Near Death Experiences, Divine Intervention, Kids and Alaska Bears

[Uncle Sauce]

Congrats Luke - wonderful story! thanks for sharing

 

[gillettehunter]

Congrats and well done. Great to take kids out and help them hunt.
Bruce

 

[Nyati]

Great story and well done.

Congrats

 

[cagkt3]

Well done!

 

[Jay Bucher]

Awesome story!

 

[Frederik]

Luke thanks for sharing your testimony and adventure it was a lot of fun to read hope to see your next chapter soon.

 

[AZDAVE]

Congratulations on fulfilling a life long dream but more important thank you for having the character to take the boys out and help them!!!

 

[Alaska Luke]

Thanks y'all. I have put together a short video of C's hunt. It's so that his grandfather can see it (unfortunately they won't be able to meet in person for a while). Apparently his grandad was a pioneer of rock climbing in post WWII WWII Canada.

Hopefully the link works.

Another boy I work with just got his first caribou which was a big win.

 

[Tra3]

Great video! That is exactly the kind of coaching new hunters need to get into the sport. What a blessing you’ve bestowed on that youth!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

When I was maybe 8 years old I saw a movie where a huge grizzly was attacking a cowboy on the frontier. I decided I wanted to hunt a grizzly someday.

Sadly grizzly hunting is expensive and by my teens I realized it would probably never happen. I felt called to a variety of rewarding but low paying jobs with young people. I felt like I was created to help young people and adventure was just something I did for fun in my free time (and on a limited budget).

In 2015 I met my friend Ben in British Columbia for a packraft trip. I was now a teacher and I needed to forget about lesson plans, tests and crazy parents.
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Long story short we almost died in a gnarly canyon. Ben nearly drowned, I lost my raft and gear, and then I almost froze. We got home 6 days late with an improvised paddle and rafts held together with tyvek tape. We each lost about 10 pounds.

When it was over Ben found an Alaskan named DB who agreed to edit our GoPro footage into a video. The video went up on YouTube and I forgot about it.

By 2017 I was a miserable teacher wondering what I could do next. I had committed to a teaching career that I now hated due to the drama and the bureaucracy. Out of the blue DB texted me that there was a job opening in Alaska for someone willing to work with Alaska Native kids. In a few months I was living in Alaska, building a Tiny House and leading hikes with a .44 Magnum strapped to my hip.
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After I was legally an Alaska resident I scheduled most of my vacation time for the fall. My plan was to bag a grizzly plus whatever else I had time for. But despite hunting hard I couldn't get a bear on that vacation. I did have an adventure shooting a caribou but no bear.
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I still had a weekend to hunt in the mountains but I'd promised my young friends C and CH that I would take them caribou hunting. I had thought I'd have a bear by that time. I was extremely tempted to bail on my young buddies and focus on a solo bear hunt. I didn't think they would mind. They weren't close friends at that point. But something (or Someone) seemed to say I should take the boys out. I'm so glad I did. At the time I had no idea how hard school was for them and how nice the break would be for them.
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We didn't get a caribou but we had fun. C got his first hunting experience when he shot a rabbit.

I almost shot a grizzly late in the fall but it went into brush before I got a shot off. Soon it was winter and I knew I'd lost my chance at a bear. But I'd made two little buddies which was probably better. C and CH started to call me their "uncle " and I was able to help them through some tough times. I had no regrets.

As spring bear season approached I made a two part plan. I would schedule a 10 day hunt by the coast to look for a brown bear. Then I would set out a bait site with a tree stand so C could shoot a black bear.

Sadly my coastal bear hunt was a flop. I saw a black bear far away and lots of tracks but nothing else. But the game camera by my bait showed a nice cinnamon colored black bear and one or two regular black bears. After work I hurried out to the stand with my rifle and GoPro camera. C was gone so it was my turn to hunt.
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I didn't have long to wait before the cinnamon bear came out. I could not believe how quietly he moved. After a few tense minutes of waiting I took a broadside shot through the trees. The bear ran a few yards and dropped.
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I was very happy to have my first bear but the season wasn't over. I really wanted to help C get a bear and I still dreamed of a grizzly. Getting both accomplished in one spring seemed unlikely however. I prayed for both but said I'd take a bear for C as my first choice.
About a week later C was in the area for a youth activity and I picked him up after work. On the hike in to the bait I heard a bear running away. I was afraid we'd missed our chance but we weren't giving up. As I climbed up the ladder I looked back and saw a black bear watching curiously. Neither of us had a gun ready and the bear dropped into the bushes. Again I thought we'd lost our chance. But we'd come to far to quit so we settled in to wait. C began to read a book while I watched and wondered if should have left work earlier. I worried this hunt would be a disappointment for my young friend.
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After about a 30 minute wait a black bear came out of the woods. C got my 308 rifle ready. Then the bear lay down to eat. It was ridiculous. The shot was blocked by a 8 inch all bush! C kept calm till the bear stood up then fired. The bear ran into the brush and we heard its "death moan."

To be safe I left C in the stand while I checked the dead bear. C suddenly yelled that there was another bear. I couldn't see it but he said it was a black bear. I wasn't to worried about a black bear so I brought C down to see his first big game kill.
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While we took pictures the second bear returned. He didn't seem aggressive but he clearly wanted the bait. I was getting tired of this so I shot over his head and scaredhim away for good. C is normally reserved but he did a "happy dance " by his bear. The second bear sneaking up just made his story more exciting. It was all on GoPro so he had a nice video to share with his family and friends. He said later "other kids said they went to Disney world, I just said I shot a bear." He seemed pretty proud of himself. Not bad for a 9 year old.

