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B.C. SALMON, HALIBUT, COD & STEELHEAD THE

Fishmyster DOES IT ALL

ny patron of the “angling arts” will tell you that the supreme measurement of any professional fishing guide comes down to a singular question: How does that experienced, skilled guide make you feel about yourself? It is a tougher question than one might think, given the broad horizon of potential answers. For Allan Pearson, an earnest 26-year-old surf school manager from Tofino, British Columbia, fishing with Ken “The Fishmyster” Myers proved to be a remarkable experience. “Ken makes me feel like I’m a good fisherman,” Allan recently confirmed while surveying a fish-hold loaded with limits of Chinook salmon, halibut and cod. His comments came at the end of an outstanding day of fishing with Ken in the Barkley Sound region off the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC. “Ken’s passion is amazing,” Allan continued. “He is so open to sharing information. He answers all questions – even the dumb ones! Ken explains where we’re fishing, why we’re there, all details, including methods and tactics. Honestly, I didn’t know fishing guides like Ken even existed!” High praise, indeed, but not at all surprising given Ken’s extensive experience. Born and raised in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island and based in Ucluelet, Ken has spent the past 25 years as a professional tidal and freshwater guide. Unlike most of his contemporaries, however, Ken provides his guide services 12 months of the year. Spring and summer are spent on the Pacific Ocean chasing trophy kings, “barndoor” halibut and monster cod, all from his luxurious, state-of-the-art fishing machine – a Fountain 38IX powered by three (that’s right, THREE) 300HP Mercury Verado engines. Ken “The Fishmyster” Myers (left) put Alex When fall rolls around, Ken treats his guests to some of the world’s finest steelhead fisheries. Morrow on this 27-pound king salmon. “I have been fishing these Vancouver Island rivers since I was a kid, and I know them as well as anybody. Just because the tidal opportunities tail off by October is no reason to stop fishing. Many of my clients fish with me in both summer and winter. Different methods, different fisheries, but still great fishing,” explains Ken. Allan and his friends who joined him on this trip represent the new generation of anglers: young, fit and up for everything. The fact that these young men and women – children of the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation – are so keen bodes well for the future of West Coast fiheries. All five species of Pacific salmon – Chinook (kings), coho (silvers), pink, sockeye and chum – travel the tidal waters in the Barkley Sound region, and creel surveys indicate that many of these runs are once again on the rise. Likewise, Allan and his friends are prepared to provide the stewardship that is required to ensure these magnificent salmon runs remain vibrant for future generations. Ken’s boat, the MV Overkill, is fully loaded with cutting-edge navigation systems; personal floatation; life raft; stabilizers (for added comfort while trolling); an Espar furnace (for those chilly Pacific Northwest mornings); a fully functioning head, and loads of deck space. Ken also treats his guests to “nothing but the best” when it comes to fishing gear: Islander Reels and Sage rods, and an array of tackle that would humble any tackle Wes Hartman hoists a 74-pound halibut while store. “The Overkill just adds to Jeff Morrow (left) and Ken “The Fishmyster” the complete experience. Myers (right) soak up the experience. It is an unbelievable fishing machine – amazing to fish from because there is so much space and it is so solid on the water. Of course, having 900 hp on the back is just so cool. Getting to and from the fishing grounds is a snap!” Allan gushed. Ken is currently booking for winter steelheading. Prime dates for September 2015’s tidal season are still available, but they quickly book up. Contact Ken directly on his cell at 250.720.5118, email him at; fishmyster@shaw.ca. Visit Ken’s website at fishmyster.com.

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ALASKA

SPORTING JOURNAL Volume 5 • Issue 9

www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tom Reale WRITERS Paul D. Atkins, Christine Cunningham, Dennis Dauble, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Luke Kelly, Jeff Lund, Bixler McClure, Krystin McClure, Steve Meyer, Dennis Musgraves, Buzz Ramsey, Mark Young SALES MANAGER Brian Lull ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Becca Ellingsworth, Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Sonjia Kells PRODUCTION MANAGER John Rusnak PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker CIRCULATION MANAGER Heidi Belew DISTRIBUTION Tony Sorrentino, Gary Bickford OFFICE MANAGER / ACCOUNTS Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@nwsportsmanmag.com ON THE COVER Locals refer to massive Harding Lake, near Fairbanks, as “Hard Luck” due to the challenges of solving it during winter ice fishing. But determined anglers can find some success there, with trophy lake trout as a reward. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES) INSET Buzz Ramsey and his son, Blake, caught some large Chinook on a salmon fishing trip to the Togiak and lower Nushagak Rivers. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 9

131 SMALL GAME, BIG REWARDS Alaska’s h hunting hu unti u nti ting ing ng dreams dre ream ream amss us usua usually ualllly ua llly be b begin egin in wi with ith h chasing the big boys, like moose, caribou and bear. But our hunter of the tundra, Paul Atkins, ﬁnds great fun in harvesting smaller game like lynx, rabbit, ptarmigan and fox too, especially when he can share the experience with his young son, Eli. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 39

How an Alaska hunter stays in shape during the offseason 47 They’re anglers by summer, but snowboarders by winter 55 A Tok gold prospector’s story 69 Combating cabin fever 93 Break the ice for Kenai ‘bows 105 Learning to fly fish, in winter? 115 Planning a family summer fishing adventure

COLUMNS 33

No Sympathy with Steve Meyer: What ever happened to treating our quarry with respect?

146 Loose Ends with Christine Cunningham: Sounding off on duck calls

DEPARTMENTS 13

Editor’s Note

Protecting Wild Alaska: Dolly Varden outsmarting us

Outdoor Calendar

145 Product Feature

FEATURES 17

GETTING HALIBUT C&R RIGHT “It’s the little things that count.” That’s the nut of what a new program, Every Halibut Counts, is trying to accomplish, teaching charter skippers and anglers on the best ways to release halibut to ensure that our ﬁshery stays healthy and more restrictions aren’t required. PETS AND COPS Meet the wolf whisperer. That’s the mystical power our correspondent and former SWAT team leader Steve Meyer seemed to possess when he fostered a pet

wolf (we’re not kidding) after its owner went to jail. Steve shares this and other tales of encountering dogs and cats during his old job’s house calls. 78

ICE FISHING FRENZY Yes, there’s ﬁshing to be had in Alaska outside of summer’s high season! Our ﬁsh-a-holic friend, Dennis Musgraves, who crisscrosses the state chasing the biggest and baddest species, details Harding Lake near Fairbanks and its monster lake trout.

123 KINGS ARE BUZZING Buzz Ramsey, the brands manager at Yakima Bait Company

in Washington, got in some bonding time with his son, Blake, during a Bristol Bay trip. Team Ramsey ﬁshed both the Togiak and lower Nushagak Rivers, pulling in a bunch of Chinook and piling up great memories. 141 HUNTING THE HUNTERS Our Field to Fire scribes Scott and Tiffany Haugen used to live on Alaska’s North Slope, which is full of predators like wolves and wolverines. Scott shares his calling techniques for attracting these wily creatures of the winter, and Tiffany prepares a lynx – and no, we don’t mean tans its hide, rather a hearty braised dish!

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.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Correspondent Paul Atkins (left) and a friend taking advantage of the few minutes of winter daylight to gather ﬁrewood around his Kotzebue home. (PAUL ATKINS)

ronically, our hunting guru Paul Atkins’ report on how Alaskans cure cabin fever in the winter was written while suffering from an actual fever (and a nasty case of the flu; get well soon, Paul). But ever the trooper, Paul painted quite the picture of keeping busy in Kotzebue, which is further north on the map than the easternmost tip of Russia across the Bering Strait. Kotz’s average low temperature in February? Minus 8 degrees F. Most of us Lower 48ers can’t visualize the perhaps one hour of daylight that folks that far north experience in December – essentially living in darkness during the holidays. But as Paul writes, only Alaskans can embrace what their location has given them in terms of brutal winters and a lack of sunshine. “Cabin fever is a disease only if you let it be,” he writes. Riding on the snow machine to chop firewood, or taking an auger to drill holes on a frozen lake to catch some fish, all the while in darkness, is what you do to get through the dog days of winter. The promise of a thaw, warmer weather and crystal-clear lakes and rivers full of trout and salmon provide the end game for winter. It’s what makes Alaska special. The closest cabin fever experience I’ve ever had was a few years back when I hurt myself in a fall and had surgery on both legs. I was essentially bedridden for six weeks until I had my casts removed. I went outside three times to visit my doctor (in bright blue Northern California sunshine). By the time I was strong enough again to walk my dog, Sharkie, I felt like a wild mustang turned loose to run amok. Paul always tells me how excited he is when he’s ready to go on another big-game hunt on the tundra and share his experiences. To me, it speaks to how much Alaskans appreciate what they have and what it looks like when the darkness goes away. –Chris Cocoles

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A fishing charter boat measures a halibut to ascertain whether the fish can be kept or released. New regulations in Southeast Alaska will not only include a onefish limit, but no halibut can be kept measuring between 40 and 80 inches. (CAPT. MARK YOUNG/ALASKAMARINEGUIDES.COM)

EVERY HALIBUT DOES COUNT SPREADING THE WORD TO MAINTAIN A STRUGGLING FISHERY BY MARK YOUNG

he North Pacific Fisheries Council, one of eight regional councils established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, was planning to meet at the end of January to discuss a myriad of fisheries-related measures, including proposed halibut regulations for Alaska charter boat companies. We in the halibut charter sector have faced many challenges over the last few years – from a reduction in the fleet to size limits, and now impending annual limits and day-of-the-week closures. It has hit us, and ultimately our clients, very hard. This article is not designed to debate the management of the fishery, but to spread the word about a very important initiative

that all of us can play a part in. The program is called Every Halibut Counts. We often hear the saying, “It’s the little things that count.” This saying speaks to the heart of what Every Halibut Counts is trying to accomplish. It aims to provide information to halibut charter boat crews, their clients, and unguided recreational anglers on the best ways to release halibut. Why? Not only because it’s the little things that count, but also because the little things add up to big things. The project grew out of a few conservation-minded captains who were concerned with protecting the resource while providing optimum angling opportunities. The Alaska Marine Conservation Council’s executive director, Kelley Harrell, and Terry Johnson, professor of ﬁsheries at the University

of Alaska Fairbanks Marine Advisory Program, have spearheaded this effort with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. In addition, a steering committee was established that consists of a variety of stakeholders to include charter operators from around the state, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the International Paciﬁc Halibut Commission. Every Halibut Counts has also enlisted Dave Marciano from the National Geographic Channel’s Wicked Tuna to produce a video emphasizing the importance of the program. Every Halibut Counts is intended to inform and encourage crews and anglers about the need for releasing halibut gently with minimal injury, and encourage them to use best practices when catching FEBRUARY 2015

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

halibut they intend to Andy Mezirow, to release. As sport Seward charter boat anglers, this seems owner of Crackerjack obvious, right? This Sportfishing (800could read some566-3912; crackerthing like Every (fill jackchar ters.com) in the blank) Counts. and member of the So why are we so steering committee, concerned with halthe charter fleet is reibut? Last year the sponsible for 10,000 halibut charter secto 20,000 fish dying tor became a part of by catch and release. the catch share plan, “It’s held against us,” making us accounthe says. “We can lowable for a percentage er that number by beof mortality, just as it ing more careful.” Seward charter boat skipper Andy Mezirow, preparing to release a halibut, says that is in the commercial fellow sportfishing guides can lower the kill rate of released fish by simply being The steering comfishing sector. This more careful. “It’s held against us,” he says when catch-and-release fish die. mittee has developed means that halibut (CAPT. ANDY MEZIROW/CRACKERJACKCHARTERS.COM) a list of best practices that are caught and subsequently rethat you might find useful when you are a way that is going to ensure the greatleased are counted, and a percentage of out on the grounds: est chance of survival. As you can well those fish will be assumed to have died. imagine, the implementation of reverse The mortality rate will reduce the slot limits and size restrictions have and THE BASICS amount of fish we can take in the next will result in considerably more fish beDecide quickly whether to keep the fish. year. This creates an incentive for us to ing released, thereby potentially reducing Have an unhooking device at the ready, ensure that we are releasing halibut in our future bag and size limits. According such as a gaff or rod with a curved end, which can be slid down the leader until it reaches the bend of the hook. With a quick push-and-twist motion, roll out the hook. If possible, unhook the fish while it is still in the water. If the fish is too Taking You Where Tires Can’t Go! large or vigorous to unhook safely, cut the leader close to the hook. It won’t harm the fish, and the hook probably will fall out eventually. If you must bring a fish into the boat, minimize handling and return the fish to the water immediately. Cradle it and prevent it from hitting sharp objects if it flops around. Don’t lift a fish only by the tail – support it with one hand under the body. Release it gently, head first, into the sea. • Simple Bolt-On Installation For Most Vehicles • Amazing Performance - Affordable Price! • Reliable & Nearly Maintenance FREE

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HOOKS AND FISHING TECHNIQUES Circle hooks cause the least damage to a fish and are easy to remove. Use only circle hooks when baitfishing, and consider pinching or grinding down the barb. Jigs, J hooks and treble hooks are more likely to injure halibut. Make sure everyone on board is aware of that potential if they expect to release ﬁsh.

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Reel in the fish quickly. Prolonged playing of a fish causes exhaustion. Designate a place on your boat for handling fish to be released that has no pointed or sharp edges, and use padding or a soft mat to protect a flopping fish from injury.

WHEN TO KEEP FISH If a ﬁsh is bleeding, gut-hooked, or visibly injured, it probably won’t survive. By regulation any ﬁsh not returned immediately to the sea with minimal injury must be kept and counted toward the angler’s daily bag limit.

