAY FOR A SPRINT In today’s political world, it seems increasingly en vogue to look for quick fixes to pressing problems. The truth is that any cause worth spending time on is going to take years to achieve. Pace yourself. Getting clear on the duration of your effort is also critically important for the tone you use and the frequency of your asks. Whether support comes from a Fortune 500 company or a grassroots activist, telling people that this is “The Big Moment” three times a year for 11 years will erode trust and push away potential supporters.

TAKE ADVICE FROM THE SMARTEST PEOPLE … AND BE WILLING TO IGNORE IT In 2014, the EPA published its Watershed Assessment, which showed that Pebble would damage wetlands, rivers, land, fish, people, bears, etc. The report sent shock waves through the mining and conservation worlds, and for the first time, environmental leaders in D.C. started to pay attention. The Clean Water Act 404(c) decision suddenly seemed within reach. Overnight, the inside-theBeltway crowd was calling us and offering advice. The central idea was: If you want White House support, beg the big “green groups” to put your issue on their priority list. The message was clear: “It’s

Pristine Bristol Bay habitat like this in Togiak National Wildlife Refuge is why Brown and so many others have dedicated themselves to this cause that has spanned generations by now. (STEVE HILLEBRAND/USFWS) 46

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

Representative

Just as it is for these migrating sockeye, this decades-long fight to ensure future salmon runs has seen plenty of twists and turns. “The truth is that any cause worth spending time on is going to take years to achieve,” Brown admits. (USFWS/TOGIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE)

time for you local folks to step back and let the D.C. insiders take over.” This was a ludicrous approach to those of us who built and ran the effort. Our campaign was always based on the idea that we had to build a national campaign that honored local knowledge and traditions – not the other way around. So we took that smart advice based on “the way things are done” and we aggressively ignored it. We hired our own D.C. insiders (like Tommy Veitor and Jon Favreau before their “Pod Save America” fame) and brought them to Bristol Bay so they could meet the incredible people who call this place home. We created opportunities for local people to tell the White House in their own words what is so special about Bristol Bay. Suddenly we had the same access in D.C. as large environmental organizations, but it was based on

building direct relationships between the Obama administration and the people of Bristol Bay. That made us a unicorn issue in 2014 and one that got attention in a crowded marketplace of ideas. It was a key reason we won. Build your own power. Create your own weather.

DON’T GET STUCK USING THE SAME OLD BORING TACTICS If there was a playbook in the campaign

to stop Pebble Mine, it was simply to never say no to a good idea. From [Natural Resources Defence Council’s] incredible work that supported Alaska Native leaders who traveled to PLP shareholder meetings, to a PR campaign that undercut a sham “collaboration” effort by the Keystone Center, comparing it to its namesake cheap and terribletasting beer, we didn’t back down from a challenge or an opportunity – ever. The best example? “The Pebble Tapes,” a series of recorded conversations between the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Pebble executives. EIA staff posed as potential investors and exposed company executives who bragged about their control over the governor, Senator Murkowski and federal officials. After the tapes went public, Pebble’s CEO resigned and Murkowksi took the strongest position against the mine to date.

CONCLUSION I truly hope these insights are thought provoking and inspiring to anyone engaged in their own David-versusGoliath battle to protect the planet. I encourage you to jump in with both feet and face the corporate bullies. Commit to a winning strategy and don’t deviate. Surround yourself with good people who are fun to work with – people who make you laugh when you need it most. Raise money. Get political. Fight like hell. Never surrender. And if you ever need a hand, please reach out. We can make good trouble together. ASJ Editor’s note: Order the rest of the book at patagonia.com/product/tools-to-save-ourhome-planet-a-changemakers-guidebook/ BK925.html?dwvar_BK925_color=000.

