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October ’99
Sept 29 ’99
Bobby Warren my Asst. Guide caught the early morning ferry from
Prince of Wales Island to Ketchikan. I meet him at the baggage
cart. After breakfast we came back to the house and started getting
our gear ready, working on our freeze-dried menu, and loading
the Muskeg Mobile. Robbie (from Mississippi) was due in on the
3:50 PM Alaska Air jet from Seattle. Our plan was to catch the
midnight ferry to Prince Rupert BC and drive around to Hyder
AK for a Brown Bear Hunt.
In the afternoon I caught the Airport Ferry and met the jet.
Robbie was on schedule. After introductions we went out to dinner
and then back to the house for the final checklist, and finished
loading the rig.
At about 12:30 AM we headed down to board the Ferry.
Sept 30 ’99
We woke up to a nice sunny morning. After getting through Canadian
Customs and Immigrations with no problems we headed into Prince
Rupert for breakfast. Also a quick stop at Slickers to look at
raingear and a new pair of Rubber Caulk Boots. Then it was hit
the dusty trail. After the scenic ride up the Skenna River it
was Terrace by noon. We did some shopping for a few things we
needed for the hunt and a little sightseeing. We stopped into
City Hall and took a look at the Kermode (White/Black Bear) mount
and after a photo session it was lunch at A&W (what a treat)
and on the road again.
We stopped at Kitwanga Junction
for fuel and snacks and turned onto the Cassiar Hiway. We stopped
at the Cranberry River rest stop and talked with some mushroom
pickers and then it was on to Meziadin Junction. About halfway
down the Stewart BC/Hyder AK road we stopped and had a Kodak
moment at the Bear Glacier. We rolled into Hyder just before
dark. We decided to take a ride up the Salmon River to look at
the water level and talk our hunt plans over. We spotted a nice
Brownie just out of town on the far side if the River. We made
it back to the Old Log Cabin just after dark and built a fire
in the wood stove and settled in for the cold night. We all were
tired.
Oct 1 ’99
I woke after a good night’s rest to rain on the tin roof
of the Cabin. But I could tell it was going to be a nice day.
The Salmon River should be wadeable so we decided to day hunt
out of the Cabin instead of setting up a tent camp across the
river. We drove up the river and forded the Salmon and started
up the tributary. Our plan was to put on a few miles looking
for sign. We noticed fresh Wolf tracks right away along with
some older Brown Bear tracks. It was a cold morning but was warming
into a nice day. We spotted some Coho Salmon in the tributary.
We went up the creek a ways and then hit an old mining trail.
We noticed where the Wolves had eaten a Salmon or two. We traveled
the old trail up the creek but didn’t see much Bear sign
and no Salmon in the upper creek areas. Bobby scouted out some
fresh Bear tracks of 3 different Bear in the lower creek. We
worked our way back down to the main tributary then upstream.
Robbie and I took a stand while Bobby went on a scouting trip.
He returned after a couple of hours but didn’t see much
for Bear sign. We moved back over to the creek and took a stand
in the thick Alder brush for the remaining light of day. No Bears
moved. We hiked out and forded the Salmon in the dark. Back to
the Cabin for wood stove fore, a freeze-dried dinner and into
the sleeping bags tired.
Oct 2 ’99
We woke to a cloudy but mild morning. After our usual morning
fire and Starbucks Coffee fix we headed over to Stewert for some
supplies. Then it was up to the Salmon River crossing and up
the tributary we worked yesterday. On the first sand bar we noticed
fresh tracks of a medium Brown Bear in our tracks! As we continued
up stream we noticed it was following our tracks! We stopped
where we had noticed the Coho in the small hole yesterday. Only
one or two were there. Bobby rigged a couple of fishing poles.
As Robbie fished the hole Bobby worked his way to the next downstream
hole and sighted some nice fish in it. Robbie eased up on the
lower hole and hooked a nice bright Coho. After a good fight
in the swift water he landed it and after a quick photo or two
released it. After a bit we worked our way up the creek to where
we took the stand till dark last evening. There were tracks of
a larger Brownie in our tracks! It seemed to be checking out
the place where we sat. We moved over to the old mining trail
and up stream to where Bobby had seen the fresh tracks of three
Bear yesterday. We settled into a vantagepoint where we could
see up and down the small creek. I set up to look down stream
and Bobby and Robbie sat up to look up the small creek. It was
about 2:00pm. Bobby glassed the sand in the creek and noticed
a large Bear track that was not there yesterday. We often checked
the wind direction as we waited. At about 5:15, action. A nice
Brown Bear came into my view at about 100 yards slowly walking
up stream checking out the creek as it went. I eased over and
alerted Robbie and Bobby. Soon it was in sight. We discussed
things quietly. “It’s not jumbo but it’s a nice
Bear.” It slowly moved in our direction in good view from
our brushy stand. “It’s got excellent fur and good
color.” It was getting just below us. It paused, nose up,
winding the air. It sensed something. It started up the bank
in our direction. “Robbie don’t let it come up here.”
