in Bethel and making friends with kids of all ages. A little boy came up to me and jokingly asked if he could take Lynx back to his village and teach him Yupik. We were a little late but landed in Mekoryuk, the only village on Nunivak, a volcanic island in the Bering Sea. The island is completely treeless and fresh snow covered the gentle slopes. The runway was the only feature on the landscape and appeared tiny on the vast island. We taxied to the turnaround and a procession of people started to unload the plane and greet the passengers. Bixler, Lynx and I met Abe and Mona David, who have lived on Mekoryuk their entire lives. They immediately fell in love with Lynx and arranged for Lynx and I to catch a ride with the quiet village public safety officer while Bixler hopped on the snowmachine. The short drive led us to the David’s house. Abe and Mona showed us to our room and brought out toys for Lynx. 46
ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL
Their daughter came by to drop off their grandson on her way to work and soon he and Lynx were playing with the Davids’ variety of kid’s toys. While the two played, Abe and I talked about the hunt and where to go. As a transporter, he can’t guide me to a location, so we talked about routes around the island. During our discussion, Mona prepared a delicious meal. The hospitality of the Davids was wonderful and we happily enjoyed our evening in their household.
THE NEXT MORNING, THE fog had rolled in over Mekoryuk and Abe suggested we wait until it broke. Lynx played with David’s older grandson while we waited. Almost immediately, the sunshine rolled through the front window and Abe wasted no time in getting us going. Bixler and I jumped on Abe’s twoseat Bearcat. I waved one last goodbye to Lynx – he started to cry – and soon we sped off from the village. We nav-
SEPTEMBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com
The flight to and from Nunivak can be a bumpy one, but when the McClures returned with their young son Lynx it was a little smoother ride. (BIXLER MCCLURE)
igated the drainages and treeless hills along the deep blue Bering Sea. We stopped at one point to take a break near a cinder cone, a good vantagepoint along the expanse of Nunivak. “This is like snowmachining on the moon,” I told Bixler. We watched foxes run around in the distance, feeding on remnants of muskox harvested by the