Brown is one of about a dozen people who he calls a “core group of allies” who stuck together over the Pebble Mine long haul. “Had our core leadership group crumbled,” he writes, “I am convinced that Pebble Limited Partnership would be digging a mine in Bristol Bay as I write this.” (SHOREN BROWN)

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

HERE COMES THE FIELD JUDGE FIVE FACTORS TO LOOK FOR WHEN HUNTING FOR A BIG BRUIN

When it comes to accurately field judging bears like this black bear in Southeast Alaska, there are multiple physical characteristics to evaluate if you are grading for a big one. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

’ve been fortunate to take many bears in Alaska – black bears, inland grizzlies, coastal browns, even a man-eating polar bear when I lived in Point Lay in 1990. While I’ve shot a fair number of bears, dozens of them, I’ve observed hundreds more throughout Alaska and across the Western U.S. and Canada. I like hunting bears and love watching and photographing these predators. No matter what subspecies of bear you’re hunting, big bears exhibit the same general features, except for big male polar bears, which have exceptionally long necks in comparison to their head and body. But few of us will ever hunt those particular animals.

For most hunters looking for a bear to shoot, they want a big one. I rank bears as the toughest big game animal to field judge in North America, but there are signs to look for to efficiently evaluate the size of the bruin you’re looking at. These are the five things I look for when sizing up bears.

BEAR SWAGGER The number one factor I look for to determine if a bear is big is its walk. Even from over a mile away, the swagger of a bear reveals its size and, sometimes, its age. If a big boar struggles to walk with ease, or it looks painful for the bear to move, or it’s moving very lethargically, it’s likely a very old boar. Obviously, such movements won’t reveal exact age, but it can lead to a guesstimate of age, which

is a good indicator of a bear’s ability to reach its full genetic potential in the area you’re hunting. When walking, if a bear’s bulky hindquarters seem to rotate independently of its front shoulders – almost like they’re two separate units – then you’re looking at a big bear. Bears with thick hind ends will also appear to walk stiff-legged. The bigger a bear’s hind end in proportion to the front shoulders, the greater the chance you’re looking at an animal worth taking.

THICK FRONT LEGS The second thing I look at to determine if a bear is big is its front legs. If the shoulder and elbow are the same width with no evident elbow being seen when the bear stands broadside, then it’s

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

a mature bear. If the width of the leg continues all the way down to the paw, it’s an old bear, likely one worth putting your tag on. If you see a visible flip of the wrist – the front foot – when a bear takes a step, you’re looking at a small bear. This, in itself, when all other factors check out, can save you from shooting a small bear. Big bears have big feet and wrists, period. The greater the thickness in the lower leg to where it matches the width of the shoulder, the bigger the bear. When looking at a bear head on, the thick front legs on a big bear will appear bowlegged, which will be evident when they walk. The legs will still maintain the thickness from top to bottom; they’ll just be bowed in the middle.

TRIANGULAR FOREHEAD DIVOT Third on my checklist for evaluating bears to see if they’re big is their forehead. If the forehead is flat or rounded and smooth, it’s not an old bear. If the hair on the forehead seems long with no muscle division, it’s likely a young bear. But if there’s a triangular divot in the center of a rounded forehead, just above the eyes, you’re staring at one big bear.

This triangular divot forms below where the cranial muscles attach to the upper back half of the skull, along the cranial ridge. The bigger the muscles atop the head, the bigger this divot will be. The divot is more visible in black bears than brown or grizzlies due to the color and length of hair. If the divot is evident but seems more elliptical than triangular and runs from above the eyes to the center of the bear’s head, it’s likely a mature bear but not a monster. If there’s a definite triangular divot situated above what looks like thick muscle and dense fur between and slightly above the bear’s eyes, then you’re looking at a shooter.

