Outfitter: Tom Gray
Guides: Tom and Hunter Gray
Cook: BJ Gray
Camp security: Nalla the beautiful Karelian Bear Dog
Dates: Sept 2-8, 2012
Location: WMU 22B near White Mountain and Council, Alaska
Weather: unremitting rain, 35-50 degrees F
Animals Taken: Grizzly bear sow, 8 ft span, 82" nose to tail, 7' 5" square, skull green score 21.5"

Bow: Bowtech 101st Airborne, 73# & 29" draw
Arrow: GoldTip Big Game 200 Kinetic Pro, 752 gr total weight
Broadhead: 264 gr Custom Dauntless Broadhead, 111 gr adapter, 25 gr 2012 footer

I booked a hunt with Tom Gray of White Mountain/Nome Alaska after talking with him at a local show. He was the only guide who answered the question "What will you do when I shoot?" the way I wanted. All the other guides said "I'll get in a follow-up shot unless it drops in it's tracks."

Tom said "Nothing unless it's charging us." Sold.

We scouted from boats and four-wheelers until we spotted bear, then we stalked on foot. The rivers were all so high the bears could not fish for salmon, so we mostly hunted tundra. Stalks ranged from .5 to 2 miles across tundra and mixed willows. The rain and fog killed visibility and we had to work hard to find any bears at all. We saw 6 bears total, and the previous week Tom had seen 39 bears!

We stalked two bigger boars during the hunt. They were on the tundra and we only got to within 200 yards before they busted us both times.

The final stalk was on a medium-sized bear that Tom guessed at 7.5 ft. We finally had a bit of terrain in our favor - the bear had fed down to the break of a creek. Tom advised that this was likely the best chance we'd get, and I'd better take it. We were able to get to within 27 yards. My first shot was too far back and high - liver or even kidneys. The video shows a Hell of a lot of water jumping off the cam and string. So much water came off the arrow that Hunter thought the fletches had left the arrow. Not much of an excuse, but all I've got.

The bear ran downhill about 40 yards and stopped long enough for me to get in another shot at 65 yards - and this was a good one. The bear was facing dead away from me and arrow entered to the left of the spine just above the root of the tail and travelled the length of the body, stopping against the hide to the right of the windpipe. The bear made another 25-30 yards gushing blood from the mouth and dropped without a moan.

Very few pics because of the rain, but the final stalk was captured through a rain-streaked lens. I'm giving Tom first chance to use that video, so here's a still of the bear:



The bear was the size Tom guessed, but was an old barren sow. Her teeth were chipped, broken and rotting, and she was not lactating.

Tom and his family worked hard to get me near this bear in some weather that even had them complaining - but they kept after it. Hunter once asked Tom, "Are you SURE you can't get frostbite in this weather?"

We had a few 30 mile days over rough terrain and poor or non-existent trails.

The cabins were snug and warm, and they even had a generator and internet access.

Edit to add video:

Grizzly Bear Stalk

Sounds like a world class hunt to me and with a bow at tha!That is so much bigger than my little black bear. Glad it worked out.

JD

Congratulations Don! Gorgeous old bear! You are having a banner year with your hunts.

Thanks for the compliments, I really wanted a boar, but "you buys your ticket and you takes your chances."

I was lucky to estimate the range properly on the second shot. My pins only go to 50 yards, and that heavy arrow has a rainbow trajectory. I do routinely practice out to 70 yards, but not in the rain at grizzly bears.

Don, it sounds like high adventure to me. What would a G bear hunt be without alittle rain!
Congrats on your bear.

Don, don't be surprised when I say so: well done - and I do mean it!

friar

Don,

I took my brown bear with a handgun last year because of the added challenge, but you have taken the challenge of brown bear hunting to an even greater level, congratulations! Hunting a brown bear with a bow takes guts IMHO. By that I don't necessarily mean putting your life on the line so much as the possibility of coming home empty-handed from a "once in a lifetime" type hunt that requires quite a bit of expense and travel.

What kind of shootin' iron is that in the photo?

Congrats again!!!

I carried a 6" S&W629 as a backup, since I could not find one of the lighter 329PD versions.

Technical detail: This was by definition a grizzly hunt, not a brown bear hunt since we were N of 62N.

Yep, I'll probably never be able to afford another brown/grizzly hunt, so I chose Tom Gray very carefully.

The combination of Eskimo guides (and the chance of seeing some bare glimpse of their lifestyle) and unique location along with high probability of bowhunting success sold me on the hunt.

As I said before,Tom's attitude on followup was also key. I could easily have taken a bigger/better trophy with a rifle - as Tom offered his for a "real monster" we stalked unsuccessfully with a bow.

quote:

Originally posted by Don_G:

Yep, I'll probably never be able to afford another brown/grizzly hunt, so I chose Tom Gray very carefully.

Tom offered his(rifle) for a "real monster" we stalked unsuccessfully with a bow.

Don,

I am not a bowhunter, and archery tackle is about as interesting as a shovel to me. I have to say your concept is a pretty wonderful trait, that the hunt was more important to you than the trophy.

I wish more people had that idea. I remember when I was in my 20's and the trophy was more imporant than killing a young one.

Now I just like the hunt. Putting meat on the table is wonderful, horns and hides are nice, but getting out there and doing it is what's its all about.

