Alaska Sporting Journal - October 2021 by Media Index Publishing Group

FISHING • HUNTING • ADVENTURE

AKSPORTINGJOURNAL.COM

Volume 11 • Issue 5 www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker

INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn

GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES media@media-inc.com

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles WRITERS Paul D. Atkins, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Mary Catharine Martin SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker, Malena Kennedy WEB DEVELOPMENT/INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines, Jon Eske ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP 14240 Interurban Ave South • Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 (206) 382-9220 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com CORRESPONDENCE Twitter @AKSportJourn Facebook.com/alaskasportingjournal Email ccocoles@media-inc.com ON THE COVER For hunters both living in Alaska and Lower 48 visitors, harvesting a hefty bull moose is one of the pinnacles of a hunt in the Last Frontier. It certainly was a great moment for David Paganucci of Fresno, California. (DAVID PAGANUCCI)

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 5

(MARY CATHARINE MARTIN)

SAVORING ISLAND TIME

Longtime Alaska Sporting Journal correspondents Mary Catharine Martin and Bjorn Dihle vowed to someday return to the cutthroat trout, deer-rich meadows and peaceful vibes of Admiralty Island’s Hasselborg Lake, and this summer, with two young sons in tow, they were able to join some friends for a long weekend getaway at a pair of remote lakeside cabins. MC’s latest Salmon State column shares the fishing, hunting, family and fun to be had in the Tongass National Forest.

FEATURES 16

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

ADVANTAGE: BRISTOL BAY SALMON The ups and downs of the battle against the Pebble Mine project hit a new high note last month, when the Environmental Protection Agency reversed course again and reinstated Clean Water Act protections for the Bristol Bay region’s critical salmon habitat. Whether or not the gold and copper mine ever becomes reality remains unknown, but for now the fish and those who depend on them have regained the upper hand, as our latest dispatch from this long fight details.

9 11 13

The Editor’s Note Outdoor calendar New feature: The Alaska Beat – news and notes from the Last Frontier Why satellite phones are critical for Alaska adventures

THE BEST BULLS OF MY LIFE Of all the hunts on Paul Atkins’ lengthy resume – caribou, bear and Dall sheep – some of his favorite moments have occurred while in search of a freezer-filling moose. The challenge and rarity of scoring one of these massive bulls has only made each and every one an event to cherish.

HAIL TO THE EMPERORS Mention Alaska hunting and big game comes to mind. But Scott and Tiffany Haugen also consider the state’s emperor geese hunting opportunities among the best in North America. Scott shares some memorable moments from his waterfowling adventure on Cold Bay, while Tiffany’s goose breast recipe completes the duo’s latest From Field to Fire column.

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 $49.95 (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 © 2021 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. 6

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EDITOR’S NOTE

KENAI PENINSULA

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Mark Titus captured the natural beauty of the Bristol Bay watershed, including the iconic bears and salmon of Brooks Falls, while filming two documentaries about it. Titus is among many vocal – and, at times, frustrated – opponents of the Pebble Mine, which if ever approved would operate within close proximity of this pristine salmon habitat. (MARK TITUS)

SOLDOTNA 2

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ometimes, you wonder if confrontation isn’t a requirement to fulfill our weird existence. Life in 2021 is a walking (and talking) contradiction. One side: Get a vaccine. Another side: Refuse to get the vaccine. On one weekend Americans quietly reflect about a time – Sept. 11, 2001 – when the country was unified as one. On another weekend makeshift protective fences surround the Capitol building – a painful reminder of what happened there on Jan. 6 whenever that terrible day becomes a talking point. At this rate, I’ve come to expect the confrontational nature of the human spirit. So while I hope the news of Bristol Bay’s latest round of protection mandates from the Environmental Protection Agency (page 16), I know all too well that some just don’t get it. Whenever I’ve talked to anyone connected to the fight to keep the Pebble Mine out of one of the world’s last major salmon watersheds still going strong, they remind me of what is truly worth fighting for and, more importantly, what’s worth fighting against at all costs. I recently asked filmmaker Mark Titus, whose films The Breach and The Wild have hammered home the point that Bristol Bay is the kind of special place where mining should be rejected, how even a no-brainer issue like this still can be debated? Granted, it’s money. Point taken. But it still deserves answers. “Bristol Bay is one of the few places of solace we find in the American conversation. It brought historically combative competing interests like commercial, sport and tribal fishers to the same front line to fight for the preservation of something precious: the last, fully intact wild salmon system in North America,” Titus told me. “Folks that are stridently opposed to preserving Bristol Bay either don’t know the story, haven’t been there or don’t understand the role wildness and life in the outdoors plays in the American story and our resilience as a people.” And perhaps that’s the problem we all have in one of the most contentious times of our lives, whether it’s the pandemic, racial injustice, political grandstanding, or whatever else we’re all fighting about. We don’t get it. Some may never get it. But at least as my frustration grows, there are plenty of Bristol Bay protectors like Titus who do get it. And that gives me a glimmer of hope. -Chris Cocoles

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR*

e Moose hunting seasons opening this month include Game Management Units 5B (Yakutat) and 14C (Anchorage-Eagle River). (KENT PARKER/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE)

Oct. 1 Oct. 1

Oct. 1

Goat season opens in Game Management Unit 1C (Southeast Mainland) Archery deer season opens in GMU 3 (Petersburg Management Area)

Deer season opens in GMU 3 (remainder of Mitkof, Woewodski and Butterworth Islands) Any deer season opens in GMU 8 (Kodiak-Shelikof) Oct. 1 Oct. 1 Brown bear season opens in GMU 10 (Unimak Island) Black bear season opens in GMU 14C (McHugh Creek) Oct. 1 Resident sheep season opens in GMU 19C Oct. 1 (McGrath) Goat season opens in GMU 14A (south and east of Oct. 1 the Matanuska River) Bison season opens in GMU 20 (Fairbanks-Central Oct. 1 Tanana) Oct. 1-23 Elk season dates in GMU 8 (Raspberry Island) Oct. 15 Moose season opens in GMU 5B (west of Dangerous River and Harlequin Lake, and southwest of Russell and Nunatak fjords and the East Nunatak Glacier) Oct. 15 Youth deer season opens in GMU 5 (Yakutat) Oct. 15 Brown/grizzly bear season opens in GMU 6D (Montague Island) Oct. 20 Antlerless moose season opens in GMU 15 (Kenai) Oct. 21 Resident caribou season opens in GMU 13 (Nelchina-Upper Susitna) Oct. 23 Second elk season opens in GMU 8 (Kodiak-Shelikof) Oct. 25 Fall brown bear season opens in GMU 8 (KodiakShelikof) Oct. 25 Moose season opens in GMU 14C (Ship Creek drainage above Joint Base Elmendorf/Richardson Management Area) Note: As COVID-19 restrictions change, check with event websites for any potential changes or cancellations. For more detailed Alaska hunting information, go to adfg.alaska .gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildliferegulations.hunting. aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2021

