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CONTENTS

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 7

42

DON’T WING IT! When Krystin and Bixler McClure decided to hunt brown bears on Kodiak’s Afognak Island, where to set up camp and how to find the giant bruins probably weren’t as complicated as figuring out the transport issue. As the McClures discovered, finding a reliable pilot and airline wasn’t as crucial as determining how much weight – gear and themselves – they could bring on the flights. Before you plan your dream Alaska fly-in hunt, check out this guide to make the right and smart decisions for your needs. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

FEATURES 16

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HOCKEY AND HUNTING Zoe Hickel’s childhood in Anchorage was full of adventure. She was skiing and jumping off the high diving board by 3 years old, catching massive king salmon at 8 and harvesting her first caribou bull at 12. She also developed into an elite hockey player, in 2015 won a gold medal with Team USA at the Women’s World Championships and is playing for a new women’s professional league. In our cover story, Hickel shares with us her zest for adventure and path to hockey success.

HOLY GRAIL OF EIDER HUNTING Saint Paul, the largest of the Bering Sea’s far-flung Pribilof Islands, is a bucket-list destination for waterfowlers in search of the most colorful eider species of all. Field To Fire correspondent Scott Haugen ventured to this “holy grail” of king eider hunting, battling bad weather in hopes of bagging a few. Find out how he did!

119 HOOKING STEELIES In Southeast Alaska’s steelhead-filled rivers, Jeff Lund searches for the chrome-colored sea-run trout. One of the quandries our man in Ketchikan has faced over the years: When and how to set the hook – or should you set the hook at all and risk losing your prized fish? Jeff talks about success and failure, plus how a half-second can change everything from good to bad – or vice versa.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

130 SALMON AFTER-ACTION REPORT So how did 2015’s salmon runs turn out? As Tom Reale reports, it depends on where you were fishing and how you perceived the forecasts.

Predicting returns can be an inexact science, and the roller coaster ride Bristol Bay endured with sockeye numbers shows you just never know how these deals with play out. Find out how returns to the Kenai and Panhandle also fared for anglers.

13 39

35

Meet Sitka fishing lodge, charter operation owner Theresa Weiser 52 Snowmachines, workhorses of Alaskan winter adventure 64 Hunting those “ghosts of the tundra” – wolves 77 Pursuing predators – tracking down fox, coyote and lynx 105 Ice fishing for Alaskan lobster: burbot

DEPARTMENTS/COLUMNS The Editor’s Note Protecting Wild Alaska: Legally hunting muskox destined to die on drifting ice 39 2016 Sportsmen’s Show Calendar 99 No Sympathy, with Steve Meyer: Christmas wish list for Last Frontier sportsmen and –women 142 Loose Ends, with Christine Cunningham: When the east wind blows, this fishin’ kid glows!

Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Inc. Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Inc. Publishing Group and will not be returned. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues) or $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Inc. Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168 or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Inc. Publishing Group, subject to availability, at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Copyright © 2015 Media Inc. Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 10

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Alaskan outdoorswoman and hockey star Zoe Hickel (right, with U.S. National teammate Stephanie Anderson celebrating a world championship last spring) hopes sports fans will pay attention to the new National Women’s Hockey League she’s now playing in.

(ANDRE RINGUETTE/USA HOCKEY)

I

n case you haven’t noticed – and it’s likely most of you haven’t – a new professional sports league started this fall: the National Women’s Hockey League. And in case you noticed – and judging by the amount of Twitter and Facebook hate that’s constantly flamed – some women enjoy and excel at hunting and fishing.

These three sporting endeavors link in this month’s issue, which includes a cover profile of Anchorage’s Zoe Hickel, a diehard outdoors lover who just happens to be a world-class hockey player. She was part of the U.S. National Team’s gold medal victory at last April’s Women’s World Championships.

It’s probably safe to say that if you’re not a hockey fan – and I am a huge fan – that hockey-related news probably didn’t register on your radar (the U.S. men’s team won a bronze medal last May at the world championships, FYI). But the fact it was women’s hockey makes it less likely you cared. And that’s a shame.

For the same reason women like Zoe Hickel many times are unfairly attacked on social media for being hunters (which, of course, is one reason why we’re sharing her story), they often are ignored for their athletic accomplishments. If it’s not the fouryear cycle of the Olympics or World Cup, or maybe tennis during Grand Slam tournaments, women’s sports don’t get anywhere near enough attention in the U.S. (And I’m even guilty of this.

Can you name the most recent WNBA champion? I had to double check that it was the Minnesota Lynx.)

Granted, the NWHL’s four-team league – Hickel is playing for the Boston Pride – is only in the Northeast as the organization (nwhl.co) looks to gain a foothold and hopes to attract more media coverage and attention.

“There are always questions about sustainability, but the thing is, someone has to start somewhere,” Hickel told me. “I’m super excited and honored to be a part of it. All we can do is make the most of it.”

And make the most of it is what Zoe Hickel is all about, a good sign for the future of women’s hockey in America. After all, as her mother Cristy Hickel says of her oldest daughter, Zoe’s “an ambassador for Alaska because she loves the land and the people who make up our community.” –Chris Cocoles aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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SLAP SHOTS AND MOOSE SHOTS

Zoe Hickel grew up in Anchorage and had many passions, including skiing, hockey and both hunting and fishing.

Today, she plays for the U.S. National team and in the new National Women’s Hockey League and never misses a chance to hunt in Alaska. (ZOE HICKEL; USA HOCKEY)

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DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

ANCHORAGE’S TEAM USA PLAYER ZOE HICKEL GREW UP LOVING HUNTING, FISHING AND HOCKEY

BY CHRIS COCOLES

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;While I was training for hockey trying to make the 1998 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympic team, I would leave the girls in the (ice rink) penalty box with a blanket, Tupperware (container) of Cheerios and a box of apple juice.

I would come to check on them and they would be batting at the Cheerios like hockey pucks and they ďŹ lled all the holes with apple juice. Never a welcome cleanup.â&#x20AC;?

Being around a game thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big deal in consistently frozen Alaska made it a no-brainer for Zoe not only playing but eventually excelling at the highest levels. In the past year, she ďŹ nished her distinguished college career at NCAA Division I school Minnesota Duluth, won a gold medal with Team USA at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships in Sweden, and began a professional career in the ďŹ rst year of the National Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hockey League.

Through it all, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never forgotten her Alaska roots and her love for just about anything else that involves being outside. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that growing up in Alaska, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re exposed to such a young age, in terms of the climate and learning how to be comfortable,â&#x20AC;? Zoe Hickel says from the East Coast, where she plays for the NWHLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boston Pride. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The way I was raised, I was deďŹ nitely put in situations where I was really happy that I had things available at such a young age. I grew up enjoying things like skiing, hiking, camping, ďŹ shing, biking, hunting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all the kind of stuff that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re are lucky to have in Alaska.â&#x20AC;?

AS WE GET older, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to recall that we were, at one time or another, rascals as little kids. Zoe Hickel was downright fearless.

Her mom and biological dad, Lex Patten, were both scholarship athletes on the University of Alaska Anchorage ski team, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not surprising that young Zoe was donning skis herself at 2 years old. A year later she was riding the lifts at Hilltop Ski Area in aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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Anchorage by herself.

So she was a bit of a daredevil, huh?

“When she was around 3 years old, we were at a birthday party at the Service High swimming pool. I was sitting there and watching the kids, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Zoe sprinting to the high dive,” Cristy Hickel says.

Mom assumed her daughter was being a little defiant and “testing me,” so Cristy was subtle in seeing how far the kid was willing to take the dare.

Pretending to ignore but watching her little girl like a hawk, Cristy Hickel was floored when Zoe, who already knew how to swim, raced up the ladder toward the top of the 3-meter (almost 10foot) diving board.

“She will see the end and turn around so I should go help her,” Cristy thought.

Mom be damned, little Zoe kept climbing, plunged off the high board into the pool below, and before the shock of seeing a 3-yard-old submerged in the deep end of the pool, she surfaced, smiled and dogpaddled back to the edge.

“Typical Zoe,” Cristy says.

Zoe and Tori, now a senior defense-

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man for the Northeastern University Huskies women’s hockey team, got exposed to the playground surrounding their Anchorage home fairly quickly.

Cristy eventually married Vern Hickel, who became Zoe’s legal father through adoption when she was 8 (but she would later reconnect with Patten and hunted moose with him in September;

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

Hickel, who finished her college career at the University of Minnesota Duluth last winter, won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships in Sweden (below, against Russia) and began her professional career this fall in the new National Women’s Hockey League’s Boston Pride (44 in gold). (ANDRE RINGUETTE/ USA HOCKEY; NWHL)

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One of Zoe’s first memories fishing was catching a king salmon when she was 8 (inset). “The fish was bigger than I was,” she joked.

(ZOE HICKEL)

see sidebar on page 22). Fishing and hunting were regular pastimes, though skiing was just as important.

“One of the favorite things I remember getting to do with my mom: we lived so close to Flattop (Mountain), since I was unable even to walk she was bringing me up on her backpack. We’d go off and have picnics with our dogs and friends and families,” Zoe says. “Honestly, I grew up on that mountain.”

Zoe’s first encounter with a king salmon on the Kenai came at age 8.

“The fish was bigger than I was,” Zoe recalls.

It weighed around 50 pounds and she cried while reeling, her arms burning during the fight. But this was one determined young angler. As Cristy says, “It was her fish.”

“She was hooked on bringing home the meat after that.”

THE ALASKAN WAY of do-it-yourself fasci20

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nated young Zoe Hickel. Vern took her on a hunt for big game (caribou) when she was 12.

“It was pretty cool. We flew out to my dad’s place, which is up in the Talkeetna area with a nice little camp set

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

up. And we spotted the (caribou) and hunted the thing down 3 miles up the mountain. And it was a double shovel,” she says. “We weren’t able to get everything down because it was too much for all of us to do. So we hid the head and the antlers and the bears got to it. They buried it somewhere. We couldn’t even find it. I was so bummed because it was my first big game kill.”

Fishing and hunting became the new normal for young Zoe because “it was a product of my surroundings,” she says.

It helped that hers and Tori’s mom was as gung-ho about staying active as the kids. Mama Hickel is a tireless worker and has coached junior hockey teams in Alaska for years. ”We loved to hike, and one of our favorites was to take a quick road trip late at night to Seward, sleep in the Suburban, climb Mount Marathon, eat an ice cream and drive back to town singing songs with the dogs,” Cristy Hickel

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A MOOSE HUNT TO REMEMBER

It’s been a busy year for Hickel’s hockey career. But she found time to successfully harvest a bull while hunting moose near Twentymile River in September. (ZOE HICKEL)

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In September, Zoe Hickel joined her biological father, Lex Patten, and her boyfriend, Billy Crumm, in the Twentymile River area south of Anchorage for a moose hunt. Here’s Hickel’s play-by-play account of the adventure: “We got the permit and a friend of ours flew us over; we spotted for some of the different areas and decided which we way we were going up. We ended up going on a Saturday, and by the time we got there it was 5 p.m. It started to get late and we wanted to get out and see where there was a good area. It was just off the river, but it was on the other side, where we had known some of the moose were. There were pretty rough and thick alders and brush.”

“We did some major hiking and bushwhacking and we realized that we needed to find a different strategy. We went downriver a bit the next day and found an opening that got to the clearing on the other side. We had walked around a little bit and started to go back upriver and we came to this slough. All of a sudden we spotted this bull – a young bull – and he started drinking a lot of water.

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We thought, ‘Do we want to try to cross this slough?’”

“We had to find an area to cross it, and at this point we were still walking further and further from our boat. We were a little more than a mile away at this point and thought, ‘If we go any further and we get a big bull, we’re going to have pull him back through this stuff.’ So I said, ‘I’ll take him.’”

“And then he just disappeared into the alders. So we tried to push him back and ended up walking back towards our boat – not on purpose, but it’s kind of what ended up happening. It was pretty thick still and we got to the clearing; he was then on the other side in a little swampy area.

And we heard him all of a sudden take off into the brush. We started running after him because we knew there was another clearing in the area on the way back to our boat. We saw him about 250 yards out, so my dad made a couple of calls. He started going downwind of us and was coming a little bit closer.”

“At this point, my nerves were going and I got set up, waiting for him to come close. As he was closer and closer I had a good shot on him. But I had his head on my scope and I thought my dad was going

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to tell me what to do next. But I just took the shot. I used a .338, it had a muzzle brake and it was pretty loud. At the time I couldn’t feel the kick of it. The adrenaline was going and we ran a bit. He fell after a second shot. He was about 180 yards away – decent range – and I ended up shooting him through the heart, which was great; I don’t want to injure the animal and make him suffer. So that made me really happy. Not that I really meant to do that but it made it super clean. We got him quartered and put all the meat in our game bags. It took seven loads to get everything to and from. It was a little more than a mile and it was still lots of hiking through the bush. We earned it, for sure.”

“It was quite the experience. Honestly, the next day when we were heading out of camp we came downriver and these guys had floated down an hour before and they shot a 65-inch bull on the bank next to where we had set our meat overnight. So we were like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ Ours was like 24 inches and a 3-year-old, if that. But at the same time it would have a lot more work to take a big one out. That’s all we needed (to fill the freezer). We were so happy.” –ASJ

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

says. “When Zoe was 8 she insisted she could run the (Mount Marathon Race) and, well, since she’s a boss, she did – and continued to race it 10 more years. She won her age group one year and was part of the ‘goat girl’ junior team that won it six years in a row with her sister.”

And remember that “product of your surroundings” thing that Zoe grew up in? Look no further than Mom, who made sure her kids were going to stay active.

“I was raised a traveling outdoor kid and I wanted to be sure my daughters grew up confident, strong and able to cope with the ups and downs of life,” Cristy Hickel says. “Zoe has an easy confident manner that comes from years of ‘being a boss,’ as I call it.”

AT SOME POINT, Zoe was going to have to make a decision: skiing or hockey?

Did she aspire to be the next Cammi Granato, a Hockey Hall of Famer and captain of the U.S. team that won the

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“I always liked fishing, but I really started having a passion for it because you appreciate it so much more when you do it yourself and understand where the meat comes from.” (ZOE HICKEL)

gold medal in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, the first year women’s hockey was a medal sport? Or perhaps Picabo Street, who captured alpine skiing gold in the super-G during the same games?

“I was on skis before I ever started playing hockey. I loved ski racing growing up too and I was pretty competitive with that until a certain age, when I was about 13,” she says. “I grew up on skis and had both parents who were good 26

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ski racers. I was lucky to have parents who coached in that field, and then introduced me to hockey. I just fell in love with it.”

Hickel was clearly skilled in both sports, and given Alaska’s small population and growing up with fewer girls who played the sport than do now, she regularly skated with boys. While she looked up to iconic U.S. women’s hockey players like Granato, Angela Ruggiero, Julie Chu and Jenny Schmidgall-Potter, Hickel was particularly enthralled with a National Hockey League star, Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk.

