Just returned from our 2nd try at bears east of Cordova. Last year we were there the first week of May and even though the Kenai Peninsula had been melted off for weeks, we found 5 ft. of snow on the level; with no snow shoes. This year we went in on May 25th and the conditions were better. We took the Alaska ferry from Whittier across Prince William Sound to Cordova and flew out of there. A Beaver took the 3 of us and all our gear comfortably. Last year with Obama stimulus $ the Forest Service took down the old cabin and built a new one. There was nothing wrong with the old one, a little smaller but still usable. Seems to me it would have been a better use of $ to build another cabin elsewhere instead of the upgrade. But, the living quarters were comfy. Great view and 2 heating stoves, oil and wood. Flew in on a blue sky day and since we couldn't hunt the day you fly we scouted a little and enjoyed the deck. There were plenty of canada geese and trumpeter swans around, pairing up and putting on some mating ritual shows.

Always enjoy the aerial views. On the flight over I saw 8 moose out of my side of the plane. We flew by glaciers and the Copper River delta was just beginning to green. All the little streams were choked with beaver dams.

part of the river delta

Copper River, home of a great salmon run...

the new cabin...

this was looking across the lake from the cabin. Last year it was not nearly as green and though we could not get there because of the deep snow and the lake being half froze we glassed several big brown bears and half a doz. black bears on these slopes. It is about 3/4 mile to the shoreline.

The first day we could hunt we took the boat out into the lake where we would be able to view the mountains on both sides the lake better. We saw a few bear on each side, all nearly at the top. More like goat bears. When we saw a bear behind the cabin only half way up we motored back to get a better look. My friend has 10 years on me and I'm 58. He wanted nothing to do with climbing to the top and I'm not sure his nephew wanted to either. Wasn't about to do it on my own, I'll save that for this Aug. and sheep hunting. At quite a distance it looked like a very rotund bear. As we were making our way up the slope through the old growth to where we could get a better view of the bear I suddenly saw a bear less than 20 yds. in front of me. I was in the lead and I signaled to stop. As I stood there watching the bear I could see it was a small one. I did not try to nock an arrow even though he was less than 20 yds away and almost broadside. It wasn't long before I heard "get down" from behind me. I was carrying a stick and string but the other two had rifles. As I knelt down and plugged me ears I heard a shot go off. The bear was 5 ft. with a beautiful coat. The hair was 3" long, probably giving the 'rotund' appearance we had seen when it was up on the slope.

That evening and the next day we spent walking. There was a bench above the lake past the first treeline that had a 100 yd wide meadow in it that paralleled the lake. On the other side of the meadow was another narrow strip of trees and then another meadow, this one 200 yds wide and went to the trees at the base of the mtn. There was a little greening going on and even real hints of spring.

The 3rd day I went alone down river while Jim and Gerry went the other way. It was nice walking along the river looking for tracks and watching the various ducks and geese that I flushed. On the way back I had the wind in my face so I slowly still hunted the old growth. I found this chick on the ground, seems to early for them to even be in the nest. I'll bet he was in for a cold night if he survived...

As I made my way towards the cabin I followed a bear trail for awhile. I had a brown bear tag as well as black bear and I was hoping to see one. This track is the only one I found on the cabin side of the lake. There was another bear camp on the lake above us about 2 miles away. They went in several days before us. A special hunt for 3 Special Forces guys just back from Pakistan. (think SEAL) They had 2 guides with them and later heard that they had taken 3 brownies.

The weather was so not Alaska. It was blue sky each day and by mid day was hot. The bears were not moving much during the day. We spent a lot of time on the deck in the shade, watching waterfowl and glassing the mtn. across the lake. In mid to late afternoon we would set out for the evening hunt. I had started to hunt on my own and Jim and Gerry usually going in a different direction. I was spending more and more time in the meadows upstream of the cabin. It just looked so 'beary'. I had been sitting under a tree on my little ziplocked foam pillow (the muskeg and ground was like a wet sponge) for a couple of hours when at 7 pm I saw a black bear on the slope and not to high either. It was 1000 yards away. I humped it down the meadow along the tree line and when I got to 350 yds. of where the bear was I stopped to glass to try to locate him again. So many little folds in the terrain and the thick brush made it difficult. I finally climbed a tree 60 ft. up and looked for 15 min. When I could not find him I decided to move further east to a position that would have been directly below him the last time I saw him.

