The bear was coming fast - straight toward us. Stan suggested for me to get down off the bluff and wait for his signals. Once I got to the bottom I noticed Stan motioning wildly and running down the steep hillside. The bear was on the move.

We sprinted across the flats, leaping across ice-choked streams - jumping over alders like OJ Simpson in the airport. I glanced up and spotted the grizzly - just 60 yards from us. He was moving quickly up the riverbank.

We ran through shin-deep water, then down a sand flat in an effort to intercept the grizzly. In a few moments we were reached our destination - but no bear was seen. I was sure he was around somewhere, but in this thicket it was anyone's guess just where.

Stan and I split up and searched for the bear. I peeked over the steep bank and my heart leaped into my throat. A large porcupine walked down the river bank. It's amazing how you can confuse them for a grizzly at 12:30 AM!

We never did see the grizzly again. Checking the wind determined what I had suspected, the direction changed and the bear likely winded us. We headed back to the bluff and sat there for a little while longer. Eventually Stan and I gathered our gear and headed back to camp.

It was a great ending to long and tough hunt.

I had a hard time sleeping that night. I replayed the vision of that big boar staring at me over and over in my head.

The temperature plummeted. We buried our heads into our sleeping bags for the last time. In the morning we loaded up the plane and I said goodbye to the Johnson River. As we circled our little hunting area I spotted a lone grizzly walking upriver. The caribou were dropping their calves now and the balance of predator and prey would once again be tested.

Look for the sequel to this hunt coming - very soon.

Dangerous Game I have always dreamed of bowhunting grizzly - not for the macho reasons - but because I wanted to experience bowhunting a dangerous animal. I can't explain it - I felt no fear. And it wasn't because I had Stan behind me with a gun. In all honesty, I would have preferred no gun backup. Perhaps it's because I have spent a good amount of time around grizzlies and brown bear and have learned to respect them, not fear them. I realize that bears are unpredictable and things can turn ugly, fast, so I would suggest you use some type of protection. You can bet I'll be back. Only next time I'll try and get a little closer to the grizzly. After all, 12 yards was pushing my maximum range... Hunting Methods I'm sure many of you are surprised at the way we hunted grizzlies. I need to point out that there are many different ways to hunt grizzly and brown bear. Some of those ways depend on the time of year you hunt. It is uncommon for most bowhunters to hunt the way we did. Many times you will simply wait at a likely ambush spot or spend days on end watching a flat, berry-choked hillside or salmon stream. In some ways, that type of hunting is more productive than combing the countryside like Stand and I did. This was my desired method of hunting on this trip so that's what we did. Gear used on this hunt Bow - Marriah Thermal Take-Down Recurve, 73#@27 Arrows - Nitro Stinger Traditional Carbon (750 gr) Broadhead - Wensel Woodsmen 3 blade   About Stan Parkerson and Denali Hunts On my flight back from Fairbanks I sat next to a bear hunter who had just finished his 3rd Brown Bear hunt which, in his words, was a disaster. This was my 3rd guided hunt in Ak and I can honestly say that I have had nothing but great experiences with the guides I've hunted with. Stan is no exception. One of the things which sets Stan apart from most other guides in AK is that he caters exclusively to bowhunters. He has been guiding for over a decade and has 25 years as a bush pilot in Alaska. He is a member of several bowhunting organizations including P&Y, Alaska Bowhunters Society and others. He knows bowhunting, and bowhunters, and understands what it meant when I told him I would need to be "close." Stan has just recently gotten into guiding grizzlies but he is well known for his high success on trophy moose. He also has a spring fly-in black bear hunt as well as unguided drop caribou and moose hunts, spot and stalk black bear, and sheep hunting on permit. You can contact Stan through his website at www.denalihunts.com