Outfitter: Renfro's Alaskan Adventures (Wade Renfro)

Location: Western Alaska

Hunt Dates: Scheduled for May 5 - 14, it turned into May 5 - 25

Species: Brown Bear (Originally)

Gear: Ruger M77 in .338 Win Mag, using Hornady Superformance ammo. Leica 10x42 binos, 15x50 binos and 20-60 / 65mm spotting scope. Sitka Gear clothing and rain gear.

Big bears are another one of my fascinations, I'll hunt them any chance I get. This was my 6th brown bear hunt in AK, one in which I was looking forward to for quite some time. I guess its predators that really do it for me, and the brown bear is definitely at the top of the food chain here in NA.


Waiting to depart for camp






We started our search only a few miles, and within site of the great Bering Sea. Arriving in camp to light winds and fairly clear skies - via super cub, it appeared we were off to a pretty good start.









This location was really cool, and easy to see that big coastal brownies had been living here for decades! Check out these two pics, they are bear tracks 6" deep in the ground - showing where bears have walked in the exact same tracks for decades. Pretty Cool!!!





Well, the cool location we were at gave way to hours/days of glassing and enduring the horrible winds - all for not. Glassing is something I am very accustom to here in the west, but doing it for days on end and seeing NOTHING - gets pretty frustrating.

Guide - Zack Shrum. Zack has guided this first location for 8 years, and was very excited that we were headed there. He was very confident we were going to find a 9 1/2' or better bear within 5-7 days, but it was not to be.




Cameraman - Broc Isabelle, enduring the horrific winds that plagued us for weeks!!


This is brown bear hunting in the spring, bring your patients!!












Well, needless to say by Day 8 we were looking for a new location - one that would hopefully produce the brown bear we were hoping for. Zack was extremely perplexed, as was the outfitter. Regardless, we moved to a new location further inland and continued our search.

Now the wind really got bad, to the point that my tent was the only one that was not flattened at some point - that includes my guide/assistant guide's tent, and other hunters/guides in other locales. In fact, my 10 day hunt turned into a 20 day hunt because of the wind. I agreed to extend a couple of days, planning for 12-13 days at most - but mother nature had other plans. I was unable to get off the mountain until day 21 in the bush! So, although the wind/rain pounded us - we continued to hunt as we had nothing else to do.

Our new location was a bit more picturesque, but the results were roughly the same.








I will say, I was outrageously impressed with the Sitka Gear I was wearing and its ability to keep me warm/dry. Their new Kelvin down jacket is unlike anything I have seen/used before.


Did I mention one spends a lot of time glassing for bears??


Zack was surprisingly a good cook! We may have spent 10 additional days in the bush, but we certainly didn't go hungry.






Finally on Day 17, we decided it was time to do a little hunting! We had seen several black bears, and when one showed up about 1/2 mile below us - we decided to give him a go. We watched as he disappeared into the alders, then we moved to a down wind position within 150 yards or so. I gave Zack my Mountain Man Custom Predator Call, and he went to work. In less than 90 seconds the bear was out of the alders and on a dead-run, directly at us. This couldn't have worked better, I was shocked. When he got to about 50 yards, he stopped quartering to us and that was it. Black Bear down! He's a decent bear, squaring 6' 4".


Apparently that was our bit of luck we needed, as late that same evening from camp - we spotted our very first brown bear. He and his girlfriend were roughly 5 miles to the east, and in no hurry to leave. I didn't care if he was 10 miles away, I knew this was our chance and we had to go. So, we got up a bit earlier the next morning to close the distance and have a better look.

By 11am we were within 2.5 miles of them both, and he looked pretty darn good from there. They were across a huge valley, up the other side and we could clearly see the river in the bottom - obviously an obstacle we knew we were going to have to cross. We reached the river in about an hour, and we couldn't believe what we were seeing. By now its late May, and with the spring runoff - the river was pumping!! Roughly 40 yards across, 4-5 feet deep and moving fast. You've got to be kidding me, really??? Obviously it was over, there was no way to safely cross the river - so the only big bear I had seen in 18 days was safe! Needless to say, the walk back to camp was somber and quiet.

Before we headed back, Broc built a fire close to the river and took a short siesta.


And of course the weather got worse. Adding insult to injury, it rained on us most of the way back.


Day 19 was again fruitless, no brown bears spotted.

Day 20, it looked as though Wade could get us out the next day as winds were expected to die down. So I told Zack I would take another black bear if he was big, and we had time to get to him. Well, I believe the good lord heard my plea as within a couple hours we were looking at what we all agreed was a big black bear.

Like the first black bear, we watched as he went into the alders and we moved within 150 yards of his last known location. We all got set up, Zack went to work on the predator call - and within 3 minutes he was lumbering his way out of the bush. This guy however was obviously a bit smarter than his smaller cousin, as when he saw us at roughly 100 yards - he took off on a dead run (broadside). I immediately confirmed Broc was on him, and fired. He rolled like a bowling ball at the shot, regained his feet and went another 40 yards before giving it up.

As we approached, we were all very impressed - he truly is a big black bear. He squares exactly 8 feet. Certainly not the big boy I came for, but a nice 2nd place for sure.


Our assistant guide - Derrick "Country" Campbell. He's from Mississippi, lives on Kodiak, loves to hunt bears, and is one tough dude!


Alaska won this one, but I'll be back. I won't stop until I find that 10 footer I have dreamed of for 25 years.


On a side note - my friend / client Richard Baca went with me on this hunt. His luck was better than mine, as he scored on this 9' 5" brownie, with a 27 1/2" skull. A great bear!!!

Sorry you didn't connect, but great report and great attitude! Great black bears and congrats to Richard!

Good luck in your quest for a 10 footer!

21 days sitting on a hill? I bet you ran out of jokes and stories! Tough. Thanks for sharing. Alaska is a special place.

Ski+3

Great write up and photos. You captured the essence of a spring bear hunt very well. Good luck next time. With your persistance you will get a good bear.

Congrats! Looks another awesome adventure.

We all have one of those hunts where the odds work against us. That's why it is called hunting. Two nice blacks are great consolation prizes however!

Good story, photos and an "A" for effort. That's why it's called huntin'.

Aaron, your brown bear hunt sounds alot like mine this spring, but at least you had a black bear option. Nice black bears - especially the second one - that is a DUDE. Congrats! True eight foot black bears are not that common - will you life-size it?

Nice report my friend. Wish you had time to visit on your way through Anchorage.

Cheers
Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Antlers:
Aaron, your brown bear hunt sounds alot like mine this spring, but at least you had a black bear option. Nice black bears - especially the second one - that is a DUDE. Congrats! True eight foot black bears are not that common - will you life-size it?

Life size, I believe I will!

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:

quote:

Originally posted by Antlers:
Aaron, your brown bear hunt sounds alot like mine this spring, but at least you had a black bear option. Nice black bears - especially the second one - that is a DUDE. Congrats! True eight foot black bears are not that common - will you life-size it?

Life size, I believe I will!

Proper!

very nice black bears. spirit of the hunt and you shown a great one Aaron.

Good stuff mate.
I too will be going back for my third try on a big Brownie. They are there.
Best. Steve