Brown Bears, Deer & King Crab

[1dirthawker]

But a hunter who refused the support of a guide can also be understood. He was just unlucky. It must have been a bad day for him.

I also usually refuse fire support.

i do understand the sentiment. he was not unlucky, he shot poorly and then short stroked his bolt. he did in fact have a horrible night and next day.

refusing fire support has one plus, you can say you did it your self. on dangerous game, when YOU are going in the thicket, i kinda feel you should do it yourself. BUT, that is not how it is done. Bears, especially big ones, die hard. sometimes having more guys shooting is a plus. also, when you tell the story, you can tell your audience that you shot it all by yourself.

i don't want to shoot my hunters bear. however, if the choice is shoot it as it heads for cover, or, take a chance on finding it in the alive alders tomorrow (we never follow up a bear the same day) i am going to shoot every time. this is discussed in detail with the hunter before we leave the boat and head into the field.

i know it sounds like i am making this up, but many hunters that shoot fine at the range checking their zero on their rifle regularly shoot poorly at a live brown bear. they are even worse at a bear that has been shot and starts thrashing around. the clients ONE job is to make that first shot a great one. if a hunter shoots well on the first shot, then the extra shots are just gravy because that FIRST shot has actually killed the bear.

it is the hardest part of my job to decide in less than a second if a bear has been well shot on that first shot while looking thru the reticle of my 1.5-5x scope while being blasted by a hunters muzzle brake. if that well shot bear heads toward cover, then i have to decide if i have time to allow the hunter to shoot again before i get involved. because tomorrow, i will be going into that alder thicket without my hunter, with the company of one or two extra guides that i trust. i have done this quite a few times now, i don't like it. makes a great story drinking a scotch by the fire, not worth a shit being in the thicket, all nerves, waiting for the possible charge of a NOT DEAD 1400 pound predator (no, they are not all that big).

nobody needs backup on PG, dangerous game is......different in my never to be humble opinion.
hopefully, ScottCWO will chime in his thoughts because he is also a brown bear guide and i value his opinion.

 

[Raven]

Famous last words.

Well, I really prefer to do it myself. If the bear is too far away, I just don't shoot.

A friend of mine shot a bear at 400 meters with a .300 WM. Another friend with a 9.3x62 got a bear at 300 meters. Both are very experienced hunters who have specifically trained for long-range shooting. I've never been interested in that. The risk of losing the trophy is too great.

The longest distance I've shot a bear was about 120-130 meters. I stood in knee-deep snow, without poles, and shot handheld from above. The bear was jumping along the bottom of a ravine. Hitting it was difficult, and there were some misses. But I hit it really well once. And that was the deciding factor.

I usually try to sneak up as close as possible. My last two bears were taken at 20-25 and 30-35 meters. It's hard to miss at that range. And if you use a powerful caliber, then the bear’s fate is usually sealed.

however, if the choice is shoot it as it heads for cover, or, take a chance on finding it in the alive alders tomorrow (we never follow up a bear the same day) i am going to shoot every time.

Why are you waiting so long and not using a dog?

i know it sounds like i am making this up, but many hunters that shoot fine at the range checking their zero on their rifle regularly shoot poorly at a live brown bear. they are even worse at a bear that has been shot and starts thrashing around.

But it's true. Any hunter shoots better at a shooting range than on a hunting trip. And on a hunting trip, the uncomfortable position, adrenaline, and nerves make it even more difficult to shoot accurately. I think this applies to all of us. Some to a greater extent, and some to a lesser extent.

tomorrow, i will be going into that alder thicket without my hunter, with the company of one or two extra guides that i trust. i have done this quite a few times now, i don't like it.

Perhaps a condition should be set here: if you refuse the guide's fire support, you must then search for the wounded animal with everyone else. And if you don't want to search with everyone else, the hunt can be considered over. That would be fair. It would also allow the hunter to realistically assess their abilities and consider whether it's worth risking the loss of a trophy when things could be made easier.