Guided Spring Grizzly Bear Hunt – 2009
February 19th, 2010 at 10:38 pm (Bear Hunting Blog)
If we spend enough time hunting most of us will develop strong feelings for certain game species. The grizzly bear demands many of these deep feelings. Envy for his strength and freedom. Respect for his cunning, aggression and independence. Fear toward his short temper and his random unpredictable personality. Awe in his isolation, and choice of habitat and beauty of the same.
The first days of the Lewis and Clark expedition found their crew watching for and fearing this beast. The developed respect for the grizzly in a hurry. President Theodore Roosevelt’s trips to the west did the same and this president started the 1st national park, Yellowstone, partially due to the grizzly bear.
The grizzly is almost always referred to as a male, likely due to his aggression potential. He is a killing maching with massive muscles, speed, teeth and claws. I think the temperment is his greatest weapon but also his downfall. Few have ever met him and felt sorry for him.
Enough about his traits. I wanted to harvest a grizzly bad and about 15 years ago I started the quest. I had exposure to him on several sheep hunts in northern Canada but never had a tag or time to put it all together.
Harry Leuenberger’s area, just north of Glacier National Park, in BC, I thought provided as good an opportunity as any to get grizzly, and I know Harry well. With almost a yearly visit to Harry’s area for a variety of species, I had seen the grizzly on random occasions, often closer than was comfortable.
After several dedicated hunts for grizzly in Harry’s area I hoped 2009 would be different. The winter this year hung on giving the hunting area a very late spring, leaving many of the lush green slide areas still covered with snow
Jed, my son, Bart the guide and I spent the hunt glued to the binoculars. We were seeing several large grizzly tracks the biggest being in a large high basin called Morrisey. After hours behind the binoculars we finally spotted old Ephraim across the valley in a small cooly. He was large and black. We planned the stalk and took off. We were within about 200 yards when a sow trotted by us in the direction of the boar. The new couple had a brief introduction and were off to thicker cover. We backed out.
The next evening after another whole day of glassing we spotted the couple smack on top of one of the higher mountain tops. With light fading we took off after them once again. On the mountain rim, following their tracks and rubs, we spotted the grizzlies moving slowly along in head of us. It was too dark for a continued sneak so out we backed for the second time.
The next morning we glassed the pair on the very top of their mountain. They seemed to be enjoying the deep snow and each other’s company. To get at them required a backside of the mountain approach, over the top in the 15 foot snow. The snow was semi-packed, thank goodness, from the daily freezes and thaws with the top being slushy. After a marathon hike and an oink through the deep snow we carefully crested the hill.
As we glassed the 2nd large draw coursing almost straight down from our ridge top perch we spotted the bears as they flopped over the 3rd bowel. We did another half circle down around them and back up to the rim above them. Crowning the top we had the bears at 300 yards with them frolicking in the snow.
The boar stood out, black and 2-3 times the size of the female. I belly crawled to a ridge rock shortening the distance to 260 yards. The first shot broke the boars onside front leg and entered the chest. As the boar rolled and streamed down the hiss we kept shooting and soon we had our bear half a mile down the mountain in a tangle of trees.
We spent some time making sure the sow was gone then proceeded with the photo and skinning chores. He’s very dark, almost black, 71/2 to 8 foot square, old and mine.
Jed smacked a nice black the next day and we headed home.
HUGE!! That’s what summarized a grizzly harvest. This bear, as a trophy, ranks with my sheep grand slam for respect as a species and the thankfulness that these bears exist in huntable numbers. I may never hunt him again but this hunt I’ll live again and again!
Clark Jeffs said,
March 30, 2010 at 7:34 am
Congratulations on an excellent hunt! I have booked hunts for Harry for coming on 20 years…he is definitely at the top of my outfitter list in B.C. Great area, excellent guides and Harry is as solid as they come.
Cheers,
Clark
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