The Hunting Alaska Newsletter -- June 2003

Newsletter Contents

• Feature -- King of the Mountain: A high adrenaline Alaska brown bear hunt
• Alaska Hunting tip for June -- Getting into Sheep Shape
• News on the web
• Alaska hunting stories on the web
• Featured Alaska hunting books and video
• Events
• Significant Threads on the Alaska Hunting Forum
• Subscription and Advertising Information

King of the Mountain: A high adrenaline Alaska brown bear hunt

Sponsored by Deltana Outfitters High adventure Alaska hunting for bear, caribou, Dall sheep and moose.  Experienced Alaskan guides First class accommodations. Call Ralph Miller 1 (907) 895-5006 or visit Deltana Outfitters Alaska big game hunting website.  Please stop by for a free Deltana Outdoors Alaska hunting wallpaper.

Standing up on hind legs, he zeroed in and came for us. Likely a stray breath of wind had telegraphed our intentions. We had paused for a few seconds when the deepest, meanest snort I have ever heard came from the willows. From 12 paces away, on all fours and moving at us in a powerful charge was the bear. There was no mistake in his manner; we each knew without thinking that this was no bluff. We raised our rifles simultaneously and…..

……but, wait……I am getting way ahead of myself. That was the adrenaline rush part. Let me start at the beginning. You need the background on this.

As an Alaska hunting guide I have learned that you can always count on one thing: don’t count on anything going according to plan…..like carefully planned shots at dangerous game from ambush. In reality, each hunt is different than the next and each species is always ready to throw in a surprise or two. That was sure the case with this particular Alaska Peninsula spring brown bear hunt.

Ralph Miller, one of our head guides, met our bear hunter, Jens Perto and his photographer, Otto, in Anchorage after their long flight from Denmark across the Atlantic and the USA. Jens and Otto then flew to the northern Alaska Peninsula where I first met them.

This is Jens (right) and I with his Alaska Peninsula brownie.  Things look pretty calm, don't they?  They weren't that way just minutes earlier.

I find that it’s almost always a pleasure greeting hunters preparing for the hunt of a lifetime because their excitement is contagious. That was the case this time, too. After a brief first meeting with Jens and Otto, our pilot and I headed off in search of fresh bear sign. We spotted a number of likely spots and touched down a time or two for a closer look. Within a short time we found active dens and actually spotted two boars within a mile of each other. Things were looking good…..like our plan might actually work. More >>>>>>

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by Tony Russ

August 10th is only a couple of short months away. All sheep hunters and most big game hunters realize that is the day when we have to be prepared. More specifically, our bodies have to be prepared. Alaskan big game hunting is usually a test of strength, stamina and willpower. Those who can overcome the physical challenges of climbing mountains, packing heavy loads and enduring other physical hardships have a much better chance of success in the field. The best time to start preparing yourself for the upcoming “hunt,” was last fall, just after the close of last season. If you have waited until now to begin your training, you need to take full advantage of all eight or ten weeks remaining before opening day.

I like to use a cross-training approach to my physical conditioning. I do this to be a well-rounded hunting athlete, to avoid overtraining injuries and to provide variety, which keeps my interest. The four areas I focus on are:

•cardiorespiratory conditioning
•strength
•flexibility and agility
•stamina

My favorite methods to improve my cardiorespiratory (cr.) ability are an inclined treadmill (good), the stepper/climbing machines (great), and hiking local hills and mountains (the best). Any exercise that makes you breathe hard for a long time will improve your cr. ability. For strength training, I use free weights as well as weight machines at the gym. I stretch daily to retain and improve my flexibility and during all my exercise forms I focus on improving my agility. Stamina is achieved by simply including at least one long, hard exercise day -- the longer, the better -- each week in preparation for the hunting season. The methods you choose to prepare your body for the upcoming season depend on your needs and your options. Choose wisely and work hard, and your chances of success this fall can improve dramatically.

We pay for content we publish in this space. If you have a hunting tip that you think would be suitable here, please contact us and we will consider it.

• ADF&G asks Alaskans to be on the lookout for dead birds that may be carrying West Nile Virus
• Feds close Prince of Wales early deer hunt to non-locals 

Alaska hunting stories on the web

• Building family memories Hunting trips provide valuable time together for families (Duck and deer hunting families in the Juneau area)  10/02
• Moose hunting preparation and procedures 5/19/03
• Camp Virgin - A Woman's First Hunting Camp (A woman at an Alaska hunting camp) 11/01
• Death Knocks Twice 2/18/02

Featured Alaska hunting books and video

• Love, Thunder and Bull 2 in Alaska  Long-time Alaska hunting guide Wayne Kubat tells how to effectively call moose in this second edition of his popular video.  "Moose calling is easy," Kubat says...."and it works."
• Hunting Hard  ... in Alaska  Alaska author Marc Taylor has produced the first of what should be a number of very readable and helpful books on Hunting in Alaska.  The book is now available in Alaska bookstores and on this website, among others.

• June 15, Sunday, 9am-Noon BASIC GPS LAND NAVIGATION I SEMINAR FOR GARMIN AND MAGELLAN Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska

If you know of upcoming events that would be helpful to Alaska hunters please let us know.   We will consider for publication events both in Alaska and elsewhere in North America.

Important: some messages may will show on the default forum view.   You may select a different view at the bottom of the forum messages (e.g. May)

• Hunting Float Trip 1bigbull May 28 2003
• Koyukuk float stealhead May 28 2003
• Sweeeeet-HEART (about rutty caribou meat -- editor) Brian Richardson May 24 2003
• Note: some messages may not show on the default forum view. You may select at different view at the bottom of the forum messages.
• Success on POW Ed M May 21 2003
• Suggested Firearm for Brown Bear Callmegassy May 21 2003
• best sheep hunting boots?? windsurferlawman May 20 2003
• Aire Cougar Cataraft Terry G May 16 2003
• Bow 4 Moose Steve Springer May 15 2003
• Inflatable rafts Trevor May 14 2003
• Winchester Stainless Jim Durkin May 13 2003
• Shipping Ammunition??? Mark Loveland Colorado May 11 2003
• longlining up a river chief May 11 2003
• The Hi-Tec Hunter...Say Cheese! J Urban May 10 2003
• Hunting from the Haul road. Bork May 07 2003
• Most econo way to ship antlers? JohnO May 04 2003
• Convert .30-06 to .35 Whelan? DanC May 02 2003

These are a few of the threads posted on the Alaska Hunting Forum in the last 30 days.  The Alaska Outdoors Forums serve over 1,300 page views per day.  You are welcome to read comments.  You may post messages by joining the forum with a simple procedure that verifies your email address.  We archive some messages in the Alaska Hunting Forum archives.

Newsletter Archives

Featured: New Alaska State Hunting Regulations Announced | Bonus Feature: Wolf Control Works | Hunting Tip for May: Meat Care | Upcoming Events | Recent Threads of Interest on the Alaska Hunting Forum | Recent Hunting Oriented Additions

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