EARS “Look at the ears!” It’s the first reaction I hear from fellow hunters when talk centers around judging whether a bear is big or not. I bite my tongue for as long as I can and then chime in, because it’s the fourth point in my evaluation checklist. It’s not until after I study a bear’s walk, check out the front leg width and locate a triangular divot in the forehead that I turn my focus to the ears of a bear. I’ve killed some monster bears with

ears not fully turned out to the side of the head, as many people claim is the top sign of a big bear. I’ve also shot bears with big ears; not tiny ones that are barely visible to the hunter’s eye. Think of how the size and shape of human ears differ; bears are no different. Generally speaking, if a bruin’s ears appear small and turned out to the side of the bear’s head and all other checkpoints have held to my standards, then it’s going to be a shooter. On really big bears with well-developed cranial muscles, the tips of the ears will actually lay slightly below the top of the head – almost drooping down. The bulging forehead muscles that create the triangular divot are the same muscles that push the ears to the side of the bear’s head as it ages. The larger and more developed these muscles, the farther to the side of the head the ears are set. That said, this isn’t always true, as some bears use these cranial muscles to a lesser degree, since food where they live may be easier to come by and chew. For example, bears that live an easy life catching salmon don’t seem to have the cranial muscle development of

Author Scott Haugen with a brown bear that squared 10 feet, 9 inches, and carried a 29 5/16-inch skull. The boar, taken on the upper Alaska Peninsula, was determined to be 23 years old. (SCOTT HAUGEN) 50

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

OVER 50 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE TRAP & FUR INDUSTRY

Cumberland’s

Northwest Trappers Supply, Inc. Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply is your onestop trapping supply headquarters, featuring one of the largest inventories in the U.S. We are factory direct distributors on all brands of traps and equipment which allows us to offer competitive prices. Give us a try. Our fast, friendly service will keep you coming back. We are the new home of “Trappers Hide Tanning Formula” in the bright orange bottle. Retail & dealer inquiries are welcome.

.If you are in the area,

visit our store!

Request a catalog or place an order by phone, mail or on our website.

P.O. Box 408, Owatonna, Minnesota 55060 • (507) 451-7607 trapper@nwtrappers.com • www.nwtrappers.com aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

This is a pretty bear, but note the narrow wrists, tapered front legs and pronounced ears. If you want a giant bear, this one is not a shooter. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

inland bears that have to continually dig for food and vigorously kill and devour big-boned prey. If the ears appear pointed and sitting atop the bear’s head, you’re always staring at a small bear. If the ears are slightly turned out to the side but still appear pointed, you’re looking at a good bear – but not a great one – so hold off if shooting a monster is your goal.

SAGGING BELLY The fifth factor I look for when looking for a bigger bear is a sagging belly. If all the other points check out and the bear has a big, round and drooping stomach, it’s going to be a big bear. Remember that sows, yearlings and even subadult males can have a sagging belly, which is why all other checkpoints must first be 52

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

confirmed before evaluating this one. Not all roly-poly bears are big; some are yearlings that won’t weigh 100 pounds but may appear large to a novice bear hunter nonetheless. A bear’s sagging gut can be relative to the area being hunted, the time of year, availability of food, plus how harsh the previous winter was. One of the biggest bears I’ve seen had 2 feet of daylight under its belly, but because the other four checkpoints proved favorable, that bear was a shooter, and it was giant both in terms of squared hide and skull. Bears are driven by food, and as fall progresses, the bellies of a mature bear should nearly be dragging the ground as they prepare for a long winter’s nap. Alternatively, if they’re just coming out of the spring den, bears can be very lean

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

in the midsection.

SQUARED HIDE AND CLEANED SKULL Bears are field judged in two ways: the size of the squared hide and the measurement of the skull. The skull, which is what qualifies bears for recordbook entry, is impossible to judge with precision while the bear is still alive. This is because these measurements are taken once the skull is cleaned of all flesh and fat, and dried out so it’s just bone. There’s no way to tell how wide and long the actual skull of a live bear is under all that fur and muscle. But generally speaking, if the aforementioned five points check out, that bear will be a very big one for the area where it lives. Likewise, my five field-judging tips are

