AK Sporting Journal Apr 2019 by Media Index Publishing Group

FISHING • HUNTING • ADVENTURE

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Volume 10 • Issue 11 www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles WRITERS Max Aquino, Paul D. Atkins, Christopher Batin, Randall Bonner, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Erin McKittrick SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Grifﬁn, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Kayla Mehring, Jake Weipert

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WEB DEVELOPMENT/INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES media@media-inc.com ON THE COVER Shannon Martin shows off a nice Situk River steelhead, caught on her ﬂy rod. (RANDALL BONNER)

The Port of Garibaldi encompasses three coastal towns, including Bay City, Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach. Besides housing RV parks and lodging, restaurants, seafood processing, a lumber mill, and commercial and charter ﬁshing, the Port’s harbor has moorage for 277 vessels. The Port’s property also features the Lion’s Club Lumbermen’s Park and an antique train display. A walking path is also a popular draw for locals as well as visitors to Garibaldi.

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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 CORRESPONDENCE Twitter @AKSportJourn Facebook.com/alaskasportingjournal Email ccocoles@media-inc.com

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 11

FALLING FOR YAKUTAT

Oregonian Randall Bonner and his faithful travel companion, an Australian cattle dog named Wrangler, took on Southeast Alaska steelhead in the fertile Situk River outside Yakutat. Joining a cast of fellow ﬁsh ﬁends, including Shannon Martin, Bonner came away with his “head in the clouds” and eager to return to this Shangri La.

FEATURES 19

DEFENDING GWICHYAA ZHEE Northeast Alaska’s landscape is dominated by the vast Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and its ubiquitous Porcupine Caribou Herd, migratory animals that like, other game and ﬁsh here, are vital to the Native Gwich’in people who call this land home. But the tribe feels like that home is being threatened by proposed drilling plans. A new documentary explains why their backyard is worth ﬁghting for.

RETURN TO FISHY, FUN KETCHIKAN With its coastal location, lush rainforests, historic charm and, of course, abundant ﬁshing, Ketchikan is a popular destination. After a long time away, Christopher Batin returned to scope out the town and its ﬁsheries – get ready to plan a Last Frontier adventure!

SHE FISHES FOR GIANT SHEEFISH They’re worth the cold and the ice. Sheeﬁsh provide some of Alaska’s best table fare, and April is an ideal time to break out the auger and get your frying pan ready. Scott and Tiffany Haugen team up to catch ’em and cook ’em in their latest Field To Fire column.

(RANDALL BONNER)

OX TALES: CHASING BULLS WITH A BOW Paul Atkins loves hunting with his bow more than just about anything and likes to try and fill his muskox tag in winter with it. While he’s stalked bulls on the snowy tundra, the often awful weather conditions keep him from taking an ethical shot, leaving his dream wanting – not to mention his freezer unfilled. Fortunately, Atkins is flexible if anything as he’s matured as a hunter.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 35

Photo hoot: First-timer’s images from the Iditarod

DEPARTMENTS 13 15 47 75

The Editor’s Note Protecting Wild Alaska: Final Pebble Mine battle looms Outdoor calendar Gear guy: Best ice ﬁshing equipment

Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Inc. Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Inc. Publishing Group and will not be returned. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues) or $49.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Inc. Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168 or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Inc. Publishing Group, subject to availability, at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Copyright © 2019 Media Inc. Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 10

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Lets Fi L Fish hT Together h &H Have S Some Fun! F ! Halibut and or Salmon, Lingcod or Rockfish Charters Available! Experienced, Friendly Staff Accommodations and Packages Available Full Dayy or Half Day Charters; Vessel Based-Hunts Filmmaker Dr. Len Necefer (left, with his friend Aaron Mike) was humbled by the Gwich’in people’s enriching lives in the isolated outpost of Fort Yukon, Alaska. (GREG BALKIN/WELCOME TO GWICHYA ZHEE)

EDITOR’S NOTE

ren’t we all guilty of taking the relatively comfortable lives many of us lead for granted? That brings us to our story this month on the plight of the Gwich’in Native community of northern Alaska and its opposition to proposed drilling that could begin in a sizable section of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (page 19). The subsistence hunters in these parts depend on the refuge’s caribou herd and other fish and wildlife to survive, and filmmakers recently visited their tiny outpost of Fort Yukon to tell their story in the documentary short Welcome To Gwichyaa Zhee. Codirector and narrator Dr. Len Necefer makes a good point about the Gwich’in who he and collaborator Greg Balkin spent time with. “I realize it’s so easy to look on the surface and see people that don’t have the money to do the things that most folks are able to do,” Necefer, a Navajo Nation member, says in the film. “But it’s not about the stuff we have or the money we make or the car that we drive that makes a good life.” I asked Necefer a little bit about that life the Gwich’in live and what he observed while in Fort Yukon, both in the making of the film and when he was with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs. He talked about of all things golf, an ultimate status symbol for the well-to-do. Except, this wasn’t exactly a championship course the locals play. “There was a four-hole ‘golf course’. It’s a dried-out lake that someone got a mower out (to construct a course),” Necefer said. “The first day we were there it was 60 degrees and we ran out to the golf course, played a round of golf, ran back, and then by the time we left it was down to 10 or 15 degrees.” Let’s appreciate what we have, kids. I think the Gwich’in certainly do, enough to fight the federal government for it. And that’s saying something. -Chris Cocoles

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PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA

FINAL BATTLE OVER PEBBLE MINE LOOMS

A rain rain n squall squ q al a l moves m ve mo vess across a ro ac r ss p pristine r sttin ri inee lands laand ndss in n the the Bristol Brriisttol o Bay Bayy watershed. watter e sh hed e . Lo LLong ng g ffought o gh ou g t ov over, ver e , itt seemed se eem e ed e like likke mi m mining n ng ni gw wouldn’t ould ou ld dn’ n t oc occu occur cu ur as a N Northern orth or ther th e n Dy er Dynasty’s ynaastty’ y s pa part partners rttneers rtne r p pulled u leed ou ul outt off tthe hee p project, r jeectt, ro b t a draft bu but draf dr afft environmental e vi en viro r nm nmen e ta en tall statement sttattem e en e t ou out ut in n llate atte wi w winter ntter e m means e ns ““The ea Th he la last astt b battle attttlle iss aalmost lm mosst up upon pon us,” us , according ,” acc ccor orrdi d ng g to to au aauthor t orr EErin th rnM ri Mc McKittrick. cKi K tt t ri r ckk. (ERIN (ER ER RIN N MCK MCKITTRICK) KITT TTRIC R K) RIC K

BY ERIN MCKITTRICK

ast summer, king salmon ﬁshing was shut down in region after region of Alaska, as officials scrambled to protect failing runs. On the other side of the state, around 100 anglers celebrated a brandnew Chinook derby on the Nushagak River. Their trips were just a handful of the 37,000 ﬁshing outings made to the Bristol Bay region that year. Yet you might call them pilgrimages. Pilgrimages to the land of trophy rainbow trout. To the largest runs of wild salmon in the world. To a place where everything’s still wild.

MEANWHILE, IN ANCHORAGE AND Vancouver, British Columbia, offices, a team was

preparing a document that might change everything. The draft environmental impact statement for Pebble Mine was published in February. With it, the massive mine planned for Bristol Bay’s headwaters is closer to becoming a reality than it has ever been before. The ﬁght over the Pebble Mine has been part of the fabric of Bristol Bay for a dozen years, pitting neighbor against neighbor, village against village, corporation against ﬁsherman. Documentaries, books and this magazine have detailed what’s at risk: thrashing salmon, sinuous rivers, feeding bears, full nets. Jobs, wilderness, culture, food. The objections to the mine are the same as they’ve ever been: an unaccept-

able risk to astounding natural resources. The rebuttals are the same as they’ve ever been: modern technology will mitigate those risks. Those of us who live in Alaska have heard this so much it’s hard to keep listening. Wasn’t Pebble over years ago? It seemed over when the major mining company Anglo American dropped the project like a hot potato in 2013, and again in 2014 when the EPA published a blistering assessment of Pebble’s impact on the downstream watersheds. In 2018, they lost another partner, First Quantum Minerals. But it was never over. Now, the Pebble Partnership has tossed out a 3,000-page DEIS like

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PROTECTING

WILD ALASKA

a ﬁnal ambush in a war they always meant to win, hoping to overwhelm an opposition too tired to keep ﬁghting. The last battle is almost upon us. If you care about the outcome, it is not the time to rest. Now more than ever, it is time to speak.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, I walked into the valley

“There “T The here re are are no no dams, dams da m , no ms n hatcheries, hattch her erie iees, s, n h no highways ig ghw wayys – no n nothing t in th ng bu b butt wi w winding ndin nd in ng r ve ri rivers v rs r to to me meet ett tthe he ttens e s off m en millions ili lilion on ns off returning retur etturni urrni n ng g ssalmon” a mo al m n” n that tha hatt annuala nu an nual aal lyy spawn spa p wn w in in the t e watershed’s th w te wa t rs r he hed’ d s va d’ vvast, stt, untr un untrammeled t am tr amme mele me leed ne network etw twor orrk off sstreams, t ea tr eams m , ms w ittes wr writes e M McKittrick. cK Kitttr t icck. k (ERIN (ER ER RIN N MCKITTRICK) MCK KITT TTRIC TT R K) RIC K

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“If “IIf the t e Pebble th Pebb Pe bble bb lee deposit dep epos ossitt were wer eree an apple app pple lee pie, piee, the t e part th partt you’d you u’d d eat eatt – the the metals metal ettal a s actually a ttu ac ual a lyy worth w rtth money wo m neey – would mo w ul wo u d amount amou am ou untt to to less leess than tha han n a teaspoon. t as te a po p on n. We We can can a ﬁnd ﬁnd that tha hatt teaspoon. t as te a po p on n. The Th he problem prob pr ob bleem comes come co mess in me n what wha hatt we w leave lea eave v behind,” ve beh ehin in nd, d” writes w ittes wr e the the author, auttho h r, r pointing poi o nttin ng to t mine min ne waste w stte wa and a d tailings an t illin ta ngs g pond pon nd that t att elsewhere th elssew whe here re have havve drained drai dr a need catastrophically ai caata tast sttro r ph phic iccal a lyy to to the thee detriment th detr de t im tr men e t off streams sttre ream amss and am and aquatic aqua aq uaattiic life. liife f . (ERIN (ER ER RIN N MCKITTRICK) MCK KITT TTRIC TT R K) RIC K

