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SPORTING JOURNAL Volume 9 • Issue 10 www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles WRITERS Paul D. Atkins, Christopher Batin, Tony Ensalaco, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Bixler McClure, Krystin McClure, Mike Wright SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Rick D’Alessandro, Nancy Ekse, Mamie Griffin, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold PRODUCTION MANAGER Sonjia Kells DESIGNERS Kayla Mehring, Sam Rockwell, Jake Weipert WEB DEVELOPMENT/INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES media@media-inc.com ON THE COVER Hunting muskox in an Alaska winter and getting out to where they congregate can be a challenge, but if you can harvest one as Paul Atkins did, you can fill the freezer with some of the best big game meat in the state. (PAUL D. ATKINS) MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE 14240 Interurban Ave South • Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 (206) 382-9220 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 CORRESPONDENCE Twitter @AKSportJourn Facebook.com/alaskasportingjournal Email ccocoles@media-inc.com

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CONTENTS

75

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 10

MASTERING MUSKOX

Sometimes you’ve just got to grit your teeth and go.

Northwest Alaska’s been taunted by unpredictable weather this winter, including warmer-than-normal temperatures, rain and of course, bitter cold and snow, leaving our man in Kotzebue, Paul Atkins, wondering if he’d ever fill his muskox tag. But when conditions appeared to break, he and his hunting partner made their move – would it pay off or end in disaster?

(LEW PAGEL)

FEATURES 23

47

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SAVING BRISTOL BAY’S WILD SIDE It’s been three years since we introduced you to filmmaker Mark Titus and his ode to preserving wild Pacific salmon, the film The Breach. Now he’s returning to Bristol Bay, where he shot part of his first documentary, for a more detailed look at area residents’ resistance to the proposed Pebble Mine and its potential threat to Bristol Bay’s world-class runs. We chatted with Titus for a first look at The Wild, which he plans to release this summer.

RAISE THE STEEL CURTAIN March is too early to fish for steelhead in Alaska – it’s cold, it’s snowy, the fish aren’t in ... Hogwash, says our correspondent Tony Ensalaco, who’s not shy about making late winter/early spring trips to the Panhandle if that’s what it takes to increase his chances of landing a trophy sea-run rainbow – not to mention, avoid peak-season pressure. If his story’s any indication, it can be well worth the trouble.

AWESOME ANIAK It’s been decades since Pacific Northwest angler Mike Wright watched an angler walk through a Alaska firefighters camp carrying two big salmon

on his back, but that vision never left his head. So when a chance to finally fish the Last Frontier arose, Wright took it – join him on a trip to the bounteous Aniak River, a fly fishing paradise.

107 THE MAGIC LAGOON Alaska’s waterfowl don’t get the attention the state’s plentiful big game species do, but savvy sportsmen like our Field to Fire columnist Scott Haugen know how special hunting the state’s web-footed denizens can be. One of his favorite brant goose spots is Izembek Lagoon, in the Aleutians. Scott shares tips for a trip to this remote bay, and Tiffany Haugen cooks up ground bird meat for a delicious appetizer.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 37 97 115

Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament preview An Alaska couple’s Hawaiian axis deer adventure Getting in shape for hunting the Last Frontier

DEPARTMENTS 17 21 93

The Editor’s Note Outdoor calendar Big game spotlight: Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk

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 © 2017 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. 12

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Tony Ensalaco has no problem fishing for steelhead in the chill of Southeast Alaska’s late winter/early spring. (TONY ENSALACO)

I

just got back from visiting my family in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, and the weather was mostly gorgeous – about 70 degrees and sunny. Not bad for the second weekend in February. Such dry and warm weather suggests that the drought-ravaged Golden State is once again desperate for rain and snow during its wet season, but as I was scanning through Twitter in the days leading up to my trip, so many Californians were tweeting how great it was to live in such a sunny climate and having year-round access to the outdoors.

Try living in or traveling to Alaska, people.

When late winter and early spring intersect in March, it’s still rather cold and snowy in Alaska. But for hearty outdoorsmen like our correspondents Tony Ensalaco and Paul Atkins, iffy weather doesn’t cancel plans to break out the fishing gear and the hunting rifles.

Ensalaco writes about his desire to leave his home in “balmy” Chicago to tackle the early run of spring steelhead, despite the probability that the Southeast Alaska rivers he fishes will still be bone-chilling cold and snowflakes will pelt down on him.

And Atkins, no stranger to roughing it in the Arctic, told me how frustrated he was with the weather around his Kotzebue home in anticipation of getting out and filling his muskox tag.

“This weather has been kicking our butt,” he said in an email. “Sixty below for two weeks … We haven’t been able to get out one time. Crazy!”

And while the conditions improved enough for Atkins to get out and bag the bull that graces our cover this month, he and his hunting partner Lew Pagel still faced difficult challenges – some even dangerous – as you’ll discover in Paul’s piece.

Granted, I was lucky enough to walk around in shorts and a T-shirt in temperate California. But our Alaska superheroes have no problem enjoying the outdoors too. So maybe what’s considered perfect winter weather in San Francisco is just as embraced in the Last Frontier. -Chris Cocoles

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR March 1 Spring bison hunting season opens in GMU 19 (McGrath) March 3 Expected start of Iditarod sled dog race; iditarod.com March 15 Spring brown bear hunting season begins in GMU 1 (Southeast Mainland) March 15 Resident spring brown bear hunting in GMU 3 (Petersburg-Wrangell) March 15 Spring brown bear hunting opens in GMU 4 (Admiralty-BaranofChichagof Islands) March 24 Homer Winter King Salmon Derby; homeralaska.org/2018winter-king-salmon-tournament May 15 Start of Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby; homeralaska.org May 19 Start of Valdez Halibut Derby; valdezfishderbies.com June 1-30 Seward Halibut Derby; seward.com/welcome-to-seward-alaska/ halibut-tournament-june

Spring brown bear hunting seasons get cranked up on March 15 in Southeast Alaska, Petersburg-Wrangell and on Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof Islands.

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Editor’s note: For more specific information on hunting regulations, refer to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s handbook (adfg.alaska.gov).

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PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA

WILD SIDE OF PACIFIC SALMON THE

SEQUEL DOCUMENTARY TO A ‘SALMON LOVE STORY’ FOCUSES ON BRISTOL BAY’S CONSERVATION CRUSADE

BY CHRIS COCOLES

N

ow finishing up his second documentary on salmon, Mark Titus is certain that these mystical fish will always have a special place in his heart.

The Seattle-area resident is part of the fraternity of sport and subsistence anglers, commercial fishermen

and -women, fish processing and cannery employees, conservationists and the like who vow to protect Pacific salmon from Northern California to the far north of Alaska. In his 2015 film The Breach, (Alaska Sporting Journal, May 2015) Titus called his directorial debut “a love story about salmon” and focused on conservation crusades in his native Washington

Seattle-area resident Mark Titus is close to completing his second documentary on the importance of salmon to so many in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. His upcoming film The Wild focuses on the conservation of fish in the Bristol Bay area. (MARK TITUS/THE WILD)

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PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA

Both commercial fishermen and sport anglers have much at stake if the proposed Pebble Mine is completed. An accident could be devastating to Bristol Bay’s salmon. (MARK TITUS/THE WILD)

and around Alaska’s venerable salmon runs in Bristol Bay. Titus made parallels between the catastrophic damming of the Elwha River, which blocked dozens of miles of pristine salmon habitat in the heart of Washington’s Olympic National Park, and Bristol Bay’s previously unaffected watershed that’s home to the world largest return of sockeye.

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“We compared (the plight of the Elwha), of course, with the perfect and pristine habitat in Bristol Bay and said, ‘Why would you mess with something like this?’” Titus says.

Titus also warned of the potential threat to Bristol Bay in the form of the proposed Pebble Mine and the tugof-war between access to the area’s rich copper ore deposits and its salm-

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on-filled rivers.

At the time, Bristol Bay’s salmon community felt at least a sense of security, even as many braced for a long struggle given the mineral value there.

“Frankly, when we left that storyline, things looked pretty good in terms of protections for Bristol Bay, when the (Environmental Protection Agency) concluded that a mine the

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PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA

The Wild focuses on five Bristol Bay residents whose livelihoods all touch on salmon in one way or another. (MARK TITUS/THE WILD)

size of the scope of Pebble would, in fact, do harm to the water, the people, the landscape of the salmon in Bristol Bay,” Titus says. “And things looked kind of buttoned up, but I always had my doubts about that.”

“And then, of course, in November of 2016 we had a new election and a new president.”

With the Pebble Partnership remaining dogged in its pursuit of a mining permit, the President Trumpled EPA initially overturned the previous administration’s protections of Bristol Bay. And while the EPA recently backtracked on its decision to all but green light the project, it’s clear that it’s a battle that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

Still, personal matters for Titus meant that he wasn’t in any hurry to follow up his passionate cinematic plea to save Pacific salmon. But with the urging of family and friends and his own admiration for the fish and 26

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

his love of making films helped spawn The Wild, a sequel to The Breach but with a little bit different approach.

Bristol Bay and its residents who depend on all those salmon returning from the sea offer a plea about how important the fish are to their livelihood and identity.

“We’re coming at this from a place of compassion rather than a place of raising a hammer and saying that we must destroy our enemies,” Titus says. “We’re saying instead, how do we as individuals, and collectively as a body of human experience, save the things that are really precious that we love and ultimately would like to pass onto future generations? That’s the core of the movie.”

WHEN HE FILMED PORTIONS of The Breach in Bristol Bay, Titus, who as former deckhand and guide in Southeast Alaska was no stranger to the Last Frontier, was mesmerized by his

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experiences there.

“Bristol Bay is a place of deep magic, and it is a place that’s reminiscent of what things were like in North America long ago,” he says.

What hit home was the locals’ helpfulness in allowing his modest crew to get around in the isolated locations where they shot footage, including lugging around 12 cases of gear via floatplanes and fishing tenders to reach a 32-foot Egekik River fishing boat.

As he planned his itinerary that first time, Titus wondered how the logistics would work. He wasn’t sure where he’d stay and what he’d do for meals. But somehow it all came together.

“And that had to do with the generosity of the humans I met there,” Titus says, “and it had everything to do with everyone’s shared reverence for that place and the wild salmon – this biological force that is almost overwhelming.”

