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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL
APRIL 2021 | aksportingjournal.com
Volume 12 • Issue 11 www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker
INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn
GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES media@media-inc.com
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles WRITERS Paul D. Atkins, Eric Booton, Bjorn Dihle, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Brian Watkins SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker WEB DEVELOPMENT/INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines
MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP 14240 Interurban Ave South • Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 (206) 382-9220 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com CORRESPONDENCE Twitter @AKSportJourn Facebook.com/alaskasportingjournal Email ccocoles@media-inc.com ON THE COVER Angler Shayna Perry celebrates her 2019 Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament victory. After the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 event, the tournament is back on and set for April 17. (HOMER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 11
PURSUING PURE VELVET Early-season hunters know there’s something special about harvesting a bull or buck still in majestic full velvet. Paul Atkins shares the highs and lows of bagging and preserving the prized antlers of coveted big game critters he’s taken during his Alaska hunting adventures.
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(PAUL D. ATKINS)
FEATURES 21
BACK TO NORMAL IN HOMER The coronavirus pandemic’s shutdown is now about a year old, and methodically life is starting to return to some normalcy as vaccines become more widely available. In 2020, the community of Homer had to make the difficult but necessary decision to cancel its popular winter king salmon tournament, but the event is back on April 17. We chatted with Brad Anderson of the Homer Chamber of Commerce about the good news and what to expect at the derby this month.
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A RIVER’S RENAISSANCE Southcentral Alaska’s Eklutna River was revered by generations of tribal fishermen as a salmon mecca. But hydroelectric projects dating to the late 1920s barred fish from reaching their spawning habitat. Now, progress is being made to restore upstream access. Eric Booton of Trout Unlimited shares what it will take for a river to run through the Eklutna’s dewatered canyon again.
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NO GUTS, NOTHING BUT GLORIOUS MEAT Preach, brother! Veteran sportsman Scott Haugen spreads the gospel of gutless field dressing, a clean, efficient method to process Alaskan moose and caribou without having to mess with internal organs, and one he uses on 90 percent of the big game he harvests. Scott shares a step-by-step guide, while in the other half of their From Field to Fire column, Tiffany Haugen features a spicy ground moose keema recipe.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 15 17 35 54
The Editor’s Note: Return of the king salmon tournament Outdoor calendar Pride of Bristol Bay: A woman’s passion for fishing, filming Bear baiting tips, part one
Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Inc. Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Inc. Publishing Group and will not be returned. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues) or $49.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Inc. Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168 or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Inc. Publishing Group, subject to availability, at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Copyright © 2021 Media Inc. Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 12
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EDITOR’S NOTE
After a one-year pandemic-related hiatus, the Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament is back on April 17, offering some comfort for those of us who look forward to such annual events. (JIM LAVRAKAS)
T
he past year’s COVID-19 pandemic lockdown cancelled a lot of plans for so many of us. But now life is somewhat returning to normal – at least the millions of vaccinations suggest such a day is coming. There are certain annual events we take for granted that I hope will be available to us again this year. As I wrote up this issue’s story on the return of the Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament and our interview with executive director Brad Anderson of the Homer Chamber of Commerce (page 21), it gave me some hope. When that 2020 tournament was postponed and then cancelled, my heart broke for the Kenai Peninsula community, which had previously staged the popular event for 26 consecutive years and was a big deal for Homer’s residents and business. But just like that, it was erased from the 2020 calendar. I’ve had so many annual moments that I looked forward to but were shot down due to COVID protocols. Each fall I take a couple flights down to California and attend college football games played by my alma mater, Fresno State. There’s a big group of us who tailgate before the games, and while a few are longtime friends who I’m regularly in touch with, I only see some others for those hours before the game, leaving little time to catch up, as I likely won’t see them again until the next game or next season. One guy, fellow Bulldog fan Tom, is a fishing fanatic who regularly heads down to Southern California for long-range ocean trips. I always make a beeline for Tom to talk fishing and I get jealous when he pulls out his cellphone and shares photos of giant yellowtail or yellowfin tuna he regularly catches. Sometimes Tom will even bring some smoked fish to nibble on among the spreads of barbecue and appetizers at the potluck parties. That camaraderie was missing last autumn when the pandemic prohibited fans at football games. So hopefully in September we’ll be safe enough to meet up again. I’m sure Tom has lots of fish pics again to brag about. So too will the great people of Homer take a bow when their big event returns on April 17. Anglers both local and from out of town will try their luck for big money and lots of prizes. But it’s so much more than that for everyone involved. It’s one of those traditions we all missed so terribly and want back. -Chris Cocoles
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Shayna Perry won the 2019 Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament grand prize with this big fish. After the event was cancelled in 2020, it’s back on for April 17. (HOMER
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)
OUTDOOR CALENDAR* April 1
Spring brown bear season opens in Game Management Unit 6D (Montague Island; North Gulf Coast) April 1 Spring brown bear season opens in GMU 8 (Kodiak/Shelikof) April 1 Last day of wolf season in several units April 9-11 Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show, Alaska State Fairgrounds, Palmer (matsuoutdoorsmanshow.com) April 17 Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament (homerwinterking.com) May 22 Start of Valdez Halibut Derby (valdezfishderbies.com) May 31 Last day of spring brown bear hunting in several units June 4-5 Homer Halibut Derby (homeralaska.org/homer- halibut-tournament) June 5-14 Valdez Halibut Hullabaloo (valdezfishderbies.com) CANCELLED FOR 2021 Yukon Quest sled dog race, Fairbanks (yukonquest.com); Great Alaskan Sportsman Show (greatalaskasportsmanshow.com); Fairbanks Outdoor Show (carlson-center.com/outdoor-show) *Check with local contacts over events that could be postponed/ cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL
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Shayna Perry celebrates her winning salmon that scored her almost $80,000 in prize money in the 2019 Homer Winter King Tournament. While last year’s derby was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s back on for 2021 and scheduled for April 17. (HOMER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)
BACK IN BUSINESS AFTER A ONE-YEAR HIATUS, HOMER WINTER KING TOURNAMENT SET FOR APRIL 17 BY CHRIS COCOLES
I
n the winter of 2020, the community of Homer was busily preparing for the 27th installment of its popular winter king salmon tournament. But then COVID-19 caught wind of the annual celebration of fishing and ruined everyone’s plans. The tournament was postponed and then ultimately cancelled for 2020. Since then the pandemic has wreaked havoc worldwide, affecting seemingly everyone in some way. But as vaccines have arrived in Alaska and signs of an impending return to normalcy are ev-
ident, the Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament is now set for April 17 and will feature a healthy dose of coronavirus safety protocols. We caught up with Brad Anderson, executive director of the Homer Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, for some details about one of Homer’s signature events on the calendar. Chris Cocoles We’re so glad you’re able to put on the 2021 Homer Winter King Tournament. How exciting is it for you to be able to get this going again?
