Guest blog post by Casey Keefer – half of the Keefer brother team who challenged Alaska in their new show, Dropped: Project Alaska brought to us by Realtree. Rusted Rooster Media and InterMedia Outdoors Productions. Watch a FULL HOUR premiere December 27 at 9 pm E/P.
If you haven’t realized it by now, I’m about to tell you…I did not die in Alaska. But what I did do was experience one of the wildest places on earth, in its truest and most raw form.
- Casey Keefer
For 28 days this past September, alongside my older brother Chris, I set out on a personal mission, or as I like to refer to it, a calling…to take on the wildest place I’ve ever been, the Brooks Range of Alaska, without any food to live on…and capture the entire thing on film. You see, as far back as I can remember I’ve been mesmerized by the backcountry of the Land of the Midnight Sun. I’ve been hunting all my life, but for the past decade I’ve been honing my skills as an archer, a woodsman, a fly fisherman, a hunter and a survivalist- full time. I’m fascinated by the basics in life; What is it that really makes me tick. The answer for me has always been the same…I’ll find out when I get to Alaska.
The show itself, shot in it’s entirety by two longtime cohorts, and expert field producers Jason Brown and Trent Skiba, is an amazing collection derived from over 180 hours of stunning footage, shot amongst the most beautiful palette in North America. But let’s get one things straight…this show is not about surviving by starting a fire with some belly button lint and a little chapstick, although if it came down to it, it could’ve been. This project is about much more than that. It’s about setting out into the wild and being self-sufficient. Living off the land, the same way our ancestors did, providing for themselves and their families. We did however rely on modern technology in more ways than one. We carried bows that ripped arrows at speeds exceeding 300 feet per second; we used some of the best glass in the world to spot our prey at incredible distances; our tents held heat better than most ovens; and we used a fiberglass molded megaphone to enhance the distance our calls would travel. After all, it’s these things that have allowed us to become the top of the food chain. Think of this project as the perfect mixture of modern man answering and ancestral calling.
Casey Keefer glassing for a food source
While some may say this was easy, I can assure it that it was not. If you are one of those people, I urge you to reconsider, and most certainly don’t try this yourself, unless, of course, you’ve been preparing for it your entire life. Alaska is a serious place, and bad things can happen if you’re not prepared. Nobody can ever know what they’ll do in a situation such as ours, until they’re thrown out there with nothing to rely on except their instincts as humans and their desire to remain the dominant predator.
Stayed tuned to http://thesportsmanchannel.com/dropped and http://facebook.com/droppedtv for more behind the scenes footage and journals from the Keefer brothers.
Can’t wait to see this show! You will surely be doing this again. Its good to see christian based hunters doing it the hard way. God bless you in your endeavors.
Casey,
Glad to hear that your going to make it out of Dropped The Alaska Project. I DVR’d the new show last night and watching it now. I commend your #alls for attempting such a huge undertaking and appearently completing it. I will be a fan for all you guys do. By the way so far excellent videography, Jason and Trent did good.
A fan from Orlando, FL
WalterM
Sounds great can’t wait to see it.
Timo
emergency preparedness
Guys….I couldn’t wait for this show to be aired. I have always been a hunter and have hunted in some pretty remote and rugged areas, but Alaska has always been my dream hunt. As a retired Marine, I have an appreciation for survival and life threatening situations. I gotta say, you guys went a bit overboard in hyping the survival (we may not make it back) part of this show. Really, if you guys were that worried, why bother to go through with it? Why would you risk your families well being to go on a hunt with that much “risk”? Makes no sense to me.
I would have liked the show a lot more (and why did I see a repeat show last night?) if you guys would have shown more confidence and a sense of “ain’t you jealous of what we are about to do” about yourselves. Man…that is a adventure that most of my friends and I would love to do and you guys make it sould like you’re being sentenced or something.
Take your experiences out of the equation. I to am a former Marine and am impressed with the drive these two brothers have. You should know all endeavors are differing in difficulty based on training and experience. They Charge it up for the people who know no different. Our experiences are not the norm brother..congrats to them, and Semper Fi to you!
After watching the show and seeing you guys catch 6 fish within hours of being “Dropped”…. It appears to me that you could have survived 28 days eating fish,,,, without ever leaving camp……
Hunt or die trying ??? That’s way overboard don’t you think ???
I probably got hungrier in 2 days of land survival in the swamps of Florida in the military….than you guys got in 28 days………..
Love the concept of the show and the fact that you begin on the preview with a prayer. Well done! At last Christ is being included in what he is so graciously awarded us…..The great outdoors.
God Speed Gentleman,
Mel
First of all, I must admit I am jealous. As a fellow Midwestern bowhunter, I can only dream of the chance to spend hunt in Alaska. watching the first episode, I have only one disappointment. The hunters have filled their bellies with grayling, yet insist that they must immediately take a caribou. And on the second day of the stalk they resort to the rifle to take the caribou. Maybe because I am in the middle of reading Glenn St.Charles’ “Bows on the Little Delta” which also accounts Fred Bear’s hunts, but these guys haven sure seem to be overplaying the “life or death” aspect of this hunt…so far. I hope for better adventure and bowhunter principals in future episodes.
when the first episode air . . . we missed it!!
Hey Guys- Thanks for another fantastic episode last night. It feels like a real privilege to follow along with you guys on this amazing adventure. I’ve never felt that way watching a hunting show before.
who plays that opening amazing grace song that’s a good touch!
