This semester long hands-on course prepares middle school - high school students with the knowledge, judgment, and physical readiness needed for safe and ethical big game hunting in Alaska’s rugged backcountry. Set in a real-world outdoor environment, students will train on mountainous terrain, navigate uneven trails, and practice crossing small creeks while carrying gear—building both confidence and endurance.

The class emphasizes wilderness awareness and safety, including how to recognize and respond to encounters with large wildlife such as bears and bull moose. Students will learn situational awareness, proper behavior in wildlife territory, and risk mitigation strategies to reduce dangerous interactions.

A key component of the course is physical conditioning. Students will participate in structured cardiovascular and strength training throughout the term to prepare for the physical demands of backcountry hunting. Cardiovascular training will include hiking with progressively heavier packs, interval training, and sustained uphill movement to build endurance and stamina. Strength training will focus on functional movements such as squats, lunges, core stabilization, and upper-body exercises to improve balance, load-carrying ability, and injury prevention. Students will be expected to track their progress and meet baseline fitness benchmarks as part of course completion.

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Note: This course is repeatable for credit so if you took it in semester 1 and would like to take it again, you may do so.