It stopped at less than 30 yards. Robbie and Bobby had their
rifles shouldered. Robbie strained to see the Bear just below
in the thick berry brush. It slowly turned and eased back out
to the creek bank. “I’ve decided to take it” Robbie
whispers. Bobby also has his cross hairs on it. Robbie waits
for the proper shot. Broadside quartering away at 35 yards or
so. Robbie’s 300 Weatherby Mag broke the silence. The big
Bear reacted and turned in our direction. Another shot rang out.
The eight-foot Bear slumped into the creek. Robbie had placed
the 200 grain Barnes X handloads perfectly. Bobby was the first
down off the bank and eased up on the bear. A quick clean kill.
We struggled to scoot and roll it out of the small creek and
onto a sand bar. We all stood in awe and respect for the big
Bruin. After a photo session we completed the skinning.
We loaded the heavy load into
Bobby’s backpack and we headed out in the twilight. It was
dark by the time we reached the Salmon River crossing. Over to
the rig and back to the Cabin. After stretching out the hide
it was over to the showerhouse then to Stewert for dinner. Then
it was back to the Sealaska Inn and a toast to the successful
hunt. We ‘toasted’ into the evening and Robbie even
got ‘Hyderized’.
Oct 3 ’99
We all slept in and woke up to light rain. Bobby worked on the
Bear in the wood shed. He fleshed the hide and cleaned the skull
then put the skin down on the salt. Robbie and I took a ride
up the road and glassed for a Black Bear from several vantagepoints.
We didn’t sight any Bears. After dark it was back to the
cabin; dinner and bed.
Oct 4 ’99
After our morning fire and coffee we went over to Stewert for
breakfast. We then loaded up the fishing gear and headed on down
to the lower part of the Salmon River. We worked the large holes
in the glacier water river with spinners. The Coho Salmon were
there. We caught some very bright fish with Sea Lice still on
them.
We had a great time. Robbie
took a limit to the freezer to take home to Mississippi. We then
got our hunting gear together and headed up to the Salmon River
crossing. There were fresh tracks of Wolf and Bear on the sandbars.
We took a stand and sat till dark. We didn’t sight any Bears
(Black or Brown) moving. During our river crossing I heard a
splash and gasping. I turned around to see Robbie thrashing in
the water trying to get his footing back. He recovered quickly.
That glacier river is flowing with very cold ice water. He caught
his breath. “Robbie you could have waited for the shower
house, you didn’t have to take a bath in the river”.
We hurried across to the rig. Back to the cabin wood stove and
then to the shower house. We turned in tired again.
Oct 6 ’99
We woke up to rain on the tin roof. After a breakfast at the
King Eddie in Stewert we headed for the Salmon River for some
fishing. The river was rising in the continuing rain. The water
was fast. We fish in several areas of the river. Bobby caught
a spawned out Coho and had a couple of Dollies on. We had a good
day just being in such a beautiful place. Later in the afternoon
we headed back in to do laundry and start packing for our flight
to Ketchikan.
Oct 7 ’99
We got up to heavy rain this morning. We finished packing. Cleaned
and straightened out the Cabin. We then headed to the Taquan
Air agent and checked in for our flight on the Mail Plane. It
was waiting on weather so we headed over to Stewert for breakfast.
Back to the Hyder dock and waited on the plane. It finally was
in sight coming up the canal. We would have to go around the
long way. It was a bumpy, foggy ride back to Ketchikan. We stopped
at the ADF&G office and Lela sealed the Brown Bear hide and
skull. Bobby flew back to Prince of Wales Island and I got Robbie
settled in to a motel room for the night.
Oct 8 ’99
Robbie’s southbound Alaska Air jet flight was canceled.
In mid afternoon I meet him and we did some sightseeing around
Ketchikan. Taking a look at the Totem Parks and the Southeast
Alaska Visitors Center among other places. We said our good byes
again in early evening after dinner. It was a great hunt and
a great time.
Conclusion: Robbie is an Anesthesiologist
in the Jackson Mississippi area. He made contact with me last
year after I made a post on the HuntAmerica.Com web site. We
negotiated and made a deal for this first time hunt. I had been
planning to do it for a couple of years. I had done a lot of
research and planning into it. It all paid off. Robbie last words
were “I’ll be back”.
Robbie's Bear measured
8' 3" from nose to tail and a little more from front claw
to claw.
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