Friday, March 29, 2024

Books

Wings

Wings will take you on one man's journey across Alaska, hunting game birds and sharing that experience in a symbiotic relationship with man's best friend.  From the slopes of Turnagain Pass chasing ptarmigan as a young lad with a .410 shotgun, to the eel grass beds of Izembek Lagoon where Canada geese and black brant abound, this book will take you on an exciting wing-filled adventure as seen through the eyes of an avid bird hunter and a passionate dog lover. For more than fifty years, Mike has hunted nearly every game bird Alaska has to offer across its tundra, over its wetlands, high in its mountain terrain, and deep in Alaska's spruce forests. Mike will also help you choose your perfect Alaska bird dog, a companion and hunting partner that blends well with your personality, training abilities, and needs as a hunter. He will share with you some of the pitfalls of training a bird dog, and lift you up when times seem bleak and your canine partner is seemingly incorrigible. There is hope and accomplishment to be found in every hunting dog, and the rewards are great for those who are loving, patient, positive, and determined.  The author shares some of his own life experiences and lessons learned while training and hunting with retrievers, flushers, and pointers over the last fifty years. You will find interesting information about most of Alaska's game birds from snipe to white-tailed ptarmigan, and Mike includes some of his favorite recipes for preparing those very birds for the table. Whether you are a grouse hunter or a waterfowler, whether you like Labrador retrievers or you are thinking about getting a cocker spaniel, this book is for you! Where your dog and your gun abide, there your heart will be. 

Alaska: Fish and Fire

Alaska Fish and Fire is a journey of a true Alaskan, who arrived in territorial Alaska by boat from Seattle as a young child. Author, Mike Chihuly, has lived in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Ninilchik, and bush Alaska and traveled all over the state as he fished, hunted, trapped, was educated, worked as a fisheries biologist, guided fishermen on Cook Inlet, and ran a fire department. His life, with his Russian/Aleut wife, Shirley, who was born on Afognak Island and survived the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, has centered around Alaska's waters. From the streams and rivers giving life to salmon, to the fire quenching waters of a life-saving fire hose, water has been an integral part of the Mike's life. Share this exciting journey through the eyes of someone who has had their boots on the ground and in the water in Alaska for more than 60 years.