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ALASKA

SPORTING JOURNAL Volume 5 • Issue 5

www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tom Reale WRITERS Paul D. Atkins, Craig Boddington, Christine Cunningham, Becca Ellingsworth, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Jeff Lund, Charley McCrone Jr., Bixler McClure, Krystin McClure, Steve Meyer, Tom Reale SALES MANAGER Brian Lull ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Becca Ellingsworth, Mamie Griffin, Mike Nelson, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Sonjia Kells PRODUCTION MANAGER John Rusnak 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 ads@nwsportsmanmag.com ON THE COVER The residents of Tanana, Alaska (population 200), are the ultimate do-it-yourself crew. The Discovery Channel took notice of the people who hunt, fish and trap for survival, and Yukon Men is now in its successful third season. Stan Zuray came to Alaska from Boston 24 years ago and now calls Tanana home. (THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL)

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 5

59 SHOW ME THE WAY NOME!

When our Dennis Musgraves and fellow “Alaskan Salmon Slayer” Chris Cox (left) ventured all the way to Nome, they enjoyed an eventful quest to catch trophy grayling and giant sea-run Dolly Varden that included plenty of the former, not enough of the latter, as well as one eye-catching moment that you have to read to believe. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

FEATURES 16

35

TANANA TOUGH The Discovery Channel has made a habit of painting a proper picture of how it “really is” in Alaska, and in the third season of Yukon Men, about life in the isolated village of Tanana, the show’s hearty souls race against time in summer to fish and hunt for their winter meals while two new developments became big news: a proposed road out of town and the tragic fatal shooting of two Alaska State Troopers. We talk with the series’ star Stan Zuray about all that and more.

SAVING WILD ALASKA Renowned author, big-game hunter and TV host Craig Boddington weighs in on the controversial Pebble Mine project and its potential threat to Bristol Bay’s rich fishing and hunting grounds.

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GOING TO THE CHAPEL – AFTER WE HUNT Krystin Bablinskas was about to become Mrs. Bixler McClure late in the summer. But she and fiancée Bixler wanted to take advantage of a cow moose hunt in the Homer area the week before the wedding. It was a difficult trip for the bride-to-be, including an allergy attack. But her moose was out there. She and the bridegroom just needed to find it for one heck of a wedding gift.

DUCKS OF THE ARCTIC Our far-north hunting guru Paul Atkins is as comfortable in a duck blind as he is glassing for moose and caribou on the tundra. Atkins takes advantage of some of the Kotzebue area’s underrated waterfowl hunts and shows why you should get in on them too.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 13 24

43 45 49 51 74 87 93 95 101 109 126

The Editor’s Note Alaskan actress/hunter Hillarie Putnam (Part II) The Dishonor Roll: Reality show star draws fines A first trip to Alaska, in pictures Lower 48 family’s annual fishing sojourn to the Kenai A recap of Alaska’s king salmon season Tanana River moose hunt That secret deer spot No Sympathy column: The record book From Field to Fire: Dall sheep hunting, cooking tips Building an AR-15 hunting rifle, Alaska style Dynamite upland bird hunts Loose Ends: Too many duck names to remember

Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index 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 Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus tax. Copyright © 2014 Media Index 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.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Joey (left) and Stan Zuray rely on hunting the land they live on to provide them with food. Building a road leading into their hometown of Tanana might increase their competition finding that game and sustenance. (THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL)

W

e’ve all seen the commercials — whether they are hawking beer, airline tickets or SUVs — that plead with us to find our escape from the madness.

Of course, mostly that means a quickie vacation sipping a tropical drink or sportfishing with a guide and then eating a gourmet meal at said guide’s lodge. Soon, we’ll be back in the world of Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Cheescake Factory, three guilty pleasures we could probably stand to do without but instead devour excessively.

In Tanana, Alaska, cutting yourself off from the rest of civilization is more than a holiday getaway. As our cover story this month explains, living off the grid is sacred to the residents of Tanana and the key players on Discovery Channel’s hit show, Yukon Men. But early in season three, which premiered last month, the families who worked together to harvest a bison for badly needed food were greeted with the news that the state was going ahead with a road that would ultimately link up Tanana (population 200) with the rest of Alaska.

“I didn’t come to Tanana because there’s a road,” says Lower 48 transplant Stan Zuray, who chatted with us about being a DIY Tananan. “I came here because it was an isolated, out-ofthe-way place.”

Charlie Wright had just taken his boat onto the breaking icefilled waters of the Tanana River to fish but came home only with a small catch of chum salmon.

“That kind of thing pisses me off,” he said. “There’s going to be a hunter in all our favorite spots from now on. There won’t be any more animals to eat. There’s already nothing left.”

Watching on a flat-screen TV there’s only so much perspective you can soak in about how divided the small population of the village is on whether a road means more jobs and more opportunities, or cuts into the souls of residents who can live on their own without anyone else intruding.

That’s a freedom most of us don’t understand compared with – excuse me: tall Caramel Frappuchino, please. –Chris Cocoles OCTOBER 2014

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TANANA’S TOUGH GUYS

DISCOVERY’S YUKON MEN DEPICTS LIFE IN A ROADLESS OUTPOST

BY CHRIS COCOLES

F

or Stan Zuray, Boston was once his home. Alaska is now his way of life.

The tiny, road-free village of Tanana is more than just 4,500-plus miles away from Fenway Park or Dunkin’ Donuts. It’s a world without pro baseball teams; and it’s a world without restaurants to order coffee and a tasty pastry.

It’s a place where summers are a race to have enough food to survive the long, cold and dark winter.

Stan Zuray grew up in Boston, but 40 years ago he fled the Lower 48 for Alaska. He is now a subsistence hunter and fisherman in Tanana and is featured on Discovery Channel’s hit show, Yukon Men. (THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL)

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But it’s where Zuray and other cast members of the Discovery Channel series Yukon Men live off the land. Hunting, fishing, and trapping are imperative to survival.

The show’s third season began this fall with plenty of conflict (a proposed new road-building project that is welcomed by some and abhorred by others) and tragedy (the shooting deaths of two Alaska State Troopers) and concern about food sources (the Alaska Department of Fish and Game shut down king salmon fishing).

Zuray, 64, came to Alaska 40 years ago. He’s never looked back from his volatile New England roots.

“A lot of my friends were getting into some pretty big trouble; a lot of my friends had died,” Zuray says. “It became a very lonely place to be.”

Lonely would seem like a more fitting description in Tanana, but Zuray is part of a proud group of locals who prefer to live on their terms and help each other get through the brutal winters. Stan, his son Joey Zuray, Charlie Wright and his son Bob (was who was injured in a serious snowmachine accident), James Roberts, Pat Moore and his daughter, Courtney Agnes, give the show a sense of realism about what it’s like to be literally off the main road.

Stan Zuray provided us with a glimpse of the spirit of Yukon Men.

Chris Cocoles How did you get involved with the show?

Stan Zuray Paper Route Productions was looking for hunter/trapper-type people for a new show and a friend named Virgil Umphenour contacted them. Virgil suggested they contact me and I sent pictures of lots of townspeople who did outdoor stuff, and they sent a crew out to Tanana midwinter. The day after they arrived we went out with them to show them Charlie’s trapline and it was 52 below zero. Some got frostbite but they loved it.

CC You guys do what we see on TV on a regular basis. How was it for you to do what you do with the camera rolling?

SZ Most of my stuff is done away from

town and much of the winter stuff is done by dog team. I never minded having another camera guy or two around.

The ones they send out with us on these winter hunts and hard stuff are “worldclass outdoorsmen,” and they don’t slow us down. When I’m on my dogs I slow them down, but they don’t care and they just ride around high in the hills filming everything as I travel. If I get some fur in a trap or crash my sled, they film it. I haven’t stopped doing anything I did before.

Still, I’m here at fish camp now getting my dog food together for winter as I have for 40-plus years; I’m still going to trap this winter – show or no show.

CC What I enjoy most about the show is the relationship between the families.

SZ People say they want to hear more of that. They want to understand how we live as a community, as it’s pretty foreign to many in the more urban areas. Here we have a little more time to spend with our families and friends, and often the work of the day involves families working together. I think that’s important to a healthy community, and people who watch the show see that and recognize it. That’s not to say all is perfect here, of course.

CC Do you think the show does a good of “keeping it real?”

SZ While I often wish many of the hunts and fishing and things we do were covered more in depth, I realize that the ratings would be next to nothing and no one would then see it. They see hunting, trapping and fishing for what it is and maybe try to understand that it’s not any different in its outcome than how they interact with nature in the cities. There is enough hunting/trapping, etc., out here that this show doesn’t use phony animals, and I’m happy for that.

thin and they worked their butts off for me putting in thousands of miles each winter. I saved their lives and they saved mine a number of times. They were my life and were part of the family. I had larger dog teams when raising my kids, as they would often drive separate sleds when we would travel together. Now that they have grown up I have a team just big enough for myself (12 to 14 dogs). I think it’s still the best way to trap. With the price of gas and snowmachines today I don’t see how I’d make any money any other way.

CC What do you think is the misconception that viewers might have about you and your lifestyle?

SZ I think the most misunderstanding comes over the killing of the animals.

As a group, we trappers, fishermen and hunters have backed ourselves into a corner trying to hide or explain away the impacts we have when doing these activities. On the whole I’m glad to see people have supported us on that though. They see it’s not a sport – it’s our life.

CC Can you share a favorite moment on the show?

SZ I still love the caribou hunt in Season 1, Episode 1. Despite TV showing it as a shorter hunt it actually was many hunts over months, and some of those had the dogs and SnoGo’s many days out of town in some cold and crazy weather. Finally, after having to travel way out of our area as the legal hunting season was closing everywhere close to us, we ran into a huge herd; Charlie, Bob, Joe and I all got one. The hair stands up on the back of my neck watching that scene: I know what it took to get those caribou.

CC How much does it mean to you that

CC I’m a big dog person, so can you offer

you live in Tanana?

some perspective on how valuable your dog teams can be in an area surrounded by rivers that freeze in the winter?

SZ I had a five-dog team the first spring in Alaska, way out in the bush north of Tanana and had one ever since. I kept them fed and alive (mostly) through thick and

SZ I’m proud of it. There are some good people here – hardworking and honest people. I guess I don’t think about it much, as I just go on with life. We have our problems like everyone, but we do have time to spend on others, and that is valuable. I often say that people are OCTOBER 2014

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TRAGEDY AFFECTS TANANA, TV SHOW

Town leader Charlie Wright (center) is among those who do not want a road built that would connect Tanana with the rest of the state. (THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL)

the same everywhere; it’s just in the cities it’s often so hectic and people are often one step away from losing their jobs and homes, etc. And that people don’t have the luxury of being as nice to each other as they’d like. Out here if someone dies or is hurt, people can give up days to help. No one is going to lose a job or their

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home over helping. I like that.

CC Are there some moments that have appeared on camera that you are glad they aired, and others you wished they hadn’t?

SZ I love the scenes of the whole family butchering meat and cutting fish at

Town leader Charlie Wright refers to Tanana as “this peaceful village that we normally are.” But nothing could have prepared Wright or the Discovery Channel show filmed there when the events of May 1 rocked their lives.

Yukon Men was filming Season 3 when two Alaska State Troopers were shot and killed surrounding a house believed to be the hiding spot for an armed suspect.

The deaths of Sgt. Scott Johnson, 45, and Trooper Gabe Rich, 26, prompted a manhunt through the village of 200.

Yukon Men’s cameras were rolling during an episode when SWAT teams spotted the crew from afar.

“Show me your hands now! Don’t move!” an officer shouted to the cameraman. “Stay in the road; show us your hands! Is that a gun that you have?

What’s in your hands?

“It’s a camera. For Yukon Men,” replied a member of the crew.

“We didn’t know if you were a bad

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camp. That, to me, is this life up here.

Those are the good times, it says it all and I wish there was more of it. I’m really at a loss to think of something I wish didn’t air.

CC You all seem to embrace that life in Tanana is how you want it to be, but over the course of your life have there been times when you thought, “I’m ready to get to a big city or go someplace warm?”

SZ That hasn’t happened to me. I may be the only one of the Yukon Men cast who really knows this one inside and out, as everyone else was born up here. I, however, know what life is like in these warm and nice places. It’s not the people; it’s the environment, rules, lack of freedom, the food. The direction I honestly think about is that someday I want to go way out in the woods – like over a bunch of mountain ranges – just to get away from the rat race.

I’m going there soon. ASJ In a place like Tanana, located at the confluence of two rivers, including the mighty Yukon River, Stan Zuray’s dogs are critical to him and his family’s survival. (THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL)

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Editor’s note: New episodes of Yukon Men can be seen on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Pacific Time on Discovery Channel.

guy or not.”

A disclaimer then flashed across the screen: “Our cameras were forced to stop rolling during the incident.”

Village resident Nathanial Kangas, 21, is charged with murdering both troopers.

Naturally, such a tragic crime hit the members of the cast and longtime Tanana residents hard.

“Many of us were very affected, and for some it will be for life. The town as a whole will never forget, and some on the film crew had lived mostly in Tanana for years and will never forget,” Stan Zuray said.

Living in this environment is not for the faint of heart, but even the locals were overcome. Pat Moore said he knew Johnson and called him “one of the best individuals I’d ever met.”

James Roberts built and was the previous owner of the house from which the shooting took place.

“It seems like I get reminded about that often,” Zuray says. “You can’t avoid it, especially when you’ve been on the planet a few years. This tragedy however, was so senseless.” - CC

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ALASKAN WITH

BIG DREAMS ACTING, OWNING A LODGE AMONG PUTNAM’S GOALS

PART II OF II

BY CHRIS COCOLES

H

illarie Putnam knows she can hang with the guys and be just fine, thank you.

The 26-year-old big-game hunter, actress and docu-series television star still doesn’t understand why women who hunt like herself are sometimes questioned for their motives.

“Where did this idea come from that says every woman has to look (a certain way)?” asks Putnam, who recently wrapped up a stint on The History Channel bear hunter show, The Hunt. “If you play sports, you have to look like a man; if

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you’re in business, you have to look like a man. It’s this crazy thing. That’s probably why we’re so confusing to so many men.

We have all these different elements to us.”

Don’t put any label on Putnam, who’s

tough enough to take down a Kodiak brown bear – which she did on The Hunt – but also pulled off the role of Tracy Lord – the one made famous on the big screen by legendary Katharine Hepburn – when she was one of the stars of the

Hillarie Putnam recalled the freedom of a goat hunting trip with her father from when she just 8 years old that was an early sign of her love for the outdoors.

(THE HISTORY CHANNEL)

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Sharing a moment – and a moose call – with an Alaskan Native.

(HILLARIE PUTNAM)

stage version of The Philadelphia Story in Portland, Ore. “Being able to play that role was phenomenal. The (character) has an affair on her fiancé the night before she gets married while she’s still in love with her ex-husband,” Putnam says. “You look at what she’s doing, and you realize the time period it came from is pretty long ago. We look at women who make those choices today, but we’ve been making these same bad and good decisions for years.”

Putnam has plenty to keep her busy in a hectic schedule. She co-owns a talent agency in Portland, Red Thread Entertainment, and is working with TV executives in Los Angeles to develop her own outdoors show from a woman’s perspective.

In part II of our chat with Putnam, the Wasilla resident, who splits time among Alaska, Seattle and Portland, talks about her earliest hunting memory, a once promising career in sports, acting and her ultimate dream job.

Chris Cocoles Can you share one of your most memorable hunting or fishing trips?

