President – Sam Rohrer
Sam Rohrer was born and raised on Kodiak Island. He was born into a guiding family and has been involved in all aspects of the business since his early teens. He has been fortunate to have the opportunity to guide in many different areas of the state. He received his Assistant Guides license when he turned 18 in 1998 and his Registered Guide license when he turned 21 in 2001. Currently Sam resides in Kodiak with his very understanding wife Sarah and their three kids. They own and operate a big game guiding, sport fishing and wildlife viewing operation on Kodiak.
Vice President – Wayne Kubat
Wayne moved from Minnesota to Alaska in 1976, started flying and guiding soon after, and obtained his registered guide license and opened Alaska Remote Guide Service in 1986. He has been a professional member of APHA since then and a master guide for several years now. He guides for brown bear, dall sheep and moose and also markets a popular video guide on calling and hunting moose. Wayne keeps active in wild life and guiding issues through the Alaska Board of Game and Big Game Commercial Services Board processes. He and his wife Marilyn live in their hangar/house on Jacobsen Lake near Wasilla, and Marilyn’s help is vital to both businesses.
Treasurer – Lyle Becker
Born and raised in a small town in central Ohio, Lyle grew up hunting, trapping, fishing, and dreaming of one day moving to Alaska. After commercial fishing in Bristol Bay several summers during college, he moved up permanently in 2006 with the goal of trapping and one day owning a guiding business. He received his Registered Guide license in December of 2008. Lyle is a board member of the South Central Chapter of the Alaska Tappers Association, and resides in Anchorage with his wife Alexandra.
BOD – Cabot Pitts
Introduced to the outdoors at a young age, Cabot’s passion has always revolved around hunting and fishing. Cabot worked in Alaska as a packer in his off months while attending Virginia Tech as a student and collegiate swimmer. After graduating with a degree in Geography and a focus on Aerospatiale and Environmental Analysis, Cabot realized he wanted to fully pursue an outfitting career in Alaska. He has since then obtained his registered guide license and now runs Alaska Wild Wind Adventures where he currently holds an exclusive concession on the Alaskan Peninsula for brown bear and moose. Residing in Wasilla, Cabot hopes to help preserve and keep the hunting and fishing tradition alive for future generations to come.
BOD – Samuel T. Fejes Jr.
Sam was born and raised in Alaska. He entered into the guiding industry in 1978 as an assist guide. In 1981 he received his registered guide license and established Fejes Guide Service Ltd. that same year. Sam holds a commercial pilot license both land and sea with an instrument rating and has operated and holds an air taxi certificate, and holds a 100 ton Master coast guard license. Sam has been active with several conservation groups SCI, DSC, Conklin foundation, Shirkar Safari and the Kodiak Bear Trust Fund. Sam has also raised 3 children that have experienced the fishing and hunting that Alaska has to offer and hopes that their children can experience the same.
BOD – Paul Claus
I was born in Anchorage in 1959, I grew up flying, climbing mountains, skiing and hunting all over Alaska, my father, John Claus, was a registered guide and hunted most of Alaska and I spent my younger years riding around with him in the back of his supercub and one of my favorite places to go was the Wrangell Mountains. My father had staked land on the upper Chitina river through the homestead act and built a small log cabin there. I started flying my self at age16 and in 1978 began living on the Chitina river, In 1982, I married my amazing wife Donna and together began building up our guiding business that we named Ultima Thule Outfitters. We have lived continuously since then in what is now Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and have raised our 3 children under the shadow of the great Wrangell Mountains all the while building up Ultima Thule! Our business has continued to grow over the years and consist of our Hunting Guiding (Our Heritage) Where we specialize in Dall Sheep and Mt. Goats and have 3, NPS Concessions. In addition we operate a recreational tourism business that runs from March to October and to top it all off, a part 135 AirTaxi! I have been very blessed to have all of my children involved with the business at some level, my son Jay is a Registered Guide/Com Pilot, My daughter Ellie is the General Manager of Ultima Thule Lodge and Logan is our resident artist and up and coming pilot! I am also very grateful to my father who stayed active in the business until his passing in 2013, My mom (Granny), now 85 still spends her summers with us and is famous the world over for her cookies and sourdough pancakes!! God has richly blessed me with an incredible life! And now I’m honored to have been elected to the board of the APHA and look forward to working with and contributing to this great organization that is so vital to the continuation of the Guiding Industry and our Livelihoods!
BOD – Jay Stanford
Jay’s Alaskan heritage is as old as the Bristol Bay salmon run. In his early childhood he spent his summers on Lake Clark with his Yupik Grandmother, Bella. When he was old enough to be useful he was put to work on his family’s commercial set net sites in Naknek; he continues to make his living off the waters of Bristol Bay each summer. He got his name and a deep love and respect of Alaskan Wildlife and natural resources from his grandfather, Gov. Jay Hammond. With big, pioneering shoes to fill, Jay graduated from South Anchorage High School and went on to get his bachelor degree in Business Management and Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. Fresh out of college, he came to work for Paul Claus at Ultima Thule Outfitters, where he went on to earn his Registered Guide License in 2017. He also guides for Sam and Dick Rohrer on Kodiak Island. Between these two legendary guiding families he has developed his passion for professional hunting and sustaining this lifestyle for all future Alaskans. Having always made his life in Alaska’s natural resources; commercial fishing, as a registered guide and living off the land, the continuation of this lifestyle is a responsibility he takes seriously.
BOD – Rob Jones
I first started in the guide industry working for Sonny Hedlund in 1978. Working as a smoke jumper in the Spring and Summer made it hard to work in a more full-time position. I obtained my pilots license and bought a small plane about the same time. After a few more years with this schedule, Paul Claus asked me to work on his fishing boat in 1983. That was the end of firefighting. In 1986 I bought a fishing boat to fund the start of my full-time career and worked for Paul for about 12yrs at Ultima Thule. In 1992 Rod Schuh and I started R&R Guide Service and that business thrived for 16yrs. In 2008 we decided to go different ways. We remain good friends and we both maintain the R&R to both our business names. Still going at it.
Phil Shoemaker
I began in the guiding business in 1980 and have worked over most of the state. Both my wife and I have degrees in Biology, mine is in Wildlife. We raised our son Taj, and daughter Tia, in remote hunting camps and both are now registered guides and pilots.
We guide from our family homestead in Becharof National Wildlife Refuge and believe the goal of every guide should be showing high ethics and educating hunters.
Executive Director – Deb Moore
Deb was raised in rural Arizona and grew up loving all things outdoors. She spent many years in large cities until the day she decided to simplify her life. That decision led her to Alaska in 1998. It was love at first sight and she knew instantly she would never leave. Deb comes to us with plenty of business management experience and is enthusiastic about the guiding business as well as the conservation of our wildlife.
Director of Operations – Renee Carabajal
Renee was raised on a farm in the Ozark Mountains in rural Arkansas and grew up hunting and fishing with her family. Renee lived and worked in Oklahoma City as a business administrator for a large retirement community for over 10 years before deciding she was done with living in a large city. She always wanted to visit Alaska and made the move to Juneau in April 2012. Renee worked for the State of Alaska with the Big Game Commercial Services Board as the Executive Administrator for several years and became familiar with APHA during that time. She looks forward to using her business skills to the benefit of APHA, the guide industry and conservation efforts for our wildlife.