Earl Sande
I’ve been on some fabulous hunting trips over the last 30 years in Northern British
Columbia and all over the United States’ Rocky Mountains. During that time I’ve heard many stories of wolf and grizzly bear encounters along with experiencing some myself.
My first moose hunt in British Columbia was during September 1987. John Fontaine from Topely was the outfitter and developed the hunting area around NezLake in the 1950s with his wife Jean. John told us quite a few exciding hunting stories from his many years in the bush.
My good friend Bob Okonek started moose hunting at NezLake in 1976 with his grandfather. We didn’t hunt with Big John that fall because his 18-year-old son was killed in a mining accident that summer, so his wife was our main guide at NezLake. The four of us did manage to harvest four bull moose, 33 grouse and 175 trout that week.
John told us one time he was guiding two hunters at Nez when a wolf leaped from the brush with its huge teeth aimed at his throat. He quickly shot from the hip killing the wolf as it landed a few feet from him. He thought possibly the wolf had rabies, but never had it checked.
Another time he was guiding two hunters at Nez when three grizzly bears showed up about 75 feet away. It was a mother and two cubs that were two years old and weighing over 200 pounds each. John calmly tried talking the mother into turning around and leaving before someone got hurt, but that didn’t work. She dropped to all fours and charged at full speed, John got a shot off at 30 feet, luckily killing the bear 10 feet from them.
The cubs disappeared, and John started skinning the huge bear. It wasn’t long before the cubs started circling them just out of sight, growling the whole time. Before they got done it was getting dark, and without flashlights they decided it was best to build a fire and spend the night.
With the two grizzlies still circling and growling, John made a bed of branches and brush and settled in for the night. He said he slept like a baby that night because he knew those two hunters wouldn’t be sleeping a wink!
Another story John told was about the time four moose were hanging in the meat shed. It was after dinner and the whisky had been flowing for some time. John heard some noise outside so he grabbed his rifle and opened the door. He quickly realized he was looking eye to eye with a giant grizzly. He fired three shots and slammed the door shut. About an hour later they went out and found the dead bear 100 feet from the cabin.
Although it took several moose hunting trips before I actually saw a grizzly, the huge fresh tracks were always there so it made you wonder how far away they were. It sure made walking back to camp for an hour in the dark more exciting.
My first grizzly encounter happened while moose hunting high in the Rocky Mountains of Northern British Columbia on a horse hunt about 75 miles from the nearest road. My hunting partner, Tom Johnson (1975 North Mason High School State wrestling champion), and our guide were riding horses when our guide abruptly stopped and said “Lets slowly turn around and go back. Look at that 800 pound grizzly sleeping on top of that moose carcass about 100 yards away.”
If the grizzly would have woken up he could have been on us in a matter of seconds.
One year we went moose hunting in Northwestern British Columbia near the Yukon boarder. My guide and I rode horses up past the snow line about 10 miles from camp. We were glassing across a huge canyon about a mile across when we spotted a huge bull moose. While we were looking at the big tan antlers, the guide started cow calling to get his attention. Then all of a sudden the large black animal moved 20 feet, but his antlers didn’t. His antlers were really a willow branch and the animal was really a monster grizzly heading our direction!
We decided it was good time to get back in the saddle and continue up the mountain.
My closest grizzly encounter was in the fall of 2012 in the wilds of central British Columbia. I was slowly sneaking down a trail headed for a tree stand and was looking off to my right. When I turned my head back to the trail there was a 600-pound grizzly 30 feet away and walking toward me. He was looking off to his right and he hadn’t seen me yet, but that was about to change.
I couldn’t let him take one more step, so I raised my rifle aiming right under his chin and calmly said. “Turn around and go back.”
He instantly stopped as our eyes meant. He stood up on his hind legs, his eyes stared back, and it was like he was frozen.
I calmly said again. “Turn around and go back.”
Seconds later I could see his upper body turning to the right, with his butt now facing me. He landed on all four feet and in two strides he was doing 25 miles per hour crashing through the forest!
I was pretty happy about that!