Brown Bear Adventure in Alaska, Part 2
6/14/2011
Just getting out to hunt was a bit of a production, what with hip boots, rainwear and all the usual gear, and then into the skiffs and off we’d go. Because our attention focused almost exclusively on open shoreline areas where bears could be spotted, it involved quite a bit of waiting and watching for big trophy boars to poke their heads out of the heavy timber. And while we did see some good bears that way, all were on the move and gone before we could close in for a crack at them. We also spotted potential shooters from the Ruffinit and while cruising in the skiffs, but they wouldn’t stand still long enough either. There were several likely spots—coves, lagoons and little inlets—close by and so when one place got stale or the wind switched, we could pull up anchor and motor on to another.
However, the hunting was proving much trickier than I had anticipated based on accounts of similar hunts. It was clear that in addition to being able to move fast and putting in long, vigilant hours, we were going to have to get lucky. But hey, that’s always the first “law” of hunting.