REDUCE RELEASE NUMBERS AND KEEP COUNT Avoid “chicken patches,” areas with lots of small fish, unless you plan to keep them. Releasing many small fish results in more dead fish. Encourage anglers not to release more fish than necessary to get the ones they want to keep. Keep a count of the fish you release each day and enter the numbers in

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PROPOSED HALIBUT REGULATIONS When the North Pacific Fishery Management Council met in December, its proposals pertaining to halibut charter boat fishing in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska suggest there would be a major impact on catch limits. In Southcentral Alaska and Kodiak (Area 3A), a two-fish bag limit remains intact. One fish can be of any size, but the second can’t be longer than 29 inches. Charter companies are permitted one trip a day and individual anglers can keep five fish per year. Southcentral charters would also be prohibited from fishing on Thursdays from June 15-Aug. 31. In Southeast Alaska, the bag limit is just a single halibut, and a slot limit that would either be less than 40 inches or more than 80 inches. Any halibut between would have to be released. Halibut quotas have been dropping for the better part of 15 years beginning in the late 1990s. “I don’t want to be cavalier about it and say that we’re happy about it. It’s just the least of the bad options we have. It could be worse,” executive director Heath Hillyard of the Southeast Alaska Guides Organization told the Alaska Journal of Commerce. Hillyard suggested to the same publication that while the charter industry may see anglers fish more without professional charters given the tight restrictions on party boats, it might be up to customers to have more access to catching halibut. “We’re hoping Alaska residents will get fed up with the allocations and press to fix the issue,” he said. -ASJ

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PASS IT ON Be a role model. Encourage others to catch only what they want to keep, to handle fish gently, and to treat every halibut with respect. Working together, we can ensure that Alaska’s halibut remain abundant. I will close with some advice from my colleague, Andy Anger, who says what a good marketing campaign must do. It must make you ask the question, “What do I do next?” The first thing you can do is visit the website everyhalibutcounts.org, and then click on the “How to Help” link. Let’s make ourselves and those we fish with accountable for protecting the resource by following these simple guidelines. ASJ Editor’s note: The author is the owner and operator of Alaska Marine Guides in Valdez. More information is available at alaskamarineguides.com or by calling (907) 590-3454.

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Capt. Andy Mezirow of Crackerjack Sportﬁshing Charters, on the swim platform, backs a jig out of a 150-pound halibut with a quick jerk, which allows the barbless jig to fall right out. It’s important to release whatever halibut you don’t want to keep quickly and gently. (CAPT. ANDY MEZIROW/ CRACKERJACKCHARTERS.COM)

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Kodiak Russian River Lodge is located on the edge of the Alaskan wilderness and boasts incredible mountain views and easy access to a variety of outdoor activities, including ďŹ shing, hunting and sight-seeing. The bed and breakfast is surrounded on three sides by spectacular mountains and on the fourth by Womens Bay (part of the Gulf of Alaska). The area, locally known as Bells Flats, is located 6 miles from the airport and 4 miles to the Coast Guard base south of the town of Kodiak. It is also close to ďŹ shing and hunting areas. We are a half block off the Chiniak Highway and walking distance to the ocean, Sergeant Creek, Russian River, and the Rendezvous Bar and Grill. We are approximately 100 yards from the AC store, a small rural convenience store for gas, liquor, and assorted food items you may have forgotten in town.

Heavenly Sights Charters and Campground is located in Ninilchik, Alaska, at milepost 132.2 on the Sterling Highway. Our captains make a point at trying to make your day on the water one of the best experiences you have in Alaska. Along with halibut ďŹ shing, we have cabins, RV spots and tent sites. Most people coming to Heavenly Sights love to take pictures of the many eagles that are in our area. Moose are seen quite often too, and an occasional bear may come through. Other birds and mammals like to call Heavenly Sights their home as well. Topping it all off, a trio of volcanoes, Iliamna, Redoubt, and Augustine, are also visible from our grounds. For more, please check out our website, heavenlysights.com. You may also email us at heavenlysights@msn.com. We will love having you here at Heavenly Sights to play in our backyard! FEBRUARY 2015

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If an Alaskan fishing trip or vacation is your dream, the Kenai Riverfront Fishing Lodge is the affordable destination you seek. Located in Soldotna, on the world-famous river where the record 97-pound king salmon was caught, our lodge is just a 2 1/2-hour scenic drive from Anchorage. From our raised platforms and floating dock, you need no waders to sockeye, coho, pinks, kings, trout and Dolly Varden. Cook Inlet and its saltwater fisheries are close by, and from the nearby Soldotna airport you can take a sightseeing trip to view glaciers and wildlife. We have three lodges which will sleep up to 40 guests combined, and there is a conference or dining hall, fish-processing room, walk-in freezer and even a sauna to help make this the vacation of a lifetime. www.kenairiverfrontlodging.com

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PROTECTING

MOLLY, MEET DOLLIE

WILD ALASKA BY CHRIS COCOLES

Sea-run Dolly Varden in Southeast Alaska are believed to be timing their return to freshwater around changing salmon spawning periods to still feed on eggs, says a report by biologists. (USFWS/TOGIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE)

f the fish population of the world was on the Titanic, destined to go down with the ill-fated ship, then go ahead and call Alaska’s Dolly Varden its version of the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown. At least according to a report by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and various analysis, Dollies in Southeast Alaska are able to adapt to potential climate change that would affect salmon spawning and a key food source for the species. Salmon eggs are an integral part of the char’s diet, and NOAA concluded some types of fish that also depend on those eggs would be in peril for losing access to the food. “The Dolly Varden’s secret appears to be that instead of taking its migration cues from environmental variables such as water temperature or streamflow, the

species cues directly off the presence of salmon the Dolly Varden depend on for food, the study found,” NOAA wrote. It’s been determined that sea-run ﬁsh in Auke Creek near Juneau have “accurately adjusted their annual migrations from the ocean back to freshwater to stick with the salmon,” and maintain their available egg buffet. “Dolly Varden get most of their energy over the course of each year by gorging themselves on salmon eggs, which are abundant in summer and rich in energy thanks to the same fatty acids that make ﬁsh healthy for humans,” said NOAA. “Eggs from any single species of salmon may be available during a narrow spawning window of two to six weeks. The Dolly Varden must follow

salmon migrations closely to take full advantage of this annual salmon egg bonanza.” Brown was one of the Titanic’s more famous survivors for her tenacity during the chaotic evacuation process when the ship struck an iceberg in the early hours of April 15, 1912, and sank a couple hours later with 1,500 perishing in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Legend has it the unsinkable one even grabbed one of her lifeboat’s oars and helped steer her panicked boat away from the sinking ship, then demanding that the crew in the boat return to pick up survivors in the water (her pleas were mostly ignored). Perhaps history will someday refer to an Alaskan ﬁsh as the Unextinctable Dolly Varden.

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

Fresh rabbit tracks are a welcome sight for hunters in search of small game in the winter. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

Feb. 1-28 Trustworthy Hardware Ice Fishing Derby, Kenai Peninsula; www.kenaipeninsula.org/events/trustworthy-hardware-ice-fishing-derby Feb. 4-8 Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show, Expo Center, Portland; www.otshows.com Feb. 7-8 Jewel Lake Ice Fishing Jamboree, Anchorage; www.swimlikeafishfoundation.com March 5-8 Idaho Sportsmen’s Show, Expo Idaho, Boise; www.idahosportsmanshow.com March 7 Start of Iditarod, Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage; www.iditarod.com

March 19-22 Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show, Interstate Fairgrounds, Spokane; www.wildlifecouncil.com/ bighornsubsite/index.html March 27-29 Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show, Curtis D. Menard Sports Center, Wasilla; www.chinookshows.com April 2-5 Great Alaska Sportsman Show, Sullivan and Ben Boeke Arenas, Anchorage; www.greatalaskasportsmanshow.com April 17-19 Fairbanks Outdoor Show, Carlson Center, Fairbanks; www.carlson-center.com/outdoortravelshow

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WHAT HAPPENED TO DEATH WITH DIGNITY? BY STEVE MEYER

“C

oolest coyote kill shot ever” was the heading of an email I recently received. In spite of knowing what was probably in store, I watched the attached clip to conﬁrm suspicions.

Two deer hunters on stands shot a coyote simultaneously with riﬂes used to hunt big game; a video was taken of the shot, and essentially turned the little prairie wolf inside out. It seems the more spectacular the kill shot is, the more some folks in the hunting community want to show it to the rest of the world. Of course, hunting involves the death of another living thing, as does most forms of bringing protein to the table. But that moment in time when an animal dies at the hunter’s hand, at least in my mind, deserves a little more dignity than to be yucked up and exploited in a mass public forum. With all of the media in the form of outdoor shows and social networking, the face of hunters has changed. Seems like most of this stuff involves the hunter looking and acting like they are entering combat; the word “tactical” is misused so much it is embarrassing. In all the years I’ve hunted, damned if I can remember an animal shooting back at me. Even worse is the intrepid hunter sitting on a stand waiting for a deer that shows up to the feeder trough bait station as reliable as a milk cow for the evening feeding. That’s followed with the subsequent thumping of chests after the deer is shot from a nicely braced position. All the while, we hunters espouse the ethics of fair chase and the reward of hard work being so critical to the taking

of a game animal. Obviously, others will say, “Well, dead is dead; if it is legal, why does it matter?” For centuries the hunting community has enjoyed the support of nonhunters. After all, hunting was, in the early years of our country’s history, the primary means of securing meat for the table. Hunters took the forefront and footed the bill for the game management practices that allow the average person to still be able to go out and provide meals that can also be bought at the grocery store. Hunting was exposed to the nonhunting public by association with family or friends who hunted, and through stories told in books and magazines that always had reverence for the gift of being able to interact with nature at its most basic level. Folks didn’t see the killing, the same as they don’t witness the spike driven through the steer’s forehead at the feed lot. They know the death occurs and understand why, but they don’t see it. Media and the information network has changed that. Now that people are being exposed to the incredibly brutal life of the average cow destined for slaughter, they are given pause. Can the hunting community be so naïve to think the portrayal of death – via the public resources we are entrusted to care for – as a source of grand entertainment? Such behavior will also not give pause to the nonhunting public (and clearly to some of the hunters themselves). A short while ago, America was exposed to a videotape of police officers

killing a man by choking him to death. I have not seen it; I’ve seen plenty of violent human death and have no need to see more. In this case there seems some question of the motivation and necessity of this man’s death; be that as it may, if he needed to die or not, can you honestly think the public perception of the police officers involved and police officers across the country were not changed? And I speak as a retired officer. Regardless of the right or wrong of the death, does this man’s dignity in his last moments of life need to be taken away? Certainly, there is a segment of the population who loves to lie on the couch with the remote or sit in a comfortable chair in front of the computer and be titillated by the suffering of others, but I would hope they are a minority. I would hope that most were like everyone I have spoken with who saw the video and were repulsed by it. I fear the cheapening of life by sensationalizing the moment of death as a form of entertainment will ultimately have long-term affects that we hunters can ill afford to absorb. I don’t speak of the small anti-hunting segment of the population who have already made up their mind about hunting. Rather, the vast majority of our country’s population who do not hunt but have consistently supported hunting, largely due to the image of conservation, healthy living and the fostering of all wildlife, game or not, that we have presented. The checks these folks make at the ballot box are what preserves what we love. It is a testament to Alaska that we don’t see much of this coming from our beloved state. Hunters here seem to retain a reverence and respect for the animals that feed many of our families. Let’s keep it that way. ASJ FEBRUARY 2015

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(CROSS)FIT FOR THE OUTDOORS

KETCHIKAN HUNTER FOCUSES ON STAYING IN SHAPE BY JEFF LUND

rom inside an old gym bag an electronic quack of a duck is pulled. It’s Jason Gentry’s ringtone. The waterfowl season is over, but it’s always on his mind. Gentry hears it and since he’s done with his 1,000-meter row, 50 bar over burpees and 50 shoulder to overheads, he checks to see if it’s his son. It’s not, so he returns to recovering from the latest workout of the day at Ketchikan CrossFit. Gentry isn’t a guy with two lives – hunting and working out. He’s got three at least. He’s a husband, father of three (ages 13, 11 and 10), CrossFit junkie and waterfowl hunting fanatic. But he’s found a way to splice it all together.

CATCHING THE FEVER

Jason Gentry grew up in Barrow, Alaska, but he wasn’t a diehard hunter until moving around the state and ultimately settling in Ketchikan. (JEFF LUND)

Gentry’s teenage years were spent in Barrow, Alaska, but he didn’t grow up a hunter or fisherman. He moved south (sort of; everything is south of Barrow) to Fairbanks for college and his first job. After Fairbanks was Anchorage, then Wasilla, Fairbanks again and now Ketchikan – his favorite so far – where everything has come together. He started powerlifting 10 years ago in a garage gym with a friend when he lived in Wasilla but “needed to do something conditioning-wise.” He ended up joining Ketchikan CrossFit (907-617-4940; ketchikancrossfit.com) two years ago when he continued his southern migration. CrossFit has become a way to satisfy FEBRUARY 2015

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Gentry is all about hunting now – ducks, deer, goats; he wants a shot at everything. He, like other hunters, doesn’t like limitations, especially when “just over that ridge” becomes “just one more ridge,” and then there it is – the buck of a lifetime.

YEAR-ROUND SHAPE

Duck hunting has become one of Gentry’s passions. (JASON GENTRY)

his passion for ﬁtness and get in better shape for the type of hunting he wants to do. Or maybe there was an element of necessity after hunting with a buddy, Joseph Lanham. “He had his 100-pound pack and was carrying decoys, and I’m back there struggling with a backpack and a water bottle,” Gentry says.

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Participating in outdoor activities is inherently dangerous, but limiting activities for fear of being injured is arguably worse. Internet searches for “hunting-shape workouts” start at a baseline of zero. That is, step one is walking, meaning that between season’s end and season’s beginning, the level of ﬁtness is pretty low. If you’re carrying 20 extra pounds that you gained over the year, you’re not going to shed that by solely going on long walks three weeks before opening day. Establishing healthy habits are important, and for Gentry, CrossFit provides not only that, but accountability

and encouragement, something that you don’t get from the poster you tore out of a magazine or found online. Internet searches also have critics railing against CrossFit. It’s been blamed for joint deterioration and injuries, but Gentry says that all exercise poses a threat, and gyms that focus on increasing weight without supervision is where a lot of injuries occur. Classes at Ketchikan CrossFit range from one to eight, which provides instructors Kevin Manabat and Jeff Williams the freedom to keep a close eye on each of the members. “With CrossFit, like sports, there’s always a risk of injury,” says Manabat. “As a gym owner and a CrossFit coach, I try to minimize the risk of injury by teaching and holding a standard for movement patterns. Being a smaller box (nickname of a CrossFit gym) isn’t necessarily a downfall; it allows me to have a lot of one-on-one coaching with each individual and truly becoming each member’s personalized coach.”