“I can’t say I can handle a hockey stick like he can! I wish. He’s amazing, so I just really like his style of play and his ability – just a lot of things I like about him,” Hickel says.

When she wasn’t helping Cristy coach various teams in Alaska, Zoe was excelling enough on hockey rinks in and around Alaska to get the chance to head east as a teenager and attend the prestigious North American Hockey Academy in Stowe, Vt. A scholarship to play for the Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Bulldogs followed, where Hickel eventually became team co-captain and scored 46 career goals.

She got her first taste of Team USA competition on the Under-18 teams in 2010, and she made the cut for the 2015 World Championships and has a great chance to be a member of the USA Hockey squad at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

“It was amazing to just be part of that group and be in this player pool with these girls who are so dedicated and of course having the same stuff I’ve been striving for, for a long time. When I finally got my chance, I guess you can say I made the most of my opportunity that I had,” Hickel says.

“It’s fun that you’ve looked up to these girls and then get to play with them. And a lot of these girls I’ve played against or played with in the past, and women’s hockey is a smaller circle.

Most of the time, at some point we’ve crossed paths. So you get at that level and it’s such a dynamic atmosphere to be involved with girls at that level.”

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Zoe was such a rink rat Cristy recruited her to help her coaching duties.

Considering she was jumping off the high dive at 3, teaching little sis Tori to ski at 4 and started coaching with Cristy at 9, what took her so long to start coaching herself?

“We’ve butted heads here and there, and I know it’s really hard to have a parent as a coach,” Zoe says of her mom, who’s become nationally respected as a teacher of the game. “But I have a lot of respect for her and we were able to have that kind of relationship where I was able to learn so much from her and what she was able to pass onto me.”

The influence was reflected during her senior year at UMD, when Hickel was a finalist for the NCAA’s Hockey Humanitarian Award, which honored the five men’s or women’s players vying to win the college game’s “finest citizen” award. Hickel’s nomination was due to various charitable endeavors – including coaching Alaska’s All-Star Girls Hockey teams, volunteering in

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Anchorage’s SPYDER (Sports Programs for Youth Development, Education and Recreation) nonprofit organization and running the SHARK (Strong, Healthy, Active, Responsible Kids) program in Duluth, Minn., to promote youngsters staying active.

“Despite the material shiny things,” Cristy says, “I would like to think of Zoe as a successful young lady who is a contributor to our youth and community.”

HICKEL’S HOCKEY CAREER is just getting started playing in Boston – one of four teams in the new league – with American stars such as Hilary Knight and Brianna Decker, plus another Anchorage resident, Jordan Smelker (who played with Hickel on Team USA’s Four Nations Cup championship team last month). She is also on staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the Merrimack College (North Andover, Mass.) women’s hockey team.

“Zoe is so much fun to watch – she’s as dynamic and skilled as they come, as well as a stand-up teammate,” Pride

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

general manager Haley Moore said.

Adds Cristy Hickel, “She skates with a natural grace and athleticism that is more like most boys than what I normally observe (from female players). Zoe has journeyed along the way coaching and being coached, and as such has become a student of her sport.”

But hockey is only part of what defines her. Her hectic 2015 also included a summer back home fishing and hunting in Alaska, where her busy childhood as a ski bunny, puck head and dedicated outdoors junkie was molded.

Cristy Hickel calls her oldest daughter “an ambassador for Alaska because she loves the land and the people who make up our community.”

“It’s huge for kids to understand all of those skills (I learned) when they’re young, especially living in Alaska,” Zoe says. “I think that’s great.” ASJ Editor’s note: For more on Zoe Hickel, follow her on Twitter (@ZoeHickel) and go to nwhl.co/teams/boston-pride.

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

ATTRACTED TO THE WATER

SITKA LODGE AND CHARTER OWNER LIVES FOR FISHING EXPERIENCE

BY LUKE KELLY

E

verybody has his or her own reason for being drawn to Alaska.

For some, it’s the mountains and the allure of untamed wilderness. For others, it could be hunting, or the prospect of solitude. And for the Theresa Weisers of the world, who love boats, fishing and simply being on the water, Alaska provides the sea and that lifestyle as a package deal.

Weiser is the owner of Alaska Premier Charters Inc. and Wild Strawberry Lodge in Sitka (1-800-770-2628; wildstrawberrylodge.com). Her successful career running charters has spanned nearly 25 years, and much of this is owed to the fact that she has a wealth of experience in both Alaska’s charter and commercial fishing industries.

BACKGROUND ON BOATS Weiser began her life on the water as a teenager in Oregon working as a deckhand on charter boats. It was there that she got her first taste of the fishing lifestyle – the long hours, the highs

and lows, the thrills that come with working on a boat. It seemed inevitable that from there, she would set her sights and career aspirations on the Last Frontier.

“When I was 19 I came to Alaska with $15 in my pocket to work on commercial fishing boats,” she says.

In the following years Weiser worked both commercial trollers and longline vessels throughout the pristine waters of Southeast Alaska. When her stint as a commercial fishing deckhand came to an end, she took a job with Icicle Seafoods and worked at a fish-processing plant in Petersburg, adding to her rapidly growing knowhow in the fishing industry.

“In the process of working (at Icicle) I got a lot of seafood-processing experience, particularly with salmon eggs.

So I started my own salmon egg bait company,” says Weiser. “I moved from Petersburg to Sitka to be an entrepreneur, and I did that for five years.”

From 1985 to 1990, Weiser built a flourishing business of curing and marketing salmon eggs that were

used for salmon, steelhead and trout fishing. “I would process around 100,000 pounds of salmon eggs a year,” she recalls.

A NEW VENTURE Always the entrepreneur and equipped with a solid foundation of both fishing and business skills, Weiser sold her company at the beginning of the 1990s to start another one. “Those were my startup funds to be able to go into partnership for starting Alaska Premier Charters Inc. in 1990,” she says.

These days, Weiser is the sole owner of the business (and has been since 2005); her company has a reputation for providing a top-notch fishing experience to clients who come from all over the globe. The success of the business, and the high level of expertise provided as far as the fishing and lodging goes can be largely attributed to all of those years that Weiser spent paying her dues in the fishing industry.

“All of that prior experience gave me a really good background,” she says. “You could call it the school of

Based in beautiful Sitka, Wild Strawberry Lodge and Alaska Premier Charters put customers within reach of great salmon, halibut and bottomfish fishing. “As far as our clients go, we want them to have a hassle-free fishing vacation from the minute they get off of the plane,” says owner Theresa Weiser. (ALASKA PREMIER CHARTERS, BOTH) aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

35

hard knocks to be able to run a company like this.”

Weiser points out that running her company is unique in the sense that it’s really more like “having four or five businesses all wrapped into one.” Not only does Alaska Premier Charters Inc. and Wild Strawberry Lodge offer a stellar charter fishing experience, boasting a fleet of boats, but they also must comfortably house and feed their clientele.

“We’re a hotel in the respect of providing lodging for everybody here. And we are also a restaurant because we provide their meals here on premises,” says Weiser, who also goes the extra mile to make sure her clients take some memories home. “We fillet, vacuum pack, freeze and ship the catch.” She points out that processing is yet another component of the business. Needless to say, Weiser has her hands full more often than not.

Weiser and husband John raise two girls and she says that their guests can expect a “genuine Alaskan hospitality experience; a home away from home. We have excellent food and a great fishing experience – my skippers are all very personable.

As far as our clients go, we want them to have a hassle-free fishing vacation from the minute they get off of the plane.”

If you happen to find yourself in Sitka this summer, or if you’ve always wanted to visit and land your trophy fish, Alaska Premier Charters is a good bet. There’s simply no substitute for the kind of hard-earned experience that Theresa Weiser has. ASJ

Theresa Weiser (with her family) was attracted to the water at an early age when she was a deckhand on charter boats along the Oregon coast. Now she’s become a successful owner of Sitka’s Alaska Premier Charters and Wild Strawberry Lodge.

(ALASKA PREMIER CHARTERS, BOTH)

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PROTECTING

DON’T LET DOOMED WILD ALASKA ICE-RIDING OX GO TO WASTE

BY CHRIS COCOLES laskans don’t mess around when it comes to the thought of letting an animal suffer and ultimately die without making use of it.

In Northwest Alaska along the Bering Sea, muskox that wander too far onto the ice sometimes find themselves in a dire situation when floes break off the mainland, leaving massive meaty animals on sometimes large but likely inescapable islands.

“They’re just terrible swimmers,” Patrick Jones, a Bethel-based assistant biologist with the Department of Fish and Game, told the Associated Press.

“I think they’re heading toward things they can see or smell in the distance.”

Whatever the reasons for why they end up on the ice, when tragedies like this do occur – Jones said muskox end up being trapped every couple of years of ice breaking off – chances of survival are bleak. If they don’t drown making a desperate attempt to swim to shore, with no food, starvation is imminent.

“It just seems like a waste for them

A

Local Nunivak subsistence hunters paved the way for the state to allow a permitless hunt when muskox like these stray too far onto ice that breaks off and traps them at sea. (JERRY HOUT/USFWS)

not to harvest these animals,” Jones told the AP. That’s where the state of Alaska has stepped in and legalized hunting these animals from a boat, harvesting and then butchering the muskox right on the sheet of ice. Because the ice sheets can move rapidly, a permit is not required when hunters spot a muskox drifting in the Bering Sea, though ADFG requires photographic evidence that the animal is surrounded by saltwater.

The idea of this makes sense, especially in such an isolated area where

food sources are not always easily accessible. Muskox provide plenty of meat, and Alaskans’ attitude of waste not, want not makes perfect, logical and humane sense to harvest the animal and not waste what could feed an entire family or more.

“The meat is a necessity for us,” hunter and transporter Abe David of nearby Nunivak Island told the Alaska Dispatch.

It’s just another reason why Alaskans’ live-off-the-land mantra can find a positive from a natural tragedy. ASJ

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Looking to hunt Dall sheep or other big game in Alaska in 2016? Deadline to apply for Tier I or II tags is Dec. 15. (PAUL D. ATKINS) aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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FLIGHT SCHOOL HOMEWO HOW TO PLAN AND PACK FOR A FLY-IN HUNTING TRIP

Just as with wrestlers and boxers trying to be just heavy enough but not go over, flying a small bush plane to a hunt is all about making weight. Carriers only allow so many pounds, including the hunters’ weights themselves, so pack accordingly. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

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DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

RK REQUIRED

BY KRYSTIN MCCLURE AND BIXLER MCCLURE

T

“

here are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.”

I repeated E. Hamilton Lee’s famous 1949 phrase that has spread among the Alaska bush pilot community when I first met our bush pilot, Rolan, of Sea Hawk Air out of Kodiak.

With some 25,000 hours in a de Havilland Beaver under his belt and a surprisingly calm demeanor, we knew we had made the right decision with our bush pilot. Rolan was just one link in the long chain of events that made our fly-in successful, even if we didn’t get our animal. If you are planning on doing a fly-in hunt, be prepared for a logistically complicated process. Hunting, as it turns out, is the easy part.

When the draw tag results came out at the end of February, I had drawn a spring Kodiak brown bear tag for the following year on Afognak Island, part of the Kodiak archipelago and home to these iconic giants. At first, I was excited, but the reality of planning a fly-in hunt struck.

How are we going to get all of our gear out into the field? We have heard stories of hunters shipping pallets of gear on the ferry months before. Pallets? Do we really need that much gear?

WHILE I WORRIED about the gear, Bixler set out on the task of finding us a bush pilot. Bixler’s uncle is a resident of Kodiak and highly recommended Sea Hawk Air (907-4868282; seahawkair.com). We reserved our time months in advance and were given the incremental breakdown on weight and costs. When flying to hunt, weight is everything, including your own. Our goal was to strive to stay under the allotted 800 pounds with two people and gear to keep the cost down (the next increment was 1,200 pounds, which is the typical weight of a fly-in hunt). Sea Hawk Air was slightly shocked, but we were not planning on shipping a pallet over to Kodiak anytime soon.

With a weight goal in mind, we set on packing. Aside from the usual camping gear, we added some essentials into the mix: • We brought two tents instead of just one. Two tents allow for a “gear tent” to store all the ancillary stuff and keep the weather out.

• Tarps and rope are key items. We brought enough tarps to cover the entire camp, as well as our sleeping tent, from inclement weather.

• You can never have enough rope in a camp. We brought feet of rope to hang tarps and store food high in the trees.

• Aside from our gourmet selection of home-canned and dried food, we brought an extra three-day supply of commercial freeze-dried food, just in case.

• A bear fence will keep you sleeping well at night and keep bears out of your food. We had heard many stories of bears destroying camps while the campers were away hunting. aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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• Contractor bags are heavy-duty garbage bags great for storing gear and sorting out your trash. We brought a whole roll of them and used nearly all of them.

• A satellite phone will keep you connected with the outside world. Some places rent them, but many Alaskans own them. Ours has an “Alaska-only” plan to keep the cost down and has been useful many, many times.

• Food is an important item that we did not skimp on. Some people are happy just throwing a few pounds of pasta into the mix and calling it good. For us, nothing is worse than your digestive system going haywire while trying to hunt.

I planned one-pot meals that can be quickly cooked in a Jet Boil or a cast-iron skillet, plus a snack. This cut down on the food weight substantially by having a meal plan. As mentioned above, most of our food was from home-canned meats such as salmon or moose and shelf-staple delights like mac and cheese. We saved the Mountain House for emergencies.

SO HOW DID we pack our mountain of gear? We invested in Action Packers, large plastic totes that are better designed for the back of a truck than on an airplane. If we made any mistakes on this trip, the large, bulky Action Packers were to blame. Unfortunately, they do not close well and required a great deal of tape to make them airline-stable. The largest one weighed over 100 pounds, which is a big no-no on any airline. Our gun case, however, is a large metal beast that happily held our shotgun, .44 Magnum pistol and our trusty Ruger .30-06.

By the time we reached the airport, we realized the extent of our Action Packer mistake. Most airlines allow a certain amount of baggage per person, but anything over two bags is not guaranteed on the flight due to weight restrictions of the aircraft.

Unfortunately, the woman working the desk that day was not feeling generous and told us our gear may not make it to Kodiak.

Bixler nearly had to restrain me when she said this and made us take a pound of gear out of the biggest Action Packer and asked us to pick the four most important bags of our six. I replied, “All of them.”

Flying with a gun is usually not a problem, as is flying with a bunch of gear. When in doubt just call the airline for information, which we should have done with our oversized Action Packers.

Our gear thankfully made it to Kodiak. We spent the afternoon getting stove fuel and other items not permitted on airlines. When we arrived at Sea Hawk Air to store our gear, we noticed they had oodles of half-used containers of cook stove fuel, Jet Boil Canisters, etc., that people had abandoned before their flight home. If we can offer any more advice, ask your bush pilot if they have any cooking or camp fuel or abandoned gear for use. You will be surprised what they end up with.

