Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Brown Bear Trip Report - Sitka, Ak. Pics Added

BROWN BEAR � SITKA, ALASKA
MAY 20 � MAY 31, 2008

OUTFITTER: ALASKA RAVENGUIDES, SCOTT AND DUSTIN MCLEOD
BASE CAMP: �WESTERN PROFIT� � 64 FOOT HOTEL ON WATER
LOCATION: SITKA, ALASKA (BARANOF ISLAND NORTH OF SITKA)
DATES: MAY 22-MAY 31, 2008
HUNTERS: TWO
TYPE HUNT: 20� SKIFFS, GLASSING �BEACHES�, SPOT AND STALK
WEATHER: NO RAIN, 40-65 DEGREES, STIFF WESTERLY EACH DAY
BEARS SEEN: EXCESS OF 80 COUNTING ALL; SHOOTERS � FIFTEEN

This brown bear hunt really began in the Fall of 2006 while hunting caribou/moose in the beautiful Northwest Territory of Canada. While in camp I had asked �who would you recommend for a brown bear hunt and without hesitation was told to get in touch with Scott McLeod. Two months later I called Scott and he was �booked� for two years but I could get on his waiting list in case of cancellations, which I did. Scott answered with a call in the Fall, 2007 and I quickly made my deposit for the last Spring hunt of 2008. I had nine months to train and plan!

Airline booked in December 2007 and rifle selection began in earnest. Would it be the 338-06 or the 35 Whelen? For four months, Jan/Apr 2008, I spent countless hours working on loads followed by at least ten range sessions which proved to be very problematic with this tang safety Whelen and with less than three weeks left before leaving for Sitka, the Whelen was ditched and load development for the 338-06 with 250 grain Swift A Frames began. After a couple of ranges sessions a load of 58.5 grains of H4350 seated at 3.375 OAL was MOA of brown bear. Sighted in at 1� low at 50, 2.5� high at 100 and -2� at 200 it was time to meet and greet Mr. Brown Bear!

MAY 20- DAY ONE

Depart San Antonio at 8:30 Texas time and arrive Sitka, Ak. 7:00PM their time which is three hours earlier. About a fourteen hour day with interim stops in Denver, Portland, Seattle, Ketchikan and Sitka. I felt like a days practice doing �touch and go�s�! No problems with baggage or rifle so it was a successful day. I met my hunting companion for the next ten days in the Seattle airport and a friendship that had begun via email in December was now the real thing.

We are met at the airport by Scott and taken to our motel. Plans are made for the next day and our trip will begin.

MAY 21 � DAY TWO

Will I ever get used to the three hour time change and the nineteen hours of daylight?

Following breakfast we are off to the range � our rifles are dead on as sighted in � let�s go brown bear hunting! Equipment, food, drinks and supplies are loaded aboard the Western Profit, our home away from home for the next nine days. From Sitka we travel North toward Juneau for about three hours, high tide is 3:30 PM and we arrive at our first anchor site just as the tide is going out � a good thing.

For the next seven hours I see my first brown bears in the wild. During this first afternoon we see seven or eight bears and make three stalks. Two are on �shooters�. However, the first is rubbed and the second slips us twice at less than fifty yards! The first stalk is very exciting. After beaching our skiff we stalk to about 250 yards and have minimal cover so Scott and I began a very slow single file stalk. We make it to 150 yards and determine this 8 � footer is rubbed. We begin to �play with� this beautiful animal and he closes to fifty yards and now we can�t run him off it seems! Finally he moves into cover and we back off to the skiff. The next stalk is on a 9� shooter bear and is clear of any rubs and a bear we know we would like to take. Unfortunately this beautiful bear has the bear Gods on his side today. After beaching our skiff we move into the wind in hopes the bear will pop back out on the �beach�. After sitting for about an hour we back off the stalk and return to the skiff where I look back to the beach and our bear is feeding less than fifty yards from where we were sitting. We again scurry out of the skiff and make it back to the beach without scaring the bear. We again set-up around a point that is less than fifty yards from the bear but cannot see him. Darkness is closing on us as we break off the stalk and return to the skiff. My hunting partner who had remained with the skiff asked why we had not killed the bear � from his vantage point he had shot about fifteen minutes of video of our bear just feeding away at less than fifty yards from where we sat. However he was tucked back from us and we were unaware � lucky bear unlucky hunters. This bear is living a charmed life! What a wonderful first hunting day in Alaska!