At this point I could have stopped and been content for the spring. I had a black bear and so did C. But I also had a second bait site that seemed like a good place for grizzlies, although none had shown up. I decided to try a bit longer before giving up and waiting for fall.
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One day I checked the game camera and saw what looked like a grizzly. On the camera viewer the image was pretty small but I thought it was a grizzly. I quickly put some fish guts on the bait (dog food) and got on the stand. This stand was a tiny deer stand only about 4 feet off the ground and very close to the bait If a bear charged I'd been in easy reach. I waited and waited praying that a distant thunderstorm would not end my hunt.
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Suddenly I heard twigs snapping. Something big was running towards me. I clicked on my GoPro as a grizzly ran out of the brush. My mind raced, was he charging? Would he see me and run? Would I be foiled at the last minute like before? I flipped off the safety and raised my 375 Ruger. The bear slowed to a fast walk. He seemed confused. Probably he expected to be chasing a smaller black bear off the bait. As he turned sideways I fired a shot into his shoulder. The 375 seemed to barely kick as I focused all my attention on the bear. The grizzly spun around biting at his injured shoulder. I fired again and he began to go down. As he rolled on the ground I fired again. Then he was still. I laughed in disbelief. No way that dirt poor camp bum Luke had grown up and shot an Alaska grizzly! It felt unreal, like a dream.
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The grizzly turned out to be a healthy male about 6.5 feet long. Not huge but big enough for me. Honestly I almost cried. It was all so perfect.
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I'm so glad I didn't ditch my "nephews" in order to hunt more earlier. I might have got a bear faster if I'd done only "adult " trips. But I doubt the feeling of accomplishment would have been as sweet as it was getting a bear in a way that was consistent with my values. I was raised with the idea that honoring God and friends is more important than whatever my agenda might be. I'm thankful people installed that in me because I have found it to be true, if easy to forget. I can't brag and say I'm a mighty hunter, or a wonderful person, I'm not. But I can say I'm a blessed man. I'm blessed to be alive, to have friends and to live in Alaska. The bear is a nice bonus that helps me remember all the other good things.

@Alaska Luke
You are truly blessed passing your knowledge on and attaining your dreams. Few of us are able or willing to do this. They want so much out of life that few rarely achieve that they forget it's the simple things in life that give the most pleasure. The joy of C getting his bear with you is far more than the others will ever get from Disney land. The memories of the the hunt will be with BOTH of you for a life time. All the money in the world can't buy that.
As long as I have enough money to keep the wolves from the door, a loving wife and family plus a few people I can regard as true friends I'm a rich man. Any thing else is a bonus in my life.
By the way Luke I'm available for adoption so I can have you as an uncle so I can hunt bear with you.
You would just have a 62 year old nephew. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Bob

 

[Alaska Luke]

Funny idea Bob. I actually checked to see whether I could officially adopt young non Alaskan kid, take him hunting (as a resident) and then "unadopt" him. Sadly the game regs don't allow that. Seriously you should look into a hunt up here sometime. Black bear hunts aren't to expensive.

Yes I am blessed. As I type this I'm about to hike some dog food out to a bait. Its been a stressful spring but hey I'm in Alaska.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thanks for all the kind words. It has been a cool journey when I look back on it.

I'll keep you posted on further adventures. The big one coming up is actually work related. We are hoping to take a group of Native boys (and one boy's very enthusiastic little sister) on a couple of caribou hunts and a big moose hunt. This could be huge because the Native community in my area has lost a lot of the traditional hunting. It would be great for the kids and I think a lot of the elders would be thrilled to see a new generation going hunting.

@Alaska Luke
1st nations people worldwide have lost a lot of their traditional roles.
This has led to disenfranchised community relations where men have lost there way because they can no longer pass on their knowledge to the kids. This in turn leads to disrespect of elders, alcoholism and a myriad of other issues in these communities.
I've seen it happening in my own Aboriginal communities for a long time.
What you are doing for these kids and their community is truly amazing. The elders will be behind you 100% a nd you will have their respect and friendship until you go to the big hunting ground.
You may see it as a small thing you are doing but believe me you are helping to revive a culture.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Funny idea Bob. I actually checked to see whether I could officially adopt young non Alaskan kid, take him hunting (as a resident) and then "unadopt" him. Sadly the game regs don't allow that. Seriously you should look into a hunt up here sometime. Black bear hunts aren't to expensive.

Yes I am blessed. As I type this I'm about to hike some dog food out to a bait. Its been a stressful spring but hey I'm in Alaska.

@Alaska Luke
My definition of stress is
When the mind over rules the body to beat the living crap out of some arseholes who really deserves it.
Apart from that I don't stress about anything. Life is to short to worry.
STRESS KILLS. HUNTING AND THE BUSH= NO STRESS.
Bob

 

[Alaska Luke]

Here you go Bob. A young native friend got his first caribou after a brutal hunt. His mom and the community were thrilled for him. Huge success. Sadly the office politics with the non Native community basically ruined that job. It broke my heart but I decided to leave on my own terms rather than wait to become the fall guy for an incompetent (non-Native) supervisor. But I still have the friends I made. Hopefully I'll find another kid to take hunting unofficially.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

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Here you go Bob. A young native friend got his first caribou after a brutal hunt. His mom and the community were thrilled for him. Huge success. Sadly the office politics with the non Native community basically ruined that job. It broke my heart but I decided to leave on my own terms rather than wait to become the fall guy for an incompetent (non-Native) supervisor. But I still have the friends I made. Hopefully I'll find another kid to take hunting unofficially.

@Alaska Luke
Just because you left that job because of idiots doesn't mean you can't still hunt with the young fella in your own time. The community would welcome you with open arms and imagine how the young fella would feel.
Don't give up just because of fools let the community be your guide.
Bob.

 

[VertigoBE]

Great story @Alaska Luke ! These will be memories for a lifetime!