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LARRY WEISHUHN

GRIZZLY ENCOUNTERS

“Start backing up. Watch for any movement and be ready to shoot if you have to!” cautioned my guide in a hushed voice. “I’ll cover our backside. We need to get outa here now. Ol’ Ephram could be laying in wait or circling us,” said he cautiously peering into the willow jungle that surrounded us. I know you’ve got confidence in your .30-06 Encore pistol but…” He hesitated but then kept moving. Indeed I had great confidence in my Encore pistol, but just then I would gladly have traded it for a .375 H&H Mag Encore rifle.

We had unknowingly wandered onto a moose kill in a thick stand of willows. No sooner had we spotted it, we started backing out, watching for movement and expecting a charge at any moment. Finally out of the thicket, there on the horizon 500 yards away stood a bear, watching us.

Back in Alaska a few years later hunting caribou and grizzly with Bob Adams Guide Service, I recalled the encounter when I heard some “woofing” just outside my tent. A second rough-sounding woof caused me to load my .375 H&H Mag Encore rifle before sticking my nose outside the tent. About a hundred yards away walked not just one stunningly handsome grizzly, but four of them. All were about the same size. “Can’t shoot!” came a voice from behind me. “Technically that’s a sow with three cubs, even if the cubs are bigger than she is.” Thus instructed I lowered the rifle and watched them through my binoculars as their long hair waved in the breeze. Two of the bears were silvertips. One was pretty much blond all over and the fourth had blond hair over most of the body with darker colored legs. Totally enthralled I watched as they waddled over the distant ridge.

We hunted hard and saw a couple more grizzlies, but they were moving and too far away to catch up with them. Last day of the hunt arrived far too quickly. We walked as far from camp as reasonable, going as far as what we could yet insuring our return that evening. As we approached the last possible beaver dam valley the rain came hard. We ran for the cover of a small rock overhang. Then far across the beaver dammed valley I spotted a grizzly.

The bear moved to the bottom of the valley, into thick willows. We cut the distance and when we could go no closer I waited; several times making certain my .375 H&H Mag Encore rifle was loaded. The shot would have to be true and deadly for this was not place to root out a wounded grizzly.

The bear stood on a beaver dam, the crosshairs settled on the it’s shoulder, a prayer whispered…..