Here are some pictures from the latest USA episode. Enjoy!
My new friend on the Bering Sea
Director of Photography Brent Meske “The Man”
Who took my hat and arrows?
“Tarping on the Bering Sea”
Archive for the ‘unguided hunting’ Category
Nunivak Island Pictures
Posted: June 18, 2013 in alaska hunting expedition, antler hunting, archery hunting, arrows, Bering Sea, bow and arrows, Camera, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, hunting, Hunting Culture, Hunting with Camera, meat, moose, National Geographic, nature, public land, small game, Small game hunting, Survival, The next generation, traditional archery, Ultimate Survival Alaska, unguided hunting, wildlifeTags: Bering Sea, Longbow Hunting, Nunivak Hunting, Nunivak Island, Nunivak Island hunting, small game hunting
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Nunivak Island Hunting and Gathering: New Ultimate Survival Alaska Airs Tonight June 16th at 9PM ET
Posted: June 16, 2013 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, antler, archery hunting, arrows, bow and arrows, camping, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, hunting, Hunting Culture, Hunting with Camera, meat, National Geographic, public land, small game, Small game hunting, Survival, The next generation, traditional archery, Ultimate Survival Alaska, unguided hunting, wildlifeNunivak Island Hunting and Gathering: New Ultimate Survival Alaska Airs Tonight June 16th at 9PM ET
Well its safe to say that my longbow was used throughout tonights episode. The eight of us land on Nunivak Island in hopes of providing some much needed protein for our nutrition. Hunting on Nunivak Island has been part of their culture for thousands of years. Very cool place to visit and the people of Mekoryuk were extremely friendly and most helpful. Be sure to catch the new episode tonight for the how to on hunting with a longbow. Humans have been on a mission to put protein in the pot for thousands of years….What’s your mission?
Photo Courtesy of National Geographic
Thanks again to everyone in Mekoryuk, you made this leg of the adventure my personal favorite! Don’t forget to tune in tonight at June 16th at 9PM ET. For behind the scenes look at Ultimate Survival Alaska check out the twitter updates and facebook posts, find us on twitter @MissionAlaska, and @austinmanelick, #ultimatesurvivalalaska.
-Austin Manelick
A Lower 48er’s View of Alaska
Posted: June 11, 2013 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, artic slope, bears, big game hunting, camping, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, guns, hunting, Hunting Culture, Hunting with Camera, National Geographic, nature, public land, Rifles, Survival, The next generation, Ultimate Survival Alaska, unguided hunting, Videographer, wildlifeTags: carribou, mountain goat, sheep mountain, state of alaska
After graduating with Austin from Penn State, It was our mission to gain experience in the outdoors, test ourselves as young men, and do the trip of our dreams. We wanted to do a low budget, non-guided hunt, using different means of transportation; through-out the state of Alaska for the “Alaskan Big 5″, Caribou, Dall Sheep, Mountain Goat, Moose, and Bear. The Mission Alaska Expedition was an amazing adventure, and one that Austin, Jordan Auggie, Sarah, Natalie, Bryan, and I will never forget.
As the lower “48′er” of the crew if was definitely a trip where I was out of my element. As I watch National Geographic’s ‘Ultimate Survival Alaska’, it brings me back to that expedition. The TV cameras make it look a lot easier than it is. They cannot adequately describe the tussocks, wetness, trench-rot, or blisters that come with successfully filming back-country travel. I wanted to share some thoughts on traveling the remote terrain as a real outsider, a non-Alaskan.
It was definitely like nothing I had encountered in the lower 48. It looks a lot like Kansas or North Dakota, but the wetness and endless tundra of the Alaskan arctic, make it like walking on a 3-5 foot wet sponge layer. Tussocks are hard plant root clumps that make the ground very unstable and a nightmare on your knees and ankles.
Endless amounts of “tussocks”.
I will never forget how foreign the environment felt. After leaving our pick-up truck, we might might as well been walking on another planet. We only had to go 5 miles, but it felt like 20!
A hard earned 5 miles out to the hunting area.
As I have been watching ‘Ultimate Survivor Alaska’ on National Geographic, I have been captivated by the scenery of the show and the crew’s ability to capture those images in the remote wilds of Alaska. I have filmed in Alaska and can assure you that the Alaska terrain is the enemy of any electronic device. The wet and the cold can make it very difficult to keep the cameras rolling, SD cards filled, and batteries charged. My hat is off to the Nat Geo production crew for capturing the raw and wild beauty of Alaska.