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Where a traditional gym might hold a buffet of muscle isolation machines to be shared among the masses, a CrossFit gym is somewhere between hiring a personal trainer and just working out with a couple friends in a home gym. “Since we’re such a tight-knit group,” says Manabat, “I get to see and know everybody’s strength and weaknesses; plus in a class setting it’s easy for me to keep an eye on each individual and make corrections or to modify or scale as needed.” In his more than two years of CrossFit, Gentry has not scaled much, nor has he sustained an injury from working out. Last spring he set a trio of state lifting records in the deadlift (485), squat (410) and bench press (250) for his age and weight. That amounts to a lot of duck decoys. “It’s fun watching Jason Gentry work out,” says Manabat. “He’s a big 220-plus-pound guy who moves heavy weight like nothing, then turns around and cranks out a bunch of body weight

“It’s fun watching Jason Gentry workout,” says a trainer at his gym. “He’s a big 220-plus-pound guy who moves heavy weight like nothing, then turns around and cranks out a bunch of body weight movements like he was a gymnast.” (JEFF LUND)

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movements like he was a gymnast.” But not everyone is at the level of Gentry. This is the time of year when people are trying just to get into hunting or life shape. Gentry agreed with the idea of self-improvement, but not if it’s dictated by a calendar. “Every day should be January 1,” he says. “The reason I don’t stop is because I know what it feels like to start back up. It hurts too bad and I don’t want to do that again.”

FOR THE FAMILY So it becomes more than just working out to get in shape for long hikes. It becomes concurrent, complementary lifestyles, not merely training for one season. For Gentry, it’s not just about wanting to be in shape for himself or for his hunting trips; he wants to be in shape mostly for his family. “Everyone says you have to ‘keep up with the kids,’ and (my wife and I) are

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all over the place, but none of that is worth anything if you’re not in the physical condition to enjoy it.” Gentry loves giving his kids the childhood that he didn’t have when it comes to the outdoors and appreciating the cycle of things and the gift of game resources in Alaska. “I want to experience hunting, not just for me, but for my kids,” he says. “Being physically ﬁt makes me more successful at work and at home. I’m also an example for my kids. With our national obesity level over the top, it’s nice for my kids.” He also likes to see how his kids are taking to the outdoors. “The ﬁrst ducks I brought home, (my kids) were saying, ‘ewww,’ but now they’re feathering; they’ve got their hands bloody; they’re naming the ducks and they have a love for the outdoors.” Though his daily schedule is exhausting, and working out would probably be the easiest thing to leave out, he doesn’t.

“I’m 40 and in the best shape of my life,” Gentry says. “I want to take my kids on these adventures and excursions. That’s even more motivation.” (JEFF LUND)

“I refuse to sacriﬁce that hour of the day. I’m 40 and in the best shape of my life. I want to take my kids on these adventures and excursions. That’s even more motivation.” ASJ

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WALKING TO THE BEST RUNS

WHEN WINTER FISHING GOES AWAY, SOUTHEAST ALASKANS PLAY IN THE SNOW

Alaskans love to ﬁsh and hunt in the summer, but when winter comes, some of these outdoors lovers like Tucker Thain, on the snow machine, will ﬁnd ways to pass away the winter chill on the slopes. (JEFF LUND)

BY JEFF LUND

t falls – sometimes in thumb-sized flakes, sometimes as pellets shot by the steady breath of wind. Whatever form it decides to take, snow is the key ingredient when people imagine Alaska winters. Tons of snow, falling like white

confetti and settling into epic drifts, slopes and runs which coat jagged, desolate peaks. If only you had a snowboard or a pair of skis. You’d need a plane ticket to get you up there and a helicopter to get you out of there. Probably a helmet, too. Better stick to videos on the Internet. For Alaskans who live at the base

of the mountains, which are transformed from deer- and sheep-infested alpines to bucolic symbols of winter, it’s almost torture. They suffer through the malicious, truck-slipping, roof-crumbling, street-hiding variety in town, yet wouldn’t mind heading to a hill and using some of Clark Griswold’s secret saucer sled spray. FEBRUARY 2015

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

So when clouds finalIn Southeast AlasJosh Anderson is a ﬁshing charter boat captain in the summer. In the winter, he rides his snow machine to snowy peaks that he and his ly rolled in a month latka, though, small island friends snowboard on. (SPENCER BECKMAN) er, the temperature went communities don’t from the teens to low 30s have ski resorts, and it and flakes started to fall. isn’t practical to spend Skiers and snowboarders a few hundred dollars like Peters lit up the social flying or taking the media world with tweets ferry to Eaglecrest Ski and Facebook likes, then Area, located outside flocked to the peaks. of Juneau. “This winter has been Enter Sitka resident tough on us,” says Peters, Ryan Peters, one of the a 23-year-old carpenter. tortured snow-craving “Even the mountains have souls who use their feet had alpine showing most to reach the snowboard of the winter. The snow spots. just hasn’t come.” “It’s tough to get Then it did, and maybe people motivated to go it was appropriate that the trudge through snow snow came back with the commencewaist-deep all day just to get a few to snow days, featured an unseasonment of the Sochi Winter Olympics runs, but after that run you know why ably warm stretch complete with rain last winter. you did it,” he says. “You just can’t that wiped out much of the snowpack “The Olympics always give you find snow like that at a resort – everyon the southern peaks in Alaska. Cold the urge to go out and try new things thing untouched, no boundaries.” weather proceeded to move back in and really push yourself,” says Peters. But the odd 2014 winter, which inand locked much of the region in a “They make things look so easy and troduced even Deep South Georgians cold, clear, precipitation-less funk.

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they go so big. It’s always fun to watch those guys.” Though the 6-foot, 3-inch Peters likes trying new tricks, in the back of his mind he knows he’s not a sponsored skier with a team waiting in helicopters in the event anything goes wrong. “I’ve never seriously hurt myself snowboarding, but I know that it could happen any minute and being in the backcountry, you’re a long way away.” When you live in rural areas like islands away from groomed runs, getting on the slopes is a little more complex; but in typical Alaskan fashion, people figure out ways to get it done. “We don’t have to drive far to get to an awesome mountain; it’s the hiking part that will get you,” Peters says. “Most of the hills around here I hike all day just to get in a couple runs.”

Spencer Beckman and Troy Thain look the part of winter snowboarders in Southeast Alaska. (JOSH ANDERSON)

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getting up and down the mountain. Snow machines, or “sleds”, are loaded into truck beds, driven up the road, then used to zip up old logging roads and weave through the gaps in the timber to get to the wide open alpine of the island’s tallest peaks, just 20 minutes from town. The snow machine ride itself can take half an hour, but with four buddies on two machines, it’s part of the fun. Anderson, a charter fishing guide during the summer, bought his first snow machine for $3,000 and says he gets close to 100 miles out of a tank of gas, “depending how much full-throttle time is in your ride.” Beckman, a 26-year-old support specialist for a community support organization, thinks that while it takes a lot of planning and energy to get a trip together, it’s worth it to carve the untouched snow. “The best riding I have experienced has been on the island,” says Beckman. “I have been to resorts but

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nothing compares to the experience you get. There is so much open country that you can board all day without crossing your same line twice.” Beckman learned how to snowboard on a family vacation to Whistler, B.C., north of Vancouver, when he was a freshman in high school and continued boarding in college at Southern Oregon University. “I jumped at an opportunity to fulfill some (general education) requirements with a snowboarding class at Mount Ashland, just 45 minutes away,” says Beckman.

SOUTHEAST ALASKA IS a temperate rainforest, which means that though there is plenty of snow, there is also a lot of rain and frequent temperature spikes, bringing rain to lower elevations or melting a crust on the peaks. There isn’t a professional staff grooming the mountain or plowing the roads to the parking lot, so rain on top of a foot of snow can make

logging roads a sloppy, slick mess and make the pristine snow up top unattainable. But when everything does fall into place, and things like work don’t get in the way, it’s paradise. “Conditions here are not ideal very often and you have to take every opportunity you get,” says Beckman, who averages 10 boarding days per winter. “One day there will be 4 feet of fresh powder laying on top of a nice base – the next, everything will be wind-swept and icy.” Beckman and Anderson had figured to have been on the mountains a dozen times by the time February came around, but they had to be patient. Fortunately – depending on whom you talk to – winters in Alaska can hold on and fresh snow can keep piling up as late as April. But if they don’t get out as much as they’d like, it won’t be the end of the world. The king salmon will be showing up soon enough. ASJ

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CARRYING ON A TRADITION OF MINING, JEWELRY MAKING BY LUKE KELLY

ianne Jenkins-Achman, gold miner and business owner, arrived in Alaska in 1966 from Oregon and knew that she had found a home. Always the adventurous type, she worked in the mid-1960s as a waitress, bartender, and secretary in various locations throughout Alaska before moving to Fairbanks. There, she met Sam Achman, a gold miner who would later become her husband. “He was gold mining up here, and eventually I got involved in the gold mining operation,” she says. Fast forward to 2015, and Dianne is the successful owner of Jack Wade Gold in Tok, a company that prides it-

ved and Sam Achman mo nne Jenkins-Achman ld. (JACK WADE GOLD) Dia s, nk rba Fai in t ou k Wade Go After starting for their company, Jac to Tok as a home base

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Dianne is carrying on the gold-mining operation started by her late husband, Sam. Jack Wade Gold makes jewelry out of some of the precious metal unearthed in Alaska. (JACK WADE GOLD)

self on having “the gold mined and the jewelry made right here in Tok.”

RECALLING ALASKA’S GOLD GLORY Dianne has always been a history 56 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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buff, and along with Sam, she relished in learning about Alaska’s rich gold rush past, mining for gold and living in the Alaskan bush. “Here in Alaska, especially 40 years ago, history was still very much alive,” she explains. “Our mining operations, those claims had been staked in the 1880s.” With this in mind, Sam and Dianne eventually set up permanent mining operations on Jack Wade Creek in the historic 40-Mile Mining District. By 1979, not only was Dianne assisting with mining operations, she was running The Golden Web, Sam’s company that manufactured nugget jewelry and sold gold to retail stores throughout Alaska. Jack Wade Creek, named after two miners who initially located gold here, is northeast of Chicken, Alaska, and around 80 miles from the venerable gold rush town of Dawson City in the

Dianne’s house in Tok is quite a busy place. She makes handcrafted gold jewelry while surrounded by history of Alaska’s gold rush glory days. (JACK WADE GOLD)

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Jack Wade Gold mined these nuggets, ranging from 2 to 4 ounces. Dianne says her family’s mine has produced far larger nuggets, as heavy as 80 ounces. (JACK WADE GOLD)

Klondike. Not only a source of gold for Dianne’s jewelry business, it also provided the couple with many exciting memories throughout the years. “Jack Wade Creek turns up quite a few large nuggets,” says Dianne. “When I say large, I’m talking anywhere from 30 to 70 or 80 ounces.” One of the most thrilling hauls occurred in 1983, when Sam discovered a 57-ounce nugget. Sam drove from Jack Wade Creek to Fairbanks, a sixhour drive, at 3 a.m. to show Dianne what he had found. She could hardly believe her eyes, and Sam was equally as thrilled. “Until the day he died in 2011, he was still ecstatic about it,” says Dianne. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.” At the time the nugget was found, it was determined to be the 10th largest nugget mined in the state of Alaska.

SETTLING IN TOK The following year, in 1984, Dianne and Sam were tiring of driving the long 310 miles from Fairbanks to the mine and noticed that the population of Fairbanks had increased dramatically. They decided to move to the 58 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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ZER smaller community of Tok, which was only 80 miles from their operation, making it much easier to get supplies to and from the creek. It was in Tok that Dianne decided to open her nugget jewelry store and get involved in Alaska’s tourism industry, and is where she still operates Jack Wade Gold to this day. “I make jewelry all the time, and, in fact, the last few days I’ve been inundated with calls from customers from the outside,” says Dianne, who sells her gold literally all over the world. “I’ve got customers in Germany, Sweden, Canada – even one down in Mexico.” The gold with which Dianne makes the jewelry still comes straight from Alaska mines. Her motto is “we mine it, we make it. It’s coming directly from the mine.” If you visit Tok, be sure to stop in and say hello to Dianne, and marvel at her beautiful crafted jewelry, as well as her extensive knowledge of Alaska gold rush history. ASJ

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Editor’s note: For more on Dianne’s company, Jack Wade Gold, call (907) 8835887 or go to jackwadegold.com. FEBRUARY 2015

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THOSE AMAZING ANIMALS

Police in both the military and law enforcement train dogs to be aggressive, and they themselves are trained to expect suspects’ vicious pets to attack. (SGT. ADAM HOOVER/U.S ARMY ALASKA PUBLIC AFFAIRS)

WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT MEETS DANGEROUS PETS BY STEVE MEYER

walked up the long dark driveway at 1 a.m., shivering on a cold Alaska winter morning, and there were nagging thoughts that perhaps this wasn’t one of my better ideas. Thirty yards from the dark residence at the end of the drive, something made me look down at my chest. Perhaps it was peripheral vision that alerted me. Whatever it was, there was no mistaking the bright red dot that was centered on my chest. Damn wolf, I thought.

