Pronghorn at sunset

The learning curve in hunting as an archer is steep.  Many seasons of spot and stalk techniques have left me close but empty handed. After years of hard work and persistence, I was fortunate enough to harvest my…

Sockeye Salmon on Lake Creek

21 years ago in April, while my mother was in labor with me, my dad was out fly fishing the Missouri River. Perhaps I was born to fish. When I turned 21, I held my dad…

Senior Chief Mike Day on the upper reaches of Mt. Rainier at sunrise

Mystery Ranch is proud to have sponsored Camp Patriot’s 4th annual Summit Challenge,  an attempt by 4 disabled veterans climb 14,411 ft. Mt Rainier in Washington’s portion of the…

Another evening spent locating spring black bear.

I started the spring season with two goals, one: see more bears than I had ever seen in a spring season, and two: kill a spring bear with my bow. Goal one would be…

Author, Steven Drake, arcing big GS turns down the Gardner Headwall

“We are having way more fun than they are,” said Jake. He wasn’t kidding!

On the 4th of July weekend, I found myself perusing through Yellowstone Park en-route to my family’s…

Nothing like springtime in the mountains.   You ever been sitting around early on a Saturday morning sipping black juice with your buddies trying to come up with a plan for the day?  Should we head…

Hellmouth Couloir is the thin aesthetic line dead center on Alex Lowe Peak.

In the Spring of 1997 Alex Lowe and Hans Saari made the first descent of an anemic ski line they nicknamed “Hellmouth Couloir” in the Gallatin Mountains of…

Author with Elk Sheds at Sunset

As March came to a close, one of my favorite past times came into full swing – shed hunting! This was the year of the deer antler. Between my dad and I, we found fifteen…