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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Thanks to a dam removal project, the Eklutna River near Anchorage will be free-flowing again by this month, which is great news for migrating salmon and char that enter it from Cook Inlet. (ALEX TROUTMAN/

ALASKA BEAT

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TWEET OF THE MONTH

NEW PATHS FOR SALMON

ood news for Alaska salmon over the past month, particularly word of the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to reinstate federal protections for Bristol Bay amid the Pebble Mine saga (see page 16). But two other projects will also be beneficial to the Last Frontier’s anadromous fish. Trout Unlimited’s Alaska chapter announced that in late September the Anchorage area’s 11.8-mile Eklutna River was scheduled to have water flowing from its headwaters to its mouth on upper Cook Inlet’s Knik Arm after a successful dam removal project that was completed in 2018. “We have waited a long time to see this day,” said Aaron Leggett, chief of the Native Village of Eklutna, which helped kickstart the project. “It’s finally happening, and it feels so good. We had gotten so used to just a trickle of mud running through our village that we forgot how beautiful the river is. Since the dam came down in 2018, the river has once again been running clear. We notice, the salmon notice, and the bears notice.” Down in Southeast Alaska, Sitka’s Peterson Creek, home to coho and pinks, plus Dolly Varden, was the recipient of a new culvert, a passageway placed under a road or similar obstruction, providing the fish with improved access for their upstream journey to spawning grounds. “If there’s one thing that Alaskans can rally around, it’s salmon,” said Andy Stevens, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fisheries biologist. “These projects are a win-win for both salmon and infrastructure stability in communities.” The fish will certainly take these wins.

NOTABLE NUMBER

207 MILLION The estimated number of salmon that will be harvested in Alaska in 2021, according to an Anchorage Daily News estimate by Forrest Bowers, Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s deputy director of its Commercial Fisheries Division

“I AM SO HAPPY that EPA and Biden administration are restoring protections to Bristol Bay Alaska. Over ½ the world's salmon spawns there yearly and countless species of fish. Tons of animals and local natives live off the land. We can't eat gold.” #WeCantEatGold -@MsGoddessMaria, Sept. 10

HUNTING DANGERS FROM HUMAN AND CREATURE ALIKE

wo recent incidents magnify how careful Alaska hunters must be, and the dangers can be human-related as well as from the natural environment. First, on Sept. 8, 39-year-old Eagle River resident Jason Long was hunting Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve when he was mauled by a bear. “The hunter was alone when a sow with two cubs mauled him, causing lacerations and puncture wounds,” the National Park Service reported, adding that Long was recovering from his injuries. More disturbing was the Sept. 11 fatal shooting of 74-year-old Michael Easley of Wasilla, who died during a moose hunt off the Taylor Highway near the community of Chicken. An Alaska State Troopers investigation was still ongoing. Stay safe, sportsmen and -women.

aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2021

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

FROM THE ASJ ARCHIVES

Paul Atkins has experienced plenty of memorable bruin hunts over the years.

November, 2018, an Arctic bear hunt.

(PAUL D. ATKINS)

ooking ahead I could see him – a big bear walking the edge of the bank looking for fish, stopping and posturing like he owned the place. No doubt he was big, but not as big as the one we had just left and the one I was still thinking about. Could it be that two bears were within a short distance of each other? In Alaska you can shoot from a boat or raft, as long as the motor is off. Our motor was off with me scrambling to find a good rest for a shot. I finally achieved a decent rest on the back of the swivel seat and peered at him through the scope. I needed him to stop, and not only would he not stop but he began to run towards something to his left. I raised my head to look and could instantly hear Lew say, “Sow with cubs.” Boars will eat small cubs, and these were small and so was the sow. The big male was trying to catch one of the cubs and the sow was attempting to warn him off in another direction. She did a good job as they played getaway in the willows. It was utter chaos! Bears were darting in and out of cover in every direction. I slipped the safety off the 7 Mag and waited for the big guy to stop, but he would not. It was then that Lew touched my shoulder and pointed downriver maybe 200 yards. Four more bears had made their way to the river – one on our left and three on the right. It was a “bears gone wild” episode and we sat there in awe of the show! For most this would be a sight to see, and believe me when I say it was. I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to just slip the safety back on and watch. -Paul D. Atkins

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

EPA RETURNS CLEAN WATER ACT PROTECTION TO BRISTOL BAY

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

OCTOBER 2021 | aksportingjournal.com

PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA BY CHRIS COCOLES

dvantage: Bristol Bay salmon. For now. Think a high-stakes tennis match – filled with the participants sending each other unreturnable serves and powerful volleys. For those who have strived to protect what’s known as the “world’s last great salmon run” from mining interests, the momentum has swung back in their favor. Consider August of 2020, when the proposed Pebble Mine seemed poised to clear a significant hurdle after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tentatively submitted an environmental impact statement to greenlight a version of

the gold and copper mine. That had watershed advocates pushing back, saying the development was close enough to several valuable salmon spawning rivers that it could decimate Bristol Bay’s fishing industry. But the pendulum would swing back last fall, when the USACE reversed course and rejected the Pebble Partnership’s permitting process because “the applicant’s plan for the discharge of fill material does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines and concluded that the proposed project is contrary to the public interest.” And now in September 2021, the

administration of President Joe Biden, who vowed to block the mine leading into his successful 2020 campaign, has committed to restoring protections for Bristol Bay. “The Bristol Bay Watershed is an Alaskan treasure that underscores the critical value of clean water in America,” said Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan. “What’s at stake is preventing pollution that would disproportionately impact Alaska Natives, and protecting a sustainable future for the most productive salmon fishery in North America.”

