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FISHING • HUNTING • ADVENTURE

SMOKIN’ HOT ICE FISHING! Arctic Sheefish Interior Landlocked Kings Choosing An Ideal Ice Rod

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Alaskan Adventure!

Pl Your Plan Dream Fishing Trip

FIRST HUNT

Rookie Vs. Etolin Island Elk

BACK TO AFRICA

A Tundra Hunter’s Cape Buffalo Safari

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ALASKA

SPORTING JOURNAL

Volume 8 • Issue 8 www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tom Reale

WRITERS Paul D. Atkins, Christopher Batin, Joe Byers, Bjorn Dihle, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Darrell Holland, Jeff Lund, Michael Lunde, Dennis Musgraves, Tony Russ SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Garn Kennedy, Aaron Lund, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold PRODUCTION MANAGER Sonjia Kells DESIGNERS Michelle Hatcher, Sam Rockwell, Liz Weickum WEB DEVELOPMENT/INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines DIGITAL ASSISTANT Samantha Morstan PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker CIRCULATION MANAGER Heidi Belew DISTRIBUTION Tony Sorrentino, Gary Bickford OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTS Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES media@media-inc.com ON THE COVER Sheefish may not have the same aesthetic value as Alaska’s famed salmon, trout and grayling, but in winter, these monsters provide great action for ice anglers like Kazden Haugen and make for some delicious tablefare. (SCOTT HAUGEN) MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE 14240 Interurban Ave South • Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 (206) 382-9220 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 CORRESPONDENCE Twitter @AKSportJourn Facebook.com/alaskasportingjournal Email ccocoles@media-inc.com

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 8

37 SHEES IN

FEATURES 66

PLANNING A FISHING ADVENTURE Alaska expert Chris Batin makes his writing debut in our magazine with an information-packed fishing trip planning guide. Chris shares ideas for anglers on a budget who might prefer a DIY experience and a stay in an affordable cabin, as well as tips for those who want a full-service lodge and a guide.

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CROSSBOWS 101 Some of the most exhilarating hunts author Joe Byers has experienced have occurred in Alaska, including what he calls a “boy-to-man” experience when as a teenager he spent four months there with his grandfather. Joe’s love of archery hunting is evident thumbing through the pages of his book, The Ultimate Guide to Crossbow Hunting – check out an excerpt about his hunt for a monster caribou bull in the Aleutian Islands!

THE FREEZE

101 FROM ALASKA TO AFRICA Paul Atkins loves to hunt the biggest and baddest of game in Alaska. He’s also hunted throughout North America and recently took his third trip to Africa, this time to finally bag a massive Cape buffalo. Find out if Paul checked the mighty mbogo off his to-do list!

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Scott Haugen’s fished throughout Alaska, but never through the ice for sheefish, so what better species to haul his 14-year-old son, Kazden, off to Kotzebue to try and catch?!

Spoiler alert: they landed a few – find out how, and check out Kaz’s mom Tiffany’s fantastic recipe for smoking up the underrated fish!

HER FIRST HUNT When Abby Trozelle went on her first hunt, she wasn’t eased into it. Chasing elk on treacherous Etolin Island isn’t exactly a rookie’s ideal place to get started. But it was an enlightening experience for Abby, who now has the hunting bug after a memorable adventure. Jeff Lund has the details!

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 21 Ice fishing the Interior’s Chena Lake 49 Choosing the perfect ice fishing rod, part II of II 128 Alaska guns and accessories gallery 131 Q&A with Alaska SCI’s Gary Gearhart 141 Proper shooting positions for hunters 163 Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show preview 166 A boat tough enough for Alaskan waters DEPARTMENTS 17 The Editor’s Note 61 Protecting Wild Alaska: New Tongass National Forest logging plan benefits salmon streams 61 Outdoor Calendar

(SCOTT HAUGEN)

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 $29.95 (12 issues) or $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Inc. Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168 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 © 2017 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. 12

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Abby Trozelle wasn’t obsessed with chasing elk, but once she discovered hunting she became hooked on it.

(ABBY TROZELLE)

I

don’t know if I’d make the cut with Don Draper and the rest of the Mad Men TV crew of chain-smoking, highball-sipping Sterling Cooper advertising moguls, but if I had to create a campaign slogan for this month’s issue, how about, Alaska is for Everyone?

Whether you’re young or old, man or woman, there’s something magical about the Last Frontier’s spirit of the wild. Among those profiled this month are our Field to Fire columnists Scott and Tiffany Haugen’s 14-year-old Kazden, who joined his father – along with fellow contributor Paul Atkins and his son, Eli – and went ice fishing for massive sheefish in frigid Kotzebue.

On the other end of the spectrum is Gary Gearhart, who I spent about an hour on the phone with recently discussing the reasons why he left his roots in Northern California and Nevada years ago and found a home in Alaska. Gearhart, a past president of the Alaska Safari Club International chapter, is as passionate about the outdoors as Kazden, though 60 years his elder. He just got back from an “excellent” blacktail hunt on Afognak Island.

Then there is Jeff Lund’s report on Abby Trozelle, a mom from Southeast Alaska who was never much of an outdoorswoman and certainly didn’t have elk hunting high atop her bucket list when she went on her first hunt on Etolin Island for a monster bull. After you read Lund’s story you’ll know why Trozelle wants to get out and hunt at every opportunity and provide meat for her family.

I think for those of who grew up in the Lower 48, we’ve always held Alaska as something of mystery – kind of like an exotic meal that we’re dying to try but terrified of what it might taste like on the way down.

I’m going to go out on a limb here to say that Kazden, Gearhart and Trozelle don’t have all that much in common, except for a passion for Alaska’s outdoor environment. And I hope our readers who explore all the adventure stories we supply on a monthly basis will soon feel the same way. Alaska is for Everyone. Sterling Cooper, do we have something? -Chris Cocoles aksportingjournal.com | JANUARY 2017

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Residents of North Pole and nearby Fairbanks have an accessible winter fishery, 260-acre Chena Lake, full of stocked fish like king salmon.

(DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

HOMETOWN ICE FISHING HAVEN AN ANGLER’S NEARBY LAKE IS FULL OF KING SALMON AND OTHER STOCKED SPECIES

BY DENNIS MUSGRAVES

S

itting inside my pickup truck on an elevated boat launch gave me a panoramic view of the entire frozen lake. The path down the ramp was plowed and extended outward about 100 yards onto the ice, forming a tall snow bank along the outer edge of its perimeter.

The clearing on the lake, the size of a football field, created an area for vehicle access and for positioning large hard-sided ice fishing huts. As I sat in the comfort of my heated truck, I counted about a half dozen of the wooden shanties decorating the area.

I could also see my buddy, Ian Martinez, and his son, Tanner, had already arrived. They had driven onto the lake, selected a spot between a couple wooden hard-sides, and were prepar-

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Chena Lake is surrounded by parklands, with camping, picnicking and boat launching facilities. Ice anglers can rent hard-sided huts to fish on the lake. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

ing to drill through the ice with a power auger. It was apparent they were not waiting around for me or anyone else to start ice fishing. So I eased down the ramp in my truck and drove over to help them complete the set-up. Our outing was a spur-of-the-moment decision to meet up for a few hours just outside our neighborhood and get a quick fix for our hookset withdrawals.

All of us were eager to get our fishing lines wet, so we quickly got the holes drilled and a portable shelter set up.

Once inside, Ian adjusted the regulator on a propane tank-top heater and lit the burner. The warmth was welcome, since the outside air was brisk and dipped below zero degrees Fahrenheit. As our faces defrosted, we opened our folding chairs, baited the hooks and prepared for the feeding frenzy that was about to begin.

FINDING PRODUCTIVE WATER FOR ice fishing near my home of North Pole, Alaska, never seems to be an issue. Of course, having 260 acres of winter angling playground bordering the edge of town certainly helps. Chena Lake is a local favorite among winter anglers looking for outdoor fishing adventure, since 22

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it offers plenty of action.

One of my favorite targets is king salmon, which is probably not often thought of by Outside sport anglers as a species to target when the thermometer dips below zero, but seasoned sourdoughs know they are a staple in the state stocking program. Hatchery-raised landlocked kings won’t grow to the enormous sizes their ocean-going kind reach, but the stocked salmon respond well in Alaska’s cold-water habitat. They are also aggressive feeders, perfect for ice fishermen.

Salmon is not the only fish species found in Chena Lake. Arctic char and rainbow trout can also be found. Literally thousands of stocked fish swim under the ice, and all one has to do is show up, cut a hole out and be ready for the bite. The abundant fish count in the lake is due in part to the efforts of a robust fish stocking program by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery (adfg. alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportStockingHatcheries.ruthburnett), which is in Fairbanks, provides the kings for Chena Lake. The hatchery also provides thousands of sportfish for 136 ad-

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ditional lakes in the region.

King salmon eggs are used from wild broodstock, are reared until they reach a catchable size (averaging 9 inches in length) and then released. The process takes about 15 months.

The stocking takes place over the summer and fall seasons, and ADFG provides a great web-based tool for the public to figure out what’s going where, when. As weekly stockings take place, updates are loaded into the system and anglers can check the report. Users can search by location, fish species, specific area and set date parameters.

After researching the ADFG fish stocking update online, I found that last September, ADFG released 10,000 kings into Chena for ice anglers to pursue in winter. Such an influx of fish is why the three of us had such high expectations of catching and not simply fishing at our local lake.

WE WERE VERTICALLY FISHING over 20 feet of water. Simply loading a hook

Eggs from wild king salmon are collected, fertilized, reared until they reach a catchable size (averaging 9 inches in length) and then released. The process takes about 15 months. Rainbow trout and Arctic char are also among the fish stocked at the lake.

(DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

with bait and applying moderate jigging action in the upper portion of the water column will attract a king. Using a combination of uncooked shrimp and

salmon eggs has always been highly productive for me, and history repeated itself: We found the fish hovering just above 10 feet.

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IF YOU GO: CHENA LAKE One of the best things about my hometown in North Pole, Alaska, is having 2,100 acres of state recreational area land that’s adjacent to the community. Local and out-of-town outdoor enthusiasts will find many activities available at Chena Lake, which is open for year-round enjoyment. Visitors will actually find two parks in one, including a lake park featuring a 260-acre lake, and a river park that stretches 4 miles alongside the moderately flowing water of the Chena River.

The lake park is most popular among locals in the summer.

It features two sandy beaches with designated swimming areas, boat rentals, covered pavilions, playgrounds, fishing docks, and scenic nature trails. My wife, Hannah, and her friends enjoy kayaking at the lake since no motorized boats are allowed in the water. During the winter season, activities turn towards ice fishing, aurora light chasing and cross-country skiing.

The river park area also features several picnic areas, a covered pavilion, volleyball court, miles of walking trails that wind through the surrounding birch trees, and a boat ramp (for motorized boat access to the Chena River). I have found excellent sportfishing opportunities just about anywhere along the river, targeting wild Arctic grayling.

Each park also has a campground available for overnight

stays during the summer. There are a total of 80 campsites and a few that provide a pull-through for a large RV. Those looking for a more unique secluded overnight adventure can paddle out in a boat and stay at one of the six tent sites located on an adjacent island.

CHENA LAKE ICE FISHING Self-guided winter anglers will find groomed access areas for vehicles to drive on the lake and set up a portable or hard-sided ice house, but ice fishermen can choose to go anywhere on the lake to set up. If you don’t have your own winter fishing shelter, Fairbanks North Star Borough has four hard-sided ice huts available for rent. These huts have a wood-burning stove inside, and personnel will come out to drill holes prior to your arrival. Alaska Department of Fish and Game stocks the lake with plenty of king salmon, frisky rainbow trout and feisty Arctic char in late fall for anglers to try and catch all winter long.

Guided ice fishing trips at Chena Lake are also available for people wanting to try the winter activity for the first time through a few local outfitters. I recommend you contact “Reini” Neuhausar with Alaska Fishing and Rafting Adventures. He offers several options and has been providing terrific guided ice fishing experiences in the Fairbanks area for more than 10 years. You can reach him through his website, akrivertours.com. DM

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Ian Martinez (top left, right) shows off a couple of Chena Lake kings. They’re not the only salmon available in Interior waters – author Dennis Musgraves (bottom left) caught a coho at Quartz Lake, which ice anglers flock to during the long Alaskan winter. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

I was the first angler to make contact.

I felt the strike of an aggressive biter and did not hesitate in giving a subtle flick of my wrist like a pinball wizard. “Fish on!”

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I reeled up the salmon with relative ease, keeping him centered in my ice hole just below the water surface so I could confirm whether it was a salmon or not.

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Bright silver sides and a black mouth gave the identity away. “It’s a king,” I said.

Ian and Tanner followed right behind me, each getting a takedown and bring-

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A layered-up Martinez enjoys the lowkey ice fishing available at his local lakes.

(DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

ing up their own salmon love to the surface. As I released my fish back to the lake, I couldn’t help adding in a little sarcasm. “Well, no one got skunked today.”

