Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game How to pronounce Shiras

It's a long "I" in Alaska.

The Black Phase Brown bears of the ABC islands are all referred to as Shirus Brown bears. At least when I was guiding there. I had a client shoot one on Kuiu island which has no brown bears. Thought it was the biggest black bear in history when I saw it. How did it get here? I dunno, guess it crossed at low tide between islands?

I radioed the state patrol shortly after realizing the mistake. Black color Brown bear on an island without brown bears! Jet black as coal but with a dull colored hide, not the typical shiny black coat of a black bear. However when they are in the water and all wet, you cannot see them very clearly anyway. Well except it was a giant!

F&G took the bear hide I skinned for them( trying to be as helpful and polite as possible). The F&G guy on the plane said, I would have shot that one in a heart beat on this island too! No trouble, glad we called it on and did not try to do something stupid! We carried on with the hunt for a black bear. After they left. It was about an inch shy of 9 foot. Best I could measure on the beach with a 6' fabric tape. Might have been a bit bigger...... or smaller?

It's got a better Twang to it then saying it's a black brown bear. I've also only heard this in Wyoming when referring to the moose there. Shirus Moose. They are also quite dark, or near black in color.