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

that might become a mine pit. Helicopters roared between a series of drill rigs, across a green and rolling landscape that reminded the geologist who discovered it of California’s Pebble Beach golf course. It was a gentler land than the sheer cliffs he usually explored. There are no craggy peaks, looming glaciers, or towering forests. It’s a land of shimmering lakes and rolling hills; of clear creeks lined by willows and moose; of wetlands and bird song and the punishing wind that rushes between the Bering Sea and Cook Inlet. It feels huge, and empty. By human standards, there’s almost nothing in the Bristol Bay watershed, and that nothing is the secret to its success. With 6 square miles of land for every person, the scattered villages and fish camps tuck neatly into a wilderness that has been spared the boot of industry. There are no dams, no hatcheries, no highways – nothing but winding rivers to meet the tens of millions of returning salmon. If Northern Dynasty Minerals, the Canadian company behind the Pebble Mine, gets its wish, we will have a milewide pit plunging nearly 2,000 feet beneath the valley floor. We will have wetlands filled in, hundreds of miles of pipelines, trucks pulling triple trailers of fuel and ore and chemicals every day of the year, ice-breaking barges in Lake Iliamna, and ships on the storm-tossed coast of Kamishak Bay. We will have toxic tailings stored behind dams hundreds of feet high, while treatment plants labor to remove contaminants before allowing billions of gallons of wastewater back into those salmon streams. That’s in the permit application for the first billion-and-a half tons of ore. There are 10 billion tons more. Nearly a million acres of mining claims darken the map on all sides of Pebble, waiting on the outcome of Northern Dynasty’s battle.

The reason for this mind-boggling scale is the same reason Alaska’s Gold Rush prospectors trudged right past the billions of pounds of copper, molybdenum and gold here. The metals are present only in vanishingly small concentrations. If the Pebble deposit were an apple pie, the part you’d eat – the metals actually worth money – would amount to less than a teaspoon. We can ﬁnd that teaspoon. The problem comes in what we leave behind.

IF THE MINE IS built, there will never be anything there again. Rock, ground up, becomes toxic waste. Tiny particles of iron sulfide can combine with water and air to become sulfuric acid, leaching into streams. Even copper – one of Pebble’s biggest riches – is acutely toxic to fish. At a few parts per billion – a few grains of salt in a bathtub – copper can render salmon and trout more vulnerable to infection. It can impair their sense of smell that allows them to navigate to the streams of their birth. In one way, metals are a thornier problem than radioactive waste. They don’t decay. Once unearthed, these toxins will be there forever. According to mine plans, they will also be safely contained forever, with dams holding strong and treatment plants whirring away, generations and centuries into the future. Mine plans said the same of Canada’s Mt. Polley, before its tailings dam burst in 2015, filling rivers with arsenic and selenium. Brazilian mine officials never planned to poison corals by bursting a tailings dam more than 350 miles upstream of the ocean. We never plan for things to go wrong. In Bristol Bay, we may still be able to plan for things to go right. Comments on the DEIS are due May 30. Go to pebbleprojecteis.com/publiccomments/ neweiscomment and let your stance be known. ASJ Editor’s note: Author Erin McKittrick is a writer based in Seldovia, near the tip of the Kenai Peninsula, and is a cofounder of Ground Truth Trekking (groundtruthtrekking.org) “which seeks to educate and engage the public on Alaska’s natural resource issues.” aksportingjournal.com | APRIL 2019

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FIGHTING FOR THE LAND ALASKA GWICH’IN NATIVES’ OPPOSITION TO ARCTIC REFUGE DRILLING FEATURED IN NEW DOCUMENTARY BY CHRIS COCOLES

he spoke at the podium with eloquence and conviction, but it was clear that her ordeal – and her people’s ordeal – had taken an emotional toll. Bernadette Demientieff stood before a capacity crowd at a Seattle REI store auditorium – she was in town for a premiere of a short documentary depicting her Alaskan Native tribe’s fight to stop drilling on nearby public land critical to their subsistence lifestyle – and couldn’t help but choke up, slightly at first and then even more as she continued to share her story. “We very much still live off of our land, and we honor our tradition and our way of life. It’s been a really tough fight and

a battle, because I feel like I’m trying to convince people that we matter,” said Demientieff, one of the tribe’s most influential members. “We’re real people with jobs. We have families. We have children. I have five grandchildren and they matter. Our ways of life matter. We matter.” The film she was representing lasts just over 13 minutes, which in theory won’t be able to do the Gwich’in’s struggles justice. But 13 minutes is probably 13 more than you’ve previously heard about these proud people of the North in the fight of their lives against a federal government that, in Demientieff’s opinion, “is not concerned at all with our concerns.” If Demientieff has her way, those 13 minutes of the documentary will change minds.

THE GWICH’IN ARE SPREAD throughout the northeastern Alaska Interior and Canada’s Yukon and Northwest Territories in 15 villages and towns. The tribe’s roughly 6,000 members – other estimates run as high as 7,000 and down to 4,500 – represent the continent’s second most northern Native American population next to the Iniut. Demientieff is executive director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee, which op-

With drilling now a deﬁnite possibility in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the biggest impact might be on the nearby Gwich’in Native communities like those residents of Fort Yukon, who are featured in a new documentary, including Levi Ginnis Jr. (GREG BALKIN/WELCOME TO GWICHYA ZHEE)

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“We very much still live off of our land, and we honor our tradition and our way of life,” says Bernadette Demientieff (center), one of the most vocal in the Gwich’in resistance. “It’s been a really tough ﬁght and a battle, because I feel like I’m trying to convince people that we matter.” (KERI OBERLY)

erates out of Fort Yukon, Alaska, a town of about 550 residents, most of whom are of Gwich’in descent. This town 10 miles north of the Arctic Circle is also the chief filming location for the film, titled Welcome To Gwichyaa Zhee. (Fort Yukon’s Gwich’in name translates as “House On The Flats.”) It’s a city without any roads that stretch very far out of town. Locals primarily get around by boat in the twisting mainstem and tributaries of the Yukon River. Fort Yukon has a market, but the reality is cold, hard and unforgiving through its price tags. Here, a gallon of milk costs about $15. “There’s no fresh vegetables. Everything is canned for the most part, though there is some frozen stuff. (But) everything that’s frozen looks freezer burned,” says Dr. Len Necefer, one of the film’s codirectors. “And the costs are crazy. I remember we went in (the store) and were kind of sick of eating our (provision meals provided by Patagonia, one of the movie’s major sponsors) and we were wanting to 20

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ﬁnd some ramen. A pack of ramen was like $4 or $5. And we thought, ‘It better be worth it.’” For Fort Yukon residents, a more feasible way to put food on the table is to pass on the grocery store and use the natural resources surrounding the town. And there is a bounty of ﬁsh and big game the Gwich’in harvest regularly. The Gwich’in dialect refers to the Alaska’s coastal plain, dominated by the 19.64 million acres of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit, translated as “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.” For the Gwich’in, life begins and ends with their northern neighbors, the Porcupine Caribou Herd. “The Gwich’in and the Porcupine Caribou Herd have had a spiritual and cultural connection for over 40,000 years. We migrated with them,” Demientieff said. “Our ancestors settled here so we can continue to live off of the caribou.” Caribou annually migrate through the Arctic NWR in spring, and when President Donald Trump announced less than a year into his term that a portion of the

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

HOW TO WATCH

elcome to Gwichyaa Zhee is now available to watch online and the ﬁlmmakers encourage anyone interested to host “watch parties” of the documentary with friends and family. Get started at gwichyaazhee.us. ASJ

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Codirector Dr. Len Necefer, a Navajo Nation member who used to work for the U.S. Department of Energy, had his own crisis back home in the Lower 48 when the feds announced a massive downsizing of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, sacred ground for his people. (GREG BALKIN/WELCOME TO GWICHYA ZHEE)

refuge – about 1.5 million acres in an area known as 1002 – would be opened to gas and oil drilling leases. Conservationists opposed the plan. The Gwich’in feel they can’t function if the plan goes through and threatens the natural resources they are so dependent on. “For 30 years, the Gwich’in have been ﬁghting to protect the coastal plain of

the Arctic Wildlife Refuge,” Demientieff said. “This is a human rights’ violation and a human rights’ issue. This is our home security and this is our identity.”

WHEN HE AND CODIRECTOR Greg Balkin agreed to take on the project of bringing the Gwich’in story to life via ﬁlm, Necefer already had a personal connection that

made it even more bittersweet. Necefer is Navajo. He grew up in the Arizona desert and comes from a family of miners who suffered through signiﬁcant physical and mental trauma while they made a hard living. “My grandfather was a uranium miner and he lost his right lung because of silicosis when he was 40. But he was one of the lucky ones because most of his friends were dying. And this was because mining companies weren’t giving their miners adequate breathing protection at the time,” he says. “In my community, there’s major coal power plants that (are producing) for most of the West, cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. That coal power comes from our community. A number of my family (members) were coal miners and again, they got sick and fell ill. My grandfather ended up succumbing to pneumonia in his later years because of the impacts of mining.” Necefer wanted a better life for himself and went to college, and earned engineering degrees from the University of Kansas and Carnegie Mellon University.