We proceeded to spend the next couple hours catching and releasing countless fish. Catching bucketloads of landlocked salmon is not uncommon during the winter in Alaska, and it’s not technical ice fishing by any means, but it sure is fun.

Our quick outing ended with our fish-catching prowess re-energized.

Chena Lake probably won’t ever give up a trophy-size, record-breaker king salmon, but with its close proximity to my home and seemingly endless supply of catchable fish, it’s hard to ignore for a quick trip when I get an invite.

Ice fishing near my hometown of North Pole at Chena Lake provides an opportunity for both quantity and quality – a lot of fish caught from Alaska’s stocking program, and a quality of life spent outside winter fishing with friends. ASJ Editor’s note: For more on author Dennis Musgraves’ fishing adventures in the Great Land, check out alaskansalmonslayers.com.

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FIELD

Ice fishing in Northwest Alaska is one of the most unique experiences on Earth. Drilling through 5 feet of ice on the edge of the Arctic Ocean while in search of prized sheefish is truly something special.

(SCOTT HAUGEN)

A SPECIAL DAY FOR KAZDEN A FATHER-SON ICE FISHING TRIP FINDS SHEEFISH BLISS

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

A

s the sun set on the frozen Arctic Ocean, my 14-year-old son, Kazden, watched in amazement.

He never stopped jigging his spoon, still hoping for that first bite of the day.

It never came, and by 1 a.m. we were headed back to the village.

We fished 16 hours straight that day and didn’t get a fish. “Wow, that was fun,” Kaz shared as we hopped off the snowmachine and slipped out of our parkas. It wasn’t the response you’d ex-

pect from a teenager after spending the entire day on the ice without a bite, but it made me smile.

“That was the most amazing sunset I’ve ever seen; it was like you could reach out and touch it,” Kaz said.

When I asked him what else he liked about the day, his response made me even happier.

“What wasn’t there to like?” he said with a smile. “There were no allergies; the air was crisp and clean; we saw hundreds of caribou; I got to see my first village in the Arctic; I ate lunch

and dinner on the ice with all that fun gear; I fished through the ice and I made a new friend.”

Kazden’s new friend was Eli Atkins, son of my longtime hunting and fishing partner and fellow Alaska Sporting Journal correspondent, Paul Atkins. The Atkins family lives in Kotzebue, the site of this Arctic ice fishing adventure. Paul and his wife, Susie, have been school teachers there for nearly 20 years. Eli is in eighth grade and has lived his whole life in Kotzebue.

For Paul and Eli, ice fishing for shee-

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fish is a spring tradition. For Kazden, it was his first-ever ice fishing adventure.

Though my wife and I used to live on the North Slope – where we taught school for most of the 1990s – this was my first attempt to catch sheefish through the ice.

It took five days of searching to find the fish. Once we did, the action was better than I’d even dreamed of. Joining the four of us was Lew Pagel, a chiropractor in Kotzebue and Paul’s resident fishing and hunting partner. Paul and Lew now offer guided fishing trips on the ice for sheefish, a truly unique experience that’s worth every penny.

I don’t know how many holes we drilled through the ice the first four days, but with the propane-powered auger it took only a matter of minutes to punch a 10-inch-wide, 5-foot-deep shaft. Drilling and moving proved to be the key to our success.

Paul and Lew were frustrated after a couple days of catching no fish, as they’d been getting them every time out. But one thing that’s nice about fishing from snowmachines is that you can cover miles of ice.

“We haven’t had to move this far inland to find fish in years,” said Paul as we unlatched the LoopRopes and tarps on our sleds and got to drilling fresh holes. Before we could all get our lines in the water, Paul caught a nice sheefish, one over 20 pounds. Eli and Kaz were soon admiring their first fish of the trip; for Kazden, it was his first-ever sheefish. The snook-like snout, whitefish-like body and tarpon-like resemblance took Kaz by surprise as he sat there and stared at his catch.

For the next 90 minutes we never quit jigging or catching fish. We kept just short of 30 sheefish and released several. After five days of searching, the hard-fighting action, tenacious takes and long runs were even more intense than I thought possible.

Paul, Eli and Kazden stuck to traditional fishing gear: a niksik, heavy braided line and a jigging spoon. I caught a few on the traditional niksik set-up but fell in love with the custom ice fishing rods Paul had made by

Fairbanks-based Two River Rods. They withstood impressive punishment, and while the medium-action rod worked well, I loved the heavy-action model because it had the backbone to control fish up to 40 pounds.

I also put PowerPro’s new Maxcuatro line and Shimano’s Sahara and Saros 1000 model reels to the test. With only a 10-pound diameter, I wasn’t

Kazden Haugen, the author’s 14-year-old son, pulls up a 20-plus-pound sheefish caught while jigging a spoon through 5 feet of ice above Alaska’s Arctic Circle.

(SCOTT HAUGEN)

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sure how the 50-pound test would hold up. I caught over a dozen sheefish, including two over 30 pounds; the line performed perfectly.

Even the reels impressed me, and because the fish made such long runs, I was glad I went with the larger-capacity 1000 series. Often I had to crank the drag down so tight I could barely pull line off by hand.

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FIELD DELISH SHEEFISH WORTH THE WORK

Sheefish meat is mild and fatty, and can be smoked with a range of spices. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

S

heefish is one of Alaska’s most delectable dishes on the table.

Only found in select waters, it may take some effort and travel time to catch some, but you’ll be rewarded with amazing tasting fish, and come away with the fishing experience of a lifetime.

Jigging through 5 feet of ice for these hefty, hard-fighting fish is not only a thrill but produces some of the best table fare in the world.

It’s the high fat content in sheefish that makes them optimal for smoking.

The flavor of sheefish is mild and can be complimented by a variety of flavors, from a simple salt/sugar dry brine to the addition of lemon pepper, granulated onion and/or garlic, Cajun spices, honey or soy sauce. Use your imagination, but be sure to take notes so you can replicate your creations.

If you can get your hands on Mor-

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ton Tender Quick Home Meat Cure, a very easy dry brine recipe is to simply cut fish, skin on, to desired smoking chunks, coat flesh with a layer of Tender Quick, let sit at room temperature 20 minutes, rinse well and place the meat onto smoker racks. Additional flavors such as black pepper can be sprinkled on before fish goes in the smoker.

The dry brine below is a simple version that can be tailored to fit any taste profile.

2 to 3 pounds sheefish, cut to desired size 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar ⅓ cup kosher salt 1 tablespoon black pepper Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Lay fillets out flat in a nonmetal pan, skin-side down. Sprinkle dry brine over fish, covering completely and refriger-

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

ate 12 hours. Remove fish from brine and place on smoker racks and sprinkle with additional seasonings if desired.

Let fish sit at room temperature 30 minutes to an hour. Smoke in smoker at 180 degrees until fish reaches desired doneness.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Seafood, send a check for $20 (free S&H), to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. This and other cookbooks can also be ordered at tiffanyhaugen.com.

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Scott and Kazden Haugen are all smiles over this sheefishing adventure out of Kotzebue, one Kazden ranks as his best fishing experience ever.

(SCOTT HAUGEN)

Jigging spoons was the number one producer of sheefish. I also caught a number of them, including my biggest, on a 1-ounce red/white Rooster Tail with a silver blade.

Our sleds loaded with sheefish, as we secured the tarps Kazden broke the

silence. “That was my favorite fishing trip ever!” he said. “Thanks for bringing me up here, Dad.” As a father and avid angler who wants my son to cherish as many outdoor moments as possible, I couldn’t have been happier. It was the perfect

ending to a great fishing adventure with good friends in one of the most unique places on Earth. ASJ Editor’s note: To book a three-day guided Arctic ice fishing trip for sheefish in Kotzebue, visit scotthaugen.com.

ALASKA FISHING & RAFT ADVENTURES

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meaning that it can bounce off rocks, gravel bars, logs or icebergs all day long.

You can comfortably fit two people and some gear (or possibly a moose) into it.

The RDB River Series Landing Craft and Multi-Purpose 16- to 24-foot Hull are larger to meet the needs of those who must carry more people and gear along inland rivers. These hulls can be configured for any particular use or specification, including search and rescue.

The RBD Marine Series boats are for those traveling to saltwater locations.

CLASS 5 BOATWORKS What happens when avid boaters learn how to make sturdy plastic tanks? They start building rough-duty plastic boats!

The goal of Class 5 Boatworks is to design and build boats that meet the needs of Alaskans living and working in Alaska’s inland and marine waters.

Class 5 Boatworks’ first project was a 14foot mini-jetboat designed to navigate Alaska’s shallow, rocky rivers. Dubbed the “DragonFly,” it is small and nimble, much like the insect it is named after. It can go almost anywhere a canoe will go, but much faster! Like all of Class 5 Boatworks vessels, it is a rough-duty boat, or RDB,

Rendition of 22-foot Multi-Purpose Hull, available in many configurations.

Why build boats out of plastic?

Plastic is durable, highly impact resistant, lightweight, noncorrosive and UV resistant. It can insulate and dampen sound, and barnacles and other foulants can be easily removed from it. Plastic is now Rendition of 27-foot Landing Craft with six-person cabin, one commonly used in of many configurations available. cars, trucks, ATVs, Plastic slides over rocks, flexing as it goes. snowmachines, and even It is quieter than aluminum and absorbs airplanes. some of the shock of hard objects and Wood and fiberglass are waves. When brittle and are not good welding plastic, materials for shallow-water hull thickness riverboats or boats that must can be varied land on a rocky beach. When throughout the you hit a rock, aluminum boat. Typically, dents and tends to stick to the sides are the rock. Aluminum covered thin to reduce in plastic performs better, weight and but the aluminum will still the bottom is dent, and once dented it thick to handle stays dented until the dent is impacts from rocks, logs, etc.

Shallow water on the Little Delta River in summer 2016. pressed, pounded or cut out.

The thickest part of the A DragonFly on the Knik River in fall 2016. bottom is along the keel and in front of the transom, where it most often contacts hard objects.

In the years ahead, keep an eye out for Class 5 Boatworks’ welded plastic boats.

You will be seeing more of them on Alaska’s waterways. Better yet, get one for yourself and begin exploring the 33,904 miles of Alaska’s coastline and many more thousands of miles of inland waters.

Really shallow water on the Little Delta River – yes, the boat was driven to this location!

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JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

(907) 328-2390 www.class5boatworks.com

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www.mastermarine.com JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

DECISION TIME IN THE MARKET FOR A ROD TOUGH ENOUGH FOR ICE FISHING IN ALASKA? CONSIDER THESE 11 LOCAL AND NATIONAL BRANDS AND THEIR PRODUCT LINES PART II OF II

BY MICHAEL LUNDE

I

n part I of this two-part series on selecting the right ice fishing rod, we provided a comprehensive list of criteria to help you choose one or more for your Alaska ice fishing excursions.

Building off last issue’s concepts, we now break down what’s on offer from commercial and custom rod companies, both those in the Lower 48 and the wares of highly skilled rod craftsmen in

Alaska. Each company is mentioned with regards to their geographical location, rod length and action specifics, guide components, blank technology, and ice fishing technique their rods are designed for.

Overall, this brief but thorough explanation will expand your horizons and hopefully help you catch more fish each winter. Here is the split combination of commercial and custom rod options from multiple sources in the Lower 48 and the Last Frontier.

In a state as rugged as Alaska in the winter and with such hungry and at times massive fish swimming in its waters, it’s important to make the right decision when it comes to choosing a ice fishing rod. Everything from length to action should be researched wisely. (GFYS CUSTOMS) aksportingjournal.com | JANUARY 2017

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LOWER 48 COMMERCIAL ROD MAKERS ST. CROIX Straight out of Parks Falls, Wis, this legendary rod company has been producing fine quality craftsmanship since 1948. Multiple series of ice fishing rods are available for technique-specific situations. Each model features variations in graphite technology, handle configurations and guide components.

Here are the preferred rods for Alaska’s gamefish: Avid Ice Rods: Available in both fiberglass and graphite, and in lengths of 27, 30, and 36 inches. Actions include medium, medium-light, and medium-heavy. Spring-bobber options are available for the light-powered glass version.

Mojo Ice Rods: This rod series has 10 technique-specific models suited to a wide variety of fishing styles.

Rod blanks are characterized as precision-tapered, solid carbon blanks equipped with stainless-steel guides,

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which assist in freeze-up prevention.

Length and actions include 24-inch UL and L, 28-inch ML, M, MH, 32-inch M and H, and 36-inch MH. Retails for $50.

More: stcroixrods.com

FRABILL Another Wisconsin-based company, Frabill is a compilation of multiple series of rods designed to cater to a variety of finesse and aggressive jigging techniques. Length of rods vary from 27 to 36 inches. A couple of good choices: Bro Series Finesse: A light-powered, fast-action rod that’s 25 inches long. Titanium guides are constructed on high-modulus graphite blank designed for ultrasensitivity. Ideal for jigging microsized panfish or jigs for rainbow trout, Arctic grayling, and landlocked salmon.

Bro Series 30-inch Pike: At 30 inches, this medium-heavy jigging weapon is ideal for jigging deadbait, spoons,

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

and jigs.