DOGS AND THE LAW The law enforcement business in Alaska brings with it plenty of contact with animals belonging to folks from all walks of life, the most common being canines of one sort or another. Being a lover of dogs, most of these contacts made the day a better one for me. Rare was the dog that couldn’t be convinced to be my buddy in a few min-

utes of visiting. With everyone else in the business? Not so much. Dogs sense fear and animosity from people readily, and they can and do respond accordingly. Having the occasional partner who brought out the worst in dogs, it usually didn’t take much to convince them to just stay in the car when there was a questionable dog in the yard. In recent years, pitbulls have become the trademark animal to own if you consider yourself a bad guy – or you at least want to give that impression to others. It is easy to latch onto an impression of a particular breed by their reputation; a lot of the time, it is a mistake. Dogs tend to be a reﬂection of those who own them and how they are treated. One would suspect the criminal element would not treat their dogs well, even suggesting their masters would probably try to turn them into vicious beasts that would attack on command. To be sure, those people are out there, but the vast majority, at least in my experience, treated their dogs well and their

dogs acted accordingly. For the most part the pitbulls were big sweethearts when it came to people, and their owners doted on them. But not always.

CHARGING ‘BULLS My partner and I were at a probationer’s place conducting a search for drugs. The guy was upfront and met us at the door, confessing he had two pitbulls that were very unfriendly. We requested he put them in their kennel, which he did. My partner and I were in a back bedroom searching when the dogs came bursting into the hallway. My partner chose the better part of valor, stepped into a bathroom and slammed the door. The dogs were coming toward me, but they were clearly not pressing an attack – they were posturing. The owner grabbed them and locked them back up. One of his children had unwittingly let them loose and all was well, but it sure made for a great story to tell. One warrant service we did on a drug operation included two problematic FEBRUARY 2015

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responsibility of neutralizing the dogs. We pulled in and bailed out, heading for the door as the two big canines charged. I glanced over on the run and I saw the ﬁrst couple of bursts of pepperballs hit the dogs in the chest. They evidently decided they were not being paid near enough to continue trying to do their job, proceeding to turn tail into the woods. With everyone rounded up and restrained in the yard, the two dogs did come back and skulked in, much different animals. Dogs are an important part of law enforcement agencies, but sometimes encountering unruly “pets” is another story. (U.S ARMY ALASKA PUBLIC AFFAIRS)

Rottweilers. These dogs had been trained to attack, and anyone pulling into the yard of this place instantly had the two big beasts jumping on their vehicle, their intent clear by the baring of some rather large teeth. As the dogs roamed the yard, there was no way to come in without alerting them; we certainly did not want to have

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to kill them. The solution came by way of a full-auto paintball gun we had in the armory. The gun was for just such an occasion and came complete with “paintballs” that were ﬁlled with pepper spray, which works extremely well for deterring dogs that are misbehaving. One of the operators on the team was assigned the paintball gun with the

RISKING NINE LIVES Cats were often part of the fauna at criminal residences, but they didn’t cause trouble unless you asked for it. On one occasion, one of my partners asked for me. We were conducting a check of a guy’s residence, and there was a big, old cat stalking around the house. He came over and rubbed himself on my leg and I reached down to scratch his ears. “I wouldn’t do that; that cat bites,” the man said. My partner replied, “Oh, Steve

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has a gift with animals; it won’t bite him.” Of course, I had to then prove my gift, and it seemed to work real well. I scratched the cat’s ears and rubbed his back, and the owner was a bit taken aback – and then the cat nailed me. He bit the web of my hand, sinking four front teeth all the way through; this feline was locked on. So there I was, with the cat stuck to my hand, blood everywhere, and our guy is losing his mind. “Relax,” I told him, “it isn’t your fault.” The cat eventually got bored, released his grip and we were buddies again. Two days later, I had red streaks running up my forearm. A trip to the doc and week of antibiotics found me good as new, with yet another great story to tell. Every time I saw the guy, even a couple times while taking him to jail, he would apologize for his cat biting me.

ANIMAL CRUELTY Alaskan animals being abused was intolerable to me. My partners would sometimes come back to the office and tell me

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about some horrific circumstance involving a dog, knowing well that I didn’t worry too much about procedure or my job when it came to that. On one occasion, two pitbulls were chained inside an unheated room in a ratty old trailer. The chains were a couple feet long and these poor dogs were sleeping in their own mess – cold and hungry. I’ll never forget the smell of these two poor dogs the night I went and rescued them in my personal vehicle. While checking on a felon, my partner and I were in a small dirty apartment when a kitten came out and went to a litter box in the corner. The litter box was so full, there was excrement flowing over the sides, forcing the cat to desperately find a place to step around the edge and relieve itself with some dignity. Enraged, I lost it a bit when I told the man that I would be back the next morning, and if there wasn’t clean litter for that kitten, I would make him eat the contents and take the animal. When we left, my partner suggested I

probably shouldn’t say things like that, all things considered. That was true.

THE MYSTERY RED DOT So back in the driveway with the red dot on my chest. The homeowner of the driveway was a two-time convicted meth user/dealer on probation. His place was a sizeable chunk of ground and on my ﬁrst check was littered with old cars and assorted other junk. Sitting outside the house and attached to a heavy-duty logging chain was the quintessential “junkyard dog” in the form of a beautiful grey timber wolf. “What’s the story with this animal?” I asked. “It’s a wolf,” he replied. “I know it’s a wolf; where did it come from and why is it chained in your yard?” I asked as I approached the creature. He said his dad had gotten the wolf from a trapper who had caught it as a pup and had kept it. His dad had brought it to him for company on the property. The wolf never wagged his tail, didn’t jump up, didn’t lick my preferred hand. Rather,

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he looked right through me with the coldest eyes you ever want to see. It wasn’t angry, mind you, just so distant, telling me that I meant nothing to him and that he would just as soon not be there. That got to me a bit. Destiny is what it is, and it seemed the big wolf and I were destined to have a history. Instinctively, I checked on the guy perhaps more than I should have because of the wolf, and there were always unsavory characters hanging around. Some went to jail, but it was clear the place was a hub of criminal activity. It was a winter day when I took the man back to jail. There was no one else around and I asked about the wolf. He said he had friends who would take care of him during his absence. Knowing the average attention span of meth users, that was no comfort to me. So I told him I would check, and if the wolf wasn’t being taken care of, I would take it, although I wasn’t sure what I would do with it. The next day, as soon as I could get

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away from work, I went back and this time I just drove right into the driveway; but no one there save the big wolf. His water and food dishes were both empty, and there was no evidence that it had eaten anytime recently. He got right into my truck, ﬁlling up the passenger seat, and sat quietly on the way home. Later that night after eating, the wolf was outside doing its business. I was inside and heard howling. Not dog-like howls you hear in the neighborhood, but blood-curdling mournful howls you hear at night in the middle of nowhere. The wolf slept on a rug next to the couch I was lying on. I remember thinking that if he chose to, he could rip my throat out with one quick move, and I wondered later why he didn’t. It seems even canines from the wild still have a certain connection to man. At the prison the next day, I told the wolf’s owner that I had taken him and why, and he thanked me. The big wolf is gone now. He was never chained again, and if he had to be tied up, it was purely symbolic.

The author encountered quite the unique house pet on one call to a suspect’s house: a wolf that he ultimately took home to rescue. (KEN CONGER/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE)

One day, before the opportunity to reintegrate the wolf into wild Alaska came, he left. I would listen for his howls at night, and two nights after he left, I heard him not too far from my house. I’ll always think this wolf was letting me know that he made it. ASJ Editor’s note: The author is a retired Special Emergency Response Team leader and lives on the Kenai Peninsula.

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One beneﬁt of long days with little daylight? More opportunities to get a glimpse of the dazzling Northern Lights. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

THE DARK NIGHT RISES CURING CABIN FEVER IN THE ALASKA BUSH

An auger comes in handy when an opportunity to do some ice ﬁshing arises, though as the author discovered, sometimes it just doesn’t work. When it does, catching a few ﬁsh from a frozen pond is quite a winter pastime. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

eering through the light of my headlamp was tough in the pitch black, but even more so with a sheet of falling snow hitting my face. Lew, my fishing partner, was nowhere to be seen, but I could hear him cranking on the old red-and-white ice auger somewhere in the distance. “It won’t start?” I yelled. “No, it won’t,” he replied, even though it had started

fine before we left the house. Every pull of the cord produced little, but he kept at it to no avail – it just wouldn’t fire, for some reason. No worries though; we had plenty of time. Heck, it was only 4:30 by my watch, just another dark afternoon in the far north of Alaska.

LIFE IN THE Arctic during the months of December and January can be depressingly long, cold and boring at

times. Without a movie theater, a mall or even so much as an Applebee’s, things can become quite monotonous, and the thrill of town life isn’t anywhere to be found. For most people, it usually amounts to this: work all day, come home, eat dinner, and then watch SportsCenter on ESPN. Ordering from your favorite takeout restaurant is about as exciting as it gets, but only if one of the two is open. If the Northern Lights are out, FEBRUARY 2015

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mark that down as a huge bonus. It’s no wonder cabin fever is widespread in these parts, with little to no daylight and days of ice fog so dense that you can’t see across the road, plus the fact that outside temperatures have plummeted their way through the basement. For some of us, the urge to dress up in our best cold-weather gear and head outdoors is a chore, but if you don’t, you will go crazy, and the worst case of cabin fever can set in and put you in a bad mood. But if you’ve lived here as long as I have, you find ways to keep yourself occupied and not let the dark and cold get you down. Christmas is the greatest of the holidays and many celebrations take place, but most people have a hard time once the darkness sets in. Throughout the late summer and fall leading up to the winter solstice in December, we lose about eight minutes a day of sunlight. This usually results in about an hour of visible

Looking for a winter workout and not willing to go for a run in the bitter Alaskan cold? Chopping wood for your stove is one way to burn calories and keep your cabin warm. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

daylight, which really doesn’t amount to daylight, just an eerie hour of dusk.

The sun never breaks the horizon and, if you don’t notice it, it will pass you

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by. It can be tough for some.

THERE ARE MANY activities that can break this fever and depressing time. Getting outside, either on foot or a snow machine, is the key to staying sane. As for me and many others who call the far north home, these times are actually some of the most rewarding to be in the Arctic. Most rural bush Alaskans go about it in different ways, and each seems to live by a certain ritual each year. For some, it is a time to hook up the SnoGo and venture off into the wilderness in search of firewood. Ever a staple for most, people having plenty of wood to fill the stove makes people happy and is a key to staying warm; plus it cuts down on the always-increasing high fuel bills. Most of the time it is a family affair, and everyone eagerly waits to hear the roar of a chainsaw. The key is to start early, which means leaving in the dark and returning in the dark that

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The author heads back as daylight begins to disappear over the Alaskan Arctic. There are ways to keep busy during this cold time of year, when sunlight is not part of the equation. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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same afternoon, with hopefully a sled full of dead spruce. Many of us also try and find things that we are passionate about and can do indoors as well as out. Indoor shooting is one of them. Many years ago, I started an indoor archery league. Each week a group of us would meet at the school and shoot targets, either for fun or to conduct leagues with scoring systems and prizes at the end of each tournament. This does many things for the psyche – it gives us something to do during the dark days. By bringing together like-minded individuals to shoot bows and talk about our passion, it also lets us hone our shooting skills, which will be important again come spring and fall when we are out hunting and gathering. In addition, if you’re lucky enough and can time everything correctly, you can make it outside for that single hour of light and shoot your bow; maybe you can even ﬁre off a few rounds from

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your favorite rifle, both high priorities in the far north. Others pursue the famous gigantic sheefish that lay just underneath the frozen ocean. This can break any fever, and if they’re biting, can provide endless fun and an endless bounty for the freezer. There is something truly special about venturing out on the ice, drilling holes and catching or hooking fish in the cold darkness. If you have an ice hut or shack complete with heat, chairs and maybe a thermos of hot coffee, it can be as grand as any adventure taken in the daylight. For some, photography is an avenue of hope during the dark days. Bundling up and braving the outdoors is an adventure in itself, but to grab your camera and capture some of what the Arctic has to offer can be breathtaking. Many search for and follow the aurora borealis, hoping to capture the elusive light through the camera lens. Some nights the show is unbelievable, while others not so much. Being able to get

out and exercise, plus ﬁll your lungs with that cold night air, can be invigorating.

CABIN FEVER IS a disease only if you let it be. Many people in the Lower 48 cannot fathom living in the dark, or the cold for that matter. It is definitely how you perceive it. There are many things to do, and most can be as adventurous as any other time in Alaska. The Last Frontier is just that, but for some it is the only place to be throughout the entire year. We never did get that auger to start. Maybe it made too many runs to the ice during the peak months of April and May when it seemed like endless daylight. Or perhaps it was the beating it took in the back of the sled while driving a snow machine down a gravel road when the snow and ice had vanished from the warm days. Who knows? All I know is that it was good to be on the ice watching the amazing stars – even if it was only 6 p.m. ASJ

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The sun sets on Harding Lake, a deep ﬁshery near Fairbanks that has a reputation for skunking ice ﬁshermen. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

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SOME GOOD G FORTUNE AT ‘HARD LUCK’

HARDING LAKE’S ICE FISHING CHALLENGES BY DENNIS MUSGRAVES

rabbing the pull-cord handle and giving it a couple quick rearward yanks, I ﬁred up the power ice auger. I made a quick adjustment on the choke lever, which allowed the rough idling engine to keep running, warming up in the cold, crisp morning air. To prevent it from dying while I cut into the thick ice, I took extra time to make sure the machine reached a good operating temperature. I patiently waited for a familiar purring kitten sound, which indicated when it would be time to squeeze the throttle and put more holes in the lake.

