Chasing

Here are a few of the often overlooked, lessor viewed, smaller animals that can be seen if you know where to look.  Of course if you get board with the little guys you can always go back to looking for the bears.

Arctic Ground Squirrel or "Tsk, Tsk"

Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan

Learning to Fish 101

Food Fight

Winner, Winner, Fish Dinner

Chasing Dinner

Everywhere

It is once again the end of July and the Salmon are in!  Hot on their heels come the bears, looking to fatten themselves up before winter's exercise in hibernation.  Various levels of fishing experience is easy to see among the bears, as well as differing styles.  One of my favorite styles is the "charge and dive" method.  It involves the bear waiting patiently along the shore until either he gets the nerve to plunge into the icy water, or a fish becomes so tempting he can't help it, at which point he takes a running plunge into the river splashing and thrashing.  This method is rarely successful, but is very entertaining.  There is also a social order among the bears, the biggest get the best fishing spots, and if a younger bear gets a fish they had better start running, as a larger bear will try to take it as well.

The Thinker

Standoff

Handout

Patience

Three of a Kind

Bear in the Grass

Pesky Runt

Ready for Lunch

A Guide to Marine Life

With the acquisition of my float rating, I have the opportunity to guide for the lodge with the float-plane. This can mean flying down to Katmai or Funnel Creek to do bear viewing, or just "lake hopping" in search of some good fishing and beautiful scenery.

Bears at Katmai


Anticipation


Lucky


Leftovers


Glad to not be on the menu


Fan Creek on Lake Kontrashibuna


Fishing at Fan Creek


The Creek's View


Fishing at Kijik Lake

Monster

This afternoon was finally winding down. We had finished hanging the engine and rigging the skis on a newly rebuilt Stinson 108. I unfolded from the rear seats of the plane after returning from a rather chilly shakedown flight, and was met with the message that my buddy had shot a bear across the lake that is too big to move by himself. I quickly phoned Bran to meet me down by the bay with my hip boots and pack, grabbed the chainsaw winch and drove down to meet her. The boat ride across the lake drove the cold deeper with each spray of icy water across my face as the bow of the boat broke through wave after wave. As we approached the shoreline my thoughts of my personal misery dissipated as I saw my buddy standing on the beach with hands in the air in triumphant exuberance. We jumped in the inflatable jet boat and rocketed up river to the kill sight of his first Brown Bear.

The Bear "Kenny"


What Big Paws You Have