Matt Sharp and father pose next to the large bull taken at the game ranch in 2005
Matt Sharp and father pose next to the large bull taken at the game ranch in 2005
One of the main herd bulls was taken Thanksgiving week 2005.  He was taken by Airman Matthew Sharp, 21, previously of Delta Junction.  Sharp is currently stationed as an Air Traffic Control Radar Operator for the United States Air Force in Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Unofficial Scoring:

Horn measurements on one of my original bulls that went (unofficial) 2nd world record ....124 1/2" Length of horn right 20 3/8" left 20 1/8", Circumfrence of base right 15 5/8" Left 15 1/8" , Greatest spread 32", tip to tip 29 1/2 " , Between bases 12 1/4 "
The world record scored 136 1/2" Boone & Crockett shot in Yellowstone in 1925. Our bull beat that bull tip to tip 27" to ours' 29 1/2"
3 1/2 year old breeder bull have a horn span of about 22" to 24"
I purchased my original stock from MT, WY, AK, Canada.


Dan Gerdes and son, Hunter on a cold day bison hunting at the game ranch.
Dan Gerdes and son, Hunter on a cold day bison hunting at the game ranch.
Dan Gerdes' family traveled with a friend from Eielson Airforce Base on a cold morning in December to take this 7 year old bison bull.  Dan used a Remington Model 700 BDL M.T. Rifle with Remington 200 Grain Swift A - Frame Ammo.

One shot, good shooting with meat for the freezer, a rug on the floor and a mount to boot!

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Brian Campana came and took this 2.5 year old bison bull.

He traveled with friend, Cannon, from the Anchorage area.

Campana used a Kimber 300 Win Mag Short with 180 Grain Core Lok ammo.

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We just met Aaron Owen, a soldier who was injured in the war and was the recipient of the Alaska Safari Club International (SCI) Essay Contest Winner this year (February 2008) and received a bison hunt off our game ranch. Senator Stevens was there along with other dignitaries to present this award to Owen.

Owen came today and shot his 2.5 year old bison. This will fill his freezer for his wife and four children. He now lives in North Pole. Due to his injuries Owen was forced to retire after 18 years of service. Owen is a disabled vet and a proud American. His story follows.

For more information about the SCI event, log on to the site below:
http://www.aksafariclub.org/2008/07/24/2008-fundraiser-a-success/


Excerpts from Owen's Story:

My name is Aaron Owen, I am a 34 year old happily married man of 13 years to my beautiful wife, Tara. Together we have four awesome children, two boys and two girls, whom all love to hunt and fish. We live in a cozy cabin in North Pole, with our two labs, Duke and Daisy.

I was raised all around the Wyoming and Montana area with hunting and fishing as a big part of my life. I carry on the tradition in my family taking all my children on hunting and fishing trips, starting from when they first learn to walk. I teach them safety, to properly care for what we harvest, never to kill any animal that we don't intend to eat, and never take more than we can use.

Having hunting in my life always gave me a better alternative to trouble and a way to keep me away from drugs, as well as giving me knowledge and respect for our natural resources. So, it is equally important to me to have hunting in our life as an enjoyable past time, great source of nourishment and most of all, a tool to stay connected to my children.

A majority of my life was spent being raised by my grandparents and this inspired me to become a great man like my grandfather, Russell Webb. He was a tanker in the Battle of the Bulge who was seriously injured. It was his service to this country and his Purple Heart that inspired me to become a soldier. I am honored to have been given the chance to strive to match some of their (soldiers from that era) greatness.

I grew up living and working in a small farm community of Basin, Wyoming where the remainder of our families live today.

