Spring 2016

Description

Departments

The Opener  6

Editor’s Tracks  8

Gear Shop 10

Hunt Alaska Online 14

Hunting for a Compliment 18

Technical Talk 22

After the Shot 24

Ballistics & Ammo 26

Shooting for the Field 28

Life on the Ledge 30

Red Gold  32

Backcountry Safety 34

Hunt Alaska Recipe 70

Advertiser Index 72

Last Shot 74

Features

Barren Ground: Caribou Hunting in Sheep Country
by John Whipple 38

John Whipple is happiest on knife-edge ridges, alder-infested hillsides and in country where the only trails are made by animals. Here he searches for caribou perched on rocky ledges, overlooking bands of Dall sheep down below. For this hunt, you need to pack light and be ready to hike long and hard.

Dogs & People…And the Ties that Bind
by Mike Chihuly 42

After thirty years and three springer spaniels, Mike Chihuly joined an Alaska bird dog club and now kicks himself for not getting involved sooner. Here he details a number of bird dog clubs in the state that offer great opportunities to improve you and your dog’s experiences together in and off the field. 

Arctic Extreme
by Paul D. Atkins 48

Hunting the cold, windswept tundra for musk ox is relatively easy. You find a bull, make a stalk and eventually your arrow or bullet will find its mark, but when Arctic conditions become extreme, hunting musk ox can be tough. Join Paul Atkins for a riveting tale of adventure in the Alaska Far North.

Quest for the Alaskan White Ghost
by Ryan Schmidt 54

After hiking hundreds of miles, long nights in wet sleeping bags, days behind the spotting scope, swatting bugs and fighting the Alaska weather, there was author Ryan Schmidt’s white ghost above the thick fog of clouds. This is how sheep hunting gets into your blood.

Quit Looking & Start Seeing More Game
by Lon E. Lauber 60

Alaska is big country and contrary to some myths, there isn’t a big-game animal behind every bush. So, learning how to see more game is crucial to success while hunting in the Great Land, and here expert hunter Lon Lauber helps us with the tips and tricks he’s picked up along
the way.

The Makings of a Moose Hunter
by Billy Molls 66

If you want to experience Alaska hunting, then a bull moose has to lie somewhere on your to-hunt list, and author and big-game guide Billy Molls believes the highs and lows that come with the pursuit of these behemoths is something every sportsman needs to experience.

COVER / This mature caribou is remarkable to watch in the wild. © Anthony Madden