Hillarie Putnam I remember my dad and I went to Pioneer Peak (Chugach Mountains, near Palmer) when you could 26 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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still just get a tag and go sheep hunting there. Now you need a permit. It was just he and I and I had super short hair; we climbed up, and even now he still gives me a run for my money when we’re climbing up a mountain. But I could not keep up then; I think I was 8 or maybe 10. I remember finally getting up to the top and pitching a tent. Every time we stopped we kept eating blueberries and he kept telling me how great it would be once we got to the top. This sheep and goat hunting is my favorite type of hunting to do. You get up there and it’s such a wonderful feeling. You put forth the effort to get there. And then you have all this stuff you can look down on. On that hunt we didn’t get anything or even really see anything. It was just the element of being above the rest of the world for three days where no one can reach you. I’d wake up every morning and my dad was cooking breakfast outside. You throw your stuff in a light pack, hike around the mountain range and come back. It’s such a special moment. You’re the only ones who remember it. We didn’t bring any smartphones or cameras of any kind. The only two people who remember that climb are my dad and I.

CC And you enjoy the roughing it too I? HP There were no sat phones back then and I didn’t grow up climbing with a GPS. We would go out and my mom might not hear from us for three days, and if we were weathered in she might not hear from us for five days or a week. You really missed the people you were away from back then. I don’t know if you miss people the same way. I went to (an outdoors store) and I thought, “This is wrong. This is not the way it’s supposed to be. There are packets of soda!” You are supposed to go out there and suffer. I miss what it’s like to daydream about a pizza. Then when you get back, you can have it.

CC How patient do you think you have to be as a hunter?

HP In Alaska that’s a big thing. A lot of (hunters) come from Montana or Michigan and they’re used to deer hunting from a (deer stand) or in a blind. There’s something drawing the animal to you. So you wait, but it’s not the same as it is in Alaska. If you hunt on ranches or have guides, there is a lot of wandering around and trying to find the creatures. But in Alaska, there are so many creatures, a lot of times it is just about finding a good

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terback [laughs]. A lot of people said, “Well, that’s pornographic.”

But it’s interesting. When I first went in there I thought to myself, “I have to be careful about what this is.” But these women were successful (NCAA) Division I ballplayers.

These girls could play basketball and some of them are mothers and some are doctors. Every night after CC You were quite the athlete they get done with their regular back in high school in track and Putnam and her dad, David (left) have spent a lot time togethlives, they come in and play this basketball, correct? er hunting big game throughout Alaska. “It’s such a special game but wear feminine clothing.

HP I won the state title in three moment,” she says of being with her dad. (HILLARIE PUTNAM) And they look like beautiful women. events and I did the high jump, didn’t realize it when I was in school, but long jump, triple jump and hurdles. I had now that I’m older, I realize that I wasn’t colleges that had scholarships for me. I CC But acting seemed to overtake sports, a big communicator. I liked to wake up at was looking at UNLV and Michigan State and you went to college at the American 5 a.m. and go run or shoot hoops, and I for track and field.

Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los kind of expected everyone else to do that.

Angeles. What was that like?

Now I realize that who wants to do that CC Were you a forward in basketball?

HP The school just focuses on having an at that age? entertainment career, and our final projHP I played all five positions. I’m 5-9 so a ect for our career course was putting little short inside, but I was an aggressive together an original (subject) that you defensive player. What I lacked in size I CC You played lingerie basketball, like think would do well in television. Everymade up for in aggression. I played some the Seattle Mist (of the lingerie football one in the class and the faculty voted on point guard too and I was a coach on the league)? the best, and I actually won. It was based floor, for better or for worse [smiling]. I HP Exactly. A friend of mine is the quarspot and seeing what happens and waiting. It’s like moose hunting, which is calling them in and seeing what can come to you. And most of the time in Alaska when hunters aren’t successful they just don’t have patience.

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on a female hunting travel show that went around the world highlighting different locations that had women who were standouts.

And now, seven or eight years later, I’m hopefully able to write a show that will do that. The more you look back the more you realize everything you’ve done is preparing you for what’s about to come your way.

Vanessa Hudgens. She was super bubbly with high energy, and it was interesting having that experience with them.

CC Your big scene was with Nicolas

Cage, but you had a memorable meeting with one of the other stars of the movie, John Cusack.

HP (Cage) just showed up and did it, and he had a big entourage, and a lot of them flew in and out to shoot their scenes. But Cusack, I CC One of your biggest movie roles had a very interesting interaction to date was in The Frozen Ground, with him. There ended up being which had quite an impressive cast. a scheduling conflict and the diHow did that go with some Hollyrector told me to come down and wood heavyweights? hang around the set for a while. But HP The person who was the most there was a scene where I was just fun to work with was 50 Cent (nee Putnam’s acting credits include television shows like standing there watching the proCurtis Jackson, who plays a pimp in Entourage, movies such as Big Miracle and even a turn in the stage version of The Philadelphia Story (above) in duction. He gets up from the table the serial killer film that takes place Portland. (CLACKAMAS REPERTORY THEATRE) and walks over to this pillar where I in Alaska). He was remarkable. His was and then he walks out the door. But persona is he’s this bad boy who sings nered and sweetest guy; he’s kind of a he walks up to me as “the killer.” They dirty songs that people grind up to each little shy. But I was blown away by how yell, “Cut!” and he looks at me to try and other in the clubs. And then you meet professional and sweet he was. I was in figure out who I am. And he’s still in charhim and he’s the most polite, well-mana holding room with him and (co-star)

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acter and hasn’t flipped back to John Cusack yet. So I’m standing against the wall and I’m like, “John, this is really strange. I kind of feel like you want to rape me. So can you please turn on your other face to we can have a conversation.” But he was very sweet, and every little girl grows up with John Cusack in Say Anything.

CC Talk about the motivation to succeed that you seem to have and how it pertains to being Alaskan but with some Hollywood roots.

HP The kids I grew up with, they don’t seem to have average lives. Friends I went to school with, some are bush pilots and they have three different companies where they’re air-taxiing people around. They just have this intense drive and ambition. I think that’s why I liked L.A. There are big dreamers and they’re a little weird. I was just down there visiting friends, and they work five jobs and live in tiny apartments. And they truly believe, to their core, they are going to make something of themselves and there is

something bigger than them. And that’s what I run into when I’m in Alaska.

is to have a lodge of my own.

CC What it is about Alaska that everyone CC Do you enjoy the camaraderie of being

loves enough to do TV shows there?

outdoors with friends and family?

HP It’s always learning more about each other. Some of my best relationships in the entertainment world have been at Crystal Creek Lodge (907-357-3153; crystalcreeklodge.com), a fishing lodge in King Salmon, Alaska, in the middle of nowhere. When the guests come out you’re up in the early hours to go fishing. You have crappy weather, but there’s something about the idea of being remote and cut off from the rest of the world. You actually have to look somebody in the eye when you’re talking to them.

HP I think the reason why Alaska has

CC Do you have any long-term goals?

HP There’s this dream of Alaska – what Alaska is and what you can do there.

And when you want to give someone the Alaskan experience, you kind of rise to living how Alaska breeds its humans to be. So that’s the ultimate goal for me

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been so on fire lately, (the outdoors) is all you have up there. I think people long for that. It’s wonderful for entertainment where we’re at right now with media and have information at the snap of a finger. For years and years – and I hope it will continue to be that way – Alaska is such a turn-on to so many people. If you talk to tons of people, it’s always a bucket list. If not to get hunting or fishing or snowboarding, it’s at least to go on a cruise. It’s untamed, and it’s fascinating to me that it’s still out there. ASJ Editor’s note: You can find more information on Hillarie Putnam on or her Internet Movie Database Page (imdb.com/name/ nm3330819). You can follow her on Facebook (facebook.com/putnam.hillarie) and Twitter (@HillariePutnam1).

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The author, seen here after a 1981 bear hunt on the Alaska Peninsula, says that despite countless trips to Africa, nothing compares when it comes to Alaska adventures.

(CRAIG BODDINGTON)

PROTECT WILD ALASKA FINDING BALANCE BETWEEN NATURE AND PROFIT

BY CRAIG BODDINGTON

T

he 50-state country we all love grew in various ways.

We conquered, or at least overran, most of the West. Most of the Southwest was seized as spoils of the Mexican American War (1846-1848), probably the most

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unjust war in our history. Alaska was actually purchased fair and square in 1867, from a down-on-its-luck Czarist Russia for $7.2 million. This was one of the largest real estate deals in our history, second only to the Louisiana Purchase, which gave us most of the Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi.

At two cents per acre, Alaska was another solid bargain, but its acquisition wasn’t a particularly popular move. Negotiated by Secretary of State William Seward, Alaska was alternately referred to as Seward’s Folly and Seward’s Icebox – at least until the major gold strikes in the 1890s.

Since then Alaska has repaid the purchase price many times over. I was in grade school when Alaska became our 49th state in January 1959 (followed by Hawaii eight months later, thus solidifying the United States as it still is today).

Alaska of today is not our least populous state. Actually, three other states have lower human populations, but Alaska is far and away our largest state, and without question it has the least dense human population.

Actually, it goes farther than that.

The majority of Alaska’s 731,000 residents live in the Anchorage area, and a great deal of the rest of the state is unpopulated wilderness.

MAINTAINING OUTDOOR PARADISE Not only hunters and fishermen, but all folks interested in the outdoors (which, at some level, should be all Americans) should rejoice in the fact that, in Alaska, we have one of the world’s great unspoiled wilderness regions.

Alaskan residents have a real playground: about 84 percent of Alaska’s 663,000 square miles is either state or federal land, held in public stewardship and available to all of us.

Not all of us ever get up there, but I think sojourning in the Alaskan wilderness is a dream shared by most American outdoors lovers – whether hunters, anglers, bird watchers, or just plain old nature lovers.

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Part of the proposed Pebble Mine project could affect what has been the site of one of the author’s favorite moose hunting location. (CRAIG BODDINGTON)

The thing is, Alaska is our wilderness.

Throughout my career I have noticed that, for American sportsmen and -women, Alaska beckons more strongly than Africa, and nothing else comes close. It’s no great secret that I’m an African addict, so it might surprise you to learn that I, too, have fallen under the spell of Alaska. I’ve journeyed there at least 20 times, primarily for hunting and a bit for fishing.

I’ve hunted guided and unguided, on mainland and islands; from Southeast to the Brooks Range and from the Kenai Peninsula to the Wrangell Range. Not all of my Alaskan hunts have produced game (on fish, well, I never got completely skunked!), but all have been succesful in that, when you can enjoy wildlife in true wilderness you have accomplished your goal and realized your dream.

FINDING A BALANCE Alaska is a big place, and it seems there should be room for both wilderness and human development. Sometimes there is, but northern wilderness actually hangs on a fragile balance. I was up there in the military in the mid-

1970s when the Alaska Pipeline was going through; in some ways the Great Land took decades to recover; in other ways, she never will.

And let’s not forget the Exxon Valdez.

Even without massive human interference the balance is hard to achieve.

We have seen the ebb and flow of caribou herds, the push-pull between predator species and prey. For some years now Alaskans have been arguing about what really is a massive human interference: the proposed Pebble Mine inland from Bristol Bay, essentially where the Alaskan Peninsula joins the mainland.

To focus it a little bit more, and reverting to place names legendary in the hunting world, think of these gems: Lake Iliamna, Lake Clark, Mulchatna River, Wood Tikchik State Park. If it comes to be so, Pebble Mine will sit astride some of Alaska’s best “mixed bag” hunting for moose, caribou, and brown bear; not to mention with the Dall sheep and goats on the edges, and wolves and wolverines for the lucky. Downhill and downstream from the tailings is the great salmon fishery of Bristol Bay, along with the lakes and rivers.

MINING VS. THE WILD It seems odd that just one mine could be the source of so much controversy, or possibly cause so much disruption. First, there are mines and then there are mines. The primary metals in the deposit are copper, molybdenum, and, of course, good old gold. However, the gold ore is extremely low-grade, so we’re talking an economy of scale – a massive project – to make the extraction profitable.

From the beginning, the use of multiple earthen dams to contain the liquid refuse has been questionable: lose just one, and major fisheries are wiped out.

The risk to marine life is known, and, in fact, (according to some surveys) 62 percent of Alaskans are opposed to Pebble Mine proceeding – despite the obvious jobs and economic value – based primarily on risk to the fisheries

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BC MINE SPILL SUGGESTS WHAT COULD GO WRONG If opponents of Bristol Bay’s Pebble Mine project needed evidence of what an accident could look like, the spill at British Columbia’s Mount Polley Mine offered an argument.

On Aug. 4, a breach of a tailings dam sent 4.5 billion gallons of water and an additional 1.3 billion gallons of slurry (a combination of water, mud and other mining minerals) spilling into nearby Polley Lake, about 380 miles outside Vancouver, and which drains into the Fraser River, one of the West Coast’s major salmon spawning grounds.

CBC News reported that while the liquid wasn’t toxic to humans, it threatens aquatic life.

“The Pebble Partnership says it won’t happen to Bristol Bay. But the Pebble Partnership hired the very same company responsible for protecting the Fraser River,” a Natural Resources Defense Council video said. “And we’ve seen what happened there.” ASJ

38 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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alone.

But let’s add the impact to wildlife.

The mine itself will be huge, almost certainly a pit mine that might be 2 miles across and thousands of feet deep. That’s big, but barely a pimple on the vastness of Alaska. Far more serious is the incredible infrastructure required to support such a project.

The mine itself would sit 20-odd miles north of Lake Iliamna. The logistics, housing, and actual site would resemble a small city. In order to operate, Pebble would require as much power and three times the water as the city of Anchorage uses daily. And of course this new city must be built – and it has to be accessed. One proposal is a road of 104 miles from the mine to Cook Inlet, a major road for major trucks and equipment, paralleled by a fuel pipeline and another pipeline to carry concentrated metal slurry to the mine and straight through prime game country.

The shortest access road would cover 70 miles and cross 63 salmon-bearing

streams. Geez!

The local caribou herd is currently down, but in natural wilderness the caribou runs on a boom-and-bust cycle. They will recover, but not if road construction, then a road, and then a city, spring up in their living room.

Historically and today, this is a great area for moose. My own “best ever” moose was taken just a bit south of this area, but not far enough south to avoid the unimaginable disruption.

Personally, I never hunted brown bear this far north – and since it’s fairly far north, this has not been the place for Alaska’s biggest bears. It is, however, an area with an exceptional bear population, feeding on moose, caribou, and, of course, the rich salmon fisheries. Within the affected area are game management units (GMUs) that allow two brown/grizzly bears per regulatory year because of the high population.

And if you think you, as a nonresident in Alaska, have no stake in this, in GMU 9 guided nonresidents take about 81

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percent of the unit’s annual brown bear harvest, an average of a whopping 175 bears per year. Mess up the habitat and it won’t be pretty. Let one dam break and impact the fisheries and it will be ugly. Salmon populations will die, and predators will quickly wither.

WINNING THE BATTLE Pebble Mine has been a hard-fought battle for years. At first, in the name of economic development, too many politicians were eager for it to proceed.

Now, in the face of much (common sense-backed) public outcry some are backing off – as well they should. Others are digging in their heels.

Make no mistake: Alaska is about mineral production. There are many possibilities, and as exploration becomes ever more sophisticated there will be many more. But Pebble Mine comes at too high a cost to the Alaskan wilderness we all revere.

Right now things are happening fast. The Environmental Protection

Agency has invoked the Clean Water Act in attempting to protect Bristol Bay from Pebble Mine; and of course the mine has sued the EPA. Additionally, there are currently efforts in Congress to strip from the Clean Water Act the very authority the EPA is using to try to protect Bristol Bay. That is hardly the first lawsuit; back in 2009 six federally recognized Native American tribes filed Nondalton Tribal Council et al vs. Alaska Department of Natural Resources, challenging the validity of the 2005 Bristol Bay Area Plan, including Pebble Mine.

Right now this is a very interesting and almost unprecedented situation.

