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Hunting

The variety of game makes Alaska a hunting hot spot.

Books about Alaska Outdoor Activities

High-tech hunting: It might be time to upgrade

In his classic work, "A Sand County Almanac," Aldo Leopold called the sportsman of his day a "gadgeteer." He said that hunters were more concerned with technology than woodcraft. And while that may apply to some degree today, taking along the right equipment on an Alaska big-game hunt -- and especially a backpack-type hunt -- will not only help you find success but also help keep you safe.

Hunters use variety of techniques to track down big game

Big-game hunting in Alaska is a science involving planning, strategy and refined backcountry skills. Ultimately, however, the heart of the hunt, the part that defines its success or failure, is a hunter's ability to find and get within range of the game.

Get your goat

My friend Mike Stitzel and I had climbed most of the morning, and our legs were feeling it. Now we were bumping along the top of the mountain, playing "sneak and peek" as we peered over the edge from time to time in search of the bedded billies we'd spotted earlier. When we found one of them, he was basking in a sunbeam without a care in the world.

Big-game weights

Alaska's big game -- especially moose, bison and elk -- can be pretty big. How much weight can a successful hunter expect to have to pack out of the wild?