[Joel B]

I was up in Nome this spring hunting Grizzlies. We hunted North of Council, West of Nome. Base camp was my brothers cabin. If you read my other posts about Alaska hunting you know that weather always seems to be a factor. This year was no different. On our way in the weather got so warm that the bottom dropped out of the snow making travel by Snowmachine quite an adventure. We seized one machine 35 miles in so we had 2 machines for 3 guys. Finally got to the cabin and then spent the next 6 days waiting for the weather to break. The hunting is all spot and stalk, so visibilty is everything. We had all of 100 yards visibility for 6 days. Blowing snow and fog. Finally we got a break. We had 2 clear days. My brother shot his Friday, I got mine Saturday. Trophy hunting was out of the question by then. We had to get back to Nome by Monday. Both bears were sows, 6 1/2 footers, which is about average for the area. I was lucky to get a bear and had a great time. Of course the weather broke after I left, my brother was out with his hunting partner last week and they got a bear that was just under 8'. The skull is 24 and 1/16. Boone and Crockett is 24" so after it drys out it probably won't make it. I've already applied for my next tag, which is for this fall. The regulatory seasons run from Fall to Spring. The one I just filled was Fall of 2001 to Spring of 2002. This tag is for Fall of 2002, to Spring of 2003. I haven't been able to get the negatives of the pictures on a disk yet so here is a picture that I took with a digital camera of a picture, not very good quality. Hope it loads...

 

[Joel B]

Hey it worked. That gun isn't a Marlin 45-70. It's one of those confounded overbore .30 caliber deathrays! Thats for you Marshall! Yup, a 30-06 would have worked just fine. I intended to take the Marlin but could never get it to hold zero. I ran out of time, so the Weatherby got the call. After I got back I decided to remount the scope, and low and behold I had sheared the screws off from the windage adjustments. Not all the way, about half way. I was shooting Buffalo Bore and Garrett loads and they were to much for the Leupold mounts. Thats the first time I've ever had that happen to a scope mount. That or I mounted them wrong. I suspect that I didn't seat them properly. Glad I didn't take it. Maybe this fall.
Joel B

 

[alyeska338]

That is a beautiful blondie.  That'll be a super nice rug.  Weather has been outstanding since you returned home.  We haven't had a drop of rain in two weeks and highs have been in the seventies.  Of course if the weather's nice, the bugs are out.

Congratulations on you bear, very very nice.

 

[Joel B]

Bugs...we "hunted" flies in my brothers cabin. We were using "magnums" and "standards". The magnums were the natural rubber, rubber bands, and the standards were red rubber bands. We had the cabin pretty clear of flies after 6 days. Way to much time on our hands!

 

[MAINER]

Joel - I enjoyed your story of your hunt, and that photo is easily worth 1,000 words. Very pretty coat on that bear.