Lance Kronberger, along with his wife Nikki, owns and operates Freelance Outdoor Adventures, a professional guide and outfitter service based in Wasilla, Alaska.  He was featured in a Sitka ad that ran in the most recent issue of Bugle magazine.

We recently received an email from a reader of Bugle in regards to the text in the advertisement.  Below is the email and Lance's response.  It's an interesting look at the year in the life of a busy outdoor guide.

Reader question:

My compliments to your advertising in Bugle magazine.  I am an avid outdoors person who happens to be a licensed guide in several states, but I do not guide for money. I have a question, your advertisement regarding this gentleman "Lance." How does someone spend 211 days in the field?  I do not believe there are 211 days of season in Alaska?

Lance Kronberger responds:

It is hard to do 211 days in the field if this is not how you make your living.  But is required if this is how you support your family!

The year starts with at least ten days hunting desert sheep in Mexico between attending some of the sport trade shows. March is my time to tackle paperwork and get organized for the upcoming season. I head to Kodiak April 15 - May 15 for spring brown bear. On even years (2010, 2012, and so on) I go straight from Kodiak to the Alaska Peninsula for a ten-day spring brown bear hunt.  On odd years, I just go straight up to my grizzly area in northwest Alaska where we hunt grizzlies until June 15th.  Either way, I hunt bears each spring from April 15 to June 15th. From June 20-30 we scout for sheep in the Chugach Mountains where we do most of our sheep hunts.

We run float-fishing trips from July 2 to August 5  (I also wear Sitka Gear while fishing).  On the days between trips we make quick trips into the Chugach to continue with our sheep scouting.

Sheep season opens August 10th, but we head into camp on the 8th to make sure we are ready for opening morning.  We hunt sheep until September 3rd, and then head north to do our fall griz hunts, which take place Sept 4-16th.  Sept 17- Oct. 10th we will do our late season and archery sheep hunts.  During this time we really put the gear to a test as winter is fast approaching the mountains.  On odd years, I head to the peninsula to guide a brown bear hunter from the 10-20th.  On even years, when brown bear season is closed, I will participate in a goat hunt. Oct 25th is the opener for the Kodiak brown bear season but we head to the field on the 23rd to make sure we have everything ready for the weather that Kodiak can dish out.  I stay on Kodiak until Thanksgiving for goat and deer hunts once we have filled our bear tags.

A quick breakdown of days in the field:

Jan-Feb.................10 March.....................0 April......................15 May.......................30 June......................25 July.......................28 Aug........................28 Sept.......................28 Oct.........................28 Nov...................20-25 Dec.........................10

Total....................222 possible days in the field (not including any off-the-wall hunts that I may do for myself). After a short break over Thanksgiving, I either go to Arizona for a 10-day desert sheep hunt or head overseas to Asia for some sheep hunting. There is always the chance of a March musk ox or bison hunt, but it's not an every year thing.

Not every year is exactly the same but this is a pretty good outline of  "A Year in the Life of Lance."

Hey everyone. Just wanted to share some highlights from my week at the Wild Sheep Show in Salt Lake City. Excuse my poor editing skills....I'm a beginner but learning.

Starring Sitka Athletes:

Lance Kronberger Mark Seacat Brendan Burns



Cheers.

We often receive photos and testimonials from people who wear our gear.  One thing that always shines through is the passion.  If you are a hunter, you understand what I'm talking about.

Tom Foss is a bowhunter who is lucky to have two sons who share his passion. He doesn't have any connection with Sitka, but he was the first to get a grand slam in the gear in his Sitka Gear in the Mountain Mothwing pattern.   This year we offered him the opportunity to test the new OPTIFADE gear on his desert sheep hunt.  Here's his story:



I just returned from the Baja after taking another desert sheep with Ty Miller of El Fuerte Outfitters. I got him on the seventh day of a ten-day hunt.  We spent three tough days looking over four rams but somehow the two biggest went up and over the mountain.  We really had a good test hiking and climbing in some hot weather.   I was wearing the new Sitka gear with their new camo pattern, GORE OPTIFADE.  The thorns and cactus destroyed a light pair of hiking pants my friend wore but these pants stood up well.  I wore them every day of the hunt.



The next day we spotted a real monster in the adjoining area.  It was tough watching this monster as he was in a very stalkable spot, really low on the mountain.   We waited on him to move and hoped he would, but it soon became apparent that he was comfortable feeding in the lush vegetation. (Just heard that Ty's next hunter killed a good one, hope it was this ram).    We continued to monitor the other two smaller rams but then lost them and never could find the others bigger rams.