MAY 22 � DAY 3

This morning we plan to move the Western Profit a few miles to another cove while awaiting Dustin to arrive in his Boston Whaler. For the balance of our hunt I will be hunting with Dustin and Doug will be hunting with Scott.

On our first full day, Dustin and I see fourteen bears and the others see five and this is to continue as our days play out. We made three stalks on bears today and two were sows. The other was an 8 � shooter but once again rubs saved him for another day as we broke off this stalk at about 150 yards. The weather today was blue bird with negligible winds, a slight drizzle and 45-55 temps. Arriving back at �base camp� we set out a couple of crab traps in hopes of having a feast tomorrow.

MAY 23 � DAY 4

Overcast, minimal winds, forty-five degrees and I am once again arranging clothing and gear for another wonderful day in Alaska. We begin hunting mid afternoon and hunt until dark thirty. I am hopeful that we will have fresh crab when we return sometime after ten tonight. Doug and I have chilled the champagne to be used to toast ole brownie when he comes aboard!

Everyone is doing fine health and fitness wise. However, I have found that maneuvering large slick boulders and going under or over blow down to be problematic for this sixty-four year old body. The Leki Sierra with rifle yoke is working well and aids in balance albeit a bit noisy in the rocks. It will be time to switch out the �ear patch� tonight after 72 hours.

Our afternoon hunt was rather spotty although at least two bears seen would go 8 �+! Weather was atypical for SE Ak. Sunny, but now with a steady 30 knot �Westerly� that would stay with us throughout the rest of the hunt. Today I saw the effectiveness of a brown bears nose as we entered a cove and glassed a bear stand up take one sniff and into the blow down- he was over a mile plus from us! I am impressed now when Dustin checks the wind!

With the close of today�s hunt we have seen in excess of forty bears over three days. Bedtime is 11:30-12:00 and no problem getting to sleep!

MAY 24 � DAY 5

Are we vacationing on South Padre Island, Texas? Beautiful 100% blue bird day and yes a bear comes to camp today!

Scott is doing breakfast and it smells fantastic as I look outside and let my mind go � AWESOME COMES TO MIND!

Yes, Doug my hunting companion got a beautiful 9�2�, 26� skull bear today! We are elated with his bear and the first of �two� bottles of champagne are cracked and his bear is toasted and plans made for a morning of pictures and skinning.

Dustin and I have made two long stalks resulting in no bear! The first was a testy two mile ordeal necessitated by the outgoing tide. We had spotted two bears and broke off one stalk at 250 yards due to �rubs�. The second winded us and off he went into no mans land. After finally getting back to the skiff another bear was spotted way back in the cove where we had just broke off a stalk. It was getting late in the day and I decided against a second Bataan death march!

Our last stalk of the day at dark thirty was about � mile. By the time we got within 100 yards, it was very dark and we backed out. Both of these bears would be in the 8 � foot range.

During this day we spotted yet another large bear that was totally rubbed. These blue bird days are taking their fair share of hair off my bear!


MAY 25 � DAY 6

This AM was dedicated to picture taking and skinning out Doug�s bear with the excitement of limbs breaking just behind us in the jungle! I was assigned �guard duty� as bears now seem to be behind every tree!

For the rest of the hunt I am blessed with having both Scott and Dustin as guides.

I finally managed to get through on the sat phone to the family back in SA. It was good to hear that all was well and to relay same to them.

Our afternoon hunt became problematic right from the get-go. Our three days of Texas weather gave way to hot temperatures and high wind with fog � yeah, perfect weather for skiff based bear hunting. Few bears seen in this horrid weather and we retire to a hot meal aboard the Western Profit and time to tell a few lies and chill out. Our foursome is getting to know each other pretty well by this time and evenings aboard ship are very relaxing.

MAY 26 � DAY 7

The day breaks overcast, calm and cool � a great bear hunting day. Now if we can just get some cooperation from �A� bear! As of this AM we have seen sixty-six bears, thirteen of which were 8�+ shooter�s most were rubbed and passed on. Ten have been stalked by me, Dustin and Scott. Doug is now into reading, looking at his pics and video of his bear and generally chillin out!