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After earning a Ph.D. from the latter, he began working for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, and as it turns out, was no stranger to Alaska and, more speciﬁcally, one Native community known as Fort Yukon. “I worked at the Department of Energy and we would go multiple times when we worked with this community. So I had contacts,” says Necefer, who also had something else just as he began settling in to a job with the federal government. He’d had enough of the federal government. A moment during Trump’s term as that hardly endeared the 45th president to conservationists was also a particularly hard body blow for Necefer and the Navajo Nation in the Southwest. In summer 2017, Trump’s then Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, announced plans to reduce the sizes of multiple pieces of federally protected land. The most damaging decision would splinter Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah. In all, Zinke’s plan would slash most of Bears Ears’ 1.3 million acres, reducing the land to all of 160,000 acres, an 85-percent downsizing. Trump signed off on Zinke’s recommendations for Bears Ears and other national monuments, much to

the chagrin of the Navajo community. Bears Ears is very sacred ground to the Diné for various reasons. “It almost feels like sometimes with issues that Native people face, these sorts of policies are death by a thousand paper cuts. And Bears Ears was a blow,” Necefer says. The monument includes – you guessed it – oil, gas and uranium deposits. But it’s also the site of burial grounds of previous generations of Navajo elders and various ceremonial sites. “In my own family, I know people who are incredibly depressed because of what’s happening. People that felt a sense of hope, having that stripped away. Because in Bears Ears, the thing that we were ﬁghting was for archaeological resources. And that’s why the monument was pushed so hard, because there’s 20,000 years of history. For us as Navajos, it’s not all of our history, but we feel a duty to protect it. And I think when you look at our public land system, that’s what it’s intended to do, protect our heritage. And I think it’s kind of infuriating when folks don’t have the respect to see the heritage that we’ve meant to this country as well.” By the time it was Arctic NWR under siege, Necefer had had enough. In the

Fort Yukon’s market and gas pumps charge locals $15 for a gallon of milk and $6.40 for fuel, so families depend on harvesting moose and the Porcupine Caribou Herd, which migrates across Arctic NWR land that would be drilled if the current administration’s plans go through. (GREG BALKIN/WELCOME TO GWICHYA ZHEE)

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APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

ﬁlm, Necefer, who narrates, says, “I remember telling my boss, ‘If they open up the refuge, I’m gone.’” Necefer is now an assistant professor for the University of Arizona’s American Indian Studies program and the Udall Center for Public Policy. He’s joining the ﬁght against the perceived government assault on public land for the purpose of drilling and other developmental projects. “This history of energy colonialization has affected Native communities for decades, if not centuries,” says Necefer, who also has started an outdoor apparel company called NativesOutdoors (natives-outdoors.org). “This is something that’s ongoing and we have the opportunity to stop it.”

IN WINTER 2018, A GROUP of 17 people – and a handful of dogs – got together in Utah to relay race through both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase National Monuments. Grand Staircase was another on the Trump Administration’s list of public lands recommended for size reduction. Included in the running party were Necefer and Balkin, a Seattle-based ﬁlmmaker, outdoor adventurer and conservationist. “We ran 6-mile relays and 250 miles

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over a weekend. And it was everyone from pro runners to folks who had to buy their first running shows in a decade. And we made this 13-minute film called Messengers,” Necefer says. That’s how Necefer and Balkin met and then collaborated on what eventually became Welcome To Gwichyaa Zhee. The Wilderness Society approached Balkin and Necefer to create a short documentary about the Gwich’in and the fight to preserve their way of life. “For me, (Fort Yukon) is a faraway place that many people aren’t going to get to go to whenever they feel like it. So my hope is that people feel connected and they can relate to the Gwich’in and that they have schools with kids who live there,” Balkin says. “They don’t live in igloos and they live a life very similar to ours – and with more respect to their land. So I hope that the film inspires people to do research to learn about them. Maybe to reach out to people like Bernadette who are fighting. And to stand up and support them.” Balkin and Necefer spent time in Fort Yukon last fall during moose hunting season with local families while they compiled film footage following around village locals in town. Like the enormous cost of food items, Balkin was amazed that fuel cost the families $6.40 per gallon to fill two 50-gallon tanks. But the experience of watching them reel in a few Yukon River northern pike and attempting to call in a bull moose – they didn’t get one on this hunt – represented more than just compiling scenes for a movie. “We didn’t know anyone and luckily there was a bed and breakfast in the village, and that was our home base. The communities are so small that we went on the local radio station. We were there long enough to start to see some of the same people and they were very open to sharing their story,” Balkin says. “And they thought it was fascinating that we were up there. The people were very welcoming and they were inviting us over to have moose meat, showing us the town and talking about what their lives are like. It was an honor to be there.” The film follows local resident Mike Peter’s family fishing and hunting excursions. The reality of what could happen 26

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

to the plentiful caribou that migrate through and around the proposed drilling sites has them concerned because of their thousands of years of reliance on the ungulates as a critical food source. Peter and his family all discussed the potential devastating effect drilling could have on the Gwich’in people. “If they open that place up there, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, that’s where the caribou migrate ... Can you imagine what it would do to those animals?” “People think because they’re down there, that’s it not going to affect us. It’s going to affect us.” “And a lot of people think too Alaska is just a wasteland. But it’s not.” “We live here.” At one point, Peter is waiting for a moose that previously appeared to show up again. He falls silent for a split second, the only sound generated by singing birds. “You hear that? Nothing,” he whispers before laughing – almost sarcastically. “Now you can’t tell me this is not worth ﬁghting and protecting.” For Necefer and his friend, Aaron Mike, another Navajo who accompanied he and Balkin on the trip, while they were thousands of miles from their threatened “This “T Thi h s history hiist h stor ory of o eenergy nerg ne rgy cco colonialization olo lon niiaalliliz izat atio ion h ha has as affec affec aff affected ectte ted Na N Native ati tivee ccommunities omm om mu un niiti ties es ffor orr d o decades, ecad ec deess, iff not not ot centuries,” cen enttu uri rieess,,”” ssays ays Nec ay ays Ne N Necefer ece cefer ffeer (o ((on on th tthe he bow) bo bow). w). “This ““T T Thi his is hi is something som ometthi hing ng tthat’s hat’ ha t’s ongoing on o ng go oiin ng ng aan and nd we we have hav ave the the opportunity th op o ppo portu rrttun uniitty to to sstop top it to iit.” t.” (GREG GWICHYA ((GR (G GREG GR EG BALKIN/WELCOME BA BAL BA AL ALK LKI KIN KIN IN/ /W /WE WELCO WE LLC COM CO ME E TO TO G GW GWI WIIC W CH CHY HY H YA ZHEE) Z ZHEE HE HEE H EE EE) EE)

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

sacred ground, but they could relate to what was going on in Fort Yukon. “I think I have lifelong friendships in these communities now that I want to maintain,” Necefer says. “They shared their story with me and I almost feel like it’s my duty to do something about that to support them in what they’re going through. I think there’s a personal duty there.” And he hopes the video he and Balkin shot and which became Welcome to Gwichyaa Zhee will illustrate what the priorities should be in these lands of the far north. “So often the refuge has been framed as beautiful landscapes, caribou and Gwich’in,” Necefer says. “Now we’re trying to frame it as Gwich’in, caribou and beautiful landscapes.”

FOR DEMIENTIEFF, THE FIGHTING never slows down, as she pleaded with that Seattle audience to be as outraged as she and her people are. (“Thank you for trying to learn about us,” she said.) “They want to bring in 53 90,000-pound vehicles into our sacred land and they want to blow 63,000 tons of force into the ground,” she said. “There’s a 52 percent chance that they’re going to run over denning polar

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bears and other smaller animals. But they still want to do it. So this is just a really sloppy and disrespectful way that they’re moving forward with this. And nobody’s listening to us.” It hasn’t helped that the Gwich’in feel like they’ve gotten far more support outside of Alaska from politicians like Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) than senior Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowksi, whose father Frank, former Alaska U.S. senator and governor, fought to open up the refuge for drilling during his days in office back in the 1980s in the Senate. In a June 2018 editorial she wrote for The Seattle Times, Murkowski cited the Alaskan Pipeline that carries petroleum between Prudhoe Bay to the north and Valdez to the south through the Last Frontier. “Back then, we were told that the pipeline would wipe out caribou herds and become the greatest environmental disaster of our time,” the senator wrote. “Yet, with time, technology and strong environmental protections, those sensational claims have proved wrong. Today, we have greater reason than ever to be conﬁdent in our ability to safely access 28

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

these resources.” That won’t do much to quell the Gwich’in people’s fears. Former President Barack Obama protected 12.8 million acres of Arctic NWR land from drilling before his successor’s 2017 reversal proposal was passed by both the Senate and House of Representatives. “We went to D.C. to testify that we want healthy land and healthy animals that we survive off of. The president of my corporation testiﬁed,” Demientieff said. “So that’s how chaotic it is up there right now. We are up against an uphill battle. We are up against the elected leaders and up against corporations. It’s really been tough. But we refuse to give up.” “We want to tell the world that we’re heard and to do it in a good way. And that is not always easy, especially with this administration. They’re just bulldozing their way into our homelands and they’re not giving a damn about the impact that it’s causing us.” ASJ Editor’s note: Check out gwichyaazhee.us for more information, and for more details on the Gwich’in people and their ﬁght, go to OurArcticRefuge.com.

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

For the families in Fort Yukon – such as second chief Mike Peter’s (far left) – and the other Gwich’in communities near the refuge, all they can do is hope their voices are heard. “We are up against an uphill battle. We are up against the elected leaders and up against corporations,” Demientieff says. “It’s really been tough. But we refuse to give up.” (GREG BALKIN/ WELCOME TO GWICHYA ZHEE)

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BUCKET LIST FULFILLED

Author Max Aquino (inset) took in the pageantry and chaos of “The Last Great Race On Earth“ in Alaska last month. “My ﬁrst Iditarod was a fantastic experience,” he writes. (MAX AQUINO; TARA EATON)

A SLED DOG RACING FAN TAKES IN THE SCENE AT THE IDITAROD

BY MAX AQUINO

og sled racing has always been a fascination of mine, but being from Seattle means there aren’t a lot opportunities to see one in person. In February, I covered the Inland Empire Dog Sled Race in Priest Lake, Idaho. Despite it being a smaller event, I was hooked. Realizing that the Iditarod was still a month away and ﬂights and hotels were surprisingly affordable, I pulled the trigger and booked my trip north to see the sport’s marquee event. Dubbed “The Last Great Race On Earth,” the 2019 Iditarod spanned 1,049 miles via this year’s route from Anchorage to Nome. There are two different starts to at-

tend. The ﬁrst is the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage on a Saturday morning in early March. It’s an 11-mile, untimed portion of the race through town, giving the crowds a chance to see the ﬁeld of mushers in a seemingly low-pressure environment (well, it’s hard to let racing dogs know that it’s untimed). The official restart is 60 miles north on the frozen Willow Lake, where mushers see their last crowds before hitting the open trail.

