Who's been on, or wants to go, Grizzly Bear hunting?

Who's been on, or wants to go, Grizzly Bear hunting?

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So I just watched this video of Mike (SKRE) and his cousin, Jared, hunting grizzly bear in Alaska. Looks like a fun adventure. The poll question is, who's been on, or wants to go, grizzly bear hunting?

If you've already "been there, done that", let's see some pics or your own video!

Here's their hunt:
 
On the first day of my Northern BC Stone sheep hunt we were just headed to breakfast and spotted a big bear feeding on a hillside only 600yds from camp. He was a beautiful giant bear and I was in awe as I watched through my binos. I had no tag, but the other goat hunter in camp had bought a griz permit, just in case. (lt was the last season that grizzly hunting was allowed in BC before the Vancouver Liberals banned it.)
The guide dropped everything and they climbed the mountain to within 200 yards, but the bear caught wind of them and ran across the valley faster than anything I have seen.
I don't think the hunter wanted to shoot it very bad because he seemed to have time for a shot but didn't take it.
They are amazing formidable animals and I have even more respect after that encounter. For multiple reasons, I have never had a burning desire to shoot one.
 
littlebighorn said:
They are amazing formidable animals and I have even more respect after that encounter. For multiple reasons, I have never had a burning desire to shoot one.
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Agree 100%. I’ve had to shoot brown bears when I didn’t want to. But I would wager a big old mature grizz or brown bear is smarter than any other animal out there that we can pursue with a tag.

I’ll likely shoot a grizzly this spring for management purposes. I’ll likely give the hide away.
 
Hey SS! You are the wisest of the wise my friend. The best of the best. The winningest winner I've never met on the internet. By all accounts, you are the top of your breed.!

If a bear rug must be given away, maybe it'll find its way to my house.?? That would really be in line with your unmatched generosity... ;)
 
BrowningRage said:
Hey SS! You are the wisest of the wise my friend. The best of the best. The winningest winner I've never met on the internet. By all accounts, you are the top of your breed.!

If a bear rug must be given away, maybe it'll find its way to my house.?? That would really be in line with your unmatched generosity... ;)
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If you’re serious I’ll ship one your way when I kill one.
 
In '96 I went on my first Grizz hunt in Alaska's interior.
Saw a couple giants that eluded us.
After 17 days took a well furred medium sized bear.

Screenshot-20221209-193408-Photos.jpg


The giants always haunted me.
I went back in '98 to hunt Caribou and had an extra week, so I hooked up with my bear guide that I had become good friends with and we spent time looking for one of the giants that had eluded us.
Saw some decent bears, but no giants.
But I ended up killing 2 wolves.
Later that fall he guided his son to a bear that had escaped us that was just short of 9 feet square.
An absolute giant of an interior bear.

Screenshot-20221210-054448-Photos.jpg
best image hosting

I realized that if I want to kill a giant bear, I had to go where the giants lived.
In 2001 I drew a Kodiak Bear tag and booked a 15 day backpack trip with a highly successful guide.
It would be the most memorable hunt of my life.
Long story sort, I killed the bear of a lifetime.
10 foot 1 inch, Boone & Crockett with a perfect hide.

Screenshot-20221209-193432-Photos.jpg



Screenshot-20221209-193441-Photos.jpg
 
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We deer hunted in 1994 on Kodiak and we're hosted by Andy Runyon. He was a legend master guide and for a time had more bears in the top 50 as a guide, than anyone.

We spent 10 days hunting deer over the Thanksgiving holiday and obviously heard many great stories. He also had scrap books of his adventures. We also had some encounters with bears while deer hunting and had to shoot at the feet of a bear that showed a little too much interest in us.

Looks like the guys in the video had some very favorable weather. Andy always said "bear hunting on Kodiak is 14 days of misery for 10 seconds of terror". I'm guessing those hunts must be in the neighborhood of $35K by now?
 
HunterHarry said:
In '96 I went on my first Grizz hunt in Alaska's interior.
Saw a couple giants that eluded us.
After 17 days took a well furred medium sized bear.

View attachment 96416

The giants always haunted me.
I went back in '98 to hunt Caribou and had an extra week, so I hooked up with my bear guide that I had become good friends with and we spent time looking for one of the giants that had eluded us.
Saw some decent bears, but no giants.
But I ended up killing 2 wolves.
Later that fall he guided his son to a bear that had escaped us that was just short of 9 feet square.
An absolute giant of an interior bear.

View attachment 96417best image hosting

I realized that if I want to kill a giant bear, I had to go where the giants lived.
In 2001 I drew a Kodiak Bear tag and booked a 15 day backpack trip with a highly successful guide.
It would be the most memorable hunt of my life.
Long story sort, I killed the bear of a lifetime.
10 foot 1 inch, Boone & Crockett with a perfect hide.

