When it comes to bucket list hunts, I’m sure that some bowhunters would put brown bears near or at the top of their list. Not me.
Why? Well, I spent a summer guiding in Alaska (1992 at Bristol Bay Lodge), and the vast majority of my time I lived in a 10-x20-foot tent on the shores of the Togiak River. Not only did I see brown bears almost daily, but they were frequent visitors during the night near my tent (even though it didn’t get very dark early in the summer), which was placed on a gravel bar peninsula (or island when the water was high).
I’ve watched two mature brown bear boars viscously fight over a salmon that washed up on my gravel bar, and words cannot describe their power and quickness. I’ve seen how fast they can run — away from me AND toward me, and thankfully I was near a john boat to leave the area with my fly fishing clients without a real close call.
I would love to return to Alaska someday for fishing or hunting, but if I could ever afford a brown bear hunt, I’d choose a rifle — thank you very much.
For a taste of what Alaska has to offer, check out the 19-minute video below. The hunter, Brendan Burns, co-CEO of KUIU, is returning to Alaska a second time for brown bears. He shot a Boone and Crockett boar with his bow on his first trip (top photo; click here to watch the video), and he’s ready for another adventure.
Watch and enjoy!