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

The author took this mature sow in Southeast Alaska, and it had all the features of a mature bear. “In the end, it’s not the size of the skull or the numbers tacked to a hide that you’ll most remember about your bear hunt,” Haugen writes. “What you’ll most recall, and appreciate, is how hard you worked to find, evaluate and take a mature bear, which is the goal of many seasoned bear hunters.” (SCOTT HAUGEN)

accurate but not exact when determining the squared hide measurements of a bear, another benchmark hunters use to decide if a bruin is big or not. More than a skull measurement, the squared measurement of a bear hide is the standard most hunters go by. Mind you that a brown bear that squares 10 feet does not mean it

stands 10 feet tall when on its hind legs. A squared measurement is when you take a bear hide that’s been removed from the bear by slitting up the belly from the base of the tail to the neck; then across the chest from front paw to front paw, and across the rump from back paw to back paw. The freshly

Not until they’re cleaned and dried are bear skulls measured for record-book classification, which makes accurately judging them on a live bear extremely difficult. (SCOTT HAUGEN) 54

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

removed hide is then laid flat on the ground and measured from nose to tail and from front claw to front claw. Those two figures are then added and divided by two. If they check out, that’s a squared bear hide. Do not pull and stretch the hide, and don’t have buddies tugging on all four corners. Also, don’t nail it down all stretched out and lay a tape to it. Squared measurements are to be taken on a relaxed hide that’s laying flat. Accurately judging a bear’s size while it’s still alive is challenging. In the end, it’s not the size of the skull or the numbers tacked to a hide that you’ll most remember about your bear hunt. What you’ll most recall, and appreciate, is how hard you worked to find, evaluate and take a mature bear, which is the goal of many seasoned bear hunters. ASJ Editor’s note: Want to learn how to skin and break down a bear? Order Scott Haugen's popular DVD, Field Dressing, Skinning & Caping Big Game, at scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott’s adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

FIELD

SPRING TRAINING, GUN DOG EDITION WORK ON THESE FOUR ELEMENTS FOR A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER HUNTING COMPANION

Now is the time to get your gun dog in mental and physical shape for hunting season. As water temperatures warm, swimming is one of the best ways to keep your pups in shape. If the water is cold, a neoprene vest will help keep them warm, but keep training sessions brief. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

s spring unveils itself across much of Alaska this month, now’s the time to start getting your hunting dog back in shape. This is especially true if it’s been leading a sedentary lifestyle since freeze-up last winter. Taking off pounds and getting in shape is just the start. I break down my spring dog training sessions into four categories: fixing what needs fixing; staying in shape; having fun; and hunting.

CORRECTING WHAT WENT WRONG

THE EXERCISE GAME

First and foremost comes fixing what flaws I saw last hunting season. For me, that means cutting down on the aggressiveness I saw in Echo, my female dog, when hunting with other dogs. To do this I’m training with bird skins and wings and disciplining her to focus on pleasing me and not getting so wrapped up in the bird. Next, I’m training her alongside Kona, my male dog that she was most competitive with on retrieves last season, even to the point of taking birds out of Kona’s mouth as he brought them in.

My second spring training goal is to get my dogs in shape. One of the biggest mistakes hunters make in the offseason is letting their dogs get lazy, overweight and out of shape. Nothing cuts a dog’s life shorter than being overweight. My vet once told me that by taking off Echo’s extra 1½ pounds one summer, I added a year to her life; that’s how critical a good diet and exercise are for a dog. To keep my dogs in shape I run them twice a day, going on hikes at least three times a week. My dogs are pudelpointers

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

FIELD

That big game meat in your freezer can become a comfort food meal you’ll never forget. Try chef Tiffany Haugen’s meatloaf with ground Alaskan venison or bear. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

MAKE A BIG GAME MEATLOAF BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

hether you’re looking to use up that venison before it gets freezer burned, or if you’re seeking a tasty way to prepare fresh bear meat this spring, this recipe’s for you! It’s a flavorful twist that works with all big game – from moose to deer and caribou to bear. This vegetable-heavy, highly flavorful and easy-to-prepare meatloaf probably isn’t like that family recipe that’s been passed down through the generations. But don’t let that stop you. You can be as creative as you’d like, as there’s no risk of the meat falling apart because it’s cooked in a casserole pan, meaning it’s even great with lean caribou meat. Just keep the meat-to-veggies ratio