Cameras dont like working in clouds.
While Alaska can afford some beautiful weather with amazing views, definitely be prepared for cold and wet weather anytime of the year. Do not cheap yourself on gear! While you can sometimes get away with it in the lower 48, bad gear will ruin your trip and can endanger your life in Alaska. Make sure to check the Gear and Apparel page to see Mission Alaska’s gear tips, reviews, and suggestions.
A foggy August Alaskan view.
Looking for sheep in ever-changing weather.
There are all sorts of terrain in Alaska and a trip suited for everyone. Not far outside of the metro areas of Anchorage or the Mat-su Valley are tons of foot accessible areas. You dont always need planes and helicopters in Alaska to experience a real adventure. A lot people come to Alaska and take to bush planes to get out to remote areas. This can leave those areas crowded and areas that are hard to hike to, but not as far out as the planes go, open to anyone who wants to work for it. I had a mission to further test myself and went on a solo black bear hunt. What a great challenge and feeling of accomplishment.
Solo black bear harvest
The Mission Alaska Expedition was for sure the hardest thing I have ever done and the trip taught me a lot about myself, life, and Alaska. I encourage more Americans in the lower 48 to go and experience the last american frontier. It is still very real and alive today. Read ‘John and Joe’s Philly to AK Adventure’. Just like Nat Geo’s ‘Ultimate Survivor Alaska’ shows, for those who want it, adventure lies waiting around every corner.
Whats Your Mission?
-Jon Dykes
Mission: Alaska Pack Raft Marathon
Posted: May 24, 2013 in hog hunting, horse back hunting, hunting, Hunting Culture, Hunting with Camera, pack rafting, public land, Survival, Ultimate Survival Alaska, unguided hunting, Whitetail hunting, wildlifeMission: Bike to the head waters of the “Marathon River” and Pack raft back to the vehicle.
Just got back from an epic Alaskan mountain biking pack rafting adventure in the Copper River Basin. The bike ride in was a full marathon in distance which is 26 miles. That meant fellow adventurer Brigder, my dogs Pickle, Crixus, and I had a beautiful 26+ mile class 3 river to pack raft to get back to our vehicle. This adventure was part hunting, part training/exercise, part recon, and a whole lot of fun. The pack rafting part of the adventure was definitely the highlight, and if you ask Bridger if he got wet he will be sure to tell you that we both took a few “tall drinks”. The dogs were awesome companions on the trip, and handled the rafting part of the adventure like total bosses. We were looking for potential brown and or black bear to harvest along the way, however that was wishful thinking. We ended up seeing a very large bull moose that just began growing his antlers, we also saw a sow grizzly bear with a lone cub. We didn’t find any animals to take down the river with us, other than Pickle and Crixus. It is always so humbling to be in nature and experience everything mother earth has to offer. One step in nature and a close encounter with a grizzly bear really tells humans exactly where they sit on that food chain. More pictures and videos to come shortly, make sure to tune back in to Missionak for weekly updates. Click the subscribe button on MissionAK’s home page to receive free email updates for any new blog post updates. If you haven’t already liked MissionAK on Facebook and twitter check us out!
Can’t wait for the next Mission…What’s yours?
Mission Complete
Vote for your fan favorite on Nat Geo’s Ultimate Survival Alaska
Posted: May 10, 2013 in alaska hunting expedition, arrows, bear charge, bow and arrows, Hunting with Camera, National Geographic, Small game hunting, Survival, The next generation, Ultimate Survival Alaska, Uncategorized, unguided hunting, VideographerTags: Austin Manelick, Hunter, hunting, National Geographic Channel, Ultimate Survival Alaska, van favorite
You know who Mission Alaska is going to vote for!
Check out the interactive map on National Geographic’s webpage for Ultimate Survival Alaska. Scroll to the bottom and make your vote heard for the number one fan favorite!
The premier is May 12th at 10pm EST, don’t forget to tell your mom happy mothers day!