WHERE IS THE SNOW? Arriving on Friday, my biggest question was, “How will there be snow on the streets for the sleds?” Since snow is a regular part of Alaskan life, they have become extremely efficient at keeping

the roads drivable. It seemed unrealistic that they would leave a major portion of the downtown area unplowed just for one day of racing. Sure enough, when I showed up on Friday afternoon, the roads were bare and dry. Starting at 5 p.m. on Friday evening, 4th Street and Cordova Avenue were closed for ten blocks each. Dump trucks began bringing in snow from outside, dropping off around 15 piles of snow per block. Tractors and snow plows then created and smoothed out the track, while others placed fencing along the street and constructed the spectator berm on “The Corner,” a 90-degree turn on 4th and Cordova. When all was said and done, over 300 loads of

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Over 300 loads of snow were brought into downtown Anchorage overnight to prepare the course. (MAX AQUINO)

snow were brought downtown for the ceremonial start.

A FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE The scene was not lacking in things to see or do. Vendors lined the surrounding streets and there was a viewing area for the public to see the dog teams as they prepared for the race. Inaugural Iditarod competitor Rod Perry and veteran musher Cliff Session manned a booth near the start line to help ﬁrst-timers know what to expect. I was told that to secure a good

viewing spot, I would need to be there by 7 the next morning. That turned out to be a bit excessive, as people didn’t start claiming the prime spots until 8. However, it gave me a chance to get coffee, meet other travelers and let my cameras acclimate to the cold. By 9:30, the crowd was ﬁve-people deep. The best part about being at the start line was seeing the excitement of the dogs, as they were itching to race before being released at two-minute intervals. For those who are not fans of huge crowds, there were several prime spots

Affectionately known as “The Corner,” the Anchorage intersection of 4th and Cordova gave some exciting moments for the crowd. Musher Michael Baker (blue jacket) avoids a spill with his ceremonial rider (sitting) and team handler (red jacket). (MAX AQUINO) 36

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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Aliy Zirkle and her team begin their journey at the official restart of the Iditarod on Willow Lake. Zirkle would ﬁnish fourth. (MAX AQUINO) 38

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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Michi Konno’s team climbs a hill and excitedly hits the trail. “ Yes, there will be a next time,” the author writes when pondering if he’ll return to this classic Alaska spectacle. (MAX AQUINO)

to watch from. The crowds thin out about ﬁve blocks down, meaning everyone can ﬁnd a spot along the road. A parking garage gives aerial views of the race and is open to the public. Probably the most thrilling spot on the route is The Corner. The dogs tend to cut the turn extremely tight there, often causing a sled to tip over. Upon completion of the ceremonial start, most people dispersed to enjoy Fur Rondy, a city festival featuring rides, exhibits and a fur auction. Saturday’s centerpiece was the Running of the Reindeer.

RACING FOR REAL The official restart at Willow Lake took place the next afternoon. The atmosphere was still festive, with local families bringing snowmobiles and portable grills. Once again, the start line was packed, but the crowd thinned out about midway through the lake, so it was possible to ﬁnd a spot along the fence line. On the other side of the lake, the course winds up a hill and into the woods, 40

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

which offered the last chance for spectators to get a good look at the teams before they disappeared into the wilderness. Quite a few mushers took the last chance to high-ﬁve and wave to fans, but once they hit the woods, they focused and became more serious. Nine days and 12-plus hours later, musher Peter Kaiser arrived in Nome and won the biggest race in his sport.

WHAT A RIDE My ﬁrst Iditarod was a fantastic experience. I came prepared for the cold – it was 8 degrees on that Saturday morning – but not for how quickly everything moved. I learned that unless the plan is to camp out in one spot, it’s not necessary to claim one early, as people are constantly coming and going after the ﬁrst teams pass by. The next time I go, I will spend more time watching the dog teams get ready and exploring different parts of the routes. Yes, there will be a next time. ASJ

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Peter Kaiser (9 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes, 6 seconds)

2. Joar Leifseth Ulsom (9 days, 12 hours, 51 minutes, 22 seconds)

3. Jessie Royer (9 days, 18 hours, 34 minutes, 5 seconds)

4. Aliy Zirkle (10 days, 2 hours, 26 minutes, 56 seconds)

5. Travis Beals (10 days, 3 hours, 37 minutes, 25 seconds)

6. Matt Hall (10 days, 6 hours, 3 minutes, 15 seconds)

7. Paige Drobny (10 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, 37 seconds)

8. Ramey Smyth (10 days, 8 hours, 13 minutes, 6 seconds)

9. Mitch Seavey (10 days, 8 hours, 25 minutes, 14 seconds)

10. Aaron Burmeister (10 days, 9 hours, 34 minutes, 25 seconds)

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR Th The he Valdez Vaald V dez e H Halibut alib al ibut ib but u D Derby e by er by is is getting get etti t ng g closer. clo ose ser. r It r. It starts star st a ts on ar on M y 18. Ma May 18. For 18 Fo or more moree information, inffor o maati t on on, n, go g to to va vvaldezfishderbies.com. ald dez e fis fishd hd der e bi bies e .c es .com com om. m. (VA (VA (VALDEZ VALDE LDE DEZ Z FISH FISH SH DERBIES) DERBI DE RBIES) RBI E ) ES)

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CAPTIVATED BY YAKUTAT A FIRST-TIME FISHING VISIT TO ALASKA IS MAGICAL FOR STEELHEADER

BY RANDALL BONNER

aving never visited Alaska, the small town of Yakutat has left a lifelong impression on me. Traveling solo with my Australian cattle dog Wrangler, I booked the trip only a couple weeks in advance without a plan and ﬂew by the seat of my pants. I’ve always thought steelhead anglers to often be a bit of a grumpy bunch, but with the plentiful numbers of ﬁsh in the Situk River, the atmosphere of the com-

munity and its visitors is a completely different story. Drivers of every passing vehicle wave at each other in this relaxed rural environment, yet there’s still several Alaska Airlines passenger and Ace Air cargo ﬂights that come in and out of the small airport daily. After getting a ride from the lodge’s shuttle, I had a couple drinks at the bar at Glacier Bear Lodge (866-425-6343; glacierbearlodge.com) where I ran into Jared Cady of GetM Dry Jigs (253-3026828; getthemdry.com) and Lael John-

son of Bait Ballz (206-673-7100; baitballz.com), who were preparing to ﬁsh the tidally inﬂuenced lower end of the river and invited me to tag along with them.

SPECKLEBELLY GEESE FLEW OVERHEAD, bald eagles towered over us in the trees and greater yellowlegs roamed the gravel shorelines, a welcoming scene of abundant wildlife that set the tone for our evening quest for chrome. Lael and Jared hooked a couple fish swinging flies, and I brought in my first

Author Randall Bonner, ﬂanked by his trusty travel partner Wrangler, enjoyed the beauty and steelhead-rich waters of Yakutat during his ﬁrst Alaska trip. (RANDALL BONNER)

aksportingjournal.com | APRIL 2019

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Shan Sh Shannon han a no non n Martin M rt Ma rtin tin in caught cau augh g t this gh thi th his is nice nic ice steelie stee st tee eelililiee on h her err ﬂ ﬂyy ro rrod. od. d. (RANDALL (RA (RA RANDA NDALL NDA L BONNER) LL BONNER BONNER BON N )

Alaskan steelhead on a spinner. Having thought I was just going to have some beers at the lodge, I had only been in Alaska since lunch and at the river for an hour before smooching an Oncorhynchus mykiss hen and sending her on her way upstream to spawn. A brown bear ran across the road in front of us on the way out, as if it was chasing our report and heading to the

It didn’t take long for the author to realize he was in bear country. (RANDALL BONNER)

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

river. A sign at the ramp warned visitors of an aggressive bruin in the area recently, so seeing my first grizzly from the safety of the vehicle was satisfying. I was in awe of the beauty of this place and the diversity of wildlife species. Being my first day in Alaska, I felt as if Mother Nature had rolled out the red carpet for me. The next day, I caught a ride with some friends to the boat launch and explored the river on foot. I hooked some of the biggest steelhead I’ve ever been witness to, but I lost them to snags at my feet as I struggled to keep the fish under control. I redeemed myself by shaking hands with a few fresh fish later on, as well as my first Dolly Varden and a rare resident rainbow. I continued catching fish until the sun began to fall and it got too cold for comfort. I stood at a popular river crossing attempting to hitch a ride back to the lodge. The first two anglers were camping near

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

the river, and although they weren’t headed to the lodge, they invited me back to their camp for a beer. However, I was eager to return to the lodge (where there’s a roof, heat and a bar), and the next angler politely obliged me and my canine companion with a ride.

BACK AT THE LODGE I met Tony “Famous” Davis and Kristin Dunn from Kodiak Custom Tackle (907-486-1974; kodiakcustom.com). They were headed out for a float trip the next day, but were staying with a couple friends, Shannon and Kate, who wanted to stomp the banks and indicator fish with beads. They offered me a ride to the river the next morning, when Shannon started the day with a couple beautiful hens right out of the gate, including one that broke the handle on her net. We headed upriver and settled in at the spot where I had hooked most of my fish the

aksportingjournal.com | APRIL 2019

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

T ic Th Thick, ick, ick, k, marshy mar a sh shy hy bottoms bott bott bo ttom omss of om o tthe he T To Tongass ng gas asss Naati National tion o al al Forest For o es estt liinee the line the he river. rivver er.

Dolly Varden are a common bycatch on the Situk when steelheading the famed Southeast Alaska river.

STEELHEAD, DOLLIES AND MORE ON THE SITUK PHOTOS BY RANDALL BONNER

The morning commute to the Situk is better than being stuck in rushhour traffic back home in Oregon’s Willamette Valley for the author. This is what it’s all about on this popular steelhead destination. Jared Cady caught this beauty.

The Th he gang gang gm managed anag an ged ed tto o ge gett ou out in out in the the saltwater th salt salt sa ltwa waate ter to ter too o wi w with th hG Glacier laci la cier er Bear Bear Be ar Lodge’s Lod dge ge’s ’ss ocean oceean an charter cha hart rter eerr b boat. oaat. t 52

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

Lael Johnson (right) of Bait Ballz in Washington ties leaders with his Bait Ballz beads (inset) back at the Glacier Bear Lodge. (RANDALL BONNER)

day before. We landed several more. We were using just the basket of the net at that point, which was an awkward and exciting experience. The amount of wood snags is intimidating, but with every ﬁsh I seemed to get better at keeping them pinned and getting them close

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

enough for pictures. Tony, Kristin and Ty Wyatt, Glacier Bear Lodge’s halibut captain, took me along for a fun walking trip along the banks of the Situk. While wandering upstream in belly-button-deep water, I hooked a hen early in the morning that

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caught the attention of a large otter which swam across the river to try and steal it from me. I found a small perch tucked into some willows where I could get out of the water and try to quickly land the ﬁsh. As I was leaning down to grab it by the tail, the otter popped its head up only a couple feet away to my left. I tried to boot the otter in the head to send a message that I wasn’t giving up my ﬁsh so easy. It showed its teeth like

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At low tide on the Situk River, Lael Johnson and Jared Cady of GetM Dry Jigs were standing on a gravel bar. When it’s ankle-deep water on the gravel bar, it can be chest deep on the side channel to get back to shore. (RANDALL BONNER)

“I left Yakutat with my head in the clouds,” Bonner writes, “and I have obsessed about returning someday to do it again.” (RANDALL BONNER)

an angry dog and leaped back into the water while swimming upstream. I managed to land the ﬁsh downstream and safely release it away from the otter, but it was deﬁnitely humbling to know I was meddling with the local wildlife’s territory.

IN THE EVENING, WE headed back to tid56

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ally influenced water. On my first cast I landed my first ever tidally influenced steelhead on a bead, a mission I’d wanted to complete purely out of curiosity about how soon the feeding instincts of steelhead kick in as they enter the river and begin viewing eggs as a food source. Shortly after, Ty and Tony, who happen to be lifelong friends from Philomath, Oregon, doubled up on a pair of bucks fresh from the salt. Tony’s fish was a redeeming note to end his visit, having been outfished by his partner Kristin most of their time in Yakutat. As we continued to push the limits of the rising tide and a hot bite, we eventually turned around to notice the ground we were standing on was underwater, and so was our gear, so it was time to head back to the lodge. Dinners at the lodge every evening were incredible. Prime rib, shrimp Alfredo, halibut and more, but being able to put in an order for a sack lunch in the evening to pick up in the morning and take to the river the next day was truly a

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convenience worthy of appreciation. Complimentary breakfasts were nothing short of any quality diner as well. After a quick stop at the airport’s ﬂy shop on the way out to pick up some souvenirs, I left Yakutat with my head in the clouds, and I have obsessed about returning someday to do it again.

THE TARGET-RICH ENVIRONMENT of the Situk is the steelhead stream dreams are made of. It offers the experience for a novice to cut their teeth on the species and for the tinkering tackle-crafter to experiment with new methods. And it’s for the advanced angler to challenge him- or herself and mark the last few checks off their list. A mix of younger trout bums packing into rooms and vehicles like sardines, plus wealthy, retired businessmen sipping Scotch and smoking cigars in the lodge all convene on the river to live the same dream. They, like me, have the kind of experience that never leaves them. ASJ

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YES, YOU ’KAN

PLENTIFUL OPTIONS AWAIT ANGLERS HEADING TO FISHY PORT CITY OF KETCHIKAN BY CHRISTOPHER BATIN

nglers visiting Alaska often find it easy to fish the same location, year after year. Who can blame them? When an angler gets to know the host, cabin owners and guides, one often develops a familial connection, to where wetting a line together each year becomes more “traditional” than business. There may come a time, however, when “family” members can wear thin, and experienced anglers ask, “Is this all this is to Alaska sportfishing? Is there nothing more to fishing The Great Land that would be of interest to me?” It’s a time when most anglers call

friends for referrals, or surf the internet for ideas. Where does an angler start looking for new, productive fishing hotspots in a state that stretches over 663,268 square miles? But the fish is in the details, to recast a phrase, and the more you know about where you are going and when, the more you’ll find that it’s the journey, as well as the fishing, that appeals to today’s angler. For instance, I started fishing and hunting the Ketchikan region in the late 1970s, when lumber harvest was a mainstay of the Ketchikan economy. Since that time, timber mills have gone mostly extinct and the people who I looked forward to hunting or fishing with either moved away, fell ill or passed on. I stopped vis-

iting Ketchikan on a regular basis sometime in the 1980s because I felt the urge to explore other regions in the state. I returned in 2014, thanks to the persistence of one person whose job it is to know Ketchikan perhaps better than anyone on Earth. Each year, while attending media events, I’d schedule a meeting with Patti Mackey, CEO and executive director of the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau (800770-3300; visit-ketchikan.com). I’d write and report about Ketchikan in various news stories, but I wouldn’t take the time to return for a lengthy trip. I just felt Ketchikan wasn’t for me. She never gave up, and kept persuading me to return. In retrospect, I can see why.

Times have changed in Ketchikan, but a greeting sign in the downtown core of this Panhandle city still welcomes tourists, those with and without ﬁsh on their mind. (CHRIS BATIN)

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KETCHIKAN OFFERS MORE THAN FISHING

or adventures other than fishing, Ketchikan does not disappoint. This is a city that has everything that is good about Southeast Alaska rainforests and is home to a culture and people that possess a different, yet welcome outlook to life than their resident neighbors to the north. You’ll find this difference in the local artwork, as well as the tours run by local residents that are so numerous, you’ll need a month to sample them all. Few know Ketchikan better than Patti Mackey, CEO and executive director of Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, a trusted advisor on all things Ketchikan. “When they arrive, visitors should visit one of our visitor kiosks for guidance and direction,” she instructed, “but the smart traveler visits us online when they first begin to plan their trip.” She gave high marks to the new “Ketchikan Is …” exhibit at the Tongass Historical Museum (ktn-ak.us/tongass-historical-museum). The display offers unique exhibits and displays that reveal the past and current Ketchikan, its people, legendary brown bear lore, and the fascinating frontier history of the community in often amusing yet informative and entertaining vignettes on the lives and culture of the people who live there. “The entire culture here in Ketchikan revolves around rain, more so than any other destination,” says Anita Maxwell, Ketchikan museums director at Tongass Historical Museum. “Visitors see this exhibit, how we dress, how we work, even in how we celebrate life in the rain. It sets the stage for your entire visit.” The can’t-miss attractions are worthy of display at the Smithsonian. Make this the first stop before you do anything in Ketchikan. You won’t regret the tour and it will greatly enhance how you fish and enjoy your overall Ketchikan experience. If walking is good for your health, you’ll need at least two full days to explore Ketchikan on foot. Keep eyes open for eccentric brands like the Stoney Moose, quaint tours and local shops. “Of all the cities I visited in Southeast Alaska, Ketchikan was the most fun and interesting,” angler-musician Pete Thompson told me. “I had an open mic at several bars and pubs that invited musicians to play. I never expected to enjoy the coffee shops, bars, boardwalks, or Old Town Ketchikan as much as I did.” Joe Williams has a walking tour called “Where the Eagle Walks,” which introduces Ketchikan history, past and present. Allen Marine (allenmarinetours.com) offers some superb boat/cruise tours to see the fabulous Misty Fjords. Ray Troll’s Soho Coho Art Gallery is necessary visit with its fish-centric gifts from badges to T-shirts to fine art. When a few cruise ships arrived during our stay, Pete and I drove out to Lunch Creek, with its walking trails and salmon navigating whitewater rapids and leaping up cascading waterfalls. We observed only one group on a three-hour hike. CB

What I found took me two separate trips and about 15 days to explore, and I am still kicking myself for not returning sooner. What I discovered was a new Ketchikan, the heart of a spectacular coastal region. It was a city far different than the one I encountered earlier in life. Perhaps I enjoyed Ketchikan more these past few visits because I didn’t start fishing immediately upon my arrival, but rather first immersed myself into the ambiance of Ketchikan and its residents. They’re fellow Alaskans who live and work in one of the most influential rainforests in the state. Where there is rain, there are fish. Lots of fish, as well as people who know how to catch those fish, both commercial and sport. Best of all, Ketchikan celebrates and cherishes its rain and its rainforest more than any other community. And where there is rainforest, there is fishing. Lots of fishing.

THE FISHING Ketchikan fishing goes back to territorial days when the city was known as, and still claims to be via a huge sign in the town center, “The Salmon Capital of the World.” Capital is the right word, for experts gravitate to a capital to ensure its growth. Yet, that is the beauty of Ketchikan. In place are fishing experts (in addition to Alaska Shooting Journal and its features) that can provide trustworthy details that can help you plan your next Alaska marine fishing expedition (see sidebar). Angler Pete Thompson and I decided to visit Ketchikan last summer after I discovered on a spring visit even more fishing and adventuring opportunities. We caught lots of fish during our visit, and rather than focus on the hows of fishing, more important were the businesses, people and places that helped us realize our angling adventuring goals, with options for every budget. Here’s what we discovered:

D.I.Y. BUDGET FISHING

Kayakers enjoy the beneﬁt of an incoming tide on Ketchikan Creek, which borders Creek Street and Ketchikan’s boardwalk district. (CHRIS BATIN)

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Alaska statistics show that about half of all anglers who visit Alaska are mostly independent travelers, of which many are marine-based anglers. Ketchikan offers waters away from boat congestion that’s commonplace in

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tickets and gave it a good effort. Charles also gave us a good education in local fishing spots and how to fish, wherein lies this first lesson to fishing Ketchikan waters: Fish are not leaping everywhere, eager and willing to bite anything you toss at them. Even in Alaska, you can go fishless if you don’t prepare.