Brad Anderson We are so thrilled to be able to bring back the tournament after such a difficult year. Not only is this a
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making adjustments early in the year.
After the one-year hiatus, the Homer community is excited to get anglers back in town – while following pandemic protocols – for the 27th edition of the winter king salmon tournament. (HOMER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)
time when Alaskans get out and enjoy the beautiful fishing waters of Kachemak Bay, but for the community it is a symbolic event that says winter is behind us and summer is around the corner. We decided to shift it to April 17 so we could improve the chances that we could pull it off. The vaccination rate for Homer and Alaska has been going extremely well, so more people are feeling better about getting out and interacting with their neighbors. April should have less chances for weather delays, so we can’t wait to see everyone again. CC And with that optimism, how frustrating was it last year – as the pandemic really became a crisis right around the time you were preparing for the tournament – that you had ultimately had to cancel this and other events? BA We know we disappointed many people with last year’s decision, but we really had no choice. It had been running for 26 22
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consecutive years, so it was very hard to break that successful track record. We tried to shift the date but ran into conflicts with Easter and the COVID situation was not showing signs of improving. So many of our area businesses benefit from all the people coming into Homer for this event, it was hard not to see how it was having a direct impact on their businesses and employees. CC Obviously, so many communities struggled in 2020 with COVID-19, but how difficult was it in Homer to cancel the tournament, which is such a big event and draws so many visitors? BA The Winter King Tournament drew around 1,400 anglers and 400 boats to the last event in 2019. That generates a lot of economic activity, so when you remove that from a time of the year when business is typically very slow, it has an impact. But most businesses had signs of what was developing and started
APRIL 2021 | aksportingjournal.com
CC Tell us about the planning that went into putting on this 2021 event, which is later on the calendar on when the tournament usually falls. BA First off, we wanted to make sure we had every chance to make the event happen this year. We knew COVID was still going to play a factor on what we would be allowed to do and how comfortable people would be with having this event in the community. So the committee first worked on what modifications would be necessary to deal with those factors. Our healthcare contacts felt that if we were able to move into April, that the vaccine would be broadly available by that point and that weather would make it easier to have the events in more spacious outdoor areas. But we had to also consider that after April 1, the king salmon regulations kick in and the fish caught would go towards the anglers’ annual limit. So we had to weigh the pros and cons of a March date and an April date. The April 17 date had many more pros for this year, so that became our new date, but for this year only. It will return to the third Saturday in March again in 2022. CC What are some of the details you can share about what to expect on April 17 in Homer? Are you anticipating a big turnout? BA For the previous 26 years, we had a continued growth in registrations as the event gained in popularity and the prize money got bigger. We are expecting a smaller turnout this year, but it will attract enough people to keep the prize amounts at strong levels. We have added elements to our tournament website (homerwinterking.com), so now in addition to registering for the tournament, you can also add in the boat side (pot) tournaments. This is another great way to improve your chance of winning some big money from this tournament. We are moving the event area over to a larger section of Homer Harbor so we can allow for more social distancing and better use of outdoor areas. Each registered boat will get a free night of mooring in Homer Harbor, either Friday or Saturday night; you will get free boat launching and free parking.
