Plunk yourself and your buddies in middle-of-nowhere Alaska and you’re sure to learn a few things about your gear — and yourself. Any backcountry hunt presents a high level of self-reliance and requires detailed preparation. Alaska’s remote, rugged, and unforgiving nature elevates the game. But as much as you prep, there are things only the experience itself can teach. Read on for 5 valuable lessons learned from 5 dudes who landed on a never-before-seen bay on Kodiak Island and hiked from the beach to the alpine in search of Sitka blacktails.

Brad Brooks (Argali):

"Plan on the unplanned and be prepared to change your plans."

This was the first time we hunted this spot. We didn't know how to get to where we were backpacking, whether there would be water where we were camping, what the hunting would be like, or if the weather would cooperate. Very little of what we ended up doing was pre-planned and we had to modify our plan on the fly. It rained way more than anticipated, the fog was relentless, and the weather didn't give us a lot of time to hunt. We built in extra time to deal with adverse conditions and ended up camping almost on top of where we intended to hunt so we were in position when we had good weather windows and could hunt within 30-60 minutes. This strategy was key to our success given the bad weather.

Jason Kauffman (Argali):

"Always be ready to quickly take advantage of a stalking opportunity in Alaska."

On hunts in previous years, we've been blessed with weather no one should ever come to Alaska expecting. Last year, we finally experienced the kind of conditions Alaska is notorious for. I was both filming and carrying a tag in my pocket on this hunt, so when Brad asked if I wanted to shoot the first available buck on day one, I jumped at the chance. He wasn't anything spectacular—a garden variety 3-point Sitka blacktail—but knowing the nasty weather forecast we were facing, I chose to fill my tag quickly rather than risk eating it sitting in the tent while rain raged and the mountains were fogged in.

Erik Barber (Vortex Optics):

"Hold the peanut butter, but don’t skimp on Dramamine (the non-drowsy kind, of course)."

Motion sickness affects everyone differently. You don’t want a float plane ride laden with vomit and the accompanying odor that fills the cabin. Speaking of the cabin, it is small and offers limited air flow. Don’t overdress, and wear clothes that breathe to prevent claustrophobia or stuffiness associated with tight quarters. The flight into your hunting area is a core highlight of any fly-in hunting trip. A few preventative measures go a long way to ensuring you, your pilot, and those around you, enjoy the overwhelming beauty and excitement to the fullest. – Erik Barber, peanut butter lover & motion sickness aficionado.

Mark Boardman (Vortex Optics):

"Bear in mind, bears can be anywhere."

The timing of our trip and where we landed put us smack dab in the middle of a substantial pink salmon run. Something I was stoked for. To say I love salmon fishing and welcomed the opportunity to fish if time allowed is an understatement. Additionally, we hypothesized, although a draw for Kodiak’s notorious population of giant brown bears, they would be otherwise preoccupied, well fed, and down low – away from us once we got to the alpine. This was mostly true, but we still encountered bears up high — one uncomfortably close to camp. Did these bears have a sweet tooth for the high-country blueberries carpeting open ridgelines? Were they just passing through to get to the fish? Doesn’t really matter because they were there. Don’t get lulled into complacency because of where you think the bears should be, or because you haven’t seen any (yet). Stay bear aware and take proper precautions…And yes, we did catch a few fish once we got our bucks packed to the beach.

Sawyer Briel (Vortex Optics):

"On a trip like this, outside of gear selection and getting really comfortable with your rifle system, I found the mental aspect to be absolutely critical."

When the plane (or boat) drops you off, you’re past the point of making any additions to your gear – you have what you have, and you have to make it work and trust that you did everything you could to prepare. Then, it comes down to that thing located directly between your ears – your brain. Confidence in yourself and a deep belief you can tackle anything the mountain throws at you was a game changer for me. It’s going to be incredibly difficult (Type 2 fun in its purest form), but you have to stay positive. This will lift the mental burden, keep you from worrying about things that are out of your control, and allow you to focus on one step at a time. By the magical powers of osmosis, it will help everyone else out on the trip, too.

These are just a few things we learned on this trip. Keep them in mind when planning your Alaska hunting adventure. And if you aren’t planning anything right now, watch the video to see this hunt unfold. You’ll be inspired to start.

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