Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska ANWR Griz 8/17

I hunted northern Brook Range in ANWR late August. Extremely remote country. If I'd been any more north the bears would have been white. Saw caribou, Muskox, fox and Grizzly. Weather was a factor for getting in and out of hunt area. This plays a BIG part of logistics as we had rain and snow daily.

Staged out of Kavik at Sue Aikens. She's like an M&M...hard candy shell with a soft inside. She was very nice as there was a lot going on.

I spent the morning before flying to AK in the ER. I was feeling pretty bad but wasn't going to miss the hunt under any circumstances (when I was puking from pain over the toilet the thought of canceling actually did come to mind). Weather forced us to stay in Kavik for three days before flying me and the guide to hunt. I was grateful for the time to lay around trying to recover some. I was feeling really badly and pills were not helping. A dentist suggested I drink a beer so did and that cured the pain instantly. For the next couple days I drank one morning, noon and night. Keep it in your mind if you have kidney issues. It really worked for me.

Hunters were coming in with sheep, bears and caribou along with going out to start new hunts so it was good to meet new guys and share tales.

One really needs patience to be a bear hunter. Good nocs are imperative. I glassed 15 bears at varying distances during the hunt. I took the best bear I saw squaring 7' with a skull of 22 12/16". He was chasing off another bear when we were stalking him across soggy tundra and alders. Not much to eat up there so they are even protective of the grass they graze on for food. The bears are not as large as other areas and carry little fat. He was running quartering away at 100yds when I shot him using my .338WM Rem 700KS shooting 225gr Swift AF bullet. One shot, then found him dead in alders. Bullet was recovered under hide of offside shoulder. A guide got mauled by a wounded bear the week before I arrived so looking for the shot bear had adrenaline flowing in guide and me. All told they are mean bastards in the Arctic.

Great experience in wilderness country.

Thanks for reading.

Good on ya! Nice bear

I’ve been fortunate to hunt a fair amount in both sw ak and the brooks range

Bears near the coast are bigger due to the better food supply but as a generalization more docile prolly cause they often have a full belly or know where to get one

Those smaller relatives up north seem more often to be hangry

I’ve hunted bears in sw, whereas I’ve been hunted by a bear up north

Limited sampling my experience but as a generalization think it holds some water

Great post. Thanks for sharing.

Good job DD!

Glad to hear the bears are still there in numbers. I spent a lot of time in that area 40+ years ago.

Nit picking but FYI, I've seen grizzlies in the spring on near shore islands in the Beaufort Sea.
In fact, a polar bear and a grizzly bear on the same island.

Nice post. Glad to hear you had a good hunt, enjoyed yourself, and got 'healed' before the trip!

Bobby is a tough hunter! Now show your Africa Pics! Kona Kurt

Grizzly bears, gotta love em. They are the apex.

Beautiful bear!

Ed

Great narrative, pics and a fine Griz. Well done.

Thanks for posting. Really beautiful bear

Lovely bear!

Good job, and nice bear!

That is an exceptional hide for a fall bear, but especially so that early! Beautiful colors!

Wonder who did its nails?

Nearly 50 years in Alaska and I have never shot a Griz or Brown. No desire to, and never had to.

Not to say “encounters of the turd kind” have been lacking.

But that’s just me.... Good on you - glad you had a great experience, and a successful hunt. The Arctic is fabulous country, and I count myself blessed to have well-spent 14 years of my lifetime in it.

Glad you had a chance to experience it.

Nice bear, thanks for posting. I think I'd like your doctor!

Very nice. Tell us a little about life at Kavik.

Nice pics! Enjoyed hearing about your trip! Congrats on a successful trip/hunt. Thanks for sharing!

HAHA...my dad is the same way. 60+ years in Alaska and never shot a grizzly or brown bear. Though I did put him in for Kodiak bear this last go round and he ended up drawing for spring of 2019 so we will see what happens.

Love the Toklat coloring. Mine has that as well.