The adventure of a Lifetime!!! Totch on the trail of a Grizzly...

[Totch94]

As many of you know, I have been waiting and preparing for months to leave for a Grizzly and Black Bear hunt in British Columbia. Well after lots of hard work, planning, shooting, sleepless nights and foot tapping, the time finally came and I departed on the morning of May 14, 2008.

I had built the perfect rifle for the hunt. It is a Remington 700 Action, lightened, blueprinted and trued. Lilja #4 conture 1 in 10 twist chambered in .338 Remington Ultra mag. Tubb oversized recoil lug, Hightech Ultra light stock, Gentry Quiet break, Leupold VXIII 2.5-8. All metal was coated in Green-T teflon based finish by Birdsong and associates and the stock was covered in Duracoat black. This rifle is tuff enough to use as a boat paddle! This rig was moving a 250 Grain swift A-frame at about 2950 fps. Wicked medicine in anyones book.

Finally the morning arrived and one of my buddies was giving me a ride to the airport. The bags were packed and setting by the door hours in advance and I was pacing like a expectant father!

The itenerary called for a flight from Jackson Ms to Atlanta Ga on to Salt Lake City Utah and finally to Kallispel Montana. We planned to stay for two nights in Kallispel and look around Glacier National Park while we awaited a pick up from our Guide, Jordan Aasland of Whiteswan Lake outfitters. Once we met Jordan we would travel by truck to Cranbrook BC and then on north to his guiding territory in the White River Drainage and the Whiteswan Lake about 2 hours north of Cranbrook. I was traveling with a good friend, Dale Heasley. The plan called for him to hunt black Bears while I hunted both Blacks and Grizzlies.

After a very long day of travel and the usual frustrating delays and BS associated with the airlines we finally arrived in Montana. I cannot tell you how beautiful the valley was as we broke through the clouds decending into Kallispel. Breathtaking snow capped mountains surrounded a lush green valley. If this didn't look like Eden to a flatlander from Mississippi, nothing ever would.

Due to the long days at this latitude, we were able to get our rental car and take a quick trip into the West gate of Glacier national park. All I can say is WOW!!! If you have never been in this part of our country, you owe it to yourself and your family to check it out. Here are a few snaps of the scenery...

A local park resident...

The following day called for an excursion to the East side of the park. We checked out...

Marias Pass and the Continental pass

Two Medicine lake

We couldn't believe how beautiful the areas around Many Glacier were and the amounts of game we saw. We watched Huge herds of Elk, deer, sheep, goats, moose and everything in between.

***********Continued in next post*************

 

[Totch94]

As much as we were enjoying out tourist excursion, it was time to get to the hotel room and get a good nights sleep to meet our guide in the morning. Lets not get side tracked and forget just why we were on this trip to begin with... HUNTING!!!

Well, Finally the day arrived and we returned the rental car and met Jordan on Friday Morning. After meeting Jordan in Dallas in January at the Dallas Safari Club show and booking our hunt we had spent a great deal of time on the phone with him planning our hunt, but the long ride north gave us a great chance to get to know him and for me to do my best impression of my 5 year old son asking questions. He patiently answered all of our questions and prepared us as best he could for what was in store over the next 13 days. After a brief stop in Cranbrook to get tags signed and gear organized, it was on to camp!

We arrived in camp about 6 PM friday evening. What a pleasant surprise it was to find outstanding accomadations this far from civilization. Jordan and his beautiful wife, Natasha, had built the entire camp by hand. This included using a portable sawmill to cut logs into 6x6 timbers for the cabins, lodge and outbuildings. The setup was a main lodge with bathrooms, kitchen and living areas surrounded by small bunkhouses for each hunter. The bunks included a small woodstove for individual heating. All power was run via Propane and Solar Power (Owlgore would be proud). It was truly a sight to behold to see a totally selfsufficient set-up with all of the comforts of home! Here are a few pics!

The main Lodge

The Bunkhouses

Gear was stored, rifles were shot, dinner was served, we had asked Jordan about all of the questions he could stand... it was time to start hunting in the morning!!!

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********Continued in following post**********

 

[Totch94]

Up at 4:30 AM, breakfast fit for a King, Bacon, Eggs, Fried potatoes. This was a feed that even this Southener could appreciate. Little did I know that I need all of the fuel I could load on board, I was about to push my body beyond the limits that i previously thought it was capable of.

Our hunting plan called for working the canyons and creek drainages that feed into the main White river Drainage. We would walk the log roads, horse back into the more difficult ones and look for sign of the bigboys. We would get to high vantage points and glass log blocks, burns and snow slide areas for Grizzly. Black Bear would be a target of opportunity and quality specimens would be delt with appropriatly. My buddy Dale would hunt with us for a few days and then another guide would be joining us in camp for about 6 days and working one on one with him.