The Wild, which Titus has filmed

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PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA

“Bristol Bay is a place of deep magic and it is a place that’s reminiscent of what things were like in North America long ago,” Titus says. (MARK TITUS/THE WILD)

and edited about halfway and should be ready for distribution this summer, focuses mostly on five Bristol Bay residents who all have salmon-centric occupations. They include Nanci Morris Lyon, who operates King Salmon-based Bear Trail Lodge; Nushagak River set-netter Ole Olsen; Steve Kurian, a commercial sockeye captain in Naknek; Amanda Wlaysewski, whose family owns a small fish-processing business, also in Naknek; and local Native community leader Alannah Hurley, executive director of United Tribes of Bristol Bay. These are folks dependent on healthy numbers of salmon that regularly return from the sea on an annual basis. Titus called each member of the quintet the “one of the five fingers of the whole hand that is the salmon industry of Bristol Bay.” Their stories collectively 28

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

represent the beating heart of The Wild.

“So we kind of cover all the points of contact with the salmon industry in Bristol Bay through all our five characters,” Titus says.

“It’s not overstating things to say that Bristol Bay is a place and wild salmon – as a force, a creature and as a way of life – literally represent everything to all the main characters who appear in The Wild. It is the center of their economic reality; it supports their families; it’s the center of their social world; it’s the center of – in Alannah’s case – their cultural heritage that goes back thousands of years.”

IN A TRAILER FOR The Wild, Titus self-narrates a montage of himself casting a line out in his boat, a childhood photo of him in a soccer uniform hoisting a pair of salmon and a

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

breathtaking video of a migrating fish in the wild.

“They’re travelers, nurturers, survivors. And they’re food.”

Both of his films are just as much as about the director himself as those stories of triumph and tragedy he chronicles.

“The Wild is a very personal journey for me,” Titus says. “Once that decision was made and I actually got on the ground and working in Bristol Bay, it was a roller coaster of emotions – intense trepidation and fear about not being up for this challenge, honestly. And that, coupled with absolute joy in discovery of the vastness and magic of this place ... is impossible not to be touched by if you spend any time there.”

And given his reluctance to tackle such a major project 1,650 miles from

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PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA his Seattle home, it’s fair to say that the emotional reaction his first salmon love story received had as much to do with The Wild’s production as the desire to spread the message about Bristol Bay’s salmon.

Titus recalls reactions he encountered while showing The Breach in 2015 on multiple continents. There was the screening in Dublin, Ireland – Atlantic salmon have been virtually wiped out on the Emerald Isle and the United Kingdom – when old-timers broke down into tears at the reality of what had been lost.

There was a moment during a Chicago performance when Titus connected with an Uber driver, who was invited to the theater and brought a older gentleman who was a retired lieutenant colonel from the South who’d grown up near no salmon rivers.

But he was so moved he approached

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Titus said making his first project, The Breach, and the soon-to-be released The Wild has been “a labor of love” but with the urging of family and friends were projects the filmmaker had to do. “The goal that I have is that people are moved by this story and the inherent plight of wild salmon,” he says. (MARK TITUS/THE WILD)

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PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA and thanked Titus for introducing him to a fish he had no connection to.

“This guy was moved to tears and it was so completely out of the target audience compared to our usual preaching to the choir of salmon nerds from the Northwest,” Titus says. “This is somebody from a completely different walk of life but was moved by this animal. And that was remarkable.”

And the filmmaker himself was choked up by a then 12-year-old girl who started a letter-writing campaign to Washington leaders and runs her own wild salmon/Bristol Bay podcast.

She shares her story in The Wild, which also features cameo appearances by several supporting conservationists, including Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, actor Mark Harmon and celebrity chef Tom Colicchio.

“I have been consistently humbled and overwhelmed with the amount of outpouring of support – both financially and emotionally,” Titus says.

“It has been a complete revelation to see how this one thing and one animal that represents the best in living things in terms of its self-sacrifice so that other things can live (is embraced).”

“It is, certainly in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, an iconic keystone species. But even beyond that, what’s been incredible is that other people from other parts of the country and around the world have identified with the plight of wild salmon and connected on an emotional level.”

When he finishes this latest homage to salmon, Titus hopes The Wild will have a similar impact not just on those in Bristol Bay who can’t fathom the catastrophe that destroyed Atlantic salmon runs over the centuries, but for everyone else who either worships or admires an anadromous wunderkind that has struggled in Titus’s native Pacific Northwest, fallen in dra-

matic fashion in California and while still thriving in The Last Frontier, is at risk if the Pebble Mine idea becomes a reality.

“The goal that I have is that people are moved by this story and the inherent plight of wild salmon and (the hope they can) survive in the face of a really disastrous human history of interaction through human expansion and population growth,” Titus says.

“And so I ultimately hope the audience that finds its way to The Wild will not despair in the face of troubled times and uncertain times, but rather look inward in what they can do in their own lives to express love and compassion for the things that are really sacred to them. And if that in turn becomes a shared passion for wild salmon and landscape of Bristol Bay, all the better.” ASJ Editor’s note: Look for a review and more on The Wild this summer in Alaska Sporting Journal. Watch the film’s trailer at thewildfilm.com and like at business.facebook.com/thewildfilm.

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SPORT OF KINGS

HOMER WINTER SALMON TOURNAMENT CELEBRATES ITS 25TH EVENT

BY HOMER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

T

he Homer Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center will host its 25th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament on March 24. Every year, anglers have taken to the waters of Kachemak Bay in search of king salmon, and we consider this to be the premier fishing tournament of Alaska.

So mark your calendar, get your boat ready, buy your fishing license and prepare aksportingjournal.com | MARCH 2018

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The three top finishers at 2017’s event, Gary Deiman, Ronald Johnson and Gino Del Frate, took home over $90,000 for their 24.30-, 25.65- and 25.10-pound Chinook. (JIM LAVRAKAS)

to fish in one of Alaska’s largest fishing competitions. It’s also a chance to win some great cash prizes.

In 2017, champion Ronald A. Johnson of Homer took home winnings totaling over $53,000 for his 25.65-pound white king salmon. Payouts for the top

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10 anglers totaled over $120,000. This is one of the Kenai Peninsula’s most popular events, as last season’s participation showed: 299 boats with 1,007 anglers entered. That group combined for 216 fish caught and weighed.

There are also additional opportu-

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

nities for side bets and prizes offered every hour of the tournament on the radio and Facebook. After the fishing lines are pulled from the water, join the festivities at the weigh-in stations that are located at Coal Point Trading Company on the Homer Spit (4306 Homer Spit

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Last year, 216 Chinook were caught and weighed in. (JIM LAVRAKAS)

Road) Join us for music, food, vendors, beer, and huge fish!

The tournament is successful each year because of the support of volunteers and sponsors.

For more information about the tournament, please contact Kim Royce at the Homer Chamber (907235-7740; jhd@homeralaska.org).

You can also check out website (homerwinterking.com) and like us at facebook.com/homerwinterkingsalmontournament. ASJ

Johnson’s big king won the local Homer resident $53,000 in winnings, and the tournament awarded cash prizes totaling $120,000 to the top 10. (JIM LAVRAKAS)

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GET AN EARLY START WHIMS OF THE WEATHER AND FISH ASIDE, HEARTY ANGLERS SHOW UP AT THE BEGINNING OF SOUTHEAST ALASKA’S STEELHEAD RUNS

Early-season steelhead prospects in Southeast Alaska are a bit of a crapshoot, given the potential for bad weather and cold water, as well as the return timing and strength of the runs, but author Tony Ensalaco (fighting a fish as his dad takes footage) knows this is a great opportunity to score big steelies like Bud Gore’s 20-plus-pounder. (TONY ENSALACO/HOBO’S GUIDE SERVICE)

BY TONY ENSALACO

P

eople always have a strange reaction when I inform them that I am going to Alaska in early spring to go fishing. Their heads shake in disbelief; they glare at me with a puzzled look on their faces, as if they had just discovered the biggest idiot on the planet.

Mind you, these are usually residents from the Midwest, tough individuals who have resided there all of their lives and who have persevered through countless blizzards, polar vortexes and even the recent “bomb cyclone.”

The first question everyone seems to ask is, “Can’t you go somewhere warm to fish?” My standard reply is,

“Yeah, but I love to fish for steelhead, and this is the time of year when I’m able to catch them in Alaska.” I’ll then attempt to rationalize my decision by telling them about all of the world-class fishing opportunities the 49th state has to offer its anglers. Finally, I just give up, because I know no matter what I say, it’s impossible to convince them that my adventure is a good idea. I often end the conversation by mumbling something about the Florida Keys and that maybe I should consider that destination for future trips. And then, I’ll divert the conversation to another direction.

THE SPRING STEELHEAD RUN signals the start of Alaska’s river fishing year, and

I can’t think of a greater fish to kick off the action. Mint-bright steelhead start making their way into streams around the northern rim of the Gulf of Alaska as early as March or the beginning of April, depending on the conditions.

Unfortunately, planning early-season “anything” in Alaska is difficult because of the volatility of the weather, much less trying to catch fish, which may or may not be there in fishable numbers.

Steelheading during the early stages of the run can be feast or famine and is usually attempted only by hard-core metalheaders; therefore, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this time of year for the casual angler.

Even when there are enough fish in

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You won’t see many bears while steelhead fishing in Alaska this time of year, but other fish eaters are on hand to clean up the scraps, including bald eagles. (TONY ENSALACO)

the system to make a trip worthwhile, the unpredictable Alaskan weather can be more than just a nuisance to someone who is not accustomed to its brutality. If you decide to fish at this time, bring several layers of clothing that can easily be put on or removed as the weather changes throughout the day.

But make no mistake: When conditions are right, steelhead return to their parent streams to answer Mother Nature’s call. Once you know that the streams have become ice-free and that the snow has been removed from the access roads, I encourage you to begin planning your inaugural trip of the year.

This usually means fishing cold water for lethargic fish, and this can be tough for even the most accomplished steelheader. Chances are the streams will be clear and their water levels will be low if the spring run-off hasn’t yet occurred, so take a stealthy approach when walking the riverbanks.

I wouldn’t expect the river to be stuffed with steelhead when fishing early on, but it’s possible that there will be enough fish around to keep things interesting. Although the fishing can be challenging, it can also be extremely rewarding. You can be sure that some 48

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steelhead will begin trickling into the streams just after ice-out.

According to Bob Miller, the owner of the Situk River Fly Shop (907-784-3087) in Yakutat, the majority of fish wait until water temperatures reach 36 to 37 degrees to begin their upstream ascent. I Danny Kozlow (front) and Bob Ensalaco try different methods to entice steelhead to bite in a run. (TONY ENSALACO)

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

have to agree with him, because I have been fishing on several occasions when steelhead would enter the mouth of the river but were reluctant to continue their journey because of cold water. Experienced steelheaders realize this and will concentrate their efforts on fishing riv-

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Just like elsewhere, jigs are a popular lure for Alaska steelhead, so bring plenty.

