Volume 13, Issue 6 of Montana Lifestyles Magazine featured a story entitled "Arthur." It described how a chihuahua called Arthur savagely charged and drove off a large black bear who was stalking my daughter midday while talking on a cell phone on a private walkway in Juneau, Alaska. Arthur had previously lived in Carter, Montana as a therapy dog for my mother. Large scratch marks on the wood deck were later measured to be only 14 feet from the prey. Arthur died recently, but left no doubt about who is "man's best friend."
In Montana, bears both black and brown (grizzly) are being encountered on a more frequent basis and are cussed and discussed by many an expert. My 50 years in Alaska hunting and observing bears does not make me an expert, but is full of experiences about bears all over the state (excluding polar bears).
I have watched bears playing, eating, at night, in daylight, in water, in conflict, sleeping, up close, in the distance, fishing and other activities. They appear to be curious eating machines of all sizes and types getting ready for winter hibernation. The problem with the general public is that they have little knowledge of bears and this causes several reactions in them including fear, lack of respect or inappropriate behavior.
A few brief stories may help to illustrate some of these points.
A friend of mine enjoyed hunting Sitka blacktail deer on Admiralty Island, Alaska, but was fearful of brown bears. He carried a small caliber .270 rifle and had been told that letting a bear know your presence was good practice. After spotting a large male brown bear across a muskeg meadow, he yelled to alert the bear. The bear immediately charged him, but my friend was lucky and shot the bear at a distance of 15 feet. Later examination of the bear revealed a severe ear infection. A variable such as this can turn that cute furry animal into a killing machine, and you never will know this situation in advance.
Yakutat, Alaska has many brown bears mixed with sportsman. A sign at one lodge said: "It is important to know the difference between brown bear feces and black bear feces. Brown bear feces smells like pepper spray and contain little bells."
Joggers often carry little bells to alert bears to their presence. I smiled when I read this notice since earlier while fishing I had just seen brown bear feces alongside a little bell.
At this same location it was common to see brown bears along salmon streams. These bears usually kept their distance while being on the lookout for edibles. One friend caught a large 20 pound silver salmon and left it on the ground close by. Suddenly he exclaimed, "A brown bear is heading toward my salmon." He tried to scare the bear away, but to no avail, and according to the game warden this salmon counted towards my friend's limit.
On another stream, near Yakutat, a large male brown bear had been bothering fishermen by taking their fish, effectively, training the bear by being passive. We were drifting down this stream with some fishing success when who should appear in an aggressive way? I always carry a large caliber firearm and know that bears have sensitive ears. One shot with my .450 pistol right by the bear's ear set him back on his haunches followed by departure at amazing speed. I have used this technique many times with success at ranges much greater than limits of pepper spray. Recently, The River Press reported a man on the Teton River near Fort Benton, Montana ran off two grizzly bears with noise from a couple of pistol shots.
Once a flight service dropped off three Japanese tourists at a small salmon stream, on Cook Inlet in Alaska, full of spawning red salmon. A sow brown bear with a cub also was interested in this stream and any unattended tourist food. I put her back with a typical ear shot from a .45 magnum, thus she wanted no part of me. Soon the female bear started towards these little terrified Japanese people. This situation did not look good so I got between them, and the bear, much to the tourists relief. Evidently, the bear recalled its previous encounter with me, and departed.
Avoidance is the preferred method on how some choose to handle bears. For example, I once sent one of our junior engineers to Cold Bay, Alaska to inspect a pier extending a distance into Cold Bay. He arrived at the airport and then checked into a hotel. With time to kill he walked out onto the pier to get a feel for the job. At dusk he started back only to run into a brown bear sow with two cubs at the shore pier end. He avoided contact by waiting out on the pier. As night fell he did not want to chance bear contact so he stayed on the pier until first light. Dead tired he saw the bears had left and proceeded to the hotel. Upon opening the door to his hotel room he saw a nude lady in his bed. Thus ended an interesting time for a junior engineer in remote Alaska.
Adult brown bears are crepuscular, they are active at twilight and wary in daylight. I have walked closely by them at night on tide flats and have had them approach my camp at night and even on one occasion a bear rushed right through camp during a moose hunt.
Brown bear sows and youngsters and black bears may exhibit diurnal behavior, moving around throughout the day. Depending on circumstance, black bear can also exhibit nocturnal behavior in human populated areas.
Many people want to hunt bears, while some are prepared and knowledgeable, many are just the opposite. Lacking is usually knowledge of a bear's anatomy, the wrong caliber or bullet type, poor shooting ability and inability to stalk quietly.
Gun experts all have opinions regarding caliber and bullet type. I have had good results using a .338 with a 250 grain nosler bullet. However, it cannot be disputed that if you do not have proper bullet placement all the rest are moot points. Bear guides have to work with clients of variable shooting skills particularly in stressful situations. Many have come to the conclusion that the largest target within a kill area is the best, although not necessarily optimum. Many feel a broad side shot to the lung area is best, however to far forward may break a leg and not immobilize the bear, while a shot to far back will be an unacceptable gut shot. Although lung shots are fatal it may take some time for death. I prefer a spine shot which is higher than that of a classic lung shot, but will demobilize any bear instantly. The spine shot to high will miss, and to low a fatal lung shot. The spine shot has a lot of successful variation laterally. Demobilizing a bear is important in dense or near dense cover, although a second shot is often required.
I once went with a man who had a large caliber elephant gun (.450 Nitro Express) that would surely put any animal down. I carefully explained where to effectively aim to put the Bear down as we were near dense alders. As the big bear (830 pounds in the spring) approached to within 60 yards, this dudes eyes got bigger and bigger. However, he did stay put, but shot too far back in the lungs and the bear took off for the brush. I caught him in the spine with a .338 and knocked him down. This bear thrashed around in the brush for 20 minutes before it was over. Bears have a relatively low heart beat thus shots must either break bones or cause severe internal damage. Can you imagine how far a bear can run in 20 minutes? The right caliber, and the right heavy well-made bullet are a must and must be properly placed.
Bears are naturally curious and I have had them run up to me, stand up and look somewhat aggressive only to turn and run away. On fish streams they are more interested in fish than they are fisherman, and the same applies to berry patches. Close encounters happen all the time through inattention of both parties. I suspect pepper spray success is actually an awareness of the bear and retreat.
As I get older, I often wondered why anyone would want to shot a bear and have come across a number of reasons. My Dad from an early Montana pioneer family (1865) taught me that "if you shoot it you eat it." It took me awhile to appreciate this philosophy. Tradition probably tops the list as reasons to hunt as historically families hunted for food, skins and animal parts made into jewelry and tools such as claws and teeth. Descendants seem to carry on this tradition today. Protection of property is another consideration. One such example, one Montana old timer while raising sheep had to kill a number of grizzly bears that killed and ate part of his flock. Also, protection of life comes to light for which there are many stories and examples.
Ego in comparing size of skins and skulls to others is a common trait among hunters. Bear hunting is a complex activity that has reasons far beyond the simple act of killing. Ignorance and curiosity of a species along with the odd need of association; along with a certain respect is another point. Melville's Moby Dick explored some similar complexities.
Bears are simple animals, easy to hunt, but they can be dangerous given the right conditions such as with injury, sickness, protecting a food supply, with cubs or just downright ornery.
I feel naked and like a piece of bait without a weapon if bears are around given their unpredictability. However, if you have a weapon be very proficient and aware.