Our first morning we would start at the lower end of WhiteSwan lake and hike a very steep incline for 6 miles up a drainage. We encountered a great deal of Grizzly sign in this area. Fresh tracks, droppings and rub trees of a big boy marking his territory were everywhere. At the far back end of the drainage we encountered a snow line and while looking up a the pass in the basin above we spotted our first Griz. A nice male was working his way up and over the pass in deep snow. We watched him in the spotting scope for about 30 min but it was evident from the beginning that he had a mile head start on us and was in snow deep enough to make him pant and struggle to move along. If this big guy was struggling to get over the top, there was no hope for us. We would have to settle for a sighting on this first bear. I cant tell you what a thrill this was for a first timer to encounter a Grizzly on the first day! What a magnificant animal.

After a great lunch and some great scenery we slowly worked our way back down the drainage. Here is a snap of the way down looking at Whiteswan lake...

As we neared the bottom of the drainage we encountered our first black bear. We came up on a sow with two VERY small brown cubs. She wolfed them up a tree and she stood back and decoyed us trying to get attention off of the cubs. Here are a few snaps of the experience...

Stay tuned boys... The adventure is just beginning.... More to come after work this afternoon!!!

 

[rprince]

Don't be a tease! We want the whole story NOW!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[OldTurtle]

Totch, Glad you made it back safely.....I know what you mean about Kalispell and the Glacier Park.... Vickie and I made it a part of our 6000 mile honeymoon on a motorcycle.. due to some recent bear attacks, we were advised not to go too far in the park on the MC....But it was beautiful....

Now let's get on with the "rest of the story"... Inquiring minds want to know and lots more pics... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Bill

 

[Weasel-UT]

Sounds like a great trip to me, even if it ends right here. Great photos too. Did you know I like photos? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[yotetaker]

Great photos and story looking forward to hearing the rest.

 

[Lonny]

Great story and photo's Totch.

Seriously, your article so far is better than the scribblings in the hunting rags.

Thanks for taking the time to share the adventure.

 

[Grunter]

Wow Already!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif


Man you did take some Beautiful pics. That camp is nicer than my house /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


Dave

 

[ELJ]

"Sounds like a great trip to me, even if it ends right here."


Ditto


ELJ

 

[deadeyerichard]

Oh crap. Please hurry. I've been waiting for this for weeks!!!!!!!

 

[cbosshog79]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing and can't wait for the "rest of the story".

 

[elks]

MORE MORE MORE!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

 

[Totch94]

Here we go boys... The saga continues!

The following day we continued with the game plan. We worked drainages looking for sign on the log roads and glassed the open areas for bears and sign. While the snowpack was lighter than usual this year in the area, it was a late spring and many of the bears seemed to be sticking to the low thick areas near the bottom of the river drainages. We needed them to move up to the open areas.

I quickly realized that I was experiencing a rare treat to be able to hunt with Jordan. He was the most preceptive woodsman that I have ever had the privledge to hunt with. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of geology, plantlife, wildlife and history of his area. He did not miss a single piece of sign no mater how minor. And most of all thank God he was patient in waiting for this flatlander to keep up in the steep terrain of the Rocky Mountains of BC. This man was IN SHAPE!!! (He mentioned to me that a few years back he finished 8th out of 3300 in an ironman event!!!)

We began to take about every other day on horseback and the rest on foot. I was introduced to Odie, my Appalosa Horse for the week. As Jordan said, he was for the man who couldn't afford a real horse, but was too proud to ride a cow! Here are some action photos of your's truly and Odie on the trail...

It seemed that everyday we were in bears. Grizzly sign was abundant and we were seeing several bears. They were either far off, too small or sows. We were just having problems connecting with that big boy we were searching for. On Day six we were driving out late one morning to head into camp for a little rest and lunch when we looked way ahead in the log road and there stood a Griz! We suddenly shut off the truck and he disappeared into the woods along the road. I asked Jordan what he thought and he said that he hadn't time to really size him up, but lets try for a closer look. We eased up the road and got the wind in our favor. I thought the bear was long gone when Jordan motioned for me to take a position behind a large Lodgepole pine and get ready. He reached down and picked a blade of green grass and proceeded to give the prettiest rabbit distress squeal that I have ever heard. It sounded as if my Foxpro was set up behind me! After a few min we heard a twig snap straight out front. This all seemed like a lot of fun until I had the realization that we were predator calling for the largest predator in North America and he was looking for me!!! The bear proceeded to close into about 30 yards, I had the rifle leveled, safety off and cross hairs on his boiler room. There he stood at close range and testing the air. What an awsome sight this was! Jordan and I were whispering back and forth and judging this animal as best we could. Even my untrained eye told me that this was a young bear. Jordan finally told me that he was pretty young and that he really thought we could do much better, but the choice was mine in the end. I watched as he slowly melted away into the timber from where he had come. I had a week left to hunt and I hoped I wouldn't regret this decision. I have to admit that while I did want a big Griz, I also had to factor in the notion that I just wasn't ready for this to end so soon.