In Alaska’s delegation in Congress, only Sen. Mark Begich opposes Pebble. The state legislature is divided, although delegates from the Bristol Bay area are united in opposition.

What is really fascinating is that, on this issue, hunters, fishermen, conservation groups (whether pro-, anti-, or neutral to hunting and fishing), and

native groups are joining in opposition to Pebble Mine.

After a decade of controversy, Pebble Limited Partnership, comprised primarily of foreign investors, stands nearly alone. Ultimately Alaskans will be most impacted by this issue, but all Americans who hold Alaska’s wilderness have a stake in this, and it’s important for America’s hunters to stand up and be counted. There is no “winwin” here; Alaska’s wilderness and the wildlife she sustains must be the ultimate loser if Pebble Mine is built.

To state your opinion, or, more importantly, to contribute – and it matters not if it’s small or large – to this epic battle, visit SaveBristolBay.org or check out the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership website (trcp.org/pebble-mine. ASJ Editor’s note: Author Craig Boddington is a renowned outdoors journalist and TV hunting host. Visit his website at craigboddington.com.

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ANIMAL PLANET STAR PLEADS GUILTY TO HUNTING CHARGES

BY CHRIS COCOLES

L

ast winter, we shared a story about gun shop owner and big-game hunter Jim West, whose store was profiled in the Animal Planet show, Wild West Alaska.

West faced various hunting violations from a bear hunt in May 2011.

During the hunt with a client he was guiding, West shot a black bear himself, which is only allowed by the guide if done in self-defense. When the charges were filed, West’s Cessna single-engine plane, which he used regularly to hunt and film his show, was seized. But the Anchorage Daily News reported the plane was returned to him after he pled

guilty to, according to the newspaper, “committing or aiding in the commission of a hunting violation, taking game with a client in the field and two counts of failing to remove a bear bait station.”

All but $8,000 of the $40,000 in fines that state District Court Judge Daniel Schally announced upon sentencing were suspended. West also must serve 80 hours in community service with three years of probation.

This story had quite an interesting subplot in that West’s Animal Planet show seemed to be in a head-to-head battle with a National Geographic program, the recently canceled Alaska State Troopers. The former’s camp questioned a conflict of interest with the Alaskan law agency, and West’s attorney, Brent Cole, wondered aloud why his client was targeted, and a cast member on a fellow National Geographic show was

Gun shop owner and hunter Jim West (center), who starred in the Animal Planet series Wild West Guns, pled guilty to four hunting charges and must pay $8,000 in fines and be on probation for three years. (DISCOVERY CHANNEL)

not prosecuted for alleged illegal acts.

You have to think at this point, West is just glad he has his legal difficulties behind him.

“I’m a celebrity. It means you’ve got a target on your back,” he told the Daily News.

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

OCTOBER

1 Opener for goat season in Game Management Unit 1C

1 Opener for nonresident deer season in GMU 6 (any deer)

1 Opener for bear season in GMU 10 1 Opener for bison season in GMU 20D

23 Opener for elk season in GMU 8 31 Closing of nonresident bear season in GMU 23

15 Closing of nonresident goat season in GMU 14C

15 Opener for deer season in GMU 3 15 Closing of moose season in GMU 1 15 Closing of goat season in GMU 15C

Note: Consult the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website (adfg.alaska.gov) for more information on hunting season dates and regulations

The coastal area around Homer on the Alaskan Peninsula is a prime spot for hunting and fishing. (BIXLER MCCLURE) OCTOBER 2014

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The Holgate Glacier Waterfall is a great place to end an epic first trip to Alaska.

A FIRST-TIMER EXPLORES ALASKA STORY BY BECCA ELLINGSWORTH PHOTOS BY JOEL ALLEN

T

his past summer, I took my first real trip to Alaska. I decided to go with as little agenda as possible and trust the directions and suggestions of locals.

So I rented a motorhome with Clippership RV, fished with Phantom Tri-River Charters, flew over Mount McKinley with K2 Aviation, soared over the treeline with Denali Zipline Tours, sailed along glaciers with Ciri Alaska Tourism, and tasted the beers of Denali Brewing Company.

Fishing guide Nico provided a true Alaskan fishing experience on the Talkeetna River, helping me catch my first fish, a coho, and put everyone on the boat into limits.

In our plane, pilot Mike gave us an up-close-and-personal view of mighty Denali, even when it appeared that clouds would cover North America’s tallest peak.

We stayed airborne on zip lines. The course was so cool, going from tree landing to tree landing and never touching the ground after you leave the base.

General manager Sassan Mossanen and his family opened their doors – and taps – at Denali Brewing Company. My brews of choice turned out to Mother’s Ale, with Chuli Stout finishing a close second.

During the five-hour boat tour with Ciri Tourism, I saw three humpback whales, two orca pods, porpoises, sea lions, otters, puffins and so many more.

Finally, we made it to the Holgate Glacier, where I enjoyed a half-hour of listening and viewing the snout of the ice sheet from the front row. Afterwards, I was able to walk off the boat, jump on my bike and head for a local pub. It was a great ending of many wonderful days in Alaska.

Editor’s note: Becca Ellingsworth is an account executive for Alaska Sporting Journal.

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other one!

ral pany gene d his wing Com Denali Bre assan Mosannen annkers. manager S ost thirsty beer dri daughter h OCTOBER 2014

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45

COMPANY CONTACTS

The airborne view of Mount McKinley is breathtaking.

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48 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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Earl Foytack with a pair of Kenai Peninsula silver salmon.

SUMMER IS FOR FAMILY

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EARL FOYTACK

L

ower 48er Earl Foytack and multiple generations of his family annually spend part of their summer on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, doing a lot of bonding, and get into some epic fishing.

“A great year,” Foytack told us of this season’s trip.

“We caught reds, silvers, kings, rainbow, halibut and a million pinks! The only way not to catch pinks was leaving off the hooks.”

Here is a small sample of the Foytacks’ summer fun.

Young Bryce Foytack limited out on these silver salmon.

Bryce Foytack, Emily Foytack, Brian Foytack and Mike Bridges, all from Longview, Wash., with a nice haul of Kenai silvers.

Emily Foytack, Mike Bridges and Bryce Foytack fished in the Cook Inlet and came back with a bounty of tasty halibut.

Brian Foytack shows off a Russian River “tomato” - a sockeye buck in its spawning colors - that was photographed and released to finish its journey.

OCTOBER 2014

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Researchers are still crunching this year’s Chinook returns to Alaskan streams, but here and there are glimmers of hope for the future after what was largely a disappointing season, the latest in a string of down years. (USFWS)

KING STRUGGLES DISMAL KENAI SEASON CONTINUE FEATURED TWO CLOSURES

BY TOM REALE

T

he 2014 king salmon season was more or less the usual mix of dire predictions, surprises both pleasant and unpleasant, and explanations and lack thereof for what’s happening.

The Kenai River, Alaska’s premier Chinook fishery in terms of number of participants and overall economic impact, was the subject of more than a little of the doom-and-gloom scenarios. It was a year of lots of emergency orders, and lots of active management by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

SORRY, WE’RE CLOSED For starters, the Kenai’s first run, which

takes place from late May through June, was closed completely. In previous years the run has been subject to an increase of restrictions in bag limits, allowable gear, and fishing opportunities. Since the runs started to show signs of decline in 2008 and 2009, ADFG has disallowed the use of bait when counts were low, and in some instances has closed the river to all king fishing except for catch-and-release.

This year, however, the predictions for returning stocks were so bad (the preseason prediction was for around 2,000 fish) that all king fishing for the first run was closed completely. According to Robert Begich, sportfish area management biologist for the northern Kenai Peninsula, “The preseason forecast for

Kenai River early-run was 2,230; the sonar estimate was 5,311.”

The first run return was better than anticipated, but still quite low when compared to historical returns.

The second run, which usually hits the river in July, was also anticipated to be low, but not quite as low as the first run.

“The late-run preseason outlook was 19,700; we had an estimated 16,671 to inriver sonar,” Begich said. “Marine harvest estimates are forthcoming and will be added onto that outlook so we can infer how the actual run compares to the outlook. The late run had normal run timing; over 80 percent of the fish came in July.”

The second-run fishery opened on July 1, harvest was allowed, but terminal

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A king salmon comes aboard a boat fishing off Southeast Alaska this past season. Chinook numbers are down from 2013 throughout the state, but there are some signs of an upswing in certain areas. (JEFF LUND)

production of native fish in streams in the region isn’t so hot. The department studies 11 indicator streams in Southeast as a way to judge overall health of the region’s runs. This year, escapement goals were met in about half of them.

All of the rivers seem to be producing smolts at normal levels and sending those fish out to sea, but the returns are well under what is needed to produce enough fish to meet the escapement goals.

WHERE WE STAND tackle was limited to one unbaited, single-hook lure. On July 19, the restrictions were modified to catch-and-release fishing, and for the first time barbless hooks were required. On July 26, all king salmon fishing on the Kenai was closed.

In the past, restrictions have been imposed as the fish were counted on their return runs. If the numbers didn’t meet expectations, gear and bag limits were announced as the season progressed. This year, however, the department made the closure of the first-run announcement in February. This was done so that there would be plenty of advance notice for anglers, especially those planning a trip to the Kenai for their once-in-a-lifetime king salmon adventure.

And while some of the businesspeople in the community didn’t appreciate the trip cancellations that followed suit, it was certainly welcomed by the prospective tourists.

OTHER RESTRICTIONS At the same time, restrictions were announced for the Kasilof River, Cook Inlet marine waters, and other king salmon fisheries in the area. Although not as restrictive as the Kenai closure, these changes were all in response to the anticipated low returns of Chinook. The changes involved allowable gear, bait restrictions, fishing days and bag limits.

In waters flowing into the Upper Cook Inlet waters such as the Susitna and Little Su Rivers and the streams crossing the Parks Highway, returns 52 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

OCTOBER 2014

were also projected to be dismal. Restrictions to king fishing were nearly universal in Southcentral, and fishing effort was noticeably reduced.

Southeast Alaska was much more of a mixed bag. Down in the Panhandle the kings caught in the salt are taken from a huge “mixing bowl” consisting of fish headed for British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, along with salmon headed for natal streams in Alaska.

For reasons still to be determined, the non-Alaskan Chinook populations are booming, with the Northwest’s Columbia River system seeing a nearly unprecedented return of fish. Conversely, the kings returning to Alaska rivers are coming home in very low numbers. The result is excellent fishing in offshore waters in the area, but lousy river populations.

According to Ed Jones, fish and game coordinator with ADFG, this disconnect between fish headed for Alaska versus those headed south is quite common.

“These cycles seem to be normal – just a few years ago, fisheries in Washington were in the same place that we’re in now – people were even talking about extinctions of some runs. But now their returns have made a dramatic change and now are having some record runs.”

And over the years it’s held true that when we’re up, they’re down, and vice versa. What this means for next year in Southeast is that there will be some really good fishing on the outer coast.

However, and there’s always a however when talking about fish runs, the

Chinook numbers are down all over Alaska, as has been made painfully obvious to all of us who care about these fish, and have been for a few years now.

Population numbers are cyclic, and probably always have been, but these recent downturns are outside of what’s thought to be normal.

According to Jones, “The data suggest that we haven’t seen numbers like this since the late 1960s and early ‘70s.”

The low numbers are lower than normal, and they’re staying low for longer than normal.

Obviously, there’s something, more likely a mix of somethings that are happening in the open ocean that’s causing a decline in the numbers of fish returning to their home streams.

“I don’t know that we’re ever going to be able to pin down what’s going on in the marine environment; most likely it’s a number of factors,” Jones said.

Statewide, the picture is, of course, complicated, with poor return numbers nearly everywhere, mixed with a few bright spots and some indicators for some (cautious) optimism.

For one thing, some of the research showed that large numbers of jack salmon were returning to the rivers.

Chinook jacks return to their birth streams after spending only one or two years at sea. They’re much smaller than average, and while some fishermen see that as a cause for concern, Jones said that it’s actually good.

It’s a positive sign that there’s a strong age class of fish at sea, and that bodes well for the fish that will return on their normal schedule.

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NUSH KINGS STEADY BUT UNSPECTACULAR Commercial fishermen had netted over 148 million salmon off Alaska by early September, and that included 30 million in the Bristol Bay area, according to the Cordova Times.

Sportfishing lodges and camps along the Nushagak River had plenty of success for their customers too.

“King fishing this year on the Nush was good, with good-size fish and steady numbers,” says Angela Addiego of Bristol Bay Adventures (650-637-0260; bristolbayadventures.com).

But Addiego thought 2014 wasn’t as strong as the previous year. The Nush’s final king count for 2014 stood at around 74,000, down from 113,000 in 2013 and 110,000 in 2012.

If anything, this season was more like 2011, when just under 60,000 Chinook were counted.

“There weren’t as many as last year due to the persistent warm weather we had, which caused some warmer water temps,” she says.

“Our guides did a great job getting everyone their limits of fish to take home despite the sunny conditions.”

The Nushagak’s silver salmon haul was similarly affected by the above-average temperatures.

“In summary, the Nush held up to being the best king salmon river (in Bristol Bay). Rain or shine, there was good fishing on the Nushagak,” says Addiego. ASJ

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One more positive indicator comes from research on the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska bycatch sampling. Of all of the fish sampled, which come from all the king stocks that take to the open ocean, including those from B.C., Washington, and Oregon, nearly 25 percent of the fish examined turned out to be from rivers in Southeast. The numbers are preliminary, and the most recent data available is from 2012, but Jones also sees this as a positive sign for future runs.

Further north, the streams that feed into the upper reaches of Cook Inlet including the Susitna and Little Susitna Rivers, the Deshka, the Yentna and the streams that are accessed by the Parks Highway, another down year was predicted, and unfortunately, the numbers held up, or failed to hold up, depending on how you look at them.

Sam Ivey, the area management biologist for northern Cook Inlet, said that the preseason management strategy for the area was to reduce the king salmon harvest by 75 percent to meet escapement goals while still allowing maximum fishing opportunities. This meant that over much of the management area, the catching and releasing of kings would be the norm.

There was some harvest in the Yentna region, including Lake Creek, some in the Little Su, and some in the Deshka, one of the largest fisheries in the area. Early on, the returns looked promising, with Chinook crossing counting weirs in very good numbers.

Unfortunately, things faded quickly.

The overall numbers were a bit weaker than 2013, a bit stronger than 2012, and pretty much in line with what the department predicted.

The Parks Highway streams escapements on average just missed goals this year that were just barely made in 2013.

Although the outlook for wild fish isn’t great, the terminal fishery at the Eklutna tailrace north of Anchorage is a bright spot. Fish from the new hatchery in Anchorage are released here, and, according to Ivey, “They’re producing healthy and robust fish that will have better survival rates in the marine environment, especially in their first year at sea. We expect that fishery to grow, and we’ll increase stocking levels to offset poor marine survival rates.”

LOOKING AHEAD For 2015, it’ll probably be more of the same. Researchers are still crunching numbers from fish sampled at the weirs,

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reading scale samples and cataloging age, sex and length of the fish, not to mention looking at the age class compositions. In late winter or early spring, the projections and emergency orders will be issued, in time so that people can start planning their fishing season.

So what does all of this tell us for the coming season? Going by this year’s data, if you want to catch and keep a king salmon in 2015, the odds will probably be the worst for the early Kenai River run, and the best chances will be fishing the outer coast of Southeast Alaska.

And in talking to the biologists, there is cause for some cautious optimism.

Besides the offshore Chinook fishery on Southeast, Ed Jones sees native stocks east of Ketchikan starting to rebound.

“That’s what we expect to see – increased production turnaround tends to work from south to north, and downturns creep from north to south,” Jones said.

For the Kenai, Robert Begich tried to put on his Captain Positive hat.