You can find Mission Alaska as well as Austin Manelick on Facebook and Twitter @
@missionalaska
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mission-Alaska
or
https://www.facebook.com/david.austin
@austinmanelick
Here is the link to cast your vote.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/ultimate-survival-alaska/interactives/interactive-map/
Trophy Bull VS. Meat Bull
Posted: April 18, 2012 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, antler, antler hunting, archery hunting, arrows, artic slope, bow and arrows, camping, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, guns, hunting, Hunting Culture, meat, moose, Rifles, The next generation, traditional archery, Uncategorized, unguided hunting, wildlifeTags: cultural hunting, meat eaters, meat eating, meat hunters, meat hunting, subsistence, Subsistence hunting, trophy hunt, trophy hunting, trophy moose hunt
Hunting to many Alaskas means red meat for the freezer, enough meat to get a family through the winter. Across Alaska many residents practice the art handed down by our ancestors and the cave men before that, the not-so lost art form called subsistence hunting. Each Fall locals from around the state leave the comfort of there homes and thrust themselves into the wild attempting to fill the freezer against all odds.
2009 Moose Harvest
When your an Alaskan and attempting to fill your freezer, any animal deemed by ADFG (Alaska Department of Fish and Game)as legal under the states rules and regulations most likely will be harvested. As Alaskan subsistence hunter August Manelick would say “a legal spike for moose will taste just as good if not better than a trophy moose.” I agree with August in that the goal of hunting is first and foremost to be legal and secondly to fill your freezer. All though most hunters (including August and myself) will agree that a 55 inch trophy bull moose would look better on the wall and in the freezer than a spike fork (small legal yearling bull moose) would.
The goal of hunting is to fill your freezer and provide sustenance for the long winter months. Taking a trophy animal is a bonus, providing in a sense two trophies the meat and the antlers. The meat of an animal is the true trophy, don’t let anyone tell you different. The hunt is about the experience, camaraderie, and the stories shared with loved ones post hunt. The harvest of the hunt is a physical representation of the memories made while in the field, regardless of the animals antler size. Any legal animal is a gift, take your blessings and eat plentifully through out the following year.
Auggie with a double trophy, meat and antler.
Bottom line, there is a big difference between trophy hunting and subsistence hunting. Trophy hunting individuals hunt usually for just the size of the antlers, bigger is always better. Subsistence hunters hunt for the meat value of an animal. Two very different ball games, playing by the same rules.
Austin Manelick Teams up with John Depalma Photography and Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear.
Posted: April 10, 2012 in antler, antler hunting, archery hunting, arrows, big game hunting, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, hunting, Hunting Culture, nature, Rifles, small game, The next generation, traditional archery, Uncategorized, unguided hunting, Whitetail hunting, wildlifeTags: Photo shoot, photography, Spring Gobbler, Spring Thunder Chicken, Spring Turkey, Turkey, Turkey hunting, Turkey with bow, Turkey with Shotgun
Thanks to John Depalma Photography
http://johndepalmaphoto.photoshelter.com/
and Rockey Mountain Specialty Gear for yet another succesful photo shoot. I apprecaited the arrows for the Turkey portion, thanks Tom (owner of RMSG) you have been extremly helpful and knowledgable with all archery and hunting related equipment.
Both Tom and John are mavens to their trades, manufacturing diligent business relations in the outdoor industry. Thanks to both of you gentlemen for making all this possible. I appreciate your hard work, camaraderie, and friendship.
Also I must throw a huge shout out to Winchester Repeating Arms and Ammunition for allowing us to use their guns during the photo shoot. Winchester has been around for 100 + years and has developed many beautiful rifles and hunting products. Be sure to check out Winchesters new Turkey guns! The new Super X Pump Turkey gun boast a synthetic stock with a texured grip. This was the shotgun I used during the photo shoot and I must say, the gun has grip simliar to a tacked football. Anyone who loves holding a pigskin, won’t let this rifle out of their grasp.. You may even find yourself snuggling up to it at night, dreaming of big old toms and the Super X giving a lucky longbeard a dirt nap.
Austin Manelick
Photo Shoot 2012
Posted: March 31, 2012 in alaska, archery hunting, arrows, big game hunting, bow and arrows, camping, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, guns, hunting, Hunting Culture, meat, nature, public land, texas whitetail, The next generation, traditional archery, Uncategorized, unguided hunting, Whitetail hunting, wildlifeTags: Austin Manelick, fishing, hunting, outdoor photos shoot, outdoor television, photo, photographer, photography, Pure Hunting, Willi Schmidt
I was recently invited to be a part of an outdoor photo shoot posed as two hunters stalking through a beautiful river side cottonwood hunting area.
The photo shoot included host of Pure Hunting television program Willi Schmidt and free lance videographer and outdoor writer (me) Austin Manelick.
I had a blast with John Depalma the photographer as he effortlessly snapped perfectly apertured picture after picture. ”Keep the light to your back”, was the photography tip of the day. (That tip applies to videography as well….) He made the shoot so smooth and brought relentless energy to taking the perfect “sweet cherry pie shot.” Thanks again guys for such a memorable and awesome outting in the field together. Your friendship and camaraderie is what hunting and the great outdoors is made of, thanks again for everything guys.
Pure Hunting is found on the Sportsmen channel @
AIR TIMES:
Monday
7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM
Friday
8:00 AM
Show them your support! Its an awesome series and a great place to see some of my work as Field Producer. I worked on this series and can garentee once you turn it on you won’t leave the couch..
“Epic-hyper reality adventure television” Pure Hunting is a must see!
D_A_PRO LLC Production Highlights- presents Mission Alaska
Posted: March 10, 2012 in Africa, Africa Big Five, Africa big game hunting, African Hunting, alaska, alaska hunting expedition, archery hunting, arrows, artic slope, bear charge, bear maul, bears, big game hunting, bow and arrows, bow fishing, camping, caribou, coyote, coyote attack, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, fishing, grizzly bear, grizzly bear charge, grizzly brown bear, guns, hog hunting, hunting, Hunting Culture, Hunting India, India, India Culture, meat, moose, nature, Pennsylvania hunting, Pike fishing, public land, Rifles, salmon fishing, small game, Small game hunting, snow shoe hare, texas whitetail, The next generation, traditional archery, trout, Trout fishing, Uncategorized, unguided hunting, Whitetail hunting, wildlifeTags: Alaska, Alaska fishing, Alaska Hunting, Alaska Production Companies, alaskan wilderness, beautiful, cameras, FILMING, fishing, HD filming, high definition filming, hunting, nature, outdoors
DA PRO owner Austin Manelick pictured with Major League Baseball MVP Texan Ranger Josh Hamilton and family.
D_A_ PRO LLC is a full service media marketing provider, specializing in filming of remote and extreme shoot locations. DA PRO’s, enlist a full staff of professional videographers willing and ready to shoot HD footage in the hardest most unforgiving terrain possible. State of the art High Definition filming and audio recording equipment travels with each member of our globally experienced team of videographers. D_A_ PRO, LLC is the next generation of video production, bringing revolutionary visions to the television industry.
PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHT VIDEO PRESENTS MISSION ALASKA
Follow this YOUTUBE link to watch the production highlight video a sample from the D_A_PRO LLC Library.
D_A_PRO LLC.
-THE PREMIER FRONTEIR PRODUCITON COMPANY.
Mission Alaska: You can help
Posted: February 27, 2012 in Africa, Africa Big Five, Africa big game hunting, African Hunting, alaska, alaska hunting expedition, archery hunting, arrows, artic slope, bear charge, bear maul, bears, big game hunting, bow and arrows, bow fishing, camping, caribou, coyote, coyote attack, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, fishing, grizzly bear, grizzly bear charge, grizzly brown bear, guns, hog hunting, hunting, kudu, meat, moose, nature, Pennsylvania hunting, Pike fishing, public land, Rifles, salmon fishing, small game, Small game hunting, snow shoe hare, texas whitetail, The next generation, traditional archery, trout, Trout fishing, Uncategorized, unguided hunting, Whitetail hunting, wildlifeTags: hunting pictures, mountain goat, red fox, YOUNG HUNTER, youth hunter, youth hunting
If you have been reading missionak or following at all, then you would know that MA is all about the next generation and spreading the word on how “cool” the outdoors is. I have been talking with every person I know personally and contacting all of the youth I have met over my lifetime of friendships, in attempt to spread the good word of the outdoors.
Men enjoying the culture of the great outdoors.
I want to thank all of the readers and followers of Missionak, since summer of 2011 MA has grown greatly and viewer numbers are through the roof! I want to thank you again for following and reading my personal message to the woodsmen in all us. If you have or feel like you want to be more involved on missionak.com, please feel free to do so, in fact please help me!
If you have any pictures, videos, stories, anything that you feel appropriate for missionak.com, please email me at austinmanelick@gmail.com
Once again, I would love for anyone to send me interesting photos they have found on trail cameras, taken on hunts, taken on fishing trips, taken on antler shed hunting trips. Tell me a story, it doesnt have to be a trophy buck that you have taken I would be just as happy with a picture of a readers first deer harvest of a doe than of a monster 10pt buck.
I want to connect with my readers, help me!
-AM
SEND ME PICTURES AND STORIES!!!
Contact
austinmanelick@gmail.com
Man cave: 303-838-7869