Sea Hawk Air was able to store our gear, but warned us that the biggest of the Action Packers might be too bulky to fit into the Beaver. Again, we were faced with the same dilemma as with the larger airline of trying to fit this oversized container into a cargo space. We pulled out our contractor bags and started stuffing gear into them. The smaller Action Packers were fine, but Sea Hawk Air recommended use of duffel bags in the future, which we duly noted.

BEFORE WE STEPPED onto the Beaver, one of Sea Hawk Air’s employees asked about our commercial return flight in case of bad weather.

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DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

The authors’ brown bear hunt was on Afognak Island (top middle, right), part of the Kodiak archipelago. As you can see, bush planes are not exactly jumbo jets (main image), so don’t expect a lot of legroom, much less space for all the gear you might otherwise fit into the back of your truck for hunts off the road system. Best advice is to pack smart and listen to others who’ve done it. If the McClures could have done it differently, Krystin and Bixler say they wouldn’t have relied so heavily on large storage containers known as Action Packers (top left), which are bulky and difficult to tape up when full to make safe for bush plane travel. Like most trips, planning is sometimes more stressful than the actual adventure. You might not take that massive bear you came for, but you can still enjoy the overall experience and reflect on how damn hard but satisfying the challenge was to just get there and back. (BIXLER MCCLURE, ALL)

aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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PICK YOUR PILOT Finding the right bush pilot is half the battle. Here are some tips when shopping around for one:

Welcome to the friendly skies of Alaska air travel.

(BIXLER MCCLURE)

Research your hunt area. Are you hunting along the coast or in lake country, or is your destination a remote stretch of tundra? Most bush planes are set up for floats or tundra tires for the season. You need to find the plane to match your hunt area.

If you are not lucky enough to have family in the area, give your potential pilot a call and ask about his or her credentials. A pilot with 25,000 hours is probably more reliable than one with just a few thousand.

Ask about gear requirements. A de Havilland Beaver will be able to carry a lot more weight than, say, a Supercub or Cessna. This will help with your packing if you want to stay within a certain weight range.

Check on what the pilot plans to do if the weather takes a turn for the worst. Some operations have a contingency plan to get all their hunters out if a storm is brewing, while others may leave hunters out until weather improves.

Ask about abandoned gear such as cooking fuel or fuel canisters. Many operations store this equipment for future hunters.

Make sure your operation has a Big Game Transporter License. It’s a requirement for using a bush pilot for hunting in Alaska. –KM

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For however difficult it can be to pack everything and get it all on the plane, views like this make the painful details and logistics worthwhile. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

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DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

We did not book a return flight and noted we had extra food. She made a note of that in case we got stuck on Afognak. We never asked about that to begin with, but it is something to think about when shopping around for a bush pilot. That last thing a hunter needs is to be stranded among the largest brown bears in Alaska.

There was a sense of relief when Rolan gunned the engine and we took off from Kodiak. All of our planning allowed us to set up a comfortable camp and spend a week hunting brown bears. We did not get our bruin; we did not even see a bear, but we were happy and comfortable.

Rolan was a bit late picking us up due to other customers, but we were able to check in with him via our satellite phone. All of the detailed planning was worth it, even if we made mistakes along the way. We can’t wait to try another fly-in, and maybe invest in a few duffel bags for the future. ASJ

aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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Getting around the Arctic tundra in Alaska without a snowmachine can prove to be difficult, especially when the land is covered in snow and ice. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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MAN AND THE SNOWMACHINE ALL ABOUT THE ‘WORKHORSES OF THE ARCTIC’

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

T

he only thing you could see was the hood above the icy cold water. I was still hanging onto the handlebars as the snowmachine’s track settled on the hard ice below, which brought me to a complete standstill. My snow pants and boots were full of water and I was in panic mode, wondering if this was the end for yours truly.

Luckily, I made it out of the overflow (water on top of ice) and built a fire to warm up, easing the pain of what could have been a very bad situation. As I tried to dry out, the two guys I was with wrestled my machine from its slushy grave, all the while reminding me of what I should have done and the fact that I was wasting valuable hunting time.

That experience happened 20 years ago, but it’s still a constant reminder of what not to do when you’re riding in the far north.

The first snowmachine I ever saw, I rode. It was an awkward experience, to say the least, and something that I wasn’t comfortable with, especially as a newbie from the Lower 48. I buried it more times than I can remember, and instances like above happened more often than I can remember. It wasn’t until years later that I learned to ride one and came to realize the importance and significance of these incredible machines, especially to the people of rural Alaska.

SNOWMACHINES, OR “SNO-GOS” as they’re sometimes called locally, are truly the workhorses of Arctic. Getting around without one can prove to be difficult, especially when most of the year the land is covered in snow and ice.

Starting in October, when the first cold spell hits and the snow begins to fall, a frenzy of snowmachine activity begins. Covers are pulled from machines and inspections start taking place in yards and garages around town. Tracks are inspected, grease guns emptied and new sparkplugs take the place of old ones. It’s time to get ready.

People rely on snowmachines for all sorts of reasons: For many living in rural Alaska, it’s their only mode of transportation. They don’t drive a car or truck, or even a 4-wheel-drive – just a snowmachine waiting to make its appearance once the white stuff starts to fly. All brands are represented too, and in all sizes. There is everything from the really big machines made for hauling freight and long trekking to the smallest, which can be seen loaded down with kids circling backyards all over town. It’s a great time and creates a new appreciation and a sense of celebration that only the cold dark months can allow.

I have seen my share of snowmachines over the years, but I’m still a novice when it comes to most. Here in the Arctic, being able to ride one is only part of the sno-go experience; to truly understand one you must know how your machine works and be able to fix it when and if the time comes – and believe me, that time will come.

Most hardcore snowmobiles that push the limits in the backcountry – where things can go wrong in a hurry – are truly some of the best mechanics when it aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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It is common in some parts of the world to call snowmachines sleds, but in the Arctic a sled is something to attach to the back of the machine using a hitch. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

comes to this endeavor. They have to be, especially when you’re miles from home in subzero weather and your machine breaks down. Being able to fix the problem and get back home before you freeze to death will give you a better appreciation for what you can and cannot do. Some guys go solo, which is even more demanding and the danger levels are a bit higher, while others choose to travel in bands, hoping that 54

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somebody in the group has experience. I belong to the latter group, and have good reason to be so.

A FEW YEARS ago I was traveling north through miles and miles of snow-infested tundra with a hunting friend of mine. Our goal was to make camp that evening in hopes of taking a few wolves. If we were lucky, we’d also take home a sheep or two.

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

It was a 100 miles from town and would take us all day to get there if things ran smoothly. Everything was going well until we ran out of snow.

The temperatures fell below zero and we were miles from any marked trail, so we did something dumb and tried to push through it. We shouldn’t have.

My machine immediately overheated, frying everything inside. It was scary, to say the least, but luckily there

were two of us and we were able to limp back home on one sled. That was a long night, but we made it.

It was three months before I could get back up there and get my machine and gear, worrying the whole time if it would even still be there upon my return.

My machine was old back then, but even the newest machines can have problems. Some of the old timers still

swear that the older sleds are better, while the new generation only want the latest and the greatest.

One thing is for sure: snowmachines have evolved over time, especially in the last 10 years. Refinements include everything from four-stroke engines to super-wide tracks to digital controls with built-in global tracking systems that are the norm now. How did we ever do without them?

If you’re new to the snow-going world, deciding on a specific brand of machine to buy can become as important as selecting a soul mate and, at times, may be even more so. It’s a hot topic among those who love trekking through the snow on the back of one. When you do, it will forever seal you to a particular camp.

Much like the Ford versus Chevy debate, choosing what is best depends

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Late March and April are prime times for snowmobiling in the far north. Crisp sunny days are ideal with many people heading to camp or just to get away for a day or two. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

on what you like. There are many brands to choose from and many places throughout Alaska to buy one. Skidoo, Polaris and Arctic Cat are the more popular selections in the Arctic, each with their own pluses and minuses. Size is also important, and depending on what you plan to do with it, ultimately should dictate your decision.

There are many places throughout Alaska that offer rentals as well. It’s a growing business and in some of the bigger communities it has become quite popular. Rentals can run anywhere from $100 a day to more, depending on the village you’re in. Most who rent are visitors or tourists who want to experience what gliding across the tundra or digging through deep powder is like.

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Whether out hunting or just relaxing in your Arctic Oven tent for the weekend, snowmachines are a great way to enjoy the outdoors. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

MANY YEARS AGO I drew a muskox tag in a community other than my own. I didn’t have a way to get my machine

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

there other than pay to have it flown in by aircraft; that was not a feasible solution due to the expense. I checked

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Bigger machines, like Lew Pagel’s four-stroke Skidoo Skandic, can handle the toughest jobs, and many this far north are just that.

Whether it’s hauling logs for firewood or that caribou or moose you just harvested, the machine must have the power to get you there and home again. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

around and found a place that had a couple of older machines that I could borrow.

At first glance I could see that these were early models, though they appeared to be in decent shape. But after 20 miles on the trail I could see that they weren’t. I did get my ox, but getting it back became a problem and we ended up having to call for help. We were fortunately found by a couple of true blue backcountry guys who knew snow and were riding machines built for the Arctic. It was an incredible experience and made me realize just how important having the right snowmachine at the right time is, especially if you live in the Last Frontier. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an author and outdoor writer from Kotzebue, Alaska. He has written hundreds of articles on big game hunting and surviving in the Arctic.

Paul is a regular contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal.

LewisWildlife Art Burbank, WA

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509-995-6299 lewiswildlifeart.com 58

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BILL FEELEY’S EXTREME HAGGLUNDS Montana-based Extreme Hagglunds, is an Alaskan’s best friend. Given the brutal winter and watery conditions that The Last Frontier is known for, you need vehicles capable of traversing roads that get buried in snow and can slosh through wetlands and swampy marshes on the way to hunting destinations. That’s where the various rebuilt trucks Extreme Hagglunds produces can come in so handy in the unforgiving Alaska landscape.

Owner Bill Feeley has been buying and rebuilding these machines for more than a decade now, and his vehicles are in high demand, including from hunters who must overcome rugged country to fill the freezer with meat.

The finished product - from the junkyard to a complete overhaul - is transformed into a badass piece of all-terrain machinery that can get through Mother Nature’s most challenging paths.

406-328-6726 • extremehagglunds.com

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

WE BUY ALL MACHINES – RUNNING OR NOT! www.extremehagglunds.com – (406) 328-6726 aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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M

erry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year. It seems like 2015 has raced by us all, so as we prepare for another month of gifts, family reunions, food, drink, holiday work parties, New Year’s Eve parties and parties just for the sake of parties, now is also a good time to start thinking about taking your hunting trip of a lifetime to Alaska.

If it’s a hunt for big game moose or caribou bulls or hiking a mountain pass for ptarmigan, we’ve got you covered with the coolest swag in the industry. Perhaps it’s that fancy satellite phone you’ll want for the remote backcountry you’re hunting, the best guns on the market, or maybe the kind of clothing to keep you warm and dry in the unpredictable Alaskan bush.

Check out the following pages for all your gear needs. And this month’s issue provides you with plenty of hunting tips and ideas – from king eider duck hunts on remote Saint Paul Island to rugged adventures seeking predators like the wolf, coyote and fox. Don’t miss our reports on snowmachines – if winter hunts are your thing – and choosing the perfect bush plane pilot to transport you and your gear to that hunting destination you’ve thoroughly researched to start your Alaska odyssey. Whatever you want to hunt in the Last Frontier, this excellent selection of gear is a good place to find that holiday gift for the hunter in your life.

Planning a trip to Alaska will take meticulous research. But you can’t go wrong with the equipment on the following pages as you ponder your dream bear hunt on Kodiak or glassing for Sitka deer on the Panhandle. It all starts here. Happy holidays from Alaska Sporting Journal.

1. EAR INC.

SHOTHUNT Waterproof Electronic Earplugs use today’s latest digital compression circuits to bring the best of clarity and programmed protection to the shooting enthusiast. Models include color choices, two-way radio compatibility and lanyard options. Custom-Fit eartips are also available for improved comfort and ease of use. More information can be found on www.earinc.com. Call toll-free to (800) 525-2690 or contact info@earinc.com for more.

See ad on page 60

2. SKINNER SIGHTS

Skinner Sights are accurate, rock-solid, reliable, beautiful, dependable, aperture/“peep” sights for rifles. They are machined from solid bar stock and made in Montana,

by American craftsmen who are shooters and hunters. Skinner Sights has models to fit many rifles. Please visit www.skinnersights.com for more information.

See ad on page 85

3. American Tacticall

The MAXX Series combines the all-new OMNI Hybrid upper and lower receivers, which are comprised of a polymer composite infused with metal inserts to produce unmatched durability.

It’s chambered in 5.56 and 300 AAC Blackout rifle and pistol configurations, and coming soon as a .410 shotgun; California-compliant versions are available too. Prices range from $599.95 to $654.99. Visit www.americantactical.us to see the entire OMNI Hybrid MAXX Series and other American Tactical products.

See ad on page 69

4. American Tactical

New for 2015 is a complete line of RUKX Gear gun cases and backpacks. Their one-day Back Pack includes heavy-duty padded shoulder straps, as well as many compartments to organize everything you need to bring along with you. RUKX Gear gun cases and backpacks come in black or tan 40D polyester models with reinforced seems and zippers. Gun cases range from 36- to 46-inch lengths, while the backpacks come in oneday, three-day, and five-day configurations. Prices range from $49.95 to $99.95. Visit www.americantactical.us to see the full line of RUKX Gear and other American Tactical products.

See ad on page 89

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Photo Credit: FreeImages.com/cde010

5. NOMAR

Pilots encourage customers to use soft-sided gun cases when flying in bush Alaska. That special hunting rifle deserves special protection. The NOMAR gun scabbard is the answer – a waterproof, padded, soft-sided gun case. The outer bag is waterproof 18-ounce Seatarp and sealed at the edges. Extra strength is added with a sewn edging that holds the carry handle and D-rings for the optional carry strap, or use those D-rings to secure the gun case to a skiff, four-wheeler or horse. This unique liner will protect the rifle well, and the 4 square feet of closed-cell foam has a flotation rating of 140 pounds.

It will float the gun so you won’t lose it, and it might also keep your head above water. It will hold most scoped rifles and is available in many colors, including camo, for $109.

6. ORLOBS

The Occluder sight does the same thing as closing an eye while shooting. The difference is that the only thing blocked in your visual field is the sight posts themselves.

