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Bear Jamboree on the Level Three

5K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  Griz 
#1 · (Edited)
I had a dream about two weeks ago:

I was kayaking somewhere in Alaska on a level three river. Armed with bear spray and my trusty ol' Mossberg Pump, I proceeded downstream looking for a nice fishing spot. The day on the river had been serene and sunny for the most part. However, clouds were beginning to appear on the horizon and the downstream winds were picking up. I could see that there was a sharp meandering turn in the river quickly approaching. Tree branches obscured my line of vision as I navigated the meandering river. As I pushed the overhanging foilage aside, I could plainly see over a dozen grizzly bears fishing for salmon in the direct path of my kayak. This part of the river was fast and only about twenty feet wide. It looked like some kind of bear jamboree or something! The closest bears, were two cubs standing in the middle of my path just thirty feet before my bow. The mother bear was intently fishing behind them with her back facing both me and her cubs.

I immediately began to back-paddle, making the most horrendous splashing sounds ever known to man. It seemed that this splashing interrupted the fishing party and all eyes were upon me. It appeared as though I was making neither forward nor backward progress. I felt as though I was only delaying the inevitable. Suddenly, the mother bear stood erect some eight feet from the floor of the river. Her massive body blocked the sun as her huge mitts were stretched over her head poised and ready to strike. She looked like a giant goalie preparing to knock the heck out of a puck! The bear loudly howled and her cubs swiftly scrambled behind her. I quickly grabbed onto an overhanging branch and pulled both myself and my kayak onto the shallows of the river bank. I hopped out of the kayak and quickly grabbed my Mossberg Pump and the bear spray.

I slowly backed towards solid ground with the kayak between me and the bear. Once upon the bank, I quickly tossed the kayak into the brush. This quick movement of the kayak seemed to have incensed the mother bear. She suddenly began to charge me! As I tried to back away, I could sense something moving behind me. It was yet another cub! I tried to move to my right, away from both mother bear and cub. Holding the spray with my left hand and the Mossberg in my right, I suddenly tripped over a fallen tree branch. I dropped the Mossberg and inadvertently sprayed my trousers with the bear spray. It was all too late!

At that very instant, the bear pounced, and my wife nudged me real hard to once again, warn me about hogging up all the bed covers...

Shssh! That was close!
PS.

Sometimes, I really do love my wife!:)

(Double-Click on the photo)
 

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#2 ·
I was up in Alaska once and I surprised a big grizzly in a willow thicket. The thing made one "woof" and started right at me, plowing the thicket like it was nothing. I took off as fast as I could and made for a single tree that stood in the meadow behind me. I had made about ten yards when I heard the crashing sounds stop and I knew the bear had cleared the brush and was galloping at full speed to catch me. As I got closer to the tree I realized that there was really only one branch on it big enough to support me, and it was at least 20 feet up. I could feel the prescence of the bear as it closed on me, and I didn't dare look to see how close it was. My heart sank knowing I would probably miss that high of a branch. In desperation I stripped the shoulder strap off my fishing creel and flung it backwards over my head without looking. At that moment I made my jump, and sure enough I missed that branch.


But I caught it on the way down.........

(I've really never been in Alaska, and that's an old story I read in a magazine years back).
 
#3 ·
Well I did have such a thing happen to one once and I still to this day get goose bumps just thinking of the outcome and what could have happened to yours truly. The bear that started after me while I was in the river was a sow that started my way after I called and yelled at her clapping my hands hard. She just picked up speed and when she got 150 yards away, I started moving back to camp quickly.

Now what I didn't realize, until told by my companions in camp, was that a big bore came out of the grass at the river bank and slapped that sow, running her off. However, this big bore took up the chase in a hurry, something I never realized but thank goodness the guys at camp started shooting and killed that big critter. One never realizes just how big such a bear is until you see it close up and put that dead bears paw against your chest. :eek: ;)
 
#4 ·
nice stories. I have hunted from a kayak in Alaska, and been close to some bears too. they scare me spitless. but I do love shooting deer from the boat. standing in tall grass fishing from the bank downstream from brer bear, that's scary stuff.

Grizz
 
#5 ·
The one and only time I ever looked down at my .375 H&H in my hands and wished for more firepower we bumped into a big brownie in an alder thicket on the Kenai Peninsula just over Turnagain Pass.

The bear charged the other way thankfully.
 
#6 ·
You also have to be aware of applicable gaming laws. An appropriate gaming license should be obtained before going black bear hunting. A hunter needs to be careful to stay within restrictions. For example, shooting a female bear that has cubs is illegal. It is essential to check laws affecting the hunt before proceeding with the hunt. In case of doubt, checking with any outfitter or game warden can get the right answers.
 
#7 ·
I am going bear hunting for the first time. I know that where ever I go I am going to have to drive a ways to get there. But my question is this, can anyone let me know of a good place to actually find the bears. I live in Wasilla, AK. Any help would be great.:D
 
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