10' Brown Bears

Hair's Breadth Bear

Hair's Breadth Bear

Since it is brown bear season I thought I would add another story about hunting the big guys.

In 1984 I had the good fortune of meeting and guiding Kurt Jaeger from the small country of Liechtenstein.  I really enjoyed my time with him.  We had a great hunt and he harvested a beautiful 37 1/2" Dall ram.  He booked to come back on a brown bear hunt in our Cold Bay area for the spring of 1986.  He harvested a massive 10'+ brown bear and later wrote a story that was published in a German Hunting Magazine and was picked up and published in the SCI Magazine.  Now it is on line under Guns and Hunting and I have attached that link for your enjoyment.  At that time, Kurt was the only hunter in Liechtenstein who had ever harvested a sheep and brown bear. 

Before he printed the story he gave me a call and told me I would not like it because he added a few extras to make it exciting.  He did this because he was told by the editor that they didn't want another "hunter kills a brown bear story" but something more exciting.  We all know that everyone sees things a little differently anyway.  He is a good story teller and a better writer than I am so I think most of you will enjoy it.  He wrote that I said, "He is a lucky _____."  That is something I would have never said then or now!  With that I hope you enjoy.  Read the story

The 10 Footer - What Does it Take?

The 10 Footer - What Does it Take?

In the spring of 2006, my son-in-law, Sagen Juliussen and I went brown bear hunting on the Alaska Peninsula.  We were in search of a big bear.  As we sat on the spotting hill with the cold wind hitting our faces and chilling us within, I thought to myself, why am I here?  I’m sure, at one time of another, that thought has crossed the minds of many Alaskan professional hunters while brown bear hunting during those long, cold, wet and many times boring days.   And, I’m sure our clients as they sat shivering, were more than likely thinking, and we paid money for this!  I have hunted brown bear in Alaska for 38 years.  I have had some great experiences and some miserable experiences but as we say in the business, “that’s brown bear hunting.” My main thought however is, what is really the most important prerequisite for taking a 10’+ brown bear.  Is it skill, patience or luck?  I have personally guided on eight 10 footers with another 27 being taken by AAA Alaskan Outfitters Inc., in which I was a partner for twenty- one years.