Alaska Sporting Journal

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ALASKA
ALASKA
SPOR
SPORTING
ORTTI NG JJOURNAL
OURNAL
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12
www.aksportingjournal.com
PUBLISHER
James R. Baker
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Dick Openshaw
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Andy Walgamott
EDITOR
Chris Cocoles
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Tom Reale
WRITERS
Paul D. Atkins, Kristyn Bablinskas, Christine

Cunningham, Scott Haugen,Tiffany Haugen, Steve
Herschbach, Jeff Lund, Bixler McClure, Steve Meyer,
Dennis Musgraves,Tom Reale
SALES MANAGER
Brian Lull
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Lee Balliet, Mamie Griffin,Karl Kukor, Mike Nelson,

Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold
DESIGNERS
Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Christina Poisal

PRODUCTION MANAGER
John Rusnak
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Heidi Belew
DISTRIBUTION
Tony Sorrentino, Gary Bickford

OFFICE MANAGER / ACCOUNTS
Audra Higgins
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Katie Sauro
INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER
Lois Sanborn
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
ads@nwsportsmanmag.com
ON THE COVER
Larry Csonka and his partner, Audrey Bradshaw,

spend about seven months out of the year in Alaska
doing what they love best: fishing and hunting.
Csonka, a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back,
hosted the outdoors show, North to Alaska, for 16
seasons. (LARRY CSONKA)
MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP

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8 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014
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MAY 2014
ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 9
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
19
The Fugitive: Alaska style

Correspondent Steve Meyer
does a lot of hunting and fishing in retirement. His professional career was as a Special
Emergency Response Team
leader. Meyer shared a memorable crisis he and his group
were called to, when two dangerous inmates escaped from
the Spring Creek Correction
Center in Seward.
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12
46
Life Is A Highway
The Alaska Highway meanders its
way from British Columbia through
the Yukon Territory and eventually
to its final destination in Delta Junction, Alaska, roughly 1,400 miles
from its starting point in Dawson
Creek, B.C. We start our three-part
series with a leisurely drive through
giant golf balls, an iconic Canadian
donut empire and pristine mountain
lakes in Canada.
70
Zonk Power
Just the name, Larry Csonka,
spelled F-O-O-T-B-A-L-L. And one
of the most productive running
backs of the 1970s proved that in a
Pro Football Hall of Fame career.
As he was winning Super Bowls for
the Miami Dolphins, Csonka
dreamed of fishing and hunting in
Alaska. He made that a second career, and now has a new home in
The Last Frontier.
92
Valdezs Plentiful Salmon Bounty

Our fish-a-holic, Dennis Musgraves, took on the waters off
Valdez with his crew from Alaskan
Salmon Slayers. As Musgraves reports, the silvers were on a major
bite an easy boat ride out of the
Valdez harbor.
59
121 The Bear Hunt Sail

Krystin Bablinskas and Bixler McClure were enjoying a leisurely trip
on their sailboat, the Carpe Ventos,
with friends off the Seward coast.
But it was also the spring bear hunting season. When something furry
was spotted on the shoreline,
Krystin and Bixler excused themselves, got into their dinghy, and
headed ashore to chase a black
bear.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

13
17
29
35
YUKONS WILD ANIMAL VET

A reality show about a veterinarian? Not exactly Jersey Shore-style drama in most
places. But in the wilderness of the Yukon Territory and neighboring Alaska? Now,
were talking. Meet Dr. Michelle Oakley, whose patients are far more than dogs
and cats. A new National Geographic Channel show, Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet, explores her stories of doing treatment on bald eagles, bears and an unruly muskox,
among plenty of other species. And as our profile shows, Oakleys patients include
elephants, wolves and bison. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
82
103
113
137
147
156
The Editors Note

The Dishonor Roll: Drone hunting
banned
Cabelas comes to Anchorage
The beginner's guide to
gold panning
Dry fly trout tales
From Field to Fire: King salmon
tactics
Changes in halibut regulations
Remembering a youngsters first
moose hunt
Hunting out of a backpack
Loose ends: Bathroom humor at
sea
Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues) or $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order
to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus tax. Copyright 2014 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.
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EDITORS NOTE
knew I was in for a treat when Pro Football Hall of Famer and
Alaska outdoors guru Larry Csonka called about 40 minutes
after he was scheduled to and apologized for his tardiness,
though he certainly didnt have to.
Coach (Don) Shula would chew out my ass for being so late,
Csonka said of his fellow Hall of Famer and boss during a stellar pro
career, most of it with the NFLs Shula-coached Miami Dolphins.
But thats Larry Csonka in one sentence; hes always seemed like
a no-nonsense, whatyou-see-is-what-you-get
type, a perfect allegory
for the Alaska way:
tough, resilient, no excuses. It was that way on
the football field, where a
hard-nosed kid from
small-town Ohio with a
stop in upstate New York
as part of the 1960s assembly line of elite college running backs
produced at Syracuse
University became a
beloved blue-collar star
and two-time Super
Bowl-champion in tony Larry Csonka spent the bulk of his
south Florida.
Pro Football Hall of Fame career
He splits his time with the Miami Dolphins.
(LARRY CSONKA/NFL)
among a Lisbon, Ohio,
farm, an Oak Hill, Fla., property (near Daytona Beach), and the
home he and partner Audrey Bradshaw recently moved into
around Wasilla, north of Anchorage.
Guess where Larry Csonka seems most at home?
We spend seven months-plus in Alaska, so that tells you
something, he said in late March just before he and Audrey
planned to head north. We wont be coming back (down to the
Lower 48) until about middle or late October.
If you like fun stories, youll enjoy our profile of Csonka in this
issue. He relayed plenty of anecdotes in the time we chatted, and
by the end I wish we had extra time to talk Alaska, filming 16 seasons of his outdoors TV show, North to Alaska (he wrapped a final
season last year), more on the NFL days. We didnt discuss his
work with charities such as the Outdoor Dream Foundation, which
provides children with life-threatening illnesses a chance to fulfil
fishing or hunting adventures. I didnt even get to ask him about his
cameo role as a U.S. Navy commander in one of my favorite World
War II movies, Midway, plus that stint as an analyst on the 1990s
cult show, American Gladiators.
But Csonka provided plenty of great material. And we promise
not to tell Don Shula about his delay in calling. Chris Cocoles
MAY 2014
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ALASKA DREAM PROPERTIES FOR SALE
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Bear hunting season in the spring is

done in style for hunters Bixler
McClure and Krystin Bablinskas,
whose sailboat, the Carpe Ventos,
in many instances will spot bears on
the shoreline around Seward during
hunting season. (BIXLER MCCLURE)
ADFG WISELY BANS

HUNTING WITH DRONES
BY CHRIS COCOLES
he rise of the machines will no longer be in vogue for
Alaskan hunters. The seven members of Alaska Board of
Game met in Anchorage in mid-March and approved a
measure that will ban the use of remote-controlled contraptions
the cool kids call these devices drones for the use of hunting
big game.
What took them so long? Isnt the whole point of the idea of
hunting: to find a moose, a Sitka blacktail or an upland bird like
the ptarmigan, the old-fashioned way? Do you really want the
thrill of a hunt with your son or dad or buddy enhanced by some
sci-fi piece of technology?
Call it a return to the old school of hunting with just your own
sense of vision to find game.
Under hunting regulations, unless it specifically says that
its illegal, youre allowed to do it, Alaska Wildlife Troopers
captain Bernard Chastain told the Anchorage Daily News. What
happens a lot of times is technology gets way ahead of regulations, and the hunting regulations dont get a chance to catch up
for quite a while.
Maybe its just me, but theres something remotely unfair
about not hunting au natural and relying on gimmicks to help
make it easier to gun down whatever species youre in search
of. By July 1, such a new law prohibiting such tactics will become
official in Alaska.
Other people dont have a fair opportunity to take game if
somebody else is able to do that, Chastain told the newspaper.
On the biology side, if you make it too easy to take animals, then
theres not an opportunity for everybody else out there, because
they can only allow so many animals to be taken.
We have a winner. Hunting is called sport for a reason. Theres
supposed to be a human element to the whole idea of hunting. Most
major sports, with or without the instant replay and coach/
manager/player challenges that have become a part of hockey, baseball, basketball and tennis, still have actual flesh-and-blood men and
women paid to call penalties, determine whether balls are deemed
fair or foul, or if forehands land inside the service line.
A tip of the camouflage cap to the Board of Game; you had the
common sense to leave the Alaska hunting to the man or woman
with the weapon, not some distant cousin to Hal 9000. ASJ
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
ALASKA FISHING AND HUNTING INFORMATION
May 1-31: Big game draw permits available
ALASKA FISHING DERBIES

May 15-Sept. 15: Homer Halibut Derby, Homer, homerhalibutderby.com
May 17-Aug. 31: Halibut Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com
May 24-26: Sitka Salmon Derby, Sitka, (970) 747-6790
June 13-June 22: Slamn Salmn Derby, Ship Creek, Anchorage, downtownsoupkitchen.org
June 13-June 22: Halibut Hullaballoo, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com
July 19-Aug. 31: Silver Salmon Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com
Aug. 8-10: Golden North Salmon Derby, Juneau, goldennorthsalmonderby.org
Aug. 9: Womens Silver Salmon Fish Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com
Aug. 10-18: Silver Salmon Derby, Seward, sewardchamber.org
If you have an upcoming event youd like added to the calendar, contact editor Chris Cocoles at ccocoles@media-inc.com.
MAY 2014
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The fugitives:
Loose in alaska
THE HUNT FOR TWO
ESCAPED PRISONERS
BY STEVE MEYER
he 10 p.m. beep of my Special Emergency Response Team pager brought a smile to my face
and an immediate increase in heart rate. That
little sound meant employment! Rural SERT
teams, SWAT teams, or whatever else you
want to call them, dont receive as many callouts as
their urban counterparts. So any noise from the pager
is welcomed.
This particular call was for the specific reason our
team was originally formed: because of escaped prisoners from the Spring Creek Correctional Center in
Seward, Alaska. Spring Creek was built in the late
1980s specifically to house the many maximum security prisoners the state had been housing in federal
penitentiaries for many years.
Spring Creek is surrounded by wilderness, with the
only access to civilization a two-lane winding road that
leads to the community of Seward some 5 miles away. Our
team was originally named the Tracking Team, and formed to respond to an escape in whatever manner the situation required.
The surrounding terrain at Spring Creek is composed of steep mountain slopes, perhaps the only prison in the country where inmates can observe mountain goats and black bears from the prison yard. In fact, a
correctional officer who was on the firing range at Spring Creek had shot
a black bear crossing the range a number of years earlier. Our team was
prepared to climb mountains, spend nights in severe weather and do
whatever else it took to stay on the track of an escaped prisoner.
WE HEADED OUT the 90 miles from Soldotna to Seward some 20
minutes after the call, and the windshield was pelted by snowflakes the
size of half dollars. The March squall made the usual 100 mph response
speeds ill-advised. The police radio announced roadblocks had been
set on the Seward and Sterling Highways, as well as immediately outside of Seward.
Derek DeGraff of the Alaska Bureau of

Investigation, Anchorage District, leads a stack into
the Fort Richardson shoothouse complex. Although
Special Emergency Response Team members
urban response tactics are similar to their military
counterparts, SERT tactics are adapted for civil
police operations. (ARCTIC WARRIOR TROOPERS)
MAY 2014
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SERT responders in Alaska need to be prepared for all

possible weather conditions. (ARCTIC WARRIOR TROOPERS)
When we arrived at the prison around

11:30 p.m., a briefing informed us that the
two prisoners had little to lose. They were
both doing life for murder, one a rather
heinous stabbing of a family member, and,
the other, a killing, dismembering, burning
and stuffing in an ice hole in the Chena
River in Fairbanks of an individual who was
believed responsible for the rape of the escapees girlfriend. It left little doubt as to
the mindset of the pair.

The trail was cold by then. There was little in the way of information that led in any
specific direction, so we were essentially
and literally shooting in the dark. Going
house-to-house, structure-to-structure,
from the prison to the town of Seward, we
were greeted primarily by sleepy-eyed folks
who had no idea anything significant had
happened in the community.
But one trailer home we came upon,

with a front door ajar at 2:30 a.m. with
fresh tracks in the snow on the porch,
showed promise. There was no response
from the trailer after a knock and announce, which, given the circumstances,
demanded an entry be made.
In the world of special operation-type
law enforcement teams, the entry is at the
top of the list of reasons operators are willing to make the sacrifices team membership
requires. Entering an area where there is a
real possibility that another human being (or
several) may be lying in wait to do you harm
is right up there with great sex, hunting dangerous game and awesome wingshooting
for those who choose this vocation.
Speaking solely for myself, I have often
thought it comical when special team folks
are referred to as heroes. When one is delighted at the prospect of going into
harms way, its hard to think that person
is being heroic. Addicted to adrenalin for
sure; but not a hero by any stretch.
Press checking my Colt Government
Model .45 and my select-fire Colt
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XM177E2, an 11.5-inch barreled version of the M16, we stacked on the

door. The squeeze on the back of my
left leg told me everyone was ready
and we burst into the trailer. But we
found nothing.
We cleared the living room,
kitchen, bathroom and one bedroom
in seconds, and then we blew into
the last room in the trailer and terrified the owner of the trailer, who had
been blissfully sleeping through all
the preceding events. The reason for
our impromptu entry into his home
was explained and apologies for his
inconvenience were made. (But evidently the terror invoked was not
easily forgotten as the individual
later sued the State of Alaska Department of Public Safety for the suffering our invasion into his home had
supposedly produced.)
The only information and lead
that had circulated was a residential
burglary in Seward, where the among
the few items taken were an orange
Page 22
Mike Henry is a
member of the
Alaska Wildlife
Troopers Special
Emergency
Response Team,
which like the
author did before
retiring, is called
into emergency
situations when
necessary.
(ARCTIC WARRIOR
TROOPERS)
tent and some .22 rimfire cartridges.

A second SERT team from Palmer arrived to allow our team to get some
sleep before pressing on into another
night of searching for the two fugitives. It had been determined the two
men had escaped the prison by cutting through the fence in a previously
undetected blind spot that allowed
them the time to do so.
The discovery of their absence
and the subsequent roadblocks was
believed to have eliminated their departure from Seward via the road
system, likely leaving them still in the
area. We had made arrangements to
sleep at an empty apartment generously provided by a local citizen, and
we were just getting ready for a nap
when the call came in that an orange
tent had been spotted on the slopes
of Mount Marathon. Having ran the
Mount Marathon race several times
by then, I was very familiar with the
terrain and remembered thinking,
What in the hell would two escaped
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MAY 2014
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The author says SERT

team members most look
forward to the adrenaline
rush of entering an emergency situation. (ARCTIC
WARRIORS TROOPERS)
prisoners be doing on Marathon?

Months later I got the answer.
By the time we had mobilized and
reached the base some 1,800 vertical feet
below the tent site, the helicopter pilot announced on the radio that two men had
left the tent and were coming downhill directly towards our location. From there it
was rather anticlimactic. The two escapees simply walked down the mountain
and surrendered themselves. A trooper
teammate and I took the two back to
Spring Creek, and I was able to have a
somewhat interesting conversation with
the two very drunken convicts.
I asked: So let me get this straight, you
guys broke out of a maximum security
prison to get drunk and go camping? Their
response was their getaway ride out of
town didnt show up, so they just wandered around and decided they would disappear on the mountain. They said when
the helicopter spotted them they knew
they were caught and figured they may as
well drink the whiskey they had stolen from
the residence where they got the tent.
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MAY 2014
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It was rather comical when I said, Being you guys were doing
life it seems like you would have at least tried for some female
companionship during your brief stint of freedom. One replied,
We dont know anyone here, so that would have meant a rape
and I am not a rapist!
SERT MISSIONS ARE considered successful when there are no
casualties beyond what the original event that precludes a callout, were incurred. No one was hurt and the two escaped murderers were back in custody less than 24 hours after their escape.
Several months after the escape, I had the opportunity to talk
with one of the escapees while he was in Kenai standing trial. I
had wondered about the .22 rimfire ammunition after it was not
found on them, and there were no firearms found, so I asked if
they had taken the .22 shells and if they had a gun they were planning to use. He told me they had taken the shells because they
knew they were not going to get out of Seward undiscovered and
thought they would build a fire at their camp. When the SERT
team came to get them they would throw the shells in the fire and,
of course, there would be return fire and they would go out in a
blaze of glory like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Murderer or not, he got a point from me for that sentiment. ASJ
Editors note: The author is now retired and is a regular contributor to
Alaska Sporting Journal. Look for another story on his SERT experiences in a future issue.
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Its not Alaska

without one of the
ubiquitous floatplanes needed for
transportation in a
state where many
locals are as familiar
with flying as they
are driving to get
around.
AN ALASKAN TOUCH,
e
l
y
t
s
s
a
l
e
b
a
C
WALRUS, SALMON, FLOATPLANE DECOR HIGHLIGHTS NEW STORE

STORY AND PHOTOS BY TOM REALE
ANCHORAGEThe first casino I ever entered was the Circus Circus in Las Vegas,
and it was an overwhelming sensory experience lights flashing, bells ringing, trapeze artists overhead swinging; in other
words: the full catastrophe of chaos.
Going into the new Anchorage Cabelas
store wasnt quite as stunning, but, in its
own way, its just as impressive.
The stores opening date was set at
April 10, but a lucky few media types got
a sneak preview a couple of weeks ahead
of time. Except for a very few spots, the

place looked ready for primetime, with
staff training and final prep taking place
until the doors opened to the public.
For most sporting folks in the Lower 48,
chancesaretheres alreadya Cabelaswithin
driving distance. For Alaskans, however, this
is something completely new and unique.
While we have a couple of big box sporting
goods stores up here already, theres nothing to compare to seeing the full-on presentation that the Nebraska retailer presents.
For those few of you who havent ventured into a Cabelas store, suffice it to
say that its an experience. The outside

faade is dark wood with some exposed
beams, natural-looking rock walls at the
base, lots of glass and a dark green metal
roof, the total effect resembling a highend hunting lodge.
Once inside the main entrance, youll
encounter a pair of taxidermied bull moose
locked in eternal battle, and if you look up,
youll see a pair of beluga whales. These
animals set the taxidermy tone for the first
Alaska store in the chain while there are
a few Outside animals on display, the
overall theme of the place is Alaska,
MAY 2014
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Above: Prince William Sounds various fish

and bird species are represented with
salmon, halibut, rockfish and even a
salmon shark to give the store part of its
uniquely Alaskan identity. Below: Lake Iliamna, near Bristol Bay, is one of many geographic locations featured in the new store.
A pair of beluga whales holding court over shoppers browsing

through the stores variety of apparel, gear and gadgets.
A majestic brown bear linked

with a salmon thats such a staple
of the formers diet out in the wild.
You get the feeling Cabelas Sidney, Neb., headquarters

hadnt previously considered much of a need to have a
walrus display in its other 51 stores across North America. But the walrus twins are a perfect fit in Anchorage.
Alaska, and more Alaska.

