Last fall I got a call from Jens Bastrup. He is a foreign exchange student (senior a K-hi) here in Ketchikan with the Rotary Club Exchange program. He was interested in hunting Bear. Since he is from Denmark he must hunt with a Guide here in Alaska. I talked with Ed Toribio, my friend and Guide partner, who owns Primo Expeditions. Ed said he would help me with seeing that Jens would get in some quality Black Bear hunting. Jens worked in several weekends in April around his busy school and soccer schedule. Jens had several shot opportunities but did not connect. Ed and I both had Bear hunts booked. Ed was able to take Jens out in late May. They had a great hunt and Jens took this nice 6 footer.

Hunt #1

Reed came up from Colorado to bow hunt for the second spring in a row. Last seasons late winter made for an unsuccessful hunt. This spring was a different story. We put up a beach tent camp and hunted by the skiff along the beaches and tidal flats. Dry weather made stalking very hard. To close that last 50-yard gap seemed impossible in those no wind lightly swirling breezes, very quiet, bay like glass evenings. Finally Reeds work and patients paid off on the 10th stalk. This stalk and ambush was perfect. He connected on this nice P&Y 6+ footer from 35 yards.

Hunt #2

Then George came on out from NY to give Prince of Wales Black Bear hunting a try. We used the same camp on the small Island that Reed and I used. The first evening out we spotted 6 or 8 Bear in the light rain. On day 2 we decided to set up in a hidden away tidal flat. Soon the bears started feeding there way out of the heavy timber and brush. We had 7 Bears in all come out.

One stood out among the rest. This was one of the dominant Bears in the flats as was clear by his actions. He walked with a deliberate swagger. Grazed at will after running off 3 other Bears. The wind was perfect. George did the 150-yard belly crawl stalk. The 7mm single shot broke the silence. The 80 yard shot was true.

George's Bear was a little over 7 feet in length and has a skull measurement of 20 11/16.