With sub zero temperatures and winter in full swing here in Fairbanks, hunting season is long over. However, the great thing about Alaska is there is always somewhere to hunt. Next week, I’m heading out on my much-anticipated trip to Afognak Island. As with every trip, I’m being reminded of how much of an ordeal hunting in Alaska can be.
A cool opportunity came up, when my friend Josh, who runs Afognak Wilderness Lodge with his family, suggested that I come down to help out around the lodge and film video on one of their brown bear hunts. I hunted at the lodge in 2009 and it is nothing less than world class. Their camp is on the northeast end of Afognak Island and is a true paradise. The brown bears are some of the biggest in the world. The deer, elk, sea duck hunting and trapping is phenomenal.
A an Alaska resident, I’ll get the opportunity to shoot up to 3 Sitka blacktails and hunt or trap some of the prettiest fox and river otters I’ve ever seen! It still shocks me how expensive it can be though. The biggest challenge in Alaska is usually just getting to these spots. Often, the only access is by plane. I will have to fly from Fairbanks to Anchorage to Kodiak and try to catch a scheduled mail flight out to the lodge, dragging all of my gear along the way. Airfare will run me about $700, but it’s a small price to pay!
I can hardly stand waiting to get back down there, so stay tuned for my coverage on Live Hunt. If you’re interested in seeing where I’m going, check out the lodge’s website www.huntafognak.com for info, pictures, and rates.