The Nushagak River is one of Bristol Bay’s many critical salmon waterways. Even with the recent good news of the Environmental Protection Agency’s reinstatement of Clean Water Act protections for the region, opponents of the Pebble Mine will continue pushing to make them permanent. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2021

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA “A HISTORIC STEP” Clean Water Act guidelines once ensured protection for the region, and as there has been a push by Alaska Native, fishing and conservation groups to grant permanent protection to Bristol Bay, reaction to the news was overwhelmingly positive. Robert Heyano, president of United Tribes of Bristol Bay, termed the EPA’s announcement “a historic step forward in the long fight to protect Bristol Bay, our fishery and our people.” Bristol Bay’s tribal groups petitioned the EPA to implement protections via the Clean Water Act dating back to 2010, which gained support from various interested parties both in and out of Alaska and continued throughout the ensuing

decade. According to a joint press release from United Tribes of Bristol Bay, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation and Bristol Bay Native Association, more than two million comments have been submitted to the EPA since the initial request for Clean Water Act protection. “Bristol Bay’s Tribes have worked to protect our waters since time immemorial, and we are grateful that the EPA has decided to reinstate the process for permanent protections for Bristol Bay,” said Ralph Andersen, president and CEO of Bristol Bay Native Association. “We hope the agency will work quickly to incorporate all the available science into the proposed determination and issue a final determination that provides durable protections for the headwaters of our fishery.”

FIGHTING FOR SALMON Instate organizations SalmonState and

Trout Unlimited’s Alaska chapter have been two of the most vocal supporters to keep Bristol Bay and its multi-billiondollar salmon fishing industry mine-free. “The Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement that it plans to cease defending the Trump administration’s backroom deal abandoning science-based protections for the world’s most productive sockeye salmon habitat, Bristol Bay, is a step in the right direction,” a candid Tim Bristol, SalmonState’s executive director, said when the EPA’s decision was announced on Sept. 9. “We encourage the Biden administration to finish the job and finalize Clean Water Act Section 404(c) protections for Bristol Bay, ensuring that the world’s largest wild salmon fishery and its 15,000 jobs and traditional salmonbased ways of life are no longer threatened by the proposed Pebble Mine.”

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

ere’s more reaction to the EPA’s decision to reinstate Clean Water Act protections to the Bristol Bay watershed. “This is a smart and significant step toward putting more durable safeguards in place for Bristol Bay’s fish, clean water, communities and businesses. This is an important layer of protection that makes it much more difficult for the Pebble Partnership, or any other companies in the future, to mine the Pebble ore deposit. Now is the time to get these muchneeded protections across the finish line, and we look forward to working with EPA and Congress to get it done. Let’s put the Pebble mine proposal in the rearview mirror for good so we can focus on a bright, prosperous and fish-filled future for Bristol Bay.” –Nelli Williams, Alaska director for Trout Unlimited “It’s clear that (the) EPA is listening. Tribal, business and community leaders, along with millions of supporters, have been fighting the destructive Pebble Mine for more than a decade, urging the agency to save this national treasure. This decision will restart an in-depth

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

agency process, and we’ll be fighting every step of the way to permanently protect the world’s greatest wild salmon fishery and the homeland of the Yup’ik, Dena’ina, and Alutiiq peoples.” –Joel Reynolds, senior attorney and western director for the Natural Resources Defense Council “This news provides a welcome step toward certainty for our fishery and our communities. We’re thankful to see the EPA’s work to protect our waters back on track. Permanent protections will enable our region to focus on growing and diversifying sustainable economic opportunities and building a robust future – rather than defending our waters.” –Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. CEO Norm Van Vactor “Here we go again. It is unfortunate that politics continues to interfere with scientific evidence. Under President Joe Biden, we once again find ourselves dealing with Obama-era policies that were inappropriate then, and are inappropriate now. In the end, science and facts prevail over political pressure

OCTOBER 2021 | aksportingjournal.com

and misinformation. We fought and won against former President Obama’s heavyhanded political attempts to kill the project, and we will do the same again.” –Northern Dynasty Minerals president and CEO Ron Thiessen “This is a pivotal moment for Bristol Bay fishermen. Our decades-long, locally led effort to permanently protect Bristol Bay, our thriving commercial fishery, and our communities from the Pebble Mine is finally back on track. –Katherine Carscallen, executive director of Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay. “After over a decade of fighting to save our fishery and our jobs, we are thankful for EPA’s renewed action to protect Bristol Bay and the 15,000 American jobs and small businesses like mine. As Bristol Bay just wrapped up an all-time recordbreaking run, delivering 65 million salmon to our rivers, streams, fishing nets and onto tables all over the nation, we remain hopeful President Biden will see through his commitment to stand by the science and protect these irreplaceable salmon.” -John Fairbanks, Washington-based Bristol Bay commercial fisherman CC

PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA

As the fight for Bristol Bay’s salmon continues, the latest news was promising for locals like United Tribes of Bristol Bay president Robert Heyano, who called the EPA’s decision “a historic step forward in the long fight to protect Bristol Bay, our fishery and our people.” (THOMAS QUINN/UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON)

Early this year Trout Unlimited brought a lawsuit against the EPA’s 2019 withdrawal from protections (prior to the EPA’s decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled in favor of Trout Unlimited proceeding with its litigation). Chris Wood, TU’s president and CEO, used the phrase “a victory for common sense” to describe the latest reversal back to protection status of the ore-rich landscape shared with the pristine salmon habitat of Bristol Bay’s waters. “Blocking industrial-scale mining from Bristol Bay is the right thing to do for the Alaska Native Peoples who have depended on the fishery for millennia,” Wood said. “It is the right thing to do for the 17,000 family-wage jobs the $1.6 billion commercial fishery provides. It is the right thing to do for a place that provides half of all of the world’s wild sockeye salmon.”