HITTING THE ICE Fellow Alaskan Salmon Slayer member Chris Cox and I had already been ice fishing for lake trout for more than an hour on Harding Lake. I had become restless from the lack of activity on the Vexilar sonar monitor we were using to spy fish swimming 100 feet below us. Marking only a couple uninterested fish during the first stint of the day was not unusual while fishing for elusive “cheetahs,” but I had decided it was time to try a different location. Putting in some fresh ice holes a short distance away would give us a change in depth, and maybe a responsive fish. I left Chris to watch the display on the fishfinder. I wanted him to continue jigging at our initial location, while I set off to drill the new holes. I intended on shifting about 100 yards, prepping the position and returning to move all the equipment with Chris. The auger’s sharp blades worked quickly, evidenced by an accumulating pile of shaved ice on the surface. We would be fishing again very soon, boosted by a renewed promise for success. But just as I was about to punch through the remaining inches of a third ice hole, I heard what sounded like someone crying out in the distance. Actually, maybe it was more like I felt someone crying out in the distance, since the noisy machine deafened my hearing abilities. The faint noise sounded panicky, so I let off the auger’s accelerator. As the motor hushed to an idle, I began to hear the distant yelling more clearly. It led me to look over my shoulder. Somewhat shocked, I realized it was Chris. He was screaming at the top of his lungs, trying to get my attention, frantically holding a rod in each hand. Both sticks were doubled over and flexing wildly. It appeared he had his hands full, literally. At some point while I had been drilling out the new holes, Chris hooked up. Judging by the twerking rods it seemed to be a good-sized fish (or maybe two?) and I FEBRUARY 2015

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IF YOU GO

WHERE Harding Lake sits alongside the Richardson Highway near the community of Salcha, Alaska, approximately 45 miles southeast of Fairbanks. A popular, longtime state recreational facility, Harding provides visitors with outdoor summer activities, including camping, fishing, boating and nature trails. The lake itself is the largest and deepest body of water accessible by public roadside within 100 miles of Fairbanks. Populations of lake trout, Arctic char and burbot are available for sportfishing. Harding’s also home to northern pike; however, fishing for them isn’t currently allowed. See the regs pamphlet or

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check the Alaska Department of Fish & Game’s website (adfg.alaska.gov) before beginning. Since the lake reaches depths of 145 feet and has about 2½ miles of distance on the surface, winter fishing is a challenge. Be prepared for difficult access due to drifting snow and sudden high winds that occur frequently in winter. Ice fishermen will find a slow bite and may need to move several times in order to locate active fish.

HOW Using specialized equipment has kept me safe, comfortable, and increased my catch rates while ice fishing in Alaska. Here is a

short list of the gear I trust and use when winter fishing for trophy species at Harding Lake: Fishing electronics: Vexilar Flasher FL-12 Propack with iceducer; vexilar.com Portable shelter: Clam Outdoors Bigfoot XL2000 hub style; clamoutdoors.com Outdoor clothing: Ice Armor Extreme Gloves, Parka & Bibs: clamoutdoors.com Ice fishing rod: Two River Rods’ 32-inch heavy-action lake trout rod; tworiverrods.com Fishing line: P-line 20-poundtest Spectrex braid mainline and 15-pound-test fluorocarbon leader; p-line.com. –DM

Harding Lake regulars refer to it as “Hard Luck” due to the challenges of not just ﬁshing it but getting to it through huge snow drifts at entry points. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

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broke me – I went several winters without even a nibble. My relentless efforts, however, would eventually pay off. My theory was, if I didn’t go, I certainly would not catch anything – that was a guarantee. Investing in a quality sonar device and filling my funnel full eventually allowed me to finally catch my first fish there. Harding has now become one of my main staples during the winter fishing season.

probably should have stayed with him.

BAD LUCK CHARM? My friends and I have affectionately nicknamed Harding Lake, “Hard Luck.” It’s a fitting name since winter fishing is normally brutally slow and challenging. Even for the most avid ice angler, a bit of good luck is required when vertically targeting fish at this large lake. But even with that reputation, it’s no secret what attracts me to Harding: gigantic fish. About 15 years ago, when I first moved to the Tanana Valley, I heard legendary stories and saw numerous pictures of enormous lake trout and Arctic char caught out of the lake. Pics posted on local sporting goods stores’ brag boards, tacked up to neighborhood gas station windows, and published in the outdoor section of the Fairbanks newspaper left me in awe. All of the angling evidence had me intrigued and excited about catching my own fins of glory one day at Harding.

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A DEEP LAKE

Finding ﬁsh at Harding Lake is made more difficult when you consider the small size of an ice ﬁshing hole, and the lake’s 2½-mile width and 2,500 acres. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

The photos made it look easy, but I soon found out just how difficult the reality of hauling a lunker onto the surface would actually be. Hard Luck almost

Located only about 45 miles from Fairbanks, Harding Lake is reached by the Richardson Highway. The lake is large, deep, spans 2½ miles across and reaches depths of 145 feet. You can access the lake at two different locations: following the signs from milepost 321.5 to the Alaska State Park Recreational Area boat launch, or continuing to travel a little further down the highway for the lake perimeter road turnoff, which leads to a lakeside residential community

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The author reels in what he hopes is a trophy lake trout or Arctic char. Anglers will be aided in ﬁnding ﬁsh with sonar with the lake at such deep levels; in some spots Harding Lake is 145 feet deep. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

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boat launch. Arctic char and lake trout are the fish I search for here during the winter. Expect the majority of both to be around 20 to 25 inches long, with some running from 28 to 36 inches. There are also burbot and northern pike present in the lake, but note that fishing for the latter is not permitted per Alaska Department of Fish & Game regulations. Equipment plays a vital role in success at Harding. Vertically fishing in a 10-inch hole on 2,500 acres in 130 feet of water can be random, at best, if you’re actually trying to catch something. It is more like the proverbial fishing a needle in a haystack. In order to compensate for the dynamics that Hard Luck presents, I prefer to use a Vexilar-brand electronic fishfinder. With it, fishing becomes more like stalking. I use the electronics to locate depths I want to fish in an area of the lake that’s usually between 100 and 130 feet deep. The finder will

not only determine the depth, but also detect and display objects in the water column. When fish move under the transducer – at any depth – a mark turns up on the display. The idea is to move your lure to the depth of the marked fish to entice a strike. Electronics will not guarantee you catch fish, but having a fishfinder will greatly enhance your ability to determine which depth to bring the lure up or down to. Having the proper rod, reel, line and lure selection are other factors that you need to take into account to avoid failure at Hard Luck. I use a custom 32-inch medium/heavy-action rod designed for ice fishing for bigger catches. The rod’s spine and the action of the tip allow you to fish lures of up to 1 ounce. It also gives you the ability to set hooks at deeper depths and handle the pressure of a large fish. I use a low-profile baitcasting reel, strung with 20-pound braided line. I add a heavy-duty swivel at the end of

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the line with a 3-foot leader of 15-pound-test ﬂuorocarbon. Off the leader, I tie on large spoons, plastic tubes on jig heads and, occasionally, herring.

CHALLENGES ABOUND You won’t see a hard-sided hut city on this lake, and there are no rental shanties from the state either. That and very slow action makes most fishermen drive right by Harding to waters down the road. The lake is also very difficult to access most of the season because of large snow drifts at the entry points. Expect to either walk or snow machine out on the lake most of the winter. Once you get on the lake there’s no guarantee you will hook up. I have a habit of rolling more doughnuts fishing Harding than you can find at a bakery. Avoiding the skunk takes patience, persistence and, of course, a little good luck at Hard Luck. Once in a while, when the stars align correctly and Lady Luck lends her hand, anglers are able to catch a mammoth fish from the dark depths. Investing in good equipment and spending hours on the lake will definitely give you an edge on dialing in and catching a beast, but it won’t be easy. I have managed to catch my share of trophy lake trout and Arctic char from the lake by using good equipment, making numerous outings and, of course, having some good old-fashioned luck. The one constant is an inconsistent catch rate. The fish

The lake trout under the frozen lid of the Fairbanks-area water tend to be on the large size, but even if it takes a whole lot of effort to catch one, the author sometimes turns back those he hooks. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

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Chris Cox was one of the lucky ones at the lake they call Hard Luck, landing a 30-inch laker before releasing it back into the icy water. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

present an ever-changing pattern of here one day, gone the next. But that’s what makes pulling a 3-foot-long laker out of a 10-inch circle in the ice so re-

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warding: it’s simply not done every day.

FIGHTING A BIG FISH Watching Chris battle the large ﬁsh and

listening to his whooping and hollering, I knew he might want some help surfacing the trophy-sized fish. Without hesitating, I killed the engine on the auger and quickly made my way towards him. Chris had flown north from his home in Anchorage to specifically spend the weekend fishing with me at Hard Luck. (It seemed like I had just picked him up at the Fairbanks International Airport and here he was catching a big fish less than three hours later – man, some guys have all the luck!) I was a little breathless and excited when I finally reached Chris. As I stood next to him and surveyed the situation through the ice hole, it appeared to be a mess – jigging two rods in such close proximity had left fishing line tangled under the ice. The laker had hit Chris’s jig like the proverbial freight train, taking off and pulling line off the reel, and then getting wrapped in the other line a short distance away. I reacted quickly by cutting the line on the fishing rod without a fish to elimi-

FEBRUARY 2015

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

nate further confusion. With only one rod in play now, Chris gained control and slowly brought the fish toward the surface. I peered into the ice hole, trying to get a glimpse of what he had hooked. Then I saw it. In the clear water, the color and patterns were unmistakable. Chris was surfacing a beautiful lake trout that appeared to be at least 10 pounds. He guided its head carefully up through the hole, lifted the big fish from the water and cradled the troutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s underbelly with one hand. He quickly cast his rod aside with his other hand and grasped around the peduncle of the troutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tail, which was now totally out of the water. Chris beamed from ear to ear with his accomplishment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Take the picture!â&#x20AC;? I immediately obliged, and after a few quick snaps, we took a length measurement. The laker taped out at just over 30 inches, a little bigger than

most fish we pull from Hard Luck. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not too shabby,â&#x20AC;? I told Chris. Although not the stuff of 20-poundclass folklore, the ďŹ sh was a very respectable lake trout, a ďŹ sh any Harding angler would be proud to catch. Chris did not want to harvest the beautiful old lake trout. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get him back in,â&#x20AC;? he said. He submerged the troutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head back into the water, allowing it time to regain strength from the battle. That would hopefully allow the ďŹ sh to swim off with a strong kick. Chris held the tail just out of the water as the ďŹ sh revived, gathering strength. It did not take long for the ďŹ sh to feel reinvigorated, and Chris let go. We both watched as the big ďŹ sh kicked downward, disappearing into the deep. ReďŹ&#x201A;ectively, I could not help thinking how easy this catch had seemed for Chris. Fewer than two hours had passed between his arrival at the airport and the hookset. For sure, this was not normal at Harding, but there was no hard luck for Chris.

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NO EASY FEAT The next nine hours on the ice was far less exciting. We moved several times, jumping back and forth between different holes, feverishly jigging our lures, yet nothing we did induced another ďŹ sh to bite. As the sunlight faded on the horizon, we packed up the sled for the last time. There is nothing strange about a one-ďŹ sh day at Harding. Indeed, I was happy for my friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s angling success, despite ďŹ nding myself ďŹ shless, dejected, and wondering what else I could have done on the day to hook into my own trophy. My feelings slipped out as I left the ice-covered surface. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hard Luck, I hate you.â&#x20AC;? But Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m relentless, and I will be back. There be beasts in Harding. ASJ Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: Author Dennis Musgraves is one of the Alaskan Salmon Slayers, who ďŹ sh throughout the state. Check them out on Facebook and at alaskansalmonslayers.com.

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The day or two after storms alter barometric pressure can feature some fabulous ice ﬁshing, as the author and his partner found on a Kenai Peninsula lake. (STEVE MEYER)

TUNE INTO THE FORECAST

HOW BAROMETER CAN SWING ICE FISHING ODDS BY STEVE MEYER

he sharp crack followed by a dull thud spread a smile across my face as my fishing partner looked out the window to see if the offending tree had hurt anything. “What is so funny about a tree falling on our house?” she asked quizzically. The wind had been building and was reaching 50- to 60-mph gusts, not a common occurrence in February in Alaska’s Kenai. The tree hadn’t hurt anything, but more importantly, this was our big ice fishing month. Too many other hunting adventures before and after February keep us occupied, but the second month of the year is largely dedicated to hard-water fishing. The wind storm that made me so happy signified a virtual guarantee of incredible fishing

once it was over.

THOSE OF YOU who are avid pursuers of fish under the ice know that changes in weather play a very significant role in the winter bite. Extremes of low and high barometric pressure can put fish off their normal feeding, and even moderate winds of 20 to 30 mph will halt a bite. East wind is a virtual guarantee that the fish will not feed; one might want to consider doing something else on those days. So the big wind storm that whacked our house left little doubt that the fish would not feed during and the day afterwards. This particular storm occurred on a Friday, meaning we’d be off work on Sunday and be able to hit the ice. There would be a near mortal certainty the fish would be ravenous.

Sunday’s weather brought no wind, a stabilized barometer and a slight cloud cover. Heading into the wilderness lake that we would fish well before sunrise was eerily quiet, with the promise of a great day on the ice. The two-hour march of pulling a sled loaded with gear had us at the lake at dawn – the ice, thanks to a long stretch of moderate winter temperatures, was only about 15 inches deep. The hand auger made quick work of a series of holes along the ledges of a point on the lake. Typically, unless you are just very lucky, it will take some time, some movement and a lot of drilling to find fish in those holes. Once the areas are figured out, it is simple to return and drill the holes in the same places you caught fish in the past. With numerous trips and a lot of work exploring the lake FEBRUARY 2015

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

The author has caught his share of pretty Kenai Peninsula rainbows in the 20-inch range. His go-to lure, a Mepps Syclops, did him well this winter day. (STEVE MEYER)

on previous outings we already knew where the fish would be. My fishing partner, Christine, was jigging a hot-orange 5/8-ounce Mepps Syclops – her go-to lure – in the first hole that was over 15 feet of water close to a dropoff into a 25-foot hole. I was halfway finished with hole number two over the hole when Christine announced “Fish on,” and shortly thereafter she had a rainbow in the 17-inch range flopping on the ice. This fish displayed a very large bite taken out of its side, one that seemed larger and inconsistent with another fish. More than likely the wound was courtesy of an otter, which frequent the lake we were on and are very aggressive fish hunters. Finishing the second hole I let it “rest” and drilled another 30 feet from Christine’s location in the same depth. When you find a depth the fish are at, fish it.

