"You shot me!" Two friends and I were hunting ptarmigan on our snowshoes north of Paxson Lake. We were walking beside each other in a line about 40 yards apart. The birds flushed right in front of us and I shot straight ahead. As my dog retrieved the bird, I turned and shuffled as quickly as I could over to help my wounded friend. I knew that I hadn't shot in his direction, but I figured our other...  Read More

May 5 and the last little snow patch in my yard will be gone today. Soon the trees will be budding and the grass will start turning green. Spring is a very short season in Central Alaska. The days have been getting longer since last December, and will be getting shorter again in less than 6 weeks. This is the cycle of life in the far North. But here's the deal- new life ALWAYS comes. ALWAYS. I saw...  Read More

Sunrise on top of a mountain. This time of year that takes an early morning climb, but it is so worth it. Though I've been doing this for many years, my least favorite part of a climb has never changed- it's the first 10-15 minutes. My body is adjusting to the exertion, I have an unpleasant feeling that borders on nausea, and I feel like quitting every single time. But slowly (I wish I could say '...  Read More

Isn't it great to laugh? To be with good friends or loved ones in a joyful atmosphere builds us up- it literally strengthens us. God did not simply command feast DAYS, He commanded WHOLE WEEKS be given simply to celebrating his goodness with one another. These were parties in the very best sense of the word. All business and work was put on hold, they broke out the food and the musical instruments...  Read More

Back when it was legal for moose hunters to take any bull, good hunters had a distinct advantage. When the state implemented rigid antler restrictions, 'dumb luck' became far more important than skill for those who hunt off the road system. In a typical year I call in several bulls right to me, but in a typical year NONE of them are legal. Last year I passed on 5 bulls. At the same time, many novi...  Read More

How much do I pray? Not as much as I should. If we really believe that God hears and answers prayer, we should pray about EVERYTHING- ALL THE TIME. As Christians, we should be praying for our lost friends and relatives. We should be praying for our lost co-workers and neighbors. We should be praying for our lost government officials. We should be praying for our churches and leaders and missionari...  Read More

Occasionally when I am out in the mountains I will 'sense' danger. Often my adrenaline surges and every part of me is on high alert. When you and I are walking with the Lord the way we ought to be, we experience that same sense of danger when Satan tempts us to sin. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. And God is faithful. He will not let you be ...  Read More

Simplicity is one of the keys to enjoying life. Let me give you an example. Let's say that you have a few acres of land and want horses. Aside from the initial cost, the vet bills and farriers, you still need saddles and tack. You'll also need a trailer. Then you'll discover that you need a bigger truck to pull it. Suddenly there is a truck payment and much higher insurance, and we haven't even ta...  Read More

The Scripture tells us to "beware of false teachers." But how do we know? Certainly not by their popularity because many false teachers are very popular. Not by the size of their church, because many false teachers pastor large churches. Then how? God actually spells this out very clearly in Scripture. He said of new Christians in the city of Berea, "Now the Bereans were more noble than their brot...  Read More

First I heard a twig snap- then another. I was straining my eyes and ears- listening for sound- looking for movement. And just like that, there was my bear... at 11 PM... after 4 hours in a tree... The key to caring for all wild game is to keep the meat clean and then get it cold. This is especially true of a bear because their thick hide is like a thermal blanket and will quickly sour the meat. I...  Read More

So there I was- reading a book- sitting high in a tree- at 10 o'clock at night. I could have scraped the mosquitoes off my headnet by the handful. I had to wear medical rubber gloves to keep them off my hands. Though reading, I was also concentrating on the sounds surrounding me- listening for a twig to snap or even the breathing of a large animal. Other than a couple of squirrels chasing each oth...  Read More

I'm one of the worst 'still hunters' in human history. Sitting still when I'm out in the woods- much less sitting still for hours in the freezing cold or when I am being eaten alive by mosquitoes- is not my 'gift.' I've had to learn to deal with this, because sitting still is essential for hunting success in Alaska. The hours spent looking through binoculars or a spotting scope pay off when an ani...  Read More