You don’t see double sights.

www.orloboccluder.com See ad on page 85

www.nomaralaska.com See ad on page 8

7. OUTFITTER SATELLITE, INC.

Our Iridium GO! satellite hotspot lets iPhone or Android smartphones make calls or send texts from anywhere on Earth. The compact 10.4-ounce device provides up to seven hours of talk time on one charge. SOS and GPS features keep your friends apprised of your location wherever you GO!

www.outfittersatellite.com See ad on page 8

9. MICRO 100

Speedy Sharp is the world’s fastest sharpener, with the capability to sharpen every knife with any type of edge in seconds, even serrated blades. Speedy Sharp will also sharpen broadhead arrows, axes, hooked blade knives and fish hooks. You will never lose your edge!

wwww.speedysharp.com See ad on page 83

8. QIVIUT

The Harpoon cap is made to be like a watchman’s style hat. Close fitting but still with a cuff, the cap is eight times warmer than wool by weight, and will still keep you warm while it’s wet. Perfect for hunting, fishing or camping! www.qiviut.com See ad on page 96

10. MORGAN ENTERPRISES

The Stronghold Haywire Klamper is the simplest and easiest way to clamp, bind or repair almost any item. The tool uses hardened wires that wrap around any item with extreme pressure that will securely hold, clamp or repair it. The Stronghold Haywire Klamper clamps with much greater pressure than a conventional worm clamp! This amazing tool has an infinite amount of uses that are limited only by your imagination: hose clamp repairs, binding crates and boxes, emergency repairs of all types, welding clamp reinforcement, and survival tools and shelter.

www.haywireklamper.com See ad on page 85

11. MAN GEAR Alaska

The new patent-pending holster design by Man Gear Alaska for semiautomatic handguns is all about functionality and comfort.

Handcrafted with high-quality materials and hardware for rugged use in harsh conditions, over 30 sizes and models are available, plus they can be ordered for left-hand draw.

The holsters come with a limited lifetime warranty and are made in Alaska, by Alaskans.

www.mangearalaska.com See ad on page 12

12. WHISTLES FOR LIFE

If you can be heard, you can be rescued! Sound is the No. 1 factor in finding the lost or injured. Whistles for Life provides you with the most important tool for being found in a life-and-death situation. Features include hands-free mouth grip and three separate omni-directional frequencies. Made in the USA. Phone in orders to (844) 290-9367 or visit www.rescuewhistles.com.

See ad on page 29

GHOSTS OF THE TUNDRA WHEN HUNTING ALASKA CARIBOU AND BEARS, DON’T BE SURPRISED IF WOLVES APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE

BY LOUIS CUSACK

M

y buddy Jeff Spitler and I were moose hunting in Alaska and sitting on top of a ridgeline just north of the Arctic Circle.

The same perches that make good spots to locate caribou and moose serve well for finding wolves. (LOUIS CUSACK) 64

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We were glassing small groups of caribou that were filtering down through the timber, crossing the creek valley just below us and climbing the ridge just off to the right. I was watching a small group of them when they burst and scattered, as if someone had dropped a bomb on them. I got behind the

spotting scope and saw two wolves taking down a caribou.

I could not believe it. After 10 days of hunting this area, seeing wolf tracks on every sandbar, hearing them howling both day and night and catching a glimpse of several off in the distance, I was witnessing something few will ever have the opportunity to see.

They were about 1,100 yards away, according to my rangefinder, and we were thinking that making a successful stalk was going to be a longshot, especially considering that we had caribou steadily crossing below us. There were many sets of eyes, ears and noses to bust us on our way there, but as the old saying goes, “nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

With that thought in mind, Jeff and I slipped down to the treeline and started working our way toward them. We could see them at the beginning of our stalk: two wily wolves would

Outside of the Aleutians, Kodiak and some Panhandle islands, wolves occur all across Alaska. (MARK TAVELLI)

WOLVES BY THE NUMBERS 7,000-11,000 Estimated wolf population in Alaska 1,200 Average number harvested annually by all methods 145 Maximum weight of most males (average: 85 to 115 pounds) 110 Maximum weight of most females 7 Average members in a typical pack 7 Size of a typical female wolf’s litter of newborn pups $30 Price of a nonresident wolf tag * Source: ADFG

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run behind a little clump of trees every time a new group of caribou came out of the treeline. They’d simply sit there and let them walk by undetected. It was clear to us that they were not done killing caribou.

We managed to get within 150 yards when one of them popped his head up and busted us, but I managed to take him before he blew out of there. After the stalk, Jeff and I found over 20 kill sites in this immediate area. These two wolves were obviously planning to do more damage and we were happy to be there to interrupt them.

This white female wolf almost ran over Christopher Kobuck, before he shot it at less than 15 yards. About 1,200 wolves are harvested every year in Alaska. Hunting can help reduce their predation on caribou and moose herds.

(LOUIS CUSACK)

AT THAT POINT I had been hunting in Alaska for close to 13 years. Much of that had taken place in areas that contained a healthy population of wolves, but this was only the second wolf I had managed to take. This comes as no surprise, considering that the state of Alaska sells over 100,000 hunting licenses annually, yet in the eight years from 2005 to 2013, an average of only

Louis Cusack managed to get within 150 yards when one of them popped his head up and busted him, but Cusack managed to take him before he blew out of there. (LOUIS CUSACK)

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432 wolves were taken via ground shooting, and an average of only 1,200 were taken by all methods.

I have never been a true predator hunter and we usually only hunt wolf on an opportunity basis, but I have spent a little time across the state attempting to call them in. In 2006 I was able to call in two wolves while hunting brown bear on the Alaska Peninsula, but both managed to get away from us. I was using a rabbit call and those two old boys came rolling in like a couple of Nebraska coyotes. Heck, I thought I was on to something, but I blew the reed slap out of that call and never managed to pull in another wolf with it.

My best luck at calling wolves has actually been during moose hunting, where I have managed to pull several in while using a cow-call during the rut.

I was teaching a young man how to cow-call during a picnic off of the Denali Highway, and I’ll be danged if I didn’t call a young wolf right into our picnic!

He was coming in hard over a little hill when he spotted us and locked up

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about 400 yards out. He kind of looked at us like we were creatures from outer space, but he wasn’t in any hurry to run off. He wasn’t in any hurry to come in any closer either.

In 2009 I was set up on the river late one evening, wailing away like a lovesick cow, which I do every night while on a moose hunt in the hopes to pull in a big bull from the distance. I’ve had a lot of luck doing that, but on this particular evening I had just finished my calling sequence and was working my way back to camp when my wife, Mrs. Ruth, came out making a “Hey, pay attention, you old fool” signals at me.

My hearing’s not the best these days, so she ran up to me and told me that every time I called, a wolf would respond and was getting closer each time. Since it was coming from across the river, we set up and went to calling. I called for a while before the wolf was close enough for me to hear it, and it wasn’t much longer before she ran across the river.

She almost ran over my hunting part-

Even with all the sign, tracks and howling they produce, and despite the open country they inhabit, wolves can be elusive for hunters. These prints were made by a wolf that came to investigate the author’s camp, but was never seen.(LOUIS CUSACK)

ner, Christopher Kobuck, and he shot her at less than 15 yards. I’d swear that wolf looked like it was walking on water.

Needless to say, there was one less caribou and moose calf killer on the tundra.

Yes, this wolf was a female, and I

know some frown upon the practice of shooting female animals, but Alaska has a predator problem. An old Iowa farmer once talked to me when I was hunting whitetail on his farm.

“Boy, if you’re not shooting doe,

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DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

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Author Louis Cusack has developed a huge respect for wolves’ ability to thrive in open tundra country virtually undetected. (MARK TAVELLI)

then you’re not doing me any good. You shoot a buck, and another one will just come along and take his place,” he said.

“So if you are not up for shooting doe, just let me know and I’ll find someone more interested in helping me fix my crop predation problem.”

We went to hunting does after that little coaching session. I still hunt that farm today.

WE SAW A number of wolves in our hunting area back in 2009, and the place seemed to be just slap overrun with them. We heard them howling day and night. After spotting several of them, Chris and our other hunting partner, Steve Tousignant, caught a big white alpha male in the open and Steve managed to get a shot. Surprisingly, for all of the time we spent glassing this area and seeing all of the signs – and considering the amount of howling and location-calling we heard – we didn’t see many of them. We did not see nearly as many as I would ex-

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ALASKAN REEL AFFAIR CHARTERS LLC

Est. 1995

Daily Fishing Report – http://www.reelaffair.com/fishingreport/ Our charter fishing season is from midMay through early September. You choose the time of year that you prefer to fish by the salmon species you choose to target. Your ground fish, halibut, yellow eye, lingcod and other rockfish are available all season long. For detailed information on current limits and specifics on your targeted species, please visit www.reelaffair.com.

Because Sitka area water is inundated with islands, there is literally not a day we don’t fish. Location, location, location!

Why Sitka, Alaska?

Know your location: Don’t just take our word for it. Visit www.adfg.alaska.gov/ index.cfm.

Do your research: The water surrounding Sitka, Alaska boasts the highest salmon catch rate per angler hour of any saltwater destination for sport fisherman and fisherwomen in the entire state of Alaska.

That is huge!

The salmon species which are most commonly targeted in Sitka waters are king salmon (Chinook) and silver salmon (Coho), although all five species, including pink, chum and sockeye are present.

Salmon are drawn to Sitka simply because of the amount of baitfish in the waters here. It’s the food that brings them in and the food availability that keep them here in their course of their annual migratory run. Simple!

Sitka is located on the west side of Baranof Island. Why is this important? If you have fished anywhere off the mainland of Alaska, then you are very familiar with the tides and the fact that halibut fishing is a tidal fishery in those areas. You will fish an hour or so prior to slack tide through slack tide and an hour or so after before it becomes difficult to keep your bait on bottom any longer.

Sitka’s water will impress you with minimal tides. This alone allows our halibut fisherman and women to fish straight up and down 24 hours a day with no need to schedule a fishing vacation around the tides!

Choosing your dates: What dictates the beginning of our charter season in Sitka, Alaska as well as its end is simply this: water and weather conditions.

Whether you’re targeting salmon, halibut, yellow eye, lingcod or other rockfish and the fish are here. We are not date sensitive as lakes or rivers may be.

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About the owners: Opening in 1995, Alaskan Reel Affair Charters is owned and operated by Tim and Octobre Twaddle, year-round residents of Sitka. “We feel our longevity speaks volumes.” Tim, having a commercial fishing background, is an active guide along with other local captains and crew. Octobre oversees the land operations from “personally meeting our guests at the airport to our custom fish processing.” ...”We pay attention to your and to every detail. We’re there for you from before you step off the plane in Sitka, until we have you & your seafood securely checked through to your home airport on your day of departure”.

Flights: Alaska Airlines Boeing 738’s serves Sitka, Alaska – Flights are daily out of Seattle, Washington, www.alaskaairlines. com.

Delta Airlines, www.deltaairlines.com, also serves Sitka, AK. Why Alaskan Reel Affair Charters? The adjoining advertisement tells you briefly about our inclusive packages. For full details, www.reelaffair.com.

All-inclusive packages: We’ll meet you at our airport which is serviced by Alaska & Delta Airlines. Your lodging is at the Westmark Sitka, located in the heart of Sitka, the fifth largest city in Alaska.

Breakfast is available at the Westmark.

On arrival Octobre is waiting for your flight & will have your fishing license, king salmon stamp & boots. Need to go to the store? She’s prepared & ready to take you.

The remainder of your arrival day, you are free to enjoy the sights and sounds of Sikta’s rich history & culture.

We’ll pick you up the next morning to take you to Sealing Cove Harbor, only a three-minute ride away, and introduce you to your deckhand & captain, where the boat is warm and ready to go.

You will fish the same crew the entirety of your trip, and we fish no more than four (4) anglers to a boat unless you have requested otherwise. (Generous lunches and more are provided on board.)

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

The boats: You will fish on one of our four U.S.C.G. inspected vessels, with state of the art electronics.

The fishing day: 10-hours dock-to-dock affords you seven to eight hours of “wet line time”. You’ll fish a “combination” day, fishing for your salmon in the morning hours and later that morning heading out to fish our ground species: halibut, yellow eye, lingcod and other rockfish. Your catch will be bled, gutted and gilled onboard and put on ice.

Unlimited custom fish processing: After arrival back to the dock, Octobre, will take you to your lodging and, upon request will have made dinner reservations for you. While you’re enjoying a shower or a power nap, our processors take your catch back to our facility where your harvest will be prepared per your individual requests of steaks, fillets, and butterflies or even smoked. Choices daily! Your harvest is then labeled, vacuum sealed in portions for two, frozen to (minus) -28 degrees and boxed for your flight home as checkin baggage. We can also fully insulate!

Remember, when fishing with us, bring carry-on luggage only, your fish is check-in baggage going home.

Questions?

Octobre or Tim – cell – 907-738-3322 Email – reel.affair@att.net Web – www.reelaffair.com

CHAR TER S,

LL C .

AS AL

N KA

Reel Affair

EST. 1995

SITKA, ALASKA

STEP ABOARD. Allow our crew to assist you in personally designing your Alaskan experience of a lifetime. Whether you are seeking the majestic salmon, delicious halibut or one of our trophy saltwater species, we are here to assist you in making that dream come true.

Your All-Inclusive Package Includes: • Guaranteed 10 hours a day (dock to dock) which affords you a minimum of 7 to 8 hours of wet line time.

• UNLIMITED “custom” fish processing, packaged in portions for two, vacuum sealing, freezing, labeling and boxing of your catch.

• All your required fishing licenses & salmon stamps.

• All fishing gear and tackle. We even supply rain gear & boots.

However for that custom fit, you may want to bring your own.

Our deckhand will wash down the decks often. Non-scuff footwear is preferred.

• A Full Lunch is provided aboard, to include something fresh, something salty & something sweet, snacks, soft drinks, water, & fresh water ice is also included for any personal beverages you may choose to bring along.

• Lodging while in Sitka is at the Westmark Sitka considered to be one of Sitka’s finest in lodging and amenities. All lodging is based on double occupancy. The Westmark Sitka features and outside deck with views of Sitka Sound & Crescent Harbor.

(907) 738-3322 or email reel.affair@att.net or visit www.reelaffair.com For reservations, please call

P.O. BOX 1825 • SITKA, ALASKA 99835 aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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pect to see in an area with this much open tundra.

I woke up one snowy morning in 2013 at moose camp and made my way down the trail leading from our camp to the gravel bar that I usually set up to call from. While there I found a fresh set of wolf tracks leading into camp. That wolf had come just into our clearing and sat there totally undetected while we slept.

A year later we were hunting brown bear on the Alaska Peninsula.

We were up on a bluff glassing a long strip of coastline where we had found a lot of fresh bear sign. We spotted a lone wolf stepping around an outcropping and walking in our direction. We set up to take a shot on him but the wolf caught us flat-handed, scrambling up the bluff and passing through the brush just in front of us without giving us a shot opportunity.

What happens next is one of the most exciting hunting moments I have ever experienced.

After several hours without any fur-

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ther sightings, we decided to pack it up and head back to camp for a meal and good night’s sleep. So far it had been a very productive day, but the tide was in and a leisurely walk down the beach to camp was not an option. It was time for a little alder busting, which we all love and cherish about as much as walking barefooted over a bed of hot coals.

If you have ever walked a brown bear trail full of fresh sign through the alders, then you know that our pucker factor was on full puck. I have personally never been to war, but several of my friends who have experienced both swear that doing this and walking point in Vietnam is a close comparison.

Needless to say, I was on high alert when I dropped down in the creek drainage, and there stood the old lupine – locked up and staring at me with less than 5 yards between us.

He had completely circled us and was walking towards us on the same trail we were walking out on. I am not sure who was more surprised – him or

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

me, but he darted away. I racked my bolt and the game was on. I got a good kill shot at him as he scrambled up the far bank of the creek.

I’ve had some luck taking wolves while hunting , but it has certainly been more by fate than skill, and over the years I have developed a huge respect for wolves’ ability to thrive in this open tundra country virtually undetected.

In the black spruce timber along the coastal regions of Alaska and Canada, big black bears are often referred to as the “phantom of the forest,” a name they have earned for their ability to slip through the trees like a black cloud of a thunderstorm storm rolling in from the sea.

If there has ever been an animal that has ever earned a name given for the way it can slip virtually unseen across the open tundra – while fully utilizing the environment to cover its movements – then the Alaska Arctic wolf can stake its claim for he wolves have earned the moniker “ghost of the tundra.” ASJ

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THE PREDATOR EFFECT WINTER IN ALASKA MEANS HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COYOTE, LYNX AND FOX

BY STEVE MEYER

T

he vapor trail from the 55-grain Nosler Varmint Ballistic Tip bullet was clearly visible in the dazzling light of a cold and clear February afternoon in Alaska.

The Bushnell 4500 Series Elite 6x24 scope was turned down to 16x and the mild recoil of the .220 Swift made seeing the shot particularly easy.

As I followed the path of the miniature jet fighter, I could see the shot would miss just before it impacted. The plume of snow dusting in front of the broadside coyote was of little comfort.

I recognized a misjudgement of the range at 325 yards, ran the bolt of the Ruger M77 Varmint rifle and followed the coyote as it began to trot straight away from me.

This moment was not the result of what seems to be the primary method of hunting predators in Alaska: calling them in with various types of predator calls, mostly dying rabbit or similar sounds.

Truthfully, calling in Alaska can be a tough proposition for a variety of reasons. Recent years have seen an increase of predator callers here, and the more accessible areas do receive a fair amount of calling pressure. For every successful calling session, there are many not so successful ones.

Some end with a missed shot, some with a predator coming in and then busting the caller without his or her knowledge. In those cases, you now have an educated predator that will be darn near impossible to bring in with a call again. Then, of course, there are the vast majority of call sessions when nothing responds. Considering the vast amount of territory they have to inhabit, keep in mind that predators in Alaska are relatively scarce, so it doesn’t take many blown calling sessions to end any real hope for a given area.

For some, just sitting on a calling stand in the cold has no appeal. But in the meantime there is always the “walkabout” method that can be as successful as calling and provides a good many hours outdoors during those lulls when ice fishing is slow or when I’m waiting for snow conditions to be right for ptarmigan hunting.

But there’s place for it here also.

“BE WHERE THEY want to be.” It’s something we say in duck hunting that inevitably holds true. If you are hunting where the ducks don’t want to be, well, they aren’t going to be there just because you wish it so. It means you have to figure out where whatever you might be hunting

Open country is often coyote country in Alaska. Coyotes have a home range that is subject to availability of food. (STEVE MEYER)

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Where you spot lots of snowshoe hares, lynx, coyotes and fox are bound to be nearby.

(STEVE MEYER)

wants to hang out; or perhaps more aptly, what country they want to roam. In the case of predators in the winter it isn’t particularly difficult, since tracks readily tell the story. Probably the best time to establish some known areas is just to drive around rural areas that you already know and can hunt, in the day after a fresh snowfall.

Make note of where the sign is and where it isn’t. Seeing tracks obviously means the animals were there, and seeing them in the same general area on subsequent outings means they are frequenting the area. Tracks show what they are doing, what they are hunting for and, if you are out enough, will give you some idea of their patterns.

Seeing fresh tracks in last night’s snowfall means you arrived too late. But it also means the area will very likely be revisited sooner than later. Coyotes have a home range that is subject to availability of food. Generally speaking, they range about a 10-square-mile area.

Lynx seem to have a wanderlust that will take them up to 100 miles of roaming through areas where prey is abundant.

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going to be a long process. On the other hand, I have routinely seen lynx in some areas where hares are very abundant and they evidently do not roam as much. But you get the idea: Finding their tracks means you have found an area they want to be – the first part of the battle.

Generally speaking, cats (be sure and check regulations; seasons may not be open in down years) are going to be in areas with healthy rabbit populations, if rabbits are on an up cycle.

Lynx also prey heavily on birds, including grouse and songbirds. Coyotes and fox will also frequent good rabbit country.

Those brush/deadfall-choked areas along roadways, seismic trails, firebreaks and power/pipeline trails are all good bets to check. A proliferation of rabbit tracks immediately after a light snowfall tells you there are many around.

Old snow may show lots and lots of tracks, but if a week or two has passed since the last snow dusting, just a couple of rabbits can create a lot of tracks. The thing about coyotes that is much different than cats is they will eat things that would give a hyena the dry heaves. They are known for their ability to survive virtually anywhere; part of that is due to their willingness to subsist on whatever is available.

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But if there is a day-in, day-out food source for coyotes, it has to be voles, shrews or what we generally refer to as “mice.”

Open areas with grass growth are always good sources for mice, as are creek banks and lake shores. Many an afternoon has been spent sitting behind binoculars watching coyotes “mouse” in open grassland country. They jump in the air and pounce on their tiny prey, often coming up and swallowing an afternoon snack.

In the Lower 48 and in the agricultural areas of southern Canada, coyotes are a nuisance. They seem to be everywhere and good predator hunters will call a half-dozen coyotes in a

a bit of decline. Lynx populations are so low there is no open season this year. This is due almost entirely to the boom/bust cycle of snowshoe hares, which crashed rather dramatically two years ago.

Fox seem less impacted by the hare cycle, although they certainly are to a degree. Judging from the numbers of fox I’ve seen while hunting grouse in the Interior, particularly near the Tok area, 2015-16 should be a good season for the species.

There are enough to have a reasonable chance of seeing one in a winter day’s hunt. In the recent past, coyotes have been identified as a significant predator on Dall sheep, all the more Steve Meyer saw lots of fox and signs of fox while grouse hunting this fall around Tok, suggesting a good season for those chasing the predators there this winter. (KRISTEN SOWL/USFWS)

day without traveling very far, virtually always within short walking distance to a road.

In Alaska, small farms or individuals raising poultry, sheep or other farm animals also have issues with coyotes and, to perhaps a lesser degree, lynx.

Knowing one of these folks may be a ticket to a good opportunity for a successful outing, though at its best, the Alaskan landscape does not support anywhere near the numbers that are found in more temperate climates and with more agriculture/ranching.

Coyote populations in Southcentral Alaska are currently in 80

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reason for taking a few out of the gene pool.

THE METHOD UTILIZED for most of my predator hunting these days is a fairly simple and economical concept. I spend a lot of time in areas that show prolific signs of coyotes – in other words, being where they live and being in likely areas at times they are likely to be out and moving around. Coyotes are very nocturnal and do most of their hunting at night, but there are times when they are out moving in daylight hours.

Those cold and clear days when the winter sun is blindingly bright are among the best to be out. Head on snowshoes

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into semiopen areas where there are scrub brush patches and remnants of long grass. These areas hold lots of rodents and make for prime opportunities to spot coyotes looking for lunch.

Other surprisingly good areas to spot roaming coyotes are the beaches along Cook Inlet. Take a walk along nearly any stretch of beach and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much coyote sign there is.

Get into an area and find a good vantage point – preferably facing into the wind – and start glassing. High ground is virtually always an advantage; not only can you see better but your quarry is not nearly as likely to spot you if you are above them. This is one reason why the beaches are great for this type of hunting. Perching up on the high bluffs that mark the beach line of many miles of oceanfront in Alaska offers a commanding view of activity taking place in this unlikely environment.

In open country, grassland coyotes and fox aren’t just mousing. They will lay down in front of snow drifts out of the wind and in the bright sun and take a nap. Give the country some time to settle after you have stopped and glass these areas thoroughly. Set yourself in a position that allows you to

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Lynx have a larger home range than coyotes, so if you see tracks don’t assume they are still in that area. (STEVE MEYER)

stay on the gun with minimal movement should an opportunity present itself. Predators see very well and are especially adept at spotting movement. This is one of those times when camouflage is worth the trouble. With good winter camo or Overwhites you can disappear in almost any type of terrain or backdrop.

AS THE BOLT closed on the .220 Swift, the coyote was moving

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GEARING UP FOR A PREDATOR HUNT So, one might ask: What sort of gear is required to go forth and hunt predators in the harsh winter environment they inhabit?

Obviously the firearm is a critical element. I’m a “gun guy,” so the shooting aspect of this endeavor is a significant part of the equation for me. I enjoy supremely accurate rifles and long-range shooting. For that there is a myriad of rifles available that are equal to the task. The heavy-barreled Ruger M77 in .220 Swift mentioned at the start of this article is one of my favorites. Flat shooting and accurate, the Swift has a reputation for being the ultimate predator cartridge.

But there are plenty of others. The .22-250, the .204 Ruger, the .243 Winchester and 6mm Remington all do a marvelous job for long-range predator hunting. There are supremely accurate rifles offered in these calibers by Remington, Winchester, Savage and numerous others.

No commentary on predator cartridges would be complete without mention of the .223, or in military vernacular, the 5.56x45mm made famous by its NATO adaptation.

Basically, if you can think up a rifle in .223, it is offered by someone. The most popular are those made on the original Colt AR-15 platform.

The refinement of these rifles and the accuracy they are capable of is astonishing to an old bolt-gun guy who never believed semiautomatics would be as accurate. My personal preferences go to bolt guns and single shots with heavy barrels, but it is hard to go wrong with one of these modern semiautos.

The .223 does not produce the fantastic velocities some of the other cartridges do, but is still a viable 300-yard gun in the right hands. Long-range predator hunting, at least in my mind, is a rifleman’s endeavor. The development of precision loads and learning to estimate range and wind are all part of an equation that deserves an entirely separate conversation.

Optics are at least as important as the rifle. A decent quality scope in a variable power, such as 4x12, 4.5x14, 6x18 or 6x24, is a good choice. I go for optics with no larger than 40mm objective lenses. I want the scope mounted low on the rifle so I don’t have to lift my head to see through it. I am really fond of the Bushnell 4200 Elite series. They are very good scopes available at a reasonable price.

Binoculars are also extremely important. Looking through them for hours out of a day will suck the retinas right out of your head if the glass does not suit your eye. Spend some time looking through them before you purchase. Short of paying the small fortune for Swarovskis, I have found the various models of Leupold, Bushnell and Nikon 10x42 glasses to be extremely good and easy on the eyes – and available for under $500. I have a Nikon 550 Rangefinder in a pocket of my pack and it stays there until after the shot.

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Make sure you have the right gear when predator hunting, including warm clothing and footwear for Alaska’s winter chill.

(STEVE MEYER)

ranging before the shot. But sometimes it is possible. For the most part having the rangefinder confirms the range estimated from years in the field.

Having been snowshoeing the Alaska backcountry for the past 40 years, I have tried about every type there is. A couple of years ago I tried a set of MSR Denali Ascent 9x30 shoes.

They are by the best pair of snowshoes I have ever used. The bindings fit boots of any size and go on and come off easily; they have serrations all along the aluminum frame that make mountain side-hilling easy, and they have a climbing step that allows one to actually climb snow mounds, mountains or whatever you come across with relative ease.

After many, many days spent sitting in subzero temperatures I have renewed my respect for down as the ultimate insulation when it is dry – and subzero temperatures are about as dry as the desert. Down vests, jackets or pants can be compressed into a very small and light package, making them easy to stash in pockets on day packs or utility vests. Upon reaching a destination, slipping a down jacket on under your camo Overwhites is an instant relief from the cold. When you are ready to move, just pack them back up and move on.

The lightweight padded chairs sold for cold-weather sporting events and sitting on bleachers work very well for sitting in the snow. They insulate and provide support for the back, while allowing a solid sitting position.

Laying prone is without question the most stable position for shooting and if you can do so with a command of the countryside and stay warm in the process, then do so. But this requires ground pads or extremely heavy insulated outer garments that are going to be very bulky and heavy to pack, seriously hampering the ability to address animals that show up to the sides of your main area of focus. –SM

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This coyote was taken during an afternoon hike. Coyotes are very nocturnal and do most of their hunting at night, but there are times when they are out moving in daylight hours.

(STEVE MEYER)

straight away and this time the hold was perfect as the trigger press sent a vapor trail from the 55-grain bullet that started its journey at close to 4,000 feet per second, into the upper right hindquarter and into the “boiler room,” as the heart lung region is referred to. The 29-pound female dropped like a stone at a confirmed range of 427 yards. Hard to imagine a better way to end a cold winter day in Alaska.

Many often ask a direct question: Why would one hunt predators? After all, they say, you don’t eat them. True enough, and I usually don’t hunt animals I am not going to eat. But they do have beautiful pelts that make a myriad of clothing articles or simply look nice hanging in the home. A cleaned predator skull makes a very nice addition to a decorative cabinet. For me, it is never taken lightly and I won’t take any predator that I am not going to utilize in some way. Some take them for the fur trade and sell them. With that said, I have a deep affection for these animals and have reached that point in life where killing one isn’t a requirement for a successful outing. Sometimes it is enough to watch them go about their business, wish them well and be pleased to have had that opportunity. I do believe that those of us who utilize other game and fish as a food resource have a responsibility to “take care of our own,” and should hunt predators when populations get out of hand. ASJ

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Though hunting predators isn’t usually done for meat, author Steve Meyer doesn’t hunt them just for the kill or – worse – to sell the pelts. “I won’t take any predator that I am not going to utilize in some way,” he writes. (STEVE MEYER)

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SAINT PAUL’S CATHEDRAL A VISIT TO ALASKA’S ‘HOLY GRAIL’ OF WATERFOWL HUNTING

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Whether you’re an Alaskan resident or not, king eider hunting on St. Paul Island is highly specialized. Guides Moe Neale (right) and Jeff Wasley are dialed-in to this hunt and offered one of the best waterfowling experiences the author has ever experienced. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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I

n last month’s column we looked at sea duck hunting in Valdez. This month, we continue satisfying our hunger for all things waterfowl by heading north to Saint Paul Island, home to the world’s best king eider hunting.