And besides fleeces, don’t forget rain gear – it can really pour in the Panhandle during the spring season. (TONY ENSALCO)

ers’ lower sections early in the season.

Just know that even with smaller numbers of people fishing ahead of the peak of the run, the bottom end of some of the more popular streams can get crowded at this time of year.

I believe that this is the right plan of attack; however, I do implement a strategy that’s unconventional but has paid off for me several times in the past. I’m happy to share it with you.

When I’m fishing a stream early in the spring and I know that it receives a decent run of fall steelhead, I will target those winter holdover fish in the upper sections the first thing in the morning. While most of the other anglers are concentrating on the lower stretches of the river searching for the new arrivals, I will tangle with these colored-up fish for a few hours before I decide to make my way downstream in search of chromers.

The fall-run steelies that have spent the last few months in the stream have not been actively feeding during that time and have had to resort to living off their body fat. Consequently, they will not be the most spectacular fighters, but they are certainly worthy adversaries. I also love seeing steelhead in all of the stunning colors they develop while residing in freshwater.

By the time I finally reach the downstream section of the river, which usually occurs sometime in the early afternoon, most of the other anglers 50

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should be gone. This enables me to fish some of my spots that were previously occupied earlier that morning. Even better, the water’s temperature should have risen one or two precious degrees, causing the fish to become more active.

WHAT CHANGES MY EARLY-SEASON game plan is when a significant amount of rain combined with spring run-off becomes problematic. Low, clear water can be challenging, but high dirty water just plain sucks. If you tell me that the stream that I am planning to fish is running high and dirty, then you would see a very disgruntled fisherman agree to go shoe shopping with his wife that weekend, because that’s how much I despise fishing in high-water situations.

Now, what if you have come hundreds if not thousands of miles from home and have no choice but to fish during these less-than-ideal conditions – what do you do? This is when a positive attitude becomes critical and you have to concentrate your efforts on places that you would never fish under normal circumstances.

Years ago, I was on one of my annual weeklong steelhead trips to Southeast Alaska, only to discover that the river I intended to fish was flowing well over its banks. After a tough first day of fishing, I seriously thought about cutting my losses and going home.

Fortunately, however, I received some invaluable advice from Aaron

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Shook, one of the top guides in the Yakutat area. Aaron runs Hobo’s Guide Service, based out of Portland, Oregon, and is no stranger to fishing high water.

Shook suggested that I continue to fish my favorite runs and holes, but instead of casting to spots that I would normally fish, I should work the areas where I would stand when fishing them at normal water levels.

During high water, steelhead will leave the main current and move toward the riverbanks and then hold along the slower seams. Although I knew this, I continued to concentrate on fishing the main section of the holes until Shook gave me that helpful pep talk. His tip was all I needed to get myself back on track and kept me from going home early. I was fortunate to turn a potentially busted trip into an exceptional one once I stopped fishing the main current and instead concentrated on working the softer water along the banks.

NO MATTER THE WATER CONDITIONS, once you’ve located where fish are holding, it

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Danny Kozlow holds a steelhead caught in low water. The lack of fishing pressure early in the season benefits those who try their luck in March.

(TONY ENSALACO)

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should be fairly easy to get them to cooperate. I can’t think of a presentation that wouldn’t work on fresh, early-run steelhead. Bobber and jigs or beads, bottom-bouncing yarn flies, chucking hardware, pulling plugs, and swinging or dead-drifting flies are some of the many techniques steelheaders love to use in the Last Frontier.

One variable I have learned over the years is bigger is usually better at this time of year. Even in ultraclear water, a flashy lure or a bait with a large profile seems to be the best choice for a couple of reasons. First, the fish are fresh in the river and have retained most of their aggressiveness from the saltwater. They are territorial creatures by nature and are quick to defend their space when something invades it. This is what fishermen refer to as a reaction bite. When you add frigid water to the equation, a larger bait helps to get a lethargic steelhead’s attention and will convince the fish it’s worth attacking.

The second reason why a big bait works well early in the year is that the fish haven’t been subjected to much

A big spoon pitched in low, extremely clear water paid off with this fat steelie.

(TONY ENSALACO)

fishing pressure. Unless you are fishing a remote, hard-to-reach stream, spring steelhead normally will see an array of baits and lures by the time they finish their spawn. On popular streams such as the Situk River, many of the fish are hooked multiple times throughout the season, which, after a period of time,

will cause them to shy away from large, unnatural presentations.

You will know when to downsize your bait when it takes longer for you to hook fish out of new areas. Even in the coldest water, it should take only a few casts to get a steelhead to hit when you come to a new spot.

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TARGETING EARLY RETURNING STEELHEAD is a good idea because they will be in better physical condition with spawning so far down the road. As the season progresses, so does a sea-run rainbow’s urge to spawn, which in turn diminishes their aggressiveness. After extended periods of time in freshwater, it becomes harder to coax steelhead into hitting your presentation. You will eventually end up with a river full of mostly neutral to negative ďŹ sh.

Nothing is more frustrating than when you can see steelhead holding everywhere you look throughout the stream, but they refuse to hit. There might be fewer ďŹ sh in the system at the beginning of the run, but they will usually be biters.

Fishing for fresh, chromed-out steelhead is part of the reason why I make it a point to plan most of my trips during the infancy of the season, but that isn’t why I love ďŹ shing at that time.

I know rivers that receive strong returns of steelhead will have silver ďŹ sh coming in on every tide for several weeks.

So why do I take a chance on ďŹ shing

A big part of the reason why Ensalaco likes to risk an early run to the river is for a better chance at hooking and landing hefty specimens like this one. (TONY ENSALACO)

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during an uncertain time of the year? If I let some of my regular fishing partners answer the question, they would say it’s due to my impatient nature. They think that I would jump out of my skin if I found out the fish were running and I had to wait a couple of weeks before I could get at them.

I have to admit that I do feel a tremendous amount of increasing anxiety as my departure day approaches, but impatience isn’t the reason. I schedule my outings well before the run historically is in full swing because I feel it gives me the best shot at capturing a trophy steelhead. Over the years, I have seen pictures and have heard several stories about some giant early-run steelies being hooked and sometimes even landed by a handful of lucky anglers. These brave fishermen rolled the dice and were rewarded for their efforts.

To me, the chance to catch a fish of a lifetime is a fair trade-off for risking unpredictable weather patterns and possibly low numbers of hook-ups. Don’t get me wrong: Anytime there are fish in the system, the potential is there to catch a monster steelie on any given cast. However, it seems that the majority of the big brutes tend to come in early. It’s nice to know that my bait will be one of the first ones they see!

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no matter what turn of the calendar page you choose to be on the river. Yet there is something about that first outing that sets the tone for the upcoming season. I know I can play it safe by waiting for a time when the steelhead are traditionally jammed in the stream, like most anglers might do.

I also realize that even if there are so many fish around that you could walk across the river on their backs, it doesn’t guarantee that they are going to be willing to play. This is especially true if the fish have been in the stream for a while or they have been fished hard by lots of anglers.

No, I’m going to grab all of my warm clothes, some heavier equipment and go to Alaska searching for a 40-incher.

Maybe I’ll see you at the airport on my return flight home, and I hope to tell you all about it! ASJ

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EXPECTATIONS

EXCEEDED SAGE ADVICE LEADS A FLY ANGLER TO THE DIVERSE BOUNTY OF THE ANIAK RIVER

BY MIKE WRIGHT

S

ince it seemed obvious that neither my superb academic record nor my fantastic athletic ability would render me a coveted full-ride scholarship, I worked summers fighting wildfires with the U.S. Forest Service to pay for college.

One of the first places we were sent was near a major salmon river in Southwest Alaska. One evening, as we were relaxing in camp after a particularly difficult day on the fire line, a fisherman walked through our camping area. He had rigged up a backpack for carrying fish, and it had two very impressive specimens dangling from his back.

One of the salmon occupied a space from the top of his shoulders to several inches past his belt, while the other hung down to just above the back of his knees. A conservative estimate would probably have put the weight of the two

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fish between 15 and 20 pounds. After seeing this, we all concluded that he had had a much better day than what we had experienced.

Ever since that day, I have had a lifelong desire to go salmon fishing in Alaska.

After reading numerous books, watching many fly fishing videos and talking to a number of people, including my brother, who had made the journey north, I was determined to find a suitable spot to fulfill my dreams. Although I had discovered a great many excellent trout fishing rivers and lakes in my native Montana, plus many others in Idaho, Washington, British Columbia and

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

Wyoming, a fishing trip to Alaska had always eluded me.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to book a fishing trip to a legendary lake in Argentina, where I was able to land a number of truly spectacular rainbows, including a 24-pound behemoth. When I got back, I received a call from the man who had arranged the excursion.

He asked if I was satisfied with the trip – naturally, I was – and if I would be interested in booking another. I told him my dream trip was to fish in Alaska, and his reply was that Alaska was also one of his favorite spots and that

Southwest Alaska’s Aniak River, a tributary of the mighty Kuskokwim, features a wide diversity of fish species, including coho, making it a treasure trove of angling opportunities. (MIKE WRIGHT)

he had been a guide for several years in the state. He added that he was organizing a trip for the next year to the Aniak River.

As much as I hate to admit ignorance, I had never heard of the river before. He said it was not as well known as some others, but that that was probably a good thing. Except for an occasional rafter, we could expect to have the river to ourselves.

The more he described the stream, the more convinced I became that this was exactly the type of Alaskan fishing destination I had been hoping to find all along.

THE ANIAK IS A 100-MILE-LONG tributary of the Kuskokwim River, which is the state’s second largest by volume, behind only the Yukon. The Kuskokwim boasts the largest chum and silver salmon runs of any river in the state, along with the second largest king run and excellent numbers of sockeye and pinks too.

A large percentage of these salmon find their way into the Aniak. In addition to the salmon, the river also has vast numbers of Dolly Varden, grayling, northern pike and leopard rainbows.

The river also contains sheefish, but in considerably smaller numbers, as it is generally considered to be about

the southernmost point where this hard-fighting subspecies of whitefish can be found. But collectively, due to the variety of species and sheer number of fish, the Aniak is considered one of the very best rivers in the state.

The vast majority of the river is accessible only by boat or raft. Heavy timber lines the banks of its lower 30 miles, and that along with a great deal of brush makes shore fishing somewhat problematic.

