George's bear. .35 WSM 200gr Barnes, 542 yards.



I used my GAP .260 and one 130gr Swift Scirocco at 371 yards.



It went by too quick.....I'll be going back for a coastal brown bear within the next few years.

We hunted with Red Bear Wilderness Guides, based out of Anchorage.

Nice coloration.

Beautiful bears. Congrats

Pat, please tell us what the guide said when you showed him your 260.

Awesome pics as always ! lots of great memories there....

He said I could use his .375H&H if I had second thoughts. I told him he could back me up with it if he wanted to.

Great stuff! Both of those bears are beautiful!

Congrats!

Bill

Pat,

That's awesome! Congrats!

Congrats, Pat. I am sitting in Sea-Tac as I write this, on my way to AK for moose, way up in the Koyukuk country.

Good luck Randy. Be safe.

Ya both suck.

Good luck Randy!

Good stuff

Wow, very cool! I called it when I said you were taking the 260... grin

Awesome looking bears.

Great pics! Congrats to you both and thanks for sharing. I'm not going to even bother to post pics of my exciting squirrel hunt this a.m. ....

Awesome bears and good shootin' scenar. That looks like some great country to hunt!

Pat,

Congrats! That 35 cal TSX isn't the most slipperiest bullet in the world, sounds like a heck of a shot by George at over 500 yards!

Well done Pat! When you get time more pics please.

I was on Georges site last night and saw that he chambers for the 338 WSM. That kind of suprised me and caught me off guard. I run one as well.

Nicely done and congrats!

Dittos on additional pics and perhaps a bit more "tellin'".

George loves tinkering with new cartridges. We're planning on doing a Dall Sheep hunt up in the NWT in a year or two and he is already spinning ideas on the "perfect sheep rifle". He likes the 6.5 SAUM pushing 140's at 3150, or 130's at 3300....I'll just stick with my .260.....grin!

Thanks!

You guys have heaven on earth up there.....

DeHavilland Beaver. Workhorse of the north. Old technology sometimes just can't be beat.

My Zeiss pointed at a distant wolf below the far ridge. We each had a wolf tag, but never had an oppotunity for a shot. We saw three grays and one black. Also saw one wolverine and one lynx. The cat was about 100 yards away, watching a beaver working on a dam. We got to see it swim across the river after we had a five minute stare down. I've only seen two other lynx in my lifetime, both crossed the highway in front of me near Watson Lake, in the Yukon in the fall of 1990. Very cool critter.

Excellent...glad you had a great trip and got back safely...

I'll be interested in hearing more about that..

Nice bears, and nice scenery.

"Blue Tape Special"

If there is anyplace better than Alaska, I haven't been there. Glad you enjoyed the trip, stunt shooter.

Did that bear have any complaints about being popped with such a 'little' bullet?

Congrats! Looks like one heck of a trip.

Am leaving for Alaska in a few days myself. Fly fishing the silver run though. Hoping to NOT have any grizzly encounters!

Looks like a great adventure. Thanks for the write up and pictures

Awesome pictures Pat!

I love the one of the 260 in the red lichen.

You started your Fall off early this year.....and well.

That's true and it's way too easy to take it for granted.

It's nice for others to give our heads a shake sometimes!

Pat...those are both beautiful bears...

The only thing on my bucket list that still is undone and scratches me like a burr under my saddle is an interior grizzly...the blonder the better!

Congrats my freind!

Pat,
That is fantastic! Thanks for sharing the pics. I guess that shows which is better- the 308 or the 260!!

Congrats Pat!


ddj

Love the coloration. Congrats on some great bears.

Fantastic stuff and congrats.

I'd love to hear about hunt, number bears spotted, the spot and stalk, etc... if you have the time.

Outstanding, congrats to both of you!

It is official... I don't need anything bigger than my 260.

Good work Pat!

One morning George went out on the hill above camp and picked a bunch of these.....



Bestest and freshest blueberry flapjacks I've ever sunk my choppers into....damn, I'd go back just for those again!

Cool stuff, that!!
Congrats gentlemen....
Cheers

I did a few Alaska hunts, I think my biggest surprise was how damn good those blueberry's were,

Funny, you find a good patch of berries and a 12,000 dollar sheep hunt is put on time-out while you pick little bitty berry's.

Nice Bear Pat........

George with a nice Arctic Grayling. George had a smile on his face 24-7!! I'm not much of a fisherman....kind of hard to fish with a pair of Leica 10X42's glued to your face constantly.....grin!

Congratulations Pat on your and George's grand adventure.

It's on my bucket list too, though mine is still a page or two long.

One day, I WILL hunt those. Hopefully we get a season around here soon, that way I won't have to pay so much to do it.

A man doesn't have to wait too long to see a sharp contrast in the weather up there....it will challenge even the most seasoned outdoorsman.

Congrat's on the very nice bear... but "how so" on the weather comment... nothing posted looks too tough...?

Congrats on a great trip!! The fact you did it with your 260 seals the deal for what I want my next rifle to be...

Very nice bears, Pat! Congratulations.

Just curious: Where were you hunting? I don't want to know the exact spot, or even the drainage, just a general area. Have hunted Alaska a few times and that looks like nice country.

Really fine post - that first picture is about as good as it gets. Looks like fun stuff - congrats to you both.

Congrats to you and George Pat! Looks like it was an awesome hunt. Thanks for sharing.

John

LOL. Awesome pics, thanks for sharing.

Amazing all the way around. Congrats on a great trip!

Nice pics Pat...very nice. Glad you and George did so well and had a great trip. I hear you on the blue berry pancakes, tasty!

x3 on the bucket list of things to do. congrats on the awesome hunt!

Congrats on a fun trip Pat, you are truly the man.
Looking forward to the rest of your season if you will kindly share it with us.
You are one of the most highly skilled hunters to be found anywhere, your posts are always one of this board's highlights.

Are those bears a bit thin in the hide in September?



Randy, your Koyukuk moose hunt ought to be something special for sure.
That's a great trophy area, I can't wait to see it on TV!
You are the best TV celeb on any outdoor channel, your easy going every day kind of guy personality is such a refreshing break from the rest of that stuff.
Do it yourself hunts seperate the real hunters from the guys shopping for wall decorations with their fat wallets and you are truly the real deal.
THANK YOU!

Nice job Pat keep posting those pics, fun to look at.

Both bears have very nice color, congrats Who knew the 260 was a grizzly round, like the cartridge but not sure I would shoot a grizz with one, good shooting there.

That's awesome. Coastal Brown Bear out of Bethel is on my short list, and those brown bears have been on my mind.

What's your thoughts on the s2 performance?

Those bears are beautiful. Congrats!!

The timing of his post would indicate that he was afield while two huge systems blew through the entire state. Forecasts out west called for sustained 50+ knot winds and biblical rain. One dude's anemometer on the anchorage hillside recorded a peak gust of 131 knots.

I'd reckon he was tentbound for a few days, at best.

Congrats Pat! Looks like a heck of a time!

He posted that here:
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/6854504/1

Looks like a fun hunt in beautiful country. Congrats!

Ever been in a storm that dumps 20" of rain in two days with most of it coming down sideways? I've hunted in Montana for 45 years and have never seen anything close to that. It doesn't matter what you're wearing, you end up in camp, soaked to the bone.

That is unimaginable for somebody like me that has lived his whole life in the SW. I 'm not sure I have ever seen 20" in a year..

People that ain't never been to Alaska have NO idea what weather is.

I do know, if it works in Alaska it will work anywhere, but most of those from Connecticut, Indiana or New Mexico know best...

That is awesome Pat.

Congrats to you and George.


Travis

Congrats!

Sounds like it all went to plan. Can't say Bethel is a beautiful place, but there are some beautiful places nearby......

kudos all around. good stuff. cool to see a .350 WSM in the news. just dusted mine off today.

Actually, I have. Hurricane in the White Mountains in August 1976... tent bound for 3 days, just below timeberline and 100+ mph winds, near freezing weather, and rain that was beyond belief.

Not much fun as you know... obviously you got into one heck of a weather system. When I hunted AK in Sept of 1995 we had the "normal" fall weather in the AK range.

I've only been to Alaska seven times, so am a relative rookie, but have also hunted in what is loosely called "the North" quite a bit more. The weather can change very quickly and stay that way for days, even in relatively flat country, and in mountainous country or even what we would call "hills" in Montana can vary enormously.

In my experience it's more changeable and dangerous in Alaska and northern Quebec, due to their proximity to major parts of various oceans, plus elevation changes. But anyhere north of 60 degrees of latitude airplane schedules are mere suggestions, and anybody who goes out there should be prepared to stay a week or two without any help.

I had my " Alasan Adventure" weathered into a tent for three days with no food. But nothing like 20" of rain!
FWIW- I lived.

Dandy bears. Nice going.

I'm envious. For some reason, interior grizzlies really get me going. I'd love to get after one someday, even better if it could happen in MT. Not sure an AK hunt is in the budget, course by the time MT allows a hunt I could probably have saved enough for 3 AK hunts.

Hey, what'd I do wrong...

Moved here???

Some of us in Indiana know our place.

A 4000 foot goat hill in SE is a PIA over 11,000 mountains in Montana. Sea level up busting brush is on pain in the ass.

You were what, 13?

Sorry I don't get over here much guys, The Trip was excellent, Pat and I had a great time. We were on the Nushagak River about 130 Miles north of Dillingham. Unit 17B The days we hunted were Beautiful, the Killer storm we sat through was like on on land hurricane. Cant wait to go back to Alaska!!!

I agree....

Man, love those AK pics. A good buddy moved there a few years ago and is living the life. Congrats Pat.

Congrats!!!

Do you have any autopsy pics of bullet performance?

Great bullet!

Very nicely done. Aren't those old aircraft great! Smoothest landing and takeoff I ever experienced was on those. Thank you for sharing the pictures.

Excellent!

That is pretty freakin' funny!!!!

Congrats Pat & George on another great hunt! What beautiful country!!

Very cool, congrats on the bears!

Pat, I always click on your posts and am NEVER disappointed. Thanks.



If this is what it supports, I need to buy a few more Montana slings. ;-{>8

I'm with you on that Keith. I enjoy a good Beaver too!



Fly fishing the Upper Russian. (I'm the short guy.) I really want to go back again soon. Next time I need to go when I can shoot some grouse and ptarmigan. We were over run with 'em!

Bob

Awesome job Pat

I'm still surprised that the narrow field of view of that fixed 10X didn't allow the grizzer to sneak up on you and take a nibble...

Did the guide even notice the scope?