DIY Kodiak BB Hunt

[Calvin]

Figured I'd post the details of my hunt on Randy's site.

Here goes.. Extremely quick hunt. Valuable lessons learned on this hunt, that's for sure. Guaranteed to make you trophy hunters cringe.

Arrived in Kodiak on Monday morning. Met my brother, who was coming along to give us a hand. Was picked up at the airport by Seahawk Air. A young gal drove us around to get locking tags, harvest tickets, food, etc. I honestly couldn't have asked for better service.

A short 15 minute flight later and we were at the Viekoda Bay Cabin. This cabin was nice. Luxury hunting, as one person described it in the cabin log book. Weather was perfect.

 

[Calvin]

A few more pics of the cabin and out house, if anybody is interested in ever using the cabin. All has a really nice deer hanging shed. Looks like some good alpine deer hunting in the area. I recall seeing some entries in the all-time B&C book from Veikoda Bay.

 

[Big Fin]

Looks fun so far. I would say that is a luxury cabin. At least compared to USFS cabins. USFWS must have a better budget.

Now, please proceed.

 

[Calvin]

After getting all of our stuff organized in the cabin, we decided to go for a hike, and find our glassing spots. Behind the cabin was a 1k knob, that looked like it would serve as a good spot to get a good look at things. We did the short hike from the cabin up to about 900ft of elevation. We really liked what we saw on the backside of the mountain, which was in our hunt area. The mountain across the valley was crisscrossed with bear tracks, in the snow. It was just enough of a hike, that is should eliminate most of the boat based hunters. Very encouraging. It was about noon. We glassed for an hour, didn't see anything, but really didn't expect to, due to the time of the day.

We decided to look for an easier way back down to the cabin, as the way up was filled with alders and devils club. On the way down, my brother noticed a bush moving, about 8 yards away. We both stopped, and gave each other a wtf look. Fox? Deer? Nope.. Out walks a young looking bear. Fluffy like a sow. She stood up and started woofing at us, about 15 yards away. Since I couldn't legally hunt the same day I flew, I knew that I really didn't want to shoot that bear. What a nightmare that would have been. I came to hunt, not deal with a DLP situation. We yelled at her, and she went back down to all fours, and walked off into the brush. Whew, dodged that one.

We had a good laugh as we climbed back down to the beach. We got chewed up pretty bad by the alders and the devils club though. The alders managed to steal my front flip up cover too. I didn't pack an extra one either. Learned I need to tape them to the scope in the alders. I had my CDS turret taped up pretty good though.

As we were rounding a point, to get back to the cabin, we noticed some bears on the beach, not very far from the cabin. A sow with 3 cubs. We did the sneak back to the cabin, and then busted out the cameras. I ranged them at 400 yards. They stuck around for about 45 minutes, eating something off of a rock. When they left, they climbed an almost vertical cliff to get off the beach. Pretty cool to watch!

 

[Calvin]

The next morning we woke to clear skys, and high winds. 30kt NW wind was in the forecast, and Viekoda Bay looked like a nightmare in the making with a stout NW wind, as the wind would be hitting the cabin unblocked, all the way from the Alaskan Peninsula. So, our raft/outboard was out of the question, even though the bay still wasn't rolling.

We made the hike up the hill, and got nestled into into our glassing spot. Things looked good, with the exception of the wind swirling. I was hoping we had enough elevation so that we'd not blow out the valley with our scent. It was a risk.

I got my glass up first. My brother was fixing his 15x Minox's to his monopod. Just as he got his glass up to his eyes, I spotted what appeared to be a large bear walking out of an alder patch. It looked big, but neither of us had ever seen a large brown bear before. We had about 15 seconds of looking before he disappeared into an alder patch. Could it be this easy?! I ranged the alder patch at 700 yards. The wind was swirling, which was complicating my decision to make a move on the bear. We decided to cut down to the next grassy patch, to try catch a glimpse of the bear again, and cut some of the distance.

We didn't see the bear again for 30 minutes. I was almost certain the bear had winded us, and was gone. Then, out of nowhere, he appeared. We had another 20 seconds of looking, until he went into another alder patch. But this time, we could see his dark silhouette, as he dug up the ground, eating something.

We decided we needed a closer look. He looked big. The head looked big. His butt looked big. But, as I said, we'd never seen a big brown bear before in the wild.

We took turns sneaking closer. I'd go 100yds, and my brother would hang back and keep eyes on the bear, as he was moving from alder patch to alder patch every few minutes. I'd get closer, get eyes on the bear, and they wave to my brother and he'd sneak up to me and put eyes on the bear. We repeated that until we got within 250 yard of the bear.

