Su35 and Talus,
Congrats on your Caribou hunt! I enjoyed the write-up. That 338 RCM is an excellent cartridge for that country. Back 10 yrs ago, little further down the Big Sue/ Maclaren confluence, and a helluva long ways up a smaller creek, my son and I were harassed all night by a grizzly juvenile bear over our moose kill. My 358 Winchester felt just right in my hands as I drove that bear away all night. Another canoe hunter from eagle river was charged by a different bear below our kill site.
There year prior, i have seen one grizz up there, that would rival a large coastal bear. Again, a 9.3x62 felt just right in my hands when the distance closed 20 yds.
Canoeing all that caribou and moose meat back, I had seen a guy's tent and meat pole shredded to bits. All his meat gone while he was canoeing a load. Taken by bears.
So 3 separate bear incidents by at least 3 different bears.
A handy little medium bore is hardly an unreasonable choice out in that country:
338 federal, 338-06, 338 RCM, 358 Win, 35 whelen, 9x57, 9.3x62