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CC What kind of impact will the later date have on this year’s event? Perhaps the potential for better weather? BA April should allow for better weather with a reduced chance the tournament will have a weather delay. In April, many of our longtime fishermen say there will be larger kings in the ocean waters around the bay, so we might see some record-sized fish caught this year. CC You list the COVID-19 protocols on your website, but can you give the rundown on them and the importance of everyone staying safe and healthy? BA We will be abiding by the most updated state COVID and CDC guidelines, and we have healthcare professionals that we are consulting with to make it as safe as possible. All of the tournament registration process and side tournaments can now be done online at homerwinterking.com, so people will not have to gather in the usual large numbers at the chamber office to register in person. All of our event activities will take place outdoors. We have moved the public event elements into larger spaces so we can
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keep non-related groups of people separated. We are asking people to wear face coverings when they are in areas where others might be. We will have face coverings available for anyone who forgot theirs, and there will be numerous hand-sanitizing stations. All staff and tournament officials will be using face coverings. CC Can you break down some of the cash/prizes and sponsor information for the Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament? BA The amount of the cash prizes will be determined by the number of anglers in the tournament. Seventy percent of the registration and side tourney money goes back out as cash prizes. In 2019, we handed out over $171,000 in total prize money, with the top winning king earning nearly $80,000. We offered an early prize drawing for a $500 Bass Pro Shop/ Cabela’s gift card for those participants who registered by March 21. We will be handing out thousands of dollars in hourly prize packages during the tournament. Our presenting sponsor is Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware, which has been with the
APRIL 2021 | aksportingjournal.com
tournament since its beginning 27 years ago. Other sponsors include the UPS Store, The Kachemak Gear Shed, Muslow & Agnew LLC, Homer Port & Harbor, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. CC Finally, it’s hopeful now that we’ll be able to get back to normal later this year, but how great will it be for morale to have this tournament back in Homer after having to cancel last year? BA The Homer Winter King Tournament has been happening for 27 years, so there is a strong history to this event. The Homer community is very excited to have public events like this start to return once again, and the local businesses are looking forward to welcoming visitors once again. Having this event kick off the 2021 season will give a big morale boost to Homer and we can’t wait to share our beautiful town with our friends once again. People can find more information about the event and register at homerwinterking.com and follow us on the Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament Facebook page (@HomerWinterKingSalmonTournament). ASJ
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WHEN A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT AGAIN: EKLUTNA ALLIES EYE NEXT STEP TO THE RETURN OF SALMON
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APRIL 2021 | aksportingjournal.com
BY ERIC BOOTON
T
hree years ago, the Eklutna River garnered national recognition because of the removal of an abandoned dam that was blocking salmon migration from Cook Inlet to their historic spawning habitat upstream. With any luck, 2021 will be another monumental year for Southcentral Alaska’s Eklutna when, for the first time in 66 years, a second upstream hydroelectric project will intentionally allow water to flow down the river. For decades, miles of the Eklutna – a historic salmon stream – have run dry. Devoid of water and devoid of fish, the streambed has been left to the whims of encroaching vegetation. A salmon stream without water. It’s an odd conundrum, isn’t it?
SACRED SALMON WATERS
Removing an old dam on the lower Eklutna River in 2018 was the first step in a bid to return salmon to the dewatered stream northeast of Anchorage. (RYAN PETERSON)
Traditionally known as Idlughetnu, the Eklutna River is the namesake of the Native village of Eklutna. For millennia the river’s salmon nourished village residents and strengthened deep cultural ties to the area. But in 1929, the tribe’s deeprooted ties to the river and its valuable salmon resources were compromised by the construction of the first in a series of hydroelectric development projects that disrupted access to critical habitat for spawning fish, diverted the river’s entire flow out of the watershed, and tipped the scales of the area’s fragile ecosystem. Put simply, the river’s spigot was shut off, halting the flow of water and cutting off rich and productive Eklutna Lake from Cook Inlet and the sea. When the water abruptly stopped flowing, salmon stopped returning and people came instead. Today, the Eklutna River Valley is a favorite of residents in the Anchorage and Wasilla area who frequent Eklutna Lake Campground in Chugach State Park, where outdoor recreation abounds year-round. Alaskans are intimately familiar with the trails, peaks, and inspiring vistas, but wild salmon in the upper reaches of the Eklutna River are a distant memory. Few of the visitors attracted to the
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area’s offerings are knowledgeable of its history, the impaired condition of the river, and the opportunity to restore salmon to this once-vital river.
UNBLOCKING SALMON WATERS
The clash between dams and salmon is nothing new and is easily understood: When you block access to habitat important to any species, it will falter. The impacts dams have had on the diminishing health of fisheries throughout the Lower 48 is staggering and has spurred a growing trend of removing troublesome barriers. So far, the results of efforts to liberate rivers constrained by concrete and steel have been encouraging and measurable. When given a fighting chance, salmon are resilient and will return. The resurgence of the Elwha River in Washington, where a dam removal and rebound shined a spotlight on the positive outcomes that
are possible, has become well known amongst wild fish advocates and was a direct inspiration for many Alaskans to take aim at the abandoned lower Eklutna dam. With the lower dam now removed, a 61-foot-high concrete excuse no longer looms. Access to the upper river has been granted. Now, returning water to the river and restoring access to Eklutna Lake for fish are top priorities for bringing this river back to life. Of course, water in Eklutna Lake is spoken for. While 90 percent of the water is diverted to fuel the waiting turbines at the Eklutna Power Plant, those turbines contribute less than 5 percent of the electricity to the grid before being released at the Eklutna Tailrace and into the Knik River. The remaining 10 percent of the water accounts for roughly 90 percent of the Municipality of Anchorage's fresh
water supply. Zero water makes it down the river channel to maintain the health of the downstream fisheries and ecosystem, leaving salmon to struggle.
HOW TO FIX A PROBLEM
Conveniently, the window for change is opening at this very moment. The owners of the remaining Eklutna Hydropower Project have an obligation to mitigate – make up for – the project’s impact on fish and wildlife, and have initiated the process for determining what changes are necessary. Studies are being developed and implemented to provide a deeper understanding of the river, fish habitat and ways the water could be managed to allow salmon and trout to recolonize the Eklutna and once again return in abundance. As part of these studies, a series of brief and controlled events are being
The next stage is to better mitigate the Eklutna Hydropower Project, which draws off 90 percent of the river’s water at Eklutna Lake. “Studies are being developed and implemented to provide a deeper understanding of the river, fish habitat and ways the water could be managed to allow salmon and trout to recolonize the Eklutna and once again return in abundance,” author Eric Booton of Trout Unlimited writes. (RYAN PETERSON) 28
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planned to allow water to flow down the natural channel this fall to collect data that will help better understand the impacts of future streamflows, steps we can take to restore the river and what might be necessary for salmon to return. These study flows won’t be enough to bring back salmon by themselves, but the results from the studies will help identify ways the project owners can fulfill their obligation to make up for the project’s negative impacts.