As I made my way along the tree line at the base of the mtn. I was nearly where I wanted to be when I saw the bear coming down out of the trees 100 yds. a head of me. The wind was down slope and steady. I ran to cut him off and watched as he crossed a small meadow and made it to a tiny creek that had alder on each side but only a bush or two thick. There was some new green along the banks and he was checking things out. I had a screen of trees between us and was able to get onto the same stream and downwind of the bear. I slowly made my way towards him and when I had closed some distance could see he was about a 5 1/2 ft. bear. A little small but with an immaculate coat. I nocked an arrow and was well within range but had not had the bear turn from his head on position. About then I noticed my wind indicator on my bow string make a circle and the bear pivoted and was gone. I took out my range finder and ranged where he had been standing: 17 yds.

The next morning I put on my waders and went down river again. Jim and Gerry took the boat out...

The warm days was greening things in a hurry. It was looking and feeling like spring more each day...

Even the salmon berry were making flowers...

Super slow still hunting allows for bird photos...

Still hunting through the old growth always keeps me in awe. It is so green and everything is moss covered. In places it is easy to be very quiet. At other times there is just no getting around a patch of devils club or alder. Even a thick salmon berry patch can be hell. At the base of the mtn. there are so many rocks that come down each spring, some of them house size. We heard rocks each day from a long ways off. I was almost back to the cabin when I saw a bear about 40 yds. ahead of me. It was slowly working it's way along and if it stayed it's course would have probably passed with 10 yds. of me. I was crouched next to a downed tree with an arrow nocked and the bear was within 20 yds. when my nemesis reared its head again. I watched with disbelief as my wind indicator did a double circle and and it became clear by the bears behavior that the wind really had shifted. He was gone. So close again...

awesome forest....

on a king salmon trip tomorrow, will try to finish this up Fri...

Just beautiful. Bucket list fer sure.

Great pics.... keep um cummin!

Thanks for taking us on your trip with you Flatbow! You pictures and narrative really make for a great story.

-Gorbin

Awesome. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you!

Thank you for sharing! That looks fantastic!

Very nicely done. I really enjoyed it. Thanks

Thanks for putting in the time documenting this for us. Really great stuff!

Awesome pics..thanks for sharing with us!

Thanks for taking us along and sharing your journey. Ken

great story, thanks for the pics

Looks like a great time. Look forward to seeing the conclusion.

Thanks for the pictures an letting us tag along.

Thanks for the pics and story well done.

Awesome

Excellent!

Jim

Awesome! Thank you very much!

Looks great, William. Thanks for taking the time to share those pics/story.

Bret

Awesome! Simply Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you sir. That was like being there.

I'm STUNNED this thread doesn't have 200 hits on it!...Thanks for taking us along...Great pictures and narration...Looking forward to the rest of it!...4finger

Agreed, what a great post and the pics are wonderful...sure makes a guy long for the Great White North!

Thanks for sharing~

Always enjoy the pics. Thanks.

Great picts. Thanks for the show.

Great pic's,and great story,thanks for taking us along.

Wow, I cannot thank you enough for taking us on this hunt with you, I usually just check in between watches here on board the 'boat, THIS time I had the entire crew reading along with bated breath...GREAT HUNT!!

Nice! Thanks

Very nice ! Thanks for lettimg me come along !

wonderful pictures & descriptions! love your narration too. so many folks would complain that they haven't killed anything yet, but you are enjoying the TRIP! i love it...