“For next year, optimistically it should be a bit better,” he said, “but when things turn around they don’t come flying out of the gate.”

For now, all we can do is keep an eye out for the 2015 projections, which should hit the ADFG website (adfg.alaska.gov) near the end of February, make plans according to the best estimates that the biologists can make, and, as usual, hope for some luck. ASJ

B.C. SALMON, HALIBUT, COD & STEELHEAD THE DOES IT ALL

Fishmyster

A

ny patron of the “angling arts” will tell you that the supreme measurement of any professional fishing guide comes down to a singular question: how does that experienced, skilled guide make you feel about yourself?

It is a tougher question than one might think — given the broad horizon of potential answers. For Allan Pearson, an earnest 26-year-old surf school manager from Tofino, B.C., fishing with Ken “The Fishmyster” Myers proved to be a remarkable experience.

“Ken makes me feel like I’m a good fisherman,” Allan recently confirmed while surveying a fish hold loaded with limits of Chinook salmon, halibut and cod.

His comments came at the end of an outstanding day of fishing with Ken in the Barkley Sound region off the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. “Ken’s passion is amazing,” Allan continued. “He is so open to sharing information. He answers all questions — even the dumb ones! Ken explains where we’re fishing, why we’re there, all details including methods and tactics. Honestly, I didn’t know fishing guides like Ken even existed!”

High praise indeed, but not at all surprising given Ken’s extensive experience.

Born and raised in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island and based in Ucluelet, Ken has spent the past 25 years as a professional tidal and freshwater guide. Unlike most of his contemporaries, however, Ken provides his guide services 12 months of the year. Spring and summer months are spent on the Pacific Ocean chasing trophy kings, “barndoor” halibut and monster cod — all from his luxurious, state-of-theKen “The Fishmyster” Myers (left) put Alex Morrow on this 27-pound king salmon. art fishing machine: a Fountain 38IX powered by three (that’s right- three) 300hp Mercury Verado engines.

When the fall months roll around Ken treats his guests to some of the world’s finest steelhead fisheries.

“I have been fishing these Vancouver Island rivers since I was a kid — and I know them as well as anybody. Just because the tidal opportunities tail off by October is no reason to stop fishing. Many of my clients fish with me in both summer and winter. Different methods, different fisheries, but still great fishing,” explains Ken. Allan and his friends who joined him on this trip represent the new generation of anglers; young, fit and up for everything. The fact that these young men and women — children of the ‘baby boomer’ generation — are so keen bodes well for the future of West Coast fisheries.

All five species of Pacific salmon — Chinook (kings), coho (silvers), pink, sockeye and chum-travel the tidal waters in the Barkley Sound region, and creel surveys indicate that many of these runs are once again on the rise. Likewise, Allan and his friends are prepared to provide the stewardship that is required to ensure these magnificent salmon runs remain vibrant for future generations.

Ken’s boat, the MV Overkill, is fully loaded with cutting-edge navigation systems; personal floatation; life raft; stabilizers (for added comfort while trolling); an Espar furnace (for those chilly Pacific Northwest mornings); a fully functioning head and loads of deck space.

Ken also treats his guests to “nothing but the best” when it comes to fishing gear: Islander Reels and Sage rods, and an array of tackle that would humble any Wes Hartman hoists a 74-pound halibut while Jeff tackle store.

Morrow (left) and Ken “The Fishmyster” Myers “The Overkill just adds to the complete experience. It is an unbelievable fishing (right) soak up the experience. machine — amazing to fish from because there is so much space and it is so solid on the water. Of course, having 900hp on the back is just so cool. Getting to and from the fishing grounds is a snap!” Allan gushed.

Ken is currently booking fall and winter steelhead excursions. Prime dates for the 2015 tidal season are still available, but they quickly book up.

Contact Ken directly on his cell at (250) 720-5118, email him at fishmyster@shaw.ca. or visit his website at fishmyster.com.

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HOOKING THE UNICORN The author celebrates his epic 22-inch Arctic grayling, the largest he’s ever caught, let alone seen. He was happy to release his trophy. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

– AND UNCLE RAHN NOME FISHING TRIP NETS HUGE GRAYLING, COLORFUL DOLLIES, AND THE BOAT DRIVER

BY DENNIS MUSGRAVES

S

eward Peninsula’s southern coast has several rivers that host large anadromous Dolly Varden every fall. Some of the streams are accessible via an extensive network of gravel roads which originate from Nome, and a few years ago I made my first journey here in search of those sea-run fish. The trip produced lifelong memories, one inadvertent cast I am still trying to forget, and an unwanted new pair of shoes.

WHAT A DOLL Northern sea-going Dollies are big, strong and colorful as they enter freshwater. Unlike Pacific salmon, they don’t die after spawning. The fish can repeat their reproductive cycle several times over a lifespan, returning to the rich, replenishing ocean after each journey.

But because of their similar appearance and traits, they are often misidentified as Arctic char in Alaska. Although both are members of the char family, it has been researched and well documented by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game that Arctic char are only present in the state’s lakes. I imagine most anglers catching the northern form of Dollies here assume they are catching Arctic char because they’re fishing in close proximity to the Arctic Circle. The fish in the Alas-

kan rivers up north are char, although not the Arctic char variety. Rather, in almost all cases, Dolly Varden. (Yes, my obsessive-compulsive nature often finds me debating other anglers over a fish’s name as I try to prevent an identity crisis for one of the most widely distributed fish in the 49th state.)

Fishing for northern Dollies near Nome would not have been possible without my good buddy, Chris Cox. Chris and I have spent many moons together chasing fins all over Alaska. He often speaks about fishing around his childhood home of Nome, and catching huge “trout” as a kid. His stories had me enthusiastic about the prospect of going on a trip together, and I was stoked when we finally put a plan into action.

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IF YOU GO

What

THE TELLER ROAD

Fishing and exploring the rivers and creeks along the road system webbing out from the city of Nome, including the Sinuk and Niukluk Rivers.

After arriving in Nome and meeting our host, Chris’s brother, Tony Cox, Chris rented a rustic SUV and we quickly loaded it with our gear and topped the tank off. We decided to try our luck first along the Bob Blodgett Nome-Teller Memorial Highway, which is simply called the Teller Road by locals. The improved gravel highway spans almost 75 miles west from Nome, winding across tundra on a northwest course slightly inland along the Kigluaik, or Sawtooth, Mountains, before ending at the village of Teller.

We planned to travel 26 miles and fish at the bridge crossing of the Sinuk River, which hosts a variety of salmon, resident Arctic grayling and our target, Dolly Varden. Armed with multiple weapons in the form of conventional and fly-fishing gear, we confidently rolled down the roadway.

As Chris drove us out of Nome, I went into full tourist mode. It didn’t take long for the first photo op to present itself.

Only a few miles outside of town we spotted several strange-looking hairy creatures sporting horns. Chris realized right away what they were: musk ox. A small herd of about a dozen long-haired, cowlike animals had congregated within 50 yards of the road. Two bulls stood apart from the rest of the huddled herd.

I had never seen musk ox in the wild, and as I began videotaping the seemingly submissive herd, the two males abruptly charged at each other, violently smashing heads. The collision created an enormous sonic boom; I literally felt vibrations.

We had a front-row seat to an exciting battle of dominance between the two bulls; even better was getting it all on video. The aggressive behavior continued, as

Where Nome sits on the southern coast of the Seward Peninsula, the westernmost extension of mainland Alaska (and the Americas) and just south of the Arctic Circle. The city of just under 4,000 permanent residents serves as a regional hub for smaller outlying villages. Nome is best known for gold mining and as the finish point for the Iditarod sled dog race.

Two state-owned airports and a seaport (used by both freight and cruise ships) provide the only access to the remote community. Although no road or railway connects Nome to the rest of Alaska, an extensive system of gravel roads allows travel by vehicle up to 75 miles away from town.

Species Depending on seasonal timing and weather conditions, anglers will find good populations of fish in several creeks and rivers found along the roads. Species including Dolly Varden, Arctic char, grayling, northern pike, whitefish, and a variety of migrating Pacific salmon such as coho can all be caught with good success.

Nome-Council Road This route spans roughly 60 miles eastward from Nome to the area of Council, and the scenic Niukluk River.

Council was a late-1800s gold-mining area, but now is abandoned and mainly used by locals for recreation and fish camps.

Bob Blodgett Nome-Teller Memorial Highway Often referred to as the Teller Highway, this gravel road stretches almost 75 miles west from Nome, winding across tundra on a north-by-northwest course and crossing the Sinuk River before ending at Teller. The remote village of about 200 rests on a coastline sand spit which divides Port Clarence from Grantley Harbor.

Tackle box options The timing of our trip allowed us to 60 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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A pair of musk ox bulls square off just outside of Nome. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

the bulls faced off, making fast, powerful dashes, and slamming heads over and over. The intensity of the attacks continued to build, and the effect of the brutal impacts soon became evident. After each collision, the animals shook their heads trying to shake off the cobwebs, much like a professional boxer trying to regain clarity after being knocked out.

The jousting ended suddenly, with the loser bolting away from the victor. He had had enough.

The rest of the drive to the Sinuk was uneventful, and, to our disappointment, so was the fishing. We put in a good effort casting and wandering along the river’s banks throwing hardware, but only landed one fish between the two of us over about two hours. Chris avoided rolling a goose egg by catching a dark-crimson-colored silver, which he quickly released. Discouraged by the absence of fish, we headed back to Nome. It seemed apparent that our timing was off with the Dolly Varden return to the Sinuk.

THE ROAD TO COUNCIL The second day saw us depart for the Nome-Council Road. This route spans roughly 60 miles east from Nome to the area of Council and the scenic Niukluk River. Council once bustled with gold-mining activity in the late 1890s.

Although there are a few active claims being worked today, the abandoned town is mainly used by locals for recreational purposes and family fish camps.

Chris made arrangements for us to spend a couple days at his uncle Rahn’s cabin near the river’s edge in Council.

Rahn would then take us by jet boat down the Niukluk to productive fishing spots.

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use both conventional and fly-fishing methods. Casting large spinners in a variety of colors yielded very productive results on coho. Dead-drifting bead-headed nymphs and egg patterns worked well below the surface for numerous species, including whitefish.

Medium-heavy-sized conventional rods between 7 and 10 feet work perfectly for casting hardware. Bringing a good assortment of spinning lures in various colors and sizes (sizes 2 or 3 for resident fish and 5 or 6 for salmon) will allow you to target multiple species.

Six-seven-weight fly rods with matching reels and line along with subsurface patterns, such as Prince Nymphs, egg patterns, and bright-colored streamers, worked well for us.

Strict rules apply for sport fishing in Alaska, and individuals should be aware of all the regulations before they depart for the field or cast a line. Current regulations, additional information and emergency orders can be found at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website (adfg.alaska.gov). - DM

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His many years on the river would surely help get our rods bent, and hopefully help me avoid a second-day skunk.

The first 35 miles of the drive out took us along low-lying coastal grasslands and shoreline beaches facing the Bering Sea. We drove slow, taking time to stop and investigate points of interest along the way. We saw The Last Train to Nowhere – three abandoned locomotives from the gold rush in the late 1800s – and Safety Sound Roadhouse, which serves as the Iditarod’s final checkpoint before the finish line in Nome. After passing the Cox family beachfront cabin near Cape Nome, the road took us inland, across rolling alpine tundra and steep river valleys until we eventually arrived in Council.

It was early evening by the time we reached Rahn’s and unpacked. With sunlight slowly disappearing, taking the jet boat out and trying to return in total darkness would not have been prudent, but we didn’t want to squander the last of the light, so we snatched up our fly rods and followed Rahn’s suggestion to try an

area just downstream of a fish-cleaning table. Discarded salmon flesh and eggs washing down in the current provide an easy meal for hovering resident fish.

Drifting an egg imitation or streamer in the vicinity would probably entice a take, and indeed, we caught and released a mix of grayling, whitefish, and even a couple small-sized Dollies until darkness forced us to retreat to the cabin.

Although we had not caught any big sea-run Dollies, fishing was not a total bust, and our hopes of catching a monster was still high as we planned on running the river with Rahn the next morning.

THE NIUKLUK RIVER The three of us loaded up and pushed away from the bank of the Niukluk shortly after sunrise. Rahn piloted the aluminum flat-bottom vessel from a center-mounted steering console. He quickly got the boat to speed up on step, and we zoomed off downstream. Rahn was taking us to a spot where silvers stack up and additional species gather.

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Chris and I wore our chest waders thinking there would be bank-fishing opportunities along the way, but we soon discovered that angling was only possible from the boat as a high-water mark and steep, soft cutbanks barred wading. Well, at least we were prepared.

Using the jet’s 18 feet of space as a fishing platform would be tight quarters for three anglers, requiring good coordination between each other to prevent the havoc of tangled lines. Chris took a position on the bow, I stood on the stern, and Rahn stayed in the middle of the boat, sitting behind the center console.

Rahn cut the throttle down as we approached the salmon hole, allowing the boat to silently glide in and not disturb the holding silvers. The momentum carried us close over the top of a deep hole where we would anchor and begin casting. The water was crystal clear, and it was easy to see numerous coho below.

All three of us used the same approach: casting and retrieving an assortment of large, brightly colored spinners.

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The anglers never got their giant sea-run Dolly Varden, but this smaller version was a nice substitute. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

Targeting a salmon was not difficult, and almost every cast produced a fish. We also caught a mixed bag of Arctic grayling and Dollies using the same technique.

Although happy with the nonstop action, I was somewhat preoccupied about

not yet catching one of the huge “trout” Chris had described in his stories.

Then the unexpected happened.

As I cranked my reel handle, working my spinner low and slow, a good-sized shadow picked it up and started follow-

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ing. At first I thought it was a small coho, but as I continued to coax the fish with the twisting spinner blade, I could see a very large grayling pursuing my lure. The fish was enormous, bigger than any grayling I had ever caught, much less seen.

My first thought was that even a grayling that big would not be able to mouth my size 6 spinner. But the fish continued to trail, and within the last few feet of my retrieve, just before the spinner was ready to break the water’s surface, the fish’s mouth opened wide and made half the oversized, shiny-blue metallic meal disappear. I double-clutched the rod, gave a quick yank and set the hook.

Hands shaking, heart pounding out of my chest, I let out a shrieking “Yessss!” It stunned Chris and Rahn, but Chris knew immediately I had something special on my line, and he grabbed a landing net.

With disbelief on his face, Chris dipped the hoop to secure the fish. I had managed to catch a grayling of huge proportions. In fact, my initial goal of catching big sea-run Dollies was abruptly forgotten as

I marveled at the 22 inches of magnificent Arctic grayling resting in my palms.

It was an angling milestone: I’d just landed my personal best largest grayling ever in Alaska, a true unicorn which I will probably never eclipse in my lifetime.

EARLY ENDING The day was only half over when I landed and then released that trophy grayling.

Chris and I still had aspirations of locating big Dollies, so we wanted to pull anchor and travel to a new location on the river.

Rahn willingly agreed, and fired up the motor to move us to a fresh spot.

After a short distance, Rahn maneuvered the jet into the middle portion of a wide channel, and Chris dropped the anchor. Positioning the boat this way allowed us to cast to either side of the river.

Chris and I decided to switch to fly fishing. I selected a weighted pink streamer to drift in the fast current.

Casting a big, heavy fly or streamer is awkward and necessitates both good practice and great care to prevent knock-

ing one’s self in the head. There’s some actual physical weight behind the fly fishing phrase “chuck-n-duck” as it describes the action of a cast quite well.

Overconfidence got the best of me. I thought I was talented enough to fling the heavy fly back and forth over the close confines of the boat and had made several successful casts and subsequent drifts when, without warning, I fudged and short-hopped a cast right over the center console.