View attachment 96418


View attachment 96419
Click to expand...
Thats awesome.
 
Well I have been fascinated by bears since I was little. I have read dozens and dozens of books as well as countless internet articles. I have spent weeks and months during spring and summer in constant search of grizzlies for the last 30+ years. I love hunting black bears, even though I felt melancholy when I shot one. Sometimes I think I want to hunt a grizzly, but most the time I don't. Mule deer and grizz are my favorite animal. However, my favorite animal to hunt is a mule deer by far. I still remember the exact day I saw my first grizzly, September 23rd, 1996. My dad and I had searched for years before we actually saw one. He was a beautiful silvertip grizz! Maybe one day I will hunt one. If I do it will be an interior grizz, but I probably will never have enough interest.
 
I would have loved to hunted a Kodiak grizzly or even a coastal grizzly but never could get the money and the trade offs for family needs to balance. 40 years ago the costs were minimal compared to today but then wages were too. The sand ran through the hour glass and when I finally could have balanced the needs with the wants…….. my physical condition was gone, with the sand.

Don’t have a lot regrets in life but I do regret I never pull that off. Happy for anyone that has.
 
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2lumpy said:
I would have loved to hunted a Kodiak grizzly or even a coastal grizzly but never could get the money and the trade offs for family needs to balance. 40 years ago the costs were minimal compared to today but then wages were too. The sand ran through the hour glass and when I finally could have balanced the needs with the wants…….. my physical condition was gone, with the sand.

Don’t have a lot regrets in life but I do regret I never pull that off. Happy for anyone that has.
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DeLon, your words ring true, I need to get it done… I wish you would’ve done it!!!!
 
2lumpy said:
I would have loved to hunted a Kodiak grizzly or even a coastal grizzly but never could get the money and the trade offs for family needs to balance. 40 years ago the costs were minimal compared to today but then wages were too. The sand ran through the hour glass and when I finally could have balanced the needs with the wants…….. my physical condition was gone, with the sand.

Don’t have a lot regrets in life but I do regret I never pull that off. Happy for anyone that has.
Click to expand...
It's funny you mention sand through the hour glass. One of my best friends and somebody who hopefully influenced my life a lot passed away last year. Gene was a good bit older than me, but we got to share a lot of hunts together. Gene had always wanted to do a grizzly hunt and had bought a rifle to do it with (375 H&H). When he found out he was sick, he told me that he wanted me to have this rifle (which is one of my most prized possessions). I'm not a real big bear hunter (although I seem to have lots of encounters with them). I was determined to take a bear here at home with this rifle before Gene passed away ( I hoped maybe it would show my appreciation of his gift to me). I'm not sure that I ever wanted to harvest anything worse than I wanted to get a bear to share with him before he passed. Luckily I was able to get one. I was by myself when I got it, before I worked it up, I got to thinking that maybe I could get him far enough in on a four wheeler that he might be able to walk in the rest of the way. So I went out of the woods and picked him up and was able to get him in to the bear. I'm so grateful that we got to share the experience of skinning the bear out together. He passed about two months after this. So, the hour glass thing is one to keep in mind. That is one of the reasons I would love to be able to go on a grizzly hunt and put my buddies rifle to use, I know he would be celebrating with me. The first picture is me with the rifle right afterwards, the second is Gene with a big grin!

Bear.jpg


Gene.jpg
 
ReinerDude said:
It's funny you mention sand through the hour glass. One of my best friends and somebody who hopefully influenced my life a lot passed away last year. Gene was a good bit older than me, but we got to share a lot of hunts together. Gene had always wanted to do a grizzly hunt and had bought a rifle to do it with (375 H&H). When he found out he was sick, he told me that he wanted me to have this rifle (which is one of my most prized possessions). I'm not a real big bear hunter (although I seem to have lots of encounters with them). I was determined to take a bear here at home with this rifle before Gene passed away ( I hoped maybe it would show my appreciation of his gift to me). I'm not sure that I ever wanted to harvest anything worse than I wanted to get a bear to share with him before he passed. Luckily I was able to get one. I was by myself when I got it, before I worked it up, I got to thinking that maybe I could get him far enough in on a four wheeler that he might be able to walk in the rest of the way. So I went out of the woods and picked him up and was able to get him in to the bear. I'm so grateful that we got to share the experience of skinning the bear out together. He passed about two months after this. So, the hour glass thing is one to keep in mind. That is one of the reasons I would love to be able to go on a grizzly hunt and put my buddies rifle to use, I know he would be celebrating with me. The first picture is me with the rifle right afterwards, the second is Gene with a big grin!

View attachment 96549

View attachment 96550
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You honored your friend in the best way you could. Proud of you and the effort you made in his behalf. I hope you have many more great experiences with his rifle and the hunts you take it on. Seems you are a darn good man.
 
