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Just got home from a social engagement delayed by my absence... Might be a bit tipsy to post more tonight...

PERFECT time, methinks!

How are your boots?

It would take more time to post photos than the story as I have been working on it for a few days... I have not downloaded photos yet...

A-bolt failed? I don't believe it...........

Actually I don't believe you would allow anyone aboard with an A-bort again.

ahem......

Prancing like a Pony...

Photos are uploading...

The owners of Quartz Creek Lodge, the Pingrees, ( http://www.quartzcreeklodge.com/ )delivered eight live tanner crabs to us as we drifted in the middle of Northeast Arm on the first day. They had more than they could eat and told us to throw back what we would not eat. They were enormous and ready to shed their shells soon as they were very fat, very hard-shelled, and very good. They were quickly butchered and steamed in sections, eaten hot and bare. The following morning, a huge crab and marinated artichoke heart omelet started the day just right. A huge ice chest packed with Island Seafoods shaved ice lasted the entire trip and kept the crab nearly frozen.

The mountain that guards the entrance to Northeast Arm, Uganik Bay, Dog Ear Mountain.


The guide in the area, Dick Rohrer, proved a crafty fellow by working at keeping us off a couple different bears, but failed to recognize the fact we were not leaving the area without a decent bear. He showed up early in the hunt and set up to glass despite the fact we were drifting down the arm with two glassers sitting on the roof, looking hard for bears. The following evening we found them sitting on the little island and ducked into a small bight to watch what would happen.

One of the guides always glassed the north flank of Dog Ear Mountain and was dropped off twice with clients in a channel that disappeared back into the brush. Jeff and I ran back into the channel one day just to take a look. A strong SE wind was blowing over the top of the mountain and down into the lake, funneling huge gusts at the water�s surface, when the rest of the bay seemed nearly flat calm.

The cottonwoods and Kenai birches growing in the slot were stunted and stressed, with large burls on both species. A trapper had left skinned otter and fox carcasses in a pile between the lake and the ocean. Birds had cleaned the bones and rot was taking care of most of the rest. It is an interesting hole with an abandoned wood and fiberglass set netter skiff returning to more basic elements. Sections of an old dock showed use as a hiding hole for commercial fishermen in serious weather.

Otter skull


Jeff turned an ankle that would swell to double and obviously hurt badly for the duration of the trip, especially the steep final climb

Coming out of the bight from the small lake a strange boat was immediately visible in the middle of the bay. It took a second to realize it was the Emerald Rose; a questionable anchorage, rising tide, a strong offshore wind, and adjacent deep water had combined to lift anchor and drag it off the edge where it proceeded to sail across the arm, unmanned.

Black oystercatchers were everywhere chattering, chirping, posturing, preening, and giving us the red-rimmed evil eye for disturbing them. They never allowed us to cause them any more problem than moving a short distance away before mating, again.



One morning late in the hunt the bay was like glass. Within an hour of taking a glassing stand to watch directly up the ridge coming down to Starr Point. One bear was spotted well up the hill moving north before the rain drove us back to the boat. Within minutes it was snowing too hard to see the mountain and the wind rose from the North with horizontal snow squalls.

Through the day the snow intensified through grapple; light, cold snow; and then huge, wet, heavy stuff diminishing into fine cold snow as the front worked past. But changes seemed random and the wind alternated directions repeatedly. Wind direction is difficult to figure in Northeast Arm under good conditions because of the ringing mountains and water with Sally Island sitting in the middle.

The following morning, Mothers' Day we awoke to total white with over an inch already accumulated and by 5PM we had over six inches of snow on deck as it warmed up and huge flakes replaced the fine cold snow.

Finally, Jeff found the bear he really wanted, but it all had to happen the hard way� On the 14th day of a two-week hunt a bear was spotted above the abandoned cannery.



However, it was a brand new bear in an area we had absolutely no experience in the lay of the land and the wrinkles in the fabric of the mountain. From the base of the mountain it was obvious the wrinkle hiding the bear was doing a very good job. A lone granite streak runs through the shale of Uganik Bay and a steep but shallow cut runs down it, broken by multiple falls and immense, angular granite faces somewhat steeper than the angle of repose.

Jeff�s job was to convince me it was time to make a move, while my job was to convince him to be patient; to find the true vulnerability. At Jeff�s insistence we ran to the old cannery and took a stand directly below the bear. We could see nothing, a couple miles changes perspective dramatically. It looked like we had blown it with no idea where the bear was and little chance we were to find out when the bear showed up well out of range at over 400 yards straight above us. It was obviously a mature sow without cubs somewhere over eight feet with some weird horizontal rubs on both shoulders that showed very white.

But while she climbed fast and steady, she looked back often and being May she probably was looking at a trailing boar. After a bit he showed himself, following her exact trail at a slow waddle. Very large and dark in the fading light with dark chocolate lower legs shading to lighter brown he was significantly larger than the sow.