“This is usually one of the final birds avid hunters have left to take to complete their North American collection,” Capt. Moe Neale of Alaskan Eider Out-

fitters (alaskaneideroutfitters.com) shared upon first meeting him. “It’s not a cheap hunt, and with only a four-bird limit for nonresident hunters, it’s not for everyone. But serious waterfowlers who can make it out here to the island soon see what hunting the holy grail of the duck world is all about.”

Last December I hunted with Moe and his partner, Jeff Wasley. The two

men are dialed-in to king eider hunting, as well as other ducks on the island. On day one of our hunt, harsh weather prevented us from getting as far into the bay as Moe and Jeff wanted to. Nonetheless, we got some nice surf scoters, longtails and Harlequins.

It was a good start to the trip.

Over the next couple days, winds up to 70 mph forced us to hunt from

Author Scott Haugen shows off some gorgeous diving ducks taken on St. Paul Island. When the weather keeps you from getting out to where the king eiders are, there’s always somewhere to hunt on land. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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Try stuffing mushrooms with equal parts sea duck chorizo, breadcrumbs and either yogurt or sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

FIELD

CHORIZO ADDS SPICE TO DUCK MEAT

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

W

hen Scott and I lived on Alaska’s North Slope, we got our fair share of sea ducks. Cooking these birds was different than any of the puddlers I cooked where I grew up in Oregon, so I had to get creative in hopes of finding ways to make the ducks more palatable.

While personal trial and error taught me a lot, it wasn’t until we started traveling to other countries that I really amped up my recipes. In many of the equatorial countries we visited and even lived in for a time, ducks are a menu staple. Combining duck meat with tantalizing spices gets people amazed at just how good they taste. And that includes even sea and diving ducks.

In this recipe for chorizo – a zesty Portuguese/Spanish-inspired sausage – I ground the breast of multiple birds by running them through Cabela’s new Carnivore Grinder (legs and thighs were separated for a slow cooker dish). The size 32 blade and midsized plate created the perfect duck “burger.”

Being such a flavorful sausage, chorizo can improve the taste of many dishes. Try adding to a potato hash, quiche, stuffed mushrooms, quesadillas or breakfast burritos.

2 pounds ground sea duck breasts 1 pound ground pork ¼ cup vinegar 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon granulated garlic 1 to 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce 94

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2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons cumin 2 teaspoons oregano 2 teaspoons coriander 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 2 teaspoons black pepper 2 to 3 teaspoons red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Mix duck and pork until thoroughly combined. Add seasonings and refrigerate eight to 12 hours. Shape chorizo into patties and cook over medium-high heat four to seven minutes per side, depending on thickness; you can also crumble and brown in a skillet. To make pepperoni-style sticks, run chorizo through a jerky gun using the pepperoni attachment. Smoke in a smoker at 180 degrees or in a food dehydrator at 155 to 160 degrees for five to seven hours, or until duck reaches desired texture.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s popular cookbook, Cooking Game Birds, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or order online at scotthaugen. com. Tiffany Haugen is a full-time author and part of the new online series, Cook With Cabela’s. Also, watch for her on The Sporting Chef on the Sportsman Channel and CarbonTV. Chorizo, a spicy sausage with roots on the Iberian Peninsula, has the kind of flavor to help make sea ducks taste much better.

(TIFFANY HAUGEN)

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shore. Moe and Jeff knew where the best places were to hunt based on wind direction, so we made the most of it. In addition to pass-shooting sea ducks, we hit protected ponds and targeted goldeneyes.

We also put the move on what at first appeared to be green-winged teal.

“Here, look closer at them,” Moe said as he handed me his binoculars.

No question the birds were greenwings, but their markings were slightly different. Moe smiled. “Those are Eurasian greenwings.”

Soon we were putting the sneak on them. We even set up decoys for them in a secluded slough in the afternoon.

When it was over, Moe, Jeff and I each had gorgeous pairs of Eurasian greenwinged teal that we’d be adding to our collections.

When the weather broke, we finally made it offshore in Moe’s decked-out duck boat. The day was eerily calm but we wasted no time stringing out the decoys. A couple miles offshore, the

plan was to get between two points of the island where eiders flew back and forth to feed. Which direction they flew depended on the wind, but on this day there was little wind.

“Let’s try flagging, see if we can pull some of these birds in closer,” Moe suggested. Lots of birds were flying, but with no wind to set them on a specific course they were haphazardly milling about.

Soon after, the first shot was fired at a gorgeous king eider. It had been over 20 years since I’d taken my first king eider while living and working in the small village of Point Lay, on the Chukchi Sea. It was as beautiful of a bird as I remembered, and it felt good to be cradling one once again.

Too quickly, the hunt was over; four nice drake king eiders were in the boat.

A pair of longtails and some scoters rounded out the morning to make for one of my most memorable duck hunts.

The final day was spent touring the village. I love village life in Alaska, and

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having lived in Point Lay and Anaktuvuk Pass for most of the 1990s I relish new village experiences. Seeing boats unload tons of fresh crab was a thrill.

Visiting a little museum, the local store and church was an experience never to be forgotten.

The final evening was Christmas Eve and I sat on the western shores of the island, watching fur seals and bird life amid a glowing sunset. In the distance, flocks of king eiders could be seen majestically flying in long string formations on the water.

I vowed then and there to someday return to this magical place. The experience was too good to simply live once. ASJ Editor’s note: Personally signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling book, Hunting The Alaskan High Arctic, can be ordered by sending a check for $35 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box Walterville, OR 97489, or order at scotthaugen.com.

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SOCKS ARE ON HIS WISH LIST BY STEVE MEYER

S

eems like Christmas is an opportunity to stand down from my usual diatribe of things that annoy me, or worse, and instead, allow me talk about something everyone enjoys – presents!

It always surprises me when people have trouble selecting a gift for hunters. If there is an easier demographic to buy for it escapes me. It’s hard to go wrong with ammunition for the recipient’s favorite shooting iron. Even a brick of the lowly .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridges would be welcome by any hunter/shooter, considering the difficulty in obtaining them these days.

But the proliferation of outdoor gear for the hunter is astonishing and can be tough to make a valid choice, especially if you don’t hunt yourself and have no real working knowledge of the activity and its gear requirements.

Do those on your gift list a favor and talk to their hunting friends. Hunters talk gear constantly and it’s a sure bet they’ll know what your spouse, sibling, parent or buddy is interested in.

When it fails, duplicate it. Being a rather simple lot we hunters like what works; we use it a lot and we wear it out – no matter how good it is – rather quickly, and then an identical replacement will be welcome.

hunter (or any other person who engages in outdoor recreation) uses practically daily. My favorite is the Eddie Bauer Micro Lite down vest, of which I have two and hope for another this Christmas from camo Santa. This vest is warm far beyond what its weight and appearance suggests, is also as tough as any available and it has the classic good looks of vintage Eddie Bauer outdoor apparel that is at home in the field and the city.

Wool garments are tough to beat for utility and for their general good looks.

Beretta has raised the bar in this department with their Wind Barrier wool sweater. The windproof lining not only blocks the wind but makes these comfortable to wear, even without an underlayer.

From October to March when hunting the mountains I wear this sweater with the aforementioned Eddie Bauer vest and never have issues with the cold on days that one would reasonably be outdoors

NO SYMPATHY anyway. These sweaters are available in quarter zip or full zip. They’re so good I have four.

BRING ON THE UNDERGARMENTS Now, no one wants underwear for Christmas except outdoors types, and you just cannot go wrong with a merino wool underlayer. First Lite offers some of the best with tops and bottoms in men’s and women’s sizes in light, medium and heavy weights. After using the tops and bottoms for a year, Christine Cunningham and I have discovered we aren’t leaving the house without them.

They are also washable, and if it matters, First Lite offers the only camouflage merino underlayers out there.

Sort of in the underwear department are socks – we also consider these as stocking-stuffer gold – and again, merino wool gets the nod. Darn Tough Socks merino wool socks are guaranteed for life, you can wear them for days on end and they don’t harbor odor – not a small consideration in the confines of a sheep hunting tent.

PLAY IT CLOSE TO THE VEST The candidate that immediately comes to mind for duplication is the down vest, which has to be the staple piece of outdoor apparel that every aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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Looking for a holiday gift for the outdoorsy woman who appreciates craftsmanship? Try a Syren Elos Venti shotgun.

(STEVE MEYER)

For hunting pants, First Lite again gets top billing with their lightweight merino wool Kanab hunting pants. They have an acetate lining that keeps them from binding while climbing and provides a wind barrier. They are light, extremely warm, washable, very durable and cut a bit large to allow for underlayers. The only thing that is a little annoying is the very tight cuffs that don’t go over large boots well, but they do keep the cold out, so it’s not a bad trade.

LIST FOR THE LADIES For a very long time, hunting-related Christmas presents fell in the male bailiwick; not so much anymore. Being the largest growing demographic in the hunting world, female hunters are now at the forefront of hunting and don’t want to wear hand-me-down crap their husbands, brothers, dads or boyfriends 100

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cast off to them.

Prois, a female hunting clothing company, has stepped up and is offering some outstanding outerwear designed for the serious female hunter.

There are too many products to suggest them all here, but if you want to impress the female hunter in your life, look at their Archtach down jacket. Beautifully styled for the female form, this jacket is about as good looking as it gets and is constructed of quality material, including a down fill that is extremely warm for its weight.

If you are lucky enough to have a wife or girlfriend who would prefer a new gun over a diamond ring but you really want to show her how much you love her, look no further than Syren division of Caesar Guerini. An Italian shotgun maker well known for their beautiful high-performing guns, this company

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

has taken the bull by the horns and created a separate division dedicated to producing shotguns designed from the ground up for women. These guns aren’t cut-off versions of regular male-market guns. They are built to conform to the female with the grip, the length, the weight, the cast in the buttstock and the elegance that a discerning woman hunter/shooter will embrace.

Most of the line of women’s guns from Syren are of the over/under variety, including field-grade guns and various competitive trap, skeet and sporting clays versions. They recently introduced an autoloader that isn’t quite as pretty as the others, yet it is a remarkably well-built and reliable shotgun for the female waterfowler.

With that and with the risk of offending someone, Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for the coming year. ASJ

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BEST OF ICE FISHING

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A BRISK SEARCH FOR ALASKAN ‘LOBSTER’ BURBOT PROVIDE A TASTY ICE FISHERY

BY DENNIS MUSGRAVES

I

ce fishing after sunset on Alaskan lakes has typically been an uneventful experience for me. Trying to tease a bite out of a trout or char while vertically jigging in the dark seems random at best, and usually unproductive.

There are, however, certain crea-

tures of the night that exist below lakes’ frozen lids that are eager to feed. These freakish-looking fish become active when the sun goes down.

Ice anglers searching for action during frigid winter nights can certainly find some by targeting the only freshwater cod found in North America: burbot. These weird flat-headed fish

become increasingly active after dark, migrating to shallow water to forage for a meal. They’re enthusiastic and opportunistic feeders and will chomp down on just about anything natural or unnatural attached to a hook.

Alaskan sourdoughs familiar with catching the unusual fish shaped like serpents easily overlook their strange

No doubt it will be cold on Interior lakes and frozen rivers, but anglers can have a rewarding experiences fishing for burbot and bringing home some of the tasty protein-packed fish. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

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appearance for their flavor on the table. Sampling the fish’s delicate mild white meat willl provide instant understanding of why burbot are considered among Alaska’s most tasty freshwater species. Most people compare the flavor to that of a popular and delicious crustacean, hence the reason why the burbot is often referred to as a “poor man’s lobster.”

MY FIRST EXPERIENCE ice fishing for burbot was several years ago with my longtime friend and fishing partner Chris Cox. We planned our outing at a popular roadside location along the Glenn Highway, and it did not disappoint.

After a short trek, we set up our portable ice fishing shelter on the snow-covered lake and waited for sundown. The spot we picked was the perfect choice: It featured 2-foot depths on a large flat section of lakebed. Like clockwork, our rod tips began twitching just after sunset. We enticed strikes using several types of ¼-ounce plas-

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The sun shines weakly over a sled for carrying auger, gas, equipment and other gear neccessary for burbot fishing in winter. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

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ALL ABOUT BURBOT Burbot are truly a unique species of sportfish that inhabit many of Alaska’s rivers and lakes. They are the only freshwater species of cod in North America and belong to a scientific classification all to themselves. Many fishermen call the oddball fish an eelpout since their appearance somewhat resembles a potbellied eel. However, the fish is not an eel.

The name burbot has origins in the Latin word barba, or beard, a reference to the single chin whisker the fish displays.

Additional characteristics include an elongated, serpentlike body that tapers to a guitar pick-shaped tail. Dorsal and anal fins run from the midsection of the fish’s body to the length of the tail, allowing the fish to maneuver in strong currents.

A flat head and wide jaw, which contains rows of small teeth, mark them as a predatory species.

The burbot’s skin is mottled green and brown tones with intermittent patches of yellow, except for a pale underbelly. They’re certainly not pursued by sport anglers for their good looks.

Fish weighing 4 to 5 pounds are commonly caught; however, larger fish in the 18- to 20-pound range are caught occasionally. According to records kept by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the largest burbot caught in the state was by George Howard in 1976, weighing a hefty 24 pounds, 12 ounces. –DM

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Healthy populations of burbot can be found in the lakes of the upper Tanana, upper Copper, and upper Susitna River drainages.

(DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

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DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

tic and marabou jigs in various bright colors. Although most of the fish went under 2 pounds, we experienced a fun frenzy in the darkness. Turning the light switch off at sunset seemed to be like ringing a dinner bell for the fish; they showed up in force and could not resist our offerings.

Indeed, ice fishing for burbot is far from complicated. Fish can be easily located and are not difficult or challenging to bring to the surface with a rod and reel. Active fish can be found searching for food at depths of 2 to 5 feet during periods of darkness. Drill a hole through the ice, present your bait with some tantalizing jigging and wait for the bite.

Although this fishing is not technically difficult, there are a few aspects I learned over my winter burbot trips that helped add to my catch rate.

Author Dennis Musgraves with a typical burbot. They’re often caught by working a jig off the bottom or with cut bait. Changing your bait often when they’re not biting can spark a strike. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

INCREASING THE ODDS of hooking up with a burbot is directly related to water depth and the structure on the

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DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

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bottom of a body of water. If you know what the bottom looks like, you can set up over locations that will provide the best potential. A bathymetric map of a lake you’re planning on fishing will help prepare you for knowing where to go before drilling out a single hole.

Bathymetric maps are charts depicting an accurate, measurable description and visual presentation of the underwater terrain. The Department of Fish and Game is a good resource for the special maps and has many lakes available online (adfg.alaska.gov) to view and print.

