good luck GWH, here is what happened to me:
Icy Bay Alaska, Sept. 2000. This was my 5th try at Brown bear with the bow. Each and every time I had bears within easy bow range but the wind was wrong, just one more step, that one little limb, that's bowhunting. Knowing that the animal you are about to shoot can kill you in a split second, even after a perfect shot with a bow, I wasn't about to take chances with a marginal shot. That cast that THE BOX mentioned above, when they took it off 2 1/2 years after they put it on, left me with a mangled left leg from the knee down. Then I couple years later, I fell 60 ft. out of a tree shaking a coon out and fixed the knee on the same leg real good. Now my story should end there, (60ft fall should kill anyone) but the great spirit had no use for me at the time and for what ever reason I'm still here. Still here, but I couldn't out run the guide so I wanted a really good shot. Back to the hunt!
I arrived in Yakatat, AK about 10AM greeted by a low ceiling fog of 500 ft. The bush plane waiting to take me to Icy Bay needed 2000 ft. of visiblity to take off. So I waited......Waited....WAITED. Seven days went slowly by while I set in a bar, (and I don't drink, ..anymore..). I was on a ten day hunt and it was the evening of day 7 when a messenger came running in the bar and said get your S!@# in the plane now. I rushed to grab my gear and off we went.
As we neared the camp the fog was dropping. We started out at 1500ft and were now flying below tree top height following the beach. The pilot says that if he tries to land on the beach we might crash, then the tide would wash his plane out to sea. There were beads of sweat running down his face and there was ice on the wind shield. They have normal 12ft tides up there and currents well... to match. Less than ten miles left he was able to get just above the trees and spotted the run way (HAH HAH gravel bar) we were to land on. He spent the night with me and the guide and was damn glad to get to do it. Day 8 we start the hunt after crossing an ice berg littered bay, we beached an aluminum boat near the opening of a salmon stream, made camp and plans for an evening hunt. We would walk up the beach about 2 miles to another salmon stream and set up an ambush at the bears favotite fishing hole. We found the spot and made a quick make shift blind 35 yds from the fishing hole. I sat that evening looking at fresh tracks but no bear. Next morning day 9, we were there before daylight. The guide had climbed a tree above me with the back up .338 (AK law mandates a rifle backup). The plan was for him to see the bear coming, whisper to me or drop a pepple, lots of surf and river noise, I would be ready, he could cover me good from above, sounded good on paper anyway. Just after light, a sow brownie and two cubs slip up to me twenty yds while the guide is watching two moose fight on the gravel bar.
It's pucker time. She would be down wind in a couple seconds and all hell was about to break lose, she would be going or coming, I had a 50/50 chance.
Luck was on my side and when she winded me, she took the cubs down the beach in view of the guide, he whispers he is sorry, then starts pointing up the river, motions for me to get ready. Pucker up again. This is a big one, over 9ft. 1000lbs + but turns back about 5 ft too soon. That's it for the morning, we walk back to camp grab some chow, the guide says he needs to go up river about 50yds to cut a limb that will let him see much better for the evening, hopefully no more sows at 20 yds (way too close). We head back out at 2 PM, I get my stuff situtated while the guide goes to cut the limb. He returns, says he wants a drink of water before he climbs the lookout tree, leans his gun up against a tree and looks in his fanny pack for the water bottle. A look at the "hole" and THERE HE IS... 35 yds walking through. About 8ft 700 lbs but "big enough for me". The guide grabs his rifle, the bear has passed the shooting lane and is now out on the beach walking broad side about 20 yds and I see an opening. I look at the guide and he mouths
SHOOT HIM! I draw aim and release and arrow at 20 yds which finds it's mark perfect right behind the shoulder and out the other side. The bear bites at the hole where the arrow had went in and turns directly to us, HERE HE COMES! Now the guide knows I don't want a bullet hole in my bow shot bear, he doesn't want to shoot it, BUTT (MINE, the same one that's now PUCKERED UP TIGHT) is about to be a bear sandwitch. My guide, Steve Hanson, fired the first shot from his .338 when the bear reached 10 FEET from us. Keep in mind this is an 8 ft bear and the next jump he would have been through us, or should I say through with us. The blast knocked the bear down but he came back up like a ping pong ball, another blast and down he goes again, and again he tried to get up. The third shot took him through the neck as I was hollering "SHOOT HIM AGAIN!". Done. The my quest was over, no P&Y certificate but I had done my job, made my shot count, the bear just didn't have time to die before Steve had to do what I paid him for. Before the hunt had started we discussed what should happen. I had told Steve he could shoot if and when the bear was chewing on me. That was a mistake and I can't say how glad I am Steve was there to disobey my orders. I had him mounted the way I remembered him at the last second before Steve pulled the trigger, mouth open, roaring and top of his lungs and reaching for us with his front paws!
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Originally Posted by weekender
Great story...
Weekender---------