Really enjoyed this, Thanks, Carl

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Flatbow. outstanding pics and story. David

Wed. was rainy on the Kenai Peninsula and Thurs. I took my wife on a drift down the Kasilof river to see if we could end her king salmon jinx. Turned out to be a blue sky day. Peaceful adventure on the river. 2 couples in the boat, the lady from LA caught the 1st king, I got the 2nd, a small twin to the 1st. My wife's jinx still intact...

The day before we were to leave we were drinking coffee on the deck basking in the warm sun and watching geese and swans, discussing what to do with the day. It was decided to take the boat out to the north shore and park on the beach halfway across so that the east and west mtns. would be glassable. We all went, figuring 3 sets of eyes would be better. It was greening fast and getting harder to see bears on the slope. If they were in an opening they stood out well but a few steps and the folds of the terrain or behind some brush and they disappeared. We had been sitting only a few minutes when I saw a bear on the west slope, about 1/2 way up. Had just enough time to point him out to the others before he disappeared and we did not see him again. As he was about 1/2 mile directly behind the other bear camp we wrote him off. Didn't want to infringe on their territory. A while later I saw a bear on the east mtn., low down, almost to lakes edge. Was not in view long as he was soon screened by the alder. It was becoming apparent as to just how thick the alder was on this side. Horrible jungle. Half hour later I saw a bear on the beach, right at waterline about 1/4 mile from where I had seen the bear earlier. We jumped in the boat and decided to get a better look. At about 600 yds. the bear moved into the brush and out of view, at 200 yds. we cut the motor and drifted in. When the boats momentum stopped we quietly rowed in some more. At 100 yds. we stopped and glassed for 1/2 an hour. Finally gave up and decided the bear must have worked its way off the beach and up the slope in the brush, invisible to us. Hadn't motored very far when I turned around and saw the bear 100 yds. from where we had seen him on the beach but about 150 yds. up the slope. Turned the boat around and went back in. We watched him from 130 yds on a mirror like lake as stood broadside for several minutes while feeding. This was the best bear we had seen yet. We tried rowing quietly to shore and when there found the tops of the alder blocking our view to where the bear was last seen. We worked the shore looking for an opening in the brush to give one of the guys a clear shot, would have been about 170 yds. from where we last saw him. After a 1/2 hr. we gave up. Back in the boat and headed for our glassing point 1/2 way across again...

The alder choked slope block seeing and a perfectly calm day made it so quiet that it would have been futile in attempting to climb through the alder jungle without a good wind to cover some noise...

Before we had motored back to our glassing spot I saw a bear on the west mtn., a third of the way up. Goosed the motor to full and across the lake we went. Reached the shoreline below where the bear was and it was a short 100 yards up to the first bench. We sent Jim to the left in case the bear had worked its way in that direction while we were crossing the lake and Gerry and I took a more direct route to where we had last seen the bear. Across the first meadow and had just stepped out of the strip of trees into the 2nd meadow when the bear came out of the trees and started to cross the meadow towards us. I ranged him at 170 yds. He worked his way to a little creek and began feeding on some of the green along the edge. At 130 yds. Gerry put him down with his '06. At this point of the hunt there were tags to fill and they were not concerned about size but more about taking some meat home to Michigan. With a clear meadow to work in and water a few feet away for clean up it was a clean dressing job and shortly thereafter the bear and skin were in the packs and we were headed back. It measured 5 1/2 ft. sq. and a nice coat, unrubbed and long hair...

We got back to the cabin with the bear around 4 pm and that left a full evening ahead of me. The rifle hunters had their tags filled but I still had mine. While they took care of the hide and meat I set out to the meadows for my last evening hunt. Still hunted through some old growth to a viewing point that would allow me to watch the slope and meadows...

Made my way to a nice vantage point and got comfy, planning on a few hours of glassing before heading back to the cabin. I was liking this part of the mtn. more and more...