More: frabill.com

DAVE GENZ ICE SERIES These guys never disappoint when it comes to their specific selection of ice fishing rods. A veteran ice angler and member of the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame, Dave Genz’ series of rods has favored well with hardwater fanatics for years.

Elite Series: Available in four models: 22-inch ultralight, 25-inch light action, and 28-inch medium action. Other features include cork composite rear handle, lightweight guides and graphite blank with woven graphite butt section.

Retails for $39.99.

Litebite Series: An ultrasensitive jigging tool for employing a light deadstick presentation or when sensitivity is needed for nonaggressive fish. Lengths available in 24 and 26 inches.

Split-rod Series: Split grips have increased in popularity for open water and hardwater anglers.

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visitseward@seward.com 907-224-8051 www.seward.com

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Many of the best custom ice rods are designed in the upper Midwest, where ice fishing is a winter ritual, like it is in Alaska.

Haat Rods are designed specifically by professional Great Lakes guide Eric Haataja in Milwaukee. (HAAT RODS)

BERKLEY

Available in 28- and 30-inch medium, 32-inch medium-heavy and 34-inch fiberglass. Features stainless-steel guide frames with chrome rings.

More: davegenz.com

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

A company well-known for its famous monofilament and braided fishing lines, plus its famed trout baits, also has a long-standing tradition of producing affordable ice fishing rods.

Heritage Ice Series: All rods are fiberglass and come in a variety of lengths and actions to cater to spe-

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

cific techniques. Available in the following lengths and actions: 26-inch light and medium, 28-inch medium and medium-light, and 30-inch medium-heavy.

Berkley Lightning: The 28-inch- and 32-inch-long lightweight ice sticks are exceptional tools for battling rainbow trout, Arctic grayling and small- to moderate-sized pike. Blank technology is of fiberglass construction combined with some graphite for increased sensitivity without sacrificing strength.

More: berkley-fishing.com

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WRIGHT MCGILL More known for dependable salmon and steelhead rods, their series of ice fishing rods is of similar quality and dependability.

Max Ice Rods: This rod series is characterized by Wright McGill’s S-Curve graphite blank technology combined with split-grip handles to increase sensitivity throughout the entire rod. This results in an ultrasensitive, lightweight tool for ice fishing that ensures confidence.

An additional advantage with the split grip is it provides exceptional balance and maximum performance at a minimum weight. Models include medium in 28 inches, light in 48, and heavy in 50.

Ti-Core Spinning Ice Rods: Lightweight titanium blank coupled with single-foot PacMac Minima guides. Rod design eliminates the need for additive spring-bobber option. It’s a perfect tool for rainbow trout, grayling and smaller char. Available in 20- and 24-inch panfish finesse models.

More: wright-mcgill.com

LOWER 48 AND ALASKA CUSTOM ROD MAKERS Custom-made ice fishing rods are something special, since they seem to provide a distinct technological advantage that some anglers prefer. In this section, we provide a comprehensive breakdown on custom-rod companies located in the Lower 48 and in Alaska.

THORNE BROTHERS As in Alaska, ice fishing is a way of life in Minneapolis, Minn., which is also the home of Thorne Brothers, which has been in business for 20-plus years. All their graphite and fiberglass bank technology is developed and originated in the shop itself. Builders Lonnie Murphy and Mike Johnson are often nicknamed the gurus of rod building. A thorough synthesis of their online website reveals a cumulative total of 15 rods, with that number expanded further depending on the list of guides, material components and custom aesthetics available.

Multiple handle configurations,

Legendary fishing, the fastest catch rate for King Salmon in the state, and only a 2-hour flight from Seattle!

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JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

blank and trim colors and guide options are available. Popular rod lines include Deadstick Series, Finesse Ice Plus, Walleye Sweatheart and Quiverstick. Lonnie Murphy says Thorne Brothers customized fiberglass blanks are specifically designed to vertically jig muskie-sized soft plastics for the biggest of lake trout when targeting large pelagic baitfish.

More: thornebros.com

HAAT RODS An explosion of high-performance custom ice fishing rods in the Midwest is taking the hardwater world by storm.

Haat Rods are designed specifically by professional Great Lakes guide Eric Haataja in Milwaukee and they are one of the newest custom rods available.

A combination of two spinning and three baitcasting rods are available in lengths of 36 and 45 inches, respectively. Spinning rods come in medium-light and medium power. Baitcasting rods are available in medium-heavy, heavy, and extra-heavy power.

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The blank-specific technology that excels in this arsenal of rods is a fiberglass-graphite composite that increases sensitivity around the upper region of the rod without sacrificing durability and a bulletproof attitude. Rods contain seven guides, allowing for increased line control and power for manhandling trophy gamefish. Prices of rods range from $99.95 to $149.95.

More: haatrods.com

ALASKA CUSTOM ROD MAKERS Alaska’s vast diversity of freshwater watersheds contain populations of trophy 25-plus-pound pike, 20-pound sheefish and 20-plus-pound lake trout, which make for a requirement for high-performance rods.

Although there is a multitude of talScott Lee, owner of GFYS Rods in Palmer, caught this beautiful Mat-Su rainbow using one of his custom designs. Trends in ice fishing rod technology have changed through the course of time. The predominant world of fiberglass evolved into the simplicity of graphite. (GFYS CUSTOMS)

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JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

ANCHORAGE YAMAHA SUZUKI MARINE Alaska’s Full Throttle Recreational Specialist!!

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ented rod manufacturers in the Lower 48, a surge in custom rod development has been seen recently in both the Interior and Southcentral Alaska. The superiority of the rods we are about to highlight is, bar none, some of the best I have witnessed. After seeing a photograph surface on social media of a 50-pound halibut landed on a custom-made 42-inch-long, split-grip heavy-powered fiberglass rod, there was no doubt that Alaskans could reinvest confidence in supporting locally made ice fishing artillery characterized as high-performance ice fishing sticks.

THREE RIVERS FLY TACKLE Located off the Parks Highway in Wasilla, Mike Hudson of Three Rivers Fly Tackle has specialized in custom rod development since 1986. His line is highly favored amongst Alaska’s diehard lake trout and northern pike chasers. Constructed on Batson fiberglass blanks rated for 50-pound braid, Hudson lays out a standard set of five guides even-

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ly distributed on the blank. Annual exploratory sessions with 30-plus-pound Chinook salmon is evidence of their dominant strength, yet no sacrifice in sensitivity is noticed. Length options range from 38 to 56 inches, with most anglers ordering the 42-inch model.

Prices range from $89.95 to $149.95.

More: 3riversflyandtackle.com

GFYS (GO FISH YOURSELF) CUSTOMS Palmer-based Scott Lee is an exceptional rod builder with a reputation for supplying trophy anglers in Alaska with endless options to design the ultimate multispecies weapon. Exploratory experimental jigging sessions for small- to moderate-sized halibut over the nutrient-rich waters of Prince William Sound resulted in multiple 40- to 50-pound fish caught on his 42- to 48-inch rods.

Reports have 40-plus-inch lake trout also being subdued. Theoretically, most anglers would assume a rod this short doesn’t have the physical capabilities to withstand the bottom-pulling power of

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

a halibut, but its strength has been validated time and again.

Lee also specializes in customized real seats consisting of painted metallic combinations that add a degree of awe to the overall appearance. He specifically incorporates 6-foot fiberglass blanks from Batson and cuts them to a client’s desired length. A range of six to eight guides are interspaced evenly on the blank, which is dependent on the rod’s length.

Guides are Fuji double-foot that contain Teflon rings. A special feature he notes is no power wrapping is implemented through the rod building process, but rather hand-wrapped on a custom device built by his dad in 1979.

Rods range in price from $90 to $250 depending on customized options.

More: gofishyourselfak.com

TWO RIVER RODS In Interior Alaska, veteran guide and expert Alaskan angler Brian Mills resides in a small community located a 30-minute

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drive east of Fairbanks. His company has been designing conventional, fly and ice fishing rods for the past 20 years. While the trend seems to be cork for the preferred grip design, Mills incorporates foam into his design. He is a firm believer in shorter rods for vertical jigging techniques and presentations, which thus results in lengths of 28 and 32 inches as popular models.

Additionally, Mills’ rods are constructed on a medium- and heavy-powered fiberglass blank paired with guides made of stainless steel. Prices for his rods vary from $59 to $79.95, depending on the length and power of the rod. Additional options are available, should anglers have extra dollars to invest. His line can be purchased at tackle stores in the Fairbanks community.

More: tworiverrods.com Custom-made ice fishing rods are something special since they seem to provide a distinct technological advantage that some anglers prefer. (GFYS CUSTOMS)

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JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

THIS YEAR, MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY DAY ON THE WATER

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Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 300 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 01/01/17 and 3/31/17 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Cash Rebates apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 01/01/17 and 3/31/17. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Customer and participating Dealer must fill out the appropriate rebate form at time of sale. Customer will have the choice to either apply the cash rebate against the original dealer invoice (Suzuki will credit Dealer parts account) or have a check sent directly to the customer. There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 01/01/17 and 3/31/17.“Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2017 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.

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TECHNOLOGY RULES Trends in ice fishing rod technology have changed through the course of time. The predominant world of fiberglass has evolved into the simplicity of graphite, which thus transcended into advanced material components, length dimensions, and configurations to create the ultimate diversity of ice fishing weapons.

As it stands, fans of fiberglass and graphite will debate which is the best rod material, but again it ultimately depends on the species of gamefish targeting, depth fishing and technique and/or presentation being implemented. With new techniques and presentations routinely explored, rod manufacturers and designers unleash their inner brainpower to dig into the fundamental depths of science to develop the

future breakthrough technologies in the world of custom and commercial rod blanks.

Key components of consideration to drive the rod market are graphite, fiberglass, composite possibilities, guide design and material, foregrip and reargrip options, plus line technology. If not taken into consideration, it will become substantially difficult to match technique-specific situations when environmental scenarios trigger unexpected behavioral responses to our favorite gamefish.

Regardless of your preference, whether you’re a perfectionist who loves custom-made products or are a buy-it-over-the-counter shopper, there is no better time to invest in a stockpile of high-performance graphite and fiberglass artillery for Alaska’s trophy gamefish. ASJ

Although there is a multitude of talented rod manufacturers in the Lower 48, a surge in custom rod development has been seen recently in both the Interior and Southcentral Alaska. Companies like GFYS Customs, Three Rivers Fly and Tackle and Two River Rods make Alaska-tested, heavy-duty ice fishing rods. (GFYS CUSTOMS)

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BY CHRISTOPHER BATIN

A

Alaska fishing adventures abound, but it’s up to the traveler to determine what best fits their desires and budget. For some it will be the Orca Adventure Lodge, an abandoned cannery turned into a fishing resort that caters to a variety of anglers and adventure travelers. The lodge is located in Cordova, Alaska, and as Mike Sacco discovered with his big silver (top right), is close to spectacular fishing. (CHRISTOPHER BATIN)

laska sportfishing is a tonic, a destination euphoria that quickens the pulse of novice anglers and adventure-hardened veterans alike.

The reason is obvious. Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden exude raw aggressiveness and quickness of fin as they charge and engulf your fly with a “thump” you’ll remember for a lifetime. I recall digging my heels deep into gravel as I tried to put the brakes to a freshfrom-the-sea, head-shaking king salmon on his fifth jump 70 yards downriver. I’ve hooked and released slab-sided silver salmon until my arm was too sore to catch another, while basking in a glacier-rimmed mountain river with not another angler in sight.

Alaska fishing is also a gateway to investing in relationships such as a second or third honeymoon, or a graduation surprise for that exceptional son or daughter. Multigenerational fishing trips are common, where parents delight in watching grandkids and grandparents walk hand-in-hand across a shallow creek filled with thousands of migrating salmon. No matter the itinerary, each is a “fishing trip of a lifetime,” because Alaska is a place where angling dreams not only come true, but also rekindle and perpetuate the eternal angling youth in each of us.

Now is the time to partake in Alaska’s numerous do-it-yourself fishing trips, outfitted camps and lodges. Can’t afford it?

Rent a U.S. Forest Service cabin for $45 on

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Author Chris Batin (far right), instructs Pete Anastasi and his grandson, Andrew Patterson, on the basics of fly casting. Pete wanted Andrew to experience Alaska fishing as he enjoyed it over the years and booked a lodge that offered fly fishing instruction.

(CHRISTOPHER BATIN)

a blue-ribbon trout and salmon stream.

Afraid of the bears? Fish Unalaska, where the salmon outnumber the people and the bears are nonexistent.

No matter what your budget, Alaska has a trip for you. Choosing the right one, however, requires a bit of research.

To get you started, here are a few insider-planning tips from my 42-year career covering the best in Alaska sportfishing.

But consider yourself forewarned: Once you indulge in Alaska’s best fishing, you’ll be hopelessly hooked on the thrill of it all.

READ ALL ABOUT IT Start researching your trip now. Review the advertisers in this magazine for new ideas and areas that interest you, followed by additional internet surfing.

