I Went to the Woods

Bear at 10 yards, I nock an arrow and go through my checklist of what to do, not from experience because I've only taken 1 deer with my bow, but from research. I made the right call. On the drive back in from the hunt, I talk about the importance of practice and getting through all those early unsuccessful trips because that's the only way to get better. I'm a long way from where I want to be, but each trip gives me the chance to improve.

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I'm now 0-2 hunting with my buddy Evan, so we will likely not be "hunting buddies" until we have some success. Anyway, after we failed to take a buck in the alpine (him) or down low (me) I wonder at what point the alpine season really ends. I discuss that and how my first camp out using a hammock instead of a tent went.

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Fairbanks resident Harrison Gottschling talks about his over the counter Dall Sheep hunt that did not go as planned, but he ended up with a dream result.

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The Labor Day fishing bonanza at Gilpin Lake outside of Steamboat Springs, CO, was ruined thanks to me forgetting the flies in my girlfriend's car. Good work. However, I do talk about the trail, flies that were recommended and the evening hatch in this short camping review podcast.

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At a river near Ketchikan, I talk black bears, putting up fish and deer for the winter, conservation and the start of another school year with my buddy Zack.

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Disconcerting days for locals regarding two resources - salmon and deer. I talk about the recent reduction of deer for non-qualified hunters in Unit 2 (Federal land only) and the time change of the salmon derby in Ketchikan because of poor Chinook returns. Concerns over the deer population in Unit 2 lead to the change from 4 bucks to 2, (effective Aug. 16) which some interpret as pointing blame specifically at non-residents (some read Ketchikan specifically) for the dip in blacktail population on Prince of Wales. It's a bit of a mess, and if hunters are divided and pointing blame at each other, we lose the ability to be united to protect the resource.

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Heading down the mountain from a solo hunting trip in the alpine, I talk things I've learned about gear, hunting in heat, food and more insight from one of my favorite books.

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Three buddies from California and I recap their hunting trip to the Ketchikan area for Unit 1 Sitka Blacktail. Cody and I took bucks with two minutes of each other in the same bowl on a mountain.

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Near a campfire I talk kayaking Glacier Bay, hiking the iconic Chilkoot Trail and Prince of Wales Island with four first-time visitors to Alaska (Abby Hoffman, Ian Hall, Jordan Kiler and Tanner Harms) and Klawock resident Tonya Busse. We cover trip planning, necessary gear and the importance of good people.

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Klawock resident and local hunting legend Don Busse and I talk about fishing, hunting, mentors, learning, missed deer, deer populations, whether or not people hunt where they say they do and gear.

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