The following day found us riding up one of the longest drainages in Jordan's guiding territory. I wasn't sure, but I thought I may have accidently joined the Cavalry the previous night in my sleep. At one point we crossed a narrow shelf about 12 feet wide with a sheer drop of several hundered feet. Here is a photo and notice that those are LARGE spruce trees in the bottom that look like weeds!

My only hope was that Odie had just as strong a will to live as I did! Jordan got quite a kick out of my fear and seemed to find a way to cross this ledge several times in the next few days.

The next day we were spending a relaxing afternoon and evening glassing from high atop a mountain with easy access to the top via a logroad and the truck. By this time I was welcoming an "afternoon Off" for the legs. We set up the spotting scopes and dug into the goodie bag for a snack. We were glassing burns, log blocks and log roads on the opposite side of the White River. All of the sudden I picked up movement along a skid road in a log block in my Swarovski. At first I thought it was a small Grizzly, but then further investigation showed it to be a really light colored brown color phase black bear. I directed Jordan to it and he and I looked it over for just a few min before he said "pack it up, we're going to kill that bear!" This seems like a simple task when you are from the flatlands of Missippi, but not in the Canadian Rockies! We jumped in the truck and rode 45 min down the mountain, to a bridge across the river and back up the other side of the river to the base of the mountain that the bear was on. Jordan said, leave everything but your rifle and come on! I fell in behind him and he proceeded to show why he came in so high in that Ironman race. I'm not sure what the name of the mountain was that we worked our way up at a rapid pace, but I believe it must have been Everest. we worked straight up hill in a tangle of downfalls and waste from a logging operations the previous year. About 600 yards from where we thought the bear must have been we encountered a handsome Black Bear feeding at the edge of some timber. A brief discussion and we were both on the same page, that brownie up top was special! We finally got within sight of the bear and I was looking for the oxygen mask to drop down that the flight attendant had discussed incase of emergency. I ranged the bear and he was 314. Jordan said "lets get about 150 closer" I told him this was just what I had been practicing for and I didn't know if I had another 150 in me. We worked up a little closer and found a nice root wad for a rest. A final shot with the 1500 yard Swaro and he was 283. I can make this shot. I knew that my Rifle was 6 inches low at 300. I had rang the plate time and time again from 300. I braced, found the bear in my cross hairs and let fly! At the report of the rifle he flipped up in the air and tumbled down hill and a little away from me. He was on his feet and standing in a small group of trees left from the logging. When I went to look at him in my scope I found his shoulder perfectly. One more round and it was lights out. The second shot was 240 yards. After a little investigation, it seems that while I had the yardage right on the first shot i had failed to think about shooting almost straight up hill and shot low. I had hit the bear well, but low enought to miss a clean kill. I had to lay back and catch my breath before working my way to the kill with Jordan. I was finally a bear hunter...

This beautiful color phase black bear measured just a tad under six feet and his coat was just what you expect in a mountain bear. It was so long you could sink you hand into it until it disappears. His hair was almost white underneath and had reddish brown tips. In certain light he almost looked strawberry blond-brown.

As I was still recovering from the rapid 1 mile up hill stalk, Jordan said "wait here" he almost ran down the mountain to the truck and got his backpack with skinning knives and cameras and returned within 30 min. I felt kind of weak when he literally ran down and back up this mountain that almost killed me! With the pics made, handshakes and hugs done we set to skinning my trophy and packing him down the mountain to the truck. What a day in WhiteSwan Lake! I hadn't got my Griz yet and I was already on cloud nine.


*****************More to come very soon!!!****************

 

[Grunter]

I Knew It!!!!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif




Looks like the old .338 debarked him but good. That is one 1st class animal Totch. Way to go Buddy!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif


As I posted a couple weeks ago, I figured you would nail something nice 1st time out. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif It was just in the cards. That thing is beastly for a black.


Your story so far is worthy of entry in any Mag. Cant wait to here the continuing Saga tonite.



Many Congrat's, Dave

 

[rprince]

This story is like the book that you can't put down.

Congrats on a great bear.
Cant wait for the rest of the story.

 

[crapshoot]

Awesome color phase blackie.

 

[GC]

I'm hanging on every word... hurry back! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

 

[furblaster]

Great story Totch, keep it up. That is one large gorgeous brownie black bear! What did it tape out to or did I miss that sentence?

 

[deadeyerichard]

This is the coolest story I have ever read (and I try to read a lot of stuff). Maybe it was the anticipation and the waiting or the fact that Totch is an ordinary person doing an extraordinary dream hunt. Whatever it is, I'm loving it!!