The evening hunt while eventful proved to be another win for the bears! Having seen bears in a particular flat for three straight days, we chose to go out early and sit out the evening. Many black tail, honkers seen, however our bear hid in the blow down! Doug had come along to video and spot for us. While setting just around a point not thirty yards from us, felt that common feeling �something is looking at me�. He turned to see two steely dark eyes burning holes in his soul at a bare twenty or so yards. No rifle in hand he did manage to get a few moments of good quality video before the bear just turned and slowly disappeared back into the forest! On later review it was determined to be about a 7 � foot boar. On our return to the skiff we found it about twenty feet up on the rocks! Yes, it happens to professionals! It took the four of us to move the skiff back to water and safety where it was determined to be seaworthy � yes a blessing indeed.

MAY 27 � DAY 8

This is our seventh day for hunting and we are getting serious about locating oso grande.

�Bear on the beach�! After a thirty minute cruise in the skiff our bear takes one look at us at about � mile and says �not today� and moves into the woods.

This evening we have both skiffs out humping the three foot whitecaps. Boar and sow spotted on the beach and the stalk is on. We go boulder hopping closing to about 150 yards with the sow walking directly towards us, a perfect setup. However, when the boar steps out about 50 yards behind he is too small and rubbed. We back out and see no more bear this hunt. Back at the base camp we plan an early morning beach attack!

MAY 28 � DAY 8

Happy B�d to my oldest daughter, mercy she is 39!

Darn two bears are already on the beach where we had planned to sit. Skiff is loaded and we get close enough to see the sow from yesterday and a smallish boar and break off the stalk. Crab traps are checked and still do not have a crab! We seem to be snake bit but I can feel our luck is changing. Something tells me that lucky seven days into the hunt will see our bear down before another sun sets in Sitka.

VBBB is down � we think! After several hours of humping the westerly and nothing but one rubbed boar our two skiffs join and up and see a shooter. However, he is rubbed badly and we break off yet another stalk. Both boats from what seems like three miles � bear(s) on the beach! I have yet to be the first to spot a bear out of 80+ that have been seen.

We begin what will prove to be our last stalk across open water. Hitting a beach about a mile from our bears, now a sow and two large boars are on the beach and it is getting dark fast, we combine resources into one skiff for the final stalk. We are totally open to these three bears with the two boars seemingly determined to fight for the lady! I will not look as for what seemed thirty minutes we move slowly but steadily across the open water toward the beach. The hushed talk moves from a discussion of each bear, size, gender, etc and I just want them to decide and hit the beach. Finally, we make our move into the water. Ironically, I had just hours before asked Dustin if he had gotten water in his 14� high boots, as I had certainly had it close to the tops of my hippers and he replied no. Now as we made our way closer to the bear of his choice, I see both he and Scott up to their hips in water and manage not to laugh. Our bear is behind a huge downed log and heading toward the second boar that is know only about 200 yards and closing. Scott says shoot him when he comes around the log. Totally dark background and suddenly my bear appears thirty yards past the log � how did he get there? �Shoot him now� I move with the help of my guide and fire at what we guessed to be close to 150 yards. At the shot a big �whack� and pre arranged follow up shots ring out as my bear is circling and pawing at my shot. Bear is in the woods and making all sorts of noise from breaking to growling, etc. Decision made to back off and come for him in the AM.

Back at home base we replay the events and determine my bear was hit hard three times with at least one being a fatal wound. The second bottle of champagne is broken out and we are elated at the prospects of retrieving my bear in the AM. I manage to sleep little but did get some needed rest.

MAY 29 � DAY 10

It is an early breakfast on the Western Profit and all equipment for a smooth recovery is loaded and we head out to �Poison Cove�! At point of impact we see bright red but no frothy blood, some small and some larger drops. While Doug and I stand on the beach, Scott and Dustin begin the slow process of tracking the blood into the dark stand of blow down, devils club, etc. After thirty minutes, seeming like an eternity to me, we hear �come see this beautiful brown bear� � yeeeeeeeeeeeha! My bear had made it about forty yards off the beach, torn up huge trees, turf, roots and fallen into a shallow hole, of course. We expect the bear died very soon after running into the woods from what soon became evident of two lethal shots, my first shot that hit low in the left shoulder and breaking the right shoulder and the second a shot that hit the femoral and led to a large internal loss of blood in the hindquarter. No bullets were recovered. Pictures are taken from every imaginable position and we must have rolled that bear ten times before getting the hide cleared and skull secured aboard the skiff. Our bear (this type hunting is a total team effort) squares 9�3� has a 25� skull and a beautiful light colored full furred hide.

