Description

Departments

4   Hunt Alaska Online

6   Publishers’ Welcome

10  Hunting for a Compliment

12  Gun Dogs

14  Trip Tips

16  Red Gold

56  Ad Index

58  Recipe

 

On The Cover

Luke Boersma of Oregon connected with a beautiful Sitka blacktail deer on a boat-based hunt near Larsen Bay with Big Dan’s as the transporter. © Luke Boersma

 

20

2024 Editors’ Choice Awards by Hunt Alaska staff

The eighth annual Hunt Alaska Editors’ Choice Awards showcase the best gear we tested in 2023. Categories for this year’s awards include Firearms and Ammunition; Optics; Knives and Cutting Tools; Field Accessories; Apparel; Archery; Camping and Cooking; Game Bags, Holsters, Packs, Cases, and Kennels.

36

2024 New Gear by Hunt Alaska staff

Now is the time to start gearing up for hunting season! Here’s a short list of some promising new items to consider taking to the field with you in 2024. Rest assured; we’ll be testing many of these ourselves this fall.

42

The Case for Copper by George Krumm

The first all-copper (monolithic) big-game bullet was the Barnes X bullet which came onto the scene in the late 1980s. It had a pretty high following in Alaska right off the bat. It’s been over 30 years, and monolithic big-game bullets are now better than ever, with nearly every manufacturer offering them. Editor George Krumm makes the case for using copper (monolithic) big-game bullets in Alaska.

48

Water Treatment Systems by John Whipple

In Alaska, water is everywhere. However, even though Alaska is the Last Frontier, you still need to treat the water you drink in the field. There are many ways to make water safe to drink, and avid backcountry hunter John Whipple has tested many products over the years. From chemicals to UV to pumps to gravity-feed filters, he discusses the pros and cons of many of them.