Episodes

Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Episode 439 - Risk assessment part 2 - The capsizing
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Larry Jackson shares his story of a capsizing incident in the summer of 1996. Larry also touches on the changing landscape of marine technology, the importance of preparedness, and the risks fishermen face daily.
Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska.
Click here for a 20% discount on an annual subscription to The Westrn, the outdoor community’s newest newspaper.
Thanks to the sponsors:
Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.)
Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.)
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Episode 438 - Blacktail Deer Foundation
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
In this episode Marshall Johnson discusses the challenges and triumphs of fundraising and forming new Blacktail Deer Foundation chapters in Kodiak, Sitka, and Prince of Wales. He breaks down chapter needs, conservation goals and event planning.
Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska.
Click here for a 20% discount on an annual subscription to The Westrn, the outdoor community’s newest newspaper.
Thanks to the sponsors:
Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.)
Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.)
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
Episode 437 - Alaska bison
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
Tom Seaton is a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Wood Bison Project. In this episode we discuss the differences between wood bison and plains bison, biology and behavior of each, their adaptation, social behaviors, and resilience against predators.
Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska.
Click here for a 20% discount on an annual subscription to The Westrn, the outdoor community’s newest newspaper.
Thanks to the sponsors:
Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.)
Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.)
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Episode 436 - Should Alaska go to a preference point system?
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Jaden Bales is the founder of Hunt West, a hunt preparation service for hunting in the West. In this episode we discuss the pros and cons of preference point systems that many Lower 48 states have adopted and some are attempting to modify thanks to point creep and hunter frustration. The discussion shifts to resident vs. non-resident dynamics, expectations and the funding of conservation efforts through hunting raffles and auctions which generate significant financial contributions for wildlife management.
Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska.
Click here for a 20% discount on an annual subscription to The Westrn, the outdoor community’s newest newspaper.
Thanks to the sponsors:
Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.)
Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.)
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Episode 435 - All things blacktail deer
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
ADF&G biologist Ross Dorendorf talks about all things deer in Southeast Alaska. He shares insights about the impact of bad winters, carrying capacity and overall population health.
Ross breaks down the impact of poor habitat caused by same-age second growth trees and the collaborative efforts involving various agencies working to improve deer forage and hunter opportunities through targeted habitat treatment.
Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska.
Click here for a 20% discount on an annual subscription to The Westrn, the outdoor community’s newest newspaper.
Thanks to the sponsors:
Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.)
Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.)
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Episode 434 - Hockey, steelhead and conservation with Matt Boline
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Juneau resident Matt Boline and I discuss the life of a high school coach in Alaska, fishing tactics for steelhead and Trout Unlimited conservation projects in Southeast Alaska.
Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska.
Click here for a 20% discount on an annual subscription to The Westrn, the outdoor community’s newest newspaper.
Thanks to the sponsors:
Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.)
Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.)
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
Episode 433 - Risk assessment with Larry Jackson
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
In this episode, Larry Jackson and I talk about growing up boating in the Alaskan wilderness. We discuss how seeing tragedies impacted our risk tolerance, the unpredictability of adventure and balancing thrill and caution in the face of the wild.
Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska.
Click here for a 20% discount on an annual subscription to The Westrn, the outdoor community’s newest newspaper.
Thanks to the sponsors:
Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.)
Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.)
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
Episode 432 - The Golden Age of outdoor media?
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
In this episode, writer Katie Hill discusses the complexities of outdoor writing and content creation. We talk about the evolution of outdoor media in the past 30 years, the process behind crafting stories that resonate, and how the changing dynamics of media platforms like Substack are offering exciting new opportunities for writers. Katie shares her unique perspective on the current state of the outdoor and hunting communities, emphasizing the importance of bridging divides and fostering a sense of community among diverse audiences.
Katie is the managing editor at The Westrn which will debut its newspaper this spring. Click here for a 20% discount on an annual subscription.
Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska.
Thanks to the sponsors:
Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.)
Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.)
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers