Bears on Berries

Every time we were up in this country looking at this bear, we figured he was too far back in there for a day trip hunt. I’ve watched this bear for the past month while he was up in some high mountain tops feeding on berries. We’d been in the area multiple times in the evenings or on an afternoon hunt and figured he was just too far to try and go get after. I actually blew a stalk on a smaller bear a couple weekend ago after he and I (unknown to each other) circled a rock while 12 yards apart. When he got down wind of me that was it.
So a week ago on Sunday (October 10th), a buddy (Matt Tobin) and I headed up early to see whether we could accomplish getting on this guy in one long day. It’s getting cold up high and there was plenty of snow back up some of the valleys setting up for a gorgeous backdrop to our adventure. Sure enough we found the bear right away and the funny thing is he’d been in the same 500yrd radius for several weeks. After spotting this bear from a couple miles away, Matt says, “I’m going to get you some 3x power binoculars so you can’t glass up animals that far away.”

It was too cold to sit around very long so midday found us climbing up the left side of the ridge the bear had worked over towards. Matt was good for several comments on this trip, another one being, “this mountain is so steep we’ve got to squirm our way up it on our bellies.” After making the ridge we soft stepped it along peaking over the edge and looking in the crags until we spotted him down below us. He was less than 150yrds and easy pickings with the rifle, but I wanted to make a try of it with the bow…so I picked out an approach. Before I knew it I had closed the distance to 50yrds and with the bear totally clueless of us being in the vicinity, I waved Matt to come closer and get a good view to run the video camera.
That bear was so intent on stuffing berries into his belly for his winter nap, that I felt like I could get as close as I wanted. At 20yrds I figured that was enough and stood up for the shot. When I let the arrow loose it sailed right over his back…sheesh, not sure what part about shooting straight down I didn’t recognize. That whole bend at the waist thing didn't registar at that moment. So, the bear was now on alert, but looking downhill where the arrow had buried itself in the ground. I readied another arrow and this time the arrow flew true.

It was a perfect shot, and the bear turned and ran right at me! This is where a guy with a stick and string feels really secure in his ability to defend himself. There was a brief moment of panic with the thought of “nuts, he’s charging me!” But I quickly calmed down knowing that the bear had no idea I was around and I kept myself on that rock ledge as he passed by at less than 10yrds. He went over the ridge and we found him shortly after at the base of a little cliff. He’s a really good bear – amazing hide, and a great noggin. The skull measured out at 18.5 inches so we'll see after the drying period....

Hiking out, we’d hoped to make the main trail by dark. That was hoped for but turned out to not be reality…we loaded up the packs and started the hike out at 8pm (just as it got dark). It was a late night…we made the trailhead at midnight, pushing us into the next day. So, yeah, that bear really was too far away for a one day trip. It would have been nice to camp out up there, but without a tent or sleeping bags that would have been chilly. Instead we’ve got another great story of making the most of a opportunity while hunting in Alaska. This was my first fall bear and I’m totally hooked. Stalking these bears with the bow in the high country is incredibly fun stuff. And there’s something special about the colors fading, the cold crisp air, and ice forming in the brook on a clear sunny day of October that makes me stop and join with the sigh of nature as it gets ready for a winters rest…saying good job God.