Caveat emptor, and realize that trolls and shills can influence internet rating services. Always contact Alaska con68

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

vention and visitors bureaus. Working with them over the years, I consider them among the best people to assist with your trip. Hotel managers, chefs, biologists, and Alaska State Parks and Bureau of Land Management employees also offer invaluable tips and suggestions. Check out fishing or travel forums, and photos on social media sites like Pinterest for examples of scenery and likely fishing hot spots.

Full-service lodges are ideal if you want to leave the logistics to someone else. Expect prices to run from $400 to $1,000-plus a day. At some lodges, you can expect oak toilet seats, guides who will unhook fish, prepare lunches and do it all except wind your reel handle.

BE INQUISITIVE. BE AWARE Ask questions of lodge managers, as the services you receive might not be

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

what you expect. Take lodge personnel: Executive chefs, luggage handlers, fish cleaners and housekeeping staff help make a trip enjoyable, but the fishing guide is key. Ask for a guide with years of Alaska fishing experience, as some lodges hire college students from the Lower 48 or other countries with limited knowledge of the area. While many lodges and charters offer great training programs for their guides, it also boils down to your personality meshing with the guide’s. Many lodges find it difficult to attract experienced guides due to the brief, seasonal nature of the work, low pay and discretionary tips.

And remember that online reviews mostly reveal past and not current performance. A fishing lodge I visited off and on for over a decade (which had great reviews, with a few from me!) had hired two arrogant, incompetent

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guides, each with no more than a year of Alaska fishing experience. I opted to fish alone my entire stay.

I give high marks to family-run operations, where members work as guides, fish cleaners or kitchen help. I’ve found they usually possess the well-rounded people skills necessary to guide a grandparent with Parkinson’s or handle a 12-year-old who needs patient fly-fishing instruction.

Fly-out lodges are gateways to some of the world’s dreamy fishing destinations. At one lodge I requested a trip into Aniakchak Caldera, where I caught salmon while hot springs bubbled and steam gushed from nearby fumaroles. Yet heed this admonition: If you choose a lodge not located on prime fishing grounds – and weather or aircraft mechanical issues arise unexpectedly – be prepared to sit and wait, oftentimes for days. Always choose lodges with secondary access, meaning prime fishing is also available from the lodge by boat or foot.

These hungry anglers enjoy a meal at a spike camp located on the Alaska Peninsula. Such camps offer great food and easy access to fishing that would take one to two hours of flying time from established lodges located near major cities. (CHRISTOPHER BATIN)

BUDGET BASICS A favorite and affordable, do-it-yourself trip is renting a Forest Service cabin (listed at recreation.gov). Many cabins located throughout Southcentral and Southeast Alaska cost $25 to $45 a

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day, and offer prime salmon and trout fishing. Favorites like Kegan Creek or Petersburg Lake cabins are boat- or floatplane-access only.

Here’s the deal: A cabin that requires a $2,000 Bush plane charter, split four

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ways, is $500 per person. Add food, license, commercial airfare and miscellaneous items, and a wilderness Alaska fishing adventure will cost about $1,500 per person. For those that know how to fish on their own, it’s one of the best deals in Alaska sportfishing.

Excited about the prospects? Here are more tips to create your Alaska fishing adventure plan!

Pursuing 50-inch pike in western Alaska is a specialized trip not offered by many outfitters, so expect to pay more for this type of trip than silver salmon fishing on the Susitna River, which offers numerous guides and easy access from Anchorage.

Use a lodge or charter brochure as an introductory overview. If you have backcountry experience, talk to the lodge manager and ask if it’s possible to design a custom trip that is more to your liking. Countless times I’ve flown into and fished a new area because the owner always wanted to explore it, but didn’t because he needed a client to pay for

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A fisherman fights a jumpy king salmon at a remote, fly-out location on the Alaska Peninsula. The angler was based at a spike camp, which was within a half-mile of superb fishing. (CHRISTOPHER BATIN)

the cost of the trip. The trip might be a bust, but having a plane at your disposal to fish new wilderness waters is a thrill unlike anything else. With any fly-in trip, first ask the pilot to document his train-

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

ing or experience in wilderness flying.

If the price is too good to be true, the season might be the reason. Businesses offer “fringe season” pricing because pink or chums are the only

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salmon available. If you are looking to catch silvers or kings, you might be disappointed. Get assurances you’ll be catching the species you want, and not just catching fish.

Ask for current references from customers in the area you live, and don’t settle on glowing testimonials handpicked by the business owner. Do some prospecting and ask if they have visited better camps. Well-traveled anglers can usually offer several recommendations specific to your interests.

For ease of fishing, consider big watersheds adjacent to major cities like Soldotna or Anchorage. While remote fishing options are available, expect shoulder-to-shoulder crowds at many public access areas. Wilderness fishing fly-outs – in areas that include bear-watching hotspots – often receive lots of additional traffic from other charter businesses, and might disappoint. Instead, ask about drop-off fishing at remote waters that are off the major floatplane flyway.

A happy angler walks across a remote beach on Prince William Sound to an awaiting plane. Whether you’re looking to try a fly-out trip, book a lodge and charter, or hire a guide for a famed salmon river, upcoming sportsmen’s shows can help you get a good feel for the possibilities and prices of each option. (CHRISTOPHER BATIN)

PEACE AND QUIET The fishing may not be brochure-worthy, but I’d rather catch-and-release 50 to 80 12-inch Dolly Varden on a dry fly, without seeing or hearing another person, than fish shoulder-to-shoulder along a river bustling with boat traffic. You might, however, enjoy the fishing intensity of local anglers, and venture into town at day’s end for a sampling of Alaska nightlife.

Choose what’s best for you.

As for logistics, avoid unnecessary costs. Pack your frozen fish in a cooler and check it as baggage. Heavy items travel as carry-ons, while bulky, lightweight items get shipped via U. S. Mail.

Sometimes, it’s cheaper to pay for the extra bag. Compare rates. Here’s a big money saver: Choose a hotel with freezer facilities large enough to store your fish cooler for free.

You now have the blueprint, so it’s

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Dee Buchanon (left), fishing aboard a charter out of Seward, and Mai Steivater, fly fishing at a remote, fly-out camp in Prince William Sound, had memorable silver salmon experiences in Alaska. There are many options for planning the wheres, whens and hows of a Last Frontier trip, so do plenty of research to figure out what works best for you. (CHRISTOPHER BATIN)

time to plan! The more you research, the better your odds of meeting those high-alpine trout of the Wrangell Mountains, or the legendary sheefish and grayling of the Kobuk River. Research is the key to fishing Alaska the way you want it, when you want it. I look forward

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to seeing you on the stream, and sharing notes on your favorite Alaska fishing adventures! ASJ Editor’s note: The author owns Alaska Angler/Alaska Hunter Publications, and has published nine books and DVDs detailing

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

Alaska’s best fishing and hunting. He is the author of Advanced Alaska Fly Fishing Techniques and is featured in the just-released book, Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends. Autographed copies are available by contacting him at batinchris@ gmail.com or AlaskaAngler.com.

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PROTECTING

S.E. SALMON STREAMS WILD ALASKA GET BOOST FROM TONGASS PLAN

BY CHRIS COCOLES

T

he tenuous relationship between the Southeast Alaska logging industry and the Tongass National Forest will remain frosty, but anglers who enjoy the salmon-rich ecosystem and those whose livelihoods depend on it could benefit most from a U.S. Forest Service amendment meant to preserve younger forested areas.

In December, the Tongass Land and Resource Management plan was rewritten, and among the most important changes was “accelerating the transition from old-growth timber harvest to young-growth while maintaining opportunities for a viable timber industry in Southeast Alaska,” according to a USFS press release.

The plan was not received well by the state’s congressional delegation of Republicans. In a joint statement, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Don Young questioned the economic impact throughout the area.

“Under this new management plan, Southeast will not have enough young growth timber to supply even one single sawmill,” Young said.

Shelly Wright, executive director of the Southeast Conference, a regional economic development group, told the Associated Press, “I think that it will be the demise of the timber industry as we know it right now.”

But another group had a totally different reaction to transitioning from old-growth to young-growth timber harvests. Trout Unlimited was among several groups representing the fishing and outdoors/conservation industry that teamed up to create Tongass 77, “an effort led by Southeast Alaska commercial and

The rivers and streams of the Tongass National Forest are among Southeast Alaska’s most critical salmon habitat, so a U.S. Forest Service amendment to transition from old-growth to young-growth timber practices was welcomed by the region’s fishing guides and others with a stake in the well-being of fish stocks. (TROUT UNLIMITED)

sport fishermen and other conservation-minded individuals aimed at persuading Congress to increase conservation measures for the best wild salmon and trout habitat in the Tongass,” according to its website (americansalmonforest.org).

“The decision is a major step toward safeguarding fish and wildlife across wide areas of the Tongass National Forest,” said Mark Kaelke, Southeast Alaska project director for Trout Unlimited in a press release. “In making Tongass 77 areas off-limits to old-growth logging, the Forest Service has recognized both the economic and social significance of salmon to residents and visitors to the region, and the agency has deepened its commitment to true multiple-use management of the Tongass.”

What’s significant about the USFS amendment is its willingness to work with locals who are generally concerned about this rugged, beautiful and salmon-filled corner of Alaska.

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

Jan. 19-22

Jan. 1

Jan. 25-29

Jan. 1

Jan. 1 Feb. 4 Feb. 17 March 4

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BEST B EST O OFF A ALASKA LASKA LLODGING ODGING

THE CROSSBOW JEDI BOOK TALKS ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS OF ARCHERY HUNTING

“In the accuracy department, crossbows have the advantage of optical sights and the ability to shoot from a rest. From an offhand position, an archer can shoot just as accurately with either type of bow,” writes The Ultimate Guide to Crossbow Hunting author Joe Byers. “In quick-shooting situations, the vertical archer who practices a quick or instinctive release will score well on game, because he has the advantage of a second arrow.” (JOE BYERS)

Editor’s note: As you’ll discover in our conversation with author Joe Byers (pg.

90), he has always been fascinated by participating in Alaska hunts, particularly with a bow. Byers, still going strong as he turned 70 years old in 2016, has as much passion for archery and hunting as ever, and he helps plan trips of a lifetime to locales all over the world (joebyersoutdoors.com). The following is an

excerpt from Byers’ book, The Ultimate Guide to Crossbow Hunting, courtesy of Skyhorse Publishing.

BY JOE BYERS

S

iberian caribou, Rangifer tarandus, were imported to the Aleutian Islands from Russia in the early 1900s by the U.S. Coast Guard as a aksportingjournal.com | JANUARY 2017

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winter food source for the Inuit. Natives could fish during summer months, but there were no other big game species living on these remote, desolate islands.

Today, that small, initial introduction has grown into a herd of thousands, enough to sustain sport hunting and provide a means of income for local tribes. What’s more, mature bulls often sport antlers that score up to 500 inches and can be eligible for the Safari Club International record book.

Taking on large caribou bulls in the rugged Aleutians with a crossbow was a challenge both the author and his hunting partner, Gregg Ritz, longed for.

(JOE BYERS)

CROSSBOWS FACT AND FICTION Three arguments about using crossbows, from author Joe Byers in The Ultimate Guide to Crossbow Hunting: CROSSBOWS ARE MORE ACCURATE THAN A COMPOUND BOW In the accuracy department, crossbows have the advantage of optical sights and the ability to shoot from a rest. From an offhand position, an archer can shoot just as accurately with either type of bow. In quick-shooting situations, the vertical archer who practices a quick or instinctive release will score well on game, because he has the advantage of a second arrow.

Crossbows usually have a trigger pull of 4 pounds or greater, which requires considerable practice to master and

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can make offhand shooting less accurate.

Finally, the crossbow can be shot from a dead rest, even a gun rest, and therefore can be more accurate for the average shooter.

As you will see in this book, all archery is good, and there is no reason to polarize people into vertical and horizontal camps. I love shooting both kinds of bows, and to the best of my physical ability. Recurve and long bows are simpler and usually less expensive than a crossbow, so there is every reason to involve youngsters in the “mystical flight of the arrow,” as Ted Nugent likes to say.

Conclusion: Misconception.

CROSSBOWS MAKE HUNTING EASY Many hunters would argue that the “real hunting” occurs long before an arrow is launched. Preseason scouting, selecting a stand, using calls effectively, practicing scent elimination, and woodsmanship are all important elements of hunting success that have little to do with arrow launch. We all know of a hunter who climbed into a stand and five minutes later a big buck walked by.

Luck happens, yet most hunters make their own luck, whether with firearm, bow, or crossbow.

Can I say, “Amen!” to this myth?

I’ve hunted the past three years in Wyoming, hoping for a shot at a bull elk.

So far, 21 days spent camping, hiking, and climbing in the wilderness yielded one shot: a miss.

However, those same 21 days were spent in a state of paradise and total enjoyment. Whether you are after whitetail deer, wild turkeys, or any other big game species, bowhunting is challenging. Wonderful, yet what a challenge.

Conclusion: Myth.

A CROSSBOW SHOOTS AN ARROW

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Gregg Ritz is president of WildComm, a public relations company that handles such popular TV shows as The Crush with Lee & Tiffany, Pigman, and Hunt Masters, along with 13 others.