High, crumbling banks also make fishing from shore very difficult. But as you head further upstream, long, gradually sloping, angler-friendly gravel bars

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begin to appear along the water’s edge.

In these areas, wade ďŹ shing is available and quite productive. The edges of these gravel bars are also where a large amount of tree stumps, logs, branches and assorted debris are swept during runoff. These obstacles often create pools and deeper holding water behind them, which usually attracts sizable numbers of ďŹ sh. They are a favorite habitat for the leopard rainbow, one of the most sought-after species on the Aniak.

The deeper pools and runs along the opposite side of the gravel bars are also highly productive, especially if there are below undercut banks, or have logs and roots protruding into the water, providing cover.

THE ANIAK CAN BE a very tricky river to navigate. Spring runoff brings vast amounts of wood downstream, and it gets hung up in the shallows and holes, and over time that changes the ow, creating numerous side channels or braids that can run for miles and at times be very difficult to distinguish from the main channel.

A full moon rises over the Aniak on a long summer’s evening. (BRIAN O’KEEFE)

In addition, the main channel can and does change course, sometimes very dramatically. According to Sam Sudore, owner of the Aniak River Lodge (800-747-8403; aniakriverlodge.com), the mid-lodge has had to be moved sev-

en times over the years because of the river’s shifts.

The streambed at the tent camp on the upper river has also changed, but moving this camp was not nearly as difficult or time consuming as the mid-

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lodge. In addition, as the banks erode away, “sweepers” – trees leaning over the river just a short distance above the water or, in other cases, are submerged just below the surface – are ready to claim the boats and gear of the unwary.

A large number of bears also make their home along the Aniak. As long as you make sufficient noise, normally you will not have a problem. However, one guide told me that to be on the safe side, “We all carry high-caliber handguns.”

Then he smiled.

“Of course, we always shave off the front sights. That way it doesn’t hurt nearly as much when the bear shoves it up your backside.”

WE DECIDED THAT AUGUST would be the best time to fish the Aniak. When I left the Pacific Northwest in the first part of the month, we’d had 15 straight days of 90-plus-degree temperatures, and we hadn’t seen any rain since the end of June.

It was abundantly clear when we arrived in the town of Aniak along the Kuskokwim that I wouldn’t be getting too much use out of my T-shirts and

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lightweight clothing. It had been raining heavily for a week and the temperatures were hovering in the 40s.

Luckily, I had packed some warmer gear, but the river conditions left a lot to be desired. The lower river was running high and muddy, so visibility was limited to only a few inches.

On the plus side, much of the runoff comes from the surrounding tundra, which drains very rapidly. Water clarity returns to normal rather quickly after the rain subsides.

Although it rained nearly every day during the trip, most of the time it was the light, misty type that does not produce much in the way of runoff. While the Aniak’s main channel was still off colored, the side channels cleared better and produced very well.

Fishing ordinarily begins in earnest around the end of June with the arrival of king salmon. However, over the last couple years there has been a considerable drop off in kings returning to the Aniak.

In an effort to help protect the species, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed the season and placed a

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

very heavy fine on targeting them. For this reason, there is a great deal more emphasis on the run of silvers, which reaches its peak during August.

As they migrate to their spawning grounds, it is quite common for silvers to stop off in the side channels to rest in the slower moving water. Most of these salmon have donned their spawning colors by the time they enter the Aniak, so sight fishing around the schools of red-sided fish in shallower water is a preferred strategy.

I used a 9-foot, 8-weight fast-action rod with intermediate sink-tip line and 0X (16-pound) tippet and leader, all of which worked well, though with how hard the silvers fought, there were times I wasn’t sure my gear was strong enough.

Although most of the silvers ran between 8 and 15 pounds, their jumps and runs put a tremendous amount of pressure on my set-up.

Because the fish were exceedingly aggressive, a very fast retrieve seemed to work best. Pink was apparently the preferred color, since everything I caught was on a pink Bunny Leech, al-

though I was told that Dolly Lamas are also very effective patterns.

Two important factors to keep in mind are to get the fly close to the bottom and maintain a fast strip all the way to the boat. On a couple occasions, I had takes just bringing the fly up next to the boat as I prepared to recast. After a full day of fishing for silvers on the Aniak, you are guaranteed to come back to camp with sore arms.

AFTER SPENDING TWO DAYS on the lower Aniak, we relocated to the tent camp 15 miles further upriver. Here, the species and fishing tactics changed drastically.

One of the primary strategies for fishing the river’s upper reaches is to use pink or orange beads to imitate salmon eggs. While there were some early-arriving silvers, the majority of the salmon were sockeye, plus some kings, which were in the process of spawning.

Spotting small schools of redfish and casting around them usually resulted in catching a grayling, Dolly Varden or rainbow. The method we used with the beads was to tie one on a couple of

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Besides coho, Aniak anglers target its leopard rainbows, Dolly Varden and grayling. The river also has the other four salmon species, plus pike and sheefish. (BRIAN O’KEEFE/MIKE WRIGHT)

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

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The Aniak River Lodge offers great accommodations. It’s situated a couple dozen miles upstream of the mouth.

(BRIAN O’KEEFE)

inches above a bare hook, with one or two split shots a foot or so above the bead and hook.

No strike indicator was used, so you needed to raise or lower the rod tip in order to keep the hook from hanging up on

bottom or amongst the vast amount of sunken obstacles below the surface.

This method worked extremely well, but casting this set-up was somewhat less than wonderful. What seemed to work best was to let the backcast hit

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the split shot.

It was definitely not graceful, but was highly productive. After all, catching fish is the name of the game.

A flesh fly also worked as well, but primarily just on the rainbows. A mouse pattern dry fly is ordinarily very effective on ’bows, but it proved to be a flop this time around. It may have been too late in the season or it could have been due to the rain. Whatever the reason, the dry fly enthusiasts amongst us were a little disappointed.

However, when you are catching 30 to 50 fish a day and sometimes many more, the disappointment vanishes quickly. Everyone seemed more than pleased with their Aniak fishing experience.

Despite the fact that it took me far too long to do it, fishing in Alaska really lived up to my highest expectations. I would sincerely like to thank that anonymous fisherman who walked through our fire camp and inspired me so many years ago.

I just hope it doesn’t take me nearly as long before I fish Alaska again. ASJ

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Author Mike Wright has fished for salmon all over the Pacific Northwest. But he was grateful another angler recommended Alaska’s Aniak River. It didn’t disappoint.

(MIKE WRIGHT)

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

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Hunting muskox has become second nature for author Paul Atkins of Kotzebue, and the meat from a mature bull represents some of Alaska’s finest table fare.

(LEW PAGEL)

PULL OF THE BULL TURBULENT AND INCONSISTENT ARCTIC WINTER MAKES HARVESTING A MUSKOX EVEN MORE OF A CHALLENGE FOR HUNTER

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

A

s my snowmachine came to a stop on the side of the mountain, all I could think about was pain.

“This is really going to hurt!”

The slick, hard-packed snow provided zero traction and my sno-go track

began to spin at the slope’s steepest point. Thirty yards from the top – where Lew stood watching me – I began to tip over. One ski was off the ground and I could feel the weight of the heavy sled pushing against me. I straddled the seat and leaned as hard as I could into the mountain, but I knew I couldn’t hold it, so I prepared for the long tumble back

down to where I’d started.

In my mind, I envisioned my gear, bow, rifle and everything else scattered like trash down the side of the mountain. My neck? Broken.

IT HAS BEEN A difficult winter here in the far north – probably more weird than difficult. Tons of snow covered the re-

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Wind buffets a herd of muskox in Northwest Alaska. The strong gusts help sweep snow off the herd’s forage, and can also provide cover for approaching hunters. (LEW PAGEL)

gion early on, and then it began to warm up. We had rain for a few days and then the weather reversed itself with an abundance of extreme cold. I can handle most all of it; I’ve been doing it for years, but the inconsistency is a killer.

Frigid cold is great if it is followed by snow, but when the weather warms up and the rain comes, it can get downright miserable. Slush and thin ice made travel dangerous and our normal hunting time for this time of year was nonexistent. We couldn’t get out and do anything.

Lucky for us it got cold again. Record below-zero temperatures defined the late January weather headlines. The ocean was thick enough for travel, but the broken ice and pressure ridges lining the landscape made any ride across Kotzebue Sound a treacherous one.

Plus, we’ve had our share of wind, and still do as I write this.

Adverse weather conditions or not, the coveted muskox tag I had in my pocket was soon to expire and I knew that Lew Pagel and I would have to get out soon and start our search if we were 76

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Atkins can’t emphasize the importance of good optics enough. Being able to determine what you’re looking at saves time and effort while also deciding what you will do next. (LEW PAGEL)

going to get it done.

Wind or not, we decided to go as soon as we returned from the various sports shows we had been attending across the country. Outdoor shows are a lot of fun. You get to see old friends, make new ones and see everything that’s right and wrong in the hunting industry. But it isn’t hunting, which is

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

what I’d rather be doing anyway, despite the wacky weather.

WITH OUR MACHINES GASSED up and oiled, we loaded our sleds with all the gear needed for such an adventure. Lew and I have done this so many times that it has become second nature to us, but we also know that no two hunts are

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Like trucks and ATVs elsewhere, snowmachines are the workhorse in winter Alaska. They make travel fun and hunts a lot more enjoyable. (LEW PAGEL)

alike. When you’re hunting the backcountry, you better be prepared for the unexpected. Rifles, bows, knives, tarps, packs, extra gloves, a SAT phone and everything else you can imagine filled the nooks and crannies of our machines. We were ready.

We knew that with about seven hours of daylight we would have to get across the sound quickly and start our search. Our plan was to hit our old haunts, glass the hills and small mountains and look for these prehistoric beasts.

The ride over was a bumpy one, but eventually it smoothed out as we got to the other side. Crossing 13 miles of ocean is intimidating for some, but a well-worn and marked trail makes it easier, and you have to remind yourself that there is probably 4 to 5 feet of ice under you, which gives most of us peace of mind.

We arrived at our destination and began to glass. Snow cover on the 78

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But sno-gos can’t go everywhere, as the author found out while trying to zip up a slick mountain slope during the hunt. (LEW PAGEL)

hills was just as I thought it might be; there wasn’t much. Large, dark boulders stood out, and from a distance, they looked like muskox standing everywhere. Upon closer observation we could see that they weren’t, of course.

Disappointing, but that’s hunting.