You shot a nice bear your way. Nothing soured your experience. Nice feeling to have.

Thanks MOA.

The video is now posted on youtube. Watch the water explode off the cam at the shot.

Grizzly Bear Stalk

Congrats,you were pretty calm on the outside.Was your stomach doing flip ,flops???

Congratulations Don,

What a great year you are having!
Thanks for sharing the report and the video.

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
Congrats,you were pretty calm on the outside.Was your stomach doing flip ,flops???

I didn't think I was excited, but my 27 yard shot was almost a foot right from where I was aiming.

Good stuff, Don! You've hunted a trophy of a lifetime!

I just found this post, WOW what a fantastic video, and you got off your second shot danged fast too. For those who don't bowhunt it usually takes awhile to "settle in" after drawing but Don just drew and shot line he was born with a bow in his hand. Looks like the practicing has paid off. Sometimes we don't get the Big animals we see, but with a bow and the challenges it represents size is
secondary. That's a fine trophy by any standard.

Fantastic accomplishment!


Congratulations Don!

A question or two: did you initially book the trip for a longer hunt or did you only have a week scheduled? That's not much time to get a bear with a bow....but you obviously got 'er done.
Also, it looks like it was fairly steep. Did you aim low to compensate?
I just returned from a 7 day bear hunt in unit 17 and while I'm a bow hunter also, there's no way I would have been successful in that amount of time with a bow. Good for you!

Regards,
Scott

The 27 yard measurement was taken with a slant-compensating range finder, so I used my 30 yard pin.

The second shot I had no measurement, and I did not want to wait on one. I was afraid the bear would leave any second. My furthest pin was only 50 yards and I guesstimated the range at 65 yards. So I just held my 50 yard pin above her back and it all worked out.

I usually shoot rapidly as with my second shot. The first shot I was counting my pins twice. (I had pins at 10,20,30,35,40,45,50 yards for those heavy arrows.) On the second shot there were no pins to count, so I just let her rip - and it worked out.

Tom had assured me that a week was enough time in his unit that time of year. I had already allocated all my vacation and a week was all I had anyway.

Congratulations on a fantastic, classic HUNT. That you got a real nice bear is icing on the cake. Very well done!

Thank you for the story and the post

Very well done, trophy of a lifetime!

Good JOB! Very cool video,feels like were there with you !

Just saw this post and video....AWESOME Don!!!! Congratulations! That is a bear and a hunt to be proud of. The video is terrific. Congrats again.

Cheers,
Chris

Don,

I also just saw this. I was in Zambia when you posted it. Well done! Personally I think the big bears of about any size as long as they are mature if taken with a bow are great trophies.

Big congrats!

Mark

Don G, I only just found this here now as I'm normally in the Africa forums. Totally epic hunt and an incredible trophy.
JCHB

Don, Fantastic bear hard hunt crappy weather and you made the shots.

Mike

Great hunt the stainless marlin guide gun looked about perfect back up for that wet nasty weather.

Thanks, guys.

I have to say I still enjoy watching the youtube video and remembering the hunt!

Congrats!

I just got word that Tom Gray will be at the Denver Expo this coming weekend (Jan 17-20 2013.) Thought I'd mention it in case anybody wanted to meet him.

I just got back from getting the P&Y measurements after the drying period. The skull will probably come in about 55th from the top in the next book.

Apparently there's only 200 or so grizz in the previous book, so 50th is not as impressive as it might sound - but I'm happy.

Tom Gray will be glad to hear it, and he's here in Denver for the Sportsman's Expo.

Just found your post. I shot a B&C grizzly with Tom 3 springs ago. Superb hunt, and Tom And BeeJay are great hosts. Tom was once the mayor of White Mnt, AK......

Congrats!

Congrats to you, too!

I saw Tom and BJ yesterday. They were doing well.

quote:

Originally posted by Don_G:
I could easily have taken a bigger/better trophy with a rifle - as Tom offered his for a "real monster" we stalked unsuccessfully with a bow.

Gutsy move. Congrats!

Here's a pic of the cleaned skull. The P&Y measurer pointed out the unusual scarring (bony growths) along the ridge at the top of the skull. This ridge and the gristle along the skull above it is what probably what convinced Tom and me this was a boar.

This may be a shameless plug, but I wanted to bring this back to the top. The picture hosting is costing me $8/month and I will have to stop paying that soon, so read it now if interested in bow hunting Grizzly bear.

If anyone knows how to host the pics for free, please contact me.

quote:

Originally posted by Don_G:
I just got back from getting the P&Y measurements after the drying period. The skull will probably come in about 55th from the top in the next book.

Apparently there's only 200 or so grizz in the previous book, so 50th is not as impressive as it might sound - but I'm happy.

Tom Gray will be glad to hear it, and he's here in Denver for the Sportsman's Expo.

Great Hunt thanks for sharing

quote:

Originally posted by Don_G:
This may be a shameless plug, but I wanted to bring this back to the top. The picture hosting is costing me $8/month and I will have to stop paying that soon, so read it now if interested in bow hunting Grizzly bear.

If anyone knows how to host the pics for free, please contact me.

I use Imgur. There are others out there.


Apparently there's only 200 or so grizz in the previous book, so 50th is not as impressive as it might sound - but I'm happy.

It does take more guts than using a firearm.

Grizz