A True Alaskan Adventure

That day early in July when we drove our Toyota off the ferry in Wrangell, Alaska, the weather was absolutely georgeous! In a part of the world where the average annual rainfall can exceed 140 inches per year, the sky was a deep blue and there was brilliant sunshine. It was almost hot!

My wife and I were here for a break after spending 2 years as missionaries in an indian village on Kodiak Island. A friend of mine and his family lived here and my friend owned a 22' fishing boat with a halibut reel on the stern. While the women and kids stayed in Wrangell, my friend and I set out to the South down the Wrangell Narrows to fish for halibut. At least that was our intention.

In 7 days we caught 4,200 lbs. of halibut! The largest fish weighed 253 lbs. and had to be shot before gaffing and landing it in the well of the stern.

Early one morning I spotted a big, fat black bear grazing in a meadow about 200 yards across the water in a lush green meadow near the water's edge. My friend suggested we launch the aluminum dingy perched over the boat's cabin and go check out the bear. That't what we did. After beaching our little craft on some rocks, we walked through thick woods for about 20 minutes and emerged near the meadow where I had sighted the bear. The bear was gone.

My friend handed me his wife's gun - a .222 caliber rifle and a box of shells. He told me to get the bear when it reappeared and he would be back later to pick me up.

About 30 minutes later the bear re-emerged from the tree line along the West side of the meadow and again began grazing on the long, lush grass. I crawled on my hands and knees down through a rocky creek bed and up the opposite bank to where a big log was lying. The log was arched slightly and it was lying with the arch up so that there was space between the underside of the log and the ground. I rested the .222 rifle across the top of the log and watched the bear through the scope. After about 5 minutes the bear started getting restless and I figured if I was going to shoot the bear I had better get on with it.

I sighted in just ahead of the front shoulder and squeezed off the first round. the bear lurched into the air almost standing upright on its hind legs and then dropped onto all fours and started running. The meadow was in the shape of a large oval, and the bear was following the edge of the meadow which curved around and came directly back to my hiding place behind the arched log. When the bear was going around the outside turn I let him have it again. The second shot didn't seem to phase him. He continued running and, as he ran, I could see his blue-black fur rolling forward and then back over his winter fat. As he rounded the curve that was farthest from me, he was now beginning to track down the side of the meadow that led straight back to me and to my log! My mind began racing and I remember reasoning with myself that if this bear kept on coming he would run directly over the log and me. My quickly arrived at plan, if this were to happen, was to dive under the log, come up from the other side and shoot the bear again! As the bear was now headed straight at me with his head down and closing ground fast, I could see his tongue hanging out one side of his mouth and I could see his white teeth! I sighted in on his tongue and squeezed off a third round. He was now less than 90 ft. away and coming fast. After my third shot, he went about another 10 yards, made a 90 degree turn to the right and fell belly down with his four legs spread out like he was skydiving. I slowly stood up, opened my rifle, and discovered the chamber was empty. There had been only 3 rounds loaded in that gun! I quickly reached into the pocket of my flannel shirt, pulled out the box of ammunition and loaded 5 rounds. I then slowly walked over to the bear and jabbed him in the rump with the barrel of the rifle. That third shot had done him in.