THE RENTAL MARKET

At the urging of Patti Mackey, executive director of the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, author Chris Batin finally returned to fish the region after a roughly 30-year absence, leaving him kicking himself for not doing so earlier after taking a trip with Mackey and husband Charles, here with a fine silver salmon, the first of the day. (CHRIS BATIN)

Lower 48 states. During September’s fringe season, an angler based out of Ketchikan can begin a troll pattern, keep a straight heading and not collide with another boat, especially on a weekday. The excitement from such a possibility is obvious: The angler is free to analyze and pick out migration routes, talk with guests at the fish-cleaning table about what was used for the day’s catch, and become baptized in all things that make marine fishing fun and challenging. Unlike freshwater fishing, where a select portion of river can hold only a handful of anglers, marine fishing allows virtually unlimited opportunity as to how and where you fish. To introduce us to the area’s salmon fishing, we were invited to fish onboard the Osprey, owned by Mackey and her husband Charles. Charles is a “quiet” salmon fishing expert who believes in the power of cut-plug herring, while we used artificial lures. Before Patti had a nice, 14-pounder onboard, we were switching to cut-plug herring. The fish didn’t win the Ketchikan’s Silver Salmon Derby grand prize of $10,000, but we all had derby 62

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If you plan to fish Ketchikan waters for the first time, hire a local guide for a day, and then rent boat and gear, haul your own boat on the Alaska Marine Ferry, or base out of a do-it-yourself camp. Clover Pass Resort (cloverpassresort.com) offers both guided and unguided saltwater fishing. The waters surrounding the resort offer prime fishing, with good opportunities for rockfish, cod, salmon and halibut. While there, we watched a woman smile proudly over the 120-pounder she hung for photos at dockside. The road-accessible resort offers basic apartment-style accommodations that cater to the do-it-yourself angler. The main resort on remote, oceanfront property consists of a huge multi-purpose building that contains the resort office, guide office, general store, a quaint bar and huge dining area surrounded on three sides with large picture windows that take in the fabulous scenery and sunsets. Clover Pass’ open-buffet meals are excellent and you can’t go wrong with their three-meals-a-day option. The resort also caters to RVers, not just for the fishing, but also for the camaraderie you’ll find there. “Guests who spend a week or a summer at Clover Pass do so not only because of the fishing, but also because they enjoy the Ketchikan lifestyle,” says Michael Briggs, marketing manager at Clover Pass Resort. “They rent our boats, hire our guides or use their own boats to fish the area’s remote bays and inlets. During our stay, I observed anglers from around the world get together at day’s end and talk fishing. At the docks, experienced anglers returned with limits of salmon and exhibited no snobbery or lockjaw behavior. They freely gave fish-catching advice to new arrivals who were just learning the ropes. The resort also offers plenty of spac-

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es for truck campers and motorhomes, which is another source of angling education. Early one evening, I got caught up on my notes while Pete opted to take his guitar and practice down on the boat docks. When he didn’t return in a few hours, I went looking for him and found him at the edge of the RV park, playing his guitar to an attentive group of RVers who had built their evening beach campfire and communicated the universal languages of music and fishing. A large portion of the group had driven from Maryland and at Bellingham, Washington, they boarded the Alaska Marine Highway ferry for the day-and-a-half sailing to Ketchikan. “It was one of the highlights of my trip,” Thompson later reminisced. “The RVers were spending much of the summer at Clover Pass, enjoying fishing as well as life in Ketchikan, which is far less hectic than spending the summer on the beaches of the East Coast.” Drinks and snacks flowed freely. I left the revelers singing and playing tunes well past midnight and recalled bits of their discussions on music, fishing techniques, local sights and personal histories, and, of course, hotspots where they enjoyed success. When salmon fishing slows, there’s tasty halibut to turn to. Guides at Salmon Falls Resort know the best places for limits on fish like this nice 45-pounder. (CHRIS BATIN)

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A salmon bench carved from wood sits outside the entrance to Salmon Falls Resort. (CHRIS BATIN)

An RV space at Clover Pass is just one of several beachfront properties in Ketchikan that anglers can rent for a summer. The resort does have a liability clause on rental boats. No matter the reason, even if a whale collides with your boat and sinks it, you pay for the $40,000plus boat up front. Prior to renting, contact your insurance company to see if you are covered. If you don’t own an RV, hotels abound in Ketchikan, and for some, an extended-stay property like My Place Hotel (myplacehotels.com), conveniently located across the street from the ferry terminal, serves the needs of the do-it-yourself angler. “When they are done ﬁshing for the day, our guests can cook their catch or other meals in the suite’s kitchen,” says manager Carol Domme. “We also have laundry and drying rooms, freezer space to store their catch and an experienced staff well trained to handle tour- or ﬁshing-related questions.” The suite we booked had a full kitchen, a desk, internet service, comfortable beds and a super-friendly staff that helped us during our stay. The property was kept immaculately clean. I witnessed an example one afternoon while returning to my room. In the hallway, the housekeeping staff was dusting the top of photos 64

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hanging in the hallway. Commendable. The kitchens are not furnished, however, with pots, pans and select kitchenware, so bring your own to save money or buy at the front desk. Ample parking and friendly staff, with a grocery and auto parts stores across the street, make this a prime location for a base camp. For those who prefer a more traditional single-room property, The Landing Hotel (landinghotel.com), a few blocks away, or the Bayside Hotel (creekstreet .com/bayside-hotel), in the heart of downtown Ketchikan, are great choices with comfortable rooms. If you have a non-ﬁshing spouse, the Bayside is a good option since downtown Ketchikan attractions are within easy walking distance.

A GUIDED FISHING TOUR, REINVENTED Ketchikan offers a variety of quality guided sportfishing tours. Perhaps the most satisfying are two fishing adventures developed by Chuck and AJ Slagle, founders of Baranof Fishing Excursions (exclusivealaska.com). In my opinion, they have reinvented the guided fishing tour with the Cook Your Catch excursion. This tour has a Plan A, B and C option to cover all contingencies, with a day’s end meal at the adjacent Alaska Fish House restaurant, which is so scrumptious and fun that it makes a day of horizontal rain

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

a reason to celebrate. The chefs prepare a multi-course meal that include appetizers such as huge prawn plates, craft beer, the catch of the day that you caught, dessert and other accompaniments too numerous to mention. I rank it as my No. 1 saltwater-to-plate meal during my entire Ketchikan experience. Because this is a specialized, oneon-one service, the restaurant can only handle a limited number of guests each night for this option, so ensure you make reservations early. You won’t ﬁnd a better dining experience in Ketchikan, where even the chefs come out and explain the backstories behind the food, or take requests to sample some of their in-house specialties. The other Slagle adventure is the Alaska Fishing and Wilderness Dining excursion, where your catch that morning – whether it’s salmon, halibut, rockﬁsh or cod – is kept fresh until lunch, when your guide motors you to a remote beach. There you’ll disembark and snuggle into a remote hobbit-style camp 50 yards wide by 20 yards deep tucked into the edge of old-growth rainforest. There the camp chef, with his elaborate, remote kitchen set-up, prepares a seasoned bouillabaisse that will have you asking for seconds. Our guide Aaron Ramirez was enamored with the rodeo circuit early

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in life until he broke too many bones, called it quits and found his profession as a guide in Alaska. Of all the guides I fished with in 2018, he earned top scores for having superb people skills and fishing knowledge. He’s as good as they come, which is in part due to the Slagles’ commitment to guide training and professional excellence. Salmon Falls Resort (salmonfallsresort.com) is the most luxurious, full-service and do-it-yourself resort we visited. You’ll find it overlooking the Tongass Narrows, a 16-mile drive from town center. “Our location allows for faster access to our local, remote waters; access that requires longer travel time from boats leaving from town,” says general manager Matthew Herod. “This means more fishing time for our guests, and our package prices include everything from fish processing, packaging, meals, and one of our 52 newly renovated rooms or suites.” A guided option here – even for a few days – makes sense before finishing out the trip with a do-it-yourself option. However, the benefits of a fully guided stay are many, which allows you more time to enjoy the fishing experience. While we were trolling for salmon, Pete played his guitar and sang renditions of “American Pie” and “The City of New Orleans.” we motored along kelp beds, paralleled towering shoreline cliffs and listened to marine birds sing a squeaky accompaniment to his words. It was a sensory experience where I almost hoped the rods wouldn’t drop from a fish strike. An integral part of the resort is The

Embers restaurant, which is open to guests and public. It’s a piece of log architecture that requires a full meal to truly appreciate not just the building and the food quality, but also the top-notch bar scene, outside dining, and best of all, the nearby waterfall. The picture windows allow guests to view bears, eagles, and foxes fishing for numerous pink salmon that swim their way up the short creek to the base of the waterfall at high tide. Must-sample items include fish and chips (made from halibut, not cod) and their Alaska seafood chowder. Salmon Falls will clean, vacuum seal and freeze your fish, plus ship it to your residence or pack it so you can take it on your return flight home. When the salmon fishing went flat one afternoon during our stay, our guide instructed us to reel up. He then ran the boat for an hour to a favorite halibut hotspot, where we caught near limits of halibut. Among the best of Ketchikan’s full-service, fly-out lodges is Waterfall Resort (waterfallresort.com), located a short floatplane ride from Ketchikan on Prince of Wales Island. It has a heavy contingency of returning anglers each year because it is one of the top places in Alaska to pursue salmon and halibut. The resort is located near the outer edge of the Gulf of Alaska, where salmon skirt the island shoreline to feed heavily one last time as they migrate to spawning streams to the north, east and south. Statewide restrictions or regional closures on 2019 Alaska king salmon fishing are due to continuous low returns the

past few years. If your goal is king salmon ﬁshing, check Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulations before booking. When king salmon numbers do bounce back, Southeast Alaska is a destination to consider for that trophy saltwater king salmon of a lifetime.

THINK TWICE, SPEAK ONCE After I returned home from my Ketchikan adventure, my wife wanted me to reciprocate with a trip for the both of us to a beach where we could swim in the sun, snorkel and swim with the fish. I was tempted to tell her about this one beach outside of Ketchikan that owner Fred Drake of Snorkel Alaska, shared with me. While the water was warm once we put on our wetsuits, we swam amid kelp beds, watched salmon finning lazily above us, and delighted in all sorts of marine life from herring schools to huge starfish. Yet, the internal wisdom of being married and ensuring that I stay married froze my tongue. I believe it was a Darwinian survival response that had me nodding my head, repeating, “Yes, Dear. You’re right, Dear” as she detailed her tropical island choices. It soon became obvious that the wise angler will forego the final cast of a response to ensure a future fishing adventure to Ketchikan, the Salmon Capital of the World. ASJ Editor’s note: Christopher Batin is author of numerous books on Alaska fishing, hunting, and the outdoors, available at AlaskaAngler.com.

