Bear Bums - Bear Hunting

This week a friend of mine brought out his new rifle and we sighted it in together. He just purchased a .375 H&H magnum in a Browning stainless model. What a gun! He explained to me it was my fault he had purchased this caliber.

Well, I like bear hunting and as I thought of a caliber that would leave no one doubting I felt comfortable with his purchase.

Shooting a big bear is a feat! You have to find the beast, get close enough and place that shot. Then with bears you have to find them after the shot.

Several years ago my daughter shot a big black bear at approx. 150yds with a .280 Remington. This big boar received another 280 slug and 2 shots from my .300 Ultra mag before the bear was stopped as it closed the distance to us. More of a worry to me than the ones that attack or come closer are the ones that may get away wounded or lost. Read the rest of this entry »

In flying to a hunting site like Ketchikan, Alaska for our September black bear, deer and fishing hunt here are a few things to remember. The flying experience is usually completely out of our control. If I fail to give enough time to go through customs and transfer luggage from one airline to another I greatly increase the odds of a problem happening. If I pack inappropriately according to the airline rule, again, I’m asking for trouble.

The four of us are leaving Salt Lake City airport on September 5th and returning the 13th. I always think of leaving on a hunt like traveling to a foreign country and give myself at least two hours to get to the boarding gates. Now with extra security lines it may be longer.

Our original plan to fly to Petersburg, Alaska and float plane from there was changed for several reasons. The main reason being we couldn’t get ourselves to Petersburg or back to Salt Lake City in one day. The cost of an extra two days on top of the hunt is a big consideration for us. Not to mention the flight to Ketchikan, Alaska was $400-500 cheaper than Petersburg.

The adjustment to hunting the Prince of Wales Island of the coast of southern Alaska allowed us to fly to Ketchikan. This flight can be done in one day. Flights change all the time and next year it may be different, but that extra night in Seattle or elsewhere is costly in dollars and time.

The basic rules for carrying a firearm on a commercial flight are: (Remember each airline and or country can be a little different)

1. Rifle must be in a hard lockable case (I do not know about a revolver—but it will be way more strict) Read the rest of this entry »

Our ongoing personal list for the 2008 Prince of Wales Island, Alaska black bear hunt. We’ll be in a small forest service cabin on a lake with well over 5 miles of salmon streams to hunt and fish on. (Salmon Lake Cabin—Karta River system)

1. Rifle/scope, scope covers, sling - (I don’t like scope covers, but in this case it is inevitable—they keep water out and in. I can shoot a scope that’s wet but not one that’s foggy)

2. 40 rounds of ammunition - (sight your gun in after the airplane ride) It has to be in it’s original containers for commercial flying! Pack it separate from your gun.

3. Binoculars - (don’t forget these)

4. Spotting scope - (We’ll have two. One for each group) They are expensive and heavy so make the younger guys carry them.

5. Sleeping bag, air mattress - (Not a huge one) The great big bed mattresses are not good-too heavy and would take up the whole cabin. I think our cabin is 16ft X 20ft. Therm-a-Rest, Slumberjack or the new Exped Downmat 7 Sleeping Pad that I Iove and blogged about.

6. Small Pillow - The small down squish-able ones the size of a loaf of bread or just use your sweater, if you’re a good sleeper. Do not take the one off your bed!

7. Small backpack - There are a lot of backpacks out there. We’ll be carrying lunch, waders, and emergent stuff, so we’ll need one that’s not tiny. I like ones with real back support and I want it to be as big as the air Read the rest of this entry »

I love being a gun owner. In fact, I think each hunter in the country should own another gun each year just to keep the juices flowing. With ownership comes some responsibility. Guns are something your great grandkids may receive from you. You may have your great grandfather’s guns. My dad brought a Japanese rifle back from the south pacific as WWII ended. I now own it. It’s clean oiled and works. I love it.

This may be one of the most valuable bear hunting tips that I provide.

Bear hunting can bring out the worst in a gun. The thicker the bear population, likely, the denser the forest and the more damp the environment. On a coastal Alaska bear hunt my son Jed was using my .300 Win. Mag with a blued barrel and wood stock. It is a nice Ruger bolt action rifle. No kidding, we had to clean off rust daily to keep up and when I got home I took it completely apart and found bad stuff that required a lot of work.

Here are some suggestions for keeping your gun in good shape. Remember, I’m no museum guy just a hunter with experience. As a general rule metal likes oil and wood hates it. Skin carries oil with enzymes in them that can eat metal. Water is the main killer.

This solvent should last you a while

To prepare for a hunt I use Hoppe’s Gun Solvent to clean the entire rifle. This takes off the excess oil, acids, and most stains. I try and separate the wood stock from the metal pieces as much as possible. The metal I then treat with light high quality oil, like Remington Oil. At this point I do not want excess oil. The stock is treated with a wood oil, wax or preservative to seal it little. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently read an article on a hunting site (Chifuti Safaris) by Craig Boddington about the choice in rifle caliber for a given animal. He mentioned the desire for owning another rifle as one of the motivating factors in rifle selection. For example, if you were hunting cape buffalo and wanted a BIG gun like say a .500 Jeffrey, Mr Boddington’s thought was to get it. You might ever only shoot one shot at an animal from the big .500 but it would work well on the buffalo and it would be your gun and souvenir of a wonderful hunt.

What about big coastal black bears like the ones we’ll be seeing in September on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. Which gun is best? Should you get a special gun for the job or just take the old ‘06?

I have my preferences and some experience. I don’t think bears are extremely hard to kill but they can be a nightmare to nail to the ground. Since bears can get lost in the thick undergrowth fast or turn hostil quickly I like big heavy bullets. Fast is pretty good but a 7mm or .280 remington, to me, is an elk gun. Elk never chew on you. I prefer the 30 caliber magnums or bigger.

Read the rest of this entry »