WHAT’S NEXT? Northern Dynasty Minerals, the Canadian-based company spearheading 20

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

the Pebble Mine project, reacted as it has throughout the process. All along it has believed a mine and the ecosystem could safely coexist despite other instances of harm done when comparable projects’ tailing dams failed and damaged nearby streams and rivers, such as the 2014 Mount Polley accident in British Columbia, Canada. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published an Environmental Impact Statement for Pebble in 2020 with input from many agencies including the EPA that states that the project can be done without harm to the region’s fisheries or water resources,” read Northern Dynasty’s statement. “The EIS further notes the tremendous economic opportunity the project represents for the communities around Iliamna Lake, where year-round jobs are scarce, and costs of living are quite high. Our focus remains on working through the formal appeal process via the USACE.” Expect more pressure to be applied

OCTOBER 2021 | aksportingjournal.com

to the EPA and the Biden administration to deliver the permanent Bristol Bay protections that environmental and conservation groups have called for throughout the process. Meanwhile, in this tennis-style back-and-forth matchup, the principles fighting for the fish were happy to hold serve. Filmmaker and Seattle resident Mark Titus has made two documentaries about the importance of salmon to the West Coast. His most recent project, The Wild (Alaska Sporting Journal, July 2020), focused exclusively on the residents of Bristol Bay and the impact its fish have on their lives. In a YouTube video, Titus thanked those same “salmon warriors” for continuing this still-ongoing fight. “All the folks that have been locally on the ground working for 30 years to put an end to this and have the region that has the most intense and beautiful and fully intact wild salmon system left on earth remain intact,” Titus said. “Enjoy this, and we’ve got much more to come.” ASJ

Author Mary Catharine Martin and her family and good friends enjoyed a wonderful getaway to Hasselborg Lake in the Tongass National Forest on Admiralty Island. Her 2-year-old son Shiras and friend Sam Muse enjoyed the peaceful fishing there. (MARY CATHARINE MARTIN)

AT PEACE AMONG THE LOONS, CUTTS BY MARY CATHARINE MARTIN

our years ago this August, my partner Bjorn and I flew into Admiralty Island’s Hasselborg Lake. We fought through thick blueberry bushes and swarms of flies, angled our way up a steep trailless slope, and emerged into the alpine of a nearby mountain. A bear roared at us and crashed away. We were in search of my first deer; I shot two with Bjorn’s expert coaching. We butchered them and stashed the meat in a shaded snowbank that had

survived the summer, then camped on the ridge and carried the meat down the next day. We spent the rest of the visit fishing for cutthroat trout and guarding the meat from a marten that climbed down the rope we’d hung our full game bags from.

LET’S DO IT AGAIN! When our good friends Sam and Autumn suggested our two families and four boys fly to Hasselborg Lake this summer, we were happy to return.

We planned to stay in two cabins just 100 yards or so apart and generally forget about cell phones, COVID and the stress of the last year and a half. The last year and a half, however, hadn’t forgotten about us. A lastminute illness, a bad weather forecast and unavoidable scheduling conflicts meant that Bjorn, our boys and I initially cancelled. But we ended up being able to fly in a day after Sam and Autumn. As we flew, our 2-year-old son Shiras sat on his dad’s

aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2021

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

lap in the front seat and concentrated – his brow furrowed – on the estuaries, streams, lakes, mountains and oldgrowth landscapes unfurling below us. Our 7-month-old, Theron, bounced on my lap. By the time Hasselborg Lake opened up below us, we were already happier and ready to skip our phones across the water like stones.

CHILLING OUT AT ‘BIG SHAHEEN’

Hasselborg Lake is named for Allen Hasselborg, a reclusive man who homesteaded in nearby Mole Harbor for decades, and one of the two cabins we were staying in was originally built as a base for a scientific expedition he guided in the early 1900s. That cabin, Big Shaheen, is situated on the southern-facing shore of a point that looks out over the south part of the lake. Little Shaheen looks west over the lake to Thayer Mountain, which is named for a timber surveyor who was the first – and, up until a few years ago – and only person recorded as killed by brown bears on Admiralty during the last century. That first evening, Sam rowed the kids around as Bjorn cooked. Shiras and Silas, the two oldest, raced to see who could help reel in their parents’ catches first. As Autumn and I woke throughout the night to feed the babies, a pair of loons called to each other across the lake.

PUDDLES, PUZZLES AND A MILESTONE

Autumn Muse found a great spot to take in the view in front of Big Shaheen cabin on Hasselborg Lake with her sons Miles (on her lap) and Silas. (MARY CATHARINE MARTIN) 24

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

OCTOBER 2021 | aksportingjournal.com

The next day we were forecasted to get a few inches of rain in less than 24 hours, so we settled in at the larger cabin with a 1,000-piece puzzle. We didn’t get far, but it ended up providing a half-hour of adult conversation as the older kids occupied themselves by hurling the pieces against the walls. Later, as the sun came out and I put the baby down for a nap, Bjorn cast for cutthroats in front of the cabin. “MC!” I heard him yell. “MC!” I ran outside to see him more excited than I had in years. “Get your camera!” he yelled. “Shiras is reeling in his first fish!” Shiras was thrilled. “I have another one!” he yelled, Shiras-speak for, “Let’s do that again.” Sam landed quite a few with his fly rod throughout the weekend. The two boys even cast some themselves using a

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

kid-friendly rod that Silas had.

APPRECIATING THE TONGASS Watching those boys’ enjoyment, I felt thankful for the Biden administration’s recent announcement of its Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy. The aim is to put money where the true thriving economics and strengths of the Tongass National Forest lie – with sustainable uses, recreation, restoration, tourism, fisheries, and traditional activities. Though Hasselborg Lake, located in a wilderness area, was not one of the spots that had been up for clearcut logging prior to the announcement, the trip filled me with gratitude for this renewed focus, which will help keep the Tongass a thriving place for years to come.

Proud papa Bjorn Dihle and son Shiras both enjoyed the latter’s first cutthroat trout catch.

(MARY CATHARINE MARTIN)

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It’s my hope that 30 years from now, Shiras, Theron, Silas and Miles can come to the same cabins we did, hunt deer on the same mountains, fish for cutthroat in the same lakes, and eat venison around a fire – and the Tongass will continue providing all it does to people in-region and around the world.

SAVOR THE FLAVOR (AND THE VIEW)

The last full day of the trip, Bjorn and Sam departed early in search of deer. Bjorn was near-desperate – a summer out guiding wildlife film shoots meant he was way behind his two brothers in stocking up our freezer for the winter. When they came back that evening with their packs full of venison, we wrapped backstrap in bacon and cooked it over the fire as we looked out over the lake. The bugs came out and trout surfaced, snapping them off the water. The fog had cleared throughout the day and the loons’ haunting call echoed

The parents hope the little ones of the crew, Miles Muse and Theron Dihle, both seven months old, can spend time at this sacred spot in Southeast Alaska for years to come. (MARY CATHARINE MARTIN)

across the lake. ASJ Editor’s note: Mary Catharine Martin is the communications director for SalmonState,

an organization that works to ensure Alaska remains a place wild salmon and the people who depend on them thrive. Go to salmonstate.org for more information.