As you proceed down the main aisle
towards the back of the store and the
mountain replica on the back wall, up near
the ceiling are dioramas of walrus, polar
bears, Dall sheep, musk ox, and black and
grizzly bears. On the back wall flanking
the suspended 1946 J3 Cub are more Dall
sheep, along with mountain goats, wolves
and caribou. The aquarium underneath
the mountain has local freshwater fish as
well, although the northern pike were noticeably absent. Wonder why.
Elsewhere around the store, there are
large exhibits on the walls showing underwater dioramas of the denizens of Prince
William Sound, the Kenai and Kobuk
Rivers, and Lake Iliamna. Above the shoe
The stores Gun Gallery

collection is impressive.
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MAY 2014
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department is a clever display of brown

bears, with one of them reaching down to
grab a bright red sockeye salmon.
Other aerial displays show flights of
ducks and geese setting their wings to
land, and there are maps and photos of
some of the crown jewels of the Alaska
State Park system on the walls. The overall effect of the use of available wall and
display space is very nicely done. No
matter where you are in the store, theres
Alaskas first Cabelas store opened in

April in Anchorage, and it has a distinct,
only-in-Alaska spin to it.
something visually interesting to look at

as you stand and ponder whether or not
you should drop your entire PFD check on
a boatload of shiny new gear.
The merchandise on the shelves and
racks is pretty standard recreational gear
loads of fishing tackle, hunting and
camping gear, clothing for all outdoor occasions, etc. However, the developers
have made a real effort to Alaskanize the
inventory as much as possible. Theyve
used a variety of local vendors to supply
as much Alaska essentials as possible,
ranging from bear bait to moose calls to
halibut gear obtained locally. In addition
theyre serving up delicacies from Indian
Valley Meats in the Flattop Caf on site.
Their hiring practices are decidedly
local as well. The store will employ approximately 275 people, and of that number,
only two will have been brought up from
the Lower 48. Thats an impressive local
hire percentage for a major national chain.
One section of the store thats sure to appeal to the Alaska hunting and fishing ethic
is the area with food preparation gear. Up
here the primary reason most of us go afield

is to put meat and fish on the table, and this
store has enough on hand to supply whatever food prep and preservation techniques
you can imagine. There are smokers and dehydrators and vacuum packers, meat slicers
and canning supplies, and flavored wood
chips and sauces. All told, its a truly impressive array of whatever it takes to convert fish
and game into table fare.
If youve visited a Cabelas store Outside, the Anchorage store will be at once
familiar and unique. For Alaskans, the place
will be a 100,000-square-foot playground
to be visited time and again. Whether or
not their success spells doom for the other
big boxes or for the small specialty outdoors stores will be interesting to watch.
Either way, it will be a force to be reckoned
with in the 49th state. ASJ
Editors note: The new Anchorage Cabelas
store is located at the intersection of Minnesota Drive and C Street on the south side
of town. For more information, call (800)
237-4444 or go to cabelas.com.
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STRIKE
GOLD
S
A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GOLD PANNING

BY STEVE HERSCHBACH
trike it rich! Many people would

like to find a little gold. To find gold,
a beginner needs nothing more
than a gold pan and some basic tools.
The best way to learn how to pan for
gold is to first get the right kind of gold
pan. The steel gold pans of old are still
made, but most actual miners and
prospectors these days use plastic gold
pans. The colored plastic pans show the
gold better than the shiny surface of a
A gold panner gets up close and personal

in a stream hoping to strike it rich. Very few
tools are needed to look for gold, but searching
for the prized substance takes some patience
and tedious steps. (STEVE HERSCHBACH)
MAY 2014
4/16/14
7:44 PM
steel pan, and plastic pans can be molded

with cheater riffles that make it easier
to pan and still not lose the gold.
In general green is considered one of
the best colors for a gold pan, as it contrasts well both with the gold and the
sand from which the gold is being liberated. A 14-inch gold pan is about the right
size for most adults, while most children
would probably be better served with a
10-inch pan.
In good hands, the pan is one of the
most efficient devices available for gold recovery. There is some skill involved in gold
panning, however, and the big mistake
most people make is in not learning how
to pan before going out for the first time.
Find a tub large enough to move the
pan around inside the tub. Obtain a few
flakes of gold, or lacking gold, and use a
small flattened lead shot. The gold or lead
flakes should be about 116 inch in diameter
or smaller. Fill the tub with water, and fill
the pan level to about 1 inch short of the
top with sand, gravel, and small rocks.
Some actual stream gravels are best.
Page 36
Carefully count out a number of lead or

gold pieces and push them into the material in the pan. This is the key thing about
this process. It is necessary to start with
a known number of pieces in order to
gauge how well the panning process is
going. Ten flakes is a good number to use.
THERE ARE LOTS of ways to pan, but all
that is important is getting rid of that sand
and gravel while keeping those sample
pieces. Submerge the pan just below the
surface of the water, and allow the water
to soak into the material. It may be necessary to stir the material up somewhat to
wet all the material in to pan. Pick out any
larger rocks at this time. Then shake the
pan vigorously side to side and front to
rear, all the while keeping it just under the
water and basically level.
The goal is to get all the material in the
pan moving vigorously and very soupy.
The gold or lead is much heavier than an
equal size piece of sand, and so with all the
material moving around the test samples
will quickly sink to the bottom of the pan.
The next step involves taking the pan

of material and tilting it forward, away from
the panner, and scooping some water up
out of the tub. The goal is to try and make
a wave similar to that seen on a beach.
Scoop the pan into the water and then lift
the pan while tossing the water away. The
water should ride up the tilted pan, and
then as the water flows back out of the pan
it will carry some material out with it.
The secret is in keeping the material
in the bottom of the pan stationary and
letting the water wash off the top layer
in the pan. Do not dump the material out
of the pan; wash it out of the pan. Three
or four of these scoop and toss washing actions take place. Then the pan
goes back to the level/submerged position for another round of vigorous shaking. Then back up, tilt forward, and
scoop/wash the material. Repeat this
action until only a few spoonfuls of material remain in the pan. You can be vigorous at first, but get more careful the
less material remaining in the pan.
Watch the material carefully while wash-
4/16/14
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Page 37
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7:44 PM
Page 38
GOLD PROSPECTING
4/16/14
7:45 PM
Page 39
GOLD PROSPECTING
4/16/14
7:45 PM
A green-colored pan makes

for a good choice since the
gold contrasts well on the
green, both with the sand
and gold that is being
panned from the ground.
(STEVE HERSCHBACH)
Page 40
ing for a glint of gold or lead. If a piece is

seen, stop and shake it back down into
the bottom of the pan. If the pieces are
seen often, it means the shaking action
has not been vigorous enough to sink the
samples to the bottom of the pan.
More care must be used when washing as the last bit of material remains in
the pan. One wrong move and everything
in the pan will go in the tub! When only a
spoonful of material remains, swirling the
material around in the bottom of the pan
with a small amount of water will reveal
the pieces of gold (or lead).
A very handy tool at this point is the
snuffer bottle, which is a plastic squeeze
container with a tube inserted into in such
a fashion that small items can be sucked
into the bottle but cant escape. This
makes it easy to spot the flakes, and then
suck them up while getting as little sand
as possible. When all the pieces have
been captured, dump material still in the
pan into the tub. Then take the cap off the
snuffer bottle and dump out the captured
pieces back into the pan. It should now be
4/16/14
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Page 41
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7:46 PM
Page 42
GOLD PROSPECTING
4/16/14
7:46 PM
Page 43
GOLD PROSPECTING
4/16/14
7:46 PM
easy to separate the test samples.

Now count them! All the original test
pieces should be captured. If not, rinse
everything out of the tub back into the
pan and start all over. The first goal is to
get to where all the test pieces are reliably recovered every time. When that
point is reached, the next goal is to try and
pan faster, to speed up the process. Beginning panners take incredible amounts
of time on a single pan when they are
learning, sometimes 15 to 20 minutes or
more. But with practice it should take no
more than a few minutes to work a pan
of material. Gold-panning championships
are measured in seconds, not minutes.
If this kind of practice does not take
place before going out to do some actual
gold panning, the chances for any kind of
success are very minimal. The new
prospector will have no idea if there was
gold in the material they have chosen to
pan. When nothing is found, they will be
unsure if it is because of poor panning
technique or just because there was no
gold to start with. It is very important to
Page 44
have confidence so that when a particular spot is sampled with a pan a few times
and nothing is found, the decision can be
made to try panning somewhere else.
Other items handy for gold panning
are rubber gloves for protection from cold
water, rubber boots, a small shovel or
large scoop, a small pry bar and, of
course, a snuffer bottle. Be sure to have a
bottle to put the gold in. Do not use glass,
as it can be too easily dropped and broken. An optional item that can be a real
aid is a 12-inch screen. Screen the material into the pan while underwater, carefully washing, and then discarding the
larger rocks. This speeds things considerably and makes panning easier. Dump
the rocks next to you where you can
spread them and look for a large nugget
that did not go through the screen. Large
nuggets are rare, but it could happen!
NEXT IS THE question of where to go
gold panning. Always attempt to go
where gold has already been found, as
stumbling on an unknown gold deposit is
not likely to happen. Be sure that the area

is open to the public, or that permission is
obtained from whoever has jurisdiction
over the property. For most visitors with
limited time, it will be best to stick with
public sites. These are found on online.
When panning, it usually will make
more sense to spend extra time and effort filling the pan with quality material.
For example, splitting bedrock crevices
and cleaning them thoroughly can take
some time, but the material produced will
usually have a better chance of producing a good showing of gold than simply
filling the pan with a couple shovels full of
bank material. Panning can produce substantial amounts of gold, but the material
must be chosen carefully for good results.
Good luck, and good panning! ASJ
Editors note: Steve Herschbach is a native
Alaskan with a lifetime of experience as an
expert in prospecting and metal detecting.
Check him out at detectorprospector.com.
Email: contact@detectorprospector.com.
GOLD PROSPECTING
4/16/14
7:47 PM
Page 45
alaska highway pt1:Layout 1
4/16/14
7:08 PM
Page 46
THE ROAD
TO ALASKA
DRIVING THE ALCAN HIGHWAY: FROM DAWSON
CREEK, B.C. TO DELTA JUNCTION, ALASKA
Dawson Creek, British Columbia

is your starting point to the
Alaska Highway.
(YUFEI YUAN/WIKIPEDIA.ORG)
BY CHRIS COCOLES
he numbers say Americans drive a lot of cars a lot of

miles. The Department of Transportation reports 74.4
million registered highway vehicles in 1960, with that
number up to 153 million and change by 2011.
And while getting behind the wheel is usually a necessary evil driving to work, to school, to the grocery store its also a
way to see the country for those who have the time and patience to
drive long stretches of American roads.
And there are patches of pavement that are sacred in these parts:
Route 66; Montereys 17-mile drive; the Las Vegas Strip.
But what about the Alaska-Canadian

Highway? The Alaska isnt known for the
aforementioned sites along the way: the
iconic diners, the breathtaking scenery,
the ability to fool drivers into thinking
theyre speeding though Egypt, Camelot,
New York City, the Roman Empire, Paris
and that world superpower Steve Wynnistan.
But were curious about the 1,390
miles covering a sometimes quirky, sometimes lonely, always paved stretch from
Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada
to Milepost 1,390 in Delta Junction,
Alaska.
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7:08 PM
Page 47
On this trip, youll be driving through some rugged yet spectacular scenery as you head for the Yukon Territory border
with British Columbia. (ALBERT NORMANDIN/DESTINATION BC)
MAY 2014
4/16/14
7:07 PM
Page 48
The Peace River Bridge (2,130 feet)

represents the longest span of road on
the Alaska Highway. (OURBC.COM)
It really is a remarkable stretch of

pavement with a lot of history that was
really born with the outbreak of World
War II. As early as 1930, a joint American-Canadian contingent began to study
the feasibility and logistics of erecting a
drivable road from British Columbia all
the way to Alaska, but the Wall Street
crash and ensuing Depression was the
main reason why those plans seemed to
fall through over the next very trying
decade throughout North America.
But along came the Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, when it
became a priority to create a safe land
route from the Lower 48 north to Alaska.
An agreement was made: the U.S.
would pay for the construction, with the
sections on Canadian soil to be turned over
to Canada six months after the end of the
war, wrote the fantastic Alaska Highway
website, ouralaskahighway.com. Canada,
in turn, would provide the right-of-way,
waive import duties and other taxes, offer
special arrangements for incoming American workers and permit the free use of
timber and gravel where required.
Construction began in March 1942,
the highway opened that November, and
the U.S. Army completed work on the
road by November of 1943. The Alaska
Highway now connects Alaska from its
Lower 48 brothers, with two Canadian
provinces (British Columbia and the
Yukon Territory) as the links.
This is not an I did this series, because
Ive never done it either. Its a this is what
a trip like this broken up into three parts
that will cover three issues of Alaska
Sporting Journal could be like if you
choose to take on the Alaska , and were
making suggestions we might attempt on
a journey like this one. Maybe Ill do it too.
Part I: Dawson Creek to the
B.C./Yukon Territory border.
Now, for Lower 48ers who entered
Canada through the Washington border,
remember its anywhere from 721 from

939 miles to Dawson from Blaine, Wash.,
right before entering the border. So make
sure you get plenty of rest the night before
you get started on the first leg of your journey.
Mile Zero: The Sign in Dawson
Creek, B.C.
The Dawson Creek Tourism Office
(tourismdawsoncreek.com) touts itself
as Start Your Alaska Highway Journey
Here. So you have to start out your trip at
Dawson Creeks famous sign.
Everyone loves to find a good photo op,
and there figures to be plenty on a trip like
this. So you may as well get one out of the
way right away. The Mile O Cairn features flags of British Columbia, the Canadian Maple Leaf and the Stars and Stripes.
Become part of the highways history,
where over one million people have
started their journey with a photograph
at this iconic location, the Dawson Creek
4/16/14
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Page 49
MAY 2014
4/16/14
7:06 PM
2013 Visitor Guide says. This is your

Facebook moment.
Since were already snapping selfies,
lets head across town and check out the
Surveyor Statue, a tribute to the tens of
thousands of men who built the highway,
the Iron Highway Surveyor Statue stands
as a ghostly reminder of the building of
the Alaska Highway.
Mile 34: Peace River Bridge and
Worlds Largest Golf Ball
If youre a road tripper, you enjoy the novelties of where youre traveling, whether
its the biggest this or tallest that; theres
something about knowing youre in the
presence of greatness. OK, that may be a
bit extreme. But shortly into your trip on
the Alaska, youll cross the Peace River,
which cuts across Northern British Columbia and into neighboring province Alberta before emptying into the Slave River,
a tributary of the mighty MacKenzie.
According to the ouralaskahighway.com, the bridge was built in 1943 and
spanned 2,130 feet, the longest of six
Page 50
The town of Taylor has a championship golf course

(Lone Wolf Club) and also what is touted as the
Worlds Largest Golf Ball. (OURBC.COM)
major bridges spanning the Alaska.