I have been on an inland Grizzly hunt and it was the only guided hunt I have ever been on. I got to glass for Bears for 9 straight days and killed a smaller Bear on the last evening I had to hunt.
I saw 13 or 14 Bears and could of shot the Bear I killed on day 2. I was holding out for a bigger boar which I saw on day 5 but I couldnt close the distance in time. I am still extremely happy with the Bear I killed and its one of my greatest trophies. I had dreamed of Grizzly hunting since I was in High School and finally pulled the trigger at 51. I would do it over again if I could. Go while you can you never know what life will throw at you.

01 Grizzly.jpg
 
ironhead said:
I have been on an inland Grizzly hunt and it was the only guided hunt I have ever been on. I got to glass for Bears for 9 straight days and killed a smaller Bear on the last evening I had to hunt.
I saw 13 or 14 Bears and could of shot the Bear I killed on day 2. I was holding out for a bigger boar which I saw on day 5 but I couldnt close the distance in time. I am still extremely happy with the Bear I killed and its one of my greatest trophies. I had dreamed of Grizzly hunting since I was in High School and finally pulled the trigger at 51. I would do it over again if I could. Go while you can you never know what life will throw at you.

View attachment 96553
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That is an awesome color phase. Did you have it mounted?
 
I love chasing grizzlies/brown bears. Crazy smart, excellent noses, hard to fool, and the primal terror in the back of your head screaming at you for trying to kill an apex predator way larger and faster than you. It is just addicting. I've only killed one, and helped kill one other. But I've tried and been outsmarted many many times!
Butterball head.jpg
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I have loved to hunt and have been addicted to it since I was 4-5 years old. I've been blessed to experience many great hunts and have hunted more than I deserve in my 32 years of life. Since I was 10 years old my ultimate dream has been a Kodiak Brown Bear with a bow. I'm not sure I'll ever accomplish it, but if I could chose today I would give up tags for the rest of my life if it meant I would accomplish that dream. I would gladly take that one successful brown bear hunt with my bow over another 30 years of hunting for myself. It's just my own personal Mount Everest! I have no idea if I'll ever see the dream come true, but I will surely take advantage of the opportunity if it arises. To many it is just a bear, but to me it would be my biggest hunting dream coming true.
 
money said:
I have loved to hunt and have been addicted to it since I was 4-5 years old. I've been blessed to experience many great hunts and have hunted more than I deserve in my 32 years of life. Since I was 10 years old my ultimate dream has been a Kodiak Brown Bear with a bow. I'm not sure I'll ever accomplish it, but if I could chose today I would give up tags for the rest of my life if it meant I would accomplish that dream. I would gladly take that one successful brown bear hunt with my bow over another 30 years of hunting for myself. It's just my own personal Mount Everest! I have no idea if I'll ever see the dream come true, but I will surely take advantage of the opportunity if it arises. To many it is just a bear, but to me it would be my biggest hunting dream coming true.
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I guess my passion wasn’t as intense.

If I had felt like you do, I would have borrowed the money, taken out a second mortgage on my house, sold every thing of value I owned, get a second and even a third job, weekends, nights, quit school, sold my truck, drove a clunker car to work.

Why…….. it will never be cheaper than it is right now. You can buy houses, cars and school tuition any day of the week when you finish your hunt and get home. Rifles, boats, ATVs, tractors, bailers, etc can all be replaced, one at a time, in spits and spirts, $5,000 here , $2000 there, after you’ve reached your goal. If you are really willing to give up all future hunts, the cost of those hunts, over the next 10 to 15 years alone, will pay for your grizzly hunt.

So……. If you really are that committed, you should just bit the bullet and go for it.

All the best, hope you kill a great one.
 
2lumpy said:
I guess my passion wasn’t as intense.

If I had felt like you do, I would have borrowed the money, taken out a second mortgage on my house, sold every thing of value I owned, get a second and even a third job, weekends, nights, quit school, sold my truck, drove a clunker car to work.

Why…….. it will never be cheaper than it is right now. You can buy houses, cars and school tuition any day of the week when you finish your hunt and get home. Rifles, boats, ATVs, tractors, bailers, etc can all be replaced, one at a time, in spits and spirts, $5,000 here , $2000 there, after you’ve reached your goal. If you are really willing to give up all future hunts, the cost of those hunts, over the next 10 to 15 years alone, will pay for your grizzly hunt.

So……. If you really are that committed, you should just bit the bullet and go for it.

All the best, hope you kill a great one.
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This is exactly what I've been thinking myself. I've got 4 young kids and obviously I've got to be smart about it, but I do agree with you and am trying to do some creative things to fund the trip sooner than later.
 
money said:
This is exactly what I've been thinking myself. I've got 4 young kids and obviously I've got to be smart about it, but I do agree with you and am trying to do some creative things to fund the trip sooner than later.
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Move to Alaska. Hunt them on registration permits in the Alaska Peninsula. Same size, nearly identical genetics, and equally horrible weather as Kodiak, but you don't have to win the abysmal lottery for a resident Kodiak tag. Or registration hunt on the Kenai every year. Or hit the interior for grizzlies where you can kill 2 each year.