The maps won’t guarantee you catch fish, but they will provide a better insight to know where the shallow areas adjacent to deep drop-offs are at and where burbot can usually be found.

Another tool I use to find the actual depth of water is my fishing sonar, or a fish finder. My electronics allow me to see through the ice, without drilling a hole, and know accurate depth. The device can be a big time saver, especially if you are fishing a remote lake which

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TACKLE BOX STAPLES Fishing rod and reel: Clam Outdoors Dave Genz True Blue series 28-inch medium-action combo. Twitter: @clamoutdoors.com Fishing line: P-Line Floroice 8-pound test, featuring a silicon fluorocarbon coating that resists freezing and stays limp in cold temperatures. @p-line.com Lure: ¼-ounce Hawken Fishing Aerojig in various colors @hawkensfishing.com. –DM

may not have any charting information available.

I have used various types of lures and bait to catch burbot. I have never found burbot to be finicky; normally, if they are present, they will bite. Burbot are known to be aggressive predators; their wide jaws and small rows of teeth are designed for snatching prey and swallowing it whole. They depend on their sensitive lateral line and two large open nostrils to sense vibrations and smell when roaming the bottom for something to eat.

Indeed, your presentation should be kept near the bottom. I like to be about

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

3 inches off the lake floor, and I use irregular twitch-pause patterns to try and attract the fish. Shiny jigs, spoons, and glow-in-the-dark plastics are popular for attracting fish by sight.

Some anglers are more confident in teasing a burbot’s sense of smell and simply use a baited hook. Cut whitefish, herring and lamprey eel are commonly used baits and can be very effective.

Make sure to change your bait consistently to provide a good scent. Bait can become waterlogged after soaking too long, decreasing the odds of stimulating hungry fish.

Maximizing your presentation can

It’s not super complicated figuring out a plan to catch burbot: active fish can be found during periods of darkness searching for food at depths of 2 to 5 feet.

help your cause. My recommendation is to try using a combination of something flashy and smelly – a bright-colored lure tipped with a chunk of whitefish is a good bet. Call it a dual threat to encourage a bite.

(PATRICK HANKINS)

SINCE BURBOT ARE well-distributed in a large portion of Alaska, opportunities to catch them are reasonable. Healthy populations can be found in the lakes of the upper Tanana, upper Copper, and upper Susitna River drainages.

A few lakes located alongside the Glenn Highway also have good possibilities and are manageable drives from Anchorage.

Catching these odd fish out from under the ice is a fun adventure for me. It’s an opportunity to get outside during the long winter season and provide a harvest to enjoy.

Burbot are certainly more than just a good source of protein; they also represent another part of what makes Alaska so unique. Ice fishermen like myself

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rejoice in knowing that when daylight dims, the fishing does not have to end in the Great Land. ASJ

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

Editor’s note: For more on Dennis Musgraves’ Alaska fishing adventures, check out alaskansalmonslayers.com.

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Zack Trudeau and Kevin Manabat enjoy the peace of an Southeast Alaska river. But when a steelhead bites, what next? Set the hook right away or let the fish do the work? (JEFF LUND)

TO WAIT OR NOT TO WAIT ‘FISH ON’ DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN SET THAT HOOK

BY JEFF LUND

L

ife is filled with contradictions.

The only ones that make sense to me are the ones that involve fishing. So when I kept setting the hook and missing on an afternoon trout trip in the Alaska Panhandle, I decided to adjust my approach. I wouldn’t set the hook.

I’d wait and let the rainbow do more of the work.

I sent my fly into the current, watched the line form a tight arc and then swing across the current.

Bump. Bump. I waited. Bump. Waited. Boom.

After the fish shook, I pulled the tight line through where I had it pinned to the cork and swung my 5-weight to the side. Fish on. You’d think that if a fish bites all you have to do is yank and it’s on, but there’s a lot that can go wrong. The current will ultimately take your fly line downriver at different rates of speed creating a giant U or a W or two between you and the fly.

When a fish takes, a hook set will often pull the slack, but not move the fly into

the corner of the fish’s mouth. That’s why it’s important to mend the line – to make sure you are as connected to the fly as possible.

SWING KIDS This is also why I like to swing flies. Cast it downriver, let the line get tight, then follow the swing as it moves across the current to a true dangle directly downriver from my boots. It’s an easy way to stay connected to the fly.

However, hook sets can be tricky. If you set the hook backward, you’re pull-

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ing the fly upriver. Since the fish is facing upriver, you’re likely pulling the fly from its mouth. By waiting a second to make sure the trout takes and turns, you can get a good hookset. You can also get a good set by setting to the side, rather than directly back.

If nothing else, the contradictions in fishing keep it fresh. That’s why people can fish and fish and fish and fish without getting bored – especially with a fly rod.

You constantly have to think, OK, I need to get this fly under that branch.

That means I have to shoot the line under that other branch, have it unravel and drop the fly upriver from where the fish is holding. I have to do this without backcasting too much because there are trees and bushes behind me.

So I have to figure out how to do all of this, and then when it’s time to hook up … do nothing. Just stand there and feel the rod bounce in my hand, and rather than instinctively pull, I have to wait. Pause. Hold. Delay. Then set.

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This Zack Trudeau-caught and released rainbow surely would provide another cat-and-mouse game another day. (JEFF LUND)

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It’s difficult but it works. The next day I caught the biggest fish I ever had in that river, which shall not be named.

YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE Then, of course, there are situations when a half-second matters most. A few days after I mastered patience and was rewarded with some beautiful, fat trout in a small stretch of thin water, I went to a larger river for a weekend of camping in the rain and catching steelhead. At least we hoped as much.

I was using my new favorite steelhead pattern – one that I tied but am sure I did not invent, even though I have never seen it before. It sinks quickly but isn’t too heavy, and is perfect for even water up to midthigh depth. It’s a compact design with no extra material, so every hit can find the hook.

I was fishing a run that was parallel to a downed tree on new water. It was at the edge of my longest roll cast. Because the water was clear and maybe a little low, I didn’t want to get too close and spook anything holding more toward the center.

The author’s camera looks down the flank of a steelhead he worked so hard to not only trigger a strike from, but correctly set the hook on. (JEFF LUND)

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As you can see, Jeff Lund has his game face on; or maybe this business of trying to outsmart a wily Alaska trout makes us feel a little loopy. Either way, score this round to the angler. (JEFF LUND)

I was using an indicator and saw it dip but didn’t react. I let the rig swing out, then stripped and cast again. Same spot, no dip. I had missed a strike. The oral coordination of steelhead is often incredible. Their ability to take with such calculated caution causing only a subtle change in the direction of a fly is almost unfair – especially considering once the fish is on, the fight is so violent. I kept throwing to the same spot to make sure I gave that fish another chance, but it had either moved or was onto me.

I moved to the tail end of the run and fished where the top of the tree pointed. I knew the indicator would disappear. I really knew it. I stared through the cold air. My eyes watered, but I dared not blink.

Nothing. Nothing. Bump. Bump.

Hook set. Nothing. Too late. Bump.

Wait.

Overzealous-oh-my-god-thatwas-a-steelhead hook set. Way too late. Catch tree branch behind me.

These weren’t those fun little trout in the unnamed creek. These were steelhead in an unnamed river. These demand angling excellence.

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FIGHT ON I dialed in and almost tried to guess when the hit would come.

I sent the fly to the same spot. I felt a pull so strong I almost dropped the rod. I didn’t have to do anything, which was great because I may have messed it up. The steelhead jumped from the water, but rather than tail walk, it went end over end and did water gymnastics rather than dance. I laughed and kept tension. I was connected to the fish of a thousand casts. Then the line shot back at me. Hookless. Bad knot.

I felt almost sick.

I worked downriver, trying to convince myself I’d get another shot. It was still early in the morning. I had brought a 14-inch rainbow to shore and hooked up with a brute of a steelhead. There were fish around. I just had to stay focused.

I continued to work downriver, covering as much water as I could and making quick sets on every tink.

Near the end of the run, I felt a pull and before the pull stopped, I yanked back. Fish on. I lifted the rod, but the fish stayed down. Solid. Still on. Game on.

I moved it toward the bank, maneuvered so that I was facing it, then dropped like a catcher blocking a pitch in the dirt. I trapped the fish in a few inches of water between the shore and I. I reached into the water, grabbed the tail, turned it on its side and looked down the flank. Not the prettiest or biggest, but you don’t think about those things in that moment.

You don’t think about the unsuccessful elk trip a month

earlier. You don’t think about the bad knot that cost you a fish.

You don’t think about those dry spells when you are sure that if you had to live off the land, you’d starve.

You think about that moment and how you made it work.

You figured it out.

You won.

This time. ASJ Editor’s note: Jeff Lund is the author of Going Home, a memoir about fishing and hunting in Alaska and California. Go to JeffLundBooks.com for details.

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J&J Smart Charters is a family-run business. John and Joan Smart have lived in Alaska since 1989 and started J&J Smart Charters in 1992 with Captain John as the main captain. 2012 was their 20th anniversary of chartering on Cook Inlet in Ninilchik, Alaska. They purchased Deep Creek View Campground in 1995 and have been providing unique camping experiences and enjoyment in Ninilchik for many years. The entire crew at J&J Smart Charters are great individuals who love what they do and it shows! We look forward to another incredible year! www.smartcharters.com

Charter Spotlight KING’S RUN CHARTERS

King’s Run Charters is a locally owned and operated business in the rural town of Ninilchik, Alaska – home to some of the finest halibut and salmon fishing in the world. Owner/fishing guide Larry Cobb is one of the original charter operators in Deep Creek and with his experience and knowledge in sports and commercial fishing, he will make your trip as successful and memorable as ever.

At King’s Run Charters, we are here to help you in whatever endeavor you desire. We have lived in and enjoyed Alaska’s unique environment and are here for your convenience, comfort and to help customize your adventure. We’d be happy to suggest or refer you to the many differing options and offerings that make Alaska a memorable experience.

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PHANTOM TRI-RIVER CHARTER Phantom Tri-River Charters is your final destination for Alaskan fishing tours. Our goal is to ensure that you have an excellent fishing trip and we want to help you create memories that will last a lifetime.

A fishing tour with us is “where dreams become reality!”

Located between Anchorage and Denali National Park, Phantom Tri-River Charters is known for combining the peacefulness of the open water and the thrill of a destination fishing trip into one single package, where you’ll have the opportunity to cast your line like never before.

We fish a variety of different salmon types, including sockeye, silvers, chums, kings and pinks, as well as a number of other fish variations, which include rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, arctic grayling and more. We’ll provide all of the freshwater gear you need to get your line baited and in the water, making it easy to enjoy your trip while reaping the benefits of a bountiful habitat. The catch rate on our trips is superb and you’re sure to reel in a catch that you can be proud to show off!

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HOOKY CHARTERS Hooky Charters specializes in guided world-class king salmon, silver salmon, halibut and rainbow trout fishing trips in Kenai, Alaska! We have 38 years of experience fishing here on the “world famous” Kenai River and Cook Inlet. We work hard to turn your Alaskan guided fishing trip into not only a catching trip, but an enjoyable and exciting experience that will provide a lifetime of memories.

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REEL ‘EM INN COOK INLET CHARTERS Located in Ninilchik on the Kenai Peninsula, Reel’em Inn - Cook Inlet Charters offers a complete Alaskan fishing package for anglers looking to try their hand at world-class saltwater halibut and salmon fishing. We offer many services to plan the perfect Alaskan fishing vacation: Saltwater fishing, clean and comfortable lodging, full-service fish processing and packaging, and even a small RV park with full hook-ups.

At Reel’em Inn, our guides and deckhands have vast knowledge and experience when it comes to finding and catching fish. But most important is our level of customer satisfaction, making sure your fishing experience is fun, memorable and productive. We feel that your satisfaction is what has kept us in business for over 25 years.

You’ll be fishing from our newly updated fleet of custom designed 27-ft. and 28-ft. fishing vessels. These charter boats are fast, reliable, comfortable and safe. Each boat has fully enclosed cabins with clean restroom facilities, a large open fishing deck with custom designed rod holders, and is equipped with state-of-the-art electronics and all Coast Guard required safety equipment.

We have Ninilchik charters for serious anglers and beginners.

We also welcome families with children. If the child is big enough to hold a pole, we’ll show them a fishing adventure that will be remembered for a lifetime.

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Our Lodging: Located 20 minutes from Homer in Anchor Point, our lodging is the place to begin your Alaskan adventure. Our vacation cabins are on the bluff and offer unobstructed views of the ocean, volcanoes and world-class sunsets over the Cook Inlet. From the private 5-acre retreat you can see Alaskan wildlife and we’re a mile to fishing on the Anchor River.

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Where Alaskan hospitality, luxury accommodations and world-class fishing all come together. Whether you are looking for incredible catches of giant halibut, tackle-busting king salmon, record book lingcod, sizzling silver salmon, tasty rockfish or red snapper, we have it all here in Seward, Alaska! Quite simply, you just can’t find better fishing, nicer accommodations or a friendlier staff than at The Grande Seward Alaska Fishing Lodge!

Fishing excursions are available right here, with one of our three firstclass fishing vessels, four captains and crews. We also offer hunting trips and tours. Big game transporter services are available for the adventurous souls wishing to visit more remote hunting areas and islands.

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FINISHING WITH A FLOURISH BRISTOL BAY’S 2015 SOCKEYE RUN LOOKED BLEAK, BUT ENDED BETTER

BY TOM REALE

L

ooking back on the fishing predictions for the summer of 2015 and comparing them to what actually happened illustrates a couple of factors.

The most obvious conclusion is that predicting events in nature is, to say the least, an inexact science. Fisheries biologists are tasked with trying to predict the return of millions of salmon to hundreds if not thousands of streams after the fish have spent anywhere from one to seven years in the Pacific Ocean.

They have to take into account the spawning success rates of these fish in their natal streams, weather conditions around the state, such as rainfall and water temperatures that can affect their survival rates. Add in predation on eggs and juvenile fish – among other things – and that’s before these fish even get to the open ocean. There they have to deal with more environmental variables, more predation, pollution, and fishing pressure before they begin their spawning runs back to their home streams.

Throw in the fact that the biologists have to do these calculations for five species, all of which have different life cycles, and are important to all user groups, including commercial, sport, subsistence and personal-use fisheries, and there’s considerable incentive for the department to get the numbers right. Failure to do so is not only a black mark against the department’s professional pride, it also opens them up to criticism and political consequences.

So, yeah, no pressure or anything.

Given all of that, and given that the state is in the midst of yet another budget crisis, which never goes well for Alaska Department of Fish and Game, I find it truly amazing that these people do such a great job with their computers and crystal balls every year. They deserve a world of credit for all that they do.