AS I SETTLED into my camp chair, a cup of coffee trying to stay hot in the thermos, the sun came up on the southeastern horizon. I was ready to drop a silver 1-ounce Mepps Syclops, my favorite ice fishing lure. But it was Christine who had another strike, and the bend of her rod left little doubt it would be a nice fish. The big trout took line for a bit and she got it back; she soon had the fish 94 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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Christine Cunningham won last year’s annual Kenai ice ﬁshing derby with a large ‘bow. Hit a lake at the right time and you can catch and release ﬁsh like these with staggering frequency. (STEVE MEYER)

Christine and I were both entered in the Trustworthy Hardware ice fishing derby (kenaipeninsula.org/events/trustworthy-hardware-ice-fishing-derby), and I had a rainbow entered that had me at first place in the division. Knowing her fish would easily beat my entry, there was no reason to tag the big female. And so the day went. Each of us caught numerous fish in the 20-inch range – releasing them all – and several more in the 18- to 19-inch class that we kept for eating. The lake we fished on has a run of sockeye, which explains the many large trout. They feed relentlessly on the salmon smolt, evidenced by the contents of the stomachs we had caught in the past. But one of the big rainbows displayed the relentless feed they were on that day, more even than the consistent strikes we were enjoying. A 19-inch rainbow was brought to hand and was lying on the snow for hook extraction; from the big fish’s vent popped the head of a sockeye smolt. A slight squeeze of the fish’s abdomen produced several more, all essentially intact. These fish were gorging themselves so hard and fast they were not digesting what they ate, and it was passing right through them. We had experienced really good bites on the ice many times, but never quite like this one.

FOR SEVERAL HOURS, we caught and renear the bottom of the hole. Experience has taught us the need to center the fish in the hole when coming up. If they come up on the edge of the hole and the hook sets in the ice, they twist off every time. However, Christine is a master and pulled the big fish straight up to reveal a beautiful naturally produced rainbow measuring 21½ inches. I thought to myself, “Well, at least I can fish while she marks her license.” When I dropped the Mepps down the hole, I “thumped” three times and reeled one crank up to start jigging. The strike came on the drop as they nearly always do with rainbows, and my rod bent double. Soon, a 20-inch rainbow was on the ice. It was quickly released.

leased fish on a steady basis – some were kept for the table and Christine’s big fish for entry in the derby. Try as I might, I couldn’t beat her rainbow. One that hit my Syclops took line and fought his way to freedom; it would have overtaken her best, I’m sure, but it was not to be. Triumphant and enjoying a little smugness in good jest, Christine proudly marched into Trustworthy Hardware, where her fish badly beat mine out of the top spot; she went on to win the rainbow division of the 2014 derby. The perfect storm doesn’t happen often, so what you want to do is be prepared. A day or two after the next time a tree blows over on your house in February, get outside and go fishing! ASJ

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LEARNING TO

r e t n i W n I y Fl

A CHINOOK WIND OPENS OPTIONS ON THE KENAI BY KRYSTIN MCCLURE AND BIXLER MCCLURE

e have a confession to make: Before last year we had never fished the Kenai River, and we have lived on the Kenai Peninsula for several years. Yes, it is sacrilegious, considering almost everyone we know makes an annual trek to the Kenai to fish the millions of salmon that run up its cloudy, glacial waters. However, stepping on the banks of a crowded river with a fly rod in hand and not an idea in the world how to use it is an overwhelming task. The Kenai’s famous Chinook, coho and sockeye attract thousands of anglers from around the world. At the height of the runs, the fishing becomes elbow-to-elbow combat fishing. Being able to fish from the peace and quiet of our sailboat, we consider ourselves fishing pacifists. For us, learning to fly fish on the mighty Kenai would have to wait until just the right moment.

THAT MOMENT PRESENTED itself in the

Krystin McClure casts into the Kenai River during a winter “heat wave,” when snow melts and temperatures are just warm enough to get out on the water. For the authors, it was a chance to practice their ﬂy ﬁshing skills. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

oddest time of year: February. Still technically in the throes of the Alaskan winter, a warm storm pushed through the Kenai Peninsula, melted off all the snow and replaced our frigid cold with sunny, 40-degree days. We put away our skis and snowshoes and contemplated what to do with an impromptu mini-summer in February. A few friends of ours suggested we go packrafting, and we tacked on the idea of learning to fly fish. We headed out to our ending destination at the now-closed-for-the-season Russian River Ferry, some 8½ river miles downstream from our launch spot of Cooper Landing on Kenai Lake. We parked in the nearly empty lot. Another set of determined anglers were rigging up fly rods to catch rainbow trout that reside in the river year-round. Like us, they were dressed in waders, complemented with layers upon layers of FEBRUARY 2015

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105

The McClures used packrafts to navigate the mighty Kenai. (KRYSTIN MCLURE)

woolens on underneath. The air temperature may have been warm, but the water was still plenty cold. Our friends gave us a crash course in both packrafts and fly rods. It would be our first official packraft float outing along with fly fishing training. Our packrafts are Alpaca Denali Llamas. They weigh approximately 6 pounds and are designed to fold down to the size of a small tent. They were invented in Alaska and are extremely popular, since they offer a portable means to navigate a mostly roadless state. By comparison, we were loaned the most giant fly rods I had ever seen. They were 9 to 10 feet long and daunting to use. I could see why they let us 106 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

use these rods. The Kenai River is a wide one, and we were sure that an expert could cast a mile with these rods.

BEFORE LAUNCHING IN our packrafts, we were instructed on the parts of the fly rod and fly line. We were given the gaudiest pink-and-purple homemade fly, one that I was certain was a joke, and learned a basic overhead cast. Bix picked up casting right away, while my lack of motor skills caused me some trouble. We were lucky to be doing this during the winter with only one other drift boat on the water, because anyone who was standing behind me would have, no doubt, gotten a face full of pink and purple.

FEBRUARY 2015

Finally, after several minutes of coordinating my arm to move between 10 and 2 like a clock and developing the patience to wait for the fly to complete the back-and-forth circuit, I started to get the hang of casting. At this point, the sun was climbing over the mountains and we made the executive decision to head downstream. We hopped in the packrafts with our fly rods hanging out front and began to paddle in the placid waters of the upper river. Though it was deceptively warm outside, the river was still cold. Our bottoms were cold and our rafts were coated with ice. We paddled quickly to keep ourselves warm and beached our rafts at our first destina-

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107

Krystin McClure with a salmon from the Kenai that she released to swim on. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

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tion along a wide, icy riverbank. The four of us dispersed along the riverbank and quietly had the entire Kenai River to ourselves. There was not an inkling of combat fishing to be found. Bixler and I started perfecting our overhead casts, while our friends impressed us with their casts coming from all directions. The occasional car would drive by across the river on the highway, disrupting the silence. Despite the proximity to the road, we felt we had an entire river to ourselves. Several hours went by without a catch. The famous Kenai River did not give up fish so easily in the heart of winter. It appeared that the trout, like the Kenai’s numerous brown bears, had retreated into hibernation. We moved downstream – the river picked up speed there – for a few last attempts at fishing. Though it was a warm February day, we were still burning daylight since Alaska was still far from the endless sunlight of summer months. I dropped my pink-and-purple

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fly into the cloudy blue water after a decent (but still not perfect) cast. As I pulled my line in, I felt a tug. It was not the violent tug of a fighting fish, but rather a lazy pull backwards. I figured I was on a rock or some sort of lettuce that clung to the riverbottom, but as I pulled my line to the surface, it started to shake side to side. “Fish on!” I yelled in my loudest ocean-angler voice. Fly fishing was supposed to be a peaceful sport, but I was so excited I had to announce my expected success. Bixler came running over, along with our friends. I pulled the fish to the surface and saw it was a coho, bright red in the spawning phase with the pink-and-purple fly in its mouth. I cradled the salmon in my arm for a picture and realized it wasn’t just any salmon – it was a big one. I released it to continue its spawning journey.

CASTING WINTER FLIES

AS I RELAYED the story to my friends and picked ice out of the guides on my rod, I saw that Bix had returned to the wa-

Winter fly fishing is slower than summer fishing, but can still be productive for those looking to escape the winter blues. Here are some tips to fishing success in those cold, dark months:

hands warm, even when they get wet. • Check your rod for ice. Ice usually forms on the top-most guides. If you find your casting is getting sloppy, check your rod for ice formation.

• Dress warmly, very warmly, especially if you plan to fish in waders. Simply stepping out of the river will not warm you up, so we recommend warm non cotton underlayers with a shell on top to keep the ice off your clothing.

• Try a variety of flies and weights. Fish are pickier during the winter, so bring a variety of flies to try. A sinking line or small weight may increase odds if fish are close to the riverbottom.

•Warm gloves are a must. If you’ve never fly fished with gloves on, this is a good time to learn. We use woollined waterproof gloves to keep our

•Have patience. Fishing is slower in the winter, but a good amount of patience (and plenty of warm clothing) will increase your odds. -KB

ter determined to catch a fish. Within minutes he had something large on his fly and was also yelling. He fought

the fish, which swayed violently and eventually rose to the surface. We were hoping for a monster rainbow,

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In summer, these same waters are filled with anglers crowded together fishing for the Kenai’s iconic fish. But winter is a different story, so Alaskans will take advantage of rare opportunities to get out and fish. (KRYSTIN MCCLURE)

but instead he caught a silver, a remnant from the last runs in October that was still swimming without fins and a tail. I ran over to see his fish and fell hands-first into the river. My Atlas gloves were soaked with water, ditto my sweatshirt sleeves and jacket. My hands felt like ice. I didn’t have a second pair of gloves, so I forced my hands into the wool-lined Atlas gloves before hopping into my packraft. Our second stop fishing downstream was short-lived since the cold from the river water was starting to penetrate our many layers. We continued to raft downstream around the many bends and through rapids normally occupied by anglers or bears in the summer. The river was eerily peaceful, like being on our sailboat during a summer of fishing. We wanted to stop along the Russian River confluence and fish that section, famous for hordes of salmon, but it was still frozen solid. By the time we reached the shut-down Russian River Ferry, the sun was starting to set behind the mountains. A couple was in the parking lot viewing the Dahl sheep on the mountains surrounding the river. They glanced at us as we emerged, mostly wet with ice-coated packrafts, and smiled. They were obviously locals enjoying a fine winter’s day. Our emergence from the river was nothing out of the ordinary. On the drive home with the heat blasting, Bixler and I boasted about our Kenai River fishing trip. We could see why so many people were drawn to its productive waters. Summer would soon be around the corner and we could try to fish in more warmth with our newfound confidence as fly anglers during the salmon runs. Or we could wait until the next winter, when we have the Kenai to ourselves. ASJ Editor’s note: For more on the authors’ Alaskan adventures, check out alaskagraphy.com.

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A-FISHIN’ WE WILL GO PLANNING A PERFECT ALASKA FAMILY VACATION BY DENNIS DAUBLE

t all started when I invited my 9-year-old grandson, Adam, to go on a fishing trip to Alaska. The first phone call, from my son Matt, wasn’t unexpected. “I think I should go also, Dad,” he said. I could take his response one of two ways: either he didn’t trust me, or he didn’t want to miss out on the fun. The second phone call came a few weeks later. “Annalise is feeling left out,” Matt said. “She wants to go to Alaska with us.” When I shared the latter conversation with my wife, Nancy, she responded, “If that’s the case, then I’m going also.” You could imagine my dilemma. What started out to be an Alaskan fishing trip for two had become a family vacation for five. A few things were in my favor, however. For one, I had traveled from Homer to Fairbanks and places in between for business and pleasure. Consequently, I knew the lay of the land and how long it took to get from one place to another. Having fished for sockeye and coho on the Kenai, Chinook on the Talkeetna, and Arctic grayling in streams near Fairbanks, also provided insight on angling opportunities. But perhaps more important was, as a seasoned parent, I knew the difference between “fishing” and “family fishing.” The challenge was how to balance my angling desires against a broader set of interests that transcended gender and age. Here’s some of what I learned along the way:

ALASKA IS A BIG PLACE It’s best to divide the state up into regions, hone into your area of interest,

and ﬁgure out how long it will take to get from one place to another. The ﬁrst thing I did was to contact the Alaska Tourist bureau (travelalaska.com) for free vacation guides and a subscription to Alaska magazine. After studying regional maps and my well-worn copy of

The Milepost, I settled on the Kenai Peninsula as having the most options for three generations of family. I identiﬁed speciﬁc locales that limited driving time (and backseat complaining) to less than four hours a day, yet allowed us to rest and relax. Over

Author Dennis Dauble and grandson Adam Dauble show off a nice sockeye salmon that bit a Wiggle Wart on the Kenai River. (DENNIS DAUBLE)

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A dockside view of Seward Harbor on a sunny morning in mid-July. It’s important to pick a hotel that most ﬁts your family’s budget but also comfort level. (DENNIS DAUBLE)

the course of spring and early summer, I shared the trip itinerary, maps and pictures of Alaskan scenery with members of the family so they could imagine the possibilities.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK WELL IN ADVANCE Traveling with school-age children requires you plan your trip during the height of the tourist season, which in our case was the six-week period between early July and the middle of August. And we had one week to do it all. My first objective was to determine when salmon were present. After all, the original goal was to have a meaningful fishing experience. This is where the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s website (adfg.alaska.gov/) proved valuable with information on run timing, tackle, fishing methods and regulations. But to complicate things, my son and grandson were seasick candidates. Consequently, offshore fishing was off the list. I found that Chinook salmon entered most Southeast Alaska rivers in June and that peak run timing for coho and pink salmon occurred late in the summer. This information secured sockeye salmon as the species of inter116 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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est. Consequently, I booked a guide on the Kenai River and planned the rest of the trip around a mid-July date. With luck, we would ﬁnd time to sneak in a cast or two for Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden or rainbow trout. Knowing that motels ﬁlled up quickly during salmon season, I secured accommodations four months in advance of the trip.