After sitting there until it was time to work my way back to the cabin I was a little disappointed that I had not seen a bear and that being we were flying out tomorrow, it may have been my last chance. As I neared the meadow behind the cabin I saw a bear at the edge of the tree line. My powder bottle puffed and I saw that the wind was in my favor so I slipped into the trees to intercept this bear if he kept working in the same direction. At about 50 yds. he crossed a small meadow and I took the chance to zoom my little camera out and take a photo with the hopes he wouldn't hear the camera noise. I got away with it. Camera tucked away, hunt begins again. I'm surprised that the bear did not hear my heart. I was within 20 yds., thinking "third times a charm" when I saw the bear lift his nose. A quick glance at my wind indicator confirmed my fears. When I looked up the bear was already gone. Dang! But soooooo much fun. Went back to the cabin and had another MT. House dinner....

The next morning was our last as we were scheduled to be picked up that afternoon. Each day I warmed up with a couple of dozen shots with Judo tipped arrows. I had ranged a skunk cabbage plant 26 yards off the deck and 3 mornings in a row my first cold shot hit it. I say that because I had witnesses! After a retrieving those first arrows I would rove around shooting some more. I 'killed' a lot of skunk cabbage that week. :) ......

Not long before the plane was to arrive we had a black bear near the cabin. I'm sure the hanging meat had brought it in but as the bow was broke down and packed and little time remaining, we were content with watching it. A little smaller than the bear the evening before but still had a nice coat. That will change soon as the weather has been so warm they will have to start shedding. The Beaver arrived on time and under a blue sky day we departed. Maybe we will return next spring for a 3 time, still have my bear itch to scratch. Who knows, 3rd time might be the charm?

The flight back to Cordova showed that the delta had greened considerably in the week that we had been gone. The moose were getting harder to spot, I think I saw 5 out of my side the plane...

We arrived in Cordova to find one of the nicest weather days I can remember for that town. Absolute blue sky and perfectly calm. We caught the Alaska ferry the next morning for the trip across Prince William Sound....

The ferry was a comfortable ride and we were soon in Whittier. End of story. Thanks guys, for following along and for your comments. I read the 'wall' daily, just don't post much. I have a sheep/caribou hunt in Aug.; I'll post some pics from that trip then......

Billy

"There's a lot more to a hunt...than what you eat or look at after it's over"...Great Hunt Billy...Thanks for taking us a long...oh...what's the "limit" on Skunk Cabbage? lol...Thanks again...4finger

Great hunt, really appreciate you taking the time to post it for us all. Helps inspire us all for the upcoming seasons. habujohn

Great pics, and fine stories to boot. What awesome looking territory!!

Zip'

Truly , enjoyed going on you hunt, Thanks

Better than the Discovery Channel! Taking photos can be a pain because it does take some time away from the hunt, but the results last a lifetime!

Thanks again,

Wow. Really beautiful pictures. Thank-you for sharing that with us!

4FINGER, no limit but you might have to fight the bears for some when it gets bigger and they begin digging the roots. I have always enjoyed your photos. I spent 15 years in Alpine, AZ (they just evacuated it because of forest fire) and while there did many trips into N. Mex and Utah. The SW is a special place....

Your right Billy...The SW is a special place...but...so is ALASKA!...Thanks again for letting us join in on your hunt...4finger

Thanks again. Great thread.

Flatbow, I enjoyed reading your posts about your bear hunting trip to Alaska. I'm glad you had a chance to get over here to my stomping grounds( Soldotna) for some salmon fishing. If you were here last week it was a little wet that's for sure. Did you get a chance to do any halibut fishing in the Inlet? My daughter and her husband are off Ninilchik today after halibut. I hope they get a few as we all like halibut. I know you will take back some fond memories of Alaska and hope you can give it another try next year. Alaska Jim

Thanks so much. The photos and narration were outstanding. eally enjoyed this thread. Jawge

Thanks, I really enjoyed the trip!

Great thread and pics.

Thanks for taking us along.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here