Vanilla said:
And just so everyone understands for reference, johnnycake is only 4 foot 8 inches.

Just kidding johnny! I'm very jealous of your bear hunt.
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My appropriate sized frame sure does help critters look big! But Knight's Taxidermy was pretty serious about charging me the 9'4" linear measurement for the tanning. She was a big, fat, stinky gal
 
2lumpy said:
I guess my passion wasn’t as intense.

If I had felt like you do, I would have borrowed the money, taken out a second mortgage on my house, sold every thing of value I owned, get a second and even a third job, weekends, nights, quit school, sold my truck, drove a clunker car to work.

Why…….. it will never be cheaper than it is right now. You can buy houses, cars and school tuition any day of the week when you finish your hunt and get home. Rifles, boats, ATVs, tractors, bailers, etc can all be replaced, one at a time, in spits and spirts, $5,000 here , $2000 there, after you’ve reached your goal. If you are really willing to give up all future hunts, the cost of those hunts, over the next 10 to 15 years alone, will pay for your grizzly hunt.

So……. If you really are that committed, you should just bit the bullet and go for it.

All the best, hope you kill a great one.
Click to expand...
I did darn near that to afford my Kodiak hunt.
Sold my pretty 1 ton 4x4 and drove a piece of crap car, saved and scrimped for a couple years but got it done.
Those hunts were expensive back then but not like now.
 
ironhead said:
I have been on an inland Grizzly hunt and it was the only guided hunt I have ever been on. I got to glass for Bears for 9 straight days and killed a smaller Bear on the last evening I had to hunt.
I saw 13 or 14 Bears and could of shot the Bear I killed on day 2. I was holding out for a bigger boar which I saw on day 5 but I couldnt close the distance in time. I am still extremely happy with the Bear I killed and its one of my greatest trophies. I had dreamed of Grizzly hunting since I was in High School and finally pulled the trigger at 51. I would do it over again if I could. Go while you can you never know what life will throw at you.

View attachment 96553
Click to expand...
That's a cool bear! There is a couple spots where I caribou hunt that I see bears this color occasionally. One hillside I've see the same sow with cubs (new cubs obviously) every year and have for nearly 10 years now. I didn't see her last fall, the few times I hunted that spot. Those light colored bears are sometimes referred to as "toklat" color phase. Most are sows. I've seen a couple boars that were lighter, but not that light. There is a book I would recommend called The Alaska Wolf Man, that is worth a read. He mentions hunting those bears numerous times.
 
Bambistew said:
That's a cool bear! There is a couple spots where I caribou hunt that I see bears this color occasionally. One hillside I've see the same sow with cubs (new cubs obviously) every year and have for nearly 10 years now. I didn't see her last fall, the few times I hunted that spot. Those light colored bears are sometimes referred to as "toklat" color phase. Most are sows. I've seen a couple boars that were lighter, but not that light. There is a book I would recommend called The Alaska Wolf Man, that is worth a read. He mentions hunting those bears numerous times.
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Yes, this is a Toklat boar. I will check out the book and thank you for the info.
 
joesikora said:
Tell Mrs feddoc we hope she gets better!
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Thanks. I don't think it will get better. She had a massive heart attack in 2015 and suffered a brain injury because of it.

To be fair, she is not in need of constant care, but, does need reminded to take her anti seizure meds and her night time meds.

She forgets a few things (yea, I darn sure take advantage of that ;) ) but is otherwise healthy.
 
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HunterHarry said:
In '96 I went on my first Grizz hunt in Alaska's interior.
Saw a couple giants that eluded us.
After 17 days took a well furred medium sized bear.

View attachment 96416

The giants always haunted me.
I went back in '98 to hunt Caribou and had an extra week, so I hooked up with my bear guide that I had become good friends with and we spent time looking for one of the giants that had eluded us.
Saw some decent bears, but no giants.
But I ended up killing 2 wolves.
Later that fall he guided his son to a bear that had escaped us that was just short of 9 feet square.
An absolute giant of an interior bear.

View attachment 96417best image hosting

I realized that if I want to kill a giant bear, I had to go where the giants lived.
In 2001 I drew a Kodiak Bear tag and booked a 15 day backpack trip with a highly successful guide.
It would be the most memorable hunt of my life.
Long story sort, I killed the bear of a lifetime.
10 foot 1 inch, Boone & Crockett with a perfect hide.

View attachment 96418


View attachment 96419
Click to expand...
Hi Hunter Harry I havent seen much of you on here lately I hope all is well with you and yours
 

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