Walking across the tundra in search of ptarmigan was a challenge.

When most outdoor lovers think about Alaska, they envision the outstanding fishing and big-game hunting, as well as the untapped, pristine beauty of our 49th state. However, as I discovered, Alaska also offers great opportunities for upland bird hunting and gun dogs. In addition, the upland seasons typically start long before those in the lower 48 states and the limits are generous.

I made this discovery when visiting Bear Bay Lodge. The lodge is located near the town of Dillingham, which is about 350 miles southwest of Anchorage. Bear Bay was offering a special "cast and blast" week of combined fishing and upland bird hunting. Several avid bird hunters, including me, took advantage of this opportunity and made the trip.

A number of airlines offer regularly scheduled flights into Dillingham from Anchorage, so Anchorage became the rendezvous point for the members of our group. The ensuing flight from Anchorage to Dillingham lasted only about an hour, but we flew over some of the most breathtaking scenery in all of Alaska.

At the Dillingham airport we were met by Bear Bay Lodge co-owner Ty Johnson, who promptly helped us get our bags into a van for the trip to the lodge. Since Dillingham is only accessible by air or water, our route to the lodge took us on the longest road out of Dillingham, a 27-mile stretch of two-lane blacktop that ended at the small village of Aleknagik, which is on the shore of Lake Aleknagik. From there we boarded a boat for the short ride on the lake over to the lodge.

In spite of the remote location, the accommodations at Bear Bay Lodge are first rate. We arrived late in the afternoon so our group spent the rest of the first day getting unpacked and exploring the area around the lodge. Then, after an evening meal in the lodge's main building, we met the rest of the staff and were briefed on the plans for our first full day at the lodge.

Ptarmigan hunters unload the floatplane in preparation for the hunt.

For my first day, I was assigned to a group that would be fly-fishing for rainbow trout. After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, our group boarded the lodge's floatplane for a 20- minute flight to our fishing destination. Upon our arrival, we got into boats and spent a productive day catching rainbow trout on fly rods. Most of the rainbows were at least 20 inches long and we landed a few that topped the two-foot mark.

While I enjoyed the outstanding fishing, I was still looking forward to the bird hunting so after supper I was delighted to learn that the next morning our group was going to head out in search of willow ptarmigan.

Hunters take shots at a group of ptarmigan flushed by Gander the Lab.

The willow ptarmigan, a member of the grouse family, is a bird of the far north, living throughout Alaska and the Canadian Artic. Adults are 15 to 17 inches long and weigh about a pound and a half. During the summer the ptarmigan has a chestnut-colored head and back with white wings and belly and its feet are covered with small hair-like feathers. Like other ptarmigan, the willow's plumage changes to all white, except for a black tail, during the winter.

Ptarmigan will hold for pointing dogs but flushers work equally well. We would be hunting with a black Lab named Gander belonging to Bill Shanks, our guide for the ptarmigan hunt. Although we used Bill's Lab, Bear Bay also allows and, in fact, encourages hunters to bring their own dogs.

Yes, there were bears around! Fortunately for us, they were more interested in the fish.

I'd never even seen, much less hunted, willow ptarmigan, and so with an air of excitement, my partners and I, along with Bill and Gander, boarded the floatplane the next morning. We flew north from the lodge and the 40-minute flight took us over some beautiful mountain scenery until we reached our destination, a large glacier lake with a mirror-like, turquoise-colored surface.

Several other fishing groups had flown out on the floatplane ahead of us, so our bird-hunting group didn't arrive at our destination until late morning. The floatplane touched down on the lake and taxied over to the shore. We got out and waded to the bank where we quickly changed from waders to hunting boots. It was almost noon, so we decided to eat the lunches the lodge had packed for us before setting out after the ptarmigan.