BALANCING ACTS Adding three people to the mix means a bigger budget for lodging, but having multiple generations and genders limits the amount of room sharing you can do to save money. For example, a grandma and grandpa require more privacy than two school-age children. Factor these considerations against the average motel or lodge that caters to two to four people. We started off the trip in style, with a dockside suite at the Holiday Inn in Seward that was roomy enough to accommodate two rollaway beds. That said, two nights of togetherness was more than enough for even this closeknit family. Separate rooms available at more economical lodging venues kept the average cost of lodging under $300

OUR TRIP HIGHLIGHTS • Day 1 Following our Alaska Air flight to Anchorage, the leisurely 127-mile drive to Seward involved roadside stops at Cook Inlet’s Windy Point and at Turnagain Pass. We arrived at our hotel before dinner to take in the dockside scene. Watching the charter boats roll in off Resurrection Bay, I reminded my excited grandson Adam that he got seasick and the average trip was eight hours long. • Day 2 After a morning spent souvenir shopping, we took a five-hour boat ride on the Star of the Northwest to experience the wonders of Kenai Fjord National Park. Orcas, humpback whales, dall porpoises, sea otters, puffins, kittiwakes and bald eagles paraded on a 70-degree cloudless day. The grandkids learned about glacial flour and the skull bones of Steller sea lions from the onboard naturalist; nobody begged for snacks after an onboard “all you can eat” seafood buffet. Back at the dock, we got a lesson in ichthyology at the fish-cleaning station, watching filet artists work over freshcaught sockeye, coho, halibut and black rockfish. It was almost as good as fishing! • Day 3 We hiked to a small lake near Moose Pass, where Adam caught his first Arctic grayling on a Renegade fly behind a bubble bobber. Then it was on to the Kenai Peninsula via Sterling Highway to Kasilof; it was there where we experienced that navigation apps on your smartphone may not lead directly to your rental cabin in the woods. • Day 4 My son Matt, Adam and I rose at dawn to meet our guide, Aaron Cooper of Ace Fishing (acefishn.com) for a day of “flossing” reds on the lower Kenai. As things turned out, there was no room to stand on the bank, so we pulled plugs. Our take of five sockeye exceeded the average sport catch for the day. • Day 5 I watched the grandkids fish for landlocked Chinook salmon and rainbow trout at one of ADFG’s many well-stocked, roadside lakes while my wife Nancy and Matt relaxed. After a picnic lunch, we drove to Coopers Landing. Adam and I sneaked off to fly fish

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An onboard naturalist from the Star of the Northwest explains the skull structure of a mountain goat to interested youngsters. Finding kid-friendly attractions is a smart option between ﬁshing excursions. (DENNIS DAUBLE)

per night. Early on, I ruled out travel by train for logistic reasons. While traveling by car provides more ﬂexibility for families, it isn’t cheap. One compromise was rent-

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ing a full-size automobile in lieu of a van. Since I paid, nobody complained. Efficient packing was helpful. Meals presented another give-andtake situation. Matt and Nancy’s com-

for Dolly Varden in Quartz Creek, a trip shortened by a bear sighting. • Day 6 The family panned for gold at Cooper Landing before heading back to Anchorage for a night out on the town. But not before we visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and rode the Alyeska Resort Aerial Tramway at Girdwood. • Day 7 We ﬂew home with a 25-pound box of sockeye ﬁllets, a passel of memories and the desire to return as quickly as possible. -DD

peting culinary desires didn’t equate to the average fishing trip where you snack from a cooler and grab something quick for dinner before getting up at dawn to start all over again. I had also forgotten that two growing children must eat every two hours or they waste away. The final balancing act among three generations of family involved recreation. One tradeoff for a guided fishing trip is that other members of the

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party expect something of equal value in return, maybe not expensive jewelry (although Nancy hinted at it), but spending time doing something they like. Luckily, we found a broad range of options that included swimming in the Nikiski heated pool, gold panning and wildlife tours. The end result was a fair mix of time spent ﬁshing versus family activities.

SUMMARY Would I do it again? You bet, in a heartbeat. The quality of time spent with multiple generations far outweighed my initial desire to fish, fish and fish (although we did sneak in more fishing time than I thought). Shared family experience that included watching orcas herd a school of salmon in Resurrection Bay and the view from the shoulder of Mount Alyeska were equally as exciting as watching my grandson land a 12-pound mint-bright sockeye. What the trip proved was you can have your family vacation and you can fish too. It’s

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Nine-year-old Adam Dauble shows off his ﬁrst Arctic grayling of the trip after hiking to the well-named Grayling River. By planning well ahead of your trip, you’ll have plenty of options to keep everyone entertained. (DENNIS DAUBLE)

just different. Meanwhile, Adam and I have made plans to sneak off for another ﬁshing trip – this time for barn-door halibut.

Annalise Dauble blows a bubble to celebrate time spent in Alaska. (DENNIS DAUBLE)

As for the others, riding the Alaska Railroad, viewing the northern lights and touring Denali National Park are on the list for their next visit to the land of the Last Frontier. ASJ

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FISHING WITH BUZZ AND BLAKE

Blake Ramsey (right) lands a Togiak River salmon with help from guide Chris Sessions of the Togiak River Lodge. Blake and his dad, author Buzz Ramsey, enjoyed some father-son bonding time in Alaska. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

A FATHER-AND-SON ADVENTURE IN BRISTOL BAY

BY BUZZ RAMSEY

igh adventure is how our son, Blake, now regards last summer’s fishing trip to Alaska. The best part for me was watching his wide-eyed reaction as our pilot touched the floatplane down on the Togiak, a free-flowing river. Blake’s response was no different when advised to take bear spray along before heading to a pike-filled lake, seeing the enormity of the Alaska Mountain Range we flew across, or when landing one big salmon after another from rivers teaming with salmon. While our journey might represent the norm for those fortunate enough to live in the far north, for many a trip to Alaska might be characterized as a once-in-a-lifetime expedition. Our father-and-son trip really in-

volved two fishing adventures – one to the Togiak River and the other to the lower Nushagak. Both rivers empty into Bristol Bay, but differ in size, surrounding landscape and overall experience. The travel distance – from Portland, Ore., to Alaska, for us – was why we’d planned our trip around two different destinations.

THE TOGIAK RIVER Draining the center of the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge before entering the northern side of Bristol Bay, the Togiak River is regarded by many to be one of the best salmon fishing destinations in Alaska. “While the number of salmon bound for the Togiak may not match that of some Alaskan rivers, the commercial interception of salmon is much less, which is why we see a

steady stream of fish entering the river all season long,” says Togiak River Lodge owner Larry Lund (503-7847919; togiaklodge.com). After arriving at the lodge, located 7 miles upstream from Togiak Village, it was only a few hours before guide Chris Sessions (360-713-2806) got Blake and I into nonstop fishing action on mostly Chinook. It was on the second day when we started calling Blake “The Fish Assassin” after he’d caught and released so many of them. Chris estimated one at just shy of 40 pounds. While we enjoyed steady action when back-trolling Mag Lip and FlatFish plugs from our 20-foot jet boat, others staying at Togiak River Lodge found success downstream trolling salmon-size spinners and back-bouncing or bobber-fishing FEBRUARY 2015

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Chris Sessions (left) and Blake Ramsey release a Togiak River salmon. Mid-June through July is a peak time to catch the Togiak’s Chinook, with a strong coho run usually beginning in August. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

salmon egg clusters; everyone was catching fish. Togiak River Lodge, located along the river’s banks, is about comfort and good fishing. The lodge features a large dining room supported by two award-winning chefs, complete with waitresses and a friendly support staff that keeps everything running smoothly so you can just focus on the fishing. In case you want to be reminded of the outside world, the lodge also has satellite TV, wireless Internet, access to a GCI cell phone, a large hot tub and sauna. The comfort this lodge offers is what draws many family groups and avid anglers to pick this fishing destination over other experiences. Because we catch plenty of fish near our home over the Columbia Riv124 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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er, our plan was to release everything during this trip. But we caved in after seeing and tasting the ﬁsh coming from the large smokehouse at the lodge. After all, who doesn’t like salmon when it’s still warm from the smoker? Lund even shared the lodge’s smoking recipe: it’s a dry brine consisting of four parts brown sugar, one part non-iodized salt, and a quarter part granulated garlic, which they allow to soak in the brine for 48 hours (it’s important to stir every three to four hours), drain, rinse, let air dry for an hour or two and smoke at 125 degrees for six to eight hours – depending on thickness. While our trip was during July when Chinook are numerous (the lodge offers guided trips from mid-June through all of July), Togiak Lodge be-

gins running its guided trips for coho (silver salmon) from early August through mid-September. The river gets a run of up to 100,000 coho each year. While trips for Chinook and coho are the main draw, you might also catch chum, sockeye, rainbow trout (averaging 8 to 10 pounds), resident and sea-run Dolly Varden, pike, or, in even-numbered years, pink salmon. The thrill of riding in a ﬂoatplane as it scooted across the rivercurrent took our minds off leaving the Togiak; we didn’t want to leave, and those feelings added a measure of anticipation to our next adventure destination: Toman’s King Camp on the Nushagak. THE NUSHAGAK RIVER I’ve known Bob Toman since the mid1970s, and although he and I have

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The Toman King Camp on the Nushagak River has both guided and unguided ﬁshing and camping options. Whichever option you decide, expect to catch a lot of salmon. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

fished together many times, this was my first trip to his camp on the famed Nushagak. Actually, Bob’s son, Jeremy Toman (503-522-4327; bobtoman.com), now owns and operates the camp. However, Bob still guides clients on this popular fishing destination. The Nushagak is a big river with many tributaries and connecting lakes, which means it hosts giant salmon runs of sockeye, in addition to Chinook, coho, chum, and pinks. And while you may catch more than one type, due to their size (12 to 25 pounds, with fish up to 50 caught each year), it’s the Chinook that most anglers target when visiting the Nushagak. The Tomans offer a comfortable tent camp, complete with a separate cook and eating tent. The facility has more than one outhouse and shower facilities complete with hot running 126 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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water. One outhouse, reserved for ladies only, features a flush toilet. One could say it’s roughing it in style, and the grounds are situated within a stone’s throw of the Nushagak River. In addition to the above, the camp crew will fillet, vacuum pack and freeze your fish for the trip home. One amenity unique to the Toman camp is that in addition to offering guided trips, the camp offers self-guided trips where you DIY it; the camp supplies the lodging, meals and jet boat. The camp boats range in size from 20 to 25 feet and are equipped with propeller-driven outboards. Although located 60 miles from Bristol Bay, the Nushagak, while always running, is influenced by daily tide swings. These cause the current to slow with each flood tide. Each slowing of the current affects which fishing method you might employ.

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Blake reels in yet another salmon, this one on the Nushagak. Chinook there can be caught back-trolling plugs on the outgoing tide. When the current slows downstream, many anglers opt for trolling with salmon-size spinners. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

For example, when the current slows downstream, trolling a salmon-size spinner is what many guides and anglers employ. The outgoing tide, when the river current speed increases, is when most switch to back-trolling large salmon plugs. While fishing the Nushagak, Bob proved the effectiveness of his favorite spinner, the Toman Thumper Flex Squid spinner, which enabled Blake to continue his “Fish Assassin” reputation – yep, he caught one after another. What was interesting to Blake and I, and something Bob carefully explained beforehand, is how the salmon bite a spinner differently. There is the slack line, hard strike, soft tug, and bumpbump-bump bite. Keeping a lookout for these different bite types kept Blake and myself on the edge of our seats, hooking salmon far more often than if we’d only yanked on the hard-striking fish. The Toman King Camp offers guided fishing trips for Chinook during the peak of the run, which lasts from mid-June to mid-July. This fishing adventure was a father-and-son trip Blake and I will always remember. It was a unique experience, different from the norm, and brought us closer together than we have ever been. It’s something I always wanted to do with Blake, especially since I made a somewhat similar oneon-one hunting trip to Alaska with his brother, Wade, a few years back. ASJ Editor’s note: Buzz Ramsey is the brand manager at Yakima Bait Company in Granger, Wash., and is a correspondent for several publications, including Alaska Sporting Journal’s sister magazine, Northwest Sportsman. 128 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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The author and son Eli, 8, revel in the harvest of small game in Alaska. Taking your kids on a small game hunt is an ideal way to introduce them to not only the outdoors, but also conversation, shooting and so many aspects of the hunting life. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

SMALL GAME, BIG FUN HUNTING FOR HARE, BIRDS A GREAT FAMILY OPTION BY PAUL D. ATKINS

s we pushed our way through the waist-deep snow, the big snowshoe hare just sat there and waited. His “white” camouflage blended perfectly with the snow, but not quite good enough to keep my 8-year-old son, Eli, and I from pushing forward. With each step I figured he would bolt; he didn’t so we decided to keep moving towards him. I slowly raised the BowTech bow and settled the pin.

In most states, hunting small game usually takes a back seat to hunting big game, especially in Alaska. With moose, caribou and sheep practically around every corner, most people forget that the state also harbors some of the finest small game pursuits in the country. As hunters we all live for the fall, and rightly so. Bears, sheep and goats are constantly on our minds, and we absolutely cannot wait until the season opens. Like most people who chase animals either with a bow, rifle

or shotgun, it becomes a total obsession that drives us not only throughout the year, but also throughout our lives. Some of that year can feel empty though, but there are solutions.