If you are comfortable enough to ﬁsh these waters without a guide, there are options for that. Do-it-yourself as well as charter boats line the docks at Clover Pass Resort after a day’s ﬁshing on these protected waters. (CHRIS BATIN)

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

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A DATE NIGHT ON ICE A HOT SHEEFISH BITE PROVIDE HUSBAND, WIFE PLENTY OF ENTERTAINMENT, MEMORABLE MOMENTS WITH LOCALS

A cold sun sets on a tranquil ice ﬁshing scene in Arctic Alaska, where anglers try for sheeﬁsh, which gather in big schools this time of year. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

y wife Tiffany headed on her snowmachine back to the village, while I stayed behind with our buddy Lew Pagel. We’d been fishing for the past eight hours and had had only one bite, resulting in a 6-pound sheefish to show for our efforts. By then the horizon was darkening, winds were picking up and temperature was dropping. It was a good time for Tiffany’s day to end. Lew and I checked out one more spot not far from Lew’s home in Kotzebue. We drilled some holes through 4 feet of ice. As a few local anglers were near, blood-saturated snow told the story of success. I flipped the bail on my ice

fishing rod, letting my big lure free-fall. Instantly the line started peeling off the spool. Immediately I knew it was a big, heavy sheefish, as it fought harder than any I could remember. It was nearly 10 minutes into the battle that the fish finally began to tire, but I couldn’t get it through the 10-inch ice hole. I gave the fish some slack, then pulled it tight once again. After multiple attempts, I could feel the fish’s head finally slip into the ice hole. Grabbing my 60-pound braided line, I lifted the fish and a rush of water shot out of the hole, as it was under pressure from the thick girth of the fish that rubbed tight on the edges of the opening. I’ll never forget the ooohs, ahs, and sighs from the locals when I reached

down and pulled the giant fish from the ice. It was the biggest sheefish of my life. It tipped the scales at 40 pounds. “Looks like we found ‘em,” said Lew with a smile. He too was fighting a sheefish of his own. Mutual friend Paul Atkins, who also lives in Kotzebue (and is a correspondent for Alaska Sporting Journal), was on his way out to meet us. I had Lew text Paul to get Tiffany back out on the ice with us. The sheefish bite was on, and now was the time. Since sheefish often travel and feed in massive schools this time of year, we knew the bite could end at any moment and wanted Tiff to experience it.

AS PAUL AND TIFFANY pulled up, I’d just ﬁnished landing another nice sheeﬁsh.

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The fatty texture of sheeﬁsh ﬁllets means smoking is a great method to prepare the meat for a delicious meal. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon granulated garlic

SMOKE ‘EM IF YOU CAUGHT ‘EM BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

t doesn’t matter how cold you might be, once you hook a sheefish under the ice the excitement quickly warms you up. Although they vary in size, any sheefish is a good one when it comes to eating, and when they are running they can be abundant. Knowing you may be bringing several fish home, have a game plan for preparation. Due to their high fat content, sheefish smoke up great, though if you want dinner quickly, think about smoke cooking a fillet

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or two. Smoke cooking can be achieved in a variety of ways, from cooking over an open fire to using a grill or smoker. The key is getting as much smoke flavor into the meat during the short cooking time. Smokers that can be heated to 300 degrees work well, but a smoker box in a grill on low heat can attain the same results. One fillet sheefish One lemon wedge 1 tablespoon molasses or honey 1 tablespoon melted butter ½ teaspoon salt

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

Preheat smoker or grill to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, paprika and garlic until thoroughly combined. Place sheefish fillet in a shallow dish. Squeeze lemon juice over fish and generously coat fish with spice mixture. Drizzle molasses or honey and melted butter over fish. Add chips to smoker or smoker box in grill and ignite with a match or blowtorch. Place fish on a tight-weave grill or smoker rack or on a double-thick square of foil with several holes poked in it (to allow more smoke to penetrate fish). Smoke cook fish until it reaches 140 degrees or desired doneness. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s best selling cookbook, Cooking Seafood, send a check for $20.00 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or order online at 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 The Hunt, on Amazon Prime.

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FIELD

For Tiffany and I, the initial intent of our Arctic fishing adventure was to simply enjoy some time with our friends with the hope that we would take home a bit of our favorite eating fish. We ended up taking a lot of fish home, but as I reflected on our adventure, it was the joy of seeing the local people catch fish that most stands out. Of course, we had a wonderful time with Paul, his wife Susie and Lew. But what we most vividly recall are the smiles, laughter and genuine good time had by the villagers. Yes, they’ve likely experienced fishing like this many times over the decades, but they still reveled in the moment and were so pleased to have fresh fish.

WHEN THE SHEEFISH BITE ended, everyone began cleaning their fish on the ice. They told stories, shared smiles, and for that moment in time, everyone was filled with happiness. It was an evening we’ll never forget – a memory Tiffany and I affectionately refer to as our best-ever date night on ice. ASJ Editor’s note: To book a three-day guided Arctic ice fishing trip for sheefish in Kotzebue, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Tiffany Haugen with back to back sheeﬁsh she caught last season near Kotzebue. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

Soon Tiffany had her line in the water and was instantly locked in battle with a hard-pulling sheefish. The fish would peel off line, Tiff would gain it back and soon it was stripped out again. Eventually the fish tired and Tiffany pulled a 25-pounder from the ice. Her next cast yielded a 22-pounder. Over the next several minutes she landed three more beautiful sheefish from that hole. Lew and Paul were also catching fish, as were the many villagers who were gathering on the ice. Word traveled fast, 72

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and over the next two hours everyone caught fish. During that time, the wind subsided, temperatures warmed and spirits soared. A few elders were even on the ice and fishing with their niksiks, some of which were crafted from wood, others from caribou antlers and still more from whale rib bones. Bundled in fur-ruffed parkas, grandchildren were at their side to join in the fun. Everyone was happy. The evening of ice fishing transformed into one of the most joyous subsistence experiences we had ever been a part of.

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The perfect date night for the Haugen’s was catching big sheeﬁsh in the Alaskan Arctic. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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THE BEST STUFF FOR FROZEN FISHIN’ BY PAUL D. ATKINS • ILLUSTRATION BY JOSEPH FRUEAUF

“

an, that looks like a big fish.” After hearing my declaration, Lew Pagel strained trying to get the large sheefish through the hole. “It is (big),” he said. I jumped quickly from my chair and grabbed my camera from my pack. I reeled in ever so carefully as Lew finally wrestled the big silver fish onto the snow. It began to flop and twist in Lew’s hands. I could see right away that he was right. It was big, maybe the biggest we have ever hooked in the sound. Lew and I have been ice fishing for as long as I can remember. In the early days we didn’t have or know much, for that matter, just what the locals had taught us. A simple stick with line and a big hook

Ice augers come in a variety of sizes and models. In the Arctic, Gear Guy Paul Atkins (gray coat) uses those made by Jiffy, which run on propane. Even in the coldest temperatures they work and will dig through the thickest ice. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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worked fine. It still does when it comes to catching the big fish of the north. Since then, however, we’ve gotten a little more technical and now try new things in order to catch more fish, or at least to be more comfortable when doing it. That’s what I love about ice fishing: It can be either the simplest thing in the world or more technical. It doesn’t matter. But if you do want to add a little more to the experience, I recommend the following items:

not have that luxury. But they hold heat well and, more importantly, provide plenty of room for two to three people.

ICE AUGER

FISHING SHACK Like most places in Alaska, it gets cold up here in Kotzebue. A lot of anglers won’t even think about heading out until later in the spring when it’s a bit warmer. But if you want to go a little earlier – like we do – when the temperature is well below zero, then I highly recommend a ﬁshing shack or shelter to get in and enjoy those times. Combining a hut with a heater is ideal to stay warm and comfortable and be able to ﬁsh for longer periods. We use the Eskimo brand, which

Having the right color spoon or other lure or bait is just as important in the Arctic as it is in the Lower 48. Bring several and be ready to change if things aren’t working out. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some are quilt-lined and provide an extra layer of insulation, while others do

On the good days you may not need a tent for shelter. Lew Pagel gets his Two River Rod ready for some sheeﬁsh action. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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In the old days we used a hand auger to dig our holes. It was a lot of work, but we did what we had to do in order to fish. Still, it was a miserable experience. Drilling through feet of ice instead of inches will make you appreciate the next item I’m about to mention, the ice auger. Now, ice augers, or drills, come in a variety of configurations and models. Most are either 8 or 10 inches, depending on the size or diameter of the hole you need. The most recognized and widely used are the gas-operated, two-cycle models, while those operating on propane are becoming quite popular as well. The new battery-operated augers are gaining a following too, especially in the warmer climates. Up here Lew and I use propane-powered augers, specifically those made by Jiffy. They simply work better for us and

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they’re easy to use, even in the coldest temps. Get one and you will never use anything else.

RODS, REELS AND TACKLES To round it off and depending on where and what you fish for, you will need to select a proper rod and reel, plus tackle and a variety of other gear that will make your ice fishing outing more successful and fun. We use Two River Rods, which are made here in Alaska. They’re tough and come in a variety of weights and sizes. We use their heavy rod specifically to handle the big fish we catch up here. They’re tough and can handle just about any size fish. As far as a reel, just about anything will work. I personally use spinning reels made by Shimano. They’re smooth and work well even coated with ice, but there are several different brands that work well. When choosing tackle, we use spoons with trebles in a variety of sizes. Those made by Cabela’s are some of our favorites. They come in several colors, so if one isn’t doing the trick, we slap on another.

COLD WEATHER, BIG FISH

The combination of a heavy Two River Rod and a good quality reel made by Quantum, plus a blue 3-inch spoon made by Cabela’s did the trick. These big ﬁsh are so fun to catch with good quality gear. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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The big ﬁsh Lew caught ended up being one of the biggest we ever pulled from the ice. So big, in fact, we took a few measurements and it was the new world record for sheeﬁsh. Maybe it was luck or maybe it was the gear; I don’t know. ASJ Editor’s note: Follow Paul Atkins on Twitter (@aktrophyhunter).