I enlisted in the Army in November of 1994 and was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri to begin my training as a 12B, Combat Engineer. The title is a little misleading, as an Engineer I didn't build anything, it was my job to blow them up. I deployed on many peace-keeping missions but never truly saw combat until we declared war on terrorism after the events of September 11, 2001. I was a sergeant of second squad, second platoon, in the 1st Armored Division in Glessen, Germany, a team leader ready to lead my men into combat. I was given a group of misfits that would turn out to become one of the best fighting squads in the Division, the "Dirty Deuce". In my squad, I had a mix of men who were fighting for a country of which half were not citizens of, but wanted to be. My team leader, a great friend, was Nicaraguan, our driver from India, two of our dismounts were from Africa and my gunner was from Puerto Rico. We moved through the invasion of Iraq and our baptism by fire into the rebuilding process with no losses to my Squad. Everyday for that first year we cleared the routes of IED's, land mines and the occasional ambush. All of us from the "Dirty Deuce" squad made it home, with Purple Hearts from physical wounds that would heal.

Upon the return to Germany to reunite with my family, I took my next assignment to Fort Wainwright, Alaska. It had always been a dream of mine to live, hunt and fish the great state of Alaska. I was assigned to the 562nd Engineer company of the 172nd Stryker BDE. I had six months to enjoy my family, train a new squad and go to a few schools that I had missed from the last deployment. My family did as much as we could to enjoy the wild of Alaska in a short amount of time and we had a great time!

August 2005, we left Fort Wainwright for Mosul, Iraq. My mission was much the same as it had been before, sweeping the routes and removing IED's and land mines before they could be used to kill our soldiers. On November 7, 2005 nearly at the end of my route clearance for the day, my STRYKER was attached with a suicide car bomber. A large Chevy van filled with explosives and gasoline was detonated while crashing into the side of my vehicle. The blast threw my STRYKER off a 40' overpass and down into a canal. Of the eight men in the vehicle, three of us were seriously injured, one was in a coma and the rest all received minor injuries. Thus leading to my 2nd Purple Heart and what would be the end of my Military career.

Over all, the most important thing is that I'm still alive and have been given the opportunity to enjoy my wife and 4 children. I still have the chance to go hunting, fishing and enjoy the great outdoors of Alaska. by SFC (Ret) Aaron Owen


As we begin our festivities for Thanksgiving, remember our soldiers in the field and away from their homes and families. Remember those many soldiers who will never come home again to celebrate the holidays with their family and friends. Remember those families who miss them and whose hearts ache for their loved ones.

With all of this may you have a wonderful Thanksgiving from the Hollembaek's and the Alaska Interior Game Ranch.

Heath & Bison Cow at Game Ranch 2008 Season
Heath & Bison Cow at Game Ranch 2008 Season
Heath McAnally used a 308 Weatherby Vangard Win 180 Grain Fail Safe Ammo to take down this bison cow

Kim & Acheson with Bison off Game Ranch
Kim & Acheson with Bison off Game Ranch

Tyler Kinney
Tyler Kinney

Vinton
Vinton
Vinton used a 338 Win Model 70 with 225 Grain Core Lok Ammo to take this bison.

Rod Kinney
Rod Kinney
Rod Kinney took this 3.5 year old bison

Grant Kinney
Grant Kinney
Grant Kinney and bison bull taken 2008

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Mike Ashley and 2.5 year old bison bull taken off the game ranch.

Mike Davis & Bison Cow
Mike Davis & Bison Cow

Jurenka October 2008
Jurenka October 2008
Michael Jurenka came to take a 2.5 year old bison off the game ranch.

He used a black powder CVA Kodiak 50 calibar Hornady 45-300 tip-mag

and 100 grain of 777 pellets.

Black powder success in October 2008.

Leroy Snavely and 2.5 year old
Leroy Snavely and 2.5 year old
Leroy Snavely and family traveled from North Pole to take this bison.  He used a 300 Magnum Ruger M77-Remington 300 Win Mag-and 180 Grain Core-Lok Ammo

Good job taking the animal quickly and cleanly.

October 2008
October 2008
Roy Burkart, 70 years old,  took this 2.5 year old bull using a Remington Model 700 .338 Magnum using 230 Grain FAIL - SAFE ammo.

One shot-one kill.

Job well done.

October 2008
October 2008
Bob Goodman took this 2.5 year old bull with one shot.