I felt an immediate stop in the forward motion of my line and knew right away my hook had unintentionally hung up in something, and it probably wasn’t a fish.

I cringed and peeked over my shoulder to see what had happened. Rahn’s hat was off and both of his hands were covering his face. Unfortunately, at the moment I had made the bad cast, Rahn had been removing his sunglasses. The trajectory of my bright pink streamer landed center mass of his right eye.

Talk about a killjoy.

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There was no blood from the hook point penetrating, but the velocity from the weighty streamer had stuck the hook in past the barb, just below Rahn’s eyebrow and into the fleshy portion of the top half of his eyelid. As Chris and I inspected the damage, I apologized profusely. Although I’m sure Rahn wasn’t very pleased, his demeanor stayed calm.

We could see there was no way for us to get the hook out, so we reeled up and decided to head back to Council. I went from hero monster grayling catcher to fun-sucker in a single cast.

Rahn actually drove the boat back with his one good eye, and upon arriving at the cabin, he took his own first look in a mirror at the annoying streamer hanging from his eyelid.

His lighthearted remarks about a new piercing somewhat eased my guilty feelings. But we all knew it was obviously a serious matter, and the fly needed to come out. We made a quick decision to return to Nome for medical treat-

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ment, and Chris and I hastily packed up our gear for the long ride with Rahn.

Fortunately, the hook did not puncture through his eyelid. Medical professionals carefully used a scalpel, making a small incision to remove the jewelry. Rahn received a few stitches and a patch over the eye. Thankfully, his vision was not affected by my errant mistake. The situation played out as a tragicomedy.

But adding insult to injury, when we packed up and left Council in such a hurry, Chris and I simply left our waders on. It wasn’t until we got back to Nome that Chris realized he had left his shoes at the cabin. Traveling the gravel road on a five-hour drive back and forth for a pair of shoes was not going to happen, so before returning to the house we made a trip by the only store in Nome with a pair of shoes in his size. Chris could then get out of his waders and not have to board the return flight barefoot.

I never did catch that sea-run Dolly Varden on that trip, but the way I look at

The author inspects the results of his errant cast, a heavy streamer hook that went past the barb into the upper right eyelid of his friend’s uncle. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

it that just gives me a reason to return.

Nonetheless, I left the Seward Peninsula feeling very grateful that Chris had invited me to join him in Nome, honored to have met members of his family, and pleased that we had shared a few days fishing on another Alaskan adventure. ASJ

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MAGIC BULL MOMENT SEEKING SUCCESS ON TANANA RIVER MOOSE HUNT

BY CHARLES MCCRONE JR.

D

“

id you hear that?!!!”

It is 3:50 a.m. on a frosty early September in the Alaskan Interior. My hunting partner, Lenny DiPaolo, and I switch on flashlights and reach for our .44 magnum handguns simultaneously. A branch breaking close to the tent has roused us from a fitful slumber.

“What do you think that was?” I know what we both are thinking. It is day four of our hunt.

WE’VE DRIVEN FROM our homes in Kasilof, on the Kenai Peninsula, to Delta Junction, and flown out with Golden Eagle Outfitters (907-388-5968; alaskawildernessexpeditions.com) for a fly-in, float-out hunt. Pilot Jim Cummings takes us to the headwaters of a tributary to the Tanana River. We need four trips in one of his Super Cubs to get us and our gear to a spot above the reach of the jet boats that ply the river during moose season.

We plan to float, and motor when possible, all the 105 river miles to where my truck awaits at the bridge near Delta Junction.

On day one, Lenny is the first to be dropped off on the tiny landing strip. As soon as the Super Cub takes off a brown bear ambles across the clearing. As he reaches for his rifle it melts into the trees.

Let the adventure begin!

A slow and steady drizzle is falling as I am flown in on the last trip. Jim lifts the tail and spins the plane around, then takes off. We are alone; check that: very alone.

The next morning we awaken to the steady drip of a serious rain. Somehow, the tarp we placed over the tent allows water to seep in and soak the bottom of our sleeping bags. We inflate the Pioneer Pro raft, and load up for our first day of floating. At least the coffee is hot.

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“If it is moose season, it has to be raining,” Lenny concludes. “That’s the rule.”

He rows while I sit in the front with my father’s heirloom, a Winchester Model 70 .30-06.

Lenny had been a fishing guide on the Kasilof River for a number of years, and his expertise on the oars is invaluable on this trip. A few miles downstream we spot a trapper’s cabin and pull in. The opportunity to regroup and dry our gear by a fire is irresistible.

I find a shed caribou antler where we pull out, and we scout the game trails next to the river. Caribou bulls are legal here with a registration permit, but we only see a few moose tracks, bear tracks and scat.

Early the next morning we climb to a clearing overlooking 100 acres of prime habitat, but nothing is moving.

Back at camp, we catch two fat grayling in a few casts and feast on fresh fish with ramen noodles.

DAY THREE FINDS us packing up in the dark, hoping for a magical moment while floating in the early morning.

The river is skinny in places, and we have to get out and pull the raft by hand.

As we come to a fork, Lenny chooses to go to the right; we drop down a chute with a 90-degree turn to the left and run directly into a deadfall blocking the way.

There is nothing we can do but cut the tree out of the way with a Wyoming saw, a heavy-duty tool used to cut game meat and firewood, among other tasks. There are also sweepers, snags and logjams.

We stop to scout likely spots and find some evidence of moose, but there is more bear sign than anything else visible. Late in the afternoon, we come to an area where three recently burned hillsides converge. We decide to camp there and climb to the ridge in the morning. At least that was the plan before our mysterious 4 a.m. wakeup call.

Sunset on Alaska’s Tanana River made quite a backdrop for two friends who traveled for a float trip in search of moose.

(CHARLES MCCRONE JR.)

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Discretion being the better part of valor, we decide to pack up and continue to float down to what we hope is a more moose-friendly environment.

First light finds us on the river. Meandering through a long, low and swampy valley, an inviting gravel bar choked with alder and willow beckons.

As I scout upstream and down Lenny rakes the bushes with the shed caribou antler, imitating a bull scraping the velvet off his rack. I find more moose tracks, but none of them have hooves in them.

We clamber back into the raft, and drift about 50 yards. Rounding a bend, Lenny whispers to me the words we have been waiting for.

“Right there; big bull moose.”

He must have heard Lenny thrashing the alders and come out to see what the ruckus is about. This bull is a magnificent animal, standing at the edge of the river about 150 yards away.

I turn the dial on my scope from 3X to 6X, and rest the rifle on the dry bag in the bow of the raft. It is every bit as good as a bench rest.

The raft is facing the bank, and my body is twisted, so I look back at Lenny.

His hands are cupped over his ears.

“Point me toward him, Lenny,” I whisper. With a deft stroke of an oar, he does just that. We bounce over a shallow riffle, causing my crosshairs to bounce from his shin to over his shoulder.

“I have to wait,” I tell myself.

The bull spots us and turns to walk into the forest just as the water flattens.

Finally able to hold steady behind his shoulder and gently squeezing the trigger, the rifle cracks with authority.

The bull hunches, then spins around lunging into the river and coming to rest about 10 feet from the bank.

I am trembling. It is a bittersweet moment with varying emotions: from a feeling of success, elation and relief, to one tinged with sorrow to see the demise of such a great creature.

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Lenny DiPaolo glasses for moose on day three of the hunt. Early on, more evidence of bears than moose was found along the way. (CHARLES MCCRONE JR.)

In the end, two wet and tired hunters got what they were looking for: enough meat to feed their families through a long, cold winter. (CHARLES MCCRONE JR.)

ilies through the cold dark winter and beyond.

Fortunately, we have a continuous -feed winch and are able to pull our trophy up on the river bank in about an hour.

It takes another five hours to skin, quarter and remove the meat from the carcass, and finally load it on the raft.

Floating until almost dark, we pull out on a gravel bar and construct a sturdy

meat pole supported by two log tripods.

The bags are well-chilled in the 40-degree air. Lenny and I gather an enormous pile of logs and keep a bonfire burning all night. We are not necessarily the alpha predators on this gravel bar, so nobody sleeps.

On the river at first light, we row and motor for 15½ hours to our takeout at the bridge in Delta Junction. We arrive as two tired, thankful and happy hunters. ASJ

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The author finally came through when a cow moose appeared and she took it down with two shots. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

BEFORE THE RINGS, MOOSE IS THE THING WEDDING WEEK BEGINS WITH COW HUNT NEAR HOMER

BY KRYSTIN MCCLURE

S

omewhere between a bog and hard place, I wondered if this hunt was worth it. In my possession was a draw tag for DM549, an antlerless (cow) moose hunt in Homer, Alaska, awarded by lottery.

The hunt area encompasses numerous roadways patch-worked with public and private lands. Just find the public lands and shoot the first cow moose you see! Easy, am I right?

Wrong.

As I sank up to my knees in a quagmire somewhere off of East End Road just outside of Homer, I wondered what in the world we were doing wrong.

Along with Bixler, my husband-to-be a week later (and officially, after nine years), we had climbed mountains after goats, stalked bears along avalanche

slides, and pursued caribou on the open tundra, all with success.

But this hunt was different; this was practically urban hunting by Alaskan standards.

A FEW WEEKS earlier I received my DM549 tag in the mail, along with an informational card about the hunt. The obvious was already written: this hunt area contains numerous parcels of private land.

Not a problem for us. Bixler happens to work in geographic information systems (GIS), which essentially takes data and projects it in map form, such as, say, landownership and parcels boundaries.

Using some voodoo magic, Bixler managed to make some sophisticated maps with access points to public lands. He printed paper copies and loaded the boundaries into our handheld GPS. Our confidence level went

through the roof.

We awoke at 4 a.m. the next morning, hopped into our heavily loaded car and started the four-hour drive to Homer from Seward. We would spend the day vetting our access points and hiking if needed.

We had only been to Homer twice before and never spent the day hiking around. Our perception of the area was that it was like the rest of the western Kenai Peninsula – flat, occasionally boggy, spruce thickets, and full of moose.

Of course, Homer is nothing like the rest of the western end of the Peninsula. As soon as you descend the hill down into town, the terrain changes dramatically. Homer has rolling hills, sandy cliffs, and fireweed as far as the eye can see.

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The hunters set up camp in the Homer Spit area, frustrated with the lack of cow moose sightings and exhausted from climbing nearby hills and being blocked by thick fireweed. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

now out the window and we were down to plain frustration. “I’m on a moose hunt right now.”

“Well, you need to hunt early in the morning,” said my dad, having grown up in Fairbanks on moose. Bixler agreed we should stay the night, and we headed to camp at the Homer Spit, a long gravel isthmus.

AFTER INCHING THROUGH summer road were crossed off early on because of two reasons: The parcels were surrounded too closely by houses, and the fireweed made the access impossible.

OUR FIRST TWO hikes seemed promising until we started out on the trail. Everywhere there was fireweed, 9 feet tall on all sides and blocking all views. Even as we climbed the hill above Homer, we encountered fireweed.

“We need to find a bog,” I said, tired after another long and unsuccessful hike.

We drove out to the eastern boundary of the hunt and followed what our GPS said was a platted road, but in reality was a swamp. After traipsing around in a bog for several hours with little success, our confidence level hit rock bottom. Of the 20-something access points we had scoped out, only three were deemed useful.

“This hunt is impossible,” I said as my Danner boots filled with water after stepping into a deep spot. “We should give it our best try then head home tonight. We can always come back.”

“I don’t really want to come back,” grumbled Bixler as he tripped into another bog and recovered despite being soaked up to his knees.

We returned to the car and regrouped, having nixed the idea of staying in a hotel at $250, a typical summer rate in Homer. We headed to Safeway.

Homer, like so many towns in Alaska, is unique. The vibe is part hippy and part homesteader, and the town has an eclectic mix of the art community and those who want little influence from the outside.

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mer local walked into the grocery store barefoot. We were feeling better, so why not return to a few promising areas on our hunt map?

We drove back to one of our three access points as day turned to dusk.

This is the “magic hour,” when wildlife tends to appear in plain view. Sure enough, as we rounded the corner from private land to public land via our GPS, a cow moose was in the middle of a fireweed field grazing.

Bixler slammed on the brakes. I hopped out and readied my pack with my Ruger .30-06 and grabbed the binoculars. I stepped off the road to scan the terrain. Bixler did the same with the GPS in hand.

“The land is public,” he whispered, despite the house in the distance.

I started to hike through the fireweed field, eventually reaching an impassible gully. The moose had walked behind a spruce tree and I went back to the road to reposition myself. As I walked to a new vantage point, an ATV went behind me on the road. The cow moose bolted into the brush and I followed it.

I dropped my pack and ran ahead with the rifle unloaded but the tripod at full height. I tracked the moose into the brush. Bixler followed with our two packs. We parted the fireweed trying to find the trail, but had little luck doing so and returned to the car.

We sat in the car, sneezing profusely from the fireweed and brush.

I seemed to get the brunt of it due to allergies, and through wheezing and coughing I managed to have a conversation with my dad regarding what to wear to the wedding.

“I don’t care,” I said, our confidence

construction, we set up our tent and collapsed in bed. We were both hoping for a good night’s sleep to recharge our bodies and spirits. This hunt was tough due to the terrain and Homer wasn’t going to let us have our moose easily. Our tent neighbor proceeded to complain about his ex-girlfriend. All. Night. Long.

The brief moment of frustration turned to anger when our neighbor decided to attempt to open our car doors repeatedly in an act of drunken boredom. We switched off using the shooting ear plugs to get some sleep, and then enacted our revenge the next morning by being as loud as possible to our one-and-only remaining tent neighbor. We packed up and left in a fury, hitting Safeway one last time for a coffee and comfort-food donuts.

Any anger we had left turned to exhaustion. We walked into Safeway dressed in full camo. An onlooker asked, “Are you hunting?” and were too tired to respond with something snarky like, “No, I just really like dressing in all camo,” and settled with a tired but straightforward answer. “Yes.” We grabbed our donuts and coffee and decided to return to the spot where we had seen the cow moose the evening before. Again, nothing. We continued to drive down the road and chatting when Bixler yelled “Moose!” in midsentence. There, standing in the middle of the unimproved road, was a cow moose.

We first grabbed our maps to verify that we were on public land. Check. I grabbed the gun and tripod, which Bixler assembled.

I stepped off the road (you cannot shoot on, across, or from a road in Alaska) and readied the rifle on the tri-

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RIB-TICKLIN’ ON THE GRILL Moose ribs are very similar to beef ribs, only better. It really doesn’t take much to make an excellent rack of moose ribs.

Ingredients As many moose rib bones as you need (don’t trim all the fat off). A reciprocating saw makes short work of cutting the ribs down to size.

Garlic salt Your favorite barbecue sauce Chipotle seasoning

Directions Cook using your favorite rib techniques (be it slow cooker or oven, and ďŹ nishing on grill, or cooking on just the grill or smoker, etc.). Be careful not to over-

58B78=6 “ A05C8=6 F8;3;854 E84F8=6

Moose ribs may not be on many menus in the barbecue meccas of Memphis and Kansas City, but Alaskans will tell you moose provides more tender meat than on beef ribs. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

cook, as the moose ribs tend to be more tender (especially with a cow moose) than most beef ribs, plus with less fat.

We have had best results on a real charcoal ďŹ re, cooking for just one hour or

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so, turning every 10 to 15 minutes and basting with more barbecue sauce for the last 20 minutes of cooking. Serve with roasted potatoes and a salad for an amazing, well-rounded meal! -KM

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In the end, after all the scouting, slipping on the wet fireweed and coming up short, the meat from a large cow moose can provide you with plenty of meals for a long time. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

pod. The moose appeared to be heading off the road, so Bixler positioned himself at the car to let me know when the moose was adequately off the road.