HELPING A GOOD CAUSE There is a solution to this problem, and Alaskans can be a part of it. Learn more about the removal of the abandoned dam on the Eklutna and the restoration of the Eklutna River at eklutnariver.org, and voice your support for a river in need at eklutnariver.org/get-involved. ASJ
The Eklutna Valley’s salmon were vital for nearby Native villages for generations, and with efforts to return water to its river, fish may one day be again to the region’s residents. (LISA HUPP/USFWS)
Editor’s note: Eric Booton is the Eklutna Project Manager for Trout Unlimited’s Alaska Program. Go to tu.org/tu-programs/ alaska for more information.
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CONNECTING BAY, ITS FISH WITH THE WORLD FROM FISHING TO FILMS, ERIN RANNEY’S HEART BELONGS TO THE BRISTOL WATERSHED AND TELLING ITS STORY BY BJORN DIHLE
E
rin Ranney might be best described as a force of nature for nature. When she was 13 years old, she began working on a setnet operation in the Egegik district in Bristol Bay. Erin fished alongside her aunt, who is a year older than her, and she did her best to shoulder all the responsibilities that came her way. Erin had already been to fish camp
near Yakutat when she was very young, but Bristol Bay was another beast entirely. “It was full on,” Erin said.
FAMILY’S FISHING LEGACY Erin is a third-generation Bristol Bay commercial fisherwoman. Her grandpa has fished all over Alaska and retired from the bay just this last year. Her stepgrandma still fishes the bay. Erin’s dad
began setnetting in the Egegik district when he was just 13, buying a site just a mile from where Erin’s is today. During one of his first seasons, he caught over 50,000 pounds of sockeye by himself and bought a wooden Bryant drift boat and permit. Later, he used the money he made from fishing to earn a college degree in biology. Both her parents – her mother also has a degree in biology
Erin Ranney, here with sockeye salmon caught at her setnet site in the Egegik district of Bristol Bay, has endeared herself to the lifestyle in this corner of Alaska. (ERIN RANNEY) aksportingjournal.com | APRIL 2021
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– imparted their love of the natural world, their work ethic and their commitment to conservation in Erin and her siblings. “Growing up, everything was a biology and science lesson. My parents taught that if you’re going to take something from nature, you should protect nature and make things better for the next generation,” she said. “Eventually all my siblings, aunts and some grandparents all fished on the same beach. No internet, no phone – the lack of connection to the outside world really made us close. Fish camp is a really cool way to grow up.”
A HARD WORKER Commercial fishing also offered Erin the means to gain financial independence at an early age. After earning a scholarship for her undergraduate degree in wildlife ecology, she was able to use her savings from fishing to pursue her dream career. She had watched Travis Rummel and Ben Knight’s Red Gold, a documentary about Bristol Bay and the proposed Pebble Project (vimeo.com/402799329). She was impressed with the film’s effectiveness in helping people to care about the future of Bristol Bay. Erin had an epiphany: “I could spend eight years writing a paper that not many people may read, but I realized I could use visual images to share these scientific findings and conservation messages.”
Working as a setnetter harvesting the fertile salmon runs has been a big part of Ranney’s family in the Bristol Bay fishing cosmos. (MARY CATHARINE MARTIN)
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BEHIND THE CAMERA She enrolled in a wildlife documentary production master’s degree program in England. Afterward, she returned to Bristol Bay and apprenticed with gator-wrestling and king salmon-whispering wildlife camera operator Mark Emery (Alaska Sporting Journal, February 2021). Since then, she’s worked on films with National Geographic, BBC, PBS and other big networks. Erin keeps busy in the wildlife film industry but, regardless of how enticing a potential film offer, she returns each year to her setnet site in the Egegik district. Her dad and sister fish the two sites nearest her. Erin loves the lack of connection to the outside world and the community that fish camp offers. Fishing has taught her a lot she applies to her wildlife film making. “You learn that you can work in all weather, and that you can do a lot more than you might have thought you could,” Erin said.
NEXT UP: MAKING A MOVIE
“Growing up, everything was a biology and science lesson. My parents taught that if you’re going to take something from nature, you should protect nature and make things better for the next generation” says Ranney, who has become an adept photographer and camera operator for the film industry. (ERIN RANNEY)
Erin is in the process of releasing her own film. Her grandmother, Gayle Ranney, was one of the early female Alaskan bush pilots. Erin took six months off from her normal work schedule to film four different locations in the Alaskan wilds, including the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay, where her family members once had camps and fished. Many years had passed since some of these places had been used. It was a wild experience, she said, though the post-filming production work feels more difficult than the months she spent with brown bears, bugs and the often-rough weather. Erin is hoping the film will be released sometime in the next year. Her favorite species to film? Brown bear. One of her most enjoyable encounters, which she filmed for her own film, was watching two subadults that had recently been ousted by their mom and learned how to fish on their own. “Every bear is unique and they all have different personalities. I don’t think I could ever get tired of working with them,” Erin said.
FISHING FOREVER A lot of fishermen would be happy to cash out and sell their operation if they
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had another rewarding way to make a livelihood. Not Erin. She hopes to keep on fishing as long as she can. As Erin pointed out, Bristol Bay is an incredible place, and fishing is rewarding and great for studying wildlife. Erin is devoted to the salmon, brown bears and people of Bristol Bay, and to fighting to make sure they have a future. “It’s important to so many people and to wildlife. These salmon feed over 130 species,” she said. “Even if you’re never able to visit, it’s worth protecting.” ASJ Editor’s note: Pride of Bristol Bay is a free column written by Bjorn Dihle and provided by its namesake, a fisherman-direct seafood marketer that specializes in delivering the highest quality of sustainably caught wild salmon from Bristol Bay to your doorstep. For more information, go to prideofbristolbay.com.
“Eventually all my siblings, aunts and some grandparents all fished on the same beach,” Ranney says of her family’s legacy in Alaska. “No internet, no phone – the lack of connection to the outside world really made us close.”
(ERIN RANNEY)
One of Ranney’s passions is photographing the region’s iconic brown bears, which also depend on the bounty of Bristol Bay’s salmon. (ERIN RANNEY)
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THE VELVET REVOLUTION EARLY-SEASON HUNTING MEANS SPECIAL BULLS AND BUCKS, AS WELL AS KID-GLOVE CARE OF THEIR ANTLERS
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BY PAUL D. ATKINS
F
For early-season deer, caribou and moose hunters, there’s something special about harvesting an animal still in full velvet. When author Paul Atkins took this buck on Kodiak Island, its antler tips were very fragile, neccesitating careful handling of the rack. “Luckily, I was able to get him back to the local taxidermist pretty quickly,” he says. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
rom a distance, we could see the small herd working its way into the valley. They were headed south – as usual – and only stopping to feed every now and then. My hunting partner and I were out earlier in the season than usual, and the late afternoon jaunt up the river proved to be a good move on our part. It was still August, and the temperature for hunting caribou wasn’t what I would call ideal. But there were bulls. From what I could also tell they were in full velvet. I wanted a bull in velvet, but with the long walk ahead and the neverending battle with mosquitoes, it was going to have to be a big one. BACK IN THE EARLY days of my arrival in Northwest Alaska, I had a lot to learn about hunting the Arctic. The term “greenhorn” was pretty apropos back then, especially when it came to knowing where I was or the location we were hunting. I was usually traveling with someone who actually did know, so I didn’t really take the time to study or find out. I just went along and didn’t worry about it much back then. That was my first mistake; the second was my ignorance of rivers, or more specifically, places on rivers. Yes, I knew where the Noatak River was, at least up past the fish hatchery anyway. But if we were traveling up the Kobuk, it was a whole different story. After my first year of watching caribou, I became a resident, which allowed me to hunt the subsistence allotment of caribou within my unit. It was an awesome feeling, to say the least, and even more so knowing that my first outing would be with friends up the mighty Kobuk. I remember sitting in the back of the boat facing the motor (probably another reason I didn’t know where anything was), watching and waiting until we found animals or made camp. It was the first day of September, which – compared to today – was way too early to be hunting caribou. I knew if we did see animals they would probably still be in velvet, which was something I
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This guy appeared on a lake one afternoon while Atkins was on a fishing trip. The bull moose’s velvet antlers and green vegetation reveal it’s still summer – as would the many hungry mosquitoes, if you could see them. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
had never seen, except for the summer whitetails back home in the Lower 48. There were several of us on this trip, all eager to fill our tags – plus our freezers – and even though we didn’t score on that first day, the second proved more to be more lucrative. Wes saw the caribou crossing the river while rounding a bend. There were big bulls led by a few cows. We quickly made anchor and waited to see if they would come our way. As I sat there, I noticed the mosquitoes and observed how green things were, signs of the season. But would the caribou come our way or head in the other direction? Luckily, it was the former, allowing me to shoot my first caribou at 50 yards. He was big, dark bodied and had an impressive set of head gear. The cool part was that he was in full velvet. Early-season caribou and moose hunters will often find bulls that are in full velvet or at least partially covered. It is truly a spectacular sight and often considered unique. 44
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A LOT OF HUNTERS want to preserve that trophy just as they found it, but when it comes to keeping the velvet intact and not spoiling, many – like me on that first hunt – may not know exactly what to do. I do now, but I really wish I had back in those days. Antler growth is very unique and one of the fastest-growing substances known to man. Basically, velvet is a tissue that covers the antler and provides nutrients and oxygen as the bone grows. Blood flows underneath the velvet and helps produce the hard antler, resulting in the gigantic bulls and bucks we seek. The more velvet, the bigger the trophy. Many people who hunt in the early season like to take bulls in velvet, and at the same time they want to preserve it for their mount. However, there are factors that come into play when it comes to saving the velvet. First and foremost, it must remain as cool and dry as possible. This can be tough to do when it comes to dealing with Alaska weather. Late
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August and early September can be fickle and hard to forecast. I’ve seen it below freezing with snow, and also hot, dry and 80 degrees. Velvet doesn’t do well in warm temperatures, and it makes it that much worse if it’s raining. If you are lucky enough to take a bull in velvet and get it back to camp, you should first find some shade, either in a bunch of trees – if you have trees – or make a leanto using a basic tarp. Keeping the antlers from direct sunlight will help significantly. The cool night air also assists in the drying process. And it also helps if you hang your antlers upside down to let the blood drain as much as possible. When it comes to saving the velvet, be sure to handle with care. Velvet slips and in some cases the antler tips are not quite hardened, and the material will break off with the slightest bump. A hunter should get their antlers to a taxidermist as soon as possible, which probably means taking them to the nearest shop. A good rule of thumb is about 10 days max from the kill date; otherwise they begin to spoil and rot.
