Part DEUX...THE HUNT....

So on day 3 we got up wasted some time cooking more crabs and halibut fishing..or as I prefer to call it "washing the chrome off the jigs"

Then we got dressed and headed up the kwatna River by inflatable boat with a 9.9 Honda o/b..

We slowly went up about 4.5 kilometers never seeing much and no bear sign..however at a certain spot I pointed to a tree and said to Tim.."later we will come down to this downed tree and sneak up to it and thats where we will see your bear.."Tim seemed a bit doubtfull.......

Several times that day the loud crashing of snow slides rumbled down the mountain for hundreds of meters..the nightly fresh snow in the mountains tipping the delicate balance and creating new slides. It rained HARD every single day..for hours on end...

We got up to the airport and had a late lunch and slowly drifted down the Kwatna river..again freezing our assess off in the cold as we slowly drifted the river not moving not speaking.... constantly disecting each patch of trees or green grassess or sand banks for poop, bear prints or signs of freshh feeding by bears..nothing..

So mid afternoon we came around the corner and found the spot I had preiously mentioned to Tim we would stop and get his bear..I motioned to Tim to be very quiet as I tested the wind...perfect... a north wind as we silently beached the zodiac on the grassy bank I walked 10 feet over to the downed tree and peered over and INSTANTLY my eyes were drawn to a very large black object surrounded by greens..I raised my Binoculars as I crouched behind the tree and found myself looking at a HUGE BLACK GRIZZLY..MASSIVE..a mere 500 yards away..I slowly ducked down and whispered to Tim..." I found your bear " Tim snuck up took one look and asked.." IS HE A SHOOTER ????" I said "if you dont shoot him I WILL.." He's a shooter and a keeper..

So I scoped out a safe plan of attack and a path to shooting distance that would keep us down wind and hidden on the flat green grassy feeding area...and off we headed...

The first 100 yards we crouched and walked straight at the bear staying directly in line with a downed roots of another old fallen tree..figuring if we couldnt see the bear..he couldnt see us...after slowly making the 100 yards I peered through a small opening in the rootball and the bear was still feeding apparantly un a ware we were on the same planet..

Next we slid down into a old feeder stream that still held 2 feet of water and slowly we worked our way closer to the bear following the creek channel all the while bent over our chests near the slowly flowing water... we arrived at the place I felt would put us at 190 yards to the feeding behemoth..and with camo hood pulld up i slowly snuck a peek.....and bruino was STILL feeding ..so I said to Tim to sperate by 12 yards and when I motioned to slowly ease up over the bank and go 20 yards and get ready to fire..both of us had loaded weapons safteys on...

We both slowly..and I mean SLOOOOOOWLY eased up over the bank and crawled through the oozing much and grass the 20 yards and settled in..I said..go a head Tim shoot..

I waited crosshairs on the bears shoulders as he now slowly fed back towards the trees and to be swallowed up by vegetation and gone forever..

NOTHING...NOTHING NO SHOT !!!!!! I looked towards Tima nd he was mouthing the words THE GUN WONT SHOOT!!!!!!as he frantically worked the bolt repeatadly...I said " Tim if you cant or dont shoot him I will have to"

FINALLY Tim sorted the rifle out and motioned he was indeed ready to shoot as the bear was now mere yards from the tree line..I settled back into backup position..crosshairs on the bear..when BOOM Tims rifle went off and the bear just dropped..... I waited ready..when the bear struggled to pull himself to the saftey and darkness of the westcoast forest.. I heard Tim ask.." shall I shoot again.."??? My reply must have been load and clear because BOOM..Tim did shoot again and the bear was down and dead. !

We watched through the heaving hearts and pouring rain for movement..nothing so together as one we rose and headed slowly towards the downed bear..at 70 yards from the bear I decided to have some "fun..cruel but fun with Tim" I said Tim we made a bad mistake..He's ONLY 5 foot bear man you shot a cub...!!!!"Tim got a strange look on his face sort of like when the rifle wouldnt work and he replied...." YOU SAID HE WAS A SHOOTER YOU SAID HE WAS A KEEPER..".....I replied "sorry man I was WRONG.." As we continued our approach I could see the open eyes of death so I turned and said Tim congradulations you got your self a 8 1/2 FOOT GRIZZLY OR BIGGER..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Tim and I went to the bear..put our rifles near but safe and Time "attempted to raise the bears head..he could hardly budge the head.!!!I looked at the bears front pads...8" front pads = 9 FOOT BEAR.!!!Tim cancelled his tag and we took some photos and skinned the bear ..by then it was almost dark so we left Tims shirt there on a tree, the bear and the hide and headed back to the river floated down the river and powered home to camp..to have a shower and a meal and some ADVIL.. and to sleep.