We decided to try another area and it took us the full day to get over there but just before dark we found another group of rams.   As we hiked down to set up camp in the creek bed I knew there were only three days left and was anxious for a stalk.  After spending another wonderful night on the desert floor there was an amazing star show as several shooting stars passed across the horizon.  It wasn't until the third one before I finally wished for a ram.

Awoke in the morning and it was a surprise as the dew soaked sleeping bag, packs, boots, socks and liners.  It was like we slept in the rain.  A quick bite to eat and we started up the backside of the mountain.  It was steep, crumbly trail but we were thankful to be in the shade of the mountain. After three hours we topped out to find our sheep out on a pinnacle. Dropping back down we finally got above them and were in great position.

After awhile the rams dropped a little in elevation and I was chomping at the bit to go.  My guide was nervous for us to move, so we just sat and waited.  My thoughts were to close the gap from five hundred to a hundred yards or even closer but Jorge was nervous that the rams might come back and bust us so we sat there watching the point that hid the rams.  After a couple of hours he finally decided to move and just as we tried to cross lower, one of the sheep came back over the top and was on a beeline towards us.  That ram disappeared and then we moved towards the other sheep incase they decided to take the same trail.

After more time we finally spotted the other three feeding in some very thick almost tropical vegetation.  We had almost given up and as I bulled through the bush when suddenly I saw the horns of a ram.  It took some glassing but finally within thirty yards there were several rams.  It was growing late and we knew a night on the mountain was a certainty.  Whether it would be with a ram or not, was the only question.

There was no way to get an arrow through the tangle so I crept up on a rock wall and watched the sheep below me.  I made a fair amount of noise but the wind was good and when the sheep looked my way they totally ignored my presence.  Being above sheep always seems to cause them to be very nervous but this camo seemed to work.  I have always been a big fan of this Sitka gear, it just seems to fit mountain hunting and the Mothwing pattern is deadly in the rocks.  They recently came out with a new pattern called Optifade and a little different pant design and a lighter under layer shirt (I actually wore the pants every day during the hunt and it stood up to the thorns and the rocks, it really is bullet proof).

I slid down closer and then started to throw rocks just past them, hoping they would get up and feed. The only problem was they were on the edge of a bench and the rocks just seemed to fall into thin air.  Finally one rock got the sheep up and they began to feed my way.  The only problem was, they were on a ledge below us and they were feeding right towards me.   Now at twenty yards the biggest ram simply chose to ignore my shape perched upon a boulder.  I have seen many rams check out my camoed shape but these guys totally ignored me in my head-to-toe camo and a face-mask.  I felt like the invisible man as I drew and released the arrow.

It was a wonderful night on the mountain. To those who have had an unplanned night under the stars, it usually is an uncomfortable and long night but on the desert it never really cooled down and it was pretty much comfortable.  Up early the next morning and we packed off the ram and all the meat.

A pretty long drive out and when we went to check the ram we met fellow bowhunter Scott Jankowski who had taken a great ram, just days before my hunt started.  Scott and I were disappointed to hear that the Mexican government did not have any plugs for the sheep on the Baja this year, but in true Ty fashion he had his technical advisor working on the issue immediately.

Another wonderful sheep hunt.  It doesn't really get much better.  Hope all of you are doing well.  This economic debacle will affect us all: financially, our jobs, our investments. There is no escaping it.  How it affects us emotionally- we have some choice.  I just read about a guy who is refusing to accept this recession and all the negative news, press, and TV reports.  Lets buckle down, work hard and enjoy the great things in our lives.  We are blessed to be healthy, have wonderful families, great friends and wonderful pursuits.

Straight arrows.

This post is clearly tardy, as the shows were over a few weeks ago. However, an update and photos are always good to share. Great shows, feedback on the new product pieces (Stormfront and Coldfront Series, the Kelvin Series, and of course "The Dutch Oven" to name a few) and Optifade Concealment Technology was overwhelming. A peak from the shows...

In light of our country's economic situation, it has never been more critical to remain flexible in the course we set and execute towards. I couldn't help but laugh when I noticed the pile of books next to my bed that I've been referencing a lot recently in attempts to re-plot our marketing and PR course for 2009. Change can easily be met with resistance, but its equally important to also appreciate the opportunity it forces when we have to relearn making due with less...just like when we started. It keeps you focused on our core customer and our brand.