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

about the same and it should turn out perfect every time. 1 pound ground game One egg ½ cup onion, grated ½ cup grated carrots ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese ⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper ½ cup Kalamata olives In a large bowl, mix ground meat, egg,

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

carrots, parsley, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, tomato paste, mayonnaise, dry mustard, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Press into a 9-by-9 baking dish. Push Kalamata olives evenly into the meat mixture. Bake in a preheated, 350-degree oven for 18 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 150 to 160 degrees. Serve with a tomato and cucumber salad if desired. Editor’s note: Order signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s Cooking Big Game at scotthaugen.com.

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

FIELD

and have slender back ends, so I keep those muscles in shape by running them up hills and in rough terrain, where they have to push with their back legs. As water temperatures warm up, swimming is a great way to keep dogs in shape. A neoprene vest will help keep them warm in many Alaskan waters. Running them alongside you on a mountain bike is another good option, because simply jogging with your dog won’t get them in shape because it’s too slow of a pace for them.

AND WE’LL HAVE FUN, FUN, FUN Third, have fun with your dog. Having fun both inside and outside provides great mental stimulation for your dog. Be sure and change things up because you don’t want your dog to get bored. Take them to different fields to play, as well as different places in the yard –

even in the house on those rainy days. Having fun with your dog requires communication, which helps to continuously build the bonds between you and your dog while allowing you to instill discipline and other important training rules. There’s a lot of teaching that comes with play time, and this includes eye contact and body signals that your dog will always look for. I don’t use treats when training or hunting. The only treats my dogs get are when they come back in after going potty before bedtime, and that’s to get them in and out fast before they tangle with a skunk; that’s happened twice. I want their desire to be to please me – that should be the driving force behind training, not food.

SHOOTING SESSION If your dog doesn’t hunt well with others, now is the time to train with other dogs.

Running your dog in rugged terrain keeps them strong, in good shape and toughens their feet. (SCOTT HAUGEN) 60

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2025

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

FIELD

If your gun dog will be hunting with a new vest this fall, start training with it on. Here, Kona, the author’s male pudelpointer, gets his first run in a lightweight vest in Southeast Alaska’s thick alders. This is where he’d soon be hunting for ruffed grouse. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

If your dog breaks at a shot, hold the dog while someone else shoots a gun at a distance or fires a training dummy launcher, then release your dog. If your dog doesn’t hold a point as you approach, get that check cord out. If your dog doesn’t sit, go back to how you taught it to sit as a pup; it’ll remember.

MORE TRAINING TIPS The list of fixes goes on, and only you know what those are. Rest assured, there’s a remedy for everything; you just have to be disciplined to reteach the dog. The best dogs I hunted with last season – and there were two that stand out – had very good relationships with their owners. They were constantly looking into their master’s eyes, trying 62

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

to anticipate their next command so they could please them. The dogs trained with hand signals appeared most eager to please, and they were always looking for directions so they could achieve the task at hand fast and then get back to hunting. Verbal communication was very limited with these folks too. They all used an e-collar – not for shocking, but for delivering beeps to communicate with their dog at a distance. I run e-collars on both of my dogs: One beep means to stop and look to me for direction; two beeps means come back toward me (usually so I can stop them with one beep and deliver a hand signal that redirects them); and continuous beeps mean it’s an emergency (like

MAY 2025 | aksportingjournal.com

they’re about to cross a road) and to get back to me as fast as possible. Dogs that are trained with hand signals, heavy eye contact and minimal verbal commands are simply a joy to hunt with. With spring here and summer quickly approaching, now is the time to tune up your dog so it hunts, performs and behaves how you envision. Keep training sessions fun and short, as you want the dog to enjoy the experience and keep wanting more. Before you know it your dog will be doing what you want it to do, and then it’ll be hunting season. ASJ Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time writer. See his puppy training videos and learn more about his many books at scotthaugen.com.