However, nature, in the form of a landslide, proved to be an unbeatable force,
said a story on the website. In 1957, 14
years after it opened, this magnificent structure collapsed its north abutment falling
over in the landslide, snapping its steel cabling, smashing the roadbed into pieces.
The bridge was rebuilt in 1960, and is

certainly worth a stop this time.
Just up the road in Taylor (Mile 35),
dont leave town without making a pilgrimage to another site Clark Griswold and Ty
Webb (Chevy Chase characters in the Vacation movies and Caddyshack, respectively) would surely flock to. Taylor (Mile
4/16/14
6:49 PM
Page 51
Truck Camper
Travel Trailer / 5th Wheel
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U-Neek RV ad:Layout 1
4/16/14
7:04 PM
Page 52
Wildlife is abundant throughout the remote stretches of the Alaska Highway. You may have
to slow down and let some Stones sheep jaywalk across the road. But youre not in a hurry or
you probably wouldnt be making a trip like this. (DESTINATION BC/ALBERT NORMANDIN)
36) is home to the worlds largest golf ball.

You may not have time to play 18 holes
at Taylors Lone Wolf Golf Club (1-250-7893711; lonewolfgolf.ca), but check out the
courses former fuel tank shaped like a ball
(this is screaming for partnership between the city of
Taylor and golfing equipment maker TaylorMade).
According to britishcolumbia.com, the ball is 12.89
meters in diameter and
weighs 37 tons.
Mile 47: Fort St. John
When in Canada, right?
Now would be as a good
time as any to do what
any true Canadian does
just about every day:
make an appearance at a
Tim Hortons (two locations in town;

timhortons.ca), eh. The best donut north
of Krispy Kreme, Tim Hortons locations
are ubiquitous once you cross the 49th
Parallel. Named for late hockey star Tim
A moose cools off in the area

around Summit Lake the
highest point on the highway,
highway
around 4,200 feet. (DESTINATION BC/ALBERT NORMANDIN)
Horton (hey, this is Canada, where puckheads even rule the donut world), as
someone whos gotten his pastry on at
Tim Hortons locations in Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto, get yourself a Canadian Maple donut and a
cup of coffee to get energized for a lot of driving.
Miles 51 to 283
Frankly, there isnt a lot
happening for this long
stretch of pavement.
There are a few blink-oryoull-miss-it stops for
gas, food or lodging. Stops
like Wonowon (Mile 101)
and Pink Mountain (140)
have basic services available to get some gas or a
quick bite to eat.
4/16/14
7:05 PM
Page 53
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420 NE Alaskan Way
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MAY 2014
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7:03 PM
Campgrounds and RV parks also dot

the highway heading up to the next major
community, Fort Nelson.
Mile 283: Fort Nelson
About 320 miles from the Yukon Terri-
Page 54
tory border, now might be a good place

to pull over, find a hotel, then get yourself
a nice dinner and a glass of wine (or
stronger if your kids have gotten on your
nerves). Fort Nelson (fortnelsonbc.com)
has a population of about 6,100.
The most northern stoplight in British

Columbia is said to pass through the
highway as you enter the city.
Mile 373: Summit Lake
You drive through far higher mountain
HAVE MOTORHOME WILL TRAVEL

One of the most convenient ways to travel
such an isolated stretch of road like the
Alaska Highways 1,400 or so miles is via a
motorhome. Yes, these vehicles will need a
lot of gas stops, but theyll provide you with
a comfortable home away from home and a
hotel on wheels that saves passengers from
counting mileposts in search of a place to
turn in for the night.
Throughout your voyage on the Alcan
or any other road through British Columbia,
the Yukon Territory or Alaska, this isnt a
bad option.
While traveling by RV in other states
may be a bit of a hassle, (driving) by RV in
Alaska is surprisingly pleasant, says the
travel website alaskarvtrips.com. Most of
Alaska's roads are in top-notch shape, with
a few of the highways in particular getting
the best possible rating from government,
as All-American Roads. In other words, it
isn't your typical driving experience.

As for choosing an RV rental for your
trip, the same website says to find something the driver can handle, but without
sacrificing comfort.
If you're ordering over the phone, ask
the company if they have floor plans and
pictures posted online, the website writes.
That way, you can get a sense as to how
big the RV will be.
There are Lower 48 spots throughout
the Pacific Northwest, in Northern California and the Rocky Mountains, with plenty
of gorgeous places to see. But as
alaskarvtrips.com writes, Alaska has its
own mythical quality that makes it a perfect destination for RV travel.
By far, Alaskas major draw is the fantastic scenery. Traveling by plane, by boat,
bus or train, you do get to see Alaskas natural environment, but it is nothing com-
pared to being able to stop, get out of the

RV and come face-to-face with nature, the
website proclaims.
Here are some RV dealers worth looking
into if you plan a trip North:
ABC Motorhome (800-421-7456; abcmotorhome.com)
Alaskan Campers (360-748-6494;
alaskancamper.com)
Clippership (907-562-7051; clippershiprv.com)
FuntimeRV (503-925-9620; funtimerv.com)
Gibs RV Superstore (541-888-3424;
gibsrvsuperstore.com)
Lance Campers (661-949-3322; lancecamper.com)
RV Marine and Supply by Cascade
(360-659-7833; rvmarinesupply.com)
U-Neek RV (360-748-6494; uneekrv.com) ASJ
Theres a long stretch of road between miles 47 and

283 with very few services. So assuming you stock up on
snacks and drinks, your best bet might just be to pull off
the side of the highway far enough away from passing
traffic and enjoy the wilderness of British Columbia with
some refreshments. (ALBERT NOMANDIN/DESTINATION BC)
4/16/14
9:03 AM
Page 55
4/16/14
7:00 PM
Muncho Lake is one of the more

beautiful sights youll encounter
on the Alaska Highway.
(DESTINATION BC/
ALBERT NORMANDIN)
passes in the Rockies of Colorado or hitting the California Sierra Nevada peaks,
but at no point on your Alaska Highway
journey will you be at a higher elevation
than the 4,250 feet of the Summit Pass.
Mile 436: Muncho Lake
Youre almost through British Columbia.
But, like a lot of other places in this beautiful province, you cant simply do a driveby shooting (with a camera) without
getting out of the car and taking in the
scene at this pristine mountain setting.
Camping around Muncho Lake
(env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpg
s/muncho_lk) is available at nearby
Strawberry Flats or MacDonald campgrounds. If you feel the need to wet your
line, the lake is full of lake trout, Arctic
grayling, bull trout and whitefish.
Mile 603: The British Columbia/
Yukon Territory border
So, youve surely broken up the trip thus
far into two days, seeing historic bridges,
giant Titleists, donuts to die for, and, if
youre lucky, some roadside wildlife. Join
us next month as we continue our Alaska
High trip planner. ASJ
Page 56
4/16/14
7:02 PM
Page 57
MAY 2014
4/16/14
9:04 AM
Page 58
alaska vet reality show:Layout 1
4/16/14
2:05 PM
Page 59
Dr. Michelle Oakley examines a husky sled dog, one of many

working dogs and animals she treats in isolated areas of
the Yukon Territory and Alaska. Oakleys practice is
chronicled on a new National Geographic Channel reality
series, Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
ALASKAN
ANIMAL
DOCTOR
IS IN
NEW NAT GEO SHOW CHRONICLES YUKON VET
BY CHRIS COCOLES
ou chat up a veterinarian at a dinner party, sitting next to you

at a baseball game or the dog park, and its only natural to ask
the doctor about the animal patients she or he has worked on:
maybe a sick golden retriever or Weimaraner that was bitten by another
dog. If youre lucky, the vet may have a great but rare story about saving
the life of an exotic pet like a pot-bellied pig.
Then theres Dr. Michelle Oakley,

whose experiences over roughly the last 20
years in the business of mending sick animals would not be your everyday cocktail
party conversation about her practice,
which covers wilderness areas full of critters, both domestic and wild, in Canadas
Yukon Territory and neighboring Alaska.
Ive done projects here on wolves,
bears, muskox, moose, caribou, martens,
marmots, frogs, lynx; kind of all the Northern species you can list; snowy owls, eagles, great gray owls, says Oakley.
Its no wonder the National Geographic
Channel and the doctor have teamed up
for a new reality show: Dr. Oakley, Yukon
Vet, which premiered on April 12. Oakley
touts her clinic as helping pretty much
everything that moves, which, as she explained, prepares this wife and mother of
three well in unpredictable territory.
She grew up in Munster, Ind., across the
Illinois border from Chicago, and did her undergrad studies at Michigan. So naturally,
she ended up settling down in the hinterlands of the Yukon after meeting her future
husband, Shane, while doing research work
MAY 2014
4/16/14
on ground squirrel ecology in the area.

That country is full of sled dogs, wildlife
preserve species and even the usual family pets. A preview episode reflected this is
no ordinary practice. Among Oakleys
cases: a husky that got into a scuffle with a
porcupine and was in a dangerous condition of being stabbed with hundreds of
quills; a pair of injured bald eagles in need
of care with hopes of flying free again; a
great gray owl named Aspen with an amputated wing. In another early episode in
the series; an unruly muskox chases and
rams a car Oakley is in hoping to sedate
the animal and exam it. Shes been doing it
for years, but, thanks to Nat Geo, shell get
to let viewers in on her experiences.
So many times Id share pictures with
friends over the years who would say, Gosh,
you should do a TV show. You kind of
laughed about it, but to be asked to do that,
youlovetoshareit,shesays.Peopleshould
see this, and Im honored to. There are so
many tough people and tough animals, with
some great conservationism going on.
So needless to say, Oakleys life is never
dull, as her conversation with us reflected:
Chris Cocoles I know you met Shane in
the Yukon and decided to settle down
there, but growing up in the Chicago suburbs of Indiana and going to a large college like Michigan at Ann Arbor is a
lifetime away from where you are now.
2:07 PM
Page 60
Reindeer are among the patients this veterinarian

treats on a regular basis. Dr. Oakley has also
worked with zoo animals like giraffes and big cats,
and now travels to Sri Lanka twice a year to help
examine elephants. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
Do you sometimes ask how in the world

you ended up there?
Dr.MichelleOakley I think about that all the
time, actually. When I first went up to the
Yukon (in 1989), not being that good at geography, I honestly barely knew where it
was. I wasnt entirely sure it was part of
Alaska, which is embarrassing to say. I had
no idea what I was getting into. Now I think
if it hadnt happened, its a terrifying thought.
CC Youve also lived in Alaska over the
years, right?
Michelle Oakley grew up in Munster, Ind., just outside Chicago,

and did her undergrad work at the University of Michigan. But she
met a firefighter named Shane during a research project in the
Yukon, got married, and has been treating both domestic pets and
more wild animals like bears, wolves and moose at her practice for
more than 20 years now. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
MO We lived in Juneau for a while, and in

North Pole; Ive worked the North Slope, and
I spend a lot of time now in Haines, Alaska,
where I run a big part of my mobile clinics.
CC Was there an instant attraction, not
just to your eventual husband, but the
area itself?
MO The Southwest corner of the Yukon
and Southeast Alaska, its just so gorgeous, with so many wide open spaces
and so much freedom. I think it was a
case where I definitely fell in love with the
place, and my husband.
CC When you were young, did you always have a love and passion for wanting to help animals?
MO My parents and grandma were huge
animal lovers. We always had pets around,
and we lived in kind of a wooded area, so
we were always rescuing baby rabbits and
ducklings. We always kept them in our
house, and always tried to help. My uncle
had a dairy farm and I spent a lot of time
there. I think it was developing a love for animals. When I was really young, about sixth
grade, I started going to a vet clinic, where
they let me come in for years. That shaped
what I really wanted to do. And a huge part
of it was watching National Geographic, as
corny as that sounds. I was always watching people like Jane Goodall, strong women
who worked with wildlife, even back then.
4/16/14
2:08 PM
Page 61
4/16/14
CC I cringed when I saw the scene with the

husky and the porcupine quills. That was
brutal. But those are the kinds of crazy things
that happen in Alaska and the Yukon, right?
MO Its incredibly big country. There are
still wolves that come into town and take
dogs every year, and eagles that take
cats. When youre up here youre part of
the ecosystem, and you have to take care
of your pets. Ive seen a lot of porcupine
quills and lots of bear attacks on dogs. So
there are a lot of those intense situations.
CC How do you learn in school about caring for a bear? Thats not exactly commonplace in most areas.
MO At most vet schools you dont. We had
a small wildlife program, but it was in eastern Canada (Atlantic Veterinary College)
and it wasnt working on bears and moose.
But I did an internship at the Calgary Zoo
(shes a dual American and Canadian citizen) and through the University of Calgary,
so I was working with different kinds of
species and experts. When I was in vet
school, during the summer I worked for the
6:55 PM
Page 62
Yukon Department of Wildlife, so that

helped too working as a technician. It was a
little bit of trial by fire, with a ton of help
from experienced wildlife vets. There were
so many people who were so helpful. Its a
very small community of wildlife and zoo
vets. And its amazing how they bend over
backwards to help. We cant know it all, and
if we can help each other we do.
CC So whats it like to care for a bear or wolf?
MO Uhhh (laughs), its hard to put words
on it. You have to focus on what youre
doing, but, every now and then, you take a
step back for a fraction of a second and
think: This is a grizzly bear Im working
on. You get that shiver and excitement.
And then you focus on your job and task at
hand, especially if its an emergency.
There is no time to for gawking and being
excited. But going out on some of the conversation projects and working on wolves
and bears, it was intense. That type of
work you really dont enjoy until afterwards. When theyre stable its like phew.
I can enjoy that in retrospect.
CC And some of this care can be dangerous, right?

MO I had a lynx tooth through the tip of my
index finger and a few close calls like that,
where afterwards you think, wow, that
was close. But for the amount of wildlife
work I do, its always thinking about what
can go wrong? Whats your backup plan?
Because the first one rarely works. And
then youre thinking, How do I get out of
here? Whats my escape plan? Even when
youre trying to help them, they dont know
that, and theyre just going to defend themselves; they think youre attacking them.
CC How hard has it been to travel on calls
and to your remote clinics in the winter?
MO Thats just the way of life here; no matter what youre doing youre traveling.
Towns in the Yukon Territory and Alaska
are so spread out. When I go to the clinic in
Haines its a 2-hour drive, and theres
nothing in between. Its through a mountain pass, and sometimes Ill pass just one
car and no cars. In that pass, snow can be
taller than my car with 8 or 10 feet of snow.
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Michelle Oakley gets up close and personal with a young black bear. One of
her most dangerous encounters in
Alaska and the Yukon, however, was
being stuck in deep snow trying to climb
a slippery tree with a charging bison
heading her way. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
CHANNEL)
Getting to animals that are in need can be

very difficult. But its part of living up here
and being a real Alaskan or real Yukoner.
Its not complaining about the elements,
but embracing them. You prepare for them
and take them on. Its a great way of life.
CC As much as someone like me who
loves my dog, where you live, some people have relied on their animals to get
around like sled dogs. Theyre a big part of
their lives. Do you take lots of pride in caring for those animals?
MO A lot of the dogs are working dogs.
They are part of the family and super important to the people like a pet. But peoples
lives depend on them. This hunter or trapper out in the bush, they couldnt survive or
it would be a lot more difficult without their
dog there. The dogs seem to let you know
way far ahead that you can avoid a very
dangerous encounter. I see that over and
over. We dont want to bump into a bear
and surprise anybody that doesnt want to
be surprised. We take our dog (a pug, Daisy
May Lover Pants) everywhere. So there is
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an extra layer of attention.

CC Being an American-born citizen, it had
to be special to care for bald eagles at the
American Bald Eagle Foundation (907766-3094; baldeagles.org) in Haines.
MO Theres nothing more of conservationism and patriotism wrapped into one
than the American Bald Eagle Foundation.
Its such a cool organization. To have a
bald eagle that I got to do surgery on and
2:10 PM
Page 66
spect my daughters choice to not like (to

hunt or fish). She can speak her mind and
be like, Im not doing it.
CC Do you want your daughters (Sierra,
Maya and Willow) to follow in your footsteps of being a vet?
MO Deep down I hope they do. That would
be awesome to have my kids be veterinarians, and maybe we can work together for
a time. And I think its such a cool career. I
Dr. Michelle Oakley hopes her new show on the National Geographic Channel will inspire
others who have always talked about becoming a veterinarian to pursue those dreams.
There are so many people out there who think they want to do it, she says. If this is the
time, do it! (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
help to get it to the point where a couple

of months later it could be released. To
be a part of that release was absolutely
one of the highlights of my career. There
was nothing made up about that. It was
one of the best moments of my life.
CC You take the family fishing, and one of
your daughters said she hated fishing!
Hunting and fishing are such a big part of
the way of life where you are, and your
job is to save animals. Whats the fine line
between those two worlds like?
MO Thats hard for people to understand.
But when you live in Alaska, its a different
way of life. Thats how it is. Its a really practical way of life. Thats our culture and how
we live our life. If Im going to take care of an
animal, I want the best for it. If my family is
going to hunt animals for food, its going to
be as humane and quick as possible. I re66 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014
feel so lucky about the profession. There

are so many people out there who think
they want to do it. If this is the time, do it!
CC Ive always admired veterinarians, for
me as a very attached dog owner, it
seems like its so hard when there arent
successful recoveries. How hard has it
been at times from an emotional level, especially early on in your career?
MO There arent always happy stories
or a perfect outcome. I think its being
there for the family and for the animal, if
it is an end of life situation or trauma.
Youre doing everything you can, supporting the family but keeping the animals as comfortable as possible. Its the
bittersweet part of my job that I can help
and do the best I can. Sometimes its really emotional. Its why Im here; Im
here to help.
CC What else are you working on?