 

[Calvin]

Then it became decision time. We looked at the bear. We talked it over. It was day 1 of a 6 day hunt.. Do we shoot? I knew the history of this area. Very low success rate for the diy resident hunters, in the spring hunt according to the adfg website. The weather wasn't going to let us use the raft, for most of the trip. I was 100% sure it was a boar, but wasn't 100% sure how big it was. I thought it was a 8.5-9ft bear, but what do I know? We watch and watch. We were coming up on 3 hours, since we first spotted the bear. I had my spotter out, but it was hard to get a really good look at the bear, as it stayed in the alders. The ears looked small when I caught glimpses of the head. It was killing me. But, I still hadn't had a clean shot, as the bear stayed in the alders. It was a 220 yards, and kept digging hole after hole.

Finally the bear started walking towards a small open area. It was decision time. I had very experienced bear hunters warn me: "if you are unsure it's a big bear, DON'T shoot". But, I'm young and dumb, and I need to screw something up before I learn to listen!

The bear walked into the open area. It gave me a broadside, slightly quartering away shot. I touched off my 338 Ultra Mag. Perfect shot. My brother told me that that the bear collapsed, rolled over, and started kicking it's hind legs. When I got the bear back into my scope after the recoil, it was on it's back, giving a few kicks. I chambered another round and hit it again. The bear didn't move again. I was using Federal Factory 225gr Accubonds.

 

[Calvin]

My brother jumped up, and grabbed a picture of my holding on the dead bear. I was making sure it didn't get up and run off. It was pretty obvious that it was dead tho!

 

[Summitthunting]

Nice! Keep it coming, you have me hooked.

 

[Calvin]

The bear wasn't a 10' bear that I had dreamed of. Or a 9' bear I'd have been thrilled with. At first I was a little disappointed in myself for taking a bear that size on the first morning of a hunt I had been planning for a year. But, when I think about it, I really don't have any experience brown bear hunting. The boar squared just under 8'. Just about right to keep me from getting a big head and to give me a taste of hunting those bears. I'm only 31, and plan on hunting Kodiak or the Peninsula every chance I get for the rest of my life. It had a perfect hide. We took a pile of pictures before we started the skinning/packing process.

 

[ashersdad]

Nothing wrong with that bear!! Looks great and sounds like a fun adventure! Way to go.

 

[Calvin]

The pack out was ok. I had a bunch of uphill to do, to start going back down the the cabin, but it wasn't that bad. The night following the kill, we got rocked. I've never been so glad to be in a cabin in my entire life. The following day I fleshed the hide out. The wind was still doing 30knts. I gave a call to seahawk air on the Sat phone, and they said that they'd come get us the first chance they got when the wind died down. I considered staying, but I wasn't 100% confident in my ability to preserve the hide, and I didn't want hair slipping.

All in all, a really good trip. Excellent time with my brother. Got a bear. Hopefully I learned my lessons about bear judging and holding out. I'm already thinking about the AK Peninsula in 2016, or even a spring trip out of Bethel or Dillingham in 2013.. Those bears sure do interest me.

 

[Big Fin]

Congrats, Calvin. What you have done is the dream of so many. To do it by yourself, with your brother at your side, makes it especially great.

It is a great bear. The hide looks perfect. I bet you will never forget those memories.

Thanks for sharing it here.

 

[icb12]

Good grief, a bear that size, your lucky his mama didn't come out of the woods and attack you

All kidding aside. Damn nice bear, and great story!

 

[shoots-straight]

I would love to take a BB some day. My dream hunt, would be with a bow.

 

[Mac7]

Thanks for the pics and write up. Awesome bear and congrats. Jealous here down in the lower 48.

 

[genesis273]

Coming from someone who is sitting 3500 miles away and will never see a brown bear in his life! I`m jealous to say the least!

Loved the story, and to me it was a more realistic account of what hunting is all about! Preparations, time well spent with your brother, and decisions! You say that you were a little disappointed at first? I know you were extremely happy at the shot and when you first saw the bear up close! That`s what it`s all about. Need to through away the tape and not let that be what measures the success of the hunt!
Congrats on a beautiful bear!

 

[noharleyyet]

Mighty fine story and pictures, Congrats.

 

[mn taxidermist]

Looks like a beautiful bear to me, congratulations.

 

[1_pointer]

Big congrats!!! I'd be happy with an brown bear as a NR, I'd say you did good! Now about that S2 confab next spring...

 

[T Bone]

good work! Congrats on a DIY trophy.