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OX TALES: HUNTING WINTER BULLS BY BOW

Bowhunting is author Paul Atkins’ passion, and so is pursuing muskox. The idea of getting close enough to these Ice Age animals on their turf and then carefully waiting for a bull to move away from the rest to take an ethical shot is thrilling to him, but also tough to accomplish. Here he walks off from a herd of cows. (LEW PAGEL)

TAKING A MUSKOX WITH AN ARROW IS ONE ARCTIC HUNTER’S GOAL, BUT THE OFTEN HARSH CONDITIONS MAKE THAT TOUGH TO ACCOMPLISH BY PAUL D. ATKINS

o be honest, I wasn’t in the mood to shoot a muskox on that day; I was more in just-looking mode. The weather wasn’t the greatest and the hill we were sitting on wasn’t the most comfortable, especially with the wind whipping us in the face. The climb up was treacherous too. When we did sit down to glass, I had a difficult time ﬁnding anything through my Leicas. But we were there and in the right place for muskox. We glassed for several minutesm, my buddy Lew looking in one direction and me in the other. Then I spotted something on a far mountainside

about 5 miles away. I thought the dark spots were rocks at ﬁrst, until one moved.

JANUARY IS A LITTLE early for me when it comes to ﬁlling my muskox tag. But like most things here in the Arctic, you go when you can go. We do the same with everything else – whether it’s cutting wood at minus 20 degrees or chasing bears at plus 40 degrees, if you can see across the sound it’s a good day to ride. The weather had been difficult recently, though maybe weirder is the word I’m looking for. The up-and-down temperature variation had been crazy. One week it was below zero, the next I was in a T-shirt. Maybe it’s climate change? I don’t know,

but I’ll leave that to the experts. I do know that it seems to only get bad (snow and wind) on the weekends, the only days available to those of us who work during the week. But this day was decent. The wind in town was calm and you could see the hills in the distance. Lew texted me that he would be over about 11 and for me to pack my bow. If you’ve read my stories in the past and stay updated with our muskox adventures, then you know that each year I get a tag and our annual hunt becomes more of a ritual than anything else. This is an event, if you want to call it that. It usually takes place in February, though, when the days are longer and the

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sun is a bit warmer for my taste. You also know that I love to bowhunt, so taking another muskox with a bow was something I really wanted to do this year. I love bowhunting, as it’s something I’ve been doing up here for years, especially during the fall when Lew and I go camping and hunting upriver. It’s easier than – if such a thing exists – spot-and-stalking big game in and out of the willows and the spruce. It has become second nature. I’ve even taken ox during the fall as well. Believe me, being on foot without snow and ice to deal with does make it easier. Bowhunting during the winter is quite different, though. The cold isn’t the problem, and even shooting a bow in the ex-

treme can be done with little difficulty. It’s the wind that’s a killer. Being in places that aren’t ideal for making a good shot is not fair to anybody, the animal included. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve taken the bow on winter trips, only to leave it strapped to the snowmachine or sled and grabbed the rifle instead. It happens just about every time these days. But that’s hunting. I once was a purist and would not take a rifle along, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve changed my focus. It’s not so much about the bow or rifle but the adventure and ultimately filling my tag and putting meat in the freezer. Yet there have been times that a rifle was the only choice and all I

This is the herd Atkins spotted from a few miles away. At ﬁrst he thought they were rocks, then one moved. Good optics are the key to ﬁnding muskox. (LEW PAGEL)

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had with me was a bow. I remember once I was hunting muskox during March on the next to last day of season. I made it to the top of a mountain that looked, at ﬁrst, to be not climbable. I made it, though, only to come face to face with four bulls, which all looked identical. It was a hard climb and the temperature was at least minus 30. I got close, but not close enough. They were just out of range. Even though I thought about launching an arrow, I decided not to. I did have a riﬂe, but it was leaning up against my machine halfway down

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On another trip, after making a stalk late in the day, these four bulls were still just out of bow range for the author, who had left his riﬂe behind. “All I could do was watch, which sometimes is enough,” he writes. (LEW PAGEL)

the mountain. Darkness was setting in too and I knew if I climbed back down and up again it would be dark by then. All I could do was watch, which sometimes is enough. I climbed down and went home, but came back the next day and took one of the bulls with a riﬂe. So, in the end it all worked out. It was a memory that I will never forget.

NOW I WAS ON A hunt that was much different. Lew arrived at 11 and we were off. The

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hitch on my sled was broke, so Lew towed his big red Siglin behind his Ski-Doo. As we pulled off the mainland and onto the ice, I was dreading the ride across the sound. The last time we’d crossed it, a wood-cutting adventure, it was rougher than a cob. The windblown trail, capped with snow hills and chunks of ice, pounded us for two hours instead of the normal 30 minutes it takes to get across. It was miserable. This time was much more bearable.

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It was relatively smooth and effortless. We flew across and once we made it to the other side, we stopped at our usual spot to have a little coffee and discuss the strategy for the day. The skies were blue and the sun was well lit behind us, but up ahead the fog had started to roll in and I wondered if we would even be able to see anything on the mountaintops. I started having doubts and thinking this might be a short day for finding a muskox. We ventured forward and found ourselves in the mountains. I followed Lew closely. He busted through fresh snow and made his way to small hill overlooking the Noatak Valley. It’s a great spot to glass, open and wide, allowing a hunter to see for miles. We parked our machines and climbed to the top, leaving me huffing and puffing for air. The terrain was treacherous and my bunny boots had a hard time finding traction, but I finally made it and sat down to glass. As I mentioned earlier, they weren’t rocks; they were muskox. I watched carefully through watering eyes to make sure the rocks were moving, and I wasn’t

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seeing things. Finally, I motioned to Lew to come over and have a look. He conﬁrmed what I was seeing, then looked at me and grinned. “We didn’t dress up for nothing; let’s go,” he said. Like I said I wasn’t really in the mood to shoot a muskox, but what I wasn’t really in the mood for was to snowmachine across 6 miles of tundra, river and rocks to get there. They didn’t look that far, but in the Arctic distance is deceiving. I knew that even though we picked them up while glassing, they were still a long way off and probably in a place that wasn’t easy to get to. I also knew we would have to take time into consideration. It was 1:30 in the afternoon and it would be getting dark

around 5:30. We went anyway.

WE MADE IT TO THE river and then cruised to the base of a hill that led up to where the herd should be. Coming off the river and heading into the tundra can be a tough move. But you can usually find an old trail, or at least a cut or flat spot where the snow isn’t too deep. The shortest route to get there was over a bank into the trees. Lew went first and made it with ease as his big machine barreled through the deep sugary snow. As was normally the case, I watched until his return, allowing Lew to cut us a trail. It was coming back where we had a problem. Coming over the last rise, the bottom fell out and Lew buried his ma-

chine in 6 feet of snow. An hour later, now soaked in sweat and breathing hard, we finally dug it out. We continued upward towards where we thought the ox would be. We went on forever across the tundra field – until we met a steep embankment packed with hard snow. We had to go up – there was no way around – so we did. But once we got to the top it was nothing but rock. There was windblown, sharp shale as far as the eye could see. The wind was ferocious and blowing so hard we could barely stand up. Lew and I got off our machines. I looked at my bow, but again I knew that in this weather it was going to be a rifle hunt. I grabbed the .300 Win. Mag. and we headed toward a small rise to get a

On this muskox hunt too, Atkins would have liked to have used his bow to bag a bull, but “ferocious” winds, snowmachine issues and the lateness of the hour meant that the wise course was to use his riﬂe instead to successfully notch his tag. (LEW PAGEL)

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better look and to see if the muskox were still there. They weren’t. The muskox herd had moved off in the distance and was a mile away, but all I could see was one. I told Lew that my machine was already hot and would for sure overheat in the rocks, so I would continue walking towards the herd and hopefully get into position. I told him to walk back to get my camera and a box of shells, then maneuver his air-cooled machine through the small amount of snow that was there and meet me at the bottom. I walked into the unknown. I didn’t know where the animals were exactly, and I didn’t know how many there actually were. Trying to keep one eye on my footing and another ahead I made it to the base of a snow hill where a lone willow stood. The muskox were out of sight, and I knew the wind was in our favor, so I decided to catch my breath and wait for Lew to arrive. He did and with careful anticipation we walked around the snow-covered base to have a look. We saw nothing at ﬁrst, but all at once the whole area opened up and there were muskox everywhere. The only thing we had in our favor was that we were on the low side of a rise and could move pretty much undetected. We were stalking our way towards

them when a cow spotted us, but she didn’t seem to care much. The herd itself was around 20 or so and the animals were to our right. They were feeding up the side of a hill. To our left was the prize we were looking for: two lone bulls feeding together and trying to catch up with the others. It was incredibly perfect. The bulls were a couple hundred yards off and moving towards the rest of the group. Lew whispered to me for us to try and make it to a large snow-covered tussock that was ahead of us about 90 yards. I was sure we would get busted, but we made it and the tussock ended up making the perfect rest. The bulls had no idea we were there. Now it was time to relax and just watch. The bulls fed along and the decision became which to take. I looked at each through the scope. It was nice actually, as it was so much different than any other hunt I had been on. Lew and I actually got to talk about it – something we rarely do – even after all the times before. Finally, I decided on the bigger-bodied bull on the left. He was an old warrior with a busted boss and looked to ﬁll the freezer quite well. Carefully aiming and accounting for the wind, I felt the recoil from the big riﬂe slam into my shoulder. The big bull was down and the ritu-

“It’s always surreal for me once I walk up to an animal I’ve taken,” Atkins writes. “I think it has something to do with the moment and how fast things go down sometimes.” (LEW PAGEL)

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com

al over. We had our muskox. It’s always surreal for me once I walk up to an animal I’ve taken. I think it has something to do with the moment and how fast things go down sometimes. For me it’s the fact that I know what I did and what I’ve got, but you’re still not 100 percent until you actually lay your hands on the animal. I always say a little prayer and thank the hunting gods for a great animal and a great opportunity once I get there. We got the bull field-dressed – which is a whole other story, especially in a hard wind on a flat surface – and loaded it into Lew’s sled for the ride home. It was 4:30, but it felt much later considering how long it had taken to get there. Plus the hunt itself felt long. We grabbed my machine and made it down just in time. The weather gods said that was enough and it decided to storm. Luckily for us we took the river back and followed the marked trail. If we hadn’t, the whiteout would have made things much more difficult. ASJ 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 surviving in the Arctic. Paul is a monthly contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal.

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aksportingjournal.com | APRIL 2019

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

APRIL 2019 | aksportingjournal.com