One shot-one kill.

Goodman used a 340 Weatherby with 250 grain spire point.

Good shooting.

October 2008
October 2008
Gary Ojala used a Browning BAR 300 Winchester Mag and 180 Grain Federal 1 shot ammo to take this cow elk at 25 yards. 

Gary brought friends along and had a successful hunt with the first snowfall. 

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The Welch family brought granddaughter, Dusty, to the bison ranch.

They took home a mature bison cow to fill their freezer.



Alex Hert & Bison Cow
Alex Hert & Bison Cow
Alexander Hert used a Hoyt Dynatec Bow, 60#-70#, 290 fps , 450 grain  with 125 grain striker G-5 Carbon Express Maxima, Quick Spin 4" Fletching Luminok, Tru-fire Hunter Release

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Guy Klabunde came to shoot a bison cow.  He used a 30.06 Colt Ultralite with a 3 X 9 Leopold Scope.  He used 30-06 spring 180 Grain Triple-Shock X-Bullet Federal Premium Ammo.

Nice shot.
One shot, clean and efficient.

David Pease & Cow Bison September 2008
David Pease & Cow Bison September 2008
David Pease traveled from southcentral Alaska to the game ranch.  He used a 30.06 Winchester with a 180 grain powerpoint bullet to take this mature bison cow off the game ranch. 

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Justin McGinnis took a 2.5 year old bison bull on June 20th.
He used a beautiful rifle of his father's.  It was a Sharps 45/70 and he used 405 Grain Remington Soft Tip Ammo.

Justin was a great shot, it'd been the first time to use his father's rifle.
Justin serves in the military and while in Alaska visiting family he set up this bison hunt.
 

February 2, 2008
February 2, 2008
Jay Goldberg & bison cow
Jay used a Barnett Comando 150 Crossbow with a 22" 2216 Easton Shaft , 110 Grain Steel Force Broadhead to take this older cow at the game ranch.

Paul Balmforth
Paul Balmforth
Paul Balmforth and friend, Todd O'Banion, drove the road north and arrived in Delta well below -40oF.  Paul used his Savage 30.06 and 180 grain ammo to take his 3.5 year old bison heifer.  It was cold but the animal was taken quickly and they packed it up in the bed of the pickup and headed south to warmer temps.   We had a quick Alaskan meal  of moose roundsteak, Palmer-potato salad, Delta cranberries and eggs from a local producer before they headed out.

Jay Goldberg and 5 year old bison cow taken January 5, 2008 at the game ranch.
Jay Goldberg and 5 year old bison cow taken January 5, 2008 at the game ranch.
Jay Goldberg made another trip to the game ranch to take this 5  year old bison cow.

Robert Cannon and 2.5 year old bison bull taken January 5, 2008
Robert Cannon and 2.5 year old bison bull taken January 5, 2008
Robert Cannon, Jr. traveled up to the game ranch. He and friend, Goldberg, left Anchorage at 2 AM and arrived at the ranch at 9 AM.  Robert used his 8 MM Mauser with 170 grain power point ammo to take this 2.5 year old bison bull. 

John Gaskins and 8 year old bison cow taken at game ranch at -22oF.
John Gaskins and 8 year old bison cow taken at game ranch at -22oF.
John Gaskins and friend, Brian & his son, Levi, left Anchorage at 5 AM to drive the highway to the game ranch. They got here at 11:30 AM and were able to sight in his rifle, drive back to the ranch and take this 8 year old bison cow.  One shot.  Gaskins used a 300 Winchester Magnun with 220 grain nosler ammoIt was -22oF.  Great Alaskans & superb shooting.

Ron Gilson and 5 point elk taken in December 2007 at the Game Ranch
Ron Gilson and 5 point elk taken in December 2007 at the Game Ranch
Ron Gilson walked about 3 miles and before dark, was able to then drive up near the elk herd and with 1 shot, took this 5 point off the game ranch.  He used a Remington 7 MM with Federal 175 grain SP ammo.  Great shooting at about 35 yards.