Great friendships, adventures for my Texas friends and me
Sunday, June 29, 2008
All my BloodBrothers of the mighty Last Frontier are well aware that their old Uncle Ted is full on Texan these days.
Greeted warmly in beautiful Ketchikan and Craig Alaska by numerous, hearty Alaskans, all smiled broadly while shaking my outstretched hand lovingly, as they made sure I was reminded — repeatedly and with great revelry — that Texas is not America's largest state, because Alaska is.
RECENT COLUMNS BY THE TEXAS WILDMAN
- 11-16-08 Ted Nugent: Obama's victory is sad vote for state of dependency
- 11-09-08 Ted Nugent: The few, the proud
- 11-02-08 Ted Nugent: America needs real change, not Obama's fantasy drivel
- 10-26-08 Ted Nugent: Grateful celebrity celebrates going silver-haired
- 10-19-08 Ted Nugent: Let's emulate my tap-dancing grandma
They did admit that when it comes to rugged individualism and a bold, ultra-alive "live free or die" lifestyle, Texans and Alaskans are indeed kindred spirits. We clearly deserve each other.
I first explored Alaska's breathtaking wilderness on my baptizimal bowhunt there in 1977. So struck by her majesty, I have returned nearly every year since to rock 'n roll and or stalk her limitless wild grounds with my trusty bow and arrows.
As a performer, I hold the top three attendance marks for the Alaska State Fair. My connection with the souls of the 50th state is powerful and definitive.
They really understand genuine rock 'n roll hunting music when they hear it.
But back to the outdoors: With stunning, soaring bald eagles accenting the snow-capped rimmed heavens, my spirit likewise soars at the sight of giant Alaskan/Yukon moose, the world's largest member of the deer family.
Vast herds of nomadic caribou grace the flowing, colorful tundra, and the heart-stopping sight of a mighty grizzly bear is never far away.
Delicious ptarmigan, furry Fishers, wolves, the occasional ferocious wolverine, even elk, muskox, reindeer and a thriving population of Sitka blacktail deer inhabit this picturesque God's country in different regions.
Regal white mountain goats and Dahl Sheep will take your breath away.
Truly it's a wildlife lover's paradise.
To the Nugent tribe, a rite of springtime is turkey hunting in Texas. So, too, with bear hunting in Alaska.
So, recently it was off to the glorious Prince of Wales archipelago. The thrill level would be substantially elevated with my younger brother John, a successful construction foreman from the wilds of downtown Chicago.
God knows he needed to get away, and there are few geographical destinations more compelling. Watching John glow on his first Alaskan safari was worth the whole trip.
He's a great hunter but has painfully missed way too many years of brotherly campfire time.
We boarded the 58-foot fishing trawler, The Eldorado, for a week of isolation and soul-cleansing brotherly love smack dab in the lap of God.
Oh, yeah, and we fully expected to procure a pair of handsome black bear rugs and salami out of the deal, too. Black bear hunting in Alaska. Perfect.
It all came to pass, as John and I both bagged huge, gorgeous specimens of this spiritual beast, his trophy with a lever action .45-70 rifle and mine with a razorsharp broadhead.
Every encounter with such a majestic creature is indescribable.
Alaska's black bear population, like all across America is the healthiest ever on record.
John's beauty weighed in around 250 pounds with a rich, luxurious rug, while my luck runneth over, bringing a true giant of the North country of over 600 pounds into bowrange for an instant kill.
Our celebration included fresh crab and shrimp from the placid ocean cove, a mesmerizing sunset behind an eternal blue sky, sinking slowly below giant spruce forests, and a salute to the virtually unlimited fun and excitement that awaits us here in America.
We met hunters from every walk of life and from all across America at the airports, each with a story of their own close encounter with big Alaskan black bears.
Many Alaskans come to the warm deer camps of Texas each winter, and Texans have always flocked to Alaska for her incredible opportunities.
Like John and me, Texas and Alaska are brothers. Spirit of the Wild BloodBrothers.
Ted Nugent is a Waco-based musician and television show host. Contact him directly at tednugent.com.
