Welcome to episode #2 two of the do-it-yourself Alaska Hunting series. In this blog article, we’ll be taking a look at the first, and absolutely critical step in planning a DIY Alaska hunting trip. And, in my humble opinion, the first step in the way of preparation for a big-league Alaskan adventure is to do a brutally honest reality check. One has to approach the wilderness of Alaska with ultimate respect, as it’s no place to fool around or do things half-heartedly. Every year many people, unfortunately, die while on Alaska hunting adventures due to lack of preparedness and also because hospitals, medical assistance, and help of any kind are often miles away from hunting locations. Even with emergency devices such as EPIRBs (emergency position indicating radio beacon) and satellite phones, immediate help can still be next to impossible in some circumstances. If the weather turns south while out in remote areas of wilderness, which you can expect, then there’s a good chance that no one will be coming to rescue you until things clear up, as most bush pilots simply won’t and can’t fly in severe weather conditions.
Even the elite emergency and rescue services of organizations such as the US Coast Guard are severely limited when the weather gets extreme. In most cases, the only helping hands out in areas of remote wilderness are your hands, or, those of your companions. Yes indeed, an Alaska hunt in areas of remote wilderness can test your metal and kick your butt…and much more so if you’re not 100% ready. So if you’re not ready…wait until you are. A fantastic hunting trip is simply not worth dying over.
As a critical first step as you begin planning your DIY Alaska hunt, and all throughout the entire process, continually ask yourself the following questions and answer them with 100% honesty.
- Am I genuinely ready for this?
- Am I in optimal mental and physical shape?
- Do I have the necessary tested hunting, camping, and survival skills?
- Have I done my homework in regard to fully researching the potential area I’ll be hunting in?
- Have I carefully planned for every conceivable scenario of this adventure…especially emergencies?
If the answer is “no” to any of those questions, then addressing those issues immediately by setting goals in order to do so is the first step. And, very importantly, the goals you set to remedy your lack of knowledge, skill development, or fitness level should be SMART goals, that is, goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely.
Once you’re ready to start making your dream Alaska hunt a reality, and you’re fully committed to putting in the time and energy in the way of perpetration and planning, then you’ll be well on your way, as having the proper mindset is the foundation upon which you’ll ultimately build your hunting success. In the next episode in this series we’ll have a look at the topics of game animal and hunting location discernment, so stay tuned. Check out the video below to see more…