MO I have a new one now where Im going
to Sri Lanka twice a year. I was just there
working with elephants and leopards. And I
got to work with penguins. Penguins! They
were just crazy, and I was so excited just to
see one. At one zoo I was able to work on
gorillas. You cant possibly know it all with
all those species, but as a veterinarian youre
trained in a lot of different animal systems.
And youre also trained in how to keep up,
because things are constantly changing and
improving. And how to learn things quickly
and advance your tools to different species;
so Im really thankful for that part of my
training, because I use that every day.
CC You must have 18,000 of them, but
can you share a wild story of an animal
you worked on?
MO I do have a million of them. (Pauses).
We were capturing bison not too long
ago from a helicopter. You always give
them the reversal drug afterwards and
they get up and run away. This last time
we were there, the helicopter dropped us
off. We worked on the animals and the
helicopter needed to refuel and he said if
it was OK to come back. We thought well
move hundreds of yards away from the
animals. We told him they never come
back after us because thats not their behavior at all. We moved a long distance
away, and, sure enough, the female stood
up, looked around, sniffed the air and
came toward us.
We were in waist-deep snow, so there
was no getting away. So it was really
scary. We were trying to swim through
the snow to the trees, but she was already
right on us. These were birch trees that
were really slippery. One guy got partly
up the tree, but I kept slipping on the
branches. He tried to pull me up and I was
literally breaking nails clawing my way
and not having any luck. And all of a sudden, the bison was right there like a raging bull that was snorting. Theres no way
I could get away from her. She took another step toward me and I just did this
screaming and waving my hands, which I
would never advise anyone to do. And
she didnt flinch, just turned and slowly
walked away. I thought, What was that?
Ive had a few close calls like that. ASJ
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Larry Csonka has won Super Bowls and been

inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But hes happiest these days hunting moose
in the Alaskan Interior. (LARRY CSONKA)
4/16/14
7:25 PM
Page 71
CSONKAS
SPIRIT OF
ALASKA
RUNS WILD
FOOTBALL STAR FOUND OUTDOOR PASSION IN THE NORTH
BY CHRIS COCOLES
arry Csonkas love affair

with Alaska was squired
thanks in part to a flight
delay, a jalopy, outhouse
and a prophetic sign.
Csonka, still going strong
at 67, is part retired football star and outdoors television show host, part entrepreneur, part patron and part benefactor.
Hes also a full-time Alaska fishing and
hunting fanatic, a passion he dreamed of
as an Ohio farm kid. It became even more
an obsession when the then young National Football League player visited there
only due to a travel snafu. But it was obvious Csonka was an Alaskan at heart before he ever stepped foot there.
The more I saw of Alaska, the more I
was in Alaska, the more I fell in love with it,
he says. It wasnt a thing where because I
liked donuts I ate four-dozen of them and
never wanted to eat another donut. The
more I drank in Alaska, the thirstier I got.
Csonkas first time in his favorite place
was eventful, if by accident. After his
rookie season as a Miami Dolphins run-
Csonka ran for over 8,000 yards in his NFL

career as a running back, with his best
years coming in the early 1970s when the
Miami Dolphins won two Super Bowls. He
was the Most Valuable Player of Super
Bowl VIIII, a 24-7 Miami victory over the
Minnesota Vikings. (LARRY CSONKA/NFL)
ning back in 1968, Csonka was offered an

invitation from the United Service Organization to visit the troops, smack dab on
the lines in Vietnam with other NFL players. Of course I will, was Csonkas patriotic response to the request.
The commercial flight made its first
stop in Anchorage to change planes and
continue onto Southeast Asia. The plane
had mechanical problems, and Csonka
was told hed have a minimum six- or
eight-hour layover. He walked outside Anchorage International Airport with every
intention of killing time in a state hed
never visited but was fascinated with.
Just outside the terminal, a man in a
gravel parking lot was renting something
resembling cars; and dont think Hertz or
Avis-style luxury here. The vehicles reminded him of the rusty Farmall tractors
he grew up riding in the Midwest.
The sign said Rent-A-Wreck, and I
rented one of his wrecks, and drove down
towards the Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage, he recalled.
Csonka was hungry and stumbled onto a
MAY 2014
4/16/14
7:25 PM
A PICTURE OF
PERFECTION
During his eight-year NFL career (he also
spent a season in the World Football
League) Larry Csonka was part of a dynasty Miami Dolphins organization that
put together a dominating stretch from
1970-74, when they won two Super
Bowls (Csonka was the Most Valuable
Player of a Super Bowl VIII victory over
the Minnesota Vikings), lost in another
and won 57 games in the regular season.
It was capped, of course, by
Miamis perfect 17-0, 1972 run that included 14 wins without a loss during
the regular season, two playoff victories and a 14-7 triumph over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII at
the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
No other NFL team has made it
through the year unbeaten and untied
the leagues history.
Each year, whenever the last unbeaten team goes down, including the
2007 New England team that won its
first 18 times before losing the Super
Bowl, the media loves to report members of the 72 Dolphins popping champagne corks to celebrate that perfect
season being unmatched.
Im not much of a champagne guy.
Im more apt to raise a beer. But that gets
a little overdone, says Csonka, who ran
for 8,081 yards and 64 touchdowns during his NFL career, culminating with a
1987 induction into the Pro Football Hall
of Fame. Now, anytime you achieve
something that nobody else has done,
that makes it a little more special. Do I
want to share that with anyone? Not particularly. But if someone does that, Ill be
the first to recognize it. We dont celebrate someone elses defeat. Its just the
fact that were still the only one.
Just know this: When then 18-0 New
England, Miamis longtime AFC Eastern
Division rival, was playing the New York
Giants in Super Bowl XLII, it was self-explanatory who Csonka rooted for
(spoiler alert: he also played three seasons with the Giants, whose head coach,
Tom Coughlin, was his college halfback
at Syracuse). New York won the game
17-14, and Csonka was happy, but didnt break out the bubbly.
If it happens, it happens, Csonka
says. Every year when I go back south,
I know Ill probably get to a Dolphins
game and see some of my old cronies.
I enjoy that, and its fun getting together. CC
Page 72
Csonka has caught plenty of

beautiful Togiak River king
salmon. (LARRY CSONKA)
joint on the outskirts of Anchorage Its still

there and ate a sandwich and beer. When
the soon-to-be pro football superstar asked
the establishments patron to point him to
the restroom, he was told it was out back.
It was an outhouse, and I grew up with
outhouses in Ohio, he says. When I came
to the outhouse I looked off into the woods,
and someone had hung a sign: Now Leaving Anchorage City Limits. And right below
that, someone had added in magic marker:
You Are Now Part of the Food Chain!!!
with big exclamation points. Right then I
said, I need to see more of this place.
CSONKA WAS A Christmas Day (born
Dec. 25, 1946) son of Ohio in Stow, an
Akron suburb and small farming community, with plenty of room to roam around.
Young Larry would grab his dogs and a single-shot, 16-gauge shotgun to hunt the
countryside far from glitzy south Florida,
where hed eventually be a sports celebrity.
In sometimes pouring Midwest rain,
hed walk 3 to 4 miles in search of upland
birds like pheasants or rabbits, which
were about all we had, Csonka says. A

good day was flushing a rabbit or two. An
occasional deer in the woods was considered big game in those parts at that
time in the 1950s. But the outdoors-loving
boy heard about places with wide-open
spaces and massive animals for hunters.
When I was 10, my mother knew this,
and one time she saw in the store a major
outdoor magazine and bought it, which was
a treat for me, he says. I went out to carry
in the groceries out of the car and saw the
magazine on top of the grocery bag. I took it
out, and it had a picture of a Kodiak bear on
the front. And I was just mesmerized by it.
He forgot about the melting ice cream
in the sack as he thumbed through the
pages, reading every word of the story
about the bear, and articles about the deer
and the other fauna that made Alaska, just
around the time it became our 49th state,
so famous and revered by hunters and anglers. It was, for even 10-year-old Larry
Csonka on the dairy farms of Stow, the
sportsmans dream.
Playing football, and doing it quite well,
4/16/14
7:28 PM
Page 73
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10:31 PM
Page 74
Csonkas outdoor television show went

on for 16 seasons, allowing the retired pro
football player to live out his dreams of
hunting and fishing in his beloved Alaska.
got in the way of packing up and flocking to

The Last Frontier. It was a good decision for
Csonka, who went onto follow in the footsteps of 1950s and 60s standout running
backs at Syracuse University. He outgained
the likes of Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jim
Nance and Floyd Little, rushing for what was
a school-record 2,934 yards from 1965-1967
and getting drafted in the first round by the
then American Football Leagues (shortly
before the NFL merger) Dolphins.

Csonka went on to win two Super Bowls
in Miami, starring on what remains the
NFLs only unbeaten and untied team (17-0
in 1972). He ran for more than 8,000 yards
and scored 68 total touchdowns spanning
a Pro Football Hall of Fame career.
He teamed with fellow running back
Jim Kiick to be footballs version of Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, their gun-
slinging, blue-collar, tough-guy persona

earning them such a colorful mantra off
the Paul Newman and Robert Redford hit
movie.
Through all the world championships,
the glory and the excitement, Csonka
never punted away the memories of that
outdoor sporting magazine featuring
Alaska outdoor adventures.
Football got in the way, he says.
When the big hunting season and most
of the fishing season was at peak times in
Alaska was also during the time that football was going on in college and the NFL.
And I couldnt get there because of that.
He hung up his helmet and shoulder
pads for good in 1980. That, he thought,
was finally an opportunity to spend those
peak fishing and hunting days in Alaska.
But he had to plead with the producers of
an outdoors show he was co-hosting at
the time to start filming fishing and hunting adventures in Alaska, an irony considering he had to convince the network to
do any episodes there given how reality
shows are being produced at staggering
4/16/14
7:29 PM
Page 75
MAY 2014
4/16/14
7:29 PM
HAIL TO COAST
GUARD TEAMMATES
Larry Csonkas fantastic NFL career included a 145-yard, two-touchdown
MVP performance in the Miami Dolphins 24-7 Super Bowl VIII win over
the Minnesota Vikings. He had plenty
of help from his offensive guards, Pro
Football Hall of Famer Larry Little, former All-Pro selection and six-time Pro
Bowl participant Bob Kuechenberg,
plus a Hall of Fame center, Jim Langer.
But another set of guards from the
United States Coast Guard also once
had a big assist to Csonka that saved his
life. In September 2005, Csonka, his
partner, Audrey Bradshaw, two members of his television crew on their show,
North To Alaska, a hunting guide and a
boat captain, were on the Bering Sea returning from a filmed hunt in the Aleutians. But the 28-foot vessel ran into
severe weather, and the high seas and
heavy winds made it difficult to navigate
the boat, which drifted off course.
For about 17 hours, the crew was in a
dire and potentially fatal situation, but
the Coast Guard was able to rescue
those aboard via helicopters that airlifted them one-by-one via a basket.
Later that fall, he told a Sports Illustrated
reporter he had signed a football to one
of his Coast Guard rescuers: THANKS
FOR PULLING MY ASS OUT OF THE
BERING SEA.LARRY CSONKA#39.
When youre in Alaska, particularly in the Aleutians, if you get out
there, theres no such thing as a current weather report; you have to play
it by ear, Csonka says. Sometimes a
slight error in calculation can cost you
dearly. And we got into a life or death
situation. And the Coast Guard pulled
us out.
Csonka, 58 at the time, remains
grateful for the help.
Right after that, I thought to myself
Im never going to bitch about paying
my taxes again. Because they pulled
my butt out of the drink, he says with
a laugh. CC
Page 76
The best part about a moose hunt, Larry

Csonka says, is the idea of calling in the
animals and taking in the splendor of
backcountry Alaska. (LARRY CSONKA)
rates in the state currently. Even then, he

was only promised three shows initially.
They were reluctant to go to Alaska
because of the cost of taking camera guys
and producers. Youre traveling with a full
production crew, and the kind of money
youd spend on the budget would double
or triple if you had to go to Alaska,
Csonka says. So we did a three-show
spread up in Kodiak. And we had a great
time. I think those three shows had some
of the highest ratings of that series.
Still, the cost to maintain a fulltime crew
promoted Csonka to go solo on the Alaska
show he envisioned for himself. He pitched
his idea to ESPN and delivered on promises
to get some sponsors on board. He ultimately spawned North to Alaska, which
would blossom into a hit on the NBC Sports
Network. The crew wrapped on its 16th and

final season last year.
That enabled me to live a dream, he
says. I wont insult your intelligence and tell
you the show did really well and had great
ratings because people wanted to watch
me. People were tuning in to see Alaska.
We were very true to life on our show.
He was no stranger to appearing on
camera as a football player, a part-time
actor who appeared in various movies and
television shows, and as an analyst on the
competition show American Gladiators.
Csonka cherishes the thought of traversing Alaska ground few others probably
have. Granted, he says, someone probably
had hunted moose in the same spots as
him. But its reasonable enough to conclude
you could count on one hand the number
4/16/14
7:30 PM
Page 77
MAY 2014
4/16/14
7:30 PM
of previous visitors to some remote

stretches of the Alaskan Interior. Its the
Wild Alaska feeling that can engulf those
who live or simply spend a vacation there
that makes them obsessed for more.
How many places in the Lower 48, or
for that matter, North or South America,
can you go and say there have been damn
few people there before you? he asks.
And what is the perfect experience for a
rugged Alaskan outdoorsman like Larry
Csonka?Amoosehunt.Itscomingfullcircle
for the football icon in Miami. Csonka endeared himself to Dolphins fans for his relentless motor on the field.
Moose hunting is a 360-degree turn.
The moose come to you, so youve
got a chance to go out and bugle and call
them, and sit on the river. Maybe you call
every 20 minutes or so, and you know
when they hear you, theyre eventually
going to come to you. When you sit there,
you see the leftover salmon, see the trout
eating the salmon eggs. You see beavers
and bears; you see everything and youre
a part of the middle of nowhere.
Page 78
Csonka then became a little sentimental about his Ohio days, where his trophies were hares or other small critters,
but no less memorable. He still spends
part of his year at a farm in Lisbon, Ohio
with his partner, Audrey Bradshaw.
When its really cold in Alaska and Ohio,
he flees to his old stomping grounds in
Florida. But seven months out of the year he
and Audrey live on their property in Wasilla.
When youre in the NFL and they hand
you that football, youre the show; everybodys watching, he says. When you go
Alaska and youre sitting on a riverbank, the
show is in front of you. Youre just a spectator, and I found a sport that I really like
being a spectator in. And thats Alaska.
LARRY CSONKAS 1968 flight-delayed
stop in Anchorage wasnt quite over yet
when he visited the outhouse and sign proclaiming those who ventured away from
the beer joint as new members of the food
chain. His lemon of a car rental It ran terrible; I did have to work on it a couple times,
but I rented that car for like $12, and sput-
tered away from the big city, traveling a

bumpy road down toward the Kenai Peninsula. He was just another 20-something
with time to kill in search of entertainment.
It was gorgeous country, some of the most
majestic scenery Csonka had ever seen
considering he spent much of his life to date
in rural Ohio, upstate New York and Miami,
all places about as far away from Alaska
one could get.
And I didnt even make it to the
Kenai. I got about two-thirds of the way
down but had to go back. I was afraid of
missing the plane and letting down the
USO, he says. So I turned around and
went back up. But Ill never forget how impressed I was with the things that I saw
on that drive. At that point, I promised
myself I was going to make Alaska, if not
a yearly thing, at least every other year. I
started going back and I liked what I saw.
Csonka is a motivational speaker
throughout the year, so he encounters
Lower 48ers all over the map. Many of
those he interacts with have talked of
their trip to Alaska, in many instances
4/16/14
7:31 PM
Page 79
MAY 2014
4/16/14
7:31 PM
during cruises that usually dock for a few

hours at a time in quaint Southeast ports
like Ketchikan, Juneau or Sitka. However,
he likes to explain his spirit of Alaska.
This is when Larry Csonka morphs into
tour guide mode, selling the side of the
Page 80
state he relishes annually.

