The '07 fall hunting season has kicked off with a big bang. In early September I traveled to Chisana, Alaska, for a moose hunt with Terry Overly's Pioneer Outfitters (907-734-0007). Just getting to a remote destination such as this is an adventure in itself. Pioneer Outfitters is accessible only by small plane and is the site of an early 1900's gold mining settlement. Almost two years ago I did a spring bear hunt with Pioneer Outfitters and promised myself then I'd return some day to see the glory of this glacier country in the fall. Here are a few pictures and a brief story of the hunt. You'll also be able to see this trip next season on Bass Pro Shops' "Hunting" TV show.

Hunting moose in another kind of paradise: cloudy blue skies in high altitudes and cold temperatures in the wilds of Alaska's nature.

After the hottest/driest summer on record here in Tennessee, I was really looking forward to some cool relief in Alaska. My hunt was to also include possible opportunities for a dall sheep and grizzly bear since all three seasons coincide during this time. To get ready for this type adventure I'd attended cardio kickboxing classes for months prior in addition to lots of walking and hard work here on the farm, however, nothing can really acclimate a flatlander to the altitude and treacherous uphill climbs that go along with sheep hunting.

A few days after arriving at base camp in Chisana we loaded only minimal gear onto three packhorses and headed upriver to a spike camp where we were to begin our hunt. There were two guides, Amber and Rick, along with two videographers, Barney and Ken, and myself. For the next six days we rode horseback up to our hunting area then progressed on foot whenever it got too steep for the horses. Thank goodness I've spent my entire life with horses so the riding part was a breeze for me.

Pioneer Outfitters, located at the site of an early 1900's gold mining settlement, is accessible only by small plane.

The first two days we concentrated on getting a good ram. We climbed to the top of the mountain and got above a nice herd of 11 fantastic sheep, however, I didn't take a shot and now I am so thankful I held off. A blowing snowstorm caught us soon after spotting the sheep so we hightailed it off the mountain trying to stay ahead of the storm. We were covered in snow and having to really creep and crawl down the slick shale rock slides on our way back down. How we all made it off the mountain safely can only be described as a miracle. When the sky cleared the next morning and we looked back to the mountain it was completely hidden with deep snow and we knew the sheep hunting was over for this trip. Everyone cringed to think of what a predicament we'd have been in had I shot the ram. The time it would have taken to retrieve, dress the meat, and pack it out would have been long enough to get us stranded in the blizzard overnight. I'm sure there was some Devine Intervention going on there.

Ready to ride.

Snow clouds loom in the distance but can't obliterate Alaska's beauty.

It was now time to concentrate on finding a moose. The rut was still a few days away but young bulls were beginning to show up in the vicinity of where cows usually foraged. This was a sure sign the breeding season was about to get cranked up. Our game plan was to ride above the treeline in the mornings, glassing as we went, in hopes of spotting a good bull on the tundra or in the short willows. We had hardly left camp the first morning when Amber and I spotted a young bull with two cows. She raked her plastic bottle against a tree to simulate the sound of another bull and I did my best cow moose call using my mouth and hands. Whatever we were doing must have been good because the bull left the cows and walked straight to us. There were several such encounters that day and I must say it was probably the most fun day of the hunt although we never saw a legal size bull.

At night, our five riding horses and three pack horses were hobbled and belled then allowed to graze around camp. A couple of the educated steeds had figured out which way was home and how to cover a lot of ground while wearing hobbles. It seemed every day began with a horse gathering before the hunt. Such was the case the day we found the big bull I shot. We got off to a slow start that day after Amber and Rick had to retrieve a couple of geldings that took off in the night. We didn't see as many moose as the day before even though we stopped often for everyone to look through binos in hopes of catching a glimpse of a white paddle in the brush. Yes, even as big as a moose is, they blend well in the thick brush where they live. Finally it was Rick who spotted the bull bedded on a ridge with a few cows. He looked enormous to me—and a long way off.

Taking it all in.

Traversing Alaska's rugged landscape.

We tied up the horses and tried a stalk to cut the distance. Five people trying to stalk through pools of water, splats of snow, muskeg, and willows is a feat. Thankfully, moose don't have as good eyesight as many animals or we'd have not been able to get as close as we did. The cows were the first to pin us down and, since we were to the point of our last available cover, I had to make the decision of taking the shot then and there. I was shooting a Winchester Bolt Action in a .325 WSM with Winchester Ballistic SilverTip Ammo with a Leupold 3x9 scope.

It is hard to describe just how big a moose actually is but everyone pitched in to get the skinning and butchering job done by nightfall. Quarters of meat were spread out to cool on patches of snow as was the hide and horns. It was a weary crew that rode back to spike camp that night. We all crawled into our sleeping bags with exhausted bodies but a smile of contentment for such a spectacular day. Tomorrow we would ride back up on the mountain with pack horses and retrieve the meat and antlers.

Bringing the moose out of the wilderness:

Spirits in camp were magically lifted with the success of the hunt. We had now only to get everything safely down the steep and narrow mountain trail to spike camp and our Alaska moose hunt could be termed truly successful. The weight of the meat, hide and horns was equally divided between the three pack horse for the trip off the mountain. We went slow and careful since part of the trail was very steep and slick. Again I was thankful for my rodeo and endurance riding years which gave me the horse sense and experience to maneuver such types of terrain. I can't praise the two horses I used, Cookie and Lonesome, enough...both performed excellently at their appointment tasks.

Amber and Brenda brave the cold weather.

By late the next day we had broken camp and ridden back to the main lodge. A hot shower and a soft bed never felt so good! Of course all the other hunters in camp were thrilled for our successful hunt. Most everyone there had taken either huge rams or, in one case, a gorgeous brown grizzly bear. To say that hunting was good that week in the Overly camp might be an understatement. We were picked up the next day by an air charter service and taken to Fairbanks for the long commercial flight back home. Sealed tightly in one of my bags were hefty backstraps to share with family and friends who'd never experienced the delicious taste of moose meat.

The real rewards of an adventure trip such as this are the people you meet and the friendships that are formed. Terry Overly is a living legend, one about which I'm sure a movie will someday be made. Amber, a New England farm gal who chose Alaska to raise her family. Johnny Walker, the smiling wheelchair-bound hunter from WY with the most grit and determination I've ever witnessed. Emma, a lovely lady from South Carolina who by chance found Pioneer Outfitters when looking for an adventure. The 16-year-old dairy farmer kid that spent all summer and fall following his dream of becoming an Alaskan guide. These folks and many more will forever be etched in my mind as are the magnificent blue skies over snow capped mountains and clear rushing streams coming off ancient glaciers.

Relaxing back at camp: