Our outdoors heritage

[Aklogcabin]

Hello all, hunting, fishing n pretending I know how to trap are a large part of my life. So much so that I built a remote cabin so I could go out more especially as getting out gets harder.
Having hormone, steroid free meat for my family. A bit easier for us Alaskans who have access to moose n lots of salmon. And other big game. And lots of migratory waterfowl. . We can fill our freezer n sometimes our friends n relatives freezers.
Also very important to me is to build the bench. We are loosing our outdoors heritage. Teaching others by taking them out. And when they can start off with a successful outing they can get hooked much easier. Take one make one works for all ages.
Also very important is the Pittman-Robertson act that is a 10% tax on all outdoors equipment followed by Dingle-Johnson addition for fishing gear. This money is matched. If a your state puts in $1 this fund matches with $3. This money has to go to fish n game management for all to use n enjoy. And funds a large portion of the budget for our biologists. Just thought this was important for folks to know.
A couple years ago I called in a 58" non typical antlered moose for our son. Huge 1400 lb bull. Helped our grandson catch his first fish. I remember cleaning 100s of salmon for canning, smoking freezing, bartering n most importantly sharing with friends n family who will appreciate it.
I arrived in Ak from WI as a young man. Saw Alaska n that was it , I found my home. And can keep our family into some great healthy food that is great while harvesting them. Together with my family n friends. N could go on forever.
Hope to hear lots here.
Our daughter while we were making a freight run to haul the years worth of gasoline. We harvested some prime chaga on this trip. Our son's first moose hanging. This was the largest moose that I have ever been in on. I can tell the story later.
My beautiful wife sitting on the front deck having morning coffee on Easter Sunday at the cabin. While we were target shooting. The Good Lord, Pretty girls, HOT coffee cooked in a perker, guns, ( jug of whiskey on the corner of the cabin for after shooting, for coffee seasoning. No lattes here). And me , sitting at the base of Mt Denali and the surrounded by rugged majestic mountains while freighting our sons first moose a couple hundred yards from the cabin.
Feeling like the most blessed man in the world

 

[Aklogcabin]

I took this picture while moose - wolf hunting. What a day. Started out with our son n me freighting our canoe n hunting stuff 2 miles south to the lake that our pilot drops us off on. Then canoeing the mile down the lake n another half mile to the beaver dam across the creek draining the lake n about 5 miles of lowlands to the north. To open up the dam . Our fish biologists have asked for folks to help control the beavers. Beautiful no wind sunny day. We spent a couple hours opening up the dam. Then I crawled up on their 8' tall dam n tanned while I was hunting, bare. And my clothes dried out on the many blueberry bushes.
Out of nowhere n from behind the ridge behind us a thunderstorm, hailstorm shows up. I go from dry n sunny to run over to the canoe on the other side of the beaver house grab my gear n hunting tarp make it the big spruce 25 feet away. I'm soaked again. There was a pair of rarely seen yellow finches who must have nested their. Great to watch while the storm passed.
A brief break allowed us to dash to the wheeler n head home. But instead of heading home dusk was coming coming so we headed to our blind. Here comes another mother of all brief storms. Thunder n all. Which generally doesn't happen here. I mention because I bolt hit so close that I jump up a spruce tree n hugged it. It was close. I snapped this picture as it cleared up for the 3rd time that day.
We were here when I called in our son's first moose. This is also a prime hunting area for our local wolves. I've called in several while doing moose calls. N really enjoy sitting here until after dark for a bit . Especially on a moonlit night. It's a whole different world.
Hey a bit about me

 

[Alaskajohn]

Thanks for sharing those pictures and stories. I'm glad to hear of another chaga consumer, and of course coffee. Both are Alaskan staples. But alas, I am a bourbon man verses a whiskey man, except for if you are buying!

Thanks also for sharing your love of all things outdoors with your kids. Both of my kids were on an urban track which helped fuel the wife and my decision to head north to Alaska about 15 years ago. In addition to them now firmly in the realm of avid outdoorsmen, both know now how to build or fix things from helping out around the place. Like Dick Proenneke's famous quote, they and I enjoy working things through to completion. One of the true joys of this lifestyle.

 

[dademoss]

I love your pictures and story, Thank you! Dad was in Alaska in the Air Force, but not clearly not the same Alaska you write about

 

[Aklogcabin]

Yes Alaska is nice but I've been to other places and am really impressed. Growing up in Wisconsin surrounded by forests n farms. Started out squirrel hunting young. I remember walking to the holiday gas station. Flopping down fiddy cents i got from selling returnable bottles for a box of 22 shorts off squirrel hunting. Deer season was an allowable excuse from school for 2 weeks. I fished, like always.
My point is that no matter where, no matter what or how. Just getting out for a walk or calling in a bull moose for family n friends. Its all the same . Just in a different place.

 

[Aklogcabin]

Hello all. Being in the outdoors is just part of who I've become. I had access to the woods as a kid. I could buy a box of 22 shorts for 50 cents when I was 12. Off I'd go for the day.
Collect crawlers at night. My grandpa showed me how to shock the ground n make the appear. Sell them at a box stand in the corner of a liquor store parking lot.
I could do those things back then because I could. Public access to our lands. Less government restrictions.
All of us who enjoy the outdoors, even just going for a ride n enjoying the view. The chance to see some wildlife.
My beautiful wife regularly tells me that the getting ready n all the pre-planning seeds like a barior. But after she gets out there, everything gets great. Fresh air, chance to put so food in the freezer or just make more memories.
Always happy to bring our grandkids. We got a miniature snogo for our 3 year old grandson. It arrived n we introduced him to his new ride. He unlatches the hood, lifts it n says nice engine. Then jumps on. He thinks he's a pro. I have a kitty cat snogo almost ready for our just turning 1 granddaughter. Creating opportunities. Going out camping in a borrowed motor home this week I think. Fishing sight seeing checking out the seasonal wild berry crop. My beautiful wife, daughter n grandson. All I have to do is get in the seat.
I'll end with a nice story. Our daughter n me were out at our cabin attempting to harvest her first moose. Our suzuki 4 wheeler wasn't running correctly so our daughter made me sit on the porch n chill. Make some moose calls. While she disassembled the wheeler n rebuild the carburetor n fuel pump. Cut the firewood n cleaned our guns. Made gourmet meals n such.
We only had a few days. We got the cabin closed back up n headed for the lake 2 miles south to be picked up by a bush plane. I was surprised to see our son on board the plane. They had planned out for him to fly out , me fly back home.
Unknown to me they had planned out for them to put up the firewood for the winter n clean the cabin up real nice. So everything would be ready for the winter. So I would not have to do it. It was their turn to give back.
And all dad had to do was kick back n enjoy life when I returned. Make coffee in a perked. Do do do do do do do ! Sit on the deck n enjoy the life that we created, together.
As the plane lifted off the water n circled back around. I was able to look down on my kids. Pulling a load of freight to the cabin. Spending time together, brother n sister. N me feeling like the most blessed man in the world.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Oh, the good life! Making memories that will never die!

 

[joel]

Rub my nose in it, I dreamed of going to Alaska when I was young, while read Call of the wild & White fang.
Watched "Northern Exposure " every time it came on. Heard all the stories about cabbage bigger than pumpkins & men killing bears on their lunch break.

 

[Aklogcabin]

Yeppers we can grow some big veggies. Biggest iv gotten was 50 pounds. Seems that the night before we harvest them for sourcrout the moose eat them.
Haven't killed any bears at lunch. But harvester a black bear at breakfast and a brown also for breakfast. Just realized that I was standing on my porch, cabin n home, when I shot them.