The boar was obviously struggling to keep up with her and she waited for him repeatedly as he stood gasping. There was no way we could catch up to them when the boar suddenly plopped down on a huge granite face. It looked like he had decided to wait for us. The sow sat down like a big dog on a boulder above him. We started up the hill as fast as we could go, very slow. The alder jungles were easier to climb than the grass due to the steepness but we were certain the bears would be gone by the time Jeff got into range.

A half hour later we reached a clearing on the brow of a ridge and could see the bears again. The sow had lain down with her head resting on crossed paws but we were still too far away. We caught our breath and slid back into the alders climbing faster with the possibility of actually getting close enough to shoot.

At the next clearing we found the bears had not moved and we were just over 150 yards away. Taking a rest on a birch stump Jeff shot hitting the boar. Immediately the boar disappeared in the alders, climbing fast. At 350 yards he came into an open area and Jeff hit him again and he tumbled back into the alders. The sow ran hard right and was out of sight immediately. The boar�s path could be followed in the alders by the waving alders but there was nothing to shoot at. We climbed past the boar which took an hour, staying well left of the creek until we were sure he was below us but we could not find blood and were uncertain where he had been.

Going a bit higher Jeff found blood on a huge granite face we had mistaken for a snow patch. We dropped downhill about 20 yards apart with Jeff in the streambed while I moved into the thick alders. The setting sun was shining strongly to my right when Jeff shouted the bear was to my right but could not see me clearly enough to shoot. I could see Jeff but not the bear until I shielded my eyes from the sun as the bear came up at me from about 25 yards and Jeff shot him in the chest. He tumbled out of my sight, snarling, as we tracked his progress downhill by the shaking alders.

Moving slowly downhill we were again unsure where he was until he came up snarling at least than 20 yards with front legs bowed and every hair on end looking as big as a house. It was obvious he would charge if he could and Jeff had spined him well back. Avoiding the skull I shot him in the back from above and again in the rump as he turned downhill.

He had made it over a large drop-off and we followed to the lip where we found him in a hole that looked impossible for skinning. We were ten feet above the bear looking almost straight down when Jeff asked if he was really dead. The bear must have heard him because he came up at us again.





A final shot ended the discussion and he rolled another 20 yards downhill onto a nearly ideal knob for skinning. It was almost 10:00, Jeff�s first shot came at 8:49, and the sun was due to set with no moon about 11:00. Bears will eat other bears and I have seen carcasses completely eaten overnight in high bear density areas but we were either sleeping on the mountain or dropping the guts and doing all we could to cool the bear before making a run for the beach. We chose to sleep on the boat.

A stick propped open the cavity and a few skinning strokes laid the legs and chest bare before we made a run for the beach, stumbling out in the dark. The lights went out at Quartz Creek Lodge right after we reached the big boat and it made us feel good thinking they might very well have been watching to make sure we were back safe before turning in.

The next day we found they had heard the entire thing, located us on the mountain and laughed at our predicament; two guides and two hunters fleshing two Terror Bay bear hides they had just returned with that day. They found it funny because they had been there and knew exactly what we were thinking.

Recovery was straight forward though it took far longer to climb to the bear the second time. The sun was shining but it was cool and slightly breezy while DEET did a great job of keeping the mosquitoes away. Several eagles and ravens soared over us we worked, while crows and magpies watched from the alders above. The paws were skinned out to the claws and the head skinned to save as much weigh as possible. As it was the hide barely fit inside a huge internal frame pack. As soon as it was packed it was sent tumbling downhill. With the exception of a single carry for about 100 yards in the middle of the pack the hide tumbled the entire way down the mountain.

With a gentle tug in each direction and no stretching after some drying the hide taped over nine feet long and over ten feet across the claws. Kodiak ADF&G measured the skull at just slightly less than 27 inches.

My rifle with the Vortex 1-4x24FFP scope




The claws are incredibly translucent and the sun was hitting them beautifully, but it does not really look like I caught it.


Over the course of nearly three weeks we saw lots of change come to the mountainside though it snowed more than half the nights while we were out and we lost a couple days to serious snow... But the skunk cabbage came up at the foot of the mountain and by the time we left it was popping very high. Found this frigid shooting star (full common name) on a hot spot hump and it still looked cold...

Northeast Arm is where Rick Bin and I killed a bear some years back. It was about in the middle of this picture.


Another picture of the Vortex 1-4x24FFP

Awesome adventure!

Guess it wasn't a rummer after all. Good job &good job of writing, WELL DONE Art. --- Mel

Missed this... No, it was absolutely a "youthless" hunt...

Fabulous! What a great story...and bear as well.Congrats to you both and thanks for taking the time to put this up for us.Great job writing it,Art. I was spellbound.

What a Great bear! also a great story, I can only dream of a hunt like this! any idea how old the bear was? if you have more pics please send them when you can!

Man Art you had me on the edge of my seat reading that account good job and congrats to you and Jeff that is one heck of a bear!

Great write up, Art. You put me right there though I doubt I've ever laid eyes on the area. Even my knees were hurting. (Oh, wait, I haven't yet had my morning dose of ibuprofen. )

What a Dick..

Great hunt Art. I can't wait to get back there.

Very nice writup Art!
You cetainly put alot of perspective in it.....................