T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
photo by Matt Cornelius
Kendal Howe and her father, Chad Rowe, with Howe’s double broomed full-curl ram
the next morning was “sheep opening day.” Chisana is in southeast Alaska with the Wrangell Mountains as its backbone, spanning the Gulf of Alaska’s shoreline. Howe and her dad did all their hunting in a valley nestled within. The terrain there is dense; much of the Wrangell Mountains are only reachable by bush plane. “My dad has his pilot’s
said. The term “glassing” means looking for sheep through binoculars and a spotting scope. “Because [my dad and I] had flown in that day, we weren’t allowed to hunt; it’s part of Alaska’s hunting regulations. So, we relaxed for the evening and turned in early.” After eating breakfast and gathering their gear, the two began hiking on a cloudy Wednesday, contending with winds against their back while trying to remain unseen. This marked the first day of the hunt. “We headed up the middle of the valley trying to get a
license and an out-of-this- world, state-of-the-art Cessna 175,” she said. “He has spent a lot of time and resources customizing this aircraft so we could land in the bush in places that most planes that size can’t.” Howe spent her childhood in Alaska. Her father is still a resident which opened considerable opportunities. According to her, Chad’s an expert pilot and “an assistant guide for an outfitter in Alaska.” As his daughter, the state considers her a “qualifying relative” so it did not require them to have an additional hunting guide. They f lew 25 minutes to the hunting spot and landed on a strip nearly undetectable from the air. Next, they set up a “bear fence” to protect the plane.
Howe and Rowe flying in for the hunt
knoll in the middle of the heart of the valley [towards the back of the U-shape] where the sheep could be seen feeding for the morning,” said Howe. Its terrain was rockier. The river that snaked through the entire valley intervened their trail several times, leaving them no option but to traverse it. The weather remained their biggest struggle. “Because the wind was at our backs, it carried our scent right up to the sheep,” said Howe. “[Sheep] also have really keen eyesight, so we had to be super careful and keep hills or trees or bushes behind us to
“Bears will eat petroleum products like tires and fuel. They’ll eat anything really,” said Howe, “so the bear fence was a way to keep them off the plane so we could get back out of the bush after our hunt. It consisted of a solar panel with power flashing, motion sensor lights and an electric fence.” Once they secured the plane, Howe and her father set out for the base camp, around 5,400 feet elevation. They trekked close to three miles uphill through tundra grasses. “When we got to base camp, we set up our tent and did some ‘glassing,’” she
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S P O R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T
S P O R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T
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