Call of the Cattleman

As winter comes to an early end, the Kilchers spring into action preparing the homestead. Eivin and August struggle to resupply the head of the bay. Jane and Eve embark on a ptarmigan hunt. Atz Sr. and Atz Lee build a weather station on Perl Island.

Otto surveys the condition of his rusting barge after a winter in drydock, while Eivin and Eve use explosives to clear land for a new root cellar. And later, Jane builds an innovative dogsled for Atz Lee.

While collecting coal on the beach after a storm, Eivin & Eve find a capsized boat and immediately begin looking for survivors. Otto, Charlotte & August build a shelter for their calves and Jane brings the family together with a new spring tradition.

A backcountry winter wonderland is threatened when unseasonably warm weather brings rain to the homestead. But the Kilchers won't let the storm ruin their Christmas plans, and they adapt to throw a holiday celebration for the entire family.

Eivin and Eve discover a tangle of nets endangering fish in a nearby river, and launch a risky clean-up operation. Charlotte and Otto rebuild their rotting deck, leaving Jane and Jewel to pitch in elsewhere. And Atz Sr. goes on a solo hunt for moose.

Since their arrival on the homestead, the Kilchers have relied on fast, decisive, out-of-the-box thinking to maintain their wild way of life. No matter how big, little, or crazy the idea a little homestead ingenuity always gets the job done.

After eight decades on the homestead, the Kilcher clan continues to thrive. Now, the family is revealing the valuable lessons, techniques and special skills they've acquired that allow them to flourish in the Alaskan wilderness.

Traveling to parts both known and unknown is a part of the Kilcher lifestyle that goes all the way back to Yule and Ruth's time in Switzerland. Now, the family reveals how venturing off the homestead is still necessary for survival and adventure.