RUSSIA: Kamchatka Brown Bear

[grand veneur]

I went for Moose hunting several times in these areas of the far northeast of Asia from the late eighties to the early nineties, first in the Soviet Union and then in Russia. It was all very adventurous, but it always went well. I went back to Russia for hunting about 20 years ago, but the mood was completely different. Currently, because of the international tensions, I would not go to Russia.

 

[quandary]

@chonk34 I am curious did you share your 20 years of military service with the Russians in your "interviews"?

 

[chonk34]

@chonk34 I am curious did you share your 20 years of military service with the Russians in your "interviews"?

Yes, as I recall it was one of the questions on our visa applications, as well as something they asked about during the airport screening upon arrival in Yelizovo. The special investigators also interviewed my dad and I while we were in jail, but the questions were fairly surface-level. I got the impression that it was a training session for the new guy to interview some Americans since they had a captive audience on-hand. Throughout the process I got the feeling that they were mostly going after Yuri due to his rather belligerent behavior and scofflaw nature, and most Russian officials we interacted with were apologetic and accommodating when possible. We were never put in handcuffs, handled roughly, or threatened. Had we gone with an outfitter who had their documentation and attitude in order I don't think we'd have had any issues at all.

 

[rinehart0050]

Wild story. Thank you for sharing!