Its back in the rivers and the mountains of the Interior; not the edge (of the
state). Those all have their draw and
theyre unique places with the fish, game
and culture there. But when you go to the
Larry and his partner, Audrey

Bradshaw, spend about seven
months of the year on their property
in Wasilla. (LARRY CSONKA)
Interior, particularly if youre looking to

find fur-bearing animals in the really wild
part of Alaska, consider the Anvik River
Lodge, Aleutian Adventures, Alaska Goldrush Adventures in Interior and North
Slope areas. These are some of the most
remote places Ive ever been to in Alaska.
If youre looking for the spirit of Alaska and
extreme remoteness, visit these places.
Hes as much Alaska strong as he is
Ohio tough, Syracuse Orange (his alma
maters nickname) and Miami suntanned.
He once ran for the Dolphins in south
Florida; now he waits for the salmon to run
in Alaska.
Its in that remote backcountry like his
beloved Wood-Tikchik State Park, north
of Dillingham, where Csonka is at peace.
Hell travel by boat on one of the parks
large lakes and then hit the shoreline.
You just sit there and listen for an hour.
There is so much to see there: caribou,
moose, and wolverines; theyll walk past
you, stop and look at you. Things that you
just dont normally see, Csonka says. I see
that as the heart and soul of Alaska. ASJ
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Welcome!
dry flies trout:Layout 1
4/16/14
11:29 AM
Page 82
Seeing Trout With D
4/16/14
11:32 AM
Page 83
h Dry Flies
WHEN EGGS JUST WONT CUT IT
BY JEFF LUND
Fishing an unnamed, lazy Southeast Alaska stretch of river or

stream means casting dry flies,
not eggs or wet flies. (JEFF LUND)
n the thin braided water behind a

rock that just breaks the waters surface, tiny explosions add further disruption to the gin-clear creek. I strip
out a couple extra feet of line and
throw my fly in the direction of the
frenzy. Its a little left of the feeding lane,
and the action goes unnoticed. Once my
line tries to collect at my wading boots, I
strip in, flick it behind me, guide it forward, and Im fishing again. A small fish
yet to grow into the eyeballs that dominate its head, takes my offering. Its unable to get its mouth around the hook so
it shakes off. I cast again.
This time my fly links me with a fish
much bigger than I expect, and one of
those battle words fail to do justice, and
its on. I know it is a sick fish because,
when I lift my 5-weight, it bends but the
fish stays down. It moves on its own
terms. It runs away from me, leaving the
water twice before gliding up into the
slow water above where the rock broke
the tranquility of the creek. Outside of
some ferocious shakes, it acts confused,
as if it cant decide what to do next. This
lets me catch up to it. When its ready, I
trust the 4x tippet and land it on a smooth
gravel bar.
My day, my week, my month is made,
thanks to a little dry fly and a big Alaskan
trout.
In all honesty, though there are plenty
of rainbows and Dolly Varden in the creek
I wont name, I was expecting some bright
cutthroat trout in the 12- to 14-inch range.
And I was using a No. 18 elk hair caddis.
YOU DONT HEAR a lot of stories like

these because this is Alaska. When people think of Last Frontier trout, many see
a bunch of fleshy and eggy patterns in a
preassembled kit for $85 as the means to
the heroic end, with a chrome-bright 2foot rainbow thrashing about and ready
for its closeup, Mr. Demille, or, in this
case, the snap of your camera.
When I think Alaska trout, I see dry
flies, like the No. 18 elk hair caddis I used
to bring in that efficiently built, gently tapered 20-inch rainbow. They arent the
salmon-sized brutes in the famous rivers
draining Alaskas mainland. But a 20-inch
MAY 2014
4/16/14
11:32 AM
Page 84
This cutthroat trout swallowed a Griffiths Gnat. Fly anglers

in search of summer Alaska trout would be wise to stock up
on stimulators, mosquitos and caddis flies. (JEFF LUND)
rainbow on a dry fly is what it is: a 20-inch

rainbow on a dry fly; no more, no less.
And if it comes after a dozen footlong
cutthroats, that day will stick in my mind
as much as any other Ive had. When I
was a California resident who just came
back to my home in Southeast Alaska
seasonally, Id fish for trout using the
standard beads and egg patterns that
were ubiquitous during the late summer
salmon run. But between the spring steelhead and the first runs of summer sockeye salmon, I discovered just how
fantastic trout fishing can be, and just
how futile eggs can be.
Its June; theres nothing spawning in
the river, so chucking eggs or flesh flies at
fish that havent seen rotting salmon
flesh, salmon eggs or even salmon isnt
exactly the way to go. With the late
spring comes the hatching of the bugs
Alaska is notorious for. This, of course, is
the source of nutrition for the trout, and

hours of fun for the well-prepared angler. I
will admit Ive been caught up in matching stereotypes, rather than the hatch.
A recommended starting point if
youre heading to Alaska and going to be
less dependent on a guide, is to stock up
on stimulators, mosquitos, caddis and
Griffiths Gnats. There are regional variances of these patterns, but even for
grayling on the Chena River near Fairbanks, youre looking at stimulators, gnats,
caddis and some hi-vis Adams patterns.
You can use the stimulator as the indicator, or you can drop off smaller nymphs
like a Prince, under a larger nymph in a
more traditional indicator rig. I like fishing a Prince Nymph with a green or red
hot spot just behind the bead.
HOWEVER, JUST BECAUSE Alaskan
trout dont get the pressure of some of
their Down South cousins, doesnt necessarily mean the fish are pushovers. A
guide I know who does float trips down
Californias lower Sacramento River tells
stories about he and other guides on a
river which feeds Bristol Bay, spending
hours painting beads with very specific
nail polish the night before taking
clients. That happens, but thats not the
only way. In fact, as mentioned, thats
probably not the way in June. June can be
a lot more like fishing your home river than
you might imagine. Ive caught rainbow
and brown trout on a No. 8 rubber legs on
the upper Sacramento River, and Ive
caught big rainbow trout on a No. 8 rubber
legs on rivers in Alaska. Its the best of
both worlds. If nothing else, it allows you
to feel a little more in your element, as if
you brought a little of home with you.
But why in the world would anyone go
to Alaska when the salmon arent in the
4/16/14
11:33 AM
Page 85
Best of Prince of Wales Island
4/16/14
11:33 AM
Page 86
Rainbow trout arent as sexy in Alaska as trophy

Chinook salmon , but fishing dry flies in smaller streams
throughout Southeast Alaska is popular. (JEFF LUND)
rivers? Because some of the best ocean

king salmon fishing happens in June.
Southeast Alaska starts seeing kings at
the end of May. What makes this time of
year especially great is that, though the
season is getting started and the kings
arent typically as big as they are later in

July, ocean charter boats dont have commercial fishermen to contend with, and
the riverbanks are essentially empty.
Plus, since youre going to have boxes
packed with salmon, halibut and rockfish
to take home, you wont be worried about

cutthroats, rainbows and Dolly Varden
making your trip worthwhile. You too can
have a great story featuring a little fly, a
lighter rod and a hefty, authentic Alaskan
trout at the other end. ASJ
4/16/14
11:34 AM
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9:07 AM
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valdez salmon:Layout 1
4/16/14
12:03 PM
Page 92
SILVER MEDALS
AWARDED IN
VALDEZ
A SHORT TRIP OUT OF PORT FOR COHO FRENZY
BY DENNIS MUSGRAVES
altwater fishing in Alaska is a cant miss experience for my friends andI every
summer.
One of my favorite destinations is the Port of Valdez. Not only is there magnificent scenery every direction you look, the coho (silver) salmon fishing is
usually nothing short of phenomenal in August. So no one in the group needed
their arm twisted to get on board.
Dates were planned to converge on the small city during mid-August for a selfguided fishing adventure. Our only concerns were the unforeseen; adverse weather
conditions which may keep us ashore, and, of course, having the fish cooperate. Thankfully, those factors seldom spoil productive fishing in Valdez.
The city of Valdez is a small fishing community located at the end of the Richardson Highway. It is a premiere destination for both pink and coho salmon fishing. The city
is known for hosting several popular fishing derbies over the summer months. Huge
cash payouts and prizes (including a new fancy pickup) attract anglers every summer.
August through September is a prime time to fish for silvers. The fishing is spectacular thanks in part to the Solomon Gulch Hatchery. The hatcherys efforts in enhancing
wild coho stocks bring an average of over 170,000 returning silvers every year.
Anglers can find excellent fishing opportunities within short walking distance of the
citys small boat harbor. The best success can be found during the peak of returning salmon
on an incoming high tide right off the city fishing dock. Allison Point is another popular
spot for shoreline fishing and is located only a short drive from the city center.
4/16/14
12:05 PM
Page 93
Paul Ferreira with a chrome-bright

coho (silver) salmon taken out of
the waters of Galena Bay. When
fishfinders detect a congregating
school of fish, the action can be
nonstop. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
MAY 2014
4/16/14
12:06 PM
Although fishing from land can be very

productive for salmon, a private or chartered sport fishing vessel is by far the best
way to experience Valdez. Fishing from a
boat will enable anglers to target multiple species, including bottomfish like halibut and rockfish. Sportfishing boats are
normally booked solid and have limited
space for a walk-on; planning well in advance is recommended.
Our plan for offshore fishing was not
complicated. Pitch a tent at a local campground, pick up some frozen herring at
the local bait shop, and pilot a 21-foot
boat out each day near the vicinity of
Galena Bay. The mouth of Galena Bay had
been a proven location for us to catch silvers and rockfish in the past, and its a relatively short 16-mile trip from the harbor.
Drifting techniques with baited jigs and
mooching rigs would be our choice of attack for silvers. The assembled misfit crew,
including myself, on this trip included longtime friends and talented fishermen: Ron
Ely, who coordinated a boat, Paul Ferreira,
The small boat harbor in Valdez features
plenty of charter and private boats that
make the trips through the areas inlets and
fjords for some outstanding fishing for
salmon. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
Page 94
like most of the big push of fish was still out

away from the port area, fairly normal for
the middle of August).
The results from a dynamite day of fishing,

thanks in part to the Solomon Gulch Fish
Hatchery, which has established a wild
coho fishery that produces an average of
170,000 silvers a year. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
and Chris Cox. We knew from fishing reports before arriving that silvers were starting to trickle in, and shore anglers were
having some limited success (it sounded
OUR DAY STARTED out picture-perfect

with a cloudless sky and the water surface smooth like glass. Ron was our pilot
and plotted a course on the GPS for
Galena Bay; he cleared the harbor and
throttled up the boat. The selected route
was most direct and easy to navigate.
The gateway between Valdez and
Prince William Sound is surrounded by
inspiring steep, snowcapped mountains
and provides a stunning backdrop in
every direction. In addition to the gorgeous landscape, wildlife thrive in the
area and are encountered frequently. Several protected bays and fjords intermittently line the sides of a narrow
passageway between Valdez and the vast
open sound. Those areas create a natural element of defense against choppy
seas and allow boaters relatively calm
fishing conditions.
4/16/14
9:08 AM
Page 95
4/16/14
12:06 PM
Page 96
Chris Cox shows off a beautiful

coho taken while dropping
weighted jigs tipped with cut
herring. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
Marginal 1- to 2-foot swells picked up as

we traveled further away from the harbor.
The boat ride took only about 40 minutes
before we neared the mouth of Galena Bay.
Ron slowed the speed down upon our approach so we could begin scanning sonar
readings on the monitor. We were watch-
ing carefully for depth changes and any fish

marking in the water column. It was only a
matter of a few minutes before large groups
of fish started filling up the screen.
The salmon were approximately 60
feet below us. Ron quickly adjusted the
throttle to an idle and allowed the boat to
dead drift. Chris and Paul simultaneously

each had a rod on either side, and lowered
weighted jigs tipped with cut herring. Their
up-and-down jigging motions with the
rods almost immediately enticed a bite.
It seemed too easy, but hey, its Valdez.
I quickly secured a landing net to
scoop the fish Chris and Paul were reeling
up as Ron continued to monitor the drift
of the boat. Their rods were extremely
bent, indicating some nice fish were on
the way up. When the salmon finally
breached the surface they did not disappoint anyone. The fish each performed a
series of leaping pirouettes.
Those are some hogs! I said upon
seeing the air show.
Pauls fish was wrangled in the net
first, brought on deck and dispatched
quickly. It was an ocean-fresh fatty, complete with sea lice attached, and looked
to weigh about 10 pounds. Without hesitation, Paul stabbed another piece of cut
bait on his jig and lowered it over the side.
I had turned my attention to netting Chris
salmon, successfully achieving the same
4/16/14
9:09 AM
Page 97
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4/16/14
12:07 PM
Page 98
results as I did with Pauls.

After relishing a few seconds in his angling glory, Chris grabbed a tail section of
cut herring, threading the chunk on his hook
and cracked, Tails never fail. By the time
he started to drop back in on some more
silver, Paul had already hooked up again.
They continued to tag-team silvers until
the bite slowed from the boat drifting in a
direction away from the schools of fish.
Ron started the engine and maneuvered
the boat back into position over the targetrich area of salmon for another drift.
Orchestrating the nonstop action was
nothing short of controlled chaos. Ron and
I rotated duties as boat captain and net boy
with Chris and Paul. We became four rabid
anglers on the sea, alternating turns between crazily hooking and then netting
each others feisty silvers. Paul was also
fortunate to hook up and reel in a decent
size king salmon during the ruckus.
Horse Tail Falls, one of several

that careen down the steep
slopes of mountains around
Valdez. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
OUR TIME SPENT on the saltwater during the mid-August afternoon was simply glorious. There were plenty of arching
fishing rods, acrobatic jumping salmon,
and a blood-stained deck. I ogled the fish
box overfilled with our limits of big and
bright coho on our way back to the harbor. Mother Nature was kind to us and
our efforts and timing had paid off. Eureka! We struck silver in Valdez.
The remaining days we spent in
Valdez were just as successful as the first,
landing plenty of silvers. We also attempted fishing other areas within a 30mile distance by targeting underwater
pinnacles and deep flat depths for rockfish and halibut. Everyone had a good degree of success catching a variety of
rockfish; Paul and I also managed a couple small-sized halibut. Chris somehow
even caught a starfish while jigging for
halibut; of course, it was released back
into the ocean. We all made sure to give
Chris some ribbing for his prize catch.
While returning from the last day of
fishing, slowly entering the harbor, we noticed a bustle of activity near a gigantic
halibut hung for display. The massive fish
obviously weighed triple-digit numbers.
The lucky angler who caught the beast
was more than eager to share an epic fish
4/16/14
12:07 PM
Page 99
4/16/14
12:08 PM
story with us. We learned from details

about the catch that the boat had been
fishing in an adjacent bay not far from
where we spent the day. Go figure.
Listening to the fishermans story
about catching the enormous fish put
my thoughts in motion. I was already
Page 100
thinking about planning next years

ocean fishing before I even left the dock.
Valdez will certainly do that to a fishing
madman like myself.
The seemingly endless coho salmon action and potential for catching halibut the
size of barn doors keep me, and others,
coming back to Valdez every season. ASJ

Editors note: Author Dennis Musgraves
spends over 100 days annually sportfishing
all over Alaska. Chronicles of his year-round
Alaskan fishing adventures can be found at
alaskansalmonslayers.com.
Shore anglers get in on the action off Allison Point

near the Port of Valdez. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
4/16/14
7:49 PM
Page 101
field to fire:Layout 1
4/16/14
12:14 PM
Page 102
4/16/14
12:15 PM
Page 103
FIELD
From
Back-trolling, be it done with plugs or bait, is a highly
efficient way to control a presentation, and consistently get on big kings. This king couldnt resist a
back-trolled Hot Shot. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
To
FIRE
ITS GOOD TO
BEAT THE KING
BACK-BOUNCING, BACK-TROLLING METHODS
BY SCOTT HAUGEN
pring is here, and with it the kickoff

of king salmon season. While there
are many ways to go about catching
kings in Alaskas diverse river settings,
two methods have proven most effective
for me over the past 25 years.
Back-bouncing and back-trolling are
slow, controlled presentations that allow
precise placement of the terminal gear.
With the wide range of drift bobbers, baits
(when and where legal) and yarn colors
available today, the terminal gear combinations are many. Combine the any with
the following presentation styles, and
your catch rates will rise.

