What a day/ Live in the hunt

As often the case the morning fog was lifting as our boat headed to the end of the inlet. As we pasted third island three seals dove from the rock they had been sleeping on while a raft of 4 otters seemed to be enjoying their breakfast, saying "don't you just love crab on the half shell?"
It is dead flat calm and instinctively we follow the shore line looking for Herring or needle fish which are the breakfast food of champion King salmon.
My favorite description of Alaska is, you just don't know what's going happened next!
On board my dear friend Ken Wolff , AnneBeth and 3 other guests are anticipating the morning. Sweeping in closer to Phonograph flats we point out an old log cabin and 2 deer that among the reddish purple fire weed allows only their heads to show.
Each new gift of wildlife both Ken and I thank GOD for, Our desire is to show our guests the Alaska that captures our heart.
The back drop of steep mountains dropping straight down both sides of our inlet frames the adventure in a GOD like majesty.
Their snowy tops reflecting colors and this morning in the stillness of the water you can see the mirrored reflection.
Nearing Steel Head creek we swing in close in hopes of seeing a bear. Nothing but an big raven on an old tree trunk snag bristling his feathers.
What we do see is schools of humpies in the shallow water waiting for high tide when they will go up to spawn. Among them large Dolly Varden trout which love to dine on salmon eggs. In fact there was a time when the state of Alaska would pay you for killing these trout and eagles as well.
Our guests so excited over the fish just about jump out of their britches .
Where this little stream has provided a lot of fun in the past, both Ken and I knew that the real excitement lies further down the inlet.
With every outcropping point the search continues to spot a brown bear.
It's on the Alaska check list that all visitors subconsciously have. This list consists of huge fish, lots of fish, brown bear, whale, breaching whale and then the list drops down to smaller animals.
As guides, the pressure is to fulfill their Alaska list, the sooner we do it the quicker the pressure is off us.
But no bears are spotted this morning.
At last we enter the very end of the inlet ,the flat land of grass stretches out wide before us.
The guests are straining their eyes to catch a look see for a bear.
They reminded me of a car I saw going down the highway,that had a dog head sticking out of every window. But with the anticipation of a 10 year old boy 10 minutes before opening fishing season. This could be the day! There is danger, adventure, trophy fish and all the unknown. The epitome of boyhood and manhood dreams was just ahead.
Ken loves to hunt and fish, of all the men I ever known, he was born to be the mountain man. He has internal instincts that makes it exciting just to be with him.
But I told him once you will experience a hunt you will never recover from.
Nothing will compare, you will have to be so attentive to your actions so as not to spoil the hunt.
Your eyes will have to always be aware, your heart, you will have hold in order to succeed, and the pay off of trophy will be daily as much as you want with the most incredible sportsman's banquet at the end of your life.
All the passion and love for hunting will be satisfied and you never have to stop.
Hard for a born to be mountain man to believe.
Well truth is GOD is the ultimate experience. Not just preacher talk, what part of the day wasn't created by GOD?
Shared with him to watch his movement is incredibly a hunter high. Being attentive, being silent so as to read the situation. Including all the senses.
I enjoy the hunters eye for GOD. That is when out of the corner of your eyes you notice him do something or He points out a small something that normally I would past by. He is so clever.
He shares the hunt he is the hunt and you get to live in the hunt.
I came to you that you might have life full , in me.