On Step Alaska

Episode 389 - Mountain goats in SE Alaska

Ross Dorendorf is a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. In this episode we talk about all things mountain goat including habitat, management, predation, tendencies, locally introduced populations and a little about Dall sheep. 

Episode 388 -Salmon habitat and dams

Marian Giannulis is the communications and engagement director for Trout Unlimited Alaska. In this episode we talk about the importance of spawning habitat for fish, restoration projects and the current situation with the Eklutna dam which blocks returning fish from what was once important spawning habitat for all five species of Pacific salmon. 

Episode 387 - Fly-in mountain goat hunting

Longtime friends Melissa Castle and Nani Weimer recap their fly-in (Melissa did the flying) mountain goat hunt last fall. 

Episode 386 - Beyond the Hunt audio

This episode is an audio version of Part I of my book Beyond the Hunt read by me because the cost of professional studios and readers is way too much for a small budget guy like me.

Part II (Mentors) and Part III (Life) are available for download at OnStepAlaska.com. 

Part IV (Tags) and Part V (The Industry) will be available soon. 

Episode 385 - Biking the Iditarod Trail

Jamie Hollingsworth is a faculty member at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and an avid cyclist. In 2023, he biked the Iditarod Trail (1000 miles) on a fat tire bike with a few others. In this episode we talk about cold weather biking, gear, logistics and details of the trip. 

Episode 384 - Ketchikan aviation and deer hunting

Max Ludwigsen is a pilot in Ketchikan and graduate of Ketchikan High School. In this episode we talk about his aviation career path, his family's aviation history, Ketchikan history, hunting and the trusty 7-iron. 

Episode 383 - Gold Rush History

Phil Wight is an assistant professor of history and northern students at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. In this episode we talk about the Gold Rush in the interior, origins of Fairbanks, con artists, the pipeline and Dalton Highway. 

Episode 382 - Cold, sheep and blowing up spots

Harrison Gottschling and I talk about winter caribou hunts, dealing with the cold, sheep hunting and blowing up spots.