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“All I can say is that the bull that looked at us is what early-season – or any season – dreams are made of,” Atkins says. “An incredible caribou that is worthy of all your attention.” (PAUL D. ATKINS)
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH trying to save
velvet was a bad one. We shot several early-season bulls and had them shipped to the Lower 48 – a big mistake. When they arrived and the crate was opened, it was not a pretty sight. All was lost. Hunters who want to save a few bucks and preserve the antlers themselves can do so with a little practice and not too much effort. If this is the plan, here are a few tips and techniques to help in getting a velvet bull from the field to the trophy room.
There are basically two methods of preserving velvet antlers. One is to freeze-dry it over a long period of time. I have done this, and it works fine, but I live here in the Arctic, where the temperatures are cool and the humidity is low. I have at times brought my antlers home and placed them under my porch. After a year or so they are perfectly dried, have no odor and look great. A freezer is probably a better option
Finding early-season bulls, then waiting for them to make a mistake or move in a particular direction is the key for bagging an animal in velvet. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
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than a porch, but either way the key is to get the antlers home as quickly as possible, and keep them as cold and dry as you can. This method will eliminate the messy procedure of the second option. That second and probably most realistic way is to inject the antlers with a solution of some kind. Formaldehyde has been used a great deal in the past and still is by some. It’s a colorless gas solution that, when injected into the velvet, acts like a preservative. But this procedure can be dangerous, as formaldehyde is a poison. If you go this route, make sure you take every precaution when handling the stuff. A method that is less toxic is to apply a mixture called Velvet Tan, which comes in a bottle and can be bought at any taxidermy supply store. The process is basically the same as injecting formaldehyde. My bottom-line advice is to keep the antlers as dry and cool as possible and get them to the nearest taxidermist asap. These professionals know exactly what they’re doing and will take care of it for you. But if you’re a DIY type, you’ll need rubber gloves, safety glasses, a razor blade or knife, syringe, a paintbrush or two, and
The biggest drawbacks to hunting early are the warm weather and the bugs. If there’s no wind, make sure to have lots of bug dope and clothes suited to summer conditions. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
Seeing bulls in velvet is pretty rare these days – that is, if it’s close to where Atkins used to find them. You have to go a lot further north to find them now. (PAUL D. ATKINS) 48
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then basically follow these easy steps: 1) Make a small cut at the ends of the antler tips with the razor blade. 2) Hang the antlers upside down and let the blood drain. 3) Fill the syringe with tanning solution and, starting at the base, inject the veins in the velvet skin and continue until the solution is dripping out the bottom. 4) Let it hang overnight. 5) Brush a light layer of Velvet Tan over the antlers and then let it dry for a few hours. 6) Use a dry brush to go over the velvet and give it a uniform look. At this point, you can let it set for a while. When you're ready to have the antlers mounted, you’ll be ready to go. DURING THAT FOREVER WALK on that longago August day, the bugs were relentless as advertised, but as we climbed the steep bank and ventured across the deep
tussocks of the open tundra, I knew we would be close. I was soaked in sweat due to the unusually warm weather and could tell pretty quick that I had way too many clothes on. After finding a good vantage point we sat and glassed. The no-seeums and gnats swarmed us in their pursuit of bare skin, but there were bulls, and from what the Leicas told me, there were a couple of worthy contenders in the small group. We closed the distance a little further and set an ambush point behind a couple of low-lying spruce trees. It was close, but like clockwork the bulls passed within bow range. The big bull in the group looked like a true giant,
with mass I hadn’t seen in a while (they always do when they are in velvet). So I focused on him. At 43 yards the shot was true and the bull was mine. We took some quick pictures and I began the chore of getting him apart and on the pack frame. It took a couple of long hauls back to the boat before we were done, but it gave me time to think of what I needed to do to preserve the velvet on these antlers. With no taxidermist for 600 miles, I figured I would just put him under the porch. It worked. A mounted trophy that is in full velvet, whether it be a moose, caribou or blacktail deer, is beautiful and unique. They’re different and remind us of an
early-season hunt in the Last Frontier. Hopefully your trophy will last forever with these simple basic steps and directions. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer and author from Kotzebue, Alaska, who is a regular contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal. He’s had hundreds of articles published on big game hunting in Alaska and throughout North America and Africa, plus surviving in the Arctic. His new book, Atkins’ Alaska, is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and everywhere good books are sold. It can also be ordered through his website, paulatkinsoutdoors.com, and if you want an autographed copy, email him at paul@paulatkinsoutdoors.com.