BACK-BOUNCING
While back-bouncing is normally confined to boats, it can be done from the
bank in the right situations. Fortunately,
many of Alaskas streams feature cutbanks, which allow bank anglers to work
the inside corners. This means presentations can be made down the inside seam
of a current, and possibly down the middle of the main current. These are usually
the deeper slots where moving kings
travel through and sometimes hold in.
The beauty of back-bouncing is the

controlled delivery. The setup itself is
simple, typically nothing more than a
dropper tied to a three-way swivel, a 30to 40-inch leader to the other eye. If looking to get the bait or plug further away
from the sinker, the dropper can be made
longer than the leader, so when it rests on
the bottom, the bait is carried well downstream of where the sinker is hanging up.
In back-bouncing, when the pumping
action begins, the bait will drop downstream every time the sinker is lifted and
set back down. If the terminal gear is carMAY 2014
4/16/14
12:15 PM
Page 104
Back-trolling is a controlled way to present baits and plugs, and is very

effective when it comes to targeting big kings. Here, the author and
friends back-troll their way down the Nushagak River. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
ried downstream too swiftly, then add

more weight. If its not moving downstream when you pump the rod, then decrease the amount of weight.
The beauty of back-bouncing is that it
lays a distinct scent line as the presentation is carried downstream in a straight
line. This enables salmon to follow their
noses directly to the bait. In turbid water,
a large drift bobber like a Spin-N-Glo
helps further lift the bait off the bottom
and doubles as a visual attractant.
If fishing from a boat, either backbounce from an anchored position or on
the move. When fishing a slow-flowing,
deep hole, anchoring will allow you to
back-bounce a presentation through it all
day long. This is ideal when awaiting the
arrival of fish, be it from a tidal push or
simply the normal migration of fish.
When back-bouncing on the move,
theres the luxury of covering a great deal
of water, in a very controlled manner. By
guiding the boat to precisely where you
want it, you can back-bounce a specific
4/16/14
12:17 PM
Page 105
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4/16/14
12:17 PM
The author, Mike Perusse (center)

and Scotts dad, Jerry Haugen
(right), backed their way into this
Alaska king salmon double. Backtrolling and back-bouncing are very
effective ways to search for fish,
cover water and keep bait in the
strike zone. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
Page 106
section of water.
BACK-TROLLING
Back-trolling, be it with baits or plugs, allows anglers to control where the presentation is delivered and regulate its rate
of travel. Back-trolled baits can be offered
in a way that appeals to a salmon when
nothing else seems to work. This is especially true in off-colored water.
Both baits and plugs can be backtrolled (check Alaska regulations as per
bait-use restrictions). When and where
legal, baits are hard to beat. Of all the
baits, eggs, or cured roe, are tops when it
comes to targeting kings.
Plugs such as a 5-inch Mag Lip and
Kwikfish can be highly effective when backtrolled. They can be flatlined (tied directly to
the mainline) or fished behind a diver.
When back-trolling, you can either
cover the width of the river or travel
straight downstream. Which approach to
use depends on the type of water being
fished, river levels, water clarity, holding
4/16/14
12:18 PM
Page 107
THE HOMER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND VISITOR CENTER

PRESENTS ITS PREMIER FISHING EVENT FOR SUMMER 2014
The Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby

The Jackpot Halibut Derby is the longest-running halibut derby, with the
biggest payout in total prizes, in the state of Alaska. The 2014 event will be
its 28th year. Recent changes to the rules turned the focus away from the
catching of large halibut and towards tagged fish prizes in an effort to promote conservation of the resource.
Back again in 2014 are the BIG tagged fish prizes: the GCI $50,000
Tagged Fish, the largest tagged fish cash prize ever offered in Alaska, and
the Stanley Ford F-150 Tagged Fish. Theres also more than 100 tagged fish
to catch worth $250, $500, and $1000.
Gene Jones of Bellevue, Iowa, won the 2013 derby with his 236.2-pound
halibut, and took home $21,281 in total winnings.
Early in last years event, Monique Peters of Willow caught a little fish
with a tag. The actual prize was kept a secret until Peters flew to Homer in
September to learn what shed won: her little dinker of a fish was the Stanley Ford F-150 prize, worth $30,000!
In August an angler on a North Country Charters boat brought a tagged
halibut to derby headquarters. When we checked the ticket number against
the prize, it was for the GCI $50,000 tagged fish. BUT HE DIDNT HAVE A
DERBY TICKET! So, the simple lesson learned? Buy your derby ticket! Even
little fish can win big.
In 2014 the price for a day ticket in the derby remains $10. For the first
time, a $100 season pass is offered for anglers who know theyll be hunting for a winning fish on many days.
Come to Homer, the End of The Road, enjoy our hospitality and our
wonderful fishing, and go home with great stories.
www.homerhalibutderby.com
MAY 2014
4/16/14
12:18 PM
Page 108
zones, fish travel routes and how well the water can be read.
Main currents and seams can be the best places to back-troll
through. This is where a straight line is chosen and stuck with on
each pass downstream. If you have a motor or can row upstream,
then making multiple passes will allow you to cover more water.
This is a good way to learn where fish are traveling, or, perhaps,
holding as the straight-line presentation targets a specific zone.
When it comes to back-trolling, dont forget to spend time in
shallow stretches and near the shore. It doesnt take much water to
hold a king salmon, and this is why back-trolling can be so effective.
This season, try slowing down your king salmon presentations. What youll discover is an increased knowledge as to where
salmon travel and hold, and a rise in
catch rates thanks to consistent
scent lines being established. ASJ
Editors note: For signed copies of
Scott Haugens popular book, Bank
Fishing For Steelhead & Salmon,
send a check for $17 (free S&H) to
Haugen Enterprises, P. O. Box 275,
Walterville, OR 97489; or order online at scotthaugen.com.
4/16/14
12:19 PM
Page 109
MAY 2014
4/16/14
12:20 PM
Page 110
FIELD
From
To
FIRE
CHIPOTLE SALMON
ON CORNBREAD
serving needs. Any creamy-style dressing or Asian marinade can be used in
place of the Saucy Mama products.
Chipotle Salmon on Cornbread
4- to 6-ounce skinned salmon fillet
cup cornbread, crumbled
cup onion, diced
cup zucchini, diced
cup corn
2 tablespoons Saucy Mama Creamy
Chipotle Dressing, or alternative
1 teaspoon olive oil
here are a few occasions each

year when I step out of my recipe
box and enter a cooking contest. With hundreds to choose from, I
have come to the realization the most important motivator is a great product to
experiment with. A while back I enjoyed
working with the folks at Barhyte, Inc., in
Pendleton, Ore., in their Saucy Mama, Fab
With 5 cooking contest. Only five ingredients could be used in a recipe, and
salmon came to mind as a key element. What I like most about the Saucy
Mama line of condiments is they come
from natural, often local ingredients. If I
can read a nutrition label without needing a dictionary to decipher whats in the
food, Im more likely to use the product.
This recipe makes a complete, low-fat,
nutrient-dense meal. It can be prepared
ahead of time and baked in the oven or

on the grill. Single-serving directions can
be doubled, tripled or quadrupled to meet
Saute onion, zucchini and corn in olive oil

until tender. Lightly grease baking
sheet.Place cornbread on baking sheet in a
small mound. Add vegetables, taking care
to keep everything in a stack. Place
salmon fillet on top and add dressing. Bake
in a preheated, 350-degree oven, 10 to 13
minutes or until salmon reaches desired
doneness.These stacks can also be put together and baked in
parchment paper
or in foil packets
for the grill. ASJ
Editors note: For
signed copies of
Tiffany Haugens
popular
cookbook, Cooking
Salmon & Steelhead, send a
check for $25.00
(free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises,
P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or visit
www.tiffanyhaugen.com. The book contains
over 130 outstanding recipes.
4/16/14
12:20 PM
Page 111
MAY 2014
halibut season:Layout 1
4/16/14
12:40 PM
Page 112
ALASKA AVIATION ADVENTURE DIRECTORY
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4/16/14
12:40 PM
Page 113
HALIBUT
IFS,
ANDS,
BUTS
Keep this halibut or try and take a better
one? That is the question for Alaska anglers.
More changes to halibut regulations will be
under the jurisdiction of the Catch Sharing
Plan for the first time. (WILD RIVERS FISHING)
WHAT YOU
NEED TO KNOW
WITH 2014
REGULATIONS
BY TOM REALE
nce again, there are

changes in the wind for the
halibut fishing season. Although theyre not quite as
drastic as some in the
past, especially for Southeast Alaska,
theyre still significant, and you need to
factor these things in when making your
plans for the year.
When looking over the reports and the
numbers, its very easy to get way into the
weeds this is stuff thats a combination
of estimates of biomass by biologists,
economic reports, meeting minutes,
agenda items as the list goes on and on.
Suffice it to say that we read this stuff so
you dont have to, and hope that we dont

miss too many important tidbits.
For starters, halibut sportfishing limits
in Alaska are coming under the jurisdiction
of the Catch Sharing Plan for the first time
this year. This plan is an attempt by both
the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council (NPFMS) and the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) to allocate segments of the total halibut catch
between commercial and sport entities.
Basically, the Halibut Commission determines the total poundage of halibut
that can be harvested in any one year, and
the NPFMC figures out what percentage
of that total amount to allot to the sport
industry, with the remainder going to

commercial interests.
Each year the IPHC analyzes the data
estimating the abundance of available halibut for harvest, and specifies a combined
catch limit (CCL) for Area 2C (Southeast)
and Area 3A (Southcentral). Based on
those numbers, the NPFMS will apportion
the total catch limits for each sector; for example, the 2014 CCL for Southeast is 4.16
million pounds, of which the sport sector
is allotted an 18.3-percent share, with the
remaining 81.7 percent going to the commercial boats. A similar ratio was set for
Southcentral, although the total limit was
much higher at 9.4 million pounds.
MAY 2014
4/16/14
12:41 PM
Page 114
In halibut-rich Southeast Alaska, anglers have a choice of keeping one fish thats
either under 45 inches long or more than 76 inches long. Halibut of that size are
rarely landed., but the appeal of that fishing is catching a monster fish. (TOM REALE)
In Southeast this year the limit per

day is still one fish, with a reverse slot
limit, meaning you can keep one fish
thats either under 44 inches in length or
over 76 inches. In the past, the size limit
in Southeast has been changing almost
year to year. In 2011 the limit was reduced from two fish to one, and that fish
had to be less than 37 inches in length.
Then in 2012 and 2013, the reverse slot
limit was instituted, and anglers could
keep one fish that was either under 45
inches or over 68 inches. According to
Heath Hilyard, executive director of the
Southeast Alaska Guides Organization
(SEAGO): Allowing the upper size limit
was meant to help out the guides in the
Sitka and Petersburg areas, where big
fish are more common. But in reality, that
upper limit doesnt mean much, since
only 1.25 percent of the halibut caught by
charter operators last year were over 68
inches long.
In Southcentral, although the total
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4/16/14
12:41 PM
Page 115
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MAGNUSON AIRWAYS
Barney Anselment is the owner and pilot of Magnuson
Airways. He is a third generation bush pilot born and
raised in Alaska, specializing in off airport flying. With a
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4/16/14
12:42 PM
Page 116
AUTHORIZED
HEWESCRAFT
DEALERS
ALASKA
Compeaus (Fairbanks)
907-479-2271 or 800-478-7669
Deweys Cook Inlet (Anchorage) 907-344-5092
River & Sea Marine (Soldotna)
907-262-2690 or 907-262-7402
Rockys Marine (Petersburg) 907-772-3949
CALIFORNIA
Boat Country (Escalon) 209-838-2628
Harrisons Marine & RV (Redding)
530-243-0175
IDAHO
Idaho Marine (Boise) 208-342-0639
Marks Marine (Hayden) 888-821-2200
Valley Boat & Motor (Lewiston)
208-743-2528
ILLINOIS
Calumet Marine (Calumet City) 708-862-2407
MINNESOTA
Badiuk Equipment, Inc. (International Falls)
218-286-0813
MONTANA
Dream Marine (Libby) 406-293-8142
Gull Boats & RV (Missoula) 406-549-6169
Wallace Marine (Great Falls) 406-453-9392
OREGON
Clemens Marina (Eugene) 541-688-5483
Clemens Marina (Gladstone) 503-655-0160
Clemens Marina (Portland) 503-283-1712
Pelican Marine (Klamath Falls) 541-882-5834
Y Marina (Coos Bay) 541-888-5501
WASHINGTON
Clarks All Sports (Colville) 509-684-5069
Northwest Marine & Sport (Pasco)
509-545-5586
Tom-N-Jerrys Boat Center (Mt. Vernon)
360-466-9955
Westside Marine (Port Townsend)
360-385-1488
The Guided Fish Program installed for this team allows charter boats to lease a portion of a
commercial operators catch quota and apply it to those fishing with that captain. Such anglers in Southeast Alaska would then be able to keep two fish per day rather than the usual
one-fish limit. (TOM REALE)
poundage allowed is relatively high, for

the first time there will be a size limit imposed. Anglers can still keep two fish per
day, but one of them must be less than
29 inches long, roughly an 8- to 10pound fish.
One wrinkle on the new limits proposed by the commission was named the
Guided Angler Fish (GAF) program.
Under this program, a charter operator is
allowed to lease a portion of a commercial operators catch quota and apply it to
his clients, thus allowing an angler in
Southeast to keep two fish per day, and
anglers in Southcentral to keep two big
fish. However, according to Hilyard, this
option has not gone over well with guides.
I only know of one guide in Southeast
who has leased extra fish, and one guy in
Southcentral. The problem is that since
its the first year, nobody knows what to
expect. If a guy leases too few pounds, he
could wind up having to turn clients away
at the end of the season, and if he leases
too many pounds, hes wasted his

money. The guide would have to negotiate the price of the poundage with a
commercial fisher, and then set prices for
his clients based on that.
A proposed alternative is the Catch
Ability Through Compensated Halibut
(CATCH) plan. (Man, these acronyms
are giving me a headache!) Under this
proposal, an organization representing
charter outfits could buy, rather than
lease, a portion of the allotted commercial harvest and place it in a pool for its
members to access. This is seen as a way
to acquire more fish for guides while staying within the conservation goals set by
the IPHC. Whether or not this plan will
float will be determined in the coming
years. But for now, were left with the current system and restrictions.
Also, be advised that there are separate limits set for guided and unguided
anglers. If youve got a private boat to fish
from, good for you; your limits are a bit
4/16/14
12:42 PM
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4/16/14
12:43 PM
Page 118
less stringent than those imposed on

charter operators.
But for the majority of us who go out
after these big flatfish, were stuck with
the limits imposed on guide operations. It
saves us from the work and expense of
owning a boat big enough to venture offshore, and the ability to keep one more
halibut a day probably isnt going to be
cost-effective for most of us.
The limits and restrictions for 2014 are
set, for now. However, in the future, be
prepared for more change and, most
likely, still more limitations on how many
and how big our keepable fish will be. And
given the ever-increasing price of boat
fuel, the day is probably not far off when
charter boat fishing for halibut will be a
much smaller part of the recreational fishing picture. You can take this as a glass
half-full, though, by telling yourself that
these are the good old days, when we
are still able to venture out to deep water
and tangle with gigantic fish, and even
bring them home and eat them. ASJ
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800-332-1736
4/16/14
12:43 PM
Page 119
MAY 2014
bear hunting:Layout 1
4/16/14
1:19 PM
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4/16/14
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HEADING ASHORE
FOR A FIRST
BEAR HUNT
CARPE DIEM ON THE CARPE VENTOS
BY KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS
AND BIXLER MCCLURE
ost people dont think twice about eating a cow,
but when presented with the opportunity to dine
on spring black bear they wrinkle their noses and
say, What? You cant eat black bear!
Actually you can eat black bear. The meat of a spring
black bear that has been feasting on greens and berries
prior to the salmon run is peppery and delicious. Low in
fat and high in protein, spring black bear from coastal
Alaska is highly prized and akin to elk or buffalo.
Every year, as the snow melts and the days lengthen
in late April, we rig up our sailboat for black bear hunting. Our 1979 Cal 34, named Carpe Ventos (Latin for
seize the winds), is not your typical cocktails-andJimmy Buffet-crooning sailboat. Shes Alaska-tough
from mast to keel and has helped us harvest three black
bears along the coast of Southcentral Alaska. Carpe
Ventos is the only sailboat we know of to enter Seward
Harbor with a bear skin on the bow and meat bags tied
to the railing along the stern.
Weve become quite the experts at sail-hunting.
We rig up the jib (the sail in the front) and coast quietly along the shoreline scanning for bears feasting in
avalanche slides. Our cranky diesel engine sends the
The Carpe Ventos, anchored in Seward Harbor, provides an

excellent vantage point to scout out bears roaming the shoreline.
The hunters gathered their equipment and used their dinghy to
reach the beach and commence the hunt. (BIXLER MCCLURE)
MAY 2014
4/17/14
12:23 PM
Page 122
bears running, but under sail we can get

within anchoring distance to drop anchor
and run up the hill after them. Of course,
our first bear hunting experience was nothing like it is now, and it was almost bad
enough to put me off sail-hunting forever.
Finding bear tracks on

the beach. The bear the
hunters spotted was followed up the beach and
into the thick alders and
spruce just up from the
shore. (BIXLER MCLURE)
IT WAS A beautiful May weekend, and

we set out on Carpe Ventos with a few
friends to spend the weekend exploring
the bays around Seward. We dropped anchor in a quiet cove with the intention to
eat dinner, have a few drinks, and treat our
friends to the quiet sailing lifestyle. After
dinner the sun was still high in the sky as
Bixler stepped on deck to take in the view.
As he looked towards a particular valley,
he noticed a jet-black dot moving slowly
along the hillside. Interrupting our quiet
evening, he grabbed his binoculars and eagerly scanned the hillside.
Thats a black bear, he said. We
should go after it. He jumped back into
the cabin and started grabbing our Ruger
.30-06, knives, and frame pack, which we
keep aboard the boat just in case we see
something black and furry on the beach.
Are you sure? I asked hesitantly. It is
getting late, and we have guests. Our
friends mentioned that they didnt care since
they were used to our adventuring antics. I
grabbed my hunting gear as Bixler packed
up the dinghy. I gave our friends a quick
overview of how to use the marine VHF and
we took the handheld radio. (Though it is illegal to communicate via radio for the aid of
hunting in Alaska, hunters can carry radios
for emergencies and we would notify them
if anything went wrong.)
Bixler and I jumped in the dinghy and
sped towards the beach. We dragged the
dinghy up high above the tideline and tied
it off to a tree. Bixler grabbed the frame
pack and gun and took off running
through the thick alders and spruce.
I carefully made my way through the
alder thicket until I reached the spruce. The
spruce trees climbed the steep hillside and
I could tell by the fresh tracks that Bixler
had put his mountain running skills to the
test. I am not a mountain runner, so I slowly
climbed the mountain staircase until I
reached the edge of the treeline.
Bixler, I called quietly. Come this
way, he responded. I followed his voice
4/16/14
1:30 PM
Page 123
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Mention this ad, when you stay 6 nights anytime between May
1st and June 9th, and get the 7th night free.
MAY 2014
4/16/14
1:28 PM
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The author marches through grassy

fields on the search for bears. Steep
hillsides in the area make for a challenging hunt, especially with the inexperience of taking a bear. But
there are plenty black bears in the
area. (BIXLER MCCLURE)
through still-dormant grasses and alders

flattened by the winter snow. I met him at
the edge of an avalanche chute still fresh
with snow. He bolted ahead across the slide
with ease while I fell on the first step. As I
stood up and placed my hand on the slide,
I realized the steepness of the hillside.
Standing at full height I could extend my
arm out and touch the mountain. Slowly
and carefully I walked across the snow,
knowing that a misstep could send me
straight to the bottom.
I climbed up the other side of the slide
and began to see signs of the bear. Piles of
grassy scat with munched down skunk cabbage made an even contour across the hillside. In the distance I could see the jet-black
ball moving slowly towards the forest.
Bixler signaled me to stop moving. He
crouched down behind an alder bush and
perched the .30-06 on a branch. Finding
his Zen moment, he paused and waited,
and as the bear turned broadside to him,
he squeezed the trigger. With a single
shot to the heart, the bear fell.
With screams of joy, Bixler bolted to-
4/16/14
1:29 PM
Page 125
MAY 2014
4/16/14
1:30 PM
Bixler McClure with the black bear they

stalked and harvested. McClure and the
author were a little unsure the bear was
down before confirming it. Then came
the challenge of skinning and quartering
the animal. (KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS)
Page 126
wards the bear. I followed as quickly as

my stubborn legs could carry me and
joined him. The bear lay slumped over an
alder bush, mid-dinner.
Go over there and poke it, Bixler
said, unsure of the bears status.
No way, I replied.
We carefully approached the animal as
Bixler chambered a second round into the
.30-06. Sure that he had shot it, we rolled
it over and the escaping gasses from the
lungs caused us to jump out of our skin.
WELL, I GUESS we should skin and
quarter it, Bixler said, fumbling through
the bag looking for our bear-skinning
guide from Knights Taxidermy.
Right here? I asked, noting the
steepness of the hillside. Bixler, coming
down from his adrenaline rush, gave me
the look of, Do you have a better idea?
Slowly, we positioned the bear on its
back on the tarp. It slumped down on
started to slide down the hillside. We
grabbed it by its paws and dragged it above
an alder to brace it.
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MAY 2014
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TRY THIS SPICY