We cruised the makeshift trail as we

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

kept searching. Lew always takes the lead and when he does stop, I know he either sees something or is waiting on me. We only stopped a couple times early on, once for the herd of “rock ox” and then another time as two straggly moose made their way across the trail in front of us. It’s always good to see

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With the group of muskox that the hunters found holding in their trademark defensive ring, Atkins waits for a bull to separate from the herd before pulling the trigger of his 7mm. (LEW PAGEL)

moose no matter the time of year, so this was special.

Moose are harder and harder to come by these days and many would

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consider a moose tag more valuable than a muskox permit. I don’t personally, but to each their own. We continued onward.

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

OUR GOAL WAS TO reach a high point that we have visited many times before, a mountain plateau overlooking the vastness of the Noatak Valley below. From

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here you can glass for hours, especially the adjacent mountains to the south.

We’ve learned from experience that if muskox are going to be found, this is where they’ll be. Usually they are bedded down or feeding on one of the high benches and look more like rocks than ox. It has worked for us many times before and we’ve found them close to the same spot on most of those hunts.

As we sat on our machines glassing, the wind howled, watering our eyes and making it hard to see through binoculars. And even though it wasn’t that cold, the wind chill was still below zero.

The biting air froze our eyelashes shut as well as open. It wasn’t fun, but it was our only choice.

We knew we had to survey the country pretty quickly and move on if we were going to find a herd. To add to our adventure, there was also a storm brewing to the north. Dark, ominous clouds were beginning to peek over the mountains, bringing who knew what, but you could bet it wasn’t good.

I glassed in one direction and Lew the other. It was empty on my side and

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Big bull down! Lew Pagel and the author smile after successfully bagging a muskox. As Atkins has written here before, a dependable hunting partner is the key to hunting the Arctic, and it was Pagel’s eyes that spotted the herd of wild bovids. (LEW PAGEL)

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I was just about to say, “Let’s pack up and move,” when Lew shouted over the wind to come and look.

As I’ve written before, good hunting partners are hard to find (Alaska Sporting Journal, August 2016) and Lew is the best of them. He has eagle eyes and is always there to provide support and help, like all good hunters do. He once again proved true.

I saw what he saw: muskox, and a bunch of them! Appearing on the far mountain across from us were a bunch of tiny black spots lying in the rocks. I could barely make them out, but I could see they were moving, so it had to be something alive.

DISTANCE IS A FUNNY THING here in the Arctic; what looks close isn’t and what looks like a short ride over may take hours. The terrain has a lot to do with it. All the ravines and willow thickets have to be avoided, and a straight line from point A to point B is seldom achieved.

I grabbed my spotting scope for a closer look. Yes, they were ox and there

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appeared to be 17 in the herd. I couldn’t distinguish between male and female, but there had to be a bull in there somewhere with that many in the group.

We made a plan, which seemed pretty easy from where we stood: Get to the mountain and then ride up to where the bench started and walk from there.

Simple, right?

An hour later we’d made it over, but once we got to the base of the hill, it was a lot steeper than it appeared from across the valley. A hard, snow-packed slope separated us from the top. As I watched Lew fly uphill with ease, I prepared to do the same. Halfway up, though, my excitement for what lay ahead literally came to a halt. I slid back down and tried again. I hit the throttle and burned up the mountain, getting closer this time, but not close enough – and nearly tipped over. I was shaken but not broken and thankful to be OK enough to carry on.

We grabbed our gear and continued our stalk on foot, crossing the top and hoping to come down on the bench where the muskox should have been. The

MARCH 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

Shooting’s the easy part – Atkins says muskox are the most time-consuming to gut and load on a sled to tote home because of their size and thick coats. (LEW PAGEL)

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walk was a long one, as we had to climb over jagged rock covered in glacier-type ice, making foot placement critical.

I’d wanted very much to use my bow, but the wind was treacherous. Gusts in the 45- to 50-mph range buffeted us and would have made it impossible with the BowTech. Besides, I didn’t want to risk a bad shot in such conditions.

It was make or break time as we made the last 10 yards to the edge. I peeked over the last lip of the bench and could see the muskox spread out amongst the rocks and unaware of our presence.

The wind, even though bad, played in our favor, keeping our scent down, but more importantly it cut out all noise. They had no idea we were there.

With Lew beside me we surveyed the crowd. Cow after cow was all we could see, and then bingo, there was the bull, hovering in the middle of the group, as they often do. He stood there in all his glory: big-bodied and with a tremendous boss!

It was now a game of patience and perseverance as we waited for him to

make his move. I love moments like this: a perfect stalk – in adverse conditions – with my good friend and hunting partner. It couldn’t have been scripted any better!

Finally, the muskox started to move and the bull stepped out. The crosshairs of my scope found its mark, and after feeling the recoil of the 7mm slam into my shoulder, I knew the shot was good. He buckled and fell, while the remaining cows mingled in disbelief. The big bull was down! How perfect!

AS WE ROSE TO our feet, the cows had had enough and stormed to the top of the mountain. I knew they would, as most muskox will seek higher ground when threatened. You have to remember that wolves are their worst enemy behind man, and so if they get the height advantage, they feel like they have a better chance against a threat.

We made our way down to the bull just as the storm hit us. Blowing snow made it tough to see, but our excitement of the moment overrode the calamity of the weather.

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And what a great bull he was: big bodied with a perfect hide. We quickly snapped photos and then the work began. With my machine hanging at a slant to the side of the mountain and Lew’s at the top, I decided to field dress the bull there.

Lew drove his snowmachine to the bottom to grab my sled, which was somewhere off in the distance. It was treacherous watching Lew drive along the edge of the mountain, but he did it with ease. I would have been scared to death, but again, great hunting partners are there for you, no matter the circumstance.

While Lew made his run, I attempted to field dress the bull, or least tried to get his insides out. Now, if you ever want to test your skinning and field-dressing skills, try a muskox. It’s tough! All that hair makes it especially challenging; if you have a dull knife, you are in deep trouble.

It’s hard work, and of all the animals I’ve been lucky enough to harvest, muskox are by far the most time consuming. Luckily, I was able to get a good

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start just as Lew appeared through the snow as he dragged along my blue sled.

It took time, but finally we had his insides emptied out and had loaded the bull onto the sled. He’d been heavy to roll over, but Lew, with his expert driving, had positioned the sled close enough to get the job done. After what had looked like was going to be a late night, we efficiently had the carcass tied down and ready for the voyage off the mountain in no time.

We were cold and tired but also blessed and happy that we’d gotten it all done before everything got worse as the weather conditions deteriorated.

Now all I had to worry about was getting my machine down in one piece. But with a little effort – and some slipping and sliding – we finally did it! ASJ

Atkins has been fortunate to notch his muskox tags in a variety of situations, both in fall and winter. (LEW PAGEL)

Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer and author from Kotzebue, Alaska.

He has written hundreds of articles on big game hunting and fishing throughout North America and Africa, plus on surviving in the Arctic. Paul is a monthly contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal.

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ALASKA BIG GAME FOCUS

Not native to Alaska, Roosevelt elk were introduced to Afognak Island in 1929 and are also thriving on nearby Rasberry Island.

Both are north of Kodiak. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

BIG GAME SPOTLIGHT: ELK

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

I

have to be honest: I’ve never hunted elk here in Alaska, even though I’ve hunted them elsewhere many times.

Yes, I’ve seen them on occasion while chasing brown bear on Kodiak Island, or more specifically on Afognak and Raspberry Islands, but I’ve never pursued them. I would like too though, especially after seeing the terrain and habitat they call home. Clearcuts, logging roads and spruce cover, combined with less-than-harsh weather, would make for an incredible hunt, in my opinion, but you have to be lucky enough to draw the required tag.

Like a few other species now found in the Last Frontier, Alaska elk arrived via transplant. The first successful opera-

tion involved eight Roosevelt elk calves – the species was renamed in honor of the former president, sportsman and conservationist Theodore Roosevelt – that were captured in Washington state back in 1928 and moved to Afognak Island in 1929. They established themselves there and on nearby Raspberry Island, and currently these herds are in pretty good shape and expanding.

A second successful transplant occurred in 1987, when 33 Roosevelts and 17 Rocky Mountain elk were captured in Oregon and moved to Etolin Island, near Petersburg, in Southeast Alaska.

These elk subsequently dispersed and established a second breeding population on neighboring Zarembo Island.

Elk are members of the deer family and share many physical traits with

Alaska’s blacktails, moose and caribou.

They are much larger than deer and caribou, but not as large as moose.

Only male elk have antlers and the bigger, more mature bulls grow pretty impressive racks that sweep back over their shoulders. Mature bulls on Afognak Island are estimated to weigh up to 1,300 pounds and can dress out close to 850 pounds, which makes for a heavy pack but also a full freezer. Cow elk are similar in appearance to bulls – brown in color with a tan rump, but without antlers.

Factors that may limit the growth of elk populations include hunting, starvation, disease, and predation by brown bears, but if supported with available food and mild winters, they can and will thrive.

If you’re planning on hunting elk,

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The Rocky Mountain subspecies of elk was first brought to the Last Frontier from Oregon in 1987, and there are now populations on Etolin and Zarembo Islands in Southeast Alaska. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

you’ll have to apply for a tag in Alaska’s regular draw, which is held in February, but the application process takes place in November. Like most draw hunts you’ll have choices, but not all areas are created equal. You need to do your research first.

If drawn, you’ll have to look at the logistics of making the hunt happen. It isn’t easy. Getting to and from your hunting area takes planning. In some cases you may have to pay a trespass fee. Again, do your research ahead of time. AS Editor’s note: The Alaska Department of Fish and Game contributed to this report. Follow Paul Atkins on Twitter (@aktrophyhunter).

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GIMME FIVE: FACTS ABOUT ALASKA ROOSEVELT ELK 1) Elk are hardy animals whose large body size and herding tendencies require tremendous amounts of food.

2) From late spring to early fall, elk are mainly grazers, using grasses, forbs, and other leafy vegetation to fulfill their needs. By late fall they become browsers, feeding on sprouts and branches of shrubs and trees.

3) Elk shed their antlers during the winter each year and grow new ones the following summer. The soft growing antler is covered with “velvet” and is scraped off by rubbing and jousting after the antlers harden in the fall.

4) An elk hoof is larger and rounder than a deer’s and smaller than a moose’s, with a narrow gap within the inner hooves.

5) In winter, scat is dry and hard, forming elongated pellets. In summer, pellets begin to lose shape and form clumps of soft deformed pellets. -Alaska Department

of Fish and Game

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ALOHA, AXIS DEER!