It was hard to say goodbye to the lake, but after a successful deer harvest, on the last night of the trip Bjorn roasted bacon-wrapped venison over the fire with Theron to end it in style. (MARY CATHARINE MARTIN) 28

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Black Hills Ammunition

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drizair.com/boatrv.html Dri-Z-Air dehumidifier system is designed to prevent condensation, musty odors and mildew in your boat or motorhome’s interior, without any electricity or moving parts. It uses nontoxic salt (calcium chloride) to reduce cabin moisture quietly and with little monitoring. It’s a simple solution that is ideal for use while your boat or motorhome is in storage. Dri-Z-Air recommends using one Dri-Z-Air unit for every 10-foot-by-10-foot space. A 35-foot motorhome or boat will use three to four units during winter layup. When used as directed, the units are effective enough to reduce harmful humidity without drying the air to an uncomfortable level. Refill crystals are available in large quantities to get you through the seasons. Each refill lasts approximately 30 to 60 days, depending upon the amount of moisture in the air. DriZ-Air recommends monitoring each unit every 45 days for maximum effectiveness. Made in the USA out of recycled plastic.

Westview Marina & Lodge Underwood Ammunition

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westviewmarina.com Now available for purchase is the 2022 Early Bird Drive-in Fishing all-inclusive special package at Westview Marina & Lodge in Tahsis, BC. With a price of $1,900 USD for four fishers, customers save $200 each. The package includes four nights of lodging and three full days of guided fishing for salmon, halibut and lingcod. All meals are included. Says the team at Westview, “You will need your large coolers when you fish with us!”

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US Marine Sales & Service

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

HEY, THERE’S A

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

OCTOBER 2021 | aksportingjournal.com

A MOOSE!

HARVESTING A BULL ISN’T EASY, BUT ONE HUNTER HAS HAD A LUCKY ENCOUNTER OR TWO OVER THE YEARS BY PAUL D. ATKINS

Big bulls like this are what fuels moose hunters during the clear, cool days of Alaska’s fall season. From perches on tall hills, hunters glass the spruce and willow river flats below, looking for the brown hides and tan palms of bruiser bulls. Harvesting such an animal is a challenge author Paul Atkins understands. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

was fast asleep in my mummy bag, all wrapped up dreaming about the day to come, when a commotion outside seemed to shake the entire tent. As the ground shook below me, I wondered what the hell was making all that noise. Like so many times before I knew it could only be one thing. It’s a bear, I told myself, it must be a bear and he’s probably tearing up Lew’s boat; or he’s found our food cache. I carefully unzipped the tent and peered outside to see what was going on. What I saw was unbelievable. MOOSE HUNTING HAS ALWAYS been one of my favorites, even more so now than it was when I first came to Alaska all those years ago. Back in the early days it was all about caribou, where catching a glimpse of brown bodies and white manes on the tundra was the ultimate. Taking that “symbol” of Alaska was my primary goal back then, but to see a sea of antlers each time I went out was a sight unto itself. Alas, like grand sunsets, things never last long enough. Those same herds now take a different route and are much harder to come by. With these changes, hunters have changed too, especially in the far north. Moose have now become the primary quarry. Scoring a big bull or even a small one will provide enough meat to feed an entire family for the year. Indeed, moose are big and produce a lot of poundage of what I consider the best-tasting meat on the planet. Yet the monsters that once roamed the far north, specifically here in the northwest of Alaska, aren’t as common

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

as they once were. Oh, there are still moose here, but not as many as in the past. To truly find a big bull can be tough at times. The Arctic is vast and, yes, there are places where moose die of old age. But getting to those places can be quite difficult. Brave or not, hiking or flying into a location where most won’t go can be scary – even more so if you happen to score. Packing out an animal that can weigh a ton through miles of wilderness isn’t for the weak-hearted. Back in the old days, when tags could be bought over the counter and hunters flocked here by the hundreds, moose were a common bag. If you planned a trip to the Arctic, it always included moose

and many were taken quite frequently. These days, moose tags are drawonly for nonresidents and the season for resident hunters is September 1-20, unless they have a special subsistence tag good for a larger portion of the year. One thing is for sure: Finding a bull with antlers at least 50 inches wide has become a tough endeavor these days. I’ve been on many memorable moose hunts throughout my career and lucky enough to take a few, either on my subsistence tag or meeting the minimums. But I’ve never taken a giant bull; not even close. Admittedly, I like antlers, but it has never been truly about that. In the Alaskan bush, where it can be expensive to live, it has always been

Fall colors brighten an Arctic landscape. Sitting eating blueberries right off the vine, waiting for what hopefully will be a big bull to appear from the spruce trees is what it’s all about for moose hunters. (PAUL D. ATKINS) 40

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

OCTOBER 2021 | aksportingjournal.com

about filling my freezer and providing food for friends and family. I’ve had friends and acquaintances venture north over the years to fulfill their moose wish, but never have I achieved the kind of moose that I wanted to hang on the wall. During this time, I didn’t really need to. My freezer was always full, thanks to those same friends who usually gave me half of their quarry. I was always glad to receive some.

IT ALL STARTED WITH my first bull, which took place long before there were any restrictions. He was a young moose with barely enough horn to be called a bull, but he fit the bill and provided a lot of table fare.

It happened while we were on a subsistence hunt and boating down one of the many river channels in search of caribou. It was early fall and while we were looking for caribou, anything else that turned up would go hand in hand, though the thought of taking a moose wasn’t even on our radar. I had just become a resident and was still a novice to the dos and don'ts of boat hunting in the Arctic. We had a great time on the river, except for the mosquitoes that attacked us from all directions. I would have done anything for a Thermacell back in those days, but a can of DEET had to do, even though the bugs seemed to chew through every application.