The long stalk in extremely warm conditions proved difficult for Atkins, but when this bull in full velvet fell to his 43-yard shot, it made for an exciting and fulfilling day on the Alaska tundra. (PAUL D. ATKINS) 50
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BAITING FOR BEARS WHILE CONSIDERED UNETHICAL BY SOME, DRAWING IN BRUINS WITH SCENT IS AN EFFECTIVE, SELECTIVE HUNTING METHOD (FIRST OF TWO PARTS)
Baiting is one of hunting’s most polarizing issues, but author Brian Watkins (inset) stands by the technique of using strongly scented material to lure bears close to his tree stand. (BRIAN WATKINS)
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BY BRIAN WATKINS
B
ear baiting is a controversial form of hunting, and some will question the method’s ethics based on the principles of fair chase. I always start the discussion with the question, What is the difference between knowing of a salmon stream that a bear frequents and putting the work in to find a good spot to bait where bears live? One’s a more controlled environment with better odds of an ethical shot. I also believe you can learn more about bear behavior from finding and setting baits than walking salmon streams or berry patches in the hope of passing a bruin. Baiting bears is one of my favorite hunts. The excitement of the spring season helps me endure the long, dark winter. If you follow bear baiters, you’ll notice some are consistently successful. I happen to get lucky consistently, so I have decided to give tips and tricks that I have learned over the last decade.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Just as with hunting any other species, location is the primary factor in successful bear baiting. If you are reading this as the season is starting, you’re already behind. I will glass mountains every spring and find tracks from dens and roaming bears to hunt the following year. Bears den in the same general areas year after year. If you are itching to get out, find tracks now and narrow your search. One thing I have noticed in heavily baited areas is those who hunt further up a mountain have more success. I would assume it is because the bears are mating in the spring and the easiest route of travel is out of the brushy bottoms. Regardless, I have seen countless times where the person further up a mountain is more successful. You can also track bears like deer. Because bears will use trees to rub their coats, I try to find sappy trees and look for hair. If you find different colored hair and rub heights, then you’re in a good area. These bears are setting dominance with rubbed-up trees.
TRACKING PROWESS You also want to look for scat and tracks. Bears use the same trails repeatedly –
Finding scat or tracks – ideally, both – will help you pinpoint locations to set up your bear baiting operation. “The deeper the track, the more frequented the trail is,” Watkins writes. (BRIAN WATKINS
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even the same tracks. So, you will see staggered footprints indented in the ground. The deeper the track, the more frequented the trail is. After you have found a location that bears frequent, understanding how they use it is important. Bears like to walk along the edges of waterways. Whether it be a stream, creek or lake, they tend to stroll along the banks. Place your bait along those areas. Next you want to focus on which way the wind is blowing. Of course, wind shifts but it seems to prevail from one
direction or another. In my favorite stand, the wind always blows out of the east, so I set my bait on the east side of a stream and my stand on the west. Doing that keeps the majority of bears out of my scent trail coming in, and it also covers the noise from shifting in stand.
BE A TRAILBLAZER Cut two trails, one for your bait and one for your stand. People often ask if I stock bait when I sit. I don’t. If there is bait, bears will return. Save the baiting for at the end of a sit or wait for another day completely.
Watkins likes to use a bow and prefers to construct his tree stand at least 25 yards away from where the bait is set. “If you’re rifle hunting, go even further,” he tips. (BRIAN WATKINS) 56
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When bringing others to my site, I ensure they don’t walk around in the area more than needed. They bring new scents that could disturb the bears. Scent control is always my number one priority.
DISTANCE YOURSELF I like to bow hunt, so I place my tree stand
Watkins likes to take a look back at his tree stand from a bruin’s perspective. “If you have someone with you, put them in the tree. If you can see them definitively, it’s time to adjust.” (BRIAN WATKINS)
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25 yards away. If you’re rifle hunting, go even further. Just be sure to cut lanes to the bait site so you don’t get a ricocheted shot. I often see hunters put their stand in plain view of the bait. They look like a huge blob hanging on the side of a tree. Do not do this. You need to brush yourself in. Set up in a thick tree with a shooting lane cut out. I use a burlap sack in front of me to mask my movement. Also, look back at your stand from your bait station. If you have someone with you, put them in the tree. If you can see them definitively, it's time to adjust. That’s because your movement will stand out like a sore thumb if the area behind your stand is open to the sky. You want a backdrop so that you’re not skylined to the bears by your movement. Overall, setting up your stand in an area with bears and using these tips will increase your shots tenfold. ASJ Editor’s note: Next month, in part two of Brian Watkins’ series on bear baiting, he will detail what baits to use in your setup.
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NO GUTS, JUST GLORIOUS MEAT GUTLESS FIELD-DRESSING METHOD IS WHAT ONE BIG GAME HUNTER USES NEARLY ALWAYS, AND HERE’S HOW BY SCOTT HAUGEN
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ow is a good time to start preparing for spring and fall big game hunts, and one place to begin is with field care. Proper big game field care is an essential part of the hunt, and breaking down an animal by way of gutless field dressing is an efficient option I use 90 percent of the time. I’ve skinned hundreds of big game animals around the world – using multiple methods – and the gutless approach is my favorite, especially for animals like moose, elk and big bears in Alaska. The gutless method keeps all internal organs inside the body cavity while breaking down an animal, so be careful not to puncture the abdominal wall when skinning commences. Starting with the animal on its back is best, though not always possible with large animals or in rugged terrain.
FIRST THINGS FIRST The first cut starts at the genitals and runs under the skin, up the stomach to the brisket. If not keeping the cape for a mount, continue cutting under the hide up to the base of the neck. Next, grab a foot and insert the knife inside the knee joint. Lift and slide the blade up the inside of the leg, all the way to the center of the body, meeting the initial midsection cut. Repeat the same cut on the other three legs.
