Outfitting you for seasons of success. - The Sportsman Channel

y Bob Robb“Most men, whether they admit it or not, are afraidof bears, even black bears. I prefer not to huntwith this type of dude, but I never know how aman will act in the face of danger until he’s put tothe test.” Ralph Young, Grizzlies Don’t Come Easy,Winchester Press, 1981.If you’ve never read Ralph Young’s classic book ofhis days as an Alaskan big game guide, I highly recommendit. Not only does it make great reading, it also provides lotsof insight into what it was like to hunt Alaska in the “glorydays,” before politics, subsistence rights, do-gooder gameviewers and animal rightists changed the scene forever.One thing that hasn’t changed is Young’sobservations about the effect bears have on even the mostexperienced big-game hunter. Only fools and little childrenare not at least a little bit scared of a brown bear. Thosewho have hunted them a fair amount have a healthy respectfor their power, speed and grouchy disposition. Becausebrown bears are very unpredictable and quite dangerous,most guides try to set their hunters up to shoot at them at asafe distance of, say, 100 yards, where if things go haywirethey have enough of a cushion to rectify the situation withoutgreat fear of someone being swatted.Ah, but as a bear guide, when you get a client withcojones and some experience, your eyes light up with joy.Now you can really hunt big bears the way they should behunted – by getting in tight to them, stalking in as close asyou can before making your move. This is when the hairstands up on the back of your neck and your senses areon red alert. You know that every move, every sound, everyfickle puff of the gentlest of breezes can turn the tables.Norm Goldslager was such a client. In May of 2003,I was an assistant guide for long-time Alaskan bear guideand outfitter Jim Boyce (Baranof Expeditions, 907/747-3934;www.baranofexpeditions.com) when Norman arrived. Aftera season of inexperienced hunters and tough weather, hewas a breath of fresh air. Norm’s wife had given him a veryspecial 50th birthday present – the 50th copy of Wild WestGuns Co-Pilot take-down lever-action rifle in the new .457Wild West Magnum caliber. With the 405-grain Kodiak BearBullet leaving the muzzle at about 2000 fps, Norm couldshoot sub-2-inch groups at 100 yards. We knew we had toget within 150 yards to make it happen, but that was ok – allof us wanted to get much, much closer. And we did. Here’swhat happened.Bear Hunting Is ALWAYS EXCITING!Early May is a great time for brown bear hunting on BaranofIsland, in southeast Alaska. After a long winter the bears areon the move. The boars are cruising in search of sows asthe breeding period approaches. Boyce hunts them by boat,cruising the island’s many inlets and bays, glassing numerousmountain avalanche slides and beach meadows. After morethan a decade of outfitting here, he knows the places thebears prefer, and often sets up and waits for them to show.22www.thesportsmanchannel.com