The bull was standing looking at us 100 yards away. One hundred yards of flat, level ground with very little brush. Getting the meat out was going to be an easy pack.... that's what I was thinking. My partner had a different idea. He wanted to try to get it with a bow and arrow. It was the 1st of September and the rut hadn't started. I knew that there was absolutely no way he could get close to th...  Read More

It was my first time hunting with this partner. I had taken him to one of the few spots where I had consistently found moose. At first light, there he was- a young bull standing 100 yards away, barely visible through the fog that hovered over a small pond. Even though it was my hunt and my spot, I decided to let my partner shoot this moose. I had killed many moose and was more interested in his ex...  Read More

According to studies, the average four-year-old laughs 400 times a day. The average 40-year-old laughs only 4 times a day. The medical benefits of laughter are profound. Laughter strengthens your immune system, it diminishes pain, decreases blood pressure, regulates heart rhythm, and lessens depression, anxiety and stress. What happened to our laughter? Most  respond with something like: "Life bea...  Read More

Be careful who you follow. He said it would be easy. He said it would be no problem. I discovered that his definition of 'easy' and 'no problem' was very different from my own. There was a group of us with four wheelers and side by sides. Virtually everyone was stuck in the first muck hole. Thanks to our winches and extra hands, we only spent about an hour to go 100 feet. Then, we started up a ver...  Read More

There is a movement, though very small, of people becoming what they call 'minimalist.' Small homes, a few possessions, only a few changes of clothes... something about this kind of life appeals to me. At the same time, a part of me would love to have the right piece of heavy equipment, a boat that goes out on the ocean, a Supercub, and a giant track rig for hunting moose. I've said many times tha...  Read More

It seems that everywhere on earth has its own scent. Alaska is that way for me. It smells like HOME. So much of our culture today doesn't understand that feeling. So many homes are filled with stress and anger and disappointment that a large number of people have a longing to 'get away' from what they think of as home.So let me tell you what home SHOULD be. It should be a place of REFUGE, of PEACE...  Read More

When we look at those people who started with very little and built a successful life, it is easy to be envious. We never see the sacrifice It took to get there. It's like the photos that we take on top of a mountain. People who have never climbed get images of 'The Sound of Music' and frolicking in the Alps. The photo doesn't reflect the physical punishment of climbing. Everyone wants to be on to...  Read More

When Jesus said to a small group of commercial fishermen, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers (literally 'catchers') of men"- what did he mean? While there is certainly a degree of value to fishing- to being out on the water with the wind in your face or standing knee deep in a river casting- fishing would be pointless without the 'catching.' Every good fisherman knows that there are things we...  Read More

We all have different gifts. My friend Lynn Pryor understands all things mechanical. He can weld, bend, fabricate, and overhaul. That's not me. Like all men who are willing to admit it- I wish I could do those things. I have a friend who hunted with a giant track rig called a 'Thiokal' for decades. Every year he shot his moose, and every year he drove right up to it. I, on the other hand, typicall...  Read More

Relationships are the fabric of life and shared experiences are the threads woven into that fabric. We were created to be in relationship first with God and then with one another. God is our Father, Savior, Counselor, Redeemer, Protector, Strengthener, and Provider. These are not simply words, they are reality. Every Christian on earth is quite literally our brother or our sister. We're not a 'rel...  Read More

Many of us have experienced the frustration of putting a lot of time and energy into something only to discover we were doing it the wrong way. Just because we're moving doesn't mean we are headed in the right direction, does it? My dad and I had spent days looking for caribou without success. We finally saw a small band of cows miles away on top of a mountain. My dad is an excellent hunter, but h...  Read More

Since we're on the topic of marriage, I must respond to the question, "What advice do you have for those of us who are struggling in our marriages right now?"There is only one person in this marriage you have the ability to change, and that is YOU. First, become your best self spiritually, physically and emotionally. Get up early in the morning when the house is quiet to spend time with the Lord. ...  Read More