Additionally, he has hosted numerous hunting shows on television, and he wanted to renew an old relationship with archery.

“Tagging one of those huge cari-

bou with a crossbow sounded like a great challenge and a really cool Native American hunt,” said Ritz, who worked through the local units to gain the proper paperwork for the hunt.

Ritz wanted challenge, yet was aghast at the terrain when he touched down in the Aleutians. “When I landed, I could see one Charlie-Brown-type tree on the entire island. One!” he said,

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FASTER AND FARTHER THAN A COMPOUND Power stroke is the key to understanding this misconception. Crossbows usually have a heavier draw weight than a compound bow; however, the power stroke of a horizontal bow is much shorter. If you take a compound bow with a 30-inch draw and reduce the draw length to 25 inches, arrow speed is reduced because the power stroke of the bow is lowered by 15 percent. For this reason, a 150-pound crossbow with a 12-inch power stroke may shoot a 400-grain arrow at the same speed as a 60-pound compound bow with a 28-inch draw length.

It suffices to not pit crossbow hunters against vertical hunters. If you prepare ethically for the hunting season, you will learn your effective range for accuracy and the penetrating power of your bow. If you can shoot an arrow with a broadhead and have difficulty removing it from a foam target, you have the energy to kill a deer at that distance.

Conclusion: Doesn’t matter. JB

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calculating his chances in wide-open country. “You figure this is a volcanic chain of mountains, really steep terrain with rolling green landscapes, but nothing to hide behind. When I landed I was clearly wondering, how will I pull this off?”

Stepping from the plane, Ritz was immediately buffeted by the Bering Sea winds that routinely blow at 30 miles per hour and gust to 60 miles per hour, a severe complication to arrow flight.

Ritz had hunted around the world, and immediately took steps to prepare and adapt to this unique environment. He had the natives locate a large 8-foot-long roll of foam as a target. “They put an orange dot in the center, and I moved back from 20 yards to gauge how wind affected the arrow over 30, 40 and 50 yards,” he said.

“Wind drift was significant.”

TO THE HUNT Once Ritz felt comfortable shooting with a crosswind, he, his guide and a

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Numerous stalks were required before Gregg Ritz could score his Aleutian bull. (JOE BYERS) .

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camera operator moved into the field.

Spot-and-stalk was the only available option. But the terrain was vast, and some herds contained 40 sets of eyes.

On the positive side, the lack of vegetation helped locate game, since they had to use terrain features to hide. On the down side, these animals were hunted for subsistence, which meant that the sight of a human, or vehicle, or the sound of a vehicle, caused immediate panic.

Ritz and his guide hunted for two full days, glassing extensively, yet never found a trophy bull in a stalkable situation. Either the bulls were surrounded by cows, or they bedded in wide open terrain, giving Ritz no chance to sneak into range. Finally, on the third day they spotted two big bulls in a deep depression.

By moving out of the animals’ sight, they closed to just under 100 yards. “With a rifle or muzzleloader, the hunt would have ended right here,” remembers Ritz.

With no way of stalking closer, though, they stayed with the small herd, “roost-

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A CONVERSATION WITH AUTHOR JOE BYERS CHRIS COCOLES Congrats on the book. What was your inspiration to write about crossbows?

JOE BYERS I’m an educator by training and crossbows seemed to be a topic that many people misunderstood.

I began hunting and writing with a crossbow and found that editors were eager to learn of my experiences. A publisher and I were discussing the topic at the SHOT Show and he suggested I write a book.

CC Are there misconceptions that hunters and nonhunters have about crossbows?

JB There are many misconceptions about crossbows, so much so that one chapter in my book is titled “Myths and Misconceptions.” The most often quoted one is that “crossbows shoot like

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rifles.” Technically, that’s true since most crossbows have a stock, trigger, forend, and scope like a rifle, however the effective range for hunting is about the same as a compound bow: 40 yards. A .30-06 will kill a deer at 1,000 yards, yet that doesn’t mean that hunters should take shots beyond their effective range.

The same applies to crossbows.

Hunting with a crossbow is about 90 percent the same as with a compound bow. You still must fool a deer’s nose, be well camouflaged, and locate a spot where it can be ambushed. Buck fever can be just as real when a big buck walks into your scope with a gun or crossbow.

CC I saw that you did a four-month hunting trip with your grandfather to

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Alaska when you were 16. How did that that shap you as an outdoorsman?

JB That summer was a boy-to-man event for me. For four months, I was away from my comfort zone, meeting new people, seeing places I’d only dreamed of and taking the hunt of a lifetime in the Canadian Rockies on horseback with Indian guides. It was the most influential experience in my life and the reason I’m in the outdoor industry. Even as a 16-year-old, I vowed to take my grandchildren to Alaska when they were 16. I took my daughter to Alaska when she was 16 and two of my three step-grandchildren. The third I took to Africa. I’m not sure it had the same impact as my four-month trip, but I hope it gave them a taste for adventure travel.

CC What are the benefits of using a crossbow with an Alaskan hunt?

JB As best I know, crossbows aren’t legal in archery seasons in Alaska, but are allowed in the firearm seasons.

Most Alaskan seasons are “any meth-

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od” anyway, so there’s not much of a penalty. Modern crossbows allow archers to shoot a much more powerful bow than they could ordinarily pull, especially if they are younger, older, or unable to draw a 70-pound bow. Many crossbows fire an arrow with 100 or more foot-pounds of kinetic energy, easily sufficient for large game like moose, brown bear or caribou. Ironically, hunting with a crossbow can be more difficult than a compound, especially if you are doing a spot-and-stalk hunt. Crossbows weigh twice as much, don’t navigate alder thickets well, and make a second shot much more time consuming.

CC It looks like you’ve hunted all over North America and the world. What is unique about an Alaskan hunt?

JB Adventure sets Alaska apart from any place on the planet. One of my first hunts was a do-it-yourself on Kodiak Island for Sitka blacktail deer and it absolutely pushed my limits. The country was magnificent, the hunt challenging

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and the bears terrifying. The ability to hunt on your own or with minimally guided outfitters adds greatly to the excitement. When you hunt in wilderness areas, you are truly alone and you quickly become at peace with nature and your abilities.

CC On your website (joebyersoutdoors. com) you mentioned helping hunters fulfill their dream hunt. Does Joe Byers have a bucket-list destination to hunt?

JB I have been so blessed with opportunities that I almost dare not to wish for more. My writing and photography has opened many doors around the world and I hope that I have communicated those adventures fairly and in detail, (with readers) always mesmerized by the thrill of the chase.

On that first Alaska trip, back in 1963, I visited the Atkinson taxidermy shop in Anchorage, where their catalog had a Marco Polo sheep on the cover. That most majestic of sheep captured and still holds a special place in my imagination.

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ing” them in a sense, and planned to return the following morning.

FINALLY, A SHOT “These are elk-sized animals, and I imposed a range of 40 to 50 yards maximum,” said Ritz. “We came back the next day and began a grueling stalk, belly crawling in 6 inches of grass. Not crouched; commando style. Amazingly, we got within 45 yards of the entire bedded herd, thanks to the howling wind that concealed noise and kept our scent at bay. It took hours to crawl into position. Finally, a big bull stood up. I got to my knees, shot, and the wind blew the arrow 3 feet in front of it.”

Fortunately, the herd wasn’t too badly spooked, and Ritz watched it go over the next rise and the next. The herd bedded in a narrow bowl, with the two bulls off to one side to get out of the wind. “We slithered down the top of the hillside within 30 yards. I got another shot, and the wind blew my arrow again. Now I was completely frustrated,

Two different crossbows, the Excalibur 335 (top) and the Horton Legend Ultra Lite, among many options hunters have. The Excalibur is light, compact and fast, while the Horton model has a simplistic cocking motion. (JOE BYERS)

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“Adventure sets Alaska apart from any place on the planet,” says author Joe Byers, who has hunted in the Last Frontier since he was a teenager. “When you hunt in wilderness areas, you are truly alone and you quickly become at peace with nature and your abilities.” (JOE BYERS)

and as the wind howled it dawned on me, unless I’m under 30 yards, it’s not going to happen.”

The herd spooked again, yet without the usual report of a rifle, animals begin to mill around and found a bedding spot out of the wind. “Four hours later, we found the two bulls bedded for the third time, and we moved around the mountain, where we located a possible stalking route,” Ritz said. “Water had eroded a little creek bed that drained into the ravine. We had some terrain relief, maybe 2 feet, but not so much that we could walk. We slid down the mountain face-first in this tiny, 2-footwide crevice and closed to 25 yards. I peeked out with my rangefinder and believed, like on a mule deer hunt, I’d have a split second to rise up and shoot. The plan worked perfectly, and the big bull went down at 30 yards.

Wow, what a giant learning curve and thrilling hunt! I wanted challenge and got a full measure.” ASJ Editor’s note: For more on Joe Byers’ book and how to order it, check out skyhorsepublishing.com/titles/116669781510712751-ultimate-guide-tocrossbow-hunting. Author Joe Byers told us he will be happy to dedicate any book that’s purchased.

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BULLISH ON THE ‘DARK CONTINENT’ AN ALASKAN RETURNS TO AFRICA HOPING TO HARVEST A CAPE BUFFALO

A welcome sight while in search of the mighty mbogo (Swahili for buffalo). The author’s previous trips to Africa didn’t include hunting for the legendary member of the big five species, but he vowed to score one in South Africa on another safari. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

L

ooking down from my tree stand I began to shake. I knew I would and was surprised I’d kept my composure as long as I did. After all, I was hunting in Africa!

The six big Cape buffalo bulls that were making their way towards my tree represented a surreal sight, each bull pounding the ground and creating a red dust storm that was blowing in my direction.

I was nervous, trying unsuccessfully to control my breathing and keep my

composure. It took forever to get the release hooked to my bow, but after four tries I finally did it. This was going to be the most important shot I would ever make in my 35 years of bowhunting; I knew I couldn’t blow it.

WHEN I WAS A KID, I always dreamed of going to Africa to hunt Cape buffalo with a bow. Years passed, but unlike most dreams that die this one did not.

Throughout that time I read every book, flipped through every magazine and watched every video I could on African hunting, practically wearing them out in

the hopes of someday turning dreams into reality.

Time is a funny thing, but years later – college done, a family started and other pursuits completed – I landed a job that allowed me to save a little money and start an Africa fund.

It took a few years, but finally I had enough to go. So after some careful planning and searching, I booked a 2003 hunt with a good friend of mine, but it wasn’t for buffalo. They were ex-

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Author Paul Atkins and his longtime Alaskan hunting partner Lew Pagel were excited about another adventure hunting African big game. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

pensive to hunt in those days, and on my budget it just wasn’t possible.

Still, I spent 10 incredible days in South Africa. Every day was awesome and better than the previous day, beginning with the predawn ride to the blind and then seeing all those incredible animals; it was simply amazing. I was extremely lucky on that first safari and took seven animals, including a 56-inch kudu and a 27-inch impala.

And even though I couldn’t shoot one, I did get to see and film a lot of big buffalo on that trip.

Africa is a perfect example of all good things never lasting long enough, and once you get home you want to turn around and go back again.

Six years later I made my second trip to Africa, but this time on my own. My wife didn’t like the idea very much, but all my hunting friends were busy and just couldn’t make it happen. But I went, knowing a little more about what to do and what not to do when I’d get there.

This trip included hunting those species that I had seen the first time, but ones I had not taken. Again, the buffalo was not on the docket.

Again, it was an awesome 10-day adventure. Memories from my first hunt mingled with the new ones, which created a mystical magic that few hunts can match.

Each day was something new – from spot-and-stalk hunts for red hartebeest to climbing a tree and hunting the black

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wildebeest. It was truly remarkable! I took eight animals in those 10 days and saw hundreds more, including the animal that I wanted more than ever, but couldn’t hunt: the buffalo.

LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, HUNTING in Africa takes time and money, which can be tough to come by these days. Yet compared to some of the current prices here in North America, it’s still a pretty good deal.

After returning in 2009, I decided to cut back on travel and save for another trip across the Atlantic. It took time and many sacrifices, but I knew that I could get my fill of big game here in the Arctic by hunting moose, caribou and bears.

I know; I’m lucky and understand that many would consider that enough, but the dream of bowhunting mbogo still haunted me.

So in 2015 I decided it was now or never and began making preparations for summer 2016. I had done my research, and with buffalo prices on the decline, I knew this was the time to go. More importantly, I had the resources and a friend who wanted to go with me. Lew Pagel, my longtime Alaskan hunting partner, wanted the experience too and was all in for the adventure. This would be his first safari and his first big bowhunting experience. The planning began.

After two trips to the “Dark Continent” with the same safari company

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I knew who to call; more importantly I knew what to expect. Dries Visser Safaris (driesvissersafaris.com) is the leading safari company in South Africa and has been for many years. It’s well known for producing the biggest trophies and also for creating one of the best experiences in Africa today. Dries Jr., along with his longtime friend and professional hunter (PH) Hein Lottering, are synonymous with African game and true African hunters. They’ve also become good friends over the years.

I emailed Dries and asked the necessary questions that all guided hunts require dates, cost and various other questions that you need to know when it comes to booking an adventure of this magnitude.

“Cape buffalo?” we were asked in the email. I said yes and that I wanted to hunt porcupine and I hoped a red hartebeest if we were lucky. Those two species had eluded me the last time in Africa.

Lew was excited as well, booking one of the many packages Dries has to offer while on safari. The “first-timer” package is popular and includes a bag list of the more common animals that you hunt on your first trip. Lew knew what he wanted and made preparations for such. We booked for eight days, hoping that was enough time to get it all done.

WHETHER HUNTING ARCTIC GRIZZLIES or Cape buffalo, there are a lot of things you have to prepare for when hunting dangerous game and I knew I needed to give myself plenty of time. Cape buffalo are big, nasty animals that can be incredibly hard to kill if not done correctly or without the right gear.

Everything I’ve heard, read or seen about these bad boys seems to be true, and having the right archery set-up was a must if I planned to get the job done. As a longtime ambassador for BowTech, I knew my bow wouldn’t be a problem. I have total confidence in the company’s, but I just needed to decide how to set it up.

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It all starts with finding a track. For two days the hunters, their PH and trackers searched the red clay trying to find where Cape buffalo crossed in the night. They did find tracks, and more importantly they also found buffalo. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

new 70-pound BT-X bows. I also ordered a dozen arrows and a dozen Ashby broadheads from Alaska Bowhunting Company, long known for producing great products used here in Alaska. This combination was deadly, meeting all the requirements needed to take down a massive buffalo.

Two weeks later boxes began to arrive with all my gear. It was exciting, to say the least, but having it and getting it set up to shoot were two different variables. I took it to my local pro shop and my good friend Roddy had the bow ready to go in no time.

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“(It’s at) 81.4 kinetic and shooting bullet holes,” he said. I was pumped!

Preparing for any bowhunt requires practice, and the next four months you could find me shooting every day.

Those big old arrows and broadheads looked funny setting on the Trophy Taker rest and I wondered at every shot if they would actually go to where they were supposed to. They weren’t the fastest, but each time the Copper John sight settled they found their mark.

Lew arrived where I was staying in Oklahoma a few days before our June 20 departure. We continued our prac-

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tice sessions and visited a couple of animal parks to have a look at some of the species we would be hunting. It sounds weird, but you can’t believe how much this helps when it comes to hunting animals you have never seen before. We also looked at several mounts to try to get an idea of what big looked like versus not so big. It was a great fun.

Our plane ride over the Atlantic was smooth and the three-hour ride to camp, even though it was in the dark, went by quickly. Dries, Hein and Lew’s PH met us at camp, where dinner was waiting for us.

It there’s one thing about a safari, the food and drink are always good and plentiful. We discussed the next day’s events, and even though I had a bad case of jet lag, I found sleep easily for the excitement that was to come.

THE NEXT MORNING WAS what I was waiting for; it was a feeling that only an African bowhunting safari can produce. You can make a predawn walk to the truck, a drive to the blind or a tree, or maybe

even a spot-and-stalk maneuver. Knowing that you’re getting ready to see some of the most magnificent animals in the world makes it all worthwhile. It’s also winter in Africa and the cool temps combined with long sleeves and jackets give the feel of fall in Alaska, making it that more enjoyable for a Last Frontier resident like me.

Hein asked me what I wanted to do first, and more specifically what was most important. Eight days is a long time on safari, but I really had only one goal and that was to hunt buffalo. I told him so and that anything after that was going to be a bonus.

We loaded up in the Toyota and hit the parcel of ground in which Dries operates. It’s an amazing place that encompasses an incredible 35 square miles and has just about every animal that calls the Limpopo province home.

As we pulled out of camp, impala, blesbok and small groups of sable could be seen here and there, jumping and darting through the acacia and

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scrub brush, making me feel as if I was home again.

The road we were on seemed to go on forever. It crisscrossed with others, all covered in that dusty red dirt that South Africa is well known for. That dirt was actually our primary focus for the first couple of days as we searched for buffalo tracks, trying to find a fresh set that had crossed in the night. We did this for two days with little luck, but on the third we spied more than tracks, spotting a small group of bulls at a nearby waterhole.

Hein turned to me and asked, “How about hunting from a tree stand?” I hadn’t practiced from a tree stand, but Hein also knew that those same bulls would use this waterhole for the next couple of days before moving on, and the taller trees that surrounded it would be ideal for an all-day sit. I simply said yes.

The bulls left and we hung a stand.

My tracker, Jonas, is a miracle worker like all African trackers are, so in no

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Lew Pagel scored both a warthog and kudu. (LEW PAGEL)

time he had the stand hung and I was in it to check for clearance and make sure that I would be comfortable if we had to stay all day and into the evening. I was.

The next morning we arrived before daylight. I climbed the tree in the dark, settled into the seat and hauled up my bow and pack. The tree wasn’t that tall and I was sitting in the very top of it.

As the morning sun made its appearance , I glanced at the BowTech hanging peacefully on the hook and the big grey broadhead glistening in the predawn horizon. I was ready, excited and a bit scared all at the same time.

The morning dragged on, but there was never a dull moment. A big kudu bull walked right underneath me with no idea of what was above. He was so huge, if I hadn’t taken one already and wasn’t after something else, I would have shot him. I saw waterbuck, impala and a couple of warthogs make an appearance as well. It was fun watching them mingle in and out, and then all at once they vanished as only African animals can do. I knew something was up.

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I could see them coming long before they arrived, their black bodies filing in from left and scooting through the low-lying thorn. This was it, the moment I had been waiting for.

I grabbed my bow and stood nervously, making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. I quickly went through my checklist: arrow on rest, check; arrow knocked securely to the string, check; release working, check. Lastly, I went through the differ-

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ent spots I had ranged just to make sure I had my bearings. I did.

The six bulls came in single file, stirring dust and filling the air with that old “cattle” smell as they approached.

The first two were smaller in horn length, with soft bosses, the second two a little bigger and lastly the two old dugga boys we had seen previously. The bull I wanted was in the back.

I stood and watched, wondering if I would get the chance I needed. I kept

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telling myself to be patient and not force a shot, a lot like hunting caribou back home. I was about to be tested.

THE BIG BULL CAME straight in and stopped 18 yards away and facing me.

He looked nervous standing there for what seemed like forever. The other bulls mingled and fought each other while taking turns at the waterhole. Finally, he turned to go and I thought he was leaving, but he only circled the water to come in from behind to the other side. He was 22 yards from me, quartering away hard. I knew this was it, my moment of truth.

I don’t remember aiming; heck, I don’t even remember looking at the sight pins. I do remember thinking that I had to shoot him far back in order to get to his vitals. I released and watched 954 grains enter the black hide just behind the last rib and disappear completely, exiting somewhere on the other side.

The bull bolted, along with the others, vanishing into the thick brush in front of

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After years of waiting, Atkins’ dream was accomplished. Walking up to this animal was the pinnacle of his hunt. The bull was 41 inches wide and close to 2,000 pounds, ranking right up with any animal he’s ever been lucky enough to take. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

me. It was done.

I sat down and tried to control the shaking while catching my breath. Hein was sitting in a tree 30 yards to my left but was already down and looking up at me, smiling and giving me a thumbsup. I was ecstatic. I had shot my buffalo even though it still hadn’t sunk in. I

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knew I had accomplished my dream, or so I thought.

I climbed down and we started looking for my arrow and blood, but we found neither. I got worried. The arrow had vanished into his side, and from my angle it looked as if it had exited. Yet we never found it.

By the time the sun set on this trip, the author had accomplished a longtime bucket list of scoring a Cape buffalo, roughly 10,000 miles from his Kotzebue home. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

We tracked the bull with Jonas in the lead, but there just wasn’t any blood to be found. I was nervous now. We decided to wait a bit and give it a little more time. We did, waiting 20 minutes at the last track. We pushed forward with Hein carrying a rifle and me behind him.

Now, I’ve read all the stories about how buffalo will circle back and be

waiting for you once you are within range. I was stressed and excited at the same time. This is what I wanted, to track my bull in the thick stuff and hopefully find him.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long. We could see the bull piled up just ahead, but he wasn’t dead. He was hit hard, and though we didn’t know it at the

time, he was down for the count.

Hein moved me in for a final shot that in the end wasn’t needed, but when the bull raised its head one last time, Hein grabbed me by the back of the collar and was actually dragging me backwards. We waited and watched and in no time I had my bull. I was relieved and thankful. He was everything

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I had dreamed of: 41 inches with a hard boss and massive, a great trophy taken on a glorious day.

The rest of our days were ďŹ lled with fun and adventure. I was able to take two huge porcupines, and even though the red hartebeest eluded us, I was able to arrow another impala and a decent waterbuck. Lew had himself quite the time as well. He took zebra, warthog and a very ďŹ ne kudu with his BowTech Prodigy. It was a great adventure and, as usual, I was sorry to leave.

Africa isn’t for everyone, but if you do dream of hunting the Dark Continent, go now or, like I did, save and plan.

Memories are all we have in the end and, believe me, it is all worth it. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer and author from Kotzebue, Alaska.

He has written hundreds of articles on big game hunting, and ďŹ shing throughout North America and Africa, plus surviving in the Arctic. Paul is a monthly contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal.

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AbbY’S

FIRST BULL A FIRST-TIME HUNTER STALKS ETOLIN ISLAND ELK

Abby Trozelle’s first hunt – with friends on rugged Etolin Island in Southeast Alaska – was a challenge, but she was determined in scoring a bull elk. (JEFF LUND/ABBY TROZELLE)

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“Etolin Island is a behemoth,” writes author Jeff Lund, who has also hunted here. Imagine how Trozelle felt facing this kind of terrain on her first hunt: “Here I am, 30 years old, and this was my first go at it. It was tough,” she says. (JEFF LUND)

BY JEFF LUND

A

bby Trozelle dreams in reverse, if that’s possible.

She drew a tag to hunt elk on Etolin Island and didn’t just get one; she got a monster. But since it was career hunt No. 1, none of that occurred to her until after the fact.

“It wasn’t like a lifelong dream,” she says. “I had never even seen an elk and the thought of killing one was beyond me. I had never even killed a deer.”

Now she gets it. Now she understands not just what a bull of that magnitude is about, but what the whole thing is about. Now she can look around and dream about what she already did.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Abby and her hunting squad arrived to Etolin the day before opening day by boat to an area she chose not to reveal.

Hunters on another boat had the same idea. There were cordial greetings and dispensing of vague hunting plans, if for no other reason than to stay out of each other’s way.

Etolin Island, which sits northwest of Ketchikan in the southern Panhandle, is a behemoth, and contour lines on maps don’t tell the story. Elevation change happens all at once in ruinous cuts, and drop-offs that look otherwise smooth and 120

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consistent on maps. Google Earth doesn’t really help because the ground is hidden by trees. Even the alpine is an adventure.

So it was that on the group’s fourhour hike to their summit camp, the island threw everything at them, and Abby got her first glimpse of the hunting life.

“We were going to cross what they said was a creek, but it was a river,” she says. “Here I am, 30 years old, and this was my first go at it. It was tough.”

THE BULL There were multiple tags in possession in the group, but Abby drew the long straw and was awarded first shot.

Not far from camp the next morning, her spotters located elk and the stalk was on. “(They said), ‘We’ll wait for you to fire first, then we’ll shoot ours.’ There is immediately a sense of pressure because everyone is waiting on you. We hike for another 10 minutes, then think we have a nice clear shot and my heart starts pounding.”

Up until that point, the whole idea of hunting elk was just an exciting new thing to try. In the abstract it all seems reasonable and doable until you actually have to hike the mountain, put the animal in your sights and pull your ri-

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

fle’s trigger.

“For weeks I had been praying about this – just to have the chance,” she remembers. “This is the first thing I have ever (attempted to kill), so I’m shaking.

He’s eating and I can’t really see his antlers, so I’m just watching him and I’m so nervous. I put the sights on him right behind the front shoulder. I said, ‘OK, I’m firing.’ He kind of reared up on his back legs and I didn’t even know if this elk was going to run, so I put another shell in the chamber right away.”

The second shot with the .25-06 was behind the vitals, but the first shot was enough to kill the bull, which slid and came to rest in a patch of thick brush below them.

“My eyes got big and my ex-husband says, ‘You got him; you killed him.’ He then asked, ‘Why are you crying? This is so exciting.’”

They made their way to the kill, Abby’s first, so it was naturally a surreal scene.

“The first thing I noticed was that this animal was huge. I had never seen an elk before and couldn’t believe how incredibly huge it was. And the smell; they have a smell.”

THE AFTERMATH Abby reflected a little bit about what she had just accomplished.

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“I am a firm believer that I didn’t do anything to earn this hunt. I was just absolutely blessed. I told the guys I felt we should pray over the elk and thank God for the blessing, and we did.”

“It’s cliché to say, ‘Then the work starts,’ but everyone says it because, yeah, it does start. The euphoria leaves you alone with the meat and entrails and hide and horns and all the distance between you and home.”

Welcome to hunting, Abby Trozelle.

“I have never been that physically exhausted outside of giving birth to my children,” she says. “I literally crawled into my tent, took off my soggy clothes and cried because I knew I would have to do it all again.”

They recruited a couple packers from home and eventually got the animal processed. Word of Abby’s success quickly circulated on social media. For days hunters didn’t know her name but knew her face and knew that bull. She answered the same questions over and over, but only a few people questioned whether it was her

Trozelle wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into, but she now embraces the organic benefits of hunting. “If you’d rather go buy the free-range chicken, or be a vegan, you know, to each his own, but I feel good about being able to provide for my family,” she says. (ABBY TROZELLE)

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Trozelle’s gone from “I will never do this again” to “Hey, let’s put in for that tag again.” (ABBY TROZELLE)

who pulled the trigger.

“Growing up around here, you see a lot more female hunters, and we are at a day and age where the idea that hunting is just for men deal is old.”

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So Abby is officially a hunter now, with a perfect lifetime record of 1-0. She’s spent time in the alpine after blacktail deer but has yet to pull the trigger again.

She wants to and is itching to continue her path - from hunting novice with an epic kill to an experienced provider.

“The most satisfying part of it is that I’m providing for my family. If you’d rather go buy the free-range chicken, or be a vegan, you know, to each his own, but I feel good about being able to provide for my family,” she says.

And though there was no satisfaction while she packed the meat, she’s hoping to do it again.

“I told them all, ‘I will never do this again, I will never do this again.’ But somewhere between that hunt and a little while ago it became, ‘Hey, let’s put in for that tag again.’” ASJ Editor’s note: Jeff Lund is the author of Going Home, a memoir about fishing in Alaska and California. Go to jefflundbooks. com for more.

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DEDICATED TO CONSERVATION

Gary Gearhart moved to Alaska about three decades ago and found a permanent home in The Last Frontier, where he’s worked tirelessly as a past Alaska Safari Club International president and is still heavily involved in the organization. (GARY GEARHART)

SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL’S GARY GEARHART HAD AN EARLY START CARING ABOUT NATURAL RESOURCES

BY CHRIS COCOLES

G

ary Gearhart is proud of the programs Alaska’s chapter of Safari Club International has funded over the years. Whether it’s youth shoots – Alaskan and two-time Olympic medalist Corey Cogdell-Unrein has participated – sending teachers to SCI’s American Wilderness Leadership School in Jackson, Wyo., or studies on Dall sheep and black bears, SCI is constantly working to preserve the state’s natural resources.

At 74 years young, Gearhart, who now lives in Palmer, is going as strong as ever with various causes around

Alaska, including his heavy involvement in the SCI’s Sportsmen Against Hunger program (safariclubfoundation. org /humanitarian-services/sportsman-against-hunger).

“Last year in Vegas at the (SCI) convention I fed 534 homeless folks. This year we’re anticipating (taking care of) close to 800,” Gearhart says.

He spent his childhood fishing and hunting around Northern California and Nevada, but Gearhart fell for the open spaces of Alaska and has made a home there. He’s a past SCI Alaska president and director at large for the national organization. His passion for

the outdoors and Alaska was evident when we recently chatted.

Chris Cocoles What was your inspiration for loving the outdoors?

Gary Gearhart I basically grew up in very much of an outdoor family in Northern California and Nevada, (surrounded by) horses and cows and all that other good stuff. From an early age, my mom always had pictures of me riding horses before I could walk. And as a family, we hunted.

I can remember my mom sitting around the fire while the men would be out hunting, whether it was deer or elk up in the Ruby Mountains of northern Nevada, or

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birds like pheasant and ducks. My father had friends who always hunted pheasant with him in the fall. And when I was finally graduating from being in the tule ditches or cattail ditches with the dog, I had my own shotgun. I could drink coffee first thing in the morning and we’d be off to hunt. I was given the freedom by my parents to roam with my friends. My god, we’d go up and over the mountains and be gone all day long.

I received an old single-shot, 12-gauge Montgomery Ward shotgun when I was 9 years old, and I still have that shotgun and the first .22 rifle that was given to me. I’m 74, so it’s been a ways down the road. I was talking to my wife’s uncle and we were talking about the boots I had on.

I told him I had a pair of boots that I just wore and had bought them when I was 15 or 16 years old. It’s like an old pair of gloves; you enjoy them.

CC Being such an outdoors-oriented person, did you always have strong feelings about conservation?

GG Oh, yeah. When I was growing up, especially in California, where there used to be ranches, pretty soon the ranches were starting up with houses. Growing up, you remembered going to here, going to there (to hunt), to take the horses 132

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Gearhart recently got a chance to hunt at the Afognak Wilderness Lodge on Afognak Island, just off the tip of Kodiak Island. It’s that kind of natural beauty and the opportunity to fish and hunt that helped draw him to Alaska after he grew up in Northern California and Nevada. (GARY GEARHART)

and chase down jackrabbits. But you just couldn’t do that anymore. So I could see that happening. And not only did you not have access anymore to land that was available to you, it was also impacting the animal life that was there. All of a sudden, you were not seeing as many deer or pheasants – whatever (wildlife) may have been. The numbers were diminishing and I had always recognized that at an early age. And the older I got and got into (the question of), “What are our practices with range management and wildlife habitat management?” you had cases of wildlife like whitetail deer back

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east, where you couldn’t drive a half-mile of interstate in Pennsylvania without a dead deer on the side of the road. And there were (too many) bears in Delaware and other states. You had to have hunting management practices, and the more I got involved with wildlife studies and working with game and fish offices, like when I worked with Wyoming Game and Fish Department on bison and grizzly bear studies, as our population grew, if you wanted to not just hunt but enjoy and observe wildlife, it had to be managed.

CC So given the passion you have for

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hunting and enjoying the outdoors, were you mesmerized with your first experiences in Alaska?

GG Yes, in a way, because of the abundance (of opportunities) that you had there, especially to residents. I’m talking 20 to 30 years ago, where I was a younger man and bought my license.

And with that license, at no other real cost other than a brown bear tag, I could also hunt sheep, moose, caribou and deer. Boy, it was all there for the taking.

You had all these wide-open spaces and I could fly in my airplane here or there to a sandbar or a piece of tundra.

You’d say, “My gosh; look what’s around here.” And you had mountains and such a natural beauty of the scenery, which is (special) in its own way.

CC The state’s natural resources of today are in good hands with the SCI contingent, but are you confident in the next generation doing the same, and how important is that going forward for you?

GG It absolutely is and there are two fac-

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“SCI recognizes the fact that the future of hunting within this country really does rely on our youth,” says Gearhart (left, with Afognak Wilderness Lodge staff member Ashtyn Moss). “Getting them introduced to it to where they have an appreciation for hunting.” (GARY GEARHART)

ets to this, and I see this first-hand. First, SCI recognizes the fact that the future of hunting within this country really does rely on our youth. Getting them introduced to it and where they have an appreciation for hunting and that they have

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

that North American model, where it should be fair chase and needing to have respect for those (animals) that you are hunting. We need to do more for getting our youths outdoors to where they may want to pick up the bow or a gun, and

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either getting involved in the shooting sports or actually commencing (a hunt) and taking an animal.

(Also), one of the concerns that I especially see is that there are a lot of our own young people going into that wildlife management area, whether as a biologist or in enforcement; but a lot of them have this romantic vision of, “Ooh, I would like to work with bears; that would be so much fun.” But a lot of kids don’t have that outdoor background to begin with. And they can be a little bit overwhelmed with it. And they rely more on book knowledge rather than in first-hand experience.

Our young biologists coming into the field, some lack that. That’s a concern, but SCI recognizes that. And in our American Wilderness Leadership School, we realized that if we teach the teachers, we can expand that exposure that many times over. That’s proving to be of real value there. When we get the teachers there, we tell them right off the bat, “We’re not trying to

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SETTING IT STRAIGHT We strive to get everything right in the magazine, but sometimes we make mistakes. In the December issue on page 46, we misidentified a photo of Hannah Kahahawai in a caption. The photo caption identified Hannah as Sue Entsminger (right), a longtime Alaska guide who along with Frank Entsminger and Matt Snyder, own and operate Alaska Hunting Adventures guide service (907-8833083; tokmanagementarea.com). We apologize to both Hannah and Sue for this error. make you hunters; we just want you to understand the rules of hunting and the conservation effort.” ASJ

JANUARY 2017 | aksportingjournal.com

Editor’s note: For more on Alaska Safari Club International, check out aksafariclub.org.

aksportingjournal.com aaksp aks ak ksp kks sp o sp orrrttingjo ort ttiingjo ngjo gjjou urn urna rrn rna naal.c l.co .co .com com | JANUARY JJANU JA ANU A NU UAR ARY ARY R 2017 20 201 0 7

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SHOOTING YOGA WHEN SETTING UP FOR A HUNTING SHOT, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO FIND YOUR PERFECT POSITION

BY DARRELL HOLLAND

T

In many instances, the prone position is too low to make the shot and a hunter might need a bit more elevation. Your pack makes a handy shooting platform under such conditions. (DARRELL HOLLAND)

he new year may be upon us, but when you think about it, hunting season in Alaska is just around the corner, and your new custom rifle has arrived courtesy of the UPS man.

After tearing open the box with the zeal of a youngster at Christmas, it is everything you imagined.

Your dream rifle features a custom aksportingjournal.com | JANUARY 2017

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Always try to find back support when shooting from the sitting position, whether it’s a tree, brush clump, rock or your shooting partner. (DARRELL HOLLAND)

action, heavy barrel, tactical scope and the assorted “bells and whistles.”

The test target is a ragged hole about the size of a dime and was shot at 100 yards. The ammunition is carefully packed in plastic boxes, along with all the pertinent load data: bullet type, bullet weight, powder type, charge weight, primer type and base, giving it dimension. These sexy rounds will be the envy of your buddies at camp.

Next, you ring the steel plates at 300, 400 and 500 yards. Wow, that new front rest and rear bag was worth every penny you paid for it. Confident in your abilities, you are ready to head for the hills. Sound familiar?

Unfortunately, many long-range hunters spend too much time at the bench and not enough under field conditions. Trophy animals are seldom taken from a concrete bench using a front rest, wind flags and assorted gadgets. Frequently, the shot is taken on a steep hillside with the animal across the canyon or in a deep ravine. Uphill/ downhill shots can be tricky, and not 142

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only do we need an angular correction, but our body position can be quite awkward as well.

Let’s take a tour of some outside-thebox shooting positions that will increase your chances for success in the field. It’s time to get creative in how we set up the shot under realistic hunting conditions.

FIELD PRONE Make sure the rifle’s natural point of aim is directed at the animal. Mold yourself into the rifle without disrupting its NPA, or natural point of aim. Do not twist or torque the rifle into position. Is your scope level centered? Is the rifle’s forend centered between the bipod legs? Is the rifle butt seated into the shoulder pocket? Does the bipod track smoothly in and out of battery?

Try and have as much body contact with the ground as you can and still keep the butt of the rifle seated in the shoulder pocket. One needs only 8 to 10 pounds of rearward compression into the shoulder pocket. Keep your

THE ART OF AIMING Unless we are shooting prone, it is very difficult to hold the rifle absolutely still.

There is always a slight amount of wobble to contend with. This is where focus comes in.

Our brain has the unique ability of wanting to center anything we look at or attempt to frame. Make the OK sign and look at a spot on the wall, a door knob or last year’s buck. The object is always centered in the circle created by our thumb and index finger. This eye-hand-brain coordination can be used to our benefit.

Even though the reticle is moving a bit, if we intently focus on the targeted area on the animal and let the subconscious mind compress the trigger to the completion of the shot, success is ours!

Never allow the brain to override your focus on aiming. Once we exhale to natural respiratory pause, this signals the subconscious mind to start the compression of the trigger. Much like tipping over a string of dominoes, it is an irreversible part of the shot cycle. This technique takes practice, but once achieved your real world shooting skills will improve. Give it a try! DH legs spread apart and your spine parallel, or close to being in line to the recoiling axis of the rifle. With the tip of your finger on the trigger, inhale, exhale, focus, focus and focus on the smallest aiming spot on the animal while compressing the trigger. Recover from the recoil, find the animal in the

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SHOOTING OVER YOUR PACK Often, the prone position is too low to make the shot and we need a bit more elevation. Your pack makes a

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scope, cycle the bolt and remain on the rifle to make sure your animal is down for good.

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Uphill and downhill shots both have their challenges, but it can help hunters to be in a proper position to not only get a better shot but avoid neck sprains and overall strain on your body. (DARRELL HOLLAND)

handy shooting platform under such conditions. Again, let the rifleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural point of aim find the target. Be sure the rifle can recoil uninterrupted

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across the pack and does not snag on belts, clips, a water bottle, etc. Most packs are made of nylon or cordura and are quite slick. I like using my left

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hand to support and guide the rifle under such conditions. Do not touch the barrel of your rifle (harmonic node disruption), as this can cause a miss

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It’s very hard to be perfectly still when taking a shot, but using a bipod can mitigate against a lot of the shaking. (DARREL HOLLAND)

at long range.

We are using the left hand (righthand shooter) to assist the rifle in recoiling directly rearward into the shoulder pocket. If using a bipod,

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make sure it is ahead of the pack by at least half an inch and does not interfere with the rifle’s rearward movement under recoil. If in doubt, remove it from the rifle.

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PACK AND BACK SUPPORT It’s amazing how much steadier we are when our back is supported against a tree or sage scrub. Always try to find back support when shooting from the

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sitting position, whether it’s a tree, brush clump, rock or your shooting partner. This is especially true when shooting from sticks or a tall bipod.

Using your pack as a stomach support is another trick worth remembering; it works great when using a bipod from the sitting position.

UPHILL/DOWNHILL SHOTS These can be tough, especially an uphill shot. Downhill shots are easier due to less neck and body strain.

Uphill shots can be very difficult depending on the sidehill terrain, as rocks, grass and windfalls all complicate our options. Here are two positions that have worked well for me in the past.

The sidehill fetal position is pretty descriptive; assume a fetal position 90 degrees to the rifle, as this takes the strain out of our neck and back. The butt stock is moved to the outside of the shoulder, so perfect form is in order, and we must compress the rifle in a straight line back to that shoulder lo-

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cation. Use the left hand or a field bag to support the butt of the rifle for the shot. I like a reasonably firm hold on the gun; I bring my thumb alongside the stock and not over the grip, as this can induce torquing of the rifle.

In the modified Creedmoor position, leaning back against some type of support, I can use my leg to hold the rifle on target. Most of the time, the eye relief is greatly extended and one sees only a small peep aperture by which to align the reticle. Keep this aperture centered while making the shot. Note that this is not an advisable position with a heavy recoiling rifle!

USING A SLING Sling use has gone by the wayside for most hunters. They consider a sling to be used as a carrying device and not a shooting aid. Wise up, because a good sling is an asset in the field. I like the Slogan Outdoors rubber sling best, because it’s easy to use, is quiet and helps steady the rifle if used correctly.

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Keep one in your pack just in case!

STALKING OPTIONS This can be an article in itself, but I’ll try and keep it short. Always stalk to a position from which you can shoot – a tree, rock ledge, knob or other framework that lends itself to a comfortable shooting position, preferably prone. Pay attention to wind direction and speed.

Under the right conditions animals can scent you hundreds of yards away.

Wind speed and its effect on your bullet also needs to be considered. Minimize bullet deflection by reducing the wind angle relative to the target. Always stalk to an elevated position if you can; stay above the animal/target if at all possible. Do not silhouette yourself against the skyline; remain concealed until the shot. Also eliminate glare on all your hunting gear; dull and flat is where it’s at.

Having successfully hunted hundreds of animals around the world, I can count on two hands the number of animals that I’ve shot from the off-hand

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The author’s advice for hunters includes the following: While practice at the range will help your skills, shooting under conditions you’ll experience in the field will make you a better shot – and lead to more notched tags. (DARRELL HOLLAND)

position. I’ve always managed to shoot from a rest of some sort, either manmade or one of nature’s creations. Stalk like a cat would and put more trophies on the wall and meat in the freezer.

Most importantly, if you are not comfortable with the shot, get closer or talk about the shot that almost happened! There is nothing wrong with passing on a difficult shot. It’s the ethi-

cal thing to do. ASJ Editor’s note: Darrell Holland is the president at Holland’s Shooting Supply. Check them out at hollandguns.com.

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Wolverine tracks along the Kaskawulsh Glacier across the Alaska border in the Yukon Territory. These members of the weasel family are misunderstood.

(BJORN DIHLE/BARNEY MOSS/FLICKR) 156

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HAIL TO THE WOLVERINES

GET TO KNOW ALASKA’S MYSTERY PREDATOR

BY BJORN DIHLE

W

olverines have long been mythologized and misportrayed, so much so that when most people think of the species they envision actor Hugh Jackman’s chiseled abs, pulsating pecs and ridiculously tight pants (a close second might be the University of

Michigan’s football team or the “Wolverines!” battle cry in Red Dawn).

This is a nasty example of reverse anthropomorphism. When I’ve shown people pictures of real wolverines, many seemed unimpressed. They’re not very big, or that ferocious, or ridiculously good-looking, but the backstory of any wild wolverine is about as epic as it gets.

Since childhood, I’ve suffered from a minor obsession with wolverines.

There seemed to be no end to stories

touting their super-weasel strength, ferocity and demonic nature. Fighting off wolves, attacking grizzly bears, stalking people ... the list went on and on.

So naturally, I was surprised when I encountered my first wolverine at age 14. I was with my brother and dad in Western Alaska, and at first I thought it was a grizzly bear. It loped across the wind-swept tundra and, with the aid of an overactive imagination, I convinced myself it was running in our direction.

Was I experiencing a bonafide manhood mettle-testing bear charge? Naturally, I screamed and hid behind my older brother. A moment later,

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Wolverines aren’t often spotted in the wild, but trail cams, sometimes associated with bait stations, are one way to get photos of the species. (BJORN DIHLE)

we identified it as a wolverine and, instead of attacking us, it ran over a hill and vanished.

After that I began wondering if a lot of what I’d read was written by armchair mountain men with little to no rapport with the actual animal. I had more encounters and realized, as often is the case, that the truth is more fascinating than fiction.

SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT Wolverines are incredibly tough and intrepid, but they also possess a nutty side that at times leaves the layman, like myself, baffled. I’ve seen tracks deep in the Juneau Icefield in early April and encountered tracks high on the Kaskawulsh Glacier in the Yukon’s Kluane Mountain Range in March. The Kaskawulsh wolverine tracks disappeared up into a giant glaciated valley towards a crevasse-etched pass that led to the Gulf of Alaska.

Wolverines have an affinity for desolate country – they’ll go anywhere, during any season, and seem all the happier for it. They’re the first large mammal (a big male might go 50 pounds) to frequent a landscape after a glacier has receded.

One of my odder encounters occurred mid-April on the north side of the Brooks Range. Hundreds of caribou were milling nearby, perhaps starting to think of making their northward migration to their calving grounds near the Beaufort Sea. One morning I was sitting near my tent, watching caribou and not wanting to be anywhere else on Earth, 158

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when a large wolverine came loping across the snow-covered tundra. Having three caribou buried in snow nearby and a wolverine heading towards a year’s worth of meat, I wondered if things were about to get interesting.

The wolverine snatched a ground squirrel that had recently emerged from hibernation, then ran to the next hummock and grabbed another. Soon it had three in its mouth and, carrying them intact, ran right past the caribou without pausing.

All of the wolverines I’ve encountered – or at least the ones that knew I was present – have run away, often as fast as it could. Sure, the animal may be fierce if cornered, but so is a chipmunk.

One of my more bizarre incidents illustrating the skittishness of a wolverine occurred during a mountain goat hunt in western Lynn Canal. I was with my older brother and a good friend, Mike, 100 yards above a small herd of nannies. We were hoping one would magically turn into a billy when Mike gestured up above. A wolverine was rapidly glissading down a snow slope toward the goats. Once it slid off the snow onto rocks near the herd, it looked at them for a few seconds, then tucked tail and ran the opposite direction.

A trapper in 40-Mile country showed me a photograph of a lynx that had a terrified snowshoe hare pinned

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against a log with one paw and its other raised above a snarling wolverine. The two had been so intent fighting over the rabbit that the man had taken the picture from just a few feet away. The outcome of the conflict was not what I expected. Apparently, the lynx tore out the wolverine’s eye and feasted on rabbit for lunch.

MEET AND GREET One of my favorite encounters occurred a few years back on the John River in the southern Brooks Range. It had been four days since I’d skied out of Bettles, a tiny community on the Koyokuk River, and I’d seen no animals other than a giant golden eagle that had winged over me at dusk. The frozen, snow-covered taiga, tundra, mountains and valleys felt lifeless. A northerly wind howled, a half-eaten moose lay on the river ice and the aurora danced green during nights when the clouds cleared.

I was skiing around the bend of the river when a large wolverine came loping from the opposite direction. Not more than 10 yards separated us. I dropped my pack, irritated I’d buried my camera so deep, as the wolverine turned and ran.

Watching it disappear into the mountains, I felt its presence had brought the desolation to life. I skied on, feeling lucky and less alone. ASJ

The author says “wolverines have an affinity for desolate country,” which in the vast spaces of Alaska makes them an intriguing mystery creature. (BJORN DIHLE)

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MEET ME IN MAT-SU WASILLA OUTDOORS SHOW CONTINUES TO SHOWCASE ALASKA

As many as 150 indoor booths are expected in March for the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show in Wasilla. (CHINOOK SHOWS)

BY TONY RUSS

F

or the past 11 years, the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show has been the largest outdoor trade show in Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley.

This year’s show is set for March 24-26 at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla. We will have standard-size booths together with indoor bulk booth space for ATVs, boats, campers and more. Each year, this event showcases at least 25 new vendors to help you make your outdoor year more exciting and successful.

As always, there will be wide assortment of products and services at the show. Fishing charters – armed with their best prices of the year for show specials – are always found in abundance. Custom boat builders, Alaska adventure trip guides, and one-of-a-kind products not available at retail stores are just some of the yearly attractions of the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show.

Detailed information from outdoor organizations, highly knowledgeable state personnel, and statewide visitors bureaus and chambers of commerce is free for the asking. At no other valley event is there so much free information available to plan your outdoor excursions.

Admission will still be free for kids 12 and under and all military personnel and dependents. Parking will be free and as always there will be dozens of outdoor-related seminars. And the MSOS is still the very first spring outdoor show in Alaska, one week prior to the Anchorage show.

For vendors who want to participate in the show, booths and bulk spaces are still available (as of mid-December), so sign up today and be part of the largest outdoor trade show in the Mat-Su Valley. ASJ Editor’s note: Tony Russ is the owner/manager of the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show. Go to chinookshows.com for more.

Need a new fishing rod or looking for a summer trip? The March 24-26 show will have plenty of options. (CHINOOK SHOWS)

AT A GLANCE

WHAT The 12th annual Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show WHEN March 24-26, 2017 WHERE Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, Wasilla HIGHLIGHTS 150 indoor booths, outdoor displays, indoor gun show, Alaska Department of Fish and Game laser range, wide variety of food options.

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A DURABLE BOAT FOR ALASKAN WATERS

A

n interview with Cleatus Roberts III of RiverWolf Boats (541-784-7784; riverwolfboats.com)

Alaska Sporting Journal How did you get involved with RiverWolf Boats?

Cleatus Roberts III I had been building boats for about 15 years when I heard that Larry Mercer (the original owner) was looking for a boat fabricator who may someday take over the business, as he was approaching retirement. I met with him and got familiar with the models, designs, quality of workmanship, build processes and the company’s reputation of being an elite manufacturer of aluminum boats. After about six months, everything fit into place and we signed papers and here I am, building what I love to do and making my customers happy.

ASJ Tell me about your background in fishing with your Pacific Northwest boats.

CR I love fishing, hunting and pretty much anything to do with the outdoors. I got most of my passion for it from my father and grandfather. Salmon, steelhead, trout are pretty much my main cup of tea. To be honest, this business keeps me pretty busy and I just haven’t had the time to get out there and throw a line in. I will in time, but delivering these beautiful boats to the customer on time and perfect every time is most important to me. I mean, if I was buying a product from someone I would hope they had the passion and cared about what they were doing for me. Plus, I have a pretty good interest in making sure my business is successful, so just like a lot of people out there, I am able to provide for and care for my family. We all have our lines of work, and some of us have the drive and determination to be great and not just average at it!

ASJ Your boats are now being fished in Alaska. What about RiverWolf boats make them ideal to fish in Alaska’s rugged waters?

CR They are a very well-thought-out and tested boat – not only for functionality, but also in strength and durability. The bottom material 6061 alloy is very strong. The chine can take a huge amount of impacts and abuse; one look at our chine and it’s easy to see why!

ASJ Are there any future plans that you can share with us for the company?

CR I look at growing the company to be able to accommodate more people. By maintaining a high level quality of 166

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RiverWolf Boats owner Cleatus Roberts III, a lifelong angler, hopes to pilot his Oregon-based fishing boat company towards new customers. (RIVERWOLF BOATS)

workmanship, I am mostly booked out and don’t have any stock boats available. Over the years I have met some very talented and skilled workers in this profession, and many of them are good friends of mine. There is no doubt in my mind that over time and good old-fashioned hard work, I will have a stellar team to keep bringing a world-class quality boat to its new owners.

ASJ Where can we see your new models during the 2017 sportsman/boat show season?

CR This year I will be in Oregon at the Eugene Sportsman’s Show on Feb. 3-5 and the Roseburg Sportsman’s Show on Feb. 17-19. I will have a show package deal for sure and hope to see you all there. Until then, claim your piece of the wild with a RiverWolf! ASJ Editor’s note: Like RiverWolf Boats at facebook.com/RiverWolfFishingBoats.

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