The willows were glossy green and summer was still evident everywhere you looked. We were on the way back to camp and there he stood feeding on the green grass in the shallows of the river. My partner and boat captain dropped me off and I made my first Alaskan stalk, not knowing if I was doing anything correctly or not. As I made my approach, the bull never even noticed and was as surprised as I was when my newly purchased .300 Win. Mag. rang out. He dropped in his tracks and I had my first Alaskan moose. Many more have fallen since then, and most were taken in similar places. Good moose country is usually always good moose country, and I’ve learned it’s always a good bet to check those

Seeing the next generation is always a welcome sight. The moose population has taken a pounding the last 10 to 15 years due to predators – as in bears so you just hope calves can survive to adulthood. (PAUL D. ATKINS) 42

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

OCTOBER 2021 | aksportingjournal.com

same areas every year. The season doesn’t matter, either; I’ve taken them early, like my first bull, and also as late as December and January, with snow on the ground and minimal daylight. Those hunts are a lot of fun and different in every way, but each animal tasted as good as the last. Searching for moose with snow on the ground and temperatures way below freezing takes a totally different mindset than hunting them in September. I’ve done it many times. You dress differently and your mode of transportation changes from boat or bush plane to snowmachine. The hunting is pretty much the same, using the spot-and-stalk technique

Atkins and moose hunting partner Lew Pagel reflect on the day in front of a roaring fire. “And to be honest there is no strategy and no game plan; just go to places that we’ve found moose before and hope,” he says. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

to get close. My first late-season bull happened in December many years ago. We loaded our sleds and headed north. Luckily, we found two bulls early, when we still had plenty of daylight during those short winter days. The two bulls were standing side by side and one was quite a bit bigger than the other. The bigger bull only had one antler, having lost the other somewhere on the tundra. I decided to take the smaller bull, which appeared to be a lot younger and would taste better anyway. The shot was long, but the bull disappeared into the willows. We got home long after dark, but it was a great hunt resulting in a great bull. Most of the moose kills I’ve been associated with have been a surprise, occurring while hunting something else. Like the time when I had just killed a 44

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

caribou and was in the process of field dressing it when up walked a 60-inch bull looking for a mate. My buddy dropped him seconds later, but it took two days before we packed out the last load. Or another time when we were boating to a neighboring village for a cross country running meet when we ran into a bull standing on the bank. Needless to say, we didn’t make it to the race. Other than the searching part, hunting and shooting a respectable bull has always been the easy part for me. It’s after the shot when all the work begins. Most people can’t quite understand or comprehend the sheer size of one of these monarchs. A big bull can weigh close to a ton and a smaller one not much less. Unlike a deer or even a caribou, a moose produces a lot of trips to the boat

OCTOBER 2021 | aksportingjournal.com

or backbreaking walks to the landing strip; plus you get to use a lot of game bags!

THE NOISE THAT WOKE me that September morning wasn’t a bear or even a group of bears. It wasn’t the herd of caribou that I had been dreaming about in my mummy bag either. No, it was moose – two of them standing right outside the tent fighting like a couple of Roman gladiators in an arena. It was surreal to watch as I stood there shivering in my long underwear. The early-morning light combined with the fog rolling off the river made it feel like a dream. The big bulls were close to the same size. With each charge the echo of their antlers shivered the water along the shore of the ancient river. Not really knowing what to do next, I finally came to the conclusion that I

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These two velvet bulls (above) are buddies now, but when late September rolls around they won’t be. It will be game on and survival of the fittest for these giants of the tundra. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

should try and take one of these bulls. I headed back to the tent to grab my rifle and noticed my bow case laying on the front of the boat not 30 yards away. Understanding that this would be over soon, I decided it would take too much time to get the bow and get back fast enough for a shot. I wanted to get this on 46

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film too, but my camera was buried in my pack and would take a lot of time to get it set up. Since I wasn’t prepared, looking back I should have taken the time. I stuck my head in the tent just as my good friend and hunting partner Lew Pagel was starting to stir from all the commotion I was making.

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“What’s going on?” he asked. “There’s a couple of monster bulls fighting behind the tent, man,” I told him. “Get up quick; you gotta see this.” I grabbed the 7mm Mag, jacked a shell and headed to the back of the tent. A barefooted Lew followed, still thinking I had lost my mind. The bulls had begun to back off and the bigger of the two broke and made for the willows across a shallow pond. He was enormous and would have been the shooter had he given me the chance. The second bull stood there in all his glory and gave me the perfect quartering-away shot. All I could see was the right side of

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“Sometimes I can’t believe it really happened,” Atkins says of his largest bull. “To see this monster squaring off against another equally big bull right behind our tent was incredible.” (LEW PAGEL)

his antler crowned with six brow points to form what appeared to be a “soup bowl.” I looked at Lew, who looked back at me in disbelief. Wishing I had my bow, I raised the rifle and found the bull in the rifle scope. The loud boom vibrated through camp and the big bull swirled and fell. It was unbelievable, to say the

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least. Here we were on the first morning of our hunt and we had a big bull down right behind our tent not even 40 yards from the boat. How lucky can a couple guys get? The second, bigger bull didn’t go far. We could hear him a short distance away crashing and thrashing the dense

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willow. Lew made a couple of calls in hopes he would decide to make another appearance and he was coming closer, but we decided then that one bull was enough. The thought of getting two back across the vicious lake on the way home was too foreboding. We never got the chance anyway. The big boy had had enough and ventured elsewhere looking for another foe. Even though it wasn’t in the “classic” hunting style, I finally had my moose – the big bull that I had searched for so many long years. He measured at 61 inches and weighed upwards of 1,500 pounds. The big boy was an easy pack to the boat, but only after Lew and I had a breakfast of coffee and cherry Pop-Tarts. We earned it all. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins’ proclaimed new book Atkins’ Alaska is available on Amazon and everywhere good books are sold. It can also be ordered through his website, paulatkinsoutdoors.com, and if you want an autographed copy contact Paul at atkinsoutdoors@gmail.com.