A successful crew and hunters are soon to be Sitka bound, arriving in the harbor late PM. Doug and I do manage to walk the 400 yards to the �P� Bar for a few celebratory brews! The bar is hopping so no one is brave enough to gong the bell!

MAY 30 � DAY 11

Finally, a sleep in day! Plans are to secure the bear hides/skulls and post them with fish and game then pack them away for the trip via FedEx to our taxidermist. We both are talking full body mounts but a lot of measuring and cussing and discussing with �the boss� must come first at my house.

It is now time to join the cruise liner group and add to the coffers of downtown Sitka. Anyone priced a pound of smoked salmon/halibut lately? How about $20/lb. Yikes. Back to the Pioneer Bar for more beers. Dinner will be with all hands tonight at the Channel Club on my dime � damn did we have that much fun? Yes, we did!

MAY 31 � DAY 12

Planned to catch a couple of Kings! Did get out but were skunked as we really didn�t have anything left to give to the day of fishing.

JUNE 1 � DAY 13

Thirteen hours and three stops later I arrive back in SA. Good to be home but left many great days behind in Sitka, AK.



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Alaska Ravenguides, Scott and Dustin McLeod are outstanding and most highly recommended. First class, knowledgeable, hard working, superb equipment and outstanding hunting area.

Physical requirements can run the gamut but on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the toughest I would score it a 3. Stalks on bears may be short or may be long � forty yards to a mile or more after hitting the �beach�. You will hump some large slippery boulders. If you dare go into the canopy, don�t go! If you have a problem with waves bring some �ear patches�, I did.

Availability of game is awesome as we saw over eighty bears with in excess of fifteen being bonafide shooters.

The food on board is excellent and you will not go hungry or go missing on BS. You will be ready to sleep and the accommodations are neat and clean.

Our weather was summertime. Not a drop of rain for eleven of the thirteen days and only slight drizzle for the other two. We had a lot of sunshine and I heard more than once �it is hot�! WHY DID I LET EVERYONE TALK ME INTO ALL THIS RAINGEAR??

Yes, it does get cold on the water in the skiffs.

Thanks to Doug my fellow hunter from Canada, eh! Ya�ll get on the waiting list with Scott and Dustin and enjoy Sitka, Ak. aboard the Western Profit.






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Pics man, can't have a successful hunt report without pics!!!

Pics should be up in the AM.

sounds like a great trip! looking forward to the pics.

Great hunt summary, can't wait for the pics.

muygrande,

Was this you?

Wonderful stuff..... thanks for the story, now for the pics!

Sounds like a good trip. Contrats!!

Will

Brian, sure is a small world! As I recall we were putting out a couple of crab traps at this moment.

Congratulations!! Pretty exciting ain't it? I can't wait to see the pics.

Mike

Sounds like the trip of a life time, please send the pics. soon ! John

We were in the aluminum drop bow, with black canvas, that came into the bay. Wasn't sure if that was you, or if you were hunting, so I didn't bother you guys. We were in the next bay up, camping for the weekend.

Wasn't real serious about shooting a bear, although I had a tag, so despite the fun of ruffling some guides feathers, we left without bothering you all.

Brian, yes I recall the boat and Dustin making some comment. We did have several "locals" floating the flats! Thanks for going easy on us. Guess you must have several of those big bears already so I can't feel too sorry for ya'll.

Remember the "every four years" rule!

CONGRATULATIONS on a GREAT BEAR!!! Sure enjoyed reading the daily reports and seeing the pictures. Thanks for sharing your hunt with us.

4214chip

All I can say is WOW, thanks for sharing the story and pics. Congrats.

Great share and great pics. Congratulations on your magnificent bear.

Thanks to all for the responses and kind words. I have found that through these type posts it helps to pique others interest who may be on the fence as to going forward with these type hunts.

Great pics (especially the Whaler).

Great hunt and story.Thanks!

Muygrande: Fabulous hunt and a great bear! Congrats to you and you pal. That is really unforgettable country,and a wonderful experience that will stay with you forever. Marvelous!