The hindquarters of big game like elk and moose (pictured here) can quickly and easily be removed via the gutless field-dressing method, allowing these large sections of meat to start cooling. (SCOTT HAUGEN) aksportingjournal.com | APRIL 2021
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FO
Smokey rubs or Indian spices can create tangy flavors for your big game meat. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
FREEZER PLEASERS: TASTY IDEAS FOR LAST BITS OF LAST FALL’S HARVEST BY TIFFANY HAUGEN
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ow is a great time to go through the freezer and make sure all your big game meat from last season doesn’t get neglected. Remember, when cooking with frozen big game meat, thaw it slowly by taking it out of the freezer and thawing it in the refrigerator. Be sure to plan ahead. While there are countless ways to cook big game from the freezer, give these two simple recipes a try. These are ones everyone in our family loves, and ones I never tire of making.
SMOKEY BARBECUE MEAT RUB
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon chili powder 3 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) If marinating meat longer than 30 minutes, always refrigerate. This is a super flavorful, sweet, smokey 62
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Southwestern rub that’s great cooked on the grill or fried up in a skillet for a hot and fast meal.
MOOSE KEEMA
Don’t be scared! Keema just means “minced meat.” Although Indian spices are used here, this recipe can be adapted to any taste. 1 pound ground moose (or any game meat) 3 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, minced Four cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger Three bay leaves One to two small green chili peppers 1 cup diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons garam masala 1 teaspoon turmeric ⅓ cup plain yogurt Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro Lemon or lime for garnish In a large skillet, caramelize onion in butter
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on medium heat, about five to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, bay leaves and peppers and continue to sauté three to five minutes. Add tomatoes and increase heat, stirring until any liquid is evaporated. Add ground moose and continue to sauté until meat is browned. Sprinkle garam masala and turmeric on meat and continue to cook for one to two minutes. Add yogurt and remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and serve over rice or noodles with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen's popular book, Cooking Big Game, send a check for $20 to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or visit scotthaugen.com for this and other titles.
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Salvaging rib meat can be done multiple ways with the gutless approach. Here, it’s been filleted off the rib bones, with each strip of meat between the ribs also being removed. All that’s left is a little clean-up. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
BE PRECISE When making cuts, keep the blade on the inside of the hide, cutting from the inside, out. Cut around the hide at each knee joint. Leave the lower legs attached for leverage while skinning the rest of the animal. The lower legs can be removed later; once the quarters are free it will lessen the weight to be packed out. Next, skin one side of the animal,
then the other. When done skinning, the entire hide will lay flat on the ground, surround the carcass and provide a clean work area. This will also get the meat cooling through heat escape. The only place the hide is now attached to is around the neck.
QUARTERING YOUR CRITTER Next, remove the four quarters. Start with
a hindquarter, as this massive muscle group needs to get cooling quickly. To remove a hindquarter, cut down the inside of the leg through the muscle, keeping the knife tight to the pelvic bone. The only blood released in this method happens now, when the femoral artery is severed. Keep cutting through muscle until contacting the ball-and-socket joint. The socket tissue is cartilaginous and can easily be cut through. Continue cutting against the pelvis to the backbone until one hindquarter is removed. Repeat on the other side. SHOULDER AND NECK REMOVAL Front shoulders are simple to remove, as there are no bone-to-bone connections. Simply lift the leg away from the carcass and cut from the underside, separating from the ribs. As you reach the scapula, take care not to cut too deep, which can compromise the backstrap. With both front legs removed, take out the backstraps. I like removing the legs before the backstrap, as the
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will need to be cut into smaller sections.
TENDER-LOVING CARE backstrap actually runs all the way from the upper portion of the neck under the scapula to the pelvis. Run the blade down each side of the spine, cutting the backstrap away from the backbone. Peel the silver skin away from the backstrap toward the ribs. Once the silver skin reaches the ribs, it won’t peel any further. Go to the hip joint and crosscut the backstrap. Grab the end of the severed backstrap, lifting and cutting all the way to the neck. Make an “L-shaped” slice with each move of the blade, from the spine to the ribs – or vice-versa – until the backstrap is free. Next, remove the neck meat. Cut down the spine, filleting one side at a time, just as you would a fish. For deer, place the neck fillet in a slow cooker and get ready for some of the best eating meat there is. Elk and moose neck fillets
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Tenderloins can be removed with the guts still in the cavity. There’s a fused section of spine that’s thin and sharp, called the finger bones. The finger bones start right behind the last rib. Slip your knife under the thin stomach muscle and cut along the finger bones. Reach your hand inside the incision, running it along the tenderloin. You can actually lift the tenderloin away from much of the spine without cutting. On tight connections, grab the knife, push the stomach away with the back of your hand, and cut the tenderloin free. All that’s left is the rib meat. If you’re saving the ribs, bone and all, simply cut the stomach muscle, pull out the internal organs, and then cut away the ribs. This is easy to do and cleaner than initially gutting an animal prior to breaking it down. Ribs can be separated from the sternum with a knife by cutting where bone meets cartilage. To break the ribs
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away from the spine on deer-sized game, score them several times with your blade, about an inch from the spine. Give a hefty push with both hands and the ribs will break away. Cut the tissues with the knife and you have half a ribcage that’s ready to cook. For elk and larger game, disarticulate ribs at the joint.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE With a sharp knife and a steel, you’re ready to field dress any big game animal in North America with the gutless method, keeping both you and the animal very clean. A 4-inch blade is plenty, and even on moose there’s no need for a bone saw or hatchet. Be sure you know Alaska’s meat salvage laws and abide by them, as they are strict, and rightly so. ASJ Editor’s note: To see the gutless method, order Scott Haugen’s popular DVD, Field Dressing, Skinning & Caping Big Game, at scotthaugen.com. The two-hour DVD features six field-dressing and three caping methods.