The Coach Series: From the Last Frontier

Undoubtedly the biggest influence in my love of the outdoors was my father. He was an outdoorsman: hunting, fishing, flying bush planes all over Alaska, and a strong conservationist.

I grew up working on a commercial fishing site in Alaska every summer from childhood through college. He taught me about the value of hard work as well as a love and respect for nature. He was a well respected Master Guide and Outfitter in Alaska but he also was an avid hunter too.

He took 24 Sheep in his lifetime, it was his favorite species to hunt. He took them with a recurve bow, a revolver and rifle. I started shooting traditional archery with him as a child. He hunted Moose, Bear, Moutain Goat, Mountain Lion, Deer, Caribou and more with his recurve and eventually switched over to rifle when he got older.

He loved everything about hunting, not just the harvest. He loved the planning, anticipation, being in the great outdoors, the comradery you feel with others in camp and he loved telling hunting stories afterwards; there was no better storyteller than him.

I was absolutely crushed when he passed. But I try to continue in his footsteps with the hunting ethics and values that he taught me and I make sure that I enjoy every minute of my time in the outdoors as he would have.

Guest Author-Joni Marie