I sat poised with my eye in the scope aiming for the moose’s heart. I adjusted slightly when she turned and moved off the road. I looked back at Bixler who gave me the thumbs up.

I fired the shot. The moose ran.

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“Did you miss?” Bixler asked.

“I guess so,” I said, forlornly.

“But you never miss!”

We walked down the road to where the moose disappeared behind a spruce thicket, several hundred feet off the road.

I looked into the thicket. The moose didn’t appear to have gone around the thicket based on the still-standing fireweed. I went around the other side of the thicket, rifle and tripod in hand, and walked through the brush. I happened to peer into the spruce where I met eyeto-eye with the cow moose.

My heart stopped as I told Bixler what I just saw. I thought the moose would run, but she was wounded with a lung shot and simply sat down under the tree. I breathed in and shot her again through her heart. The moose was down in an instant.

A BRIEF WAVE of sadness was followed by much rejoicing. This cow was huge!

Cow moose average close to 1,000

pounds, but they can be as big as 1,300 pounds and yield enough meat to last for years. Mine was on the big end, judging by the Fred Flintstone-sized ribs we carved off.

After three hours of carving up the moose, we loaded up our coolers and brought a portion of the lower jaw and tag to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game office in Homer (a requirement of the tag) and headed home to Seward.

On the way home I suffered another allergy attack that no ice cream from our favorite spot in Cooper Landing could fix.

The hunt was going to follow me home until we hung the meat and I managed to find a lone Benadryl in our bathroom.

The next morning we enlisted a handful of friends to help butcher and portion the moose.

“So are you going to have moose at your wedding?” one of our friends asked.

Bixler and I looked at each other.

“Nope,” we said in unison. Not after that hunt! Our friends and family would have to settle for halibut. ASJ

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All that friends Kurt Johnson (left), Steve Ellison and the author will admit about this deer hunting spot is that it’s in Southeast Alaska. (JEFF LUND)

UP NO-TELL-UM RIDGE TURNING EASY INTO EPIC AND KEEPING IT A SECRET

BY JEFF LUND

T

he alpine wasn’t wet, but it was slick. The vegetation up there is like that, so when Stephen Ellison and I worked our way down to a better spot to glass a pair of Sitka blacktail deer, it was easy.

Just crawl headfirst. The slope and carpet of vegetation do the work; all we have to do is steer.

There were plenty of deer around, so I guess it wasn’t surprising that when I stood up after we deduced the bedded bodies we saw weren’t shooter bucks, I

discovered fresh deer pellets squashed into a long brown streak down my shirt.

It happens – especially in Alaska.

PHOTO OPP Stephen was showing me his favorite hunting location, which under the unsaid rules of sharing spots would go unnamed, especially in print. My buddy Kurt Johnson was up from California and volunteered to play pack horse as we stalked, taking pictures with his cell phone on airplane mode.

Those pictures would have to be heavily cropped if shared on social media.

But first we needed A buck looks back a Panhandle s o m e t h i n g down slope. Many hunters good to pho- work the logging tograph other roads, but others to head up to than the stun- like seldom-revealed ning mountain heights. (JEFF LUND) beauty.

Stephen led us across another saddle. Carefully tucked in a wedge of finely settled rock torn free of vegetation by previous rain storms, was a bedded buck. It was a nice one; not massive, but a shooter. We needed to get closer.

I worked out of sight, then steered my flat body down a hump, with Stephen close behind me.

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We saw dozens of bucks, though outside of the one I took, nothing really big.

But we knew there’d be some early-morning magic.

We were out of our tents by 4:30 the next morning, stalking the east side of the ridge. Down near the treeline was a buck. None of us had binoculars, and my range finder could only tell us it was 220 yards away, but big enough to take Stephen took the shot.

The buck slid and became caught in the thick growth that tortured us on SHAPE our initial break into the al“Pretty special area. Have pine. to work for them, but it’s alWhen Stephen rolled it ways epic. This is what I lose over, he realized he’d hit the sleep over all year long.” jackpot. The rack was huge What exactly had Stephen on character – four strong meant by “Have to work for Stephen Ellison’s reward for a lot of hiking was a healthy buck. points on each side accentthem” in that prehunting text His “secret” spot had paid off. (JEFF LUND) ed by a kicker, another tiny message? We would hike an old curious enough to stick around, just as point and two eyeguards. logging road for a few hours, then that fork and a 3-pointer, also with a It was a sweet rack. We had what up a clearcut through trees, then into pair of eyeguards, did. Thanks to the we came for, and now it was time to the alpine without the benefit of a trail. steepness of the slope and height of break camp and hike all the way down We were constantly tested physically. the plants, neither of us had a shot at off the mountain, packs now light on That’s what happens when you pursue either. Standing amid the foliage, our water, but heavy with venison. It was big bucks, though. ankles were at such angles the line a good trade.

You can hope to get lucky, or you between solid footing and possible By the time we made it back to my can go out and make it happen. The sprains was minimal. Stealth was not truck we were happy we had endured easiest spots get the most pressure, possible, so we pushed up as best we all the hiking and dozens of layers of and while you might end up bagging could and reached the top, soaked in sweat we’d put into our clothes. But a good one, chances are if you put sweat. we weren’t sure we’d go through it all forth the effort to find something a litOur calves were toast, and the again – at least for a day or two. tle more remote, the hunt could turn weight of our packs – thanks to the epic. We were willing to do the work water we brought in preparation for and hoping to be rewarded.

SPOTS the long hike in warm weather – had Between not having a trail and low It’s hard to take images of successour shoulders and backs craving a rest. clouds shrouding the peaks, our genful hunts because the background is After we climbed over the ridge we eral direction was a couple hundred revealing. As a writer it’s my job to saw my buck and slid down to shoot it. yards right of where we wanted. It advertise a location to a degree – you Of course, that meant we had to hike looked like it might be a happy misknow, make people want to go there. back up to the ridge and continue hiking. take as we broke the tree line into a But as his friend I didn’t want to ruin patch of parsnip and were locking Stephen’s spot, unless it’s a combieyes with a nice fork-in-horn with two nation of both Stephen and I ruinSTEVE’S TURN eyeguards. It had been a warm suming it over years of successful hunts.

We made camp and kept hiking unmer, so most deer were bedded in their Then, of course, you wrestle over the til sunset, which made for a spectacsafe spots. But this was Stephen’s seelement of how secret a spot really ular setting. I have pictures, but again cret spot, so rather than be wary of is. There isn’t a log where we camped it would reveal our location, so you’ll human presence, the bucks were just where hunters record their nights, have to take my word for it.

When we poked up, the buck was looking away, so we rose to sitting positions. Stephen asked if I was going to take it. I took that as permission for that first shot. It was now quartering toward me, and all I saw was neck through my scope. I didn’t take a look at the antlers, as that’s a one-way ticket to buck fever.

I fired and it was over. Stephen put his right hand on my shoulder and shook it excitedly.

I was stoked too. The buck had no chance. It lay where it was in the short throes of a quick, clean death.

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The author also got in on the action with a nice buck of his own. He felt a little strange not shooting more photos and showing off where he and his buddies had success, but understood his friend wanted this area to be hunted on the down-low. (JEFF LUND)

hunts and any other particulars.

So though it’s the spot Stephen showed me and therefore qualifies as Stephen’s spot, I can hardly assume that he’s the only one who’s hunted

it. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to reveal it. Plus, once the weather gets colder, there are some stellar muskegs where the deer will congregate and likely come blindly, but excitedly to a call. So getting to these big bucks will be easier when the rut starts.

Anyway, the key in hunting is finding a good spot; more often than not that means putting your legs into a grinder.

Because much of rural Alaska is closely flanked by the residences of wildlife, road hunting can be a viable option. However, outside of a few lucky cases, early-season bucks are rarely more than meat for the freezer.

If you’re seeking a nice spread, isolation is the key.

Just about any airplane service in Southeast Alaska offers charter flights to whatever lake you choose. Lakes that provide access to alpine are ideal. In regions that don’t receive much hunting pressure, more bucks of consistent size are likely to be found.

Two days after our trip, I was

talking with a local who did a fly-in to a remote cabin. He said they saw at least two-dozen legitimate 3-point bucks.

They still did a fair amount of hiking, but there was no question they were in a spot that receives little pressure.

Spots aren’t as difficult as they once were to find, and it’s never too early to plan for next year.

With a little Internet research and Google Maps, you can scout potential areas that will work for the early-season alpine, then rut when the deer move down near open muskegs.

If you have the money, rather than chart the logging roads (many of which are closed, or overgrown) you’re going to battle with a rented Suburban or borrowed rig, it might be a good idea to coordinate a chartered floatplane fly-out to a U.S. Forest Service cabin. (fs.usda.gov/activity/tongass/recreation/camping-cabins).

That is, unless you know a guy like Stephen who doesn’t have a plane, but sure has a spot. ASJ

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HUNTING BY THE BOOK?

BY STEVE MEYER

N

ot long ago a hunter I know called me and asked if I reloaded shotgun shells. I said I did but that the cost of shot had gotten so high and the availability of gunpowder so poor that I wasn’t loading much.

He explained that he didn’t care about any of that; he wanted to load shotshells with charges of black powder so he could take them to Africa and dismantle them for the powder. He explained that one couldn’t take black powder in baggage on an aircraft but of course you can take loaded ammunition. There was no black powder available where he was going.

The reason this guy was willing to take the kind of chance loading black powder in modern shotshells while transporting them internationally was instantly disturbing, at least to me. This request was about taking animals in Africa with a black-powder firearm that would virtually guarantee him a place in the “book.”

The first “book” was published by Rowland Ward, a taxidermist from England in 1892. The original edition was titled Horn Measurements of the Great Game of the World. Until the ninth edition was published in 1928, records of outstanding examples of big game from around the world were included.

Subsequently, the book contained records from Africa and Asia and, for some editions, only included Africa or Europe until the 22nd edition, which again included all of the continents of the world, which it continues to do today.

The more commonly known of these books for North American big game is by the Boone & Crockett Club: Records of North American Big Game. First conceived in 1932, the Boone & Crockett

record-keeping endeavor was similar to Rowland Ward’s intent: recognizing outstanding specimens for the purpose of study and to encourage hunters to take only the largest, most mature, and the most likely animals to be nearing the end of their life cycle.

It was supposed to be about the animal and much less so the person that killed it.

Rowland Ward and Boone & Crockett have held high standards, and animals that make these lofty lists are exceptional. But the human condition being what it is, ego-driven for many and economically driven for most, has produced other books that had standards for inclusion and were reduced across the board.

Many species taken that are in no way remarkable or exceptional representations are now listed in the books. In other words, it has become about the hunter, not the animal.

Why would I care one way or another? It’s a fair question. Well, I don’t care about the names in the book, how many there are or how they did it. It is the perception created when hunters seem solely focused on killing for the book that is disturbing.

Whitetail deer in the United States have become a hugely popular game animal for American hunters. According to statistics, there are many more whitetail deer in the U.S. now than ever before in recorded history.

NO SYMPATHY Sheer numbers have driven the popularity seen by hunters. There was a time when outdoor magazines would publish stories of whitetail deer hunts and there was rarely a mention of the “score.” Antler tines were counted and usually a photograph was ample depiction to illustrate if the animal was exceptional.

Virtually everything is published or aired on “outdoor television programs” and refers to the deer as “going over 150” or similar reference to measured score of the antlers.

Body size is sometimes mentioned, but clearly the antlers, not the meat, are the focal point. I don’t believe most hunters are concerned about the score.

Certainly not in Alaska, where the predominant reason we hunt is for meat; I am betting most hunters still view it that way.

But what is out there for consumption in outdoor television, Internet and social media and most magazines suggests that big antlers, a large bag or “limiting out” all carry a lot of weight.

From a business standpoint it isn’t difficult to understand. Sensational sells a lot of products, and there is certainly a large segment of the population that enjoys this sort of thing. What is so concerning is being a lifelong hunter: If it leaves a bad impression in my mind, it certainly must do so with the nonhunting public. Their distaste for competitive killing of animals is beginning to surface.

Throughout our country’s history the nonhunting public has overwhelmingly supported hunting as a viable conservation and utilization of natural resources. A significant loss of that support will surely have a negative impact and threatens the future of the lifestyle we hunters covet so dearly.

Fortunately, most Alaska hunters do not reflect this attitude. We are still perceived as meat hunters. But it is starting to creep into the Alaska outdoor world, and we have enough problems preserving our Alaskan lifestyle without adding that to the list. ASJ OCTOBER 2014

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GET IN SHAPE, GET A SHEEP TIPS FOR HUNTING ALASKA’S HIGH COUNTRY

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

S

lowly creeping over a rise high in the Alaska Range, the band of four rams seemed to have vanished. Inching forward, they were either gone or within spitting distance just over the knoll. The last time Justin Moore had laid eyes on them was when he commenced stalking nearly two hours prior.

Crawling forward a few more feet, the back of a ram suddenly appeared at less than 40 yards away. Craning to get a better look, Justin’s heart sank when the band bolted. Hoping they’d stop, he wasted no time getting his gun up.

At 75 yards the rams stopped, Justin picked the biggest one and pulled the trigger on his Mark V Ultra Lightweight .300 Weatherby Magnum. The ram piled-up on this, the ninth day of his 10-day hunt.

A nonresident, Justin was on his first Dall sheep hunt with Healy-based Midnight Sun Safaris (907-683-4868; midnightsunsafaris.com).

“One thing I prepared for was shooting at longer ranges,” shares Justin. “Every time I hit the range I was shooting out to 400 yards, and practicing out to 700 yards much of the time. If the conditions were right, I wouldn’t have hesitated shooting 500 yards, as the gun setup was more than capable of that.”

In addition to having the confidence to shoot long, Justin stressed the importance of being in shape.

“This type of hunting was new to me, and I started preparing for it seven months before. The biggest part of the whole thing was changing my diet.

I figured if I could drop 15 pounds, I’d be ahead of things, and I did that by cutting

From

FIELD FIRE To

Seven months of prehunt training paid off for Justin Moore and this handsome ram taken in the Alaska Range. Being in hunting shape is one thing; being in sheep shape is a whole different deal. (ROCKHOUSE MOTION)

sugar from my diet. Not that I ate that much sugar before, but when I cut that out, I was amazed at how good I felt, and how quickly that extra weight was gone. I also drank a lot of water and increased my protein intake.”

Throughout his 10 days afield, Justin wore an altimeter, which registered his climbing over 26,000 vertical feet.

“I’m not much of a runner, but did as much hiking as possible in the months leading up to the hunt,” Justin says. “I filled one of my packs with about 60 pounds of gravel and went for it. I already did a lot of hiking with the family, where carrying a 30-pound pack was normal.

Rather than slowly add weight, I just went for it with the 60 pounds.”

Justin would hike shorter distances after work and take longer hikes on the weekend. He also would hike twice a day over many days, which greatly increased

his stamina and cardio condition.

“My goal was to replicate more of what our hunting situation was going to be: hiking and glassing. You don’t have to cover all 10 miles at once, just be prepared to cover that, or more, during the course of a day,” Justin says.

“If I had to do it over again, I’d include cross-training with weights as part of the hunt preparation.”

Being in sheep shape not only includes the physical aspects, but the mental side as well. “With all the daylight in August, the toughest part was knowing you could hunt for 20 hours a day, which is hard on the body,” says Justin.

“One morning we woke up, saw some sheep and made a move on them. They were miles away, and when we reached them, they busted us before I could get a shot, so we slept on the trail since it was 1:30 a.m.”

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Pacing yourself is a big part of hunting any big game in Alaska, especially Dalls.

