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taylorce1 · May 15, 2007, 11:19 PM

We ran my hide over to Green Rocks Lodge to get their taxidermist to skin out the fingers and skull and we headed out to hunt again. We couldn’t pass up another beautiful day to hunt as we had almost the same weather as the day before. We headed down to Little Duncan Canal to look for more blackies. We were checking all the little coves around but were afraid we would go dry again so we pulled out into the middle and glassed from the boat.

Todd spotted a bear tucked back in a little cove so we went for the shore out of sight from the bear and that would put the wind in our favor. We skirted the beach again but this time we had plenty of grass to quiet our footsteps. We ran out of cover and had to stop about 350 yards from the bear Todd was pretty sure that was out of his range as he was using a .358 JDJ Contender. So we backtracked and ducked into the woods and tried to get closer but we still came out over 250 yards from the bear when we ran out of cover again. Backtracking again we cut over to a small creek that would lead us to the bear an stayed low and got to a bend in the creek that gave us a good view of the bear.

I crawled up on the bank and ranged the bear at 173 yards Todd was pretty confident that he could make that shot so he crawled up a little in front of me and set up for his shot. I ranged the bear again and realized that the 173 yards I was reading was in meters, I got Todd’s attention and flipped my range finder over to yards and came up with 205. I told Todd I thought we could get closer, but Todd said he felt good about his set up and thought he could make the shot.

I don’t know if I was helping him but I told him to hold off shooting because the bear was only giving us a full frontal shot and while Todd was looking back at me the bear had laid down to graze on the grass. Todd didn’t know that and when he looked at the bear again he was asking me if the bear was in a hole, I told him to wait until the bear stood up then he should have a clear shot. It was probably only a few minuets until the bear stood again but it seemed to take forever for him to move. Todd was ready and when the bear gave him a quartering shot he dropped the hammer and the bear just collapsed. This time the bear tried crawling off and Todd followed up with two more shots stopping the bear.

I took the opportunity to run back to the boat to make sure we were still wet, we didn’t want to spend another night on the beach if we didn’t have too. This time we only had about a third of the boat dry and I was able to move it back into the water and move it closer to where we had shot the bear. I went back and helped field dress the bear and we were able to drag it and load the bear in the boat so we could spend the night in a warm cabin without worrying about missing the tide.

The next day we took Todd’s bear to get skinned out and he got a nice souvenir, one of his Accubond bullets had stopped under the hide against the skull. We figured it was probably his last shot at the bear as it was crawling away as that bullet looked like it had entered between the shoulder blades as he was crawling directly away from us. We got both our bears sealed that day and my skull measured in at 19 and 1/4 inches and his was 18 and 13/16 inches. We decided that the only thing better than a first Alaskan black bear was two first Alaskan black bears in two days.

I really have Todd to thank for such a successful hunt, without his knowledge of the Petersburg area I really doubt I would have brought home such a nice bear. Todd not being much of a fisherman volunteered to go out and be a third set of eyes for another group of hunters and helped them to bring back a bear that measured in at 19 and 7/16 inches on our last full day in Alaska. He said it was as much fun as if he had shot three bears himself getting to participate in three successful hunts in one week.

I guess I’m not much of a fisherman as well because I couldn’t even catch a little herring after two days of fishing. I had one great experience and I’ll be back next year if at all possible. Sorry for the long post.

Chad

My Black Bear!

Todd's Bear!

May 15, 2007, 11:19 PM	#2
taylorce1 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2005 Location: On the Santa Fe Trail Posts: 8,249	Part II We ran my hide over to Green Rocks Lodge to get their taxidermist to skin out the fingers and skull and we headed out to hunt again. We couldn’t pass up another beautiful day to hunt as we had almost the same weather as the day before. We headed down to Little Duncan Canal to look for more blackies. We were checking all the little coves around but were afraid we would go dry again so we pulled out into the middle and glassed from the boat. Todd spotted a bear tucked back in a little cove so we went for the shore out of sight from the bear and that would put the wind in our favor. We skirted the beach again but this time we had plenty of grass to quiet our footsteps. We ran out of cover and had to stop about 350 yards from the bear Todd was pretty sure that was out of his range as he was using a .358 JDJ Contender. So we backtracked and ducked into the woods and tried to get closer but we still came out over 250 yards from the bear when we ran out of cover again. Backtracking again we cut over to a small creek that would lead us to the bear an stayed low and got to a bend in the creek that gave us a good view of the bear. I crawled up on the bank and ranged the bear at 173 yards Todd was pretty confident that he could make that shot so he crawled up a little in front of me and set up for his shot. I ranged the bear again and realized that the 173 yards I was reading was in meters, I got Todd’s attention and flipped my range finder over to yards and came up with 205. I told Todd I thought we could get closer, but Todd said he felt good about his set up and thought he could make the shot. I don’t know if I was helping him but I told him to hold off shooting because the bear was only giving us a full frontal shot and while Todd was looking back at me the bear had laid down to graze on the grass. Todd didn’t know that and when he looked at the bear again he was asking me if the bear was in a hole, I told him to wait until the bear stood up then he should have a clear shot. It was probably only a few minuets until the bear stood again but it seemed to take forever for him to move. Todd was ready and when the bear gave him a quartering shot he dropped the hammer and the bear just collapsed. This time the bear tried crawling off and Todd followed up with two more shots stopping the bear. I took the opportunity to run back to the boat to make sure we were still wet, we didn’t want to spend another night on the beach if we didn’t have too. This time we only had about a third of the boat dry and I was able to move it back into the water and move it closer to where we had shot the bear. I went back and helped field dress the bear and we were able to drag it and load the bear in the boat so we could spend the night in a warm cabin without worrying about missing the tide. The next day we took Todd’s bear to get skinned out and he got a nice souvenir, one of his Accubond bullets had stopped under the hide against the skull. We figured it was probably his last shot at the bear as it was crawling away as that bullet looked like it had entered between the shoulder blades as he was crawling directly away from us. We got both our bears sealed that day and my skull measured in at 19 and 1/4 inches and his was 18 and 13/16 inches. We decided that the only thing better than a first Alaskan black bear was two first Alaskan black bears in two days. I really have Todd to thank for such a successful hunt, without his knowledge of the Petersburg area I really doubt I would have brought home such a nice bear. Todd not being much of a fisherman volunteered to go out and be a third set of eyes for another group of hunters and helped them to bring back a bear that measured in at 19 and 7/16 inches on our last full day in Alaska. He said it was as much fun as if he had shot three bears himself getting to participate in three successful hunts in one week. I guess I’m not much of a fisherman as well because I couldn’t even catch a little herring after two days of fishing. I had one great experience and I’ll be back next year if at all possible. Sorry for the long post. Chad My Black Bear! Todd's Bear! Last edited by taylorce1; May 16, 2007 at 07:34 PM.