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Emperor geese are considered the pinnacle of North American waterfowling, and with good reason. Author Scott Haugen had a memorable experience hunting these birds on Cold Bay. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

HAIL TO THE EMPERORS RARE BUT RECOVERED WESTERN ALASKA GEESE A CHALLENGING, REWARDING BIG GAME-LIKE HUNT BY SCOTT HAUGEN s a flock of emperor geese skirted the string of decoys lining the beach – just out of range – my heart sank. Leading the flock of a dozen birds was a stud gander – its thick neck and hefty body standing out above the rest. That was the goose I wanted; the one I’d been holding out for. Following a 2-mile hike down a sandy beach along Cold Bay, we set out a couple dozen decoys along the dark shoreline,

then nestled into the tall golden grass as daylight broke on the horizon. The tide was out, the kelp covered the high-water mark, and the snow fell. In less than three minutes a flock of five emperors spotted the decoys, banked in and landed 20 yards from me. Two adult birds stood out but there wasn’t a mature gander, so I watched the stunning geese feed for over five minutes while hoping another flock would come

by. Another flock did approach, followed by three more. Each bunch of emperors had a shooter gander, but none offered a clear shot.

AS EMPEROR GEESE FLY the beach in search of food, they are low to the water in a tight horizontal line. Shot choices must be precise, as the limit is one bird per hunter, per season, for residents. Only a limited number of nonresidents

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FIELD

Game bird meat can offer some of the most delicious table fare for hunters. Tiffany Haugen likes to use simple ingredients and fast cooking times to whip up a hearty meal. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

CREATE SIMPLE BUT DELICIOUS BIRD DISH BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

hether you’re digging through the freezer or bringing fresh geese home from a recent hunt, this simple recipe is tasty and easy to prepare. We’ve enjoyed this recipe with cacklers from Bristol Bay, Canada geese from Southeast Alaska, white-fronts from the Arctic and black brant from Izembek Lagoon. Before cooking, be sure your bird is cleaned of all bloodshot, feathers and shot. Remove excess blood vessels and

any bruised tissues, as cooked blood results in a gamey flavor. Cooking methods are key with waterfowl, as overcooking often results in stronger-flavored meat. Hot and fast with the breast meat, low and slow with legs, wings and thigh meat are the ways to go. By keeping it simple, you can’t go wrong with this quick preparation. One large goose breast ½ teaspoon of your favorite seasoning salt or ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper 1 tablespoon butter ½ tablespoon olive or coconut oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon red wine or rice vinegar ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes Fresh parsley, cilantro, basil or mint for garnish Clean goose breast and carefully remove blood vessels and sinuous surrounding

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tissues. Slice the breast across the grain in ¼- to ½-inch slices. Spread out on a plate in a single layer and season both sides of the meat. Let sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. In a large skillet, heat butter and oil on high heat. Fry goose steaks 30 seconds to a minute on each side (do not overcook). Add soy sauce and red wine or rice vinegar and let the liquid reduce for one to two minutes. Serve immediately over rice, garnishing with fresh herbs of choice. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book with over 150 recipes, Cooking Game Birds, and other best-selling titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.

FIELD get to hunt these coveted geese each year, and they can only attain tags through a lottery drawing, while Alaska residents need only register. Suddenly, in the distance the largest emperor flock of the morning materialized over the dark, white-capped waves of Cold Bay. Even from a distance the lead gander stood out. My buddy Josh Powell worked hard on the calls and I hunkered down, focusing on that one bird. But as the flock approached, then winged past the decoys, my dream bird seemed long gone. Just when I’d given up hope on the flock, the lead bird craned its neck back toward the decoys, and the rest of the flock followed suit. Before I knew it, the entire flock banked hard into the wind,

and the lead gander set its wings. As the flock worked hard against the wind, orange feet began to drop. I hesitated shouldering the gun; the bird I wanted was now on the far side of the flock, out of range and obscured by every other goose. Hunkered in the dry and tall grass, I willed the flock closer. It was then that the birds closest to me started landing, and I figured the big bird would do the same to put him out of range. But the gander kept moving closer, eventually coasting over the entire flock and then dropping the landing gear 30 yards from where I sat. The shot was simple, but my adrenaline was rushing and analogous to so many big game hunts I’d experienced over the years.

NEVER DID I THINK I’d have an opportunity to hunt these grand birds, what many consider the pinnacle of the waterfowling world. But in 2017, for the

Emperor goose hunting in Alaska was closed for decades, but has been reopened under careful rules, including an annual quota of just 1,000 birds to prevent overharvesting. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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first time in some 30 years, emperor goose hunting reopened in Alaska. Today, this hunt is available to residents through simple registration permits, and they are one of the state’s most overlooked and underrated hunts. To say an emperor goose hunt is exciting is an understatement. “Everyone who hunts these geese is passionate about it,” says Jeff Wasley, owner of Four Flyways Outfitters (fourflywaysoutfitters.com), with whom I chose to hunt. “And the number one comment I hear from people at the conclusion of their hunt is how much it reminded them of big game hunting. And that’s exactly what it is, a hunt for a specific bird where holding out can result in a mature, once-in-a-lifetime specimen.” While there are multiple places in Alaska where emperor geese can be hunted, the hardest part is just getting to them, much like any big game hunt in the state. Emperor geese nest on the Yukon-

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FIELD Kuskokwim Delta and spend the winter along the rocky beaches of the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island. They’re one of the hardiest geese on the planet. Emperor geese can be hunted on your own if you know what you’re doing. It’s also doable if you have access to a boat, ATV and/or truck. Just don’t forget the decoys. Or you can hire a guide. “People often fail to realize how hard it can be to reach the beaches

to even begin to hunt emperor geese, and how important decoys are,” points out Wasley, who is Alaska’s leading outfitter when it comes to securing these prized geese for residents and nonresidents alike. “Once you’re in position, the hunt can come together very smoothly, but getting there is a whole different story.” After taking my emperor goose, Josh and I settled back in the decoys. I wanted to take pictures of these grand birds approaching our decoy spread. We sat there for 45 minutes and didn’t see another goose. Then the tide started rushing in and the snow fell harder. We

packed up the decoys and hiked back to the truck.

