Alaskan bears easier to spot this time of year
CHILKAT RANGE, Alaska -- The humpback's unannounced flight sent out an astonishing wall of vibration reminiscent of a small jet as it crashed back into the frigid water. Until then, the slight slurp of the oars had been the loudest sound on the calm afternoon in this wild place as the Zodiac neared the rocky shoreline, and the impact of the whale -- though a mile away -- resonated near and far in the faint breeze.
The hulking animal didn't breach again but occasionally surfaced for air, emitting a whooshing rush before arcing below, its broad tail gliding down in one of the most impressive displays in nature. Whales are viewed as good luck by mariners, so even though its aerobatics were startling, it was a bright sign to add to an already gorgeous day as my father paddled farther into the cove.
The red and silver Hewescraft shrank with each stroke as it rocked in a light current in 20 feet of water, its resting place anchored so the looming low tide wouldn't suck out and leave the boat high and dry until the water flowed back in sometime after dark. When the inflatable finally grazed the smooth rocks on the sloping beach, two pairs of XTRATUFs plopped into the water, and we toted the craft 50 yards ashore not wanting our only means of transportation to make an early departure.
After a quick gear inspection, we navigated a previously used route through the quaking alders and evergreens with our sights set on a sloping bowl in the terrain opposite a babbling stream on the other side of the dense forest.
There was bear sign everywhere.
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The season already was closed in late May on nearby Admiralty Island, known as the "Fortress of the Bear" to native Tlingits because it has the highest density of brown bears in North America, so our efforts were centered on other locales. The main focus was on a section of forest across the Lynn Canal from Juneau flanked by snow-capped mountains and lined with streams running into the saltwater. The scenic area is one of my favorite places on Earth and had proved fruitful on past hunts.
Spring bear hunting, much like salmon fishing, is all about timing. Arrive too early and the bears won't be out of their slumber, but show up too late and they will have moved farther from beaches and clearings where they're easiest to spot. And while many hunters have harvested black bears over bait stations, others enjoy pursuing them through spot-and-stalk methods with still hunting mixed in, which was our plan on this excursion.
Brown bears frequent much of this same area, but my father previously had taken a brownie and could not harvest one until a four-year waiting period was up in this management unit. And for me, the expense of the nonresident tag made the decision easier to go with a cheaper black bear tag, especially if they were active. We also had used a couple of planned bear-hunting days on fantastic king salmon fishing.
It all goes back to being flexible, and if you can be you certainly don't leave big fish to catch that you know are there.
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The freshwater stream that had been a rushing flow in the past with added snow melt seemed to barely move as we approached it in the fine, gray sand of the sloping beach. We had glassed the whole area repeatedly from the backdrop of ancient evergreens before nearing the bowl area where a bear likely was, recently had been or would return later. Not seeing any dark shapes or movement, we decided to hunker down and wait a few yards back in the alder labyrinth up the bank from the stream, our eyes probing nooks and crannies in the terrain where even a massive animal could be concealed.
The first hour of expectation turned to irritation punctuated by the occasional mosquito, the kind that doesn't seem to want to strike but buzzes around close enough to your eyes and ears to cause infuriating but futile efforts at dispatching them. The next hour brought more of the same, and soon the afternoon warmth began to shift to cool evening, bringing with it enough chill to make an uncomfortable rear end that much more numb from sitting on uneven ground. Eventually, we decided the better part of valor was to call it a day and head back to the inflatable, leaving the spot for another time.
We employed our optics in one last effort, scanning the horizon near and far in hopes of at least spotting a critter, but all that came back was the same scenery, which in itself isn't all that tough a chore to gaze upon. Following the same boot marks we left coming in, we traced our route back along the beach, me following a couple of paces behind. After about 50 yards and easing around a bend, my father stopped and stared down quizzically, offering a candid question to which he already knew the answer.
"Were those there when we walked in?" he said, looking down at the large paw prints in the sand, those left by an animal with much longer claws than the average black bear in these parts.
"I don't remember seeing them," I replied half-heartedly.
"Brown bear tracks ... big ones," he retorted a moment later with a grin.
Our discussion then centered on what likely had happened, probably that the big bruin had entered this stretch of territory from the cover of the trees, made us either by sight or by smell even though we were concealed in the timber and simply headed back into the forested canopy.
Whatever the case, a recent trip to this wild landscape brought amazing wildlife sights, some great salmon fishing and more stories to pass on around the campfire.
With or without pulling the trigger, I'd say that's about as good as it gets.
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Nonresidents are required by law to hire a licensed outfitter to hunt brown and grizzly bears, Dall sheep and mountain goats in Alaska. The exception to that rule is if you are hunting with a relative who is an Alaska resident, is at least 19 years old and is a second degree of kindred.
And while nonresidents don't need a guide to hunt other big game, you still should look at hiring an outfitter for any excursion, especially if you've never been to an area you're hunting because having a guide around will increase your chances of success and also your chances of getting back home. This wild landscape can be unforgiving in many scenarios, and even a slight mistake could wind up being deadly. It's always good policy to get background information and references on guides and outfitters, and with access to information about hunting-related planning on the Web, setting up the trip of a lifetime has never been easier. The planning for most hunts is crucial, especially since successful, reputable outfitters usually can be booked up to a year in advance.
As far as bear calibers go, bigger usually is better, especially when you consider how thick and tough even a small bear's assembly of muscle, bone and sinew can be. The .338 probably has been used to harvest more big game in Alaska than any caliber, and it's a good across-board choice for almost any big critter. However, the hefty black bear I harvested last season was taken with a Winchester XP3 180-grain bullet fired from a .300 Winchester Short Magnum. Upping the ante with your ammunition goes hand-in-hand with caliber choice, and with today's premium bullets, you can get away with smaller calibers in some situations, especially if you are more comfortable and dialed in shooting a firearm that may have a little less kick. Accubonds and Partitions definitely are recommended when hunting for toothy critters that can absorb an amazing amount of punishment, but as long as you can put a shot where it's needed, you're ahead of the game.
Will Leschper's e-mail address is wleschper@yahoo.com.
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