BEAR CHILI
Black bear, like pork, needs to be cooked
thoroughly and is best consumed in ground
form versus roasts or steaks. Ground bear
can be used in place of ground beef in any
dish, such as burgers, meatloaf, or meatballs. If those in your party are a bit leery
about eating, say, black bear burgers, try
this spicy chili recipe. The number and type
of peppers can be modified to control the
spiciness, but we recommend it nice and
spicy and paired with a fine red wine.
INGREDIENTS:
A pound or two of ground black bear meat
2 cups chopped onion
A couple of diced peppers (jalapeo, Anaheim, and habanero is what we used)
4 cloves minced garlic
2, 15-ounce cans of beans (we used kidney
and pinto), rinsed and drained
2 14-ounce cans undrained diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon chipotle chili pepper (dried)
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon black pepper
In a Dutch oven cook bear meat, peppers,
onions, and garlic until meat is browned
and onion is tender. Stir in beans, tomatoes,

tomato sauce, water, and seasonings. Bring
to boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered
for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve
with grated cheddar, sour cream, and
cheesy Alaskan sourdough bread. Bear
skull not required! KB
4/16/14
1:33 PM
Page 129
MAY 2014
4/16/14
1:33 PM
Page 130
Fresh bear meat hanging off the Carpe

Ventos was the reward for these
hunters who made something, at times
frustrating, but ultimately exciting,
out of a leisurely dinner cruise
with friends. (KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS)
Bixler grabbed our brand new knife set

while I started thumbing through the skinning guide. The largest animal we had
skinned before this first bear was a
grouse. I slowly walked him through the
steps and we started skinning the bear
with hopes of making the skin into a rug.
The first few cuts and peeling back the
skin was easy. Then we reached the head
and paws, which needed to be removed
and kept on the hide. That was easier said
than done.
Our new knife set hardly cut through
the tendons and through a string of expletives I nearly cut off Bixlers thumb.
After arguing and regrouping after a moment of marital silence, we proceeded to
remove the entire skin. The field dressing
that followed was easy.
Carefully, we packed the quarters and
other meat in the meat bags. We laid out all
four quarters and the hide with skull and
paws attached. Then we opened up the
frame pack. The pack was simply a frame
with a support on the bottom and series of
straps. I thought to myself it would work, so
4/16/14
1:34 PM
Page 131
MAY 2014
4/16/14
1:34 PM
I simply piled three of the quarters and hide

on the pack and strapped it down. I jimmied
theframeinplaceonBixlersbackandhelped
him get up. He groaned and complained
about the weight. I offered to help, but his
testosteronetookoverandhestartedtowalk
backtowardstheboat.Igrabbedtheremainingquarter,thegun,theknifeset,andthetarp
and started to follow Bixler.
I found Bixler sitting on the avalanche
slide murmuring something like, this is
never going to work, and cursing at the
weight. I suggested we slide down the avalanche and follow the stream back to the
beach. Bixler didnt question, but simply
sat down and slid down the hill. During the
process, our poor packing job caught up
to us, and the various bear parts exploded
out of the frame pack down the slide.
Screaming and cursing, we chased the
quarters down and stopped to repack the
pack. Bixler yelled at me for doing a poor
packing job and I responded by shooting
back, Do it yourself next time! We
paused for another moment of marital silence before continuing down the stream.
Page 132
The stream walking was difficult as I

was now carrying two quarters, gun,
knives, and tarp in my hands. Bixler kept
falling. As we rounded the corner, he
cursed. We were standing at the top of a
double-decker waterfall. We had violated
the unwritten code of always take the
same trail down as you came up. Bixler,
dehydrated and angry, ripped the pack off
and dunked his head in a pool at the top of
the waterfall. Again, marital silence and
again, we regrouped and found a trail out
through the thick woods.
Finally, around midnight as the sun
dipped well below the horizon, we
climbed over our last pile of alders to
reach the beach. Exhausted, we slumped
the meat bags and hide into the dinghy
and returned to the boat.
OUR FRIENDS GREETED us in a cold,
dark boat. I realized quickly that I had not
instructed them on how to use the electrical switch panel or the heater. My bad feelings were quickly erased by the excitement
of Bixlers bear. We admired the paws, the
teeth, the hide, and the rich color of the

meat. And the next day when we returned
to the harbor with the hide sprawled across
the bow, it was a sight. We butchered the
bear and said bye to our friends.
After the ordeal we made some changes
to our hunting strategy. We purchased two
backpacks with an expandable mesh compartmentinsteadofaframesowecouldsplit
the animal evenly between us. We started to
mentally mark landmarks for good up-anddown trails. We improved our skinning skills
by using less force on the animal and letting
the knife do the work. We split the butchering jobs evenly based on our strengths.
Since then weve successfully harvested two more black bears, a mountain
goat, and a caribou all from following
the learn-by-doing philosophy.
We eventually reunited with our
friends over bear burgers during the winter. Though we had left them and had a
horrid time hunting the bear, the consensus among the four of us regarding the
bear burgers was the same: Those are
the best burgers weve ever had! ASJ
4/16/14
1:35 PM
Page 133
COWBOY
.25
.32
.38
.38
.38
.38-40
.44-40
.45LC
.45LC
.458
85 GR.
78 GR.
120 GR.
125 GR.
130 GR.
180 GR.
180 GR.
160 GR.
200 GR.
350 GR.
RNFP/500
RNFP/500
TC/500
RNFP/500
RNFP/500
RNFP/500
RNFP/500
RNFP/500
RNFP/500
RNFP/100
$28.00
$25.00
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$26.00
STANDARD
.32KEITH
.380
9MM
9MM
.38
.38
.40
.45ACP
.45ACP
.45LC
125 GR.
95 GR.
115 GR.
125 GR.
148 GR.
158 GR.
180 GR.
200 GR.
230 GR.
255 GR.
SWC/500
RN/500
RN/500
RN/500
DEWC/500
SWC/500
RNFP/500
SWC/500
RN/500
SWC/500
$46.00
$30.00
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$41.00
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$55.00
GAS-CHECK
.38
.357
.41
.44
.44
.44
.45LC
.45LC
.458
.500
158 GR.
180 GR.
230 GR.
240 GR.
240 GR.
305 GR.
260 GR.
325 GR.
430 GR.
440 GR.
SWC-HP/100
LBT-WFN/100
SWC/100
SWC-HP/100
SWC/100
LBT-WFN/100
SWC-HP/100
LBT-LWN/100
LBT-LWN/100
LBT-WFN/100
$21.50
$24.00
$26.00
$32.00
$32.00
$39.00
$37.00
$41.00
$49.00
$61.00
This is a good cross reference of the bullets we offer. We have about

144 set of molds with new molds coming. Sixteen employees working
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star lubers gas checking every day. We have bullets made with five different alloys that we order in 40,000 - 60,000 lbs at a time a mixed per
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MAY 2014
4/16/14
1:37 PM
Page 134
4/16/14
1:37 PM
Page 135
MAY 2014
moose hunter:Layout 1
4/16/14
2:23 PM
Page 136
4/16/14
2:24 PM
Page 137
THE MOOSE
THAT DREAMS
ARE MADE OF
MEMORIES OF A
YOUNGSTERS HUNT
BY STEVE MEYER
The author was just a young boy in 1972, when

he did a solo hunt for a moose he obsessed
over, but fate intervened just as he was hoping
to fulfill his dream hunt. (STEVE MEYER)
s I watched the evening sun setting over the peaks of the western Alaska Range, it caught the
glint of the silvertip as he came out of
the brush line near a small creek bed at
the valley floor below, 2,000 feet above
sea level.
From my vantage point above the
valley on a ridge to the south, he dominated the landscape. Watching with
nervous anticipation I estimated his
range at 400 yards and he seemed to
have no particular destination as he
paused and raised his head sniffing the
air. The wind coming straight from him
to my position allowed me to move from
scrub willow to scrub willow, getting
closer and closer and more excited with
each step.
MAY 2014
4/16/14
6:58 PM
Page 138
A giant bull moose of a young hunters dreams was constantly

viewed from the bush plane that transported the author and his
uncle. Finding that moose for a shot became an obsession for the
boy that has never left his thoughts as an adult. (STEVE MEYER)
THIS WAS MANY HUNTS ago: Aug.19,

1972; that brown bear season wouldnt
open until late September had no bearing
whatsoever on my decision to close the
distance. When you are 12 years old, find
yourself alone on a remote Alaska mountain slope, with a long night ahead waiting
for the opening of moose season, you get
a bit anxious.
My eagerness had started in July when
my uncle and I were flying in his Super
Cub that we had painstakingly spent the
previous winter rebuilding. We stitched
the wings, applied the finish to the fabric
and replaced various aluminum components. On an early morning flight from our
home in North Kenai we flew over this
mountain valley with its small trickle of
water in the streambed below and saw a
bull moose in the 60-inch class meander138 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014
ing about; the Lord of the valley if you will.

As the summer turned to early fall in
Alaska, and after several visits to his valley, we determined he was, in fact, home.
We would fly over in the morning and, like
clockwork, the old bull would come out of
the willows and move down to the creek.
He never varied more than a few hundred
yards in any direction. He was that coveted
60-inch class of moose that dreams are
made of and, for a North Dakota farm boy
in love with hunting and who had been in
Alaska a bit over a year, it seemed my
prayers had been answered.
On the morning of the August 19 the
day before the season opened we
loaded the plane and headed out to check
on the old guy. He was still there. We
landed on the alpine tundra about a mile
from the valley and decided I could spend
the night alone on the ridge above the valley. The next morning my uncle and my
dad, who was on an oil platform and
wouldnt come home until that night,
would show up to help me finish skinning
and start packing the bull to the strip.
It wasnt as if I hadnt hunted before, I
had shot at ducks, geese, pheasants and
deer since I was 6 years old. I had taken a
black bear earlier in the year with my .300
Winchester at a touch under 400 yards.
We gathered up a sleeping bag, a jug of
water and my beloved Winchester Model
70 and headed to the valley the old bull
called home. The ridge above the valley to
the south provided a magnificent view, as
well as a good position due to the prevailing
north wind. My uncle bid me a good night
and hiked back to the plane. When he took
off and wagged his wings as he flew over
4/16/14
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Page 139
MAY 2014
4/16/14
2:25 PM
my camp, I felt like the luckiest kid alive.

MY FAMILY MOVED to Alaska in the
spring of 1971, after my dad had gone on a
moose hunt with my uncle, who was already
in Alaska. Two weeks was all that was required to convince him that we needed to
live there. I was elated. As a young fellow, I
became entranced with the hunt and spent
every spare minute I had in the country surrounding my home, learning the habits of
every creature congregating there.
I became a veracious reader of outdoor
literature. By the time I was 10 I had a fairly
decent vocabulary of Swahili and was convinced there were two places on the planet
that could accommodate the likes of me:
Africa or Alaska. My dad and I were the only
two members of the family (the only two
who loved hunting) who were excited about
the move, and the crying and gnashing of
teeth by other family members over the next
few months seemed unseemly to me.
But we made the trip, and the first year
was spent mostly fishing; nonresident big
game tags were just too expensive to afford
Page 140
for me as well as my dad. It was a tough

year to wait, but it was also a great learning
year. My uncle and I had stalked and shot a
nice meat bull, and I learned the necessity of
a strong back for moose hunting.
Later, my dad took a huge-bodied
moose with 53-inch antlers. He had to return to work the next day, so my uncle and
I packed the bull out on snowshoes. We
weighed the hindquarters when we came
in, and they were 173 pounds and 167
pounds. I dont know who had the heavier
one, and I doubt it made much difference.
Those first packing experiences of large
moose etched the certainty in my mind that
one did not hunt big game in Alaska unless
you were ready to work hard for it.
So there I was, some 75 air miles from
the nearest town; I had no satellite phone,
no radio, no communication of any sort
with anyone. It was a feeling of elation
combined with a bit of terror. I was a
tough kid, my rifle earned as a result of
cutting septic tank logs and firewood during that first summer in Alaska.
I was raised that the way you learned
things was to do them, and it was in that

spirit that I first took off from our home
with my backpack and camped alone near
a lake. I hoped to take a black bear early in
the year. There was no bear on that trip,
but I knew I could go it alone and enjoy it.
BY THE TIME I inched my way closer to
the silvertip I was feeling pretty cocky, like
I had all of this figured out and I could do
damn near anything. As I got closer and
took a look through my rifle scope (I had
no binoculars), I was instantly deflated as
the grizzly of my imagination turned into
a porcupine waddling down to the crick.
I was so glad no one was there to witness the great hunter in his element. But it
was funny and broke the tension as I
trudged back to my sleeping bag. It was
getting close to sundown and I was in my
sleeping bag hoping to get some rest that
night. I daydreamed about the big bull that
I would take in the morning, but my dream
was interrupted by the sound of an airplane. I sat up as it came closer and then
swept by close enough to read the tail-
4/16/14
2:26 PM
Page 141
MAY 2014
4/16/14
2:26 PM
feathers of N2791P, the same

plane that brought me there.
What none of us hunters had
considered in all of this was the
reaction a mother might have in
discovering that her 12-year-old
son was left alone on a mountain
in some of the most wild country
remaining on the planet. Suffice
to say it was not good, and my
mother became somewhat demanding in her insistence that
my dad and my uncle get back in
the plane to fly and spend the
night with me. Thanks to my
mothers caring so much, my
dream of a 60-inch moose appeared shattered.
I watched as the plane circled
a couple of times, its flaps came
down and it settled into a spot
much closer than where we had
originally landed. I sat on my ridge
and waited for them to come to
me, thinking there was no point in
spreading more human scent
Page 142
The author is now retired and spending

much of his free time hunting and fishing.
But he still longs for that giant moose that
eluded him years ago. (STEVE MEYER)
than necessary. At the time, I had

no idea that my hunt was already
over before it really got started. As
the minutes ticked by and the sun
disappeared behind the Western
Alaska Range, there was no mistaking the sudden appearance of
a brilliant bright orange fireball
piercing the twilight. I knew a rescue flare when I saw it and my
first thought was, Oh crap.
I gathered up my rifle and
headed north across the valley toward what I now expected to be
wreckage of what had been a perfectly good Super Cub, and who
knew what else? I heard some
crashing in the brush and stopped
to determine its origin when my
dad appeared with the stoic look
on his face said it all. He smiled as
I approached and said, Sorry,
everyone is OK but we wont be
hunting in the morning.
As we worked our way back
to the plane, he explained my
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2:27 PM
Page 143
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mothers interference and their scramble

to get back before dark. They had circled
the area and spotted what appeared to be
a suitable landing area for the tundra-tire
equipped Super Cub. Everything was
going great until a crosswind took the
plane sideways into a hassock and nosed
it over into the tundra. The only injury was
damaged ego; the plane would not be flying without a new prop and new gear on
one side.
As my dad and I approached the plane,
a light appeared in the sky to the north, and
soon we were able to make out the unmistakable thump, thump, thump of a helicopter. The big Sikorsky landed 20 yards away.
and, like that, we were rescued.
PROTOCOL DICTATED WE could not
be taken to Kenai and instead found ourselves in Anchorage at 11 p.m. with hunting gear and looking for a way home. Back
in those days pilots knew other pilots, and
before long my uncle had made arrangements with Kenai Aviation to pick us up at
the airport in Anchorage. A taxi ride took
Page 144
us to the Anchorage International Airport.