ALASKANS VISIT HAWAIIAN ISLAND TO HUNT

BY KRYSTIN AND BIXLER MCCLURE

FOR A NUMBER OF years, Bixler and I have

I

toyed with the idea of hunting axis deer on Molokai, the quiet and least touristy of the main Hawaiian Islands and which is known for its friendly atmosphere and historic leper colony.

Axis deer were introduced to Molokai and thus have no natural predators, so they are plentiful. This was clearly evidenced by the antlers adorning everyone’s homes along the island’s few streets. Feeding on tropical fruits, the deer are supposedly the best-tasting game. Molokai, like the rest of Hawaii, is private ranch land, so hunting with either the landowner’s permission or a guide is a must if you want to be successful.

Bixler found guide Earl Dunnam of Hawaii Safaris online (hawaiisafaris .com) and booked a doe-only meat hunt – a rarity among the usual trophy buck hunts

lay prone on the bare rock with my gun pointed at the target. A dozen or so axis deer were meandering through the thick brush back up the mountain to escape the heat of the day.

My guide Earl was telling me to wait until I had a good shot. The trades were beginning to freshen and I could hear the waves breaking behind me along Molokai’s fringing reef.

Because we were Alaskans given the opportunity to hunt in a lush island paradise halfway across the Pacific from the Last Frontier, it was a relief not to worry about bears, biting cold, wet boots, or stuck four-wheelers. But admittedly I was already getting hot as the sun shot up in the sky.

“Go!” Earl said. I pulled the trigger.

Bixler (foreground) and Krystin McClure teamed with guide Earl Dunnam to hunt axis deer on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, which isn’t where most tourists go but is a great destination to score what some say is the tastiest of all venison. (KRYSTIN MCCLURE)

– for two mornings and two evenings.

We met Earl before sunup on his family’s ranchland not far from our beach house along Molokai’s eastern shore. Our rental minivan scraped bottom as we pulled off the highway through a cow pasture to meet our guide at a good glassing spot.

The deer are small and spotted but also surprisingly good at blending in with the island’s tropical environment.

Our guide, a Molokai-born and -raised hunter, introduced himself and described the hunt on his family’s sever-

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The island’s deer move downhill at night to forage, so hunters try to intercept them as they head back uphill as the day begins to warm up. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

al-thousand-acre ranch. We were ready to do this.

AXIS DEER TRAVEL DOWNHILL at night to feed on plentiful tropical fruits and grasses and head back up during the day to bed down during the hot sun of midday.

As the sun started to rise, we started glassing for deer on the lowlands of the ranch and talking about the hunt.

Bixler and I were already sweltering in the heat as Earl told stories of his Alaskan moose hunt outside of Bethel a few months earlier.

“Hunting is so much harder in Alaska,” he recalled, having spent 10 days in a cramped tent in freezing temperatures. “It makes you appreciate hunting in Hawaii!”

Earl paused and pointed to a hillside, where there was a large group of axis deer feeding. Bixler agreed to go first on the hunt – we were poised to get two 98

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doe each – and investigated the gun we would be using, a bolt-action .270 with an adjustable scope that our guide would adjust after he ranged the animals.

We hopped into Earl’s beat-up hunting truck – he called it a “Molokai truck” – and quietly headed over to the other parcel. He parked and we readied everything. Earl took us through tall grass and over old barbed wire fencing, evidence of the island’s heavy ranching days.

Bixler carried the rifle while I toted a gallon of water to keep us hydrated as we followed our guide up an animal trail on the hillside.

The axis deer were feeding down in the drainage upwind of us. The three of us crawled along the ground to small cliff. I stayed back while Earl and Bixler set up for the shot. I heard them talk quietly and after a moment of silence, Bixler took the shot. He turned around and gave me a thumbs up.

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Tasty (and spicy) treats abound on this lush island. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

“Go again,” Earl whispered.

Bixler couldn’t line up a shot and the three of us scurried higher up the hill while a group of axis deer passed behind us. A second later, they were gone.

We hiked down to Bixler’s deer and Earl gutted the animal. We dragged it to the truck while Bixler recounted the shot. It was a perfect shot, but lining up

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One of the perks of flying to Hawaii from Alaska: spectacular – and warm – beaches. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

for a second was difficult because the deer are so plentiful and move so quickly. As it was my turn that evening, I took any advice he was willing to give before the evening hunt.

The hunt that night was not successful. The axis deer remained in cover and did not move downhill as our guide said they usually do. A wild boar was probably scaring them, so we returned to the same spot the next morning to catch them at sunrise.

EARL SUPPLIED BIXLER WITH a second rifle at one spot and walked with me to the same spot we had been the previous night. I pointed the rifle toward a bare patch in the hillside and waited.

A group of 10 to 12 deer started to graze in the patch. Earl dialed in the range and I took the shot. I saw the deer go down, but before I could celebrate Earl was ushering me further up the hill.

“The deer are going to pass through that higher bare patch up there. Point the rifle and I’ll get you dialed in,” he whispered. “Take a shot when you have it.”

The shot seemed far, but a deer filled my scope so I fired. I nailed it again and we started to hike up and down the drainage to get to that deer.

“Three-hundred-twenty-five yards,” Earl said. “I didn’t think you would hit it, 100

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but I figured you should try.”

“That was the longest shot I’ve ever taken,” I replied happily, having reached my limit of two deer within five minutes.

We hiked up to the deer and Earl deboned it. It was a young one and Earl said again and again that this would be the best game meat we would ever eat.

Next we went to my second deer and took a quick picture. Earl had me head down the old washed-out road to meet Bixler while he deboned the animal. I met Bixler near Earl’s beat-up Molokai truck. Our guide, who had a 100-percent

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success rate last season, was happy we were back on schedule.

That night was Bixler’s chance to get his last deer. We met Earl at his off-thegrid house and were quickly reminded of our home in Seward by all of his various boats and off-road vehicles lining the property. We were heading to a new spot since he had a trophy hunt coming up and wanted the herd to resettle. He took us through a more open, grassier area where we climbed a hill to glass for deer.

As usual, Earl spotted a few first and Bixler spent his time lining up the shot.

Krystin McClure with a hardearned doe. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

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Bixler fired and we paused for a second.

The deer went down and Bixler and I walked to the doe while our guide got his truck and headed up the old road to meet us. After gutting the deer and hauling it to the truck, we returned to his house to grab our minivan and thank Earl for the incredible hunt. He went inside and handed us a few steaks and tenderloins for dinner from yesterday’s deer.

We cooked the venison that night with the rest of our family, including our 14-month-old son Lynx, who was enjoying playing in nothing but a diaper.

He started to shove little pieces of deer meat into his mouth, so we all took the celebratory first bite.

“Wow,” I exclaimed. “This is incredible.”

“Yeah, I guess everyone was right,” Bixler continued. “This really is the best meat!” ASJ

The McClures were able to immediately share some of their Molokai bounty with family – “This is incredible,” raved Krystin about axis deer meat.

(BIXLER MCCLURE)

Editor’s note: Krystin and Bixler McClure own and operate Seward Ocean Adventures, which offers water-based expeditions on the Kenai Peninsula. Go to sewardoceanexcursions.com or call (907) 599-0499 for more information.

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CAN’T-MISS BRANT

Author Scott Haugen holds a limit of black brant. Although he has hunted the subspecies of goose up and down the West Coast, he ranks Southwest Alaska’s Izembek Lagoon as the best place to do so. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

REMOTE IZEMBEK LAGOON OFFERS SOME OF PACIFIC’S BEST GOOSE HUNTING

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

J

“

ust stay low, and when you see a flock coming, get on that call,” were the final words of advice from Jeff Wasley as he fired up the boat motor and sped away.

While chambering a 12-gauge round, I nestled into the hull of the layout boat.

Looking left I saw no birds on the horizon leading to the Bering Sea. Looking right into famed Izembek Lagoon, it was a different story. Less than 150 yards out was a string of black brant, headed my way. As they got closer to the decoys, they started to veer wide.

That’s when I got on the call. Instantly, the flock of over 30 geese turned, cupped their wings and sailed into the decoys. Three shots, three brant down.

I’d limited out in less than a minute of hunting. Fast, yes – maybe even too fast.

But it was my third day of brant hunting

with Wasley, and I’d just secured a possession limit of what many consider to be the best eating geese on the planet.

Quickly I got on the radio to Wasley and told him to bring out another hunter in our group to take my spot.

Soon our party of five was done. After plucking birds and enjoying some great meat prepared on the grill that evening, we relived the wonderful week of brant hunting we’d just experienced.

“Until you see it for yourself, it’s hard to envision what brant hunting on Izembek Lagoon is truly like,” shares Wasley (fourflywaysoutfitters; 608-385-4580), a longtime guide and outfitter in the area and one of the most knowledgeable waterfowl hunters I’ve ever had the honor of spending time with. “And with so many geese wintering here now, it makes the hunting exceptional all the way into December.”

HAVE GOOD TIDE TIMING Playing the tides and maximizing the timing when the brant feed on plentiful eelgrass, is the key to success, and Wasley is as dialed in as it gets.

“Mornings can be great, and afternoon tide changes seem to always see brant flocking into the lagoon,” he says.

“But the birds aren’t always in the same spot from day to day, as their feeding areas and flight paths can change.”

This is where hiring the services of Wasley pays off, for he has the boats, decoys and gear to withstand the brutal conditions here where the Alaska Peninsula ends and Aleutian Islands begin.

He monitors the brant on a daily basis in September, starting early in the season.

A couple mornings into our five-day hunt with Wasley, our group couldn’t make it across the lagoon due to extreme winds. On those non-brant hunting mornings there was still plenty to

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Grinding game meat from upland birds provides plenty of cooking options, including zesty meatballs. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

FIELD

ESTABLISH A GOOD GROUND GAME

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

M

eat ground from waterfowl, upland birds and big game animals lends itself to endless creativity and fast, simple meals.

Whether you’re making quick burgers on the grill, a sausage and egg scramble or baking up a hearty meatloaf, ground game pairs well with a variety of flavor ingredients and a wide range of shapes.

Making meatball bites is a great way to highlight a game bird for an appetizer or an entree. If you bag several birds, the mixture can be a two:one ratio with an added ground meat such as pork. This works with a 50/50 blend if only a few birds come home. Mixing game meats with pork, beef or chicken is a great way to gradually introduce people to wild game flavors.

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1 pound ground ptarmigan or other game bird meat ½ pound ground pork 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons chili powder 1½ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1 teaspoon granulated onion ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper Juice and zest of one lime Wooden or cast-iron skewers Lime and cilantro for garnish Using either a standing mixer or by hand, mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to one day. Oil hands with a small amount of olive oil. Shape meat mix into bite-sized meatballs – about 2 tablespoons each. Thread on to skewers and grill or pan-fry on medium heat 15 to 20 minutes or until thoroughly done.

