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I just watched this show for the first time last night. I'm curious as to which system in the refuge the guy with the dog team caught 500 salmon. They looked like chum. Sheenjek, Coleen?

Yukon

PERZACTLY !

I'll second Phil, as to the ethics thing. Abiding by regulations and seasons in the Bush is largely a matter of personal ethics, rather than enforcement efforts/fear, which I was attempting to say, and why this is the case. My previous post was incomplete, and/or poorly stated.

Opportunity.

Phil, oi agree with your thoughts in the people in The Last. Most reality shows are very scripted and hokey. This one is a bit, but I find them genuine and it’s an enjoyable show.

Thank you, I have only watched this show for a couple of episodes the other night. Taking things at face value I am trying to figure out the logistics on a few things. Re: the guy with the sled dogs. He is in Anwr and quite aways from the Yukon. Assuming the salmon are late run Yukon chum means they were in the middle river sometime mid/late Sept. The fish in his box were frozen whole which indicates to me they were frozen somewhere close to the catch site and in Sept. I'm thinking they were frozen in a freezer. 500 fish at say 8 lbs is 4000 lbs. He must have had them flown in there. After freeze up. Couple or three loads in that helio that flew them out. I did not catch where "town" was but I'm guessing Fbxs or Ft Yukon. He looks like a hell of a trapper based on the fur hanging on his cabin. I realize these folks are in regular contact with town and are regularly supplied by air during the winter. That said I enjoy the scenery as I really love the high Arctic and sub Arctic.

The Guy and Gal, and the Baby Girl, with the Dogs, those are the "Seldens", they have a House in Fairbanks,,,,, and it's her -[Ashley's]- Fathers original Cabin/Trap Line Area, on the Sheenjek River, Heimo and Edna Korth are on the Upper Coleen River, old Bob Harte that passed away, was also on the Coleen River about 50 miles down river from the Korths.
And it was not un-common, back in those early days, for the Trapper to come into town with his "Furs" his catch for the year, sell those Furs, and maybe stay with some friends for awhile, re-stock-up with supplies and ammo, maybe some new traps and or snares,,,, maybe a New Dog or two for the team,,,,and visit some "Ladies" of the Evening,,,, etc... etc....
He may take several weeks or a month or two, doing all this and then head back out again,,,, but as time marched forward, and he acquired a Ham-Radio, and the use of Bush Planes came into prominence, he could order up his supplies, and have them brought out by Plane,,,,,, or call the Plane to come and get him and his "Catch" for the year,,,,,,, so what I'm trying to convey here,,,,,,, is that VERY FEW, lived out in the Bush, 24/7 365, with out any Human contact that total time.
LJ

Just to be clear. As I said in my previous post, there are some folks in these shows who are indeed genuine and “the real deal”. Heimo and Edna are a classic example of that. Also, the last Alaskans, as far as the Alaska reality television shows go, is about the best from what little I’ve been exposed to. I’ve had a little experience on the logistical side of that show as well as a couple others and was gifted the first six episodes by the producer prior to their release. I didn’t mean to come off sounding nasty about these folks, I’ve just watched enough from a certain level of remove, and dealt with the slick, pushy, LA liberals who put these together, to know it’s largely a “Product” not a non fiction documentary. All I’m saying is, at the end of the day, it’s a television show.

People are correct, the scenery is incredible, and possibly a good enough reason in and of itself to tune in.

Life in the bush, if done well, is usually quite routine and relatively uneventful, which doesn’t sell like conflict, crisis and drama.

I left AK in '82 even then real old time "sourdough" we're a thing of the past. Fact is the Alaskan so many romance about went the way of the old west gun slingers here in the lower 48 by the late '40s. This is not to say that in some parts of AK there do not remain some tough ass loner types even today but even these hermit types have some of today's modern conveniences.
When my grandfather opened up his place 80 miles up river of Fairbanks the place was then truly wild...he killed moose and bear every year in his garden his common law wife canned the meat over a kerosene stove that was modern for the time. He rode a horse to Fairbanks and back 3 times a year. And often talked about the old Russians who he considered the "Last True Alaskans"

Phil, thanks for the response. I am not a fan of reality tv. I do find myself enjoying Heimo and Edna. They strike me as very genuine people. Rare to find people that can be happy in their situation, regardless of what that situation is, whether it be living in the bush and running a trap line or a multi-million dollar executive. Heimo's laugh and smile and the way he and Edna respond to one another is great.

Read the book his cousin (?) wrote about him. Knowing what those 2 have been through makes their relationship all the more impressive.

Can't think of anyone on tv or in the public eye that I would want to meet. But getting to meet these two I think would be a real treat.

Didn't want to start a reality tv thread.

Just wanting to figure out how seasons go in AK as a guy who has ZERO experience in AK and knows next to nothing about your seasons.

