Called to the Wild will feature Erik Simula on December 21

Erik and his faithful dog Sawyer are going to be featured on the TV show Called to the Wild. Photo courtesy of Erik Simula

Erik Simula grew up in the small city of Duluth, Minnesota but he dreamed of being a wilderness guide. When he was seventeen, Erik moved to Ely, Minnesota and, working with Outward Bound, took a big step towards fulfilling that dream. One of his tasks was working with sled dogs. Erik immediately found a new passion. In 1986, Erik was 21 years-old. He went to Alaska to work the fishing season. The work was demanding but he had a plan. Erik saved his money and bought his first team of sled dogs.

Erik brought the dogs back to a cabin near Ely, Minnesota and trained with them. In 1987, he raced his first John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. For income, Erik and his dogs led wilderness tours for those looking for an authentic mushing experience. Erik and his dogs competed in the John Beargrease twelve years in a row.

“For me it was about learning the ancient, indigenous lifeways with northern breed, working dogs,” Erik shares. “There was also the mutual desire for companionship and protection.”

In 2009, Erik, a master birch bark canoe builder, took one of his dogs, Kitigan, a friendly, helpful, one-year old female Alaskan Husky, and embarked on a four-month trip around the northeast Minnesota Arrowhead region. Photos from this journey caught the attention of a casting director in New York and ultimately the folks at National Geographic. Erik was invited to be a part of a new reality show, “Called to the Wild”. The show follows eighteen contestants and their dog, testing their ability to survive – and even thrive – in the wild.

In September, 2020, after several rounds of veterinary checks, Erik and Sawyer, a 75 pound, 8-year-old Golden Retriever-Saint Bernard mix, who Erik describes as intuitive, compassionate, and very well-trained, were cleared to participate. Then National Geographic inserted Erik and Sawyer into the northwestern Maine wilderness for a ten-day survival challenge.

Nat Geo TV will air six episodes of “Called to the Wild” on December 7, 14, and 21. They will air two episodes each night at 9 p.m. & 10 p.m. CST. Erik’s episode is called “Fish or Famine” and will run on December 21, 9 p.m. CST.

While contractually Simula is not allowed to share details about his episode/ experience, he can say that he bonded even more deeply with Sawyer than before. Erik relied on Sawyer and Sawyer relied on Erik. When I asked Erik what it takes to make it through something like this, he uses the Finnish word “Sisu” which loosely translates as “the second wind of mental toughness, after the individual has reached their limits.”

Erik’s been working with dogs for about 35 years. “I’ve learned to be quiet, patient, and relaxed – less controlling and demanding. I just let the dogs be dogs. This results in a deeper bond, trust, and, of course, love.” On December 21, we get a glimpse into the team at work.