ABUNDANT GAME In the unforgiving Arctic, winter can be a long time going. It starts pretty much after the seasons for big game are over and extends all the way through late April when the bears have decided enough is enough and exit their dens. During this time, usually starting in March, life for a hunter can really start to heat up, literally. FEBRUARY 2015

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Crossing the frozen Arctic Ocean via snow machine is safe given the sea is frozen solid with anywhere from 6 to 8 feet of ice. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

Bright, sunny days with 14 hours of daylight combined with good snow, frozen ground and a good cabin or tent to hang out in can be as grand as any moose camp, especially if a group is involved. It’s during this time that small game in Alaska run abundant: everything from ptarmigan to the big snowshoe hare and a list of predators a mile long that roam the frozen tundra. The opportunities are endless, and being able to get out and chase these critters with your family is priceless. Ptarmigan and Arctic hare, for example, are formidable targets with a bow. Their white fur and plumage are perfect camouflage against what Mother Nature has left us, and getting to them can be a very tough challenge. For the most part you will miss more than you will hit, but it provides some of the greatest times a family outing 132 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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can provide. FAMILY AFFAIR Last spring, my family and I loaded up our snow machines and went north, crossing 13 miles of frozen ocean. The trail was good, and within the hour we pulled into camp along a winding creek that was pretty much frozen solid. The bright sunshine was a blessing and the break from windy conditions provided by the tall spruce made things quite comfortable. After unloading our gear, guns, bows, arrows, and packs, we set up our tent. There’s always something special about taking your kids outdoors; I can think of nothing better than a day spent hunting small game. I wish all parents would do more of this. After a quick warming up in our Arctic Oven and downing some hot chocolate, we began our hunt along

the narrow creek, carefully eyeing the banks and adjacent willow flats for any kind of movement. It was great fun. The first rabbit we saw was a bust, but we didn’t have to go far when suddenly something white flashed in the willows. We trudged through the alder in snow that was up to my waist and Eli’s shoulders and we quickly climbed the bank. I told Eli to try and walk on top of the willows and keep above of the snow; it worked somewhat, but the snowshoes I left at home would have been a blessing. We could see the big rabbit in front of us when it finally came to a stop. We weren’t in range and had to get closer. I figured like the first rabbit, he would break and run but did not. It has been my experience that snowshoe hares will actually stop and hope that the snow will camouflage them and

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A rabbit’s den in winter; snowshoe hare tend to run in cycles in the Arctic. For a couple of years they will be abundant, then taper off for several years. Years when numbers are high hunters will see a huge increase in predators, such as lynx, fox and wolverine, which can also be hunted. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

blind their enemies to their presence. This rabbit, however, made the mistake of stopping on a small snow pile. With Eli right on my heels, I got the bow up and drew, placing my 20-yard

pin on his head. It was awesome; we had our ﬁrst rabbit and I don’t know who was more excited – Eli or me. After gathering our kill we walked on down the creek, only to take anoth-

er big rabbit not too far from where we took the first one. It was a great time, with not only hunting but also being able to identify the many tracks that lined the creek. Everything from lynx to moose to wolf were there, and the ability to share those with my son was priceless. I have hunted all over the world, taking hundreds of big game animals, but this was by far the best experience of my life. We continued down the frozen creek, only to spot a third rabbit in the willows. Like most of my rabbit hunts I only wanted to take three or four, enough for a good meal, and with any luck this would be our third. (Rabbit, if cooked right, is some of the finest meat available to man, rivaling venison in my opinion.) The third rabbit ran into a hole beneath some overgrown willows. I pointed him out to Eli and we slowly began our stalk. Eli was excited when I handed him the .22 and told him that this one was his. Thinking he was safe

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the rabbit stayed in place only to have Eli bear down on him and squeeze the trigger. The rabbit didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t move. I was so proud of my son, and even more when he trudged on ahead to claim his trophy. He reached in, grabbed the big snowshoe by his hind legs and exclaimed this was the greatest day of his life. I quietly said it was mine too.

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In addition to rabbits, ptarmigan provide good winter hunting for Alaskans. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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As far as small game goes, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game list three species of small game in the regulation manual: grouse (spruce, sooty, ruffed and sharp-tail), rabbits (snowshoe and Arctic hare) and ptarmigan (willow, rock and white-tail). All can be found in different parts of the state and can be hunted at different times throughout the year, depending on the unit you choose to hunt. Some units are closed to certain species; others are open all year. Bag limits are pretty liberal, but most have a possession limit. Check the ADFG website (adfg.

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alaska.gov) for more information. Personally, I like to hunt in winter. The snow pack in and around willow thickets are a prime location for the bird hunter while the alder-choked riverbanks provide excellent cover for the big snowshoe hare. Hunting small game this season can be very challenging. All are camouﬂaged in their winter apparel and can be tough to locate, but with a little practice you will quickly pick up on an eye here or an eye there, or a slight shifting in the snow. Shotgunning for ptarmigan is also a very popular sport in the Arctic. Like snowshoe hare, they can be found about anywhere, and being able to pick out the white bird is tough, but provides some great excitement. I use a 12-gauge shotgun with No. 4 steel shot. Getting in close and flushing the covey is a rush and you usually get your limit pretty quickly. If you plan to bowhunt any of the small-game species, there are many options, from traditional archery to

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compounds and they will all work as long as you don’t mind losing a few arrows. Less heavy bows work best, as it doesn’t take much knockdown power to kill a rabbit or a ptarmigan. I set my bow as low as possible and use arrows tipped with rubber blunts; they fly great and prove to be a killing combination. Chasing Alaska’s small game can be big fun, no matter your weapon of choice. All are great eating and don’t require much in terms of expense. Whether you pursue ptarmigan, grouse or the big snowshoe hare, they all provide that much needed break after a cold, dark winter and will fill the freezer with something besides moose and caribou. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer and a contributing writer for Alaska Sporting Journal. He has written hundreds of articles on hunting big game throughout North America and Africa. Paul lives in Kotzebue, Alaska.

For small game, the author replaces broadheads with rubber blunts or judo points. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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HUNTING THE HUNTERS DISCOVERING ALASKA’S PREDATOR HUNTS

From

FIELD FIRE To

Wolves are Alaska’s ultimate predator this time of year. Calling them in is far from easy, but it can be done. (JOHN HINDERMAN)

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

laska’s hunting scene is dominated by big game, but if you’re willing to brave the extremes, you’ll discover there are some exceptional predator hunts available this time of year. While living on the North Slope, pursuing predators was something I looked forward to each winter. Arctic fox, red fox, wolverine, lynx and wolves were the go-to animals up north, but there’s more than these fantastic ﬁve when it comes to pursuing predators in Alaska. Recently, red fox hunts on Kodiak Island and the Alaska Peninsula, and blue fox hunting on St. Paul Island offered hunting memories I will not soon forget.

FOX CALLS Calling red fox on Kodiak Island in the early winter, among big brown bears, is a feeling that’s got to be experienced to be appreciated. Calling in a 10-pound red fox is one thing, but should a 1,500-pound brown bear respond, that takes predator hunting to a whole new level. After calling in and taking a gorgeous red fox with a rifle on the north end of Kodiak, I was eager to try taking one with my bow. Setting up amid black rocks on a very low tide, I fired up the Fox Pro. Nothing came to the first two setups, but the third set proved to be the lucky charm. After only a couple minutes of calling, a black head parted the golden grass to my right. When a silver fox emerged, I was as amped up as I’d been on any big game hunt. I knew the stakes were high, as the silver phase fox only occurs in about one of every 20,000 red foxes. As the black ghost approached, I reached full draw when he passed behind a rock. When he emerged, I let out a squeak from a diaphragm call. He stopped and I let the arrow fly. Watching that arrow pass through the vitals of such a grand predator was memorable. Speaking of using a bow on prized predators, one fall a buddy was hunting caribou in Southwestern Alaska. Not only did he arrow a fine bull, but before his adventure was over he also took a wolf and a wolverine with his recurve.

(SERIOUSLY) COLD CALLING When it comes to animals like wolverine and wolf, success often

comes down to being in the right place at the right time. These can be more opportunistic hunts, meaning you take the animals if and when you come across them, but keeping an eye out for fresh sign will let you know when it’s time to set up and start calling. An old trapping buddy in my former home of Anaktuvuk Pass used to have consistent success calling wolves with his mouth, howling. Every time I saw this approach work, he’d either spotted a pack or heard them howling before he started calling. Cold-calling – calling without ﬁrst seeing an animal – is more common when it comes to coyotes, foxes and lynx. Since these FEBRUARY 2015

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predators inhabit brushy habitats, look for sign that reveals their whereabouts. Tracks, droppings, diggings and fresh kills are hot tips these predators aren’t far. With a crosswind, or slight wind in your face, pick a spot to sit that offers a backdrop to When hunting Alaska’s predators this break up your outtime of year, invest in the best gear you line, then start callcan afford in order to optimize comfort. Doing so will result in more time in the ing. Consider using ﬁeld and greater chances of bringing decoys if worried home prized pelts. (SCOTT HAUGEN) about getting busted by approaching predators, or when hunting pressured areas. Anticipate the angle approaching predators might come in from, then set a decoy to the side so it’s not in direct line of sight with you and the approaching animal. Once an animal responds, don’t move. If you do have to adjust for a better shooting angle, do it when the animal momentarily drops out of sight or turns its head. Above everything, be ready to make the shot when the opportunity comes. Predators move fast, they are nervous animals, and shot options are often measured in milliseconds, something that often catches hunters used to hunting big game off-guard.

BE PREPARED When calling any of Alaska’s predators this time of year, gear up accordingly. Be ready to sit in one place for a long time – meaning you’ll need insulated clothes, a facemask and warm gloves. Consider investing in heated clothes, if you really want to hunt in comfort and make the most of your time afield. ThermaCELL’s new ProFLEX heated insoles are ideal for stationary hunting in the cold. Simply turn on the insoles with the wireless remote, and soon your feet will be feeling the 110-degree tempera- Red fox are cunning, challenging tures generated by the predators to hunt, and they thrive insoles. Cabela’s makes in many parts of Alaska. The author called in this prime red earlier a heated vest that’s in the fall on the upper end of the perfect for battling cold Alaska Peninsula. (SCOTT HAUGEN) 142 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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From

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TRY THESE HOT LYNX BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

he ﬁrst time Scott and I traveled to Africa, he went on a hunt with a government official, and they came back with four man-eating lions they killed in a remote village. We ate some of that lion and it tasted great. Scott had told me how, prior to our marriage, he’d eaten cougar and how good it was. When we moved to Anaktuvuk Pass, Scott ran an extensive trapline and caught many animals, including lynx. Lynx was a species the locals ate and we were eager to try it. Lynx, along with other wildcats, are a

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lean and mild meat, taking on the ﬂavor of what they’re cooked in. If you’re a trapper or predator caller, lynx offer value beyond what the pelt is worth, as they’re good eating, too. To ensure optimal ﬂavor, get the meat cooling as quickly as possible.

Braised Lynx 2 pounds lynx meat, cubed 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ cup onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups beef or game stock ½ cup orange juice 2 to four Thai red chilies or 2 teaspoons red chili ﬂakes 1 tablespoon orange zest ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon dried oregano or seven to 10 fresh leaves ¼ teaspoon dried thyme or ﬁve to seven fresh leaves Salt and pepper to taste Lightly season lynx with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof pan or skillet,

heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add lynx, brown three to four minutes. Add onion and garlic and sauté an additional one to two minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover pan and place in a 350-degree oven. Braise until meat is tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with bread, rice or pasta, something to soak up the great pan juices. Three to ﬁve sliced jalapeno peppers may be substituted for the Thai red chilies if desired. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Big Game, send a check for $20 (free S&H), to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. Order online at tiffanyhaugen.com.

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THE SOUND BARRIER BY CHRISTINE CUNNINGHAM

earning how to call ducks seems fairly simple. Like the harmonica, the duck call is a wind instrument that is said to be easy, cheap and sounds great. When I heard the ﬁrst sounds that came out of my ﬁnely tuned duck call, it sounded like drunkards retching in an alley way. “That doesn’t sound like a duck,” my friend said. If there was ever a duck that needed the Heimlich maneuver, it just might come into my call. My calling repertoire included the whooping cough, the croup (a loud brassy barking cough that sounds like a seal), and the hurling BLARGH. After a few weeks of practicing my duck call, my skills had not improved and there were seven seals, a walrus and a Coors truck in my driveway. I decided to seek professional help. The call I used was a second-hand gift from a friend who had used it successfully for many years. But, when I presented my call to the master caller, his nose curled. “What is that?” he asked. “It’s my duck call,” I said. “What’s that green screw-in thing on the end?” My call was manufactured in La Salle, Ill., in the mid-1960s. The green knob on the end was used to adjust the pitch. “Well, let’s hear it,” my friend said. I put the call on my bottom lip like I was going to take a sip from a bottle and blew three times into the call, “Teh, teh, teh.” The nose curled up again. “That don’t sound like a duck.” I knew it didn’t sound like a duck, although, it might sound like a duck from America’s Heartland, circa the 1960s. 146 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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“Just work on sounding like a duck.” Of that, I will never be certain. I have it on good authority that I haven’t sounded like ducks of the Paciﬁc Flyway that pass through my hometown of Kenai, Alaska, anytime in 20 years. Those are the ducks I wanted to sound like. “You should try this call,” my calling instructor said. He wore a lanyard around his neck that contained eight or nine calls. “This is just a cheap wench call, but it works good.” For about a week, I thought the word “wench” was the scientiﬁc name for female ducks. It’s not. At the end of our session, I was given some sound words of advice: “Just work on sounding like a duck.” My entire life, exasperated mentors have said

similarly esoteric things to me. When learning to shoot trap, I was told, “just shoot where you’re looking.” When learning to carve decoys, I was told, “just carve away everything that’s not a duck.” I think mentors develop a dry sense of humor in order to cope with struggling mentees. And the mentees end up doing manual labor while trying to ﬁgure out why trees falling in the woods don’t make a sound if no one is there to hear them fall. The person not there is most often the mentor. The responsibility to become good at anything rests on the individual. It should not take a village to call in a duck. If I was going to be good at duck calling, only hours and hours and hours of practice could get the job done. The village was going to have to endure a lot of racket, unfortunately. My village consists of six sporting dogs that usually enjoy the sounds of birds. They are constantly fascinated by loon calls, robin chirps and grouse clucks. If a real duck were to quack, they would recognize it as such. They were my last chance for encouragement. To prove my skills, I put on a mock duck-calling demonstration in the yard. Chocolate Labs are known for being enthusiastic cheerleaders of all animal noises, no matter the species. They are excited by pigs snorting. They are excited by roosters crowing. They are excited by the three-second-delay between pops of popcorn in the microwave. I expected them to be supportive of my duck calling, regardless if they lacked credibility in the cheerleading department. I was shocked when the three of them stared at me in horror. If they could talk, they would have something to say. “Somebody with opposing thumbs better give that girl the Heimlich.” ASJ

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