As I slowly made my way in along an unfamiliar trail, I experienced the joy of seeing new country for the first time. Again and again I took out my spotting scope and 'glassed' for sheep. Finally, about ten miles in, I spotted rams. They were so far above me that even with a spotting scope I couldn't tell if they were legal. I simply shouldered my pack and started to climb. The base of these mount...  Read More

The mountain was steep and I had to bust my way through alders at lower elevations. As difficult as my first sheep hunt was, this climb was much harder. I finally broke out on top and found myself on the rim of a beautiful, large 'bowl'- but there were no sheep. I was able to cover some ground and glass great distances with my spotting scope, and there were NO sheep- none- zip- nada. By the time I...  Read More

After taking my first Dall sheep ram I felt that I was officially a 'sheep hunter.' At that point in my life I had already taken deer, elk, antelope and black bear with a bow and arrow, but this was BY FAR the most difficult hunt I'd ever been on. It was also a great confidence builder, because this was the first time I had ever camped and hunted alone deep in the wilderness. (I had partners, but ...  Read More

God not only sees the end from the beginning, He also sees the beginning from the end- from the middle- from wherever you are in life right now. In other words, when God looks at you He still sees the three year old girl who loved to twirl and dreamed of being a princess. He still sees the four year old boy who wanted to be a superhero. God delighted in your innocence then- it's a place that he'd ...  Read More

In the same way that 'hunger' is the best seasoning for food, exhaustion is the best ingredient for rest. And yet we've all learned that it's impossible to rest when we have today's responsibilities and problems and stresses and challenges and offenses swirling around in our brain. Life is OFTEN very hard. The things that we carry are OFTEN very heavy. God knows. He understands. He will not remove...  Read More

I've always been wired for a challenge- for adventure- for exploring new territory. Many times I have hiked for miles into a new stretch of mountains and looked longingly at all of the country that I did not have time to explore. If a broken world contains so much beauty, what must it have been like when God first created it? While there is comfort in the familiar, there is something invigorating ...  Read More

My Dad and I were talking last night about our best fishing trip ever. In truth, it would be just about anyone's best fishing trip ever. It was the middle of June on a river in Alaska's interior, and the King salmon were running. Along with two of my friends, we launched 2 rafts about 11 PM and floated and fished from shore until the following morning at 6 AM. It was not uncommon for all 4 of us t...  Read More

For me the dream was never 'Alaska', it was simply to serve my country in the military. I was out of college and teaching school, but always regretted not serving. It was my decision to enlist in the infantry (hoping to be stationed in the south where I could get a good tan) that led to my being stationed in Alaska. As a young boy I could never have imagined that decades later I would be running a...  Read More

Though we didn't realize it at the time, my brother John and I entered our final season of trapping together my freshman year of college. He was a sophomore, and both of us were attending Rochester Community College. We bought a 1961 Plymouth Valiant with a push-button transmission for $50 to use as our trapping car. We both had 8 AM classes, so we would split up in the morning and run our traplin...  Read More

Games were played on Friday night under the lights, so one Friday after school John decided that we should run out to a spot we knew on the Zumbro River where we might jump some wood ducks. John was an excellent shot, but I couldn't hit the side of a barn with a shotgun unless I was shooting from inside the barn. For that reason, John always let me shoot first. We did find ducks, and as I pulled t...  Read More

Having the right equipment changed everything. For the first time we had everything that we needed to be successful. Winning the prize drawing at the trappers' convention paid off big time, as we were now thoroughly equipped and catching fur almost every day. Professional athletes prepare for years- decades- to be the very best that they can be. God calls us to this same level of commitment. 2 Tim...  Read More

While we were busy year round, fall became the time of year we most looked forward to. We fell into a rhythm that included wading the Zumbro River in the dark before school, checking our muskrat, mink and beaver sets. Then we were walking woodlines and windrows checking sets for fox, racoon and badger. Then we would race home, take a shower, eat breakfast, and head to school. After school, we had ...  Read More