Bugle Magazine advertisement
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:
Lance Glasses the Horizon
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."