Alaska Bears by Jake Jacobson

Author:Jake Jacobson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Publication Consultants

Pud, pleased with his big grizzly.

Lars and Pud wanted to start the day early as they were accustomed to doing in Europe. I explained the difference between clock time and solar, or real time, but they seemed unconvinced. So we accommodated their wishes by starting everything three hours earlier. After enduring several chilly mornings, they told me that leaving the lodge by eleven or so would be fine. They made it sound like it was their idea.

One day as we were about to depart, I went back upstairs and spotted a large grizzly in a berry patch across the river and about a mile downstream from the camp.

Emma announced that she preferred that Lars have a chance to shot before her, so Lars, Pud, and I set off at a brisk walk. The bear was concentrating on slurping up as many of the frost covered berries as it could. We sneaked through the willows on our side of the river until opposite the bear. A gentle breezed drifted down the valley giving us a cross wind approach.

After an hour of slow, careful stalking we were within about one hundred yards of the feeding beast. I placed Lars on a large bump in the tundra and he shot well. The bear immediately charged off to the north, but stopped to bite at its right shoulder. I told Lars to shoot again and be ready to keep shooting, lest the animal gain the thick cover of the next string of willows. The next shot was a miss, which put the bear back in high gear, still headed for the willows a few yards ahead. Lars’ third shot rolled the bear and it stayed in place.

We stayed in our position and watched the dark form of the bear for more than ten minutes. Seeing no movement we approached the animal and when close, I moved in front to look at its eyes. The eyes were open, staring off into space. It was dead.

Lars and Pud joined me and we congratulated Lars, then made photographs before I began the skinning. Once again, I took my time so that back at the lodge I would only have to remove the paws and head which usually took me only about one hour.

Two exceptional boars within about a mile of the lodge in a week was remarkably good success. This bear too was well furred with only some small scars around the head. Boars fight a lot, especially in the spring and we usually see large muzzle and facial scars, but not on this one.

That afternoon I was working in the shop on the feet and head when Pat came out to talk to me. She was incensed at the rudeness Lars had displayed in the kitchen - HER kitchen.

I had filleted two salmon and Pat placed them in the oven to bake. When she came back upstairs carrying two buckets of fresh creek water, Lars had removed the fish from the oven and was cutting them into small pieces, planning to prepare them in his preferred way.

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