On Step Alaska

I grew up watching Lower 48ers take Alaskan salmon back to their homes and in October I took a Wyoming mule deer back to mine. Traveling to someone else's spot to live out a dream can be a complex issue and one that often leads to debate. For every local angry about meat leaving the state, there's a slice of the local economy dependent upon it. We're all Public Land Owners, but what sort of ethics should a hunter or angler travel with? Jess Johnson, Jaden Bales (both of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation) and I talk about this and how to pack for a road trip in this episode.

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Fairbanks resident Steve Shannon is back to talk about the highs and the low from the year. Though plans changed, we both scratched out pretty good years hunting. We also discuss e-bikes, tipi tents, and recipes.

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The first weekend of Peak Rut is behind us and I went 0/2 on shots (both clean misses) with my bow, but I was seeing deer and giving myself a chance. In this episode I talk about what has worked for me as far as hunting muskegs in high traffic area. I explain the importance of running a program you trust because that is the key. People have different ideas about how to hunt during the rut and it all can work. My program is to focus on transition areas rather than bust through brush to make it to a muskeg and use a deer call as a magic wand.

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On Day 1, I was hoping for a 3 or maybe a 4-point buck because we had scouted an area and seen big bucks. By Day 4 I was ready to shoot a spike we called Chopstick. So much happened during the 6-day hunt in Wyoming it was difficult to get the days straight, but in this episode I attempt to. Jaden Bales joins me to talk about the difference between reading or watching videos about hunting, and actually hunting. It's the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is knowing tactics. Wisdom is knowing what tactic to use during the actual hunt. Days 1-3 were uneventful which brought on desperation and frustration, but there was no question every morning we were excited to get back out there and run a good program. Then, after blowing a stalk (Day 4) and missing a forkie (Day 5), maybe Abby and I got things right, or maybe we just happened to get lucky.

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Telling a story is easy. Telling a good story isn't. You're trying to convey an experience to someone who wasn't there and a lot of times they end up being dry and detail lacking, too big on trying to make it epic or over-the top ego strokes. In this solo episode I talk about what I like about podcasts, articles and other story-telling content. That's not to say I am right, but I am an expert in what I like.

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All of a sudden it's October and almost time for Wyoming mule deer. In this solo episode I talk about how fast things move, solo hunts, hoping I don't chalk my mule deer hunt as a "learning experience", prepping for the blacktail rut here in Alaska, duck hunting and why it's important to have some fun when the world is on fire.

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Stumbled upon the Backcountry Rookies podcast and tracked down host Chad Ryker for an episode. We talk about morning routines, figuring out the important details that make hunts successful, starting podcasts, the importance of the honest angle when making content and bringing value to people rather than just looking for revenue.

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The Wyoming correspondent Jaden Bales and I talk about our latest hunts, expectation vs. reality, saying the right thing and finding that sweet spot between overconfident and unsure.

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