Buck Bowden, Master Guide
Adventures of a Lifetime
in the Alaskan Wilderness
“Buck Bowden did something about half a century ago that is pretty near impossible today. He set out into the mountains of the Alaskan Wilderness on horseback, staked a claim, and got himself a homestead from the state for the whopping cost of about $25/acre. Then, he built a log cabin by hand, learned to fly a bush plane, and set up a life as a fur trapper and hunting guide.”
— Steven Rinella of MeatEater
Watch on Netflix
The Alaskan backcountry is an untouched wilderness that tests your limits and exceeds your expectations.
In 1970, at the age of 14, Buck moved to Nome, Alaska. He spent all of his time out enjoying the wilderness. This naturally led him to his passions for hunting, fishing, camping, carving wood bowls by hand, and anything outdoors. He started guiding hunters professionally in 1974, and through the years paid his dues and worked his way up the guiding ranks to hold the title of Master Guide (#M-80). In 1976, He made his way into the wilds of Alaska with the nearest human 30+ miles away to stake his slice of heaven with just his horses as company.
After making the state regulated improvements, he purchased the land that he homesteaded.
This is where Hidden Alaska Lodge rests today, a front door to bear and moose hunting (plus the occasional caribou or wolf), and the perfect base camp for heading out on remote camps and float trips.
Before he built the business, lodge, and cabins of Hidden Alaska Guides & Outfitters, he lived in a 14’x14’ dirt floored cabin. From these primitive quarters he lived on his own for six years, and lived off the land regardless of the conditions. Year-round bush living offered up the unique opportunity for him to live and guide without interruption.
Buck has been a trapper, homesteader, horse packer, river rafter, and big game hunting guide. He is also a Commercial, Instrument, Multi-Engine, and Seaplane rated pilot.
In a former career, he was an Alaska Fish and Wildlife enforcement officer before building a lodge with several outbuildings and cabins. These structures he built by hand with logs from trees he felled & milled onsite himself. He spent a good deal of many summers getting ready for the fall hunting season and making the lodge better and better. Keeping it in tiptop shape for every guest is a job in and of itself, but it is essential to provide the unforgettable opportunities Hidden Alaska has offered for decades to countless clients looking to escape city life and enjoy the outdoors.
The Hidden Alaska wilderness offers adventures of a lifetime, even if hunting is not your thing. Snowmachining, skiing, and snowshoeing are a blast in the winter and spring. Aurora Borealis viewing in the dark of winter is magical, to say the least. Four wheeling, rafting, fly fishing and hiking adventures are perfect for late spring and summer.
