by Staff
A trophy brown bear was bagged by Airman Ted Winnen from Eielson Air Force base not far from Fairbanks, Alaska. He and three companions were hunting on Hinchinbrook island for dear in Prince William Sound, Canada in the fall of 2001. The island is a known haven for brown bear and hunters go there regularly to ply their skills. Rarely do hunters find bears weighing more than 400 pounds.
On a rainy fall day, Winnen and his one of the three companions were following a creek bed. Winnen was carrying the larger caliber rifle of the two, a .338 winchester magnum.
The bear's paw is clearly as big as Winnen's chest. The trophy pictures were taken on Hinchinbrook island in Prince William Sound, Canada in 2001.
In their trek along the creek, they came upon a pool of salmon, when the idea hit Winnen that they might find a bear. They continued on up the creek spotting some remaining season blueberies in the brush ahead. Then some 40 to 50 yards upstream, they spotted a brown bear salmon fishing, flipping over logs prtially submerged in the stream. Judging from its size, the two thought it might be fair game and chambered rounds into their rifles.
The men lost sight of the brear in creek brush as it moved downstream. They decided to backtrack to a large spruce further downstream. Unexpectedly the bear popped up in front of them no more than 10 yards away. Winnen's partner was calling to him to shoot and He got off a shot from the .338 which landed just below the left eye. The bear recoiled and fell. Winnen put a total of six more rounds in the great beast before venturing in to claim his prize.
They spent an additional half day skinning and dragging the bear skull back to their rented cabin.
The Anchorage Daily News first reported the incident in Decemberd winner