Well it all started in 2008 when I talked my wife in to moving away from central Montana to Alaska. So Mid summer I packed my wife, two daughters and the dog and started on the 3000 mile road trip to Kodiak Island. That was the first year that I didn't get to bow hunt in many , many years. I thought I might buy a deer tag but through my scouting I found the deer population was suffering on the north end of the island do to winter kill. So I saved my money and fished for salmon and Halibut. Through the winter my wife and I decided that the mainland would better suite our needs so I found another job in a little town of Seward. Spending the last spring as a nonresident we only fished. July finally came and my whole family became residents of this great state of Alaska. The best part about being a resident is hunting licenses are cheep and most tags are free. The one thing that I didn't expect is how much it costs to fly out and hunt something or anything. I scrapped up enough money and  put a brown bear hunt together for September. I didn't have any luck with the brown bears but did have to take care of two camp rodents. This is The first one.

 

Just climbing into the sack and started reading a book when I heard a big rip. I told my buddy I heard something and he said it was just a squirrel. You see, he is deaf in one ear and took his hearing aid out of the other so he didn't hear anything. Doubting myself on what I heard I settled back in my sleeping bag when I heard another big rip. Right then I knew it was a bear getting into the dry bag full of salt. We unzipped the tent and poked our heads out hoping that it was a brown bear, it wasn't. I did have three black bear tags and thought if it's salt she wants its salt she gets. So I crawled five yards in my long underwear, to get to my bow which was hanging in a tree. Took out an arrow and the thought went through my mind "there is no way this bear is going to still be standing there" well after knocking an arrow I looked up and she was still there. Picking a spot in very dim light on a pitch black animal is nearly impossible, so I imagined one just up from the leg. After releasing I remember thinking " WOW those florescent yellow vanes really show up when they fly through the air". It wasn't but a second and I heard a big crash and knew my first longbow bear was dead.

Well its getting late so I will post more tomorrow night.
Olin

QuoteOriginally posted by Kodiak Kid:
We unzipped the tent and poked our heads out hoping that it was a brown bear, it wasn't. I did have three black bear tags and thought if it's salt she wants its salt she gets. So I crawled five yards in my long underwear, to get to my bow which was hanging in a tree.  

I think you should be glad is wasn't a brown.

You've learned what most residents deal with, the high cost of most of our hunting.  Bush flights/ocean boat drop offs cost a lot.

Congratulations.

  Thats how its done. Great job on you black bear.  

so you're telling me I only need to bring a bunch of salt and some long undies to finally shoot a black bear....sheesh   .

congrats KK!

Good luck in Alaska, takes some guts to up and move there.  Should be quite an adventure and in the future you will probably not regret it.  My hat is off to you and your wife.

Kid, I commend you & your wife's pioneering spirit.

I tried to finally get to Alaska two years ago, but the job fell through.  we're too old & the roots & career here are such that we can't make the move w/o at least one steady job  to step into.

Too bad, would have been a good excuse to get my medical up to date and start flying again.

Good hunting and good luck up there...

Congratulations on The Underwear Bear!

I am glad though that you are kneeling BEHIND the bear in the hero pic!  :eek:

Congratulations on the bear! One of many great stories of Alaska.

TTT for the next installment!

Thats cool They must become your lucky drawers.Hunt in them till they fall off of you.  

LOL!!!! cant wait for the rest of the installment that was way to funny congrats man.

Great story.......that's one to share in your old age that will provide great "visuals".

You are a lucky man to make the move up there at a younger age.  The wife and I plan on retiring there soon.  Have been there several times and have a sister and BIL who live in Wasilla.

Retirement can't get here soon enough!

ok I'm in - anyone who hunts bears in his shorts must live north of 60 and be crazier than four hundred head of sheep looking for water in a drought...my kinda fella.

   

jer Bear

Here some more pictures till I get home






















Well I will be back in a few hours  

Great Pics!

Great photos!

You are living my dream, hang in there.
Great story.

Thanks guys

On with the story. Like I said, I just threw this hunt together at the last minute. What I forgot to notice was the full moon when I scheduled the transporter. I think that had a major factor in the lack of brown bears. Another thing that I would do different is camp on the other side of the lake. The transporter suggested that we camp where we did and take our zodiac over to the salmon streams that way our sent wouldn't run all the bears off.
    The first time we made it over to the other side we couldn't believe our eyes. Tracks as big as pie plates every where. We knew we were in bear heaven. We stayed tell it was too dark to shoot without seeing any bears so we went back to camp. The plan for the next day was to stalk up on the carcass of my first black bear, to see if anything had found it and if nothing had found it we would cruise the beach to see if there was any beach combers before we went across the lake to bear heaven.
   Well the morning came early so we quietly moved through the brush near the kill sight. Nothing.  Everything was just like we left it so we hit the beach. After walking along the beach we were noticing a mid size brown bear track over the top of our foot print from the previous day. We were pretty sure that it was beach combing under the full moon. No bears were spotted so we were making our way back to camp.
   On our way back we heard a plane landing. Sure enough it landed right at the mouth of the river of bear heaven, so much for our afternoon plans. Feeling bummed out; we tried to figure out another game plan. We decided that since there was plenty of bear tracks within a couple of miles from camp we would just hunt around camp.
  Making it back to camp we ate lunch and decided to check our bear carcass that I shot a couple of days earlier. Sure enough it was obvious that something had found it. Hoping it would come back we hung a stand in a tree.    
  Seeing those medium size tracks within a half a mile from where I was sitting I was hoping it was the one that found this easy meal. I was in the tree for about half an hour when I caught movement to my right. Sure enough it was another black bear. By the time I put my book away and gathered up my bow it was at 10 yards but no shot. It circled from right to left and finally at five yards I had a good slightly quartering away shot. Pulling to half draw, both my elbows cracked and popped. At that range it just as well had been a gun shot. She heard it and I thought the game was up. She stood there at full attention looking around for what seemed like an eternity. To my surprise she finally relaxed and was about to walk off. Finishing out my 28 inch draw the arrow hit her perfect through the top of one lung and out the bottom of the other lung. Once again it was all over in a fraction of a second.  
  Even though I didn't get my brown bear I did harvest two beautiful old, mature, dry sows.
Thanks for coming along.
Olin