The interior Grizzly Bear is some what smaller than the coastal Brown Bear. Probably this has to do with the richer food source available to the coastal Bears which feed on the abundant salmon runs. However