His cousin's book, James Campbell, is very good. I think he wrote 2 about Heimo and Edna and the latest was called Brave It about James Campbell and his teenage daughter making a float-paddle, and hiking trip to the north Alaska Coast.

the Last Alaskan show i still look forward to the next show when this show is on. as has been said most TV stars i could care less to meet any of them,but Heimo ,Edna,Krin some others would be wonderful to meet maybe even fish with . but my favorite of them all is Ray Lewis or Caribou from the other show, fun to have a few beers with them maybe hunt with Ray or Caribou. but it is a great show The Last Alaskan ! as is below zero,mountain men.

Ray Lewis and his family were good ..

.

Its sounds like your confusing Canada with Alaska, 1bigdude


Subsistence hunting/egg gathering/fishing/trapping is for every Alaskan resident, and locals on Fed lands. The only exception is resident Native Alaskans that reside on the coast can hunt Sea Mammals, and that makes more than 90% of them in our state that cannot.

If you need the meat for eating, to be legal after the kill, as soon as you can, you contact the FnG Trooper and explain yourself, turn over the remains/hide/head and you will not face legal charges. The hide/head will be auctioned by the state and the meat will be given to those who will eat it.
Hide it and get found out, and you will face the consequences no matter the story you got.

Same go's for wrong sex/small antlers, etc.............people make mistakes


Were all 9 meals from chaos, right?
Staying within the law, how you decide to make your meat is your business, with a paddle or a jet boat, you cannot buy wild game in any stores no matter how much $$ your throwing down. What better reason to own an outboard 60hrs that to use it for hunting and fishing??

Moving here and there in season has always been practical.....where to freeze up? where to Break Up? Where to fish? where to hunt? where to hunker down and think about old age? Most of these are not found in one place...........

Perhaps some want to see a return to primitive rather than the true modern hunt? Hunters have always taken to tools and transportation to make life easier, its the human condition, is it not?
Nature has its own laws, and seasons.

Living in a village is living in the bush, and as convenience as you can make it, or can afford to make it........same as in a camp or tent.......... Where you go is where you are.

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I’ll have to disagree with “living in a village is living in the bush”. They are not remotely the same thing.

Perspective comes into this ; People who live in Bush villages referr to those who live in camps as "living in camp" so maybe its our views or way we talk of such things..maybe 'Bush' is living far from others?

I live in a tent for more than 1/2 the year and the guy in the next valley over does too, I trade internet time on his dish for Caribou skins.
He's pretty "Bush" allright but dosent hunt or trap or even fish much, he makes art for $$ like my wife.............and yet I also live off and on in a village thats on some of the most excellent hunting and fishing areas in Alaska and people catch those resources to blend with whatever works to make their livings....seems pretty "bush" to me anyways.


Times and people change, everyone try's to make life a better thing and change comes with that........throw in a few kids and a wife and see if you dont work harder to make things "Better" and ,over time, see if things in your tent/house/cabin, dont look a lot more 'modern'.

..................and in 50 years even you guys will be referred to as ''tough old timer Alaskans..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WPbqYoz9HA

Okay, without writing a book, I think we’re looking at this from different perspectives. Im looking at this from a life and preparedness standpoint. Folks like myself who live out in the country, or in “camp”, don’t have the same life as folks in the villages. We share some of the same activities (hunting, fishing, berry picking) but aside from that village life is pretty much like town life only a little less convenient. During the summer and winter months I can utilize some of the resources of the nearest village, but it’s not as though it’s cheap for me to get there. Depending on fuel prices it cost between $50 and $100 to go get mail assuming weather conditions allow for safe travel. The other 3 to 3 1/2 months of the year during freeze up and breakup I’m completely isolated with the nearest villages on the same side of the river as me being 67 miles downriver and 105 miles upriver with no overland trail so they might as well be on the moon. Villages have stores, state maintained runways, regular air service, a post office, power plant, usually a washateria of some sort, a clinic, medivac, a fuel depot, and people. People to help if you’re having a medical issue, people to help if you can’t move that big heavy thing by yourself, heck, just someone to hold the wrench on the outside of the transom so you can tighten the bolts when mounting an outboard and can’t reach around the splashwell, ect.... Any of those things that I want immediate access to, I have to provide for and fund myself. So, you’ll have to forgive me when I disagree that village life and “bush or camp” life is the same in anyway. Personally, I see a big difference when I pull up to the PO or village store and park my overflow encrusted snogo and sled beside a bunch of pickup trucks with engines running and heaters blasting that get around on the nicely plowed roads. Just my .02.

Thats pretty clear, ykrvak, Thanks.

I guess I just flow between the two so much its blurry where it ends and where it begins, for me.

Cheers!!