“Wherever I’ve hunted in the Lower 48, I’ve always been in a rush,” Justin says with a smile. “But sheep aren’t on regular schedules like deer or elk. They have no place to get to, so we did a lot of glassing. I wanted to go, go, go rather than pace myself and use all that daylight to my advantage.”

While Justin and two other members of his party punched their tags, the fourth member didn’t. He simply wasn’t in sheep shape, and couldn’t make it up and down the hills on a daily basis to reach the sheep. This happens to hunters every year in Alaska, and Justin stresses the importance of being in shape, both mentally and physically.

Running his hands over the ram’s heavy horns, looking across the breathtaking Alaska Range, Justin was thankful he had started his hunt seven months earlier. Working out and maintaining a strict diet prepared him

Early-season Dall sheep meat is considered some of the best-eating big game by many who’ve had it, and Justin Moore was eager to get it home to share with his family. (JUSTIN MOORE)

for his moment. On day 10, Justin descended to base camp. Here, meat was cut, wrapped and packed for the journey home.

You can bet every time Justin and his family sink their teeth into what many hunters consider as the tastiest game meat in North America, stories will be shared of the hard work, ded-

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ication and rewards that come with sheep hunting. ASJ Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling book, Hunting The Alaskan High Arctic, send $35 (includes S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or get it online at scotthaugen.com.

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From

FIELD FIRE To

ALASKAN TASTE OF SWEDEN

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

B

e it moose, caribou, Dall sheep or bear, fall is a time of gathering, wrapping and storing a great deal of meat in Alaska. When storing meat in the freezer, anticipate how it might be cooked. Roasts and steaks can be labeled, packaged strips made in to jerky the next time the smoker comes out, and meat can also be cubed or ground and prepared a number of ways.

While venison burgers are a family favorite, October isn’t the best time to grill in Alaska. So, if you still want the fresh taste wild game burger lends, give these Swedish meatballs a try; it’s one we love.

Swedish meatballs 1 pound ground venison ⅓ cup instant mashed potato flakes 1 egg ⅓ cup milk 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon parsley flakes or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon white pepper 3 tablespoons peanut or coconut oil Cream sauce 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes 1 teaspoon parsley flakes ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon paprika

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¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon white pepper ¼ teaspoon celery salt 1 ½ cups beef broth ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine venison, instant mashed potato flakes, egg, milk, onion, garlic and spices. Shape into 15 to 20 meatballs. In a heavy skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Gently add meatballs, browning on all sides. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk all cream sauce ingredients except the sour cream or yogurt until thoroughly combined. Stir sauce into pan and bring to a low boil. Return meatballs to skillet.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in sour cream or yogurt and simmer an additional five to 10

minutes. Serve over noodles or rice or as an appetizer (keep warm in a crock pot on low heat.)

(Note: A single 1-ounce package onion soup mix can be substituted for the dry ingredients in the cream sauce; use water instead of beef broth.)

Editor’s note: For 100-plus more great recipes and signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s popular cookbook, Cooking Big Game, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or order online at scotthaugen.com.

THAI FISH STICKS From Maxine’s Fireweed Bistro

10-ounce rockfish cut into 1-ounce portions 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper 5 eggs 2 cups Panko bread crumbs peanut oil 1 yellow onion, finely chopped 5 each lemon grass (pounded and chopped) 2 ounces galangal root 3 tbl green curry paste 5 12-ounce can coconut milk 20 kaffir lime leaves ¾ cup fish sauce ¼ cup lime juice

2 fresh mangos chopped ½ cup lemon juice 2 hot chilis with seeds 1 cup sugar 1 cup mung bean sprouts ¼ cup thai basil ¼ cup mint ¼ cup cilantro 5 cups cooked jasmine rice

Cut fish into 1-ounce strips. Mix flour, salt and pepper in bowl, beat five eggs. Dredge fish in flour, egg wash and then panko. Set aside.

In sauce pan heat three tablespoons peanut oil; sweat onions, add lemon grass, galangal root and curry paste; stir for about four minutes. Add coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves; bring to boil then reduce heat to low and stir occasionally for two hours. Strain and add fish sauce and lime juice. (Water can be added at this time to get desired consistency.)

In sauce pan mix chopped mangos, lemon juice, chilies and sugar cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes.

Toss sprouts, basil, mint and cilantro in small bowl.

Pan fry fish in peanut oil for two minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Serve in large bowl; layer curry sauce, jasmine rice and fish. Place sprout mix on side and top fish with mango chutney and enjoy.

HARROD’S WILD GAME CRANBERRY SAUSAGE

by Ron Harrod

7 pounds game meat (pork or beef is fine too!)

3 pounds pork shoulder 1 bag Harrod’s Wild Game Cranberry Sausage Seasoning blended and packaged

by Michlitch, Spokane’s Spice Company 1 14-oz can hole cranberry sauce ½ cup of ice water Cut both game and pork meat into pieces right-sized for your meat grinder. Grind and mix meat thoroughly. Consider using 5 pounds pork with 5 pounds of duck/goose meat because of the very lean and fine-grained nature of this game meat. Empty one bag of Harrod’s Wild Game Cranberry Sausage Seasoning into bowl, add water, and cranberry sauce.

Mix thoroughly, add to ground meat, and thoroughly incorporate. Stuff into casings or can be package loose. You can package and freeze the sausages fresh or smoke on a smoker.

Follow the directions on the back of the seasoning package for perfect smoked sausage!

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The Alaska Defenders of Freedom nonprofit group will host a workshop and allow citizens to build their own AR-15. (STEVE MEYER)

AN ALASKAN-STYLE AR NONPROFIT ORGANIZES TWO AR-15 BUILDS THIS FALL

BY STEVE MEYER

O

n a halibut fishing trip last year, we had the pleasure of Jim Zumbo’s company. He’s a fine gentleman who is down to earth and great fun to be in the outdoors with.

For those who perhaps do not know, Zumbo was the hunting editor for Outdoor Life magazine for many years and very well thought of. Then one day he wrote a piece for his blog that essentially condemned the AR-15 and similar rifles for hunting.

That decision cost him his job.

Being a gun guy myself I couldn’t help asking Zumbo about the incident,

and he graciously explained that it was one of those cases of “pressing the send button.”

He told me after that piece he was contacted by a trainer in the AR-15 system who offered for Zumbo to spend a week learning about the weapon and see if perhaps his opinion might change. Zumbo took him up on his offer, did a weeklong class and followed up with a very complimentary article for SWAT magazine, explaining the things he had learned and admitting that he “ate some crow.”

I was one of the folks who were solidly in Zumbo’s corner on this one. I had just never thought that using a “black

gun” would be something I would do in the hunting arena. Having carried these guns, either M-16s or HK-MP5s for 15 years as a SWAT operator, I had no desire to use one for hunting.

But the controversy created at the time of Zumbo’s blog did cause me to consider some things and think past my own opinion. Arms placed into military service virtually since written history have been used for sporting purposes by those who used them in military service.

Consider the Springfield 03A3, the mainstay service rifle in World War I and perhaps the most sportsified service rifle in modern history.

Many who served in World War II and the Korean War were endeared OCTOBER 2014

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The available options for customizing AR-15s once you have the basic gun is astonishing. Hunters might be surprised to know how effective they can be. (STEVE MEYER)

to the M1 Garand, and later, the M1A1.

These rifles never caught on in the hunting fields like the Springfield did; perhaps their bulk and weight precluded that. But durable, reliable rifles they were and still are.

When the “stoner” rifle (which ultimately became the M16) first entered into service during the early days of the Southeast Asian conflicts, it was met with mixed feelings. It was light and had a large magazine capacity, but was not as reliable as its predecessors, and for the day, fired a very small caliber cartridge that was not trusted by many.

But the system itself was a marvel of ergonomic efficiency that has only improved with time. Given the choice to carry whatever weapon available in harm’s way, there is no question the 102 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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Colt M-16 or AR-15 gets the nod. They are so user-friendly in terms of access to controls and operation they have no peer in my opinion. The 5.56x45mm, or .223 as we also know it, is a small-caliber cartridge that has more than proved itself on the battlefields of the world.

Reliability issues have been worked out over the years and these guns are as reliable as any firearm can reasonably be expected to be. The level of accuracy available in this weapon’s system is nothing short of astonishing.

So why not the AR-15 for hunting?

Frankly, I don’t have much of an argument – provided they are used within reason on a class of game the load chosen can be effective on. For predator hunting – about 90 percent of predator hunting situations – as much as I

hate to admit it, these guns have no peer. Fast, accurate, and reliable, they are certainly up to the task for coyotes, foxes, and wolves.

A handloader now has the option of loading Nosler partition bullets that make the .223 a much more viable option for even deer-sized game.

Truthfully, there are very few situations where my heavy-barreled, singleshot or bolt-action predator rifles have any advantage; in fact, they have some disadvantages. They certainly are not as fast to bring into play and they are not as fast to shoot. So why don’t I go with an AR-15 for predator hunting?

Hunting is bound by regulations that true hunters follow. Within those bounds there are individual traditions, beliefs, upbringing and experience that

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make each hunter and hunting experience different.

There is no regulation that prohibits shooting ducks on the water and yet, most waterfowlers won’t. There is no regulation prohibiting shooting sitting grouse or ptarmigan with a .22 rifle; many do, but many also do not. How one was raised, what we are exposed to growing up probably provides most of the foundation that makes us who we are as hunters. I enjoy the look and feel of rubbing down walnut and blued steel at the end of the day. I totally understand why another hunter chooses synthetic stocks and stainless steel. I use wood-stocked, blued-steel over/under shotguns for all of my bird hunting and get why many choose a synthetic-stocked autoloader with three shots.

None of us are wrong, just different, and in my advancing years I have learned that what really counts in the hunting arena is the common goal of providing food for our tables or fur for our garments, and the ways and means

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of that can be many and varied.

It is a tradition that has evolved for some and is staunchly guarded against evolution by others. So long as the tradition continues, the game populations of the world will continue to benefit.

So, you might be wondering, what’s the story on the title of this article? A uniquely Alaskan opportunity is being presented by the Alaska Defenders of Freedom, a nonprofit group which was founded by Scott Hamann, a very wellknown local supporter of the Second Amendment and a tireless fundraiser with a heart of gold.

In cooperation with the Valley Armory, they are offering Alaskans the opportunity to build their own AR-15 and provide a substantial donation to the preservation of Second Amendment rights with all profits going to the NRA-Institute for Legislative Action, and get a superb AR-15 for less than most over-the-counter guns.

The first AR-15 build took place on July 4, 2014, and was a resounding

success. The second will take place on October 11, 2014, and, even better, a womens-only AR-15 build is scheduled for November 22, 2014.

The component parts of these quality firearms is listed below: Barrel: 4140 Nitride-treated, M4-profiled, 16-inch barrel. The nitride treating process creates a surface that is harder than chrome. Because nitride treating is a nonbuilding process, it does not change the dimensions of the barrel like chrome. As a result these are incredibly accurate barrels since they were machined directly to final dimension.

Upper receiver: 7075 forged aluminum M4 upper. These are made using an actual M4 print and have the proper T-marks and M4 feed ramps per the spec.

Lower receiver: 7075 forged aluminum AR15 upper; they have been custom logoed for this project.

Bolt/carrier: M16 8620 heat-treated carrier; 9310 heat-treated, shot-peened,

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The AR-15 can be an outstanding hunting weapon for predators like wolves in Alaska.

(KEN CONGER/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE)

and individually magnetic-particle-inspected bolts; S7 tool steel extractor.

Furniture: standard M4 carbine furniture with collapsible butt-stock on Mil-Spec tube.

Front/rear sites: YHM integrated flip up front sight/gasblock with hooded post, YHM flip-up rear sight

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with dual aperture.

All parts are 100-percent made in the USA with 100-percent American-made materials.

The cost to participate is $1,000.

All participants will receive, build and test fire an A-15 with a specially engraved lower receiver and DPMS

Oracle kit. Participants will be guided through the process of building the AR-15 by qualified armorers. Participants must be able to pass a NICS background check. For an additional $500, a participant will also receive a complete Wheeler Engineering AR-15 Armorer’s Professional kit, an 89-piece deluxe Gunsmithing screwdriver set and a 15-piece punch and hammer set. Space is limited to 12 people.

If you’ve been thinking about an AR-15, it is difficult to imagine finding a better opportunity to purchase one at a reasonable price and get to know the system in such an intimate way. One never wants to say never, and this might even change my mind about having one of these black masterpieces again. ASJ Editor’s note: For information on this project, contact Scott Hamann at (907) 7767676 or Christine Cunningham at (907) 252-5486.

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DOGGED PATIENCE FINDS BIRDS Cheyenne, a chocolate Lab, overlooks the fruits of a successful Alaskan upland bird hunt. Spruce grouse and ptarmigan are among the options for Southcentral wingshooters. (STEVE MEYER)

TIPS FOR SOUTHCENTRAL PTARMIGAN, GROUSE

BY STEVE MEYER

A

n hour into the climb our English setter, Winchester, signaled birds were near with his flagging tail. Winchester ran on the outer edge of nowhere, but at even 700 yards away there was no mistaking the action that was imminent.

Our hearts raced and we had closed the gap by 200 yards when the dog’s lean body went rigid, his feathered tail straight up in the trademark point of his breed.

UPLAND HUNTING, WHETHER for ptarmigan or spruce grouse, for the foot hunter in Southcentral Alaska can be a fickle endeavor. When hunting the lowlands for spruce grouse there are almost al-

ways some birds in suitable habitat, which is spruce growth with intermittent birch and alder, plus some berry understory in the forest.

Good places to hunt these birds are near gravel beaches on lakeshores, washed-out dry creek beds, seismic trails, and pipeline and power line trails.

All of these have the requisite gravel grit that spruce grouse need to digest their high-fiber diet. The closer to winter, the more they congregate where gravel is available.

Early mornings are generally good for hunting, but don’t discount the midmorning on sunny days when birds like to move and seem to enjoy the sun.

Evening hunting is also effective, particularly when temperatures drop below freezing. The birds must maintain a

high caloric intake to survive the cold nights, and thus are active during the predusk hours.

Spruce grouse have a limited home range of around 15 acres. Preseason scouting is worthwhile in that finding birds assures they will be in relatively close proximity when the season opens. The other side of limitations is the cycle that all grouse species exhibit to one degree or another.

Spruce grouse typically cycle down when snowshoe hare populations explode. In 43 years of observing this phenomenon it seems the two are significantly connected.

When hares are cycling up, so are hawk, owls, falcons, lynx and coyotes; all of these are natural predators of grouse. These predators hunt heavily on hares, of course, but they are opportunistic and won’t pass on a grouse when opportunity knocks.

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A good dog can be an invaluable ally when it comes to upland bird hunting.

Well-trained dogs like Winchester will find ptarmigan and grouse.

(STEVE MEYER)

When the hare population plummets virtually overnight, the grouse are hit extremely hard.

Nevertheless, for the upland hunter willing to get out and pound out some miles, grouse can be had, just not so readily as in up-cycle years. Even better, if the hunter has a good flushing dog or pointing dog that will work reasonably close in the thick cover encountered.

Wingshooting spruce grouse in the cover they occupy is some of the most challenging hunting a shotgunner can ask for. On the flush they are fast and very adept at putting trees and brush between themselves and their pursuers. A wideopen shot is rare indeed.

The grouse often are reluctant to flush at all if they are sitting on a spruce limb.

They seem to have a sense of timing when you reach down to pick up something to prompt their flush, and just as you get bent over they rocket off with no chance for a shot.

Of course, they can be shot while sitting, and probably the vast majority of spruce grouse are taken in Alaska with a .22 rimfire. Hunting with the rifle means the hunter should consider where the bullet will go if the bird is missed on a skylined-type shot.

