Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Brooks Range Grizzly Hunt

Spring of 2017, I drove from my home in central Washington, up through British Columbia and the Yukon, to Fairbanks. Camped most nights. Highly recommend the drive if you have the time for it!




Helio Courier north for quite a ways.


Four of us, two guides, two hunters, in a pretty nice little camp by a stream. First bear came pretty quickly. Then our camp dwindled to just two of us, and eventually on day 7 I tagged a nice grizzly with my 30-06 Rem 700. Ya, I know, a puny 30-06 in a wood stocked Rem 700. Sigh.






Hunted with Lyle Becker and Joey Klutsch. Those two guys worked hard and smart and provided a terrific hunt! I'd fished and backpacked in Alaska before, but had never hunted there before. Also had never taken the time to drive up and back. What a wonderful journey and a terrific hunt!

I could have brought a 375, and was tempted to do so, but before the hunt Lyle asked me a couple of questions that helped me make my rifle decision:

1. This is open country, you may need to take a 300 yard shot. Which rifle do you shoot better? Well, the 30-06 I'll admit.
2. This is tough country for hiking. Which rifle is lighter? Well, the 30-06 is.

So, I ended up taking the 30-06, which is very familiar to me from other hunts. Used my old 2-7 Redfield 'cause it's a decent scope. Handloaded 200 gr Nosler Partitions, with a very accurate, nice shooting load.

I will freely admit that after a long stalk, I completely blew my first shot at the grizzly, which appeared rather suddenly at less than 50 yards. I may have been a little excited... Probably put it 4 or 5 feet over the bear! Settled down after that thankfully.

I've hunted black bears and enjoyed, and will continue to do so. I think though, that my need for a big bear has been satisfied. He's an inch short of the record book, I didn't care. Hide squares a bit over 8' and is just incredible. The wolf hide & skull, and the grizzly hide and skull are great reminders of this trip. Likely the hunt of a lifetime for me.

Regards, Guy