1st Prize
Mark V Accumark or Ultra Lightweight
Jenny Armentrout, Michigan
“The middle of his three daughters, I share a special affinity with my dad. Our interests in literature, humor, music, camaraderie, storytelling, conservation, and hunting have always been the amalgamating factors between us. We both appreciate a lifestyle consisting of hard work, scholarly study, occasional travel, and an annual hunting trip to Grandma’s farm. Here in Michigan, the best time of year for our family to enjoy ourselves is always the opening day of deer season; when my dad’s little house is transformed into “Big Pat’s Rod & Gun Club” and we follow each other around in the dark while preparing our packs, scarfing down fried eggs, bacon and homemade bread.
Although the yearly whitetail opener is a tradition that is valued amongst most of our Michigan culture as well as with my dad and I, it is what we are used to. Our dreams of pursuing large game such as elk, bear, moose, and the like are usually squelched by hindrances ranging from not enough time to a nasty tibia/fibular leg fracture I suffered late this summer. Life has always simply got in the way.
Because we have continually dreamt and read about Alaska, watching other family members go in our stead (Uncle Joe said: “I’ll tell you one thing, if you’re going you’ll need to bring your checkbook.”) I long to take my dad moose hunting there. The main reason I’d like to go with my dad is for the unspoken realization that it would be quality time shared with someone who has shaped my character in every sense of the word while pursuing a well-sought after animal that neither of us has had the pleasure to hunt. It would be amazing to finally solidify our longing for what the 49th state and its bitter tundra has to offer up in terms of beauty, rough country, and wild game.
Flying to the very interior of Alaska, I would like to arrive in Fairbanks with my dad in September 2008 for the moose opener. Our base camp would be somewhere near Denali National Park. Travel accommodations, guides, firearms, and gear would take a back-burner to the mere opportunity to go on this hunt. Similarly, the enticement of the half-ton of meat along with the likelihood of a trophy set of antlers would be enough for the both of us to be brimming with fulfillment; regardless of the exact locale or time-span.
I picture us waking up on a chilly morning, exchanging jokes and laughing about our remarkable luck to go on this once in a lifetime hunt. I imagine my dad would make sure we were well-suited and prepared for the climate (as he has always been thoughtful about cold weather clothing and a hearty breakfast.) After our morning send-off we would trek out into the bush that was best described by Jack London and Jon Krakauer_taking in the profound natural beauty of a land that we had, up until that point, only read about and observed between the pages of Dick Proenneke’s journals and on the Travel Channel.
Depending on the exact conditions and location, our hunt would last until one or both of us bagged a nice moose. To get the chance to see them in their natural habitat would be incredible and to hunt alongside my dad while doing so would be purely idyllic. Even though my dad doesn’t have any sons, I hope our embarking on this Alaskan moose hunt would evoke the same sentiments expressed by Robert Ruark in his book after a particularly pleasing hunt: ‘The Old Man grinned at me and I grinned back.’ We would simply enjoy every minute...regardless of the outcome.”