Imagine two men and a young fellow
walking into any airport in the country with
big game rifles slung over their shoulders.
How long do you suppose it would take before you found yourself looking down the
muzzles of MP5s or M16s, whichever the
SWAT team happened to be using? When
we walked through what is now known as
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at midnight, there were plenty of people awaiting night flights out of town. We
barely got a second glance.
Many years would pass before I completely appreciated the significance of that
moment. It began to occur to me how fortunate I was to have grown up in a world
where men took care of themselves and
their families. Eating meant something
else had to die, and there was no shame in
participating in the life cycle. Very young
men could be trusted to perform in less
than perfect times and were allowed to
rise to their God-given abilities. A 12-yearold boy, perfectly capable of fending for
himself, could be left to do just that with-
out parental fear of prosecution.

The mother intervention didnt completely ruin my hunting season. Three
weeks later, on an evening hunt to a
swampy area near my home after school,
I took my first moose. He was a paddlehorned bull, nothing like the old monarch
in the mountains. I had set up in the treeline of the edge of this swamp, surrounded by timber knowing from my
wanderings that moose routinely came
out at dusk in the area. He came out and
stood facing me at about 100 yards, and
I took the shot square above the brisket.
In 42 years of hunting in Alaska I have
taken my share of moose, none of them in
the 60-inch class. The moose I didnt take
is a vision that flits through my mind daily.
I imagine him living his life out with no one
else ever knowing he was there, and I always hope his last years were good ones.
And I hope that as I go out to pasture,
Ill have one more opportunity to take a
big old bull that, like me, has lived a good
life and is ready for the next generation to
carry the torch. ASJ
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backpack hunt:Layout 1
4/16/14
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Page 146
4/16/14
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BE THE LEADER
OF THE PACK
PREPARING FOR YOUR ALASKAN BACKPACK HUNT
unting out of a backpack is one
of the most gratifying, and, at
the same time, most challenging hunts you will ever do.
Its not for the timid or the weak, but for
those who want true adventure; old school,
if you will. Where success depends on the
want to achieve and getting from point A
to point B, its all about drive and the anticipation of what lies ahead. Hunting big
game this way creates a feeling of accomplishment and that anything is possible.
Success can be limitless, but so can the
danger. Backpack hunts are not for everybody. Theyre tough, demanding and, if
youre not prepared, you will come out of it
in hurry wondering why you werent. All
BY PAUL D. ATKINS
the luxuries of life are left at home and only

the bare essentials will do. Things that we
take for granted are long gone, and that ancestral gut instinct will take over.
Hunters increase their odds when
choosing this method. Theyre able to go
longer and further than most, discovering
new areas that hold more game, which increases their chances at a trophy of a lifetime. If this is something that youre longing
for, then here are a few ideas and suggestions that will help get you on your way to
one of the most exciting ways to hunt.
In Alaska backpack hunting is a way of
life. There are no roads, and every mountain
creates its own challenge, not to mention
every species that you decide to pursue has
its own set of circumstances. Your pack and

gear should reflect those circumstances.
GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME
First and foremost you have to have the
right mindset. Backpack hunting is a serious undertaking. The longer and further
you plan to hunt the more you will have to
prepare. Its a mental game as much as a
physical one, and both have to be in sync
to be successful.
Hunting alone in Alaska is quite different, especially when youre isolated from
everything on the outside and have nothing
but the bare essentials to get you through
the week, or, in some cases, two. The first
few days of any backpack hunt will be an
Traversing across open flats of tundra with a pack and a rifle can be a
challenge all its own. Getting in shape with an exercise regimen long
before your hunt begins is recommended. (PAUL ATKINS)
MAY 2014
4/16/14
6:26 PM
Page 148
adjustment, and there will times when you

want to turn around and go home. But dont
fret; ride it out and make it work. Once you
get in a groove and get the system down
things will get easier, and, in most cases,
you will start to enjoy the solitude and the
realization that you can do this and the hunt
belongs to you.
You will learn to accept the fact that
you smell, the mosquitoes arent that bad,
and, if you step just right, the tussocks and
rocks wont break your ankles. After this,
you will transform and become the hunter
you always wanted to be, a natural predator in his or her natural environment.
Along with your bow, the necessities in

your pack need to be as light as possible.
Most sheep hunters are gear junkies, and
are always in search of gear that will
lighten the load. (PAUL ATKINS)
LETS GET PHYSICAL

Second, you will have to get in shape. This
is probably one of the toughest aspects of
any backpacking adventure. I know for me
it is. Getting in sheep or goat shape
starts long before the hunt begins; probably months and not weeks before. Ive
learned to start slow. Simple hiking and
walking without your pack is a great way
to begin, building up each week, as the
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MAY 2014
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Page 150
Deer packs like this one used on

Kodiak Island can sometimes
require a lot of gear. But keeping
your pack as light as possible,
and your back less stressed with
a heavy load, can make for a
better hunt. (PAUL ATKINS)
hunt gets closer. However, you should create a workout regime of some kind. Treadmills, stair climbers and weights are a great
way to build stamina. Remember, you
dont have to be a fitness zealot to hunt
Alaska. Backpack hunts arent strictly limited to mountains as most people think.
Traversing across vast fields of tundra or
walking the willow flats along endless
rivers is part of the package as well. Being
in shape and able to go when you need to
go are just as important as being able to
climb. Climbing, however, can be a big part
of the adventure, especially if youre trying
to find sheep or goats, so orchestrate your
workout according to what you plan to do.
Getting to base camp in game-filled
country is what its all about. Once you arrive, hopefully game will be abundant,
meaning no more long hikes or long walks.
Yes, it will hurt getting there, but the reward will be great. Several years ago I
backpacked in for sheep in the western
Brooks Range. I was transported to a
gravel bar on a nearby river and hiked the
5 miles to the base of the mountain where
4/16/14
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MAY 2014
4/16/14
6:28 PM
I made camp for the evening.

It was not far by most standards, but it
was through the deep tundra along a bearinfested creek. The next morning, with my
BowTech strapped to my back, I looked at
what lay ahead me. It was straight up
through the loose rocks, but I found a
route and began the climb.
It was tough, but I immediately could
tell the six months of training was paying
off. Once I reached the top, I started to
glass and found myself hitting paydirt,
with sheep in all directions. The area was
relatively flat and I knew the hard work
was over. Luckily, I arrowed a nice ram the
same day, and once up was enough.
GEAR 101
Choosing gear is another thing to seriously
think about when you decide to hunt out of
a backpack. This part you absolutely cant
skip or skimp on. You should always buy the
best equipment you can afford, even if you
think you cant. Buying the cheap stuff wont
work and will fail, even if you think its a great
deal. You dont want to have an equipment
failure, especially after putting so much time
and effort into a hunt of this magnitude.
Page 152
Most hunters who buy the cheap stuff

end up buying better gear down the road
anyway. So start off right with top-notch
gear from people or companies that specialize in backpack hunts.
There are many companies that sell gear
that works for the backpack hunter. Remember, when youre filling your pack or
dressing yourself, or choosing a bow, for that
matter, you need to stay light as possible.
Purchasing and using lightweight quality
gear means you will have less on your back,
allowing you to go further and longer. With
so many great companies out there producing top-notch gear, you cant go wrong.
Personally, Ive chosen gear that works
for me here in Alaska. Sitka gear is at the
top of my list when it comes to what I will
wear. The cold front tops and bibs are the
best Ive worn. They can handle any
weather condition, and are tough as nails
when you are climbing through sharp
rocks and terrain that is demanding. Kenetrek boots are also my choice of
footwear, with wool socks. I also wear a
silk foot liner to eliminate any blistering.
No matter the boot you choose, make
sure you adequately break them in. When I
first bought my mountain hikers I wore them

for a year; I also used them on all my workouts. This allowed a break-in time, and they
were like gold on the mountainside or any
hunt for that matter. Backpacks themselves
are a personal choice. There are many great
ones out there, all designed for a specific
function, and all have their pros and cons. I
personally use Kifaru packs, specifically the
Timber Line II. Coming in at 9 pounds, the
pack is tough and user-friendly. It has many
options, and the harness system fits securely on your hip and back the way a good
pack should. It also holds a lot of weight, especially when youre coming down a mountain with a goat or sheep on your back.
Choosing the right backpack, clothes
and boots are essential for success and will
make or break your hunt in most cases, but
so will your archery or rifle setup. Bows
seem to get better and better every year.
Short axel-to-axel bows that are lightweight, fast and accurate are the norm these
days, which is ideal for the backpacker. I personally shoot the BowTech line and am anxious to try the Carbon Overdrive on an
upcoming goat hunt. Its incredibly light,
easy to handle and, at a short 30 inches, will
Tyler Freel of Fairbanks is an avid backpack hunter,

and, like the author, is meticulous when choosing his
backpack and other gear to make the most of these
challenging of hunts. (PAUL ATKINS)
4/16/14
6:28 PM
Page 153
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strap easily to my pack, adding little weight

as I climb even the tallest and steepest inclines.
As far as rifles, you want something
light if possible. Synthetic stocks, fluted
barrels and lightweight powerful scopes
are nice. They maneuver easily, and most
packs have built-in rifle carriers. However,
dont give up accuracy just to save on
weight. Choose a rifle that you are familiar with and can shoot well.
PREPARING THE GROUND
Thinking ahead calls for intense preparation
time. Everything you stuff into your pack
should be a must-have item, if not it stays at
home. Ive hunted with a lot of mountain
guides, and one thing they always do before any hunt is to go through my pack. At
first it was embarrassing, especially when
they start throwing things in a pile, repeating over and over that You dont need
that! But time has seasoned me, and the
stuff they remove now is minimal. It was
great way to learn and helped me with my
own hunts here in the far North.
Page 154
The author has really stepped up his

preparation process in learning how to
hunt with a backpack and come home with
plenty of big game. (PAUL ATKINS)
Water is a must, and, unlike some of

the more desolate and dryer country in
the Lower 48, Alaska is full of water. I
usually take a filter and sometimes
tablets. Tablets are small, light and take
up very little room. If you choose to use
them do your research.
For food, careful consideration must be
given long before you decide to backpack
in. High-calorie food in small quantities is
the way to go. Most experts say you should
have a minimum of 100 calories per 1

ounce of food. Things like raisins and nuts,
along with energy bars and candy bars,
work great and fill you up. Peanut butter is
also a great source of energy (and protein). Eating right will make your backpack
hunt a lot more enjoyable and enable you
to go the distance when needed.
Going solo on a backcountry hunt or
even a fellow backpacker will make for
some memorable hunting adventures.
It will take time to adjust at first, but after
a week or 10 days you will feel like an old pro.
Hopefully you score and find the animal
youre after, but if you dont you will have accomplished something that most wont
even try. Discovering the mystery of what
lies on top or just ahead with nothing but
your pack is very rewarding, and, after a time
or two, it will become second nature. ASJ
Editors note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor
writer from Kotzebue, Alaska. Hes written
hundreds of articles on big game hunting
throughout North America and Africa. You
can find him at pauldatkins.com.
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Page 155
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Page 156
CUNNINGHAM
BY CHRISTINE
BATHROOM HUMOR
ON THE HIGH SEAS
T
he captain
scuffed
around
deck like many
sportfishing guides
in Alaska whod
slept all winter and
were waking up
from hibernation with the bears. There
were three of us whod tagged along with
him for his first trip of the season. As he
checked hoses and re-accounted the deficiencies of last years deck hand for our
amusement, he stopped suddenly in the
door way of the cabin.
I dont know if the toilet is going to
work, he said.
You never know if anythings going to
work the first time out, he added.
We can go over the edge like they used
to, my fishing partner said. He often referred to the way things used to be done,
but I could never determine when or where
people ever did most of the things the way
he described. It was a world before the existence of plumbing, before clocks, before
traffic or the discovery of fire, and yet it was
a world that had invented the Zippo lighter,
Winchester rifle, and duct tape.
I had to use the restroom, and Id better do it before we left the harbor or else
endure the stigma of being one of those
people who actually uses a marine toilet.
One time, the captain said, I was
waiting in line at the launch. The boat is still
on the trailer. And this 400-pound guy
uses the boat toilet! The three of us all
shook our heads. The public restrooms
were only 100 feet away!
Westartedtolaughwhenthecaptaindid.
They are heated restrooms! We were all
laughing. The guy comes out and says, I
think I broke your toilet, tears were starting
to come out of the captains eyes. We had156 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014
nt even left the dock!

Im never using the toilet, I thought.
The captain headed back into the
cabin with three tool boxes as we waited
on deck. Captains sure seem funny
about their toilets, I said.
Ive never used a marine toilet in 50
years, the captains friend said. The other
two men seemed impressed and nodded
in agreement. I figured I would wait until
the subject changed to head for the heated
restroom facilities ashore. Everything
about boating seemed written in a secret
code. When someone said they were
Going down for a beer, they meant they
were going to be using the restroom, but
when they said The water is calling, they
were only referring to fishing.
Id once read a sign on a boat that said,
Nothing Should Go in the Toilet that Has
Not Gone through a Person. But did that
mean not to use toilet paper at all or that
you had to eat the toilet paper first if you
wanted to use it? Another sign said, No
Butts in Head. I figured that meant both,
Dont place cigarette butts in the toilet,
as well as being a personality
prerequisite for use of
the head.
Only the person
who maintains the marine toilet should use it,
the mechanic among us
noted.
Years ago, a girlfriend
had recommended this
exact charter boat to me,
not for the potential success of the charter or the
demeanor of the captain,
but for the enclosed toilet. That the boat
contained an enclosed rest-
room was an advertised feature. Never

once did it occur to me that it was merely
ornamental for those not qualified to clean
and replace parts, lest they be specifically
referenced for the rest of their lives.
The captain emerged from the cabin
and continued his account of last springs
preparations for the mechanics consideration. We were all losing interest in the prelaunch festivities as other boats departed
the harbor when the captain stopped middeck. He remembered another toilet story.
This time it was a woman who had completely clogged the toilet. She didnt say a
word! the captain said. She never even
mentioned it! I sort of understood her reluctance. The poor woman probably
changed her name and moved to Costa
Rica. I didnt find out until the next time we
took the boat out! Everyone was laughing
so hard they looked like they were going to
pee their pants.
I wasnt going to get a chance to use
the restroom before fog poured out of
the motors and the captain flashed a
smile that I had never seen in all my midseason trips. After months of
guiding, sometimes two
trips in one day, the
smile grew weary and
only appeared when
the fishing was excellent. This was the first
time Id seen the captain pause to smile
without a single hope
of fish. It was just a
shake-out trip, after all.
The toilets not working, he announced.
I was never
so happy to pee
in a bucket in
my life. ASJ
loose ends:Layout 1
4/16/14
2:15 PM
Page 157
Specializing in non-guided hunts for Elk, Deer

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4/16/14
8:02 PM
Page 158
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4/16/14
2:02 PM
Page 159
MAY 2014
4/16/14
10:45 AM
Page 160

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cover-Alaska:Layout 1

Paul D. Atkins, Kristyn Bablinskas, Christine

Lee Balliet, Mamie Griffin,Karl Kukor, Mike Nelson,

Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Christina Poisal

Tony Sorrentino, Gary Bickford

Larry Csonka and his partner, Audrey Bradshaw,

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 9

The Fugitive: Alaska style

Valdezs Plentiful Salmon Bounty

121 The Bear Hunt Sail

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

YUKONS WILD ANIMAL VET

The Editors Note

10 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 13

ALASKA DREAM PROPERTIES FOR SALE

Bear hunting season in the spring is

ADFG WISELY BANS

ALASKA FISHING DERBIES

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 17

Derek DeGraff of the Alaska Bureau of

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 19

SERT responders in Alaska need to be prepared for all

When we arrived at the prison around

the mindset of the pair.

But one trailer home we came upon,

The Worlds Most Complete Line of 300 AAC Blackout / Whisper

1040 fps Maxium Expansion

1040 fps Controlled Fracturing

Ammunition and Projectiles

130 Penn Am Drive, Suite D-1 | Quakertown, PA 18951 | Phone: 215.536.4100

XM177E2, an 11.5-inch barreled version of the M16, we stacked on the

22 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014

tent and some .22 rimfire cartridges.

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 23

The author says SERT

24 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014

prisoners be doing on Marathon?

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 25

26 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014

Its not Alaska

WALRUS, SALMON, FLOATPLANE DECOR HIGHLIGHTS NEW STORE

of time. Except for a very few spots, the

say that its an experience. The outside

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 29

Above: Prince William Sounds various fish

A pair of beluga whales holding court over shoppers browsing

A majestic brown bear linked

You get the feeling Cabelas Sidney, Neb., headquarters

Alaska, and more Alaska.

The stores Gun Gallery

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 31

department is a clever display of brown

Alaskas first Cabelas store opened in

32 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014

something visually interesting to look at

here the primary reason most of us go afield

A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GOLD PANNING

trike it rich! Many people would

A gold panner gets up close and personal

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 35

steel pan, and plastic pans can be molded

36 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL MAY 2014