That being said, it’s also true that every year in almost every fishery, there are unanticipated developments. I think that anyone who writes about Alaska fisheries should have a macro key for his or her word-processing program that, when pressed, writes, “This year, fisheries biologists were surprised when …”

Here are some details about this past season:

SOCKEYE SALMON In Bristol Bay, the predictions were for a bumper crop of red salmon for the year. However, the catch turned out to be a ride on a roller coaster of high hopes, doomsday headlines and, ultimately, vindication for the rosy scenario predicted by the department.

The initial prediction for the run was over 37 million fish, a pretty good 130

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In a state as massive and salmon-rich as Alaska, predicting salmon runs is at best an inexact science, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not surprising that there were some surprises throughout the state this year. (BENEDIKT BOLDT)

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year by any standards. But in early July, a headline in the Alaska Journal of Commerce read, “Bristol Bay Forecast Goes Bust.” Yikes, to say the least. By the first week in July during a normal year, the halfway point of the total catch has been taken. However, by that date only nine million 2015 fish were harvested and things looked pretty bad for the year.

But in the end, a late slug of fish saved the year, and by the July 27 the headline read, “Historic And Thrilling Bristol Bay Sockeye Season Ends With A Surge.”

As one outlet put it, “What started out slow – it was a real nail-biter there for a while! – ended with weeks of heavy, consistent fishing as tens of millions of salmon pushed their way home against the Bay’s famously strong tides.” Crisis averted, and the final harvest was the second largest in the last 20 years.

Looking at the world-famous Nushagak River, the sockeye return there was just under 800,000 fish,

Sockeye returns to Bristol Bay and Kenai Peninsula rivers turned out pretty good. (BENEDIKT BOLDT)

AFISHUNT CHARTERS If you want to enjoy the best of Alaska’s fishing with the finest of fishing outfitters, you have found the right place. Since 1992, Afishunt Charters has offered premium Alaska fishing charters for halibut and salmon and has become famous for our legendary customer service, outstanding equipment and reasonable prices. With seven boats, we span the entire Kenai Peninsula, the heart of Alaska’s prime fishing grounds. Choose giant halibut in Cook Inlet, arm-numbing king salmon in the Kasilof or Kenai Rivers, or acrobatic silvers in Seward – we do it all!

From single-day trips to multi-day packages with lodging, we offer the widest variety of fishing opportunities. If you need a place to stay, check out our cabins and RV sites at Alaskan Angler RV Resort.

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800-347-4114 • www.afishunt.com 132

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near the top of the escapement goal of 840,000. Things looked pretty good for reds all over Bristol Bay this year.

In lower Cook Inlet, sockeye returns to the major rivers were better than average. On the Kenai Peninsula, the Kenai, Kasilof and Russian Rivers easily met their escapement goals, and most weir counts showed return numbers on a slow but steady increase over previous years.

Upper Cook Inlet streams don’t produce the numbers of red salmon that the more famous Kenai Peninsula rivers do, but sockeye returns were, for the most part, solid and showing year-toyear increases.

Some salmon species in certain areas appear to be getting smaller, including coho, a reason for concern.

(BENEDIKT BOLDT)

KING SALMON Despite the low return numbers in 2014 and gloomy predictions on the fate of king salmon in Southcentral and Alaska Peninsula rivers, 2015 showed a few unexpected bright spots. Prior to the fishing season, ADFG announced that, due to “Kenai River king salmon and other

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king salmon stocks throughout Cook Inlet … experiencing a period of low productivity and, since 2009, below average strength,” the early run of kings on the Kenai River would be closed to all fishing.

The projected escapement was expected to be in the neighborhood of 5,200 fish, just below the minimum target of 5,300. The final number was 6,190, which seemed to justify the conservative approach – above the minimum number, but not by much.

The late run of kings had a better story. After initial restrictions on the second run were in place (single-hook and no-bait provisions), the run strengthened beyond expectations.

By July 25, the fishing restrictions were removed and it was clear that the escapement goal of 15,000 kings would be reached. At season’s end, the final tally was over 23,000 Chinook past the counter, well above 2014’s total of just over 14,000. A similar scenario unfolded on the Kasilof River, with

What can we expect 2016? It’s both exciting and terrifying that we just won’t know until the salmon run. Predicting numbers is an inexact science. (BENEDIKT BOLDT)

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a lifting of restrictions when a strong run materialized. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen a rebound of king salmon in Cook Inlet. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly better than itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been the last few years,â&#x20AC;? Jason Pawluk, a Soldotna-based ADFG biologist, told the Alaska Dispatch News.

In the Mat-Su Valley, similar optimistic conditions were evident. Both the Deshka and Little Susitna Rivers far exceeded king numbers from last year.

Reasons for the strong return seem to be as mysterious as the reasons for the decline in numbers from the last few years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fish off that brood year may have done better in the marine environment,â&#x20AC;? one biologist said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But there are so many variables that affect salmon.â&#x20AC;?

The Deshka saw more than 24,000 kings, its best return since 2006, and the Little Su saw a return of about 5,000.

Palmer-based Fishtale River Guides owner Andy Couch said his season of ďŹ shing kings on the Deshka and the

Little Su was â&#x20AC;&#x153;pretty good, considering.

There were a good number of kings up the Little Su, but they came later than most years, and we had bait restrictions most of the time.â&#x20AC;?

Adding to the problems in the Mat Su were the long periods of low water, and the Sockeye wildďŹ re that broke out near Willow the day after the bait restriction was lifted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to go too far upriver and beach my boat with a load of clients, and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to have someone go to the Deshka Landing and come back to ďŹ nd their vehicle burned up,â&#x20AC;?

Couch said. He added that of 17 salmon streams in Cook Inlet with escapement goals, king salmon harvest was only allowed on four of them. All in all, a tough year in the valley.

In the Bristol Bay area, king numbers are also looking better than anticipated. The sonar counter on the Nushagak showed a very strong return of just over 98,000 ďŹ sh, a 30 percent increase over last year. Escapement goals on the Nush

The Nushagak River showed a very strong return of just over 98,000 kings, a 30-percent increase over last year. (JAKEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NUSHAGAK SALMON CAMP)

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are between 55,000 and 120,000, so 2015’s numbers are squarely in the middle of that range.

Southeast Alaska is, to say the least, complicated. Depending on exactly where you were during the summer season, your king salmon opportunities varied between zero in some spots to three per day over 28 inches for residents, and either one or two per day for nonresidents, depending on the date.

Fisheries that had especially poor predicted returns included the Taku, Chilkat, Situk and Unuk Rivers, while the Juneau and Yakutat areas were open for business.

The Ketchikan area was especially complex, with differing regulations for North Behm Canal, West Behm Canal and the Ketchikan Terminal Area. “Anglers are reminded that regional bag, possession and size limits are different than those outlined in the areas listed above and anglers are prohibited from possessing fish that exceed the limits for the waters where they are fishing,”

ADFG reported. “Therefore, anglers fishing in multiple areas must be diligent to ensure they do not exceed the bag, possession or size limit for the area they are currently fishing.”

Another bump in the road for Alaska salmon is that, in addition to the numerous factors threatening their numbers, some species are getting smaller as well. Biologists are seeing the phenomenon in various fisheries, including the Copper River and Bristol Bay sockeye runs. Coho seem to be similarly afflicted – winners of the Seward Silver Salmon Derby are getting smaller by the year, as is the average size of entered fish. Similar has been seen at Washington’s Everett Coho Derby the last two years as The Blob has starved stocks returning to the area.

A LOOK AHEAD

ing between 36 and 56 million sockeye, a bit less than 2015 but still higher than the 10-year average. They also think the fish will again be smaller than average.

“The run is expected to contain a large portion of two-ocean fish. That’s based on how many 1-year-old fish returned last summer,” Bristol Bay-area research biologist Chuck Brazil told the Dispatch. “Two-ocean fish are fish that mature after two years of being at sea, and those fish are typically smaller than three-ocean fish when they return.”

So 2015 was, in many respects, a pretty good year for salmon fishing, despite pockets of disappointment and more than a few areas of deep concern.

For next year we can surely expect more of the same types of results, where run and harvest reports will show that, with fish as with life, change is the one constant we can depend on. ASJ

For 2016, some preliminary predictions are already available, though they should be taken with the usual grain of salt. For Bristol Bay, ADFG is anticipat-

Editor’s note: For more information on Alaska salmon counts, check out adfg .alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts.

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EAST WIND, SCHMEAST WIND

BY CHRISTINE CUNNINGHAM

T

he chances of catching fish were very, very small that day. So small, it was safe to say, it could not be done. Not by me.

According to my calculations, determined by faithfully logging all of my fishing occasions in a weather-resistant journal, then entering the data into fields in a database – which could be manipulated to determine patterns of success or failure – a fish could not be caught when the wind came out of the east.

Still, my 9-year-old nephews wanted to go fishing, and it wasn’t my fault that they picked a day with a blowing easterly wind. Fishing parents often have contingency plans for the inevitable problem of disinterest: plenty of snacks and a plan B – sledding or ice skating, for instance – are good ideas. Under no circumstances was my plan B to include matches or fire-building, their mothers told me. “Not after last time.” Since last time, all plans have required clearance, so my plan B was to bring hot chocolate, and I forgot the hot chocolate.

Luckily, my 8-year-old nephew, Patrick, had only one plan. Within seconds of arriving at the lake he dropped his line down one of the

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holes I’d drilled. Before his dad could comment on the weather or his cousin, William, could choose a lure from the tackle box, Patrick was fighting his first fish. I tested the wind direction. It hadn’t changed.

As Patrick’s dad and I wrestled the 12-inch char away from two tiny hands, Patrick jumped up and down on the ice in mad anticipation. “Hurry, hurry,” he said. The fish had swallowed the hook, but Patrick couldn’t stand to wait for us to get the lure out. He ran over to my rod and plopped my 1-ounce spoon into another hole. Just as we dislodged the hook, Patrick had another fish on.

We all ran over to the second hole, where Patrick reeled up a slightly smaller fish. He pawed it unmercifully and appeared to put it in a half nelson.

“We’re going to have to keep this one, too.” I said. These were stocked fish that were plenty edible. They certainly could not survive a wrestling match with an 8-year-old.

“Let’s be nicer to the fish,” I added.

Patrick was already fishing with his own rod again. His tongue was sticking out of his mouth as he focused his attention down the hole. Ten feet away, William looked confused. Apparently, William and I lived in the same logical world, a world that accepted defeat before it ever came, and one in which fish bite least when the wind’s in the east.

“Why aren’t I catching fish?” William said. “I guess we’re not holding our mouths right,” I replied.

We both watched as Patrick reeled up his third fish with his tongue clinched between his teeth and his little blue eyes bulging with excitement. “This one’s big. I’m gonna need help,” he said.

It was hard to break it to him that he was hooked on the under-edge of the ice. By the time I got there, he had broken the line. “Ahhhhhgh,” Patrick said.

“We’re going to have to tie on an-

DECEMBER 2015 | aksportingjournal.com

other hook,” I told him. “Do you want to learn how to tie a fisherman’s knot?”

This was the fun part, when my angling experience and know-how would be admired by young children.

William watched with fascination; Patrick said, “I don’t have time for that.

I’m going to go back to my rod.”

Within moments he was fighting a fish out of the same hole William had just abandoned as futile territory. “This is just ridiculous,” I said to his father.

Since we had started fishing after my workday, we had to quit early so the two boys could take their fish to enter in the last days of the Soldotna Trustworthy Icefishing Derby.

Patrick had seven fish, and William had one. “One more,” Patrick said.

“One more!”

“You have five minutes,” his father said.

We watched as Patrick limited out.

“Times up,” his dad said.

“That wasn’t five minutes!” Patrick cried. “I still have minutes!”

After a few photos, we packed up the gear and headed back to the vehicles. It was annoying to listen to Patrick. “But I love to fish, I love to fish,” he screamed at the top of his lungs, as though some government authority would rescue him from our abusive enforcement of the sportfishing laws.

By the time we were halfway to the parking lot, he’d mellowed out quite a bit.

“You’re quite the impressive fisherman,” I said. “I don’t think I would have caught a fish today because of the wind. I could probably learn something from you.”

“I should write a book on fishing,” Patrick said.

“What would your book say,” his father asked. “Drop your line in the hole and stick out your tongue?”

“It wouldn’t be a long book,” Patrick quipped. ASJ

uki Announces Suz

End Of Season Savings Buy a new suzuki outboard this fall and take advantage of year-end savings, cash rebates and â&#x20AC;&#x153;gimme six!â&#x20AC;? on select models.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE Anchorage Yamaha Suzuki Marine 3919 Spenard Rd (907) 243-8343 www.anchorageyamaha.com BIG LAKE Big Lake Powersports 5120 S. Big Lake Rd (888) 796-2628 www.southportmarina.com

FALL

CA$H

FAIRBANKS Northern Power Sports 1980 Van Horn Rd (907) 452-2762 www.northernpowersports.com

INTO

Get Up to $800 Cash Back from Suzuki when you buy select models. See your participating dealer for the details. Amounts vary depending on the model, so be sure to ask your dealer.

Get Suzukiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standard 3-year Limited Warranty, plus their 3-Year Extended Protection Plan at no extra charge. Just say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gimme Six!â&#x20AC;?

Offers end December 31, 2015. See your participating Suzuki Marine dealer for details, or visit www.suzukimarine.com.

HOMER All Seasons Honda Suzuki 1275 Ocean Dr (907) 235-8532 www.allseasonshonda.net KODIAK Emerson Boat Works 816 East Marine Way (907) 486-0602 www.emersonboats.com SOLDOTNA Peninsula Powersports 44868 Trevor Ave (907) 262-4444 www.peninsulapowersports.com

End-of-Season Rebates apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki outboards made between 10/01/15 and 12/31/15. For list of designated PRGHOV VHH SDUWLFLSDWLQJ 'HDOHU RU YLVLW ZZZ VX]XNLPDULQH FRP &XVWRPHU DQG SDUWLFLSDWLQJ 'HDOHU PXVW ÂżOO RXW WKH DSSURSULDWH UHEDWH IRUP DW WLPH of sale. Customer will have the choice to either apply the cash rebate against the original dealer invoice (Suzuki will credit Dealer parts account) or have a check sent directly to the customer. Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki outboard motors from 25 to 300 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 10/01/15 and 12/31/15 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. There DUH QR PRGHO VXEVWLWXWLRQV EHQHÂżW VXEVWLWXWLRQV UDLQ FKHFNV RU H[WHQVLRQV 6X]XNL UHVHUYHV WKH ULJKW WR FKDQJH RU FDQFHO WKHVH SURPRWLRQV DW DQ\ time without notice or obligation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gimme Sixâ&#x20AC;?, the Suzuki â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sâ&#x20AC;? and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ÂŽ. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manual. Š 2015 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.

aksportingjournal.com | DECEMBER 2015

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