Only seven cabin permits remain. It’s a sobering statement in the intro to the Discovery Channel’s docu-series, “The Last Alaskans”, which aired from 2015-2018 and highlighted the lives of several families living a subsistence lifestyle in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. These folks – Heimo Korth, Paul Jagow, Bob Harte and others, settled into this twenty million acre … [Read more...]
Trails of an Alaska Trapper
Running a trapline in the remote Alaskan bush sounds like a pretty sweet gig for a young man seeking adventure and independence. But how would you go about finding such a place? All of the good ground must be claimed by other trappers, right? Ray Tremblay, a young man from the Lower 48, found himself in the arctic in the late 1940’s. He’d dreamed of running a trapline … [Read more...]
Born on Snowshoes
Three girls, their mother and an old man, 280 miles deep in the wilderness, running traplines for a living. It may seem like an odd combination, but it was reality for much of Evelyn Berglund Shore’s young life. George Berglund and his brother caught gold fever during the Klondike gold rush of 1898. They returned years later to work mining claims, searching for riches along … [Read more...]
Above the Arctic Circle
Most of the early Alaskan pioneers moved up from the Lower 48 for seeking opportunity and adventure. The majority left when times got tough, but the best and the toughest stayed on, and helped make the frontier what it is today. Minnesota-born James Carroll was one of those guys. Carroll journeyed to Alaska in 1910, in search of opportunities made possible by the gold rush. … [Read more...]
Book Review: Sam O. White, Alaskan
So many of us dream of going to Alaska, but only a few actually take the plunge. Sam O. White was one of those early adventuring pioneers who helped shape the great northern territory before it was even a state. Born in Eustis, Maine in 1891, the young woodsman longed for adventure after fighting overseas in World War I, and found a job that would take him to wild places. … [Read more...]
Book Review: Mink, Mary and Me
In the fur boom years of the 1920’s and 30’s, trapping in the far north wilderness was one of the riskiest, but potentially most profitable occupations in society. Many who struggled to find jobs in and around civilization went north, trapped fur and came out in the spring with enough money for a fresh start on the outside. Chick Ferguson first headed north to earn his stake … [Read more...]
The Alaskan Trapper’s Handbook
Most of us outsiders consider Alaska the last great place for a trapper, and dream of trapping the vast wilderness offering high quality pelts and lots of adventure. Trapping in Alaska is much different than anywhere in the lower 48 states, and though some northern states have conditions that come close, nothing is quite like the Alaska trapping experience. For the uninitiated, … [Read more...]
Hunters of the Northern Forest
This article was originally published in the Northwoods Sporting Journal. Hunting cultures are fascinating. The tools, techniques and survival skills developed to adapt and survive in harsh environments over time can teach valuable lessons to society. What if we didn’t have the benefit of cell phones, snowmachines and power boats? What if we needed to kill or gather … [Read more...]