An open choke such as improved cylinder is a good choice for shotgun hunters. Rarely is the shot going to be longer than 25 to 30 yards. Number 7½ shot size will take these birds adequately, but there 110 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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is often light screening of brush between you and the bird. A No. 5 or 6 shot penetrates better. Shorter barrels are easier to swing in spruce grouse country. A 26- or 28-inch barrel on a side-by-side or over/ under makes just about the perfect length for this type of hunting.

Twenty-, 16-, and 12-gauge shotguns with their respective field load charges all work fine. The 28 and .410 are essentially guns for experts. However, they swing fast, are typically light, easy to tote around and just plain fun to shoot.

Southcentral Alaska is currently in a down cycle for grouse and has been for the past two years. Look for improvement in grouse populations gradually, and with decent spring weather for reproduction, the 2016 season should see a complete rebound with prolific bird numbers.

PTARMIGAN HUNTING IS a whole different world. Unlike spruce grouse, which generally occupy most suitable habitat, ptarmigan are not nearly as prolific. The effort required for the foot hunter can be daunting. Climbing above the treeline to get to suitable habitat is tough; actually finding the birds is even tougher. A typically large mountain valley in accessible country may have a fair number of birds, a few birds, or maybe none at all.

A good gun dog is invaluable for ptarmigan hunting. Flushing dogs work, well but they limit the amount of ground you can cover. Bigger running pointing dogs like Brittany spaniels, English setters and German shorthaired pointers really open up the possibilities for success. When you bring these dogs into the country, they take over and find birds, and, if they are good, will hold them while you trudge your tired butt up the mountain to flush and shoot them.

Southcentral is one of very few places in the world where the three major subspecies of ptarmigan are all found.

Willow ptarmigan are the most common while rock ptarmigan also enjoy decent numbers. Whitetails are the toughest to get and thus not a lot is known about their populations. They are certainly in sufficient numbers for the hunter willing to work for them.

Mountain valleys with runoff creeks,

willow growth and abundant berry crops are typical ptarmigan hangouts. Early in the season, willow and rock ptarmigan may be found anywhere from upper edges of alder growth up to 2,500 to 3,000 feet. Whitetails, if you are lucky, may be found as low as 2,500 feet early in the season; more often than not they are significantly higher.

Follow a creek bed up a mountain valley far enough to where it begins to turn into shale and rock with steep cliffs. Now you’ll be in whitetail country. Whitetails as well as willows and rocks will all feed on willow buds, dwarf birch buds and berries.

While examining crop contents in whitetails over the years I've seen a distinct preference for small lichen-resembling plants that grow in the creek beds up as far as vegetation grows. It is a plant about a ¾-inch high with small fern-like leaves at the top.

Ptarmigan are ambitious travelers.

They move seemingly on a whim, and finding them in a valley during a hunt doesn’t guarantee they will be there again the next day or the next week. Even when they are in the valley you hunt they can be tough to find, particularly without a dog.

All will hold as you walk past and you may never know they were there. The more distance a dog can cover around the area you hunt, the better your odds of finding birds on any given day.

Willow ptarmigan typically flush downhill and are not big runners; neither are rocks. Whitetails flush up and they will run and run, and when they decide to do so, good luck catching them. My dog, Winchester, and I have followed whitetails with him pointing and them running, relocating with them running again and again. We sometimes get to the point where exhaustion takes over; we’ll bid the birds a good day and abandon the pursuit and try again.

On the flush, ptarmigan are somewhat like quail: they go every direction and often not far where a hunter can follow up on singles or two to three birds in groups.

When flushed and you’ve taken the shots you can, pause and wait for a moment before moving on. Time after time I’ve had one or two birds not flush with the rest,

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and if you just stand still for a moment or two, the tight holders will get skittish and follow the rest (spruce grouse that won’t flush will sometimes lose their nerve if you just stand still and wait).

Perhaps the best facet of upland bird hunting for Alaskans is the generous season and bag limits we are afforded. Some 220 days of hunting each season with a 10-bird limit for grouse and ptarmigan allows the upland hunter the staggering opportunity to take 4,400 birds.

Of course, such a scenario is a bit ridiculous and not likely to ever happen.

Still, it does allow the Southcentral Alaska upland hunter from August through March an opportunity to load up the dog(s), grab a shotgun and head for the field.

WE LABORED UP the steep slope where Winchester patiently held his point waiting for his tired old hunting partner.

I paused to catch my breath and tried to spot the birds in the barren shale landscape where Winchester was suggesting

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they were. Camouflage is stock in trade for ptarmigan and is how they avoid becoming dinner for the birds of prey and other predators that pursue them. Of the three species, I think whitetails are the hardest to spot.

Looking hard for several minutes I saw nothing, and with my breath back in control I moved in. Ten steps past Winchester the ground erupted with seven whitetails scattering in different directions. Two barks from the 28-gauge O/U dropped two birds and ended our opening day.

The Aug. 10 opener is early enough that the young birds are not fully developed; because of that, we limit our take to two birds just to get Winchester warmed up and then follow him around and flush what he finds. On this opener he locked up on 11 separate occasions, a magnificent day by every measure in Southcentral upland hunting.

Hunting the places we do we never see another wingshooter, which is always surprising for even Alaska. But that’s the

Christine Cunningham and Winchester enjoyed a successful opener earlier this fall. The author thinks whitetails might the most difficult of three ptarmigan species to get to since they flush up and run more frequently than willow or rock ptarmigan. (STEVE MEYER)

kind of experience that makes the hard work so rewarding and there is plenty more out there.

All you have to do is want to. ASJ

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The author retrieves a pair of ducks from a northwestern Alaska marsh. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

ARCTIC’S WATERFOWL TRADITION FALL MEANS OUTSTANDING HUNTING OFF KOTZEBUE SOUND

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

YOU ALWAYS KNOW when August ends

I

and September arrives in Alaska’s Arctic. Granted, a calendar helps but you don’t need one. You can feel it, even smell it to an extent. The air takes on that early fall chill and the tundra starts to turn that brilliant red. Frost covers the ground and keeps the mosquitoes at bay, and caribou begin their way south. Bears work the banks and moose come down from the high country. It’s Alaska’s grandest time.

It also means mallards, pintails, Canada geese, sandhill cranes and every other type of waterfowl species you can possibly imagine starts the journey

hugged the ground and water began to ooze over the top of my boots. I forgot my waders and the dark, nasty water.

It was the kind of water that only an Arctic marsh can produce, and seemed to get deeper with my every move.

My gloves were soaked too, and I knew I would pay a price on the cold boat ride back home.

But I didn’t really care. On the small pond before me lay our prize, the first pintails of what was sure to be a fabulous duck season.

south, with layovers in some of the most game-rich country the world has to offer.

In Northwest Alaska where I live, duck and bird hunting in general have always been best-kept secrets. This part of the state is more known for its vast herd of caribou, yet it harbors some of the best waterfowling on the planet.

The number of species is mindboggling, and the area is vast and plentiful. With so much water and available habitat, the adventure can be limitless, with opportunities galore. All you need is a way to get here, OCTOBER 2014

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One of the most popular species in Northwest Alaska’s Arctic is the pintail.

These ducks are numerous and make for some fine table fare. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

the proper state and federal licenses and stamps, plus a shotgun.

Getting here also requires that hunters make their way across Kotzebue Sound and head upriver to find ideal spots. This is all done by boat, and there are plenty of great locations to be found.

Loaded down with decoys, shotguns, waders and, in some cases, a tent for an overnight or weekend trip, an excursion 118 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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can be a grand adventure that rivals any big game hunt.

Tributaries seem to go in a very direction, and there isn’t a bad place to establish a base camp. Sloughs or small creeks are abundant, with most containing ducks if you are in the right place at the right time. I’ve seen the skies black with birds; if one spot dries up, just get in your boat and head to the

next bend, as there will be more.

HUNTING DUCKS IN this part of Alaska isn’t any different than other places.

You essentially either spot and stalk, which is very popular, or set up a blind and use decoys. I’ve done it both ways and both produce.

Spot and stalk is easy and a lot of fun.

You basically boat up to the bank where

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Seeing a great waterfowl dog work is almost as good as duck hunting itself.

(PAUL D. ATKINS)

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you’ve located ducks on a distant lake or pond and then carefully make your way in that direction. It can be tough at times, especially in country where cover, such as trees and low-lying scrub are limited. You usually end up crawling the last 100 yards in order to get a shot, and most times get pretty wet.

The other method, and one that is preferred by most diehard waterfowlers, is to build a blind, use decoys and also bring along a dog or two. I’ve gone this route many times, and even though it’s a lot of work, it can be as good as it gets.

Many commercial blinds are available today, and the popular “pop-up” one that is similar to those used for big game is an excellent tool. It provides great cover and usually sets up in a matter of minutes.

Most who use a blind will locate a group of willows close to shore and blend it with dead limbs to make it look like part of the scenery.

I’ve also cut willows and made a

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On a recent outing up one of the many sloughs that flow through this part of the state, the author (left) and friend and fellow duck hunter Lewis Pagel had a great couple of hours in pursuit of feathered quarry. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

homemade blind, which works just as well. The key is to cut enough to create a wall of cover surrounding the

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hunter; just make sure they are above your head when sitting on your chair or bucket.

As far as decoys, just about any will do. My hunting buddy and longtime friend Lew Pagel is the decoy man of our team. His bag consists of mallards, pintails, butts and a few small teal.

Most decoyers like to have decoys that represent the ducks they have in the area, which is smart and the thing to do. But in Northwest Alaska, we have so many species that seem to converge together that just having decoys in the water seems to work.

Dogs are also fun and essential at times, especially after you’ve had to wade out in hip waders that aren’t quite tall enough and retrieve your duck or ducks. Mud becomes a problem if no dogs are available. Getting sucked down and trying to keep your balance in waders, all the while carrying ducks and a shotgun, can be a challenge and usually ends up with somebody getting wet.

Most shotguns work fine for ducks, and a 12-gauge is the most popular weapon here in the Arctic. However, I

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Taking You Where Tires Can’t Go!

do know hunters who use a 20-gauge with dead-on accuracy. I would recommend at least 3-inch shells, and 3½-inchers are even better. As far as duck loads, go, nothing larger than a No. 4 shot, and all steel as required by law. Ducks are tough and distance can sometimes be a problem, especially during a spot and stalk, so being able to reach out there is a plus.

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part of the Pacific Flyway, that legendary imaginary line that runs along the West Coast. Most waterfowl, including ducks, geese and other birds such as sandhill cranes and swans, stop off to feed, nest and prepare for their continued journey.

There are 25 possible species to hunt here, which is an incredible tally.

They include everything from mallards to scoters and the two most numerous, pintail and teal. Occasionally, a king eider will come through, but it is

rare. To see so many species in one location is amazing.

The variety of color mixed among the grass-covered flats is phenomenal. It’s exciting to see, especially after making a long stalk and then discovering that there are four different species sitting on the same pond. It’s like a duck hunter’s Christmas Day! If you are planning a duck hunt to this part of Alaska, make sure you have all the proper licenses, tags and duck stamps. The money helps fund the state’s waterfowl management program and ensures us that we will be able to hunt waterfowl in the future.

I would also encourage you to take a look at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s website (adfg.alaska. gov), plus the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s refuge site (fws.gov/refuges) for information on national wildlife refuges. It contains all the information for not only this area, but also many others in the state.

THE BLACK WATER continued to fill my boots and soak my clothes as I made my way to the pond where the pintails lay. The last 50 feet was slow going, but seemed to go unnoticed despite the chill Arctic air.

Gathering myself, I slowly rose to a sitting position, only to watch the group of ducks rise with wings spread and fly away in the other direction. I was busted, but oh well, there would be more just down the bank.

Hunting waterfowl is a tremendous sport and can provide hours of enjoyment in Alaska’s great outdoors. It’s also a great way to introduce a kid to hunting and shotgunning in general.

From leaving shore and hunting, to picking feathers and eating your prize, the whole duck hunting experience is special and will create a bond that will last forever. ASJ Editor’s note: The author is an outdoor writer and a contributing writer for Alaska Sporting Journal. He has written hundreds of articles on hunting big game throughout North America and Africa.

Paul lives in Kotzebue.

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CAN YOU NAME THAT DUCK?

BY CHRISTINE CUNNINGHAM

A

n unquestioned law of the waterfowling world requires that any given duck has more than one name.

The descriptions of a particular duck change, not because the duck has changed, but depends on the weather, location, time of day, and ancestry of those in proximity. New names are often introduced only when a flock is coming into the blind at 30 or more miles per hour and the bird at issue is in range. For the hunter experiencing any first in the duck-hunting arena, indoctrination in new duck names is part of the initiation ritual.

Before I went on my first sea duck hunt, I consulted my bird identification book and waterfowl regulations for the area. I was going to be hunting, among other sea ducks, a large, stocky diver commonly called a surf scoter; less commonly it is perspicillata, after its species name.

The still photos were easy to identify. But the real skill in identification of waterfowl comes from boat men who are experienced at shooting drakes only on the wing. These same men are also experts at a game old duck hunters like to play on the book-learned sportsman.

My partner was throwing out a gang line of mallards that were hand-painted by our captain to look like surf scoters and long-tailed ducks. Since I could identify the decoys, I figured I could probably identify the live bird. My hunting partners were seasoned waterfowl veterans who might be happy to fill in the gaps in my understanding.

What I should have done, in hindsight, was take my bird identification book with me and agree upon a vocabulary before I became part of a high-seas Abbott and Costello routine.

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When we were set up in the boat blind, I could see a flock of black birds coming our way through a screen of camouflage.

“Scoters?” I whispered.

“Those are yellow noses.”

They were getting within range so I mounted my shotgun.

“You don’t want to shoot those,” the captain said.

“We don’t shoot yellow noses?” I asked. But before I could get clarification another group of three black ducks were coming in.

beaks, mud stompers, zipper beaks, spike bills, marina ducks, lead heads, bobbers, and lucky ducks or safe ducks, which were any ducks that flew by me.

I was the only person in the boat who called a duck what it was called in the regulations. For instance, I called mallards, mallards. I’m also lots of fun to play Scrabble with. But I needed to learn the concealed rules of the name game quick.

“Now, what are you calling a surf scoter?” I asked.

“Those are skunk heads,” the captain said. “The white-wings are Nikes because they have the white Nike symbol by their eye.”

My hunting partner pointed out what appeared to be a bufflehead or harlequin along the shore. That was a “no neck,” the captain said. I didn’t

INDOCTRINATION IN NEW DUCK NAMES IS PART OF THE INITIATION RITUAL. “Yellow noses,” the captain whispered again. I didn’t mount my gun.

“Why didn’t you shoot?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Are we not shooting yellow noses?”

“Yeah, but those were drakes,” he said.

There are three different types of scoters – surf scoters, white-winged scoters and black scoters. On this trip the black scoters were called yellow noses. We might also see any of the following six ducks: old squaws, cockawees, southerlys, grannies, buffs, butterballs, buffalo heads, scaup, bluebills, broad bills, scuds, grease chickens, flying carp, whistlers, goldies, squeakers, fish ducks, saw bills, dun divers, harleys, French pheasants, water chickens, hairy heads, mergs, fish sticks, hair heads, hell divers, pencil

know if he was confirming or arguing the breed.

“Is a no neck a bufflehead?” I asked.

“No, a no neck is a no neck because it’s got no neck.”

“But what kind of duck is it?” I asked.

“It’s not a duck,” he said. “I don’t know what it is.”

“Well, is that a duck or a no neck?”

“Might be a harley,” he said.

I was confused and exasperated.

“I don’t care anymore,” I said. “I’m going to shoot the first surf scoter I see when it comes in.”

The captain had fired up the motor to move our string of decoys. “What was that?” he asked.

“Surf scoter,” I said.

“No,” he said, looking up into the air, “that’s a raven.” ASJ