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Meatballs can also be baked without using skewers in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until reaching an internal temperature of 155 degrees.

Garnish with a wedge of lime and cilantro and serve with creamy chipotle sauce (¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, ½ teaspoon chipotle powder, 1 teaspoon lime juice).

Editor’s note: Get a signed copy of Scott and Tiffany Haugen’s popular cookbook, Cooking Game Birds – featuring 150 more delicious bird recipes – by visiting scotthaugen .com. Follow Tiffany on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and watch for her on the online series Cook With Cabela’s, The Sporting Chef TV show and Netflix’s The Hunt.

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FIELD

Izembek’s large eel grass beds, protected as part of a national wildlife refuge, attract nearly all black brants as they make their way from more northerly breeding grounds to their winter range on West Coast waters. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

do. We hunted prized sea ducks, including common eider, in Cold Bay on the Pacific Ocean side of the peninsula.

We hit secluded bays in search of glass floats, of which we found over 500. We also hunted willow ptarmigan in valleys protected from the wind.

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THE MAIN EVENT But it was the undulating strings of black brant – flock after flock spread across miles of water – that we all yearned to see. And see it we did. Thousands of brant were observed on every hunt, which meant that filling limits was

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not difficult.

When our limits were secured, we sat in the layout boat, our eyes peeking over the lip of the hull to watch these grand birds land in the decoys – as exciting as pulling the trigger. Brant respond aggressively to proper decoy

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FIELD

Hunters from around the country travel to hunt with noted waterfowl expert Jeff Wasley of Four Flyways Outfitters. His formal education in waterfowl biology and his passion and knowledge of the hunt is contagious. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

spreads, and the five dozen we used did the job. A bonus was watching strikingly colored, rare Steller’s eiders land in the decoys; something that was worth the price of admission on its own If looking to experience what’s considered the best black brant hunting on the planet, it’s right here in Alaska on Izembek Lagoon. Whether you’re a novice waterfowler or a veteran who has hunted the world, there’s no doubt black brant hunting in this special place will leave you with rich memories that will last a lifetime. ASJ Editor’s note: To learn more about booking an Alaska waterfowl hunt, visit scotthaugen.com. Scott is a full-time author and host of The Hunt on Netflix. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

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At 62, grizzled-chiseled author Chris Batin remains active in the field, thanks to rigorous offseason exercises that include “rucking” heavy loads to prepare for backcountry hunts. (CHRIS BATIN)

THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS STAYING IN SHAPE FOR RUGGED ALASKA KEEPS A HUNTER CHURNING – AND MORE SUCCESSFUL

BY CHRISTOPHER BATIN

O

ne of the greatest secrets in Alaska sport hunting isn’t knowing where to go or how to hunt the state’s big game. This hunting secret has not only helped me take more game, but also allowed me to better enjoy my time afield by going places where the brave dare not go.

Sadly enough, few hunters will embrace this secret, while many more Alaska hunters will waste away in failure or frustration because they want the most game for the least amount of effort.

The secret? It’s really quite simple.

For optimum success in the field, get

into what I call Alaska Hunting Expedition shape. This is the best physical condition you can be in to master the challenges of Alaska’s wilds.

I can understand why hunters who travel to Alaska each year to hunt its big game don’t bother to physically prepare for the trip. I just finished hunting whitetail deer in the Lower 48, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the many aspects of still and stand hunting, I won’t compare the rigors of Alaska hunting to doing it in farm country, because there is no comparison. I’m not comparing the quality of the respective locations or hunting opportunities, because I can’t. No one can. It’s like comparing apples to oranges.

Alaska is expedition territory, and it takes an expedition mindset to bag your trophies and return home safely.

IN THAT LOWER 48 deer camp, I walked out the door of my friend’s cabin and within a few minutes, I was hunting. It was fun, we hunted a lot and had some

great opportunities for shots. But we didn’t have to prepare physically or mentally as I do when I am Alaska expedition hunt training.

The reasons are many. When hunting the Back 40, you can probably get a cellphone signal or walk to a vehicle or farmhouse and get help. In Alaska, you need to be independent. You need to be tough.

A survivor. Invincible. Indestructible.

If things go bad, like falling into a glacial mountain lake a mile from shore after your boat just sank, there won’t be anyone to help you – no ambulances, no nearby medical helicopter. You have only yourself. Whatever the scenario – a firearm incident, an accident or just bad weather – you need to keep it together mentally in order to survive physically.

For instance, during one moose season, our air-taxi operator dropped four of us off in the heart of the Alaska Range at about 4,000 feet and near timberline. I instructed the pilot to pick us up in four days, as we’d have a moose down by then. By the time that

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message got back to the schedulers at the air charter desk, the pickup time was 14 days.

The pilot later opined that no one goes hunting for only four days, right?

Of course, we had two moose down within four days, and thus began what I call The Long Wait. While we had plenty of food with two moose, local berries and fish, we had no idea if the world had ended, a nuclear holocaust had taken place or the air-charter plane crashed and the office forgot about us.

The only fancy gear we had at the time was an emergency EPIRB, but it was only for a life or death emergency. Back then, there were no satellite phones, SPOT or GPS units that send rescue texts or emails. I use almost all of these today.

By Day 11, I was planning our hike out, just in case, as winter was closing in. The nearest cabin I knew about was about 70 miles away, over rugged glaciers and steep Alaska Range mountains.

Luckily, on Day 14, the pilot showed up, and he wondered why we had our skinning knives out as he approached.

We were going out on that flight, or else! I have since changed how we plan hunts, informing multiple people who know, and will act if we are delayed.

While this hunt didn’t require any great physical preparation, everyone in the group had to keep their composure.

We all know tales of people who’ve gone bonkers in the Alaska outdoors: They don’t make it. Mental preparation is necessary on any Alaska fly-out hunt.

YEARS AGO, I WAS invited to attend and be part of the U.S. Air Force Winter Survival School in Fairbanks, Alaska. Divided into both classroom and actual field training, we learned to build snow igloos and sleep in them at 35 below zero, generate water, how to build a fire that doesn’t fail, and find food.

The Air Force had good reason for the program: They found that mental toughness wasn’t high on the list of pilots who – after crashing their aircraft in remote areas of the world – often put a bullet into their heads. They didn’t know how to survive, get water in 50 below, or gather food in a seemingly hostile environment.

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As tough as you have to be to hunt Alaska, your gear has to be just as strong. Batin stands next to a tent that’s been on plenty of his backcountry trips. (HEATHER BATIN)

eating itself in such a scenario, there is nothing left but despair, hopelessness and, ultimately, death.

That is why the few hunting friends I’ve had over the years have been some of the toughest dudes on the planet.

They could and still can go anywhere, survive most anything and, if I ever needed them, I could count on them. Just like they could count on me to get them out if the going got rough. All too often it does.

I realized that I couldn’t be like many hunters or outdoor writers today who resemble an oversized couch potato with all the stuffings. These individuals respect neither the craft nor the outdoor pen.

In order to be able to do what I did, I had to learn to toughen up along the way.

I was taught by an Olympic athlete trainer, regular gym trainers, doctors, master guides and seasoned, experienced gear manufacturers who could walk the talk.

I felt a responsibility to my readers that I had to be in top shape in order to write about hunting and not give in to wild parties, beer drinking or general laziness.

Hunting drove me to be in tip-top physical shape, which allowed me to also snare the award-winning stories I often manage to get. Author Doug Kelly commented on this quality in a chapter about me in his book, Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends, recently published by the University of Alaska Press. Kelly astutely observed it takes above-average physical and mental conditioning to handle

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the adversities and hazards of Alaska’s expedition-grade pursuits. If a hunter is mentally toughened through the discipline of regular and hard exercise, that mental calisthenics will be better than anything hanging in your trophy room.

This conditioning to be the “best of the best” in Alaska’s wilds is the secret that allows me to achieve preeminence in my personal or professional life. You can do likewise.

Read no further, however, if you are content to occasionally hunt and don’t have the time for a full-scale exercise program. Enjoy the sport as you see fit.

But if you dream all year of climbing up after a battle-scarred, pee-stained mountain goat atop a craggy mountaintop; calling in a 60-plus-inch bull moose; snowshoeing mountain snowdrifts on a 15-day spring bear hunt; or having the stamina to side-hill for miles in glacier country, Alaska expedition hunting conditioning is for you – but only if you are willing to make the required sacrifices.

FOR OVER 42 YEARS, I’ve had to be in shape, both mentally and physically, to explore Alaska’s wilderness areas for both hunting and fishing. Each summer, I haul a moose-freighter backpack with 65-plus pounds of camera gear, batteries, fishing and survival gear. That poundage increases if I am guiding or teaching others or just photographing the wilds. It is the same during hunting season.

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Hunters with back issues may benefit from exercise, like moving logs that were inserted into a culvert by beavers. One should have had preliminary exercise regimen in weightlifting, and guidance in weight lifting. This is key to building solid core muscles, which will help in carrying packs and hindquarters from trophies. (CHRIS BATIN)

Over the years, being in fighting shape provided me with the stamina to hand-tow country singer Johnny Cash and two other anglers in an inflatable raft upriver to prime fishing areas while he sang “North to Alaska.”

I’ve hauled complete base camps on my back up mountainsides; carried people on my back across turbulent streams; bushwhacked limits of salmon through alders and saltchuck flats to remote beaches; and camped out for days in typhoons, conditions in which we had to lay on our sides to take a leak or get blown over by the wind.

You may not need to embrace this extreme level of physical and mental preparation. Forget the bodybuilder look. I’ve kept a lean yet muscular figure most of my life because I viewed fitness as the controlling aspect on whether or not I hunt that year. And aside from necessary surgeries or family emergencies, I have yet to miss a hunting season.

Mental toughness comes in handy when hunting for long, agonizing hours in wind and rain, long after others have gone back to hunting camp, or wading glacial rivers up to the sheep pastures after legs have gone numb from frigid cold.

It’s impossible to predict when you’ll need it, but hunt Alaska long enough and this toughness will come in handy.

It came in handy for me one year, when I tore my meniscus while on a caribou hunt. The camp in early August was at 5,000 feet, and we had located a huge caribou bull high on the mountainside above our base camp.

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swollen and painful. Along with one of the guides in camp, I hobbled up, foot by foot, sometimes crawling. The pain was so severe at times that I couldn’t tell if my face was wet from sweat or the occasional tear that escaped my eyes from wincing so hard at the pain.

