Pat Reeve’s Challenging Muzzleloader Hunt for an Alaskan Brown Bear
John E. Phillips 06.20.13
Author’s note: Pat Reeve and Nicole Jones’ TV show, Driven with Pat and Nicole, airs on the Outdoor Channel Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. and Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. EST. For the last three years in a row this husband and wife duo has won a Golden Moose Award for excellence in TV production from the Outdoor Channel.
We were in Alaska hunting with Northern Wilderness Adventures in the middle of May 2007 on the Mulchatna River. I had a friend from Florida, Doug Klunder, who had hunted with this outfitter before and had returned this year to help guide us. I brought my Nikon spotting scope and Nikon Action 10x50mm binoculars because we would be hunting from ridge systems and glassing for bears.
On the first day of the hunt we walked about four miles up a ridge behind our camp. After two hours of seeing nothing we spotted two bears across the river on another mountain range. Initially we thought the two bears were a boar and a sow, so we packed up our boat to go after them, but soon realized the two bears actually were a sow and a cub and decided not to go after them.
We left at daybreak the following morning and planned to travel by boat 20 or 25 miles downstream and look for brown bears. I wore my ScentBlocker rain suit in the Mossy Oak Break-Up Pattern because the weather always seemed to be raining or at least misting. The sun decided to come out that day just before we came to a bend in the river though, and we spotted a huge brown bear sunning himself on an island about 20 yards in front of us.
Almost immediately after we spotted the bear he stood up and we froze as the entire world seemed to go silent. Our boat continued drifting towards the bear and as we got closer the bear decided to jump from the island to the bank, running off into the alders and the willows. As we passed by the spot where the bear had gone into the bushes we saw him turn around to look at us as he walked away. When we got about 100 yards downstream of the bear and out of his sight we beached the boat on the opposite shore and slow-stalked back up the river. We expected to see the bear as we walked but we were not able to find him at first. I started glassing and looking in the alders and the willows when I finally spotted movement through my binoculars. I took a closer look and was able to see a patch of brown hair where the bear had taken refuge in the thick brush.
After we had watched the bear for one-and-a-half hours he got up and walked back to the bank of the river. As soon as I noticed the bear coming toward us I brought my Thompson/Center Encore single-shot with a .416 Rigby barrel up to my shoulder. Once the bear turned broadside, I saw he had two rub spots on his side when the bear turned broadside. The guide saw the rubs as well and whispered, “Don’t worry about rub spots. I’ve been guiding up here for 25 years and this is the biggest bear I’ve ever seen. You can fix those rub spots.”
The bear continued down to the water to take a drink, which allowed us to get some great shots for our TV show. After he had finished and walked back up the bank I prepared to take the shot, at which point he promptly plopped down on the bank and went to sleep about 70 yards from us. He remained sleeping as we waited for about one-and-a-half hours. Finally the bear woke and stood up on the bank, and I got back into position to take the shot. I took aim right between the bear’s front shoulders with my Nikon Monarch 3×9-40 scope and squeezed the trigger. Much to my surprise the bear did not go down immediately, instead stumbling and running back into the brush. After a short ways, however, the bear succumbed and finally stopped, falling over onto the ground.
I have to admit I had an adrenaline rush when we approached the bear and I noticed his huge claws that could have ripped me apart. The guide estimated that the bear weighed about 1,300 pounds. The bear’s hide squared just over nine feet, his skull scored 29 inches, and later he made the Boone & Crockett record book. A biologist estimated the bear’s age to be around 30 years judging by his skull. Both of his canine teeth had broken off, and the biologist told us, “This bear probably wouldn’t have survived another winter.”
Later, my dad had told me that the spot where we had seen the bear was where moose usually chose to cross the river. More than likely the bear was waiting there in hopes of catching a cow moose and a young calf coming by. Regardless of why the bear ended up there, he was a true trophy. I still have him mounted on my wall today. He has a scar on his head where he had fought with another bear and his lip is split so he has a lot of character.
This truly was a hunt of a lifetime, and things have changed so much since then. When I took this hunt Doug Klunder was videoing me, and my future wife Nicole and I were still just dating.
In our next article, Reeve tells of his disastrous Dall sheep hunt.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
