Kwatna Bay Grizz

[silvercreek20]

Well here I sit with only a few days left before the big depature to Kwatna Bay for the famous Grizz hunt. I am using these last few days to wrap up the final few things on my list.

I HAVE to tip my hat to my neighbor down the street, Steve, (aka Srupp) for helping out SO much to make this trip happen. What a wealth of information, everything from letting me take his maps, crab info, fresh water info, to the shamboozie.......LOL.....:wink:!! I wish there were more people that had the heart and willingness to help at every turn like Steve has....

I am taking two camera's, so will hope to post upon return.......

Thanks again Steve,

Mike :D

[srupp]

You'll do fine Mike, also got a phone call from your partner also...

You guys have the information needed to get the job done...just take your time and be really really choosy on which bear...:lol:...remember the wind...use it to your advantage...

A scuba diver died in the Kwatna bay in the past couple days gathering crabs for his supper:frown:...

Take LOTS of photos.....

I leave for Seattle in the am..back Sunday night...in case there is any last moment questions...and your very welcome..been my privilege..

cheers
Steven :D

[bigwhiteys]

Mike,

Haven't you been paying attention to the news??? The bears have all died off and the coast is pretty much void of bears because of the low salmon returns... :roll:

I hope contrary to what McAllister and RainCoast are reporting and that you tag out on a nice big boar...

Good Luck!

Carl

[MB_Boy]

Mike,

Haven't you been paying attention to the news??


And just to add to paying attention to the news.....make sure you take AN arrow as backup.....JUST in case things get to close quarters! :p

Good luck and lookin' forward to the report!! :cool:

[ryanb]

Aren't the salmon runs mostly pinks in that area? Seems pinks are doing well this year no?!

[Gateholio]

Sounds like you will have a great time, especially if SRUPP gave you advice...:p

[srupp]

ryanb..the big run in Kwatna in the fall is the northern run of coho..huge sized fish..there is a sweet little run of water just up river from the 'weir" and by "Jesusville"..theres a rock on the south side of the river that almost every cast you can hit a 20 pound plus northern coho...:shock:..

Thanks Gate...questions were almost verbatum as Rob asked..:tongue:...and the map .... well its a laminated replacement one I was given by a fine gentleman..:wink:..

gotta scram...have to be in Seattle for dinnertime..


straight shooting Mike...be careful...and confident....the bears have been there for thousands of years...its just a matter of chhosing...8 foot male with a great coat...:tongue:

steven

[BiG Boar]

....the bears have been there for thousands of years...steven

And youre there to put an end to that.

[silvercreek20]

You'll do fine Mike, also got a phone call from your partner also...

You guys have the information needed to get the job done...just take your time and be really really choosy on which bear...:lol:...remember the wind...use it to your advantage...

A scuba diver died in the Kwatna bay in the past couple days gathering crabs for his supper:frown:...

Take LOTS of photos.....

I leave for Seattle in the am..back Sunday night...in case there is any last moment questions...and your very welcome..been my privilege..

cheers
Steven :D

Ya my wife new the fella that died while diving out there but i didn't know it was in Kwatna, now that's going to be a little spooky........

[1899]

And youre there to put an end to that.

That's twice in one day! :|

[srupp]

David your HILARIOUS...lmao....

cheers

Steven

ps CABELAS IN LACEY WAS AWESOME..SPELLED..$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Kurch!]

I friend of mine from Kelowna just got back from a grizzly hunt in that area. They saw a bunch but nothing he wanted to connect on. Had a spooky run in with a sow and cubs. Went into an old logging cabin and left the guns outside, once inside the cabin he turned around just in time to catch a sow and cub walk within arms reach of the door and continue on towards the river. Keep your gun close.

[srupp]

hmmm IF Kwatna..there is only one logging "cabin"..barn building at thats EXACTLY where Robert had the run in with the huffing sounds..:tongue:

and only a short distance from where all 3 off us had the sow charge us..she also had 2 cubs..2 year old juvinile delinquints..:shock:..

steven

[silvercreek20]

I friend of mine from Kelowna just got back from a grizzly hunt in that area. They saw a bunch but nothing he wanted to connect on. Had a spooky run in with a sow and cubs. Went into an old logging cabin and left the guns outside, once inside the cabin he turned around just in time to catch a sow and cub walk within arms reach of the door and continue on towards the river. Keep your gun close.


Heading out on Wed, thanks again to srupp and bigbore14 for some good tips. Ya , i don't think the gun will be to far away at any time.

[srupp]

Mike found out at the LAST MOMENT that sat phones tend to not work in Kwatna..:(..so I loaned him my personal SPOT unit to check in daily..this way his wife wont get so alarmed when messages dont get to her..I came home this AM from work and have their first SPOT check in they are saftely in Kwatna and obviously checked in from a boat tucked into a secluded spot..probably has the crab pots out..a GREAT crab spot they are parked in....:mrgreen:... so now their dream trip will have started with hunting this morning...

cheers

Steven

[srupp]

their back.........:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:: biggrin:

OOPS

steven

[Gateholio]

Back so soon? Must be good news!:grin:

[silvercreek20]

Well, we made it back safe and sound. WHAT A TRIP!!! Supreme highs and lows through out the whole ordeal. Just a little tired now but will post full info and pic tommorow. All I can say right now is thank the sruppster for all the lead in info. Without it, we would have been in some serious trouble. I have nicknamed this hunt the "SNAPPIN GRIZZ"!!!!!

[BCbillies]

Congrats on what sounds like a great trip . . . I am looking forward to the read! With a few grizz downed already this fall we can all put out a big sigh of relief knowing the bears haven't all vanished from this province! :wink:

[bsa30-06]

lookin forward to this story and pictures .

[srupp]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

lol

Steven

[bigwhiteys]

How many bears did you see? Would you concur with the greenies that there are very few bears out there right now? Or did you experience the opposite?

Congrats on what sounds like a successful bear hunt!

Carl

[silvercreek20]

How many bears did you see? Would you concur with the greenies that there are very few bears out there right now? Or did you experience the opposite?

Congrats on what sounds like a successful bear hunt!



Carl

We seen lots of bears, and the river and ocean floor littered with the end of the pink run. Food was everywhere for these bears and the coho run either didn't start yet or was up the river already and hadn't finished because we never seen any dead coho.

[bigwhiteys]

We seen lots of bears, and the river and ocean floor littered with the end of the pink run. Food was everywhere for these bears and the coho run either didn't start yet or was up the river already and hadn't finished because we never seen any dead coho.

If you wouldn't mind maybe PM'ing or post it here a more specific report, not really where you were just on number of bears, (sows,cubs,boars) and what you observed them feeding on etc..

Carl

[silvercreek20]

Well we got to bella coola and crashed at my buddi's house, the fella that had the draw. Got up the next morning and headed out to the famous Kwatna Bay. As we were drawing near to graveyard island we glassed a big sow with one cub on the shore. I could also see where srupp sets up his camp normally and this bear was right close.

Steve had warned me about a big sow and two cubs from this spring out there so in the morning we took our boat to shore and started our walk in to "the glassin spot". Well we never made it more than 100 yards past the bridge and true as gold, there she was snappin and poppin. HOLI HELL, first thought was to start firing the lead but we just backed out slowly and got back in our skiff.

Started thinkin.....hmmmmmmm......might be best to stay out of that area for a bit. Wasn't in for a second confrontation right away. SO, we had an electric with our skiff and started to drift around the end of graveyard and there was a sow and cub in the low tide flat. We watched them for a while and continued on our drift. Got to the other end of graveyard and seen another good sow with cubs. At this point we pulled up on the sand at the tip of the island and got out of the boat. Well we walked 5 steps and there were some nice size grizzly tracks in the sand .

It was about then that i started to think, hmmmmm, the tide had just gone down not an hour ago to expose this flat. YA UMMM we better stay close to this skiff,I told my buddi.

Well then IT POURED the whole rest of the day. We glasssed through the rain all afternoon to see nothing. We awoke the next mornning (still pouring) and started our drift around graveyard again and boom right away a nice bear walking right where those tracks were the day before in the sand. My buddi never was "trophy" hunting to begin with but just wanted a good non rubbed bear.

I pulled the head count trick that steve had told me about and figured it to be about 7 footish. That was good enough for him so we ditched in the flat and stalked up 150 yrds and my buddi let his Barnes 200 grn fly and hit the mark both times and down it went.

Man what a neat hunt and BEAUTIFUL country but HIGHLY would not recommend going in there without instuction and maps..aka...srupp. Don't forget this is a costly hunt so be aware before you put in.

Thanks again Steve for lending me the spot at the last second and takin the time to point out the dangers that ACTUALLY were right up in our face....LOL......


Mike


http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/silvercreek20/BearHunt.jpg

[LeverActionJunkie]

Right on you guys congratulations. Sounds like you had a good trip, little bit of excitement and a little reward too.

[1/2 slam]

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/silvercreek20/BearHunt.jpg

Nice

[srupp]

Great story Mike..and a REALLY nice coastal brown bear..very good average coastal bear..nice hide..and beautiful muzzle...can I get a copy of your photo..lol.. for my cool room...

You guys did exellent..congradulations!!!:biggrin:

Mike makes some exellent points and I have talked with Mike after his hunt..this is NOT a hunt for rookies...or the inexperienced..one could end up in very serious or even fatal situation with no notice at all.:eek:

This area can hold a LOT of grizzlies..some with terrible dispositions..the 8 foot plus female with her 2 year old cubs is a prime example..I knew where she 'hung out" and where to avoid..and how to navigate the area with as much safety as possible..and how to be best prepared..

The smell of rotting salmon defeats the bears nose and letting hunter and bear get far too close....making for a sudden encounter of a furry kind..

The trip in is extremely hazerdous Mesache nose area of the ocean...as is the river it can come up FEET in only hours and get incredibly swift...

However these bears DESPERATLY needs to put on weight come fall and will do ANYTHING to protect their feeding area..

Mike and his partner did everything right..and it was my privilege to play a small part in their success....this time however the 'advice' and map help and bear 101 perhaps saved their lives..this one gal is a bad ass bear..and the only stoopid question is the one NOT asked..

And the Global star sat phone will NOT work here..AT ALL..SPOT however works flawlessly..and I watched their progress 2 x a day and reported to Mikes wife 'all was well "

I feel a certain responsibility when I make " suggestions " regarding Kwatna Bay..as going in there involves a certain degree of risk..and I want to ensure that my 30 years of experience there doesnt leave any safety issues unsaid..and as much precautions as possible discussed..so no problems are the result...


Great hunt Mike one you will remember forever....you guys did exellent..

cheers
srupp

[Gateholio]

Nice bear, Kwatna looks as wet as ever!:grin:

[todbartell]

beauty bear! congrats

[hillclimber]

awesome bear congrats. sounded like a good hunt.

cheers
stefan

[BCbillies]

Nice big snout on that bear! Sounds like a great adventure.


..this is NOT a hunt for rookies...or the inexperienced..one could end up in very serious or even fatal situation with no notice at all.:eek:


hmmmmmm. . . that gets me thinking :idea: . . . any takers out there?

[BiG Boar]

Congradulations, Sweet hunt man! I would have held out for a little longer, there are some monsters in there! Expensive as heck to get in there, but worth the hunt. Carve your names into my table, or did that sow freak you out?

[silvercreek20]

Congradulations, Sweet hunt man! I would have held out for a little longer, there are some monsters in there! Expensive as heck to get in there, but worth the hunt. Carve your names into my table, or did that sow freak you out?


Like I said, the tag wasn't mine (I woulda held longer too, we had the time) and no names in the table. Felt it best to give her the space she was demanding at the time and then we left for home. She never really "freaked" me out, but probably becasue i was already expecting it to happen anyways from steve.

I read your story and you guys had a run in with one too didn't you? How bout you, did she freak you out?

[325]

Well done....grizzly bear hunting is addictive, isn't it?? :wink:

[silvercreek20]

Well done....grizzly bear hunting is addictive, isn't it??

:wink:


Yes, very!! :lol:

[Brambles]

Nice bear, gotta laugh about the blue jeans, in wet country like that it could spell trouble. Congrats on the sucessfull hunt.

[silvercreek20]

Ya , lol , I had already had a run in with the kwatna river with the hip waders and that was my LAST pair of dry anything, sweats soaked, long johns soaked, camo pants soaked, another pair of sweats soaked....man it just POURED on us for two days........