Hunting & Fishing Guides Take Over Northern Minnesota
Justin and AliceKae Wiese's Love For The Outdoors Developed Into A Business Of Expertise On Big Game Hunting
Justin and AliceKae Wiese weren’t looking for new careers when they moved to Northern Minnesota, just more outdoor adventure, but four years later they find themselves with their own burgeoning hunting and fishing guide business, Wheezy Outdoors. “We both love the wilderness,” AliceKae says. “We fell in love with this area of Minnesota because it has everything we love to do.”
After moving to the Grand Rapids area shortly after their marriage, AliceKae found herself looking for something to do. “Justin found a job right away, but I didn’t, so I was looking around and realized that we had a fish house to use for ice fishing. I decided I would rent out the fish house.”
That winter went great, she says, and when the ice melted so realized she didn’t want to stop. “We’ve got a boat!” she said to Justin. “Let’s go for it!”
AliceKae grew up in Parker, Alaska, southwest of Anchorage, and has been hunting since she was a kid. “Both Justin and I grew up hunting and he’s one of the best fishermen I’ve ever met,” she says. “Our dream is for both of us to be full-time guides.”
The young couple’s outfitting business has expanded to offering a variety of trips year-round. Ice fishing is followed by the walleye and lake sturgeon runs on the Rainey River along the Canadian border, steelhead fishing on Lake Superior and flyfishing for trout, pike and bass using the couple’s hand-tied flies.
“Fly fishing is what we both get the most joy from,” AliceKae says. “It’s so relaxing. My favorite trip is up to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The nice thing about Minnesota is that there’s something to fish for all year. My favorite is trout. It’s the most fun to catch… and to eat.”
Fall sees the Wiese’s taking hunters out after waterfowl, grouse, pheasant and, Minnesota’s ultimate big game, black bear. “People think you have to go up to Canada to get the big bears,” AliceKae says. “But ours run about the same size, 150 to 200 lbs.”
Last year, the outfitters had an amazing bear season, offered only to winners of the Minnesota bear lottery. “On opening day, we had six clients,” AliceKae recalls. “I hadn’t even dropped the last guy off when I got a text saying ‘bear down.’ Five of the six harvested a bear right away.”
She attributes their success to preparation and proper baiting. “You’re allowed to place three baits per license. We use a mix of sunflower seeds and sweets - candy scraps, cookies, trail mix, plus some stuff that looks so much like butterscotch you want to lick it yourself. We put the bait in a hole near water, then set up a camera with a motion sensor.”
The Weise’s hold a Master Bear Guide license from the state of Minnesota, and Justin has his captain’s certificate from the U.S. Coast Guard for guiding on navigable rivers. “We come from an area where everybody with a boat considers themselves an expert,” AliceKae says. “But Justin is one of only two licensed captains in the area. We like to play by the books.”
AliceKae and Justin have positioned themselves in what they consider the best area for hunting and fishing in Minnesota. In addition to the state’s famous 10,000 lakes, more than 11 million acres of gamelands are available for hunting, much of it upland timber, perfect for bird hunting. Clients can bring their own dogs or call on the services of the two resident Wiese dogs, Buck, a terrier-pointer mix who loves to go after grouse and pheasant, and Drake, a water-loving Chesapeake Bay retriever who specializes in ducks.
“Itasca County has the largest population of ruffed grouse in the nation. They are unique birds, the only upland bird species that can’t be raised in pens,” AliceKae says. “Our lake trout are all native, not stocked. We have every species of fish that can be found in Minnesota in this county. Our area has the state’s largest bear population, too, and we are the only outfitter operating in the northern half. For what we offer, this is the best place in the state. I left Alaska for this.”
Their company offers hunting and fishing experiences that are unique in Northern Minnesota. “We wanted to offer what no else did in the area. We are the only ones around here offering fly fishing,” AliceKae says. “We do this because we love the lifestyle ourselves and want to share it with others. We’re here to help people enjoy a great pastime, but also to make great memories.”
The couple recently moved farther out in the country to the small town of Remer, about 22 miles southwest of Rapid City, in the heart of the Chippewa National Forest. With a population of under 400, the town suits the couple perfectly and it also offers a different kind of big game - Bigfoot.
“Remer is nationally known as the home of Bigfoot,” AliceKae explains. “We celebrate Bigfoot Days every July.”
Would the couple take hunters out after Bigfoot? “Well,” AliceKae says, “we love adventure, and we don’t want to set limitations on ourselves or our clients.”
Have they seen any signs of Bigfoot yet? “We did capture some pretty strange shots with our game camera,” she admits.
Renee Wright
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and camping.
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