Into a willow bar with a grizzly bear on a fall day

[Bisch]

I think it is super cool, and I wanna do it too!!!!!!!

Can't wait to see the pics!

Bisch

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

Yeah... I am going to agree with the others. You're nuts! Now you have me wanting to follow in your footsteps!

[BradLantz]

"and I wanted to get close"

classic

[nineworlds9]

I am taking notes.  This exact scenario is my bucket list hunt, whether I survive or not.

[Walt Francis]

Okay, I'm hooked! 

[Sockrsblur]

Ha ha ... it's crazy enough with a big bore rifle backing you up.
This is a new level here. Wow 

[chinook907]

All at once it seemed (1) my arrow appeared going thru the brush on the other side of the bear, (2) I thought "wow that slipped right thru him", (3) the bear snapped to his left at the arrow then snapped right and locked his eyes onto me, (4) the big sob came for me.
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[chinook907]

I'm a think it thru kindof guy, and had decided well ahead of time what I would do given different situations and reactions from a bear.
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Prior to crossing the creek, I had racked a round into the chamber of the DA/SA 10mm semiauto strapped to my left (string hand side) hip.  Safety off, hammer down.
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[chinook907]

No remembrance of drawing the gun, just of firing 2 quick shots well over him but in his direction.
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It worked, he veered off 2 1/2 steps from me (my steps) and ran off thru the willows, back the way he came.
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It all happened incredibly fast. Incredibly.
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[chinook907]

Watched him run off.  My first clue was that as he ran, he was raising his front half up and swiveling his head around, like, what just happened (and I imagine his ears were ringing).
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Checked his tracks near me in the mud, no blood. No blood back to where he had been digging. No blood or hair at the site.
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Thankfully, after some searching, I found my arrow stuck in the mud& sand; clean as a whistle.

I had missed !  Thirteen yards...  Don't think I hit any brush, just shot too quickly I guess. Man.
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Although, with some retrospect, if I had hit him maybe I wouldn't have been able to shoosh him away from me.  I dunno.
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[chinook907]

A few quick pics.
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A front track as he was leaving.
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[attachment=1]

[chinook907]

Same track with my size 11 felt packs for comparison.
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[attachment=1]

[chinook907]

And the scene.
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I'm standing about where I shot from.  The bear was just past the first thin brush line, partly in the little opening in the middle.
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[attachment=1,msg2817854]
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That was all of the excitement for the day, the first day of hunting.
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[NIGEL01]

Nice!!

[WVFarrier]

Everybody misses once in a while.   Hopefully youll get another chance

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

THIS. STORY. ROCKS!

[deerfly]

Wow, incredible adventure. I hunted AK twice, both float hunts, saw tons of fresh bear sign along the rivers, even walked up on a buried moose carcass, but luckily the owner was not guarding it at the time. No other live bear encounters though. Can't imagine the adrenaline rush you had going on at such close range. You're living on the edge for sure. Hopefully you'll get another chance to close the deal.

[WVFarrier]

Id love to do it with an osage bow and a stone point....preferably with a 45-70 back up :-)

[Trenton G.]

Wow, that's awesome! I would love to do this someday. Hopefully you get another chance!

[Soonerlongbow]

I do believe I would STILL be changing my underwear!