AS I REFLECT ON 30 years of hunting

throughout Alaska, I have many wonderful memories to be thankful for. But one of the most indelible is my recent hunt for emperor geese, something I encourage residents to seriously consider and realize how fortunate this opportunity truly is. ASJ Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling hunting and fishing books, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

Haugen realized his lifelong dream of hunting emperor geese in Alaska last season, “one of the most indelible” memories in his three decades pursuing the state’s myriad game animals.. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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DIAL H FOR HELP WHEN EMERGENCIES HAPPEN IN THE WILD, SAT PHONES ARE ‘WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD’ BY PAUL D. ATKINS

began hurting on the third day of our extended caribou hunt in the Brooks Range. The pain in my side grew with so much intensity that I had to exit the tent in the middle of the night. Did I pull a muscle or something worse? Did the bull we took that morning and the milelong pack back to camp really take that much out of me? All I knew was that I was hurting, and it was getting worse.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO PREPARATION This fall will provide memorable experiences for many, especially those lucky enough to live in Alaska, but also for those Outsiders planning a

lifelong dream of hunting in the Last Frontier. Preparation works the same for both types, and being ready for what happens – either after the shot or even before the shot – are both equally

Author Paul Atkins scored a nice caribou bull on a hunt that then saw him suffer from a kidney stone attack, making his Iridium satellite phone the most valuable piece of gear he brought along that trip. (PAUL D. ATKINS) aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2021

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Whether a hunt ends early due to tagging out or bad weather rolls in and threatens your safety, being able to contact your transporter or outfitter is a huge plus. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

important. Being ready for whatever the Alaskan outdoors offers is the key to a safe and successful adventure. There are many necessities that can make a camp more comfortable and the hunting a lot more enjoyable. What we need has been dictated over and over throughout the years – whether it be an outfitter recommendation, a brochure or info from someone who did it last year and, in most instances, are dead-on accurate. One variable they can’t always predict is the weather, which dictates everything in Alaska. Your hunt will usually be influenced by it, no matter what else is going on. After 20-plus years of living in the Arctic and mostly on the tundra, I’ve learned a few things that can save your hunt and, in some cases, maybe even your life. Most of my hunts have been normal, but a few haven’t. A couple of bear charges here and there, a downed plane, a flooded landing strip, an attack of kidney stones, and catching the flu have all been part of my time spent afield, both solo and with friends. 60

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START WITH THE SAT PHONE

Granted, you’ll need solid rain gear, a good tent, good boots and the requisite food, guns, bows, knives, game bags, packs, and maybe a good first-aid kit to get you through a hunt. But if I was making the list, my number one priority would be a reliable communication device, such as a high-quality satellite phone. They are worth their weight in gold. Most do-it-yourself drop camp hunts go as planned and there is really no worry on 99 percent of them. The transporter or outfitter will drop you off with your gear and seven days later pick you up and then head back to the tarmac in town. I’ve hunted this way for numerous years – out and back again with no incidents. There were times, however, when we would get our caribou or moose on the first day and wished we had an earlier pickup but didn’t have a way to contact anybody. Or that time when temperatures rose and our meat and capes were in danger of spoiling, which they did. All were times I wish I’d had a way to call out.

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A TURNING POINT The day before that tragic day in American history, the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, I had just returned from a moose hunt up north. The next day, with planes grounded, it occurred to me that all those hunters in camp who were supposed to be picked up really didn’t know what was happening. I’m guessing they were thinking, “Where’s my transporter? The weather is good, so why isn’t he here?” It was afterwards that I took the plunge and invested in a satellite phone. It just made sense. That was many years ago when the units were quite expensive. The phone itself was high dollar, the minutes that went with them even more so, or so it seemed. Nowadays there are many models and combinations that are quite affordable. I personally still use my old Iridium phone, which has never failed me anywhere on Earth, including while on four different continents. Like all technology that’s constantly evolving, there are now numerous models that can handle any kind of weather. There are also tracking devices

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For Atkins’ fellow ASJ correspondent Scott Haugen and outdoors lovers everywhere, sat phones are easy to operate and work in just about every location on Earth where satellites are visible to the phone. But it’s a good rule to bring along instructions for the unit and make sure everyone in camp knows how to operate it. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

and apps that can be downloaded on your own smartphone. There are many different brands and services – Isatphone, Thuraya and Globalstar, just to name a few. Minutes can also be bought using prepaid units that are good over time. That way you only need the phone when you’re away from cell coverage – or if you’re like me and spend most days outside. You can sign a service agreement and have the phone as a constant companion. Either way, the phone will give you peace of 62

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mind when you need an early pickup on a caribou hunt or get caught in a storm after harvesting a monster mountain goat.

SENDING SIGNALS

Besides a phone, another option or maybe an included option is a SPOT beacon. It is battery operated and will send signals to loved ones anywhere in the world. It’s super accurate and delivers reliable location-based tracking and even messaging. It’s a

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true marvel. No matter what calling device you decide to use, you should also carry a handheld GPS of some kind, whether for marking camp, a downed animal or if you become lost. Being able to mark waypoints and tell someone where you’re at can be a very valuable piece of information when you need it. I highly recommend that you bring written instructions on how to use the equipment – either stuffed in the case or put in a waterproof baggie – plus a list of emergency phone numbers such as search-and-rescue outfits and the Alaska State Troopers. It is of the utmost importance to go over these instructions and phone numbers with everyone in camp before the hunting starts. CAUTIONARY TALE That pain in my side intensified to the point that I passed out. When I awoke it was nearly dawn and my hunting partner, who was from the Lower 48, was a bit freaked out. I told him to reach into my pack and get my satellite phone. Though he seemed a little upset about why I didn’t tell him earlier, I made the call. The state trooper told me due to the September fog it would be dawn before they could fly to my location and pick me up. As I lay there among our bagged caribou and antlers, I stared up into the sky. I cannot tell you the relief I felt when the small Super Cub cut through the fog bank and landed next to our tent. The ride back was excruciating, but once inside the hospital I knew I was safe. The kidney stones were painful, but luckily, I had been prepared and brought my phone. Otherwise, it would have been another four days on the tundra. For more information, I suggest checking out Outfitter Satellite at outfittersatellite.com. They are first rate and cater to hunters all over the world. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer and author from Kotzebue, Alaska. He’s had hundreds of articles published on big game hunting in Alaska and throughout North America and Africa, plus surviving in the Arctic. Paul is a longtime contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal.

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Alaska Sporting Journal - October 2021

Articles inside

Why satellite phones are critical for Alaska adventures

HAIL TO THE EMPERORS

ADVANTAGE: BRISTOL BAY SALMON

THE BEST BULLS OF MY LIFE

Outdoor calendar

New feature: The Alaska Beat – news and notes from the Last Frontier

The Editor’s Note