Can someone explain to me why they decided to film so up close and zoomed in? I enjoy the show, but why are the majority of shots just of your faces? Whoever is filming forgot to show what you two are seeing.
Geeez…amazing to see the negative nay-sayers! This is a great show and an opportunity to see adventure in the modern era – great job, great video, great music and well put together. This is every outdoors-men’s dream and I would give everything to do this myself and given the opportunity to eat grayling, caribou and raft the wild rivers of Alaska I’d jump on it. The fact is that even with rifles, GPS or other comforts, danger still lurks around the corner. I had my first trip to Alaska this past August and I am hooked. Thanks for sharing a great adventure Keefer brothers!
Definitely agree with most. I was very excited to see the show, but after all the pre-hype, it was a disapointment. I too have spent my life hunting, trapping, and fishing in Montana and Alaska, and the whole “you could die here” was horribly exaggerated. It’s not really a “survival situation” with all that high speed gear. It would have been better with just spending 28 days enjoying what Alaska has to offer, and leaving the drama out of it.
These guys have enough gear to last a year, not just a month. I would like to see one episode where the narrator doesn’t say they “could die” every couple minutes.
Seriously, a caribou would last all month and longer. I was really excited about this show but now I think it is on the level of bear grills, I know I spelled it wrong, but my wifes cat deserves more respect. A family can live off a moose for the whole winter, yes thats one moose, so I’d guess two caribou at most. I’m even a hunter, shot a caribou two years ago and still have meat for a family of four. We don’t eat it all the time but do regularly. This is a show of “Bull Shit”, sorry to be blunt but this is crap, they could survive and the camera crew for a month off a caribou easily. But that would make for a shitty tv show.
That was pretty much my whole point…….it would be a great show if they left out the drama and just hunted.
casey and chris, love the show and look forward to watching every week. people need to take this show for what it is, if one would try this on their own they would see the challenges that lie ahead, keep up the good work and we as viewers will continue to watch. my god’s speed be with you.
My a bowhunter i can only dream to hunt in alaska. You gays cool for to hunting in alaska for 28 days.
Looked forward to watching the show. Great concept. I am very disappointed at the whoa is me attitude. I’m sure most of your audience will never get the opportunity to experience what you guys did & yet the show is produced as if you are not excited to be there. I hope you guys can take a hint from these posts & improve. If not TV land may be short lived with a real job in your future.
GREAT SHOW, I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT. WISH IT WAS AT LEAST AN HOUR LONG.
This is one of the best hunting comedy shows I
have ever seen.
I guess I just don’t see what you guys are always upset about……28 days …..hunting and fishing in Alaska?? Thats most guys dreams……yall make it look like a torture chamber.
My dad was stationed in Fairbanks in the early 60′s……..no 330fps bows, no fancy optics,
no heat holding tents………He has pics of a trip he and a few of his fellow Army buddies made to the Arctic circle…he said fish were hitting bottle openers tied on 20 pound test……..I cannot imagine the way you all talk about eating”only fish” has your “energy level” down……..come on. If it was truly a “we could die out here” situation…..no one would complain about smoked trout……or salmon…..
Watched this show tonight for the first time, and the last……..
Creating drama where there is none……..what a hype job…
I have really been enjoying the weekly segmentS on Tuesday nights. However the most recent show on Feb 28 was a repeat of a prior show I had already seen. I was looking forward to a new weekly segment but it was repeat and I was very disappointed. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN????????
Awesome album Greg! I had the chance to fish in Alaska 4 years ago and I loved it! We took a cuirse up so I was only able to get on one fishing excursion .Looks like you fished every chance you got
im 17 and wat u guys did is my dream ever sinc i saw wat alaska looked like when i was like 4 and hope to do the exact same thing except acully live my life up there awsome show
Is there a place where we can get the music that is played. Great show and the editing of it is amazing.
Fan of the show. Looking forward to my own mini “Dropped: Project Colorado” this Fall. Spending a week in the Colorado wilderness hunting Elk with a bow at a drop camp 8 miles in.
No it’s not 28 days in Alaska but still pumped about it. Maybe work up to Alaska, who knows. Great show guys, wouldn’t change a thing. I assure you, your critics have never spent more than a week away from civilization or they would understand some of your low points.
God is good!
Why the constant repeats of material and episodes, I don’t get the editing. Are you assuming that people haven’t been following? You are turning what could have been the greatest outdoor show of all time in to what is wrong with outdoor TV, marketing is taking over your thought processes. Finish the show then repeat! Too much drama! As a true professional of the industry I feel insulted and betrayed. You were so close to a truly watershed moment in outdoor television, ruined by GREED.
Hi Blane, it has nothing to do with greed, but more about the editing and delivery of the show. Remember, they were in AK in September, and to turn around a full season in a few months is quite a feat. The next new episode is March 20th.
Where the hell are the rest of the episodes all i get now are repeats, i want to see the rest of the journey
Hi Bob – the next new episode is March 20th.
Watched the final episode last night and it sure was exciting Casey.Thought sure your bull was gone as he rounded the bend of the river! I was feeling sick to my stomach already.ha. Have watched every episode and enjoyed it better than any hunting show ever and I watch quite a few.Have been a bowhunter since 1968 and know that you were really proud to get to take your bull with bow instead of rifle,quite a feat! Thanks for such a good show!!!!