Finally, we made it close enough for a shot, and after photos, we processed the cape and carried it down the mountain at around midnight. We used our headlamps on full beam because grizzlies were numerous in the area. While going up was torture, going downhill – with all my gear and half a caribou with me – was pure agony, yet I was in shape and pushed through.

Around 3 a.m., we made it back to camp, where I rested up and eventually scheduled knee surgery to repair the damaged knee.

Focus is another key training point.

I can best describe it as concentrating on walking while tackling that hill, and nothing else. The only route is straight up through those boulders and rocks that tumble against and sometimes at high speed at you. When facing such approaches, I imagine I am climbing Mount Everest, which helps keep me focused on each footstep rather than the big picture.

Training yourself to think hunting strategy is important. Joseph Nye, a professor emeritus at Harvard University who is a successful whitetail deer hunter and who has fished with me numerous times, has often commented on my uncanny ability to pinpoint exactly where fish are holding.

I don’t know how I know; I just know.

Perhaps this explains it best: I have a quote hanging above my desk attributed to Sun Tzu, a Chinese military strategist I

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have long admired. It reads, “Wisdom is not obvious. You must see the subtle and notice the hidden to be victorious.”

That sense also works on Alaska big game. While it can be a benefit if you learn how to listen to it, it can also be detrimental, as I believe game animals can also sense you sensing them, and they are more likely to spook. So practice turning this sense on and off.

In order to see or feel the outdoors in such a way, you must first understand game animals and their patterns, which you can do when you aren’t training.

I once attended a five-week fasting retreat in Costa Rica, where attendees engaged in various fasts to lose weight or improve their health. I was the only one who opted to exercise and work out each day on my own. I created my own version of a Rocky IV workout and ran mountain trails at sunrise, swam laps and sweated through strength-training exercises. I attended over 200 hours of afternoon lectures by world-renown trainer Dr. Doug Graham, who also oversaw my training.

At the end of five weeks, I had lost 25 pounds, my resting heart rate was 64, and blood pressure was the lowest in my life. I also won “The Biggest Loser” award for the person who lost the most weight.

Several of the fasters who did not eat a single morsel of food for 10 days asked why they didn’t achieve similar results.

Graham’s response was simple: “He was already in shape, which allowed him to achieve what he did,” he replied. My own routine worked, because I was in shape.

But it had its consequences. I trained so hard and my mind pushed my body even harder at times that I now feel it was far too hard in retrospect. I later

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Training in wild sheep and mountain goat country – at left, the author rappels down Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau – not only means being in top physical shape, but also helps acquire the technical skills necessary to handle the Alaska wilderness. It makes climb-to-the-alpine blacktail hunts on Kodiak Island more doable and more likely to be successful. (HEATHER BATIN, CHRIS BATIN)

learned that I developed a slight bulge in my aorta. While not serious, it just showed the danger if a strong body encounters a slightly stronger mind, it can force it to go the distance.

Hard exercise above your maximum heart rate or your body’s limits can be dangerous, so have a treadmill test and talk to your doctor before trying such things. Let her or him help you decide if you are up to Alaska hunting expedition training.

I HAVE TAKEN ALASKA hunting seriously all my life as a job and a hobby. My shoulders are solid from decades of carrying heavy packs; my thighs and leg muscles are as sinewy and tough as a gazelle, and over 20 years living in Fairbanks has me acclimated to the cold.

I still have a six-pack – referring to my abdominal muscles and not alcohol – for good reason. Out-of-shape hunters would rather argue and improperly blame the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

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or wolf or bear predation for how bad the moose hunting is each year, rather than change their sedentary lifestyles to scout out better hunting opportunities.

Now, do I indulge in eating my favorite foods at times? Yep. Do I gain weight over the holidays? You bet. Do I often eat more than I should? Absolutely. But I know what I can get away with, and know what I have to do when I go over my ideal weight by three to four pounds.

Just remember with calories in, exercise and basic metabolic function burn those calories. Always try to zero them out as close as possible. Remember that 3,500 calories is about 1 pound of fat. And that fat is often the result of consuming sugary sodas, processed foods, too many carbohydrates, latenight snacks and high-fructose corn syrup. So be careful of those weightgain foods out there.

Surgeries or health issues can pose a deterrent to getting in shape. If you’ve hunted Alaska long enough, you’ll have had your share of surgeries and injuries.

I know I have. But in time, good hunters often overcome those limitations, which makes hunting that much more enjoyable because they’ve bagged a nice trophy, and have gone the distance. So if you are currently recovering from knee or shoulder surgery, cancer irradiation, or a torn meniscus, stick it out. Focus on the big picture, which is The Hunt.

Do what you can within the guidelines given by your physician, trainer or surgeon. Then try to exercise more, all under a physician’s guidance and approval, of course. I’ve found that listening to the surgeon is good, but often I’ll

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TIPS TO GET IN HUNTING SHAPE If you are planning an Alaska hunt, it’s not too late to get started on your training. Here are a few tips to help you get started: I try to exercise up to my max heart rate these days and forget about the hard charges-until-you-drop type of exercise. I remain physically fit with bicycle sprints and weightlifting and “rucking,” which is loading a good, quality backpack with weight and just walking, climbing fast and slow, upstairs and inclines, downhill, and across flats.

The slow plodding along toughens the body like no other get a second opinion, and don’t ever believe their recovery times. When I tore my meniscus, the sports med surgeon said I’d be back on my feet and zipping around Alaska in six weeks. I was back to normal about 18 months later. Seems that I contracted a staph infection from one of the instruments not being sterilized properly, and I had to fight all sorts of adversities, which created a much longer recovery time. But then again, I want to do more than just be able to walk; I want to hunt at my best, which requires far greater physical conditioning.

I admire Jack London, a fellow pundit who also knew the North country of

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exercise. It’s no big deal if it takes me four hours to scamper up a mountain that only took three hours when I was in my 30s. Sometimes, hunting slower is good, because you see more, and oftentimes, bag more game.

Stuck in the city? Carry a weighted pack up steps in an office building. A weighted backpack has also increased my bone density to granite-like hardness, a benefit I greatly appreciate now that I’m older. If I fall, I just get up and keep on going rather than suffering the broken bones that many people my age experience because they didn’t strengthen their bones when they had the chance. -CB

the Gold Rush Era. To paraphrase, he writes that those who survive are not those who are prepared for the expected, but rather, those who are prepared for the unexpected.

The unexpected. Whether it’s bagging a larger trophy than expected, dodging a mud avalanche or surviving an aircraft crash landing, you must always plan for the unexpected in each Alaska hunt. It’s a dangerous place, which is why proper hunt training is so critical.

But take it one step further. Train hard every day and seize every moment as if it was your last day on earth. Feel

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every push of the pedal, listen to every grunt you make hauling a rucksack full of rocks up the hill. Savor it all, and when you do life and training takes on a special significance, which will also help prepare you to truly appreciate.

I’M NOT A VERY religious man, but the Bible offers insight for hunters also.

St. Paul said, “for in weakness, power reaches perfection.” It’s that extra push that burns the thighs, or pushes you on when you tell yourself you can’t take another step.

It’s when you are bent over, gasping to catch a breath from running 2 miles

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uphill with a rucksack, with sweat pouring off your face and blinding your eyes, that you call on something within. It’s that something that pushes you to the finish line, not only in the dirt but a finish line of true accomplishment within, with the rewards being pride and confidence. One day, those final pushes will pay big dividends, not only with an Alaska big game trophy but when you will perhaps need it most.

For me, the years of hunting workouts and “pushes” finally paid off; not with a trophy but with my life. I had kidney surgery a few years ago to remove a growth. Two weeks later, I faced numerous life-threatening complications after the sutures that held the kidney closed had torn open. I was hemorrhaging internally and was going to die within minutes. I didn’t see any lights when I passed out, but I was at peace as they wheeled me into the trauma unit.

The blood accumulation in my abdomen pressed against my lungs, which induced pneumonia and slowly suffocated me. The doctors couldn’t cut me open again as they did during the initial

The author admires an Alaska moose that’s just been harvested. A bull like this will yield about 500 pounds or more of meat, which must be carried in backpacks to base camp, which is why Batin’s year-round workout routine is so key to his hunting style. (CHRIS BATIN)

surgery, so the trauma docs conducted the surgical “repairs” intravenously by sending the probe into a vein in my groin and working the tube to the kidney, where they plugged the leaks over several hours with enough coils, springs and whatever else to stop the bleeding.

I woke up several times and was able to see fuzzy images on the big screens

over me, and I then got a heavier dose of anesthesia. After losing 11 pints of blood, which stayed inside of me to absorb over a period of several years, I was wheeled into the ICU ward.

When I woke up, I had a tube stuck down my throat, hoses in my nose and tape above my eyes. My mouth was drier than Death Valley sand in summer.

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I had the icky feeling of being covered in hospital wrap – better known as ICU sheets – and bedding. I felt like a leaky enchilada; I had a catheter in me and bags of all sorts of fluid that were hanging around, including something called Dilaudid, after which I didn’t care what they stuffed into me.

But I was awake enough to hear the doc talk to me, and what I heard made a smile appear on those cracked, painfully dry lips. All that hard training for a lifetime of Alaska hunts had resulted in an unexpected trophy, one I can never surpass.

The doctor said that I pulled through where others might have died because I was in great shape and that being in such shape helped saved my life.

Because my body took the hit from the complications and not my mind, it took about 11 months to get back into functional shape, and 18 months total to bounce back to my former self. Ernest, my personal trainer, knew exactly what to do to get me in shape as an Alaska hunter, and he focused on my core strength first.

At times, I got sick and vomited, and we stopped and started again another day. I was cut from belly button to backbone, and stuffed full of ice like a salmon during the original seven-hour operation. I guess it was payback for all the fish I caught and iced in my life!

But seriously, in simple terms my Alaska hunting workouts saved my life, because hunting was the main driver that kept me focused on being in shape.

If you are planning to hunt Alaska this year, I encourage you to start your training regimen now. Get into Alaska expedition, hunt-hardened shape. If you do, I guarantee you will become the best predator in the Alaska wilds. In doing so, you will get your trophy, and perhaps something more abstract, which just might possibly enhance your life in many additional ways.

Editor’s note: Chris Batin is the editor of The Alaska Hunter and author of Hunting in Alaska: A Comprehensive Guide. He is featured in Doug Kelly’s new book, Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends, both available through AlaskaAngler.com. Contact him at Batinchris@gmail.com. ASJ

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