As colors were mentioned... My first Kodiak bear was a boar just about 8 1/2' and fairly old. The hump was coal black with silver tips in a hard-edged diamond. Around that was a very light ring that grew progressively darker as it moved away. The rump was chocolate brown and all four feet were deep black. The head got darker, but not nearly as dark as the rump and the muzzle was graying.
A previous ADF&G bear biologist literally gasped when he saw it and called it he prettiest bear he had ever seen. I have bumped into him a number of times since and he has mentioned the bear repeatedly as the prettiest Kodiak bear he ever saw.
I have a picture of the life-size mount around here somewhere.
I hear about guys going days without seeing bears but I think Art and I saw over 40 in the 5 or so days we were in the Kodiak archipelago. Biggest one I saw was a true bruiser and was way up high in the alpine the first day! Too bad I was only deer hunting!
One other way to look at this is where do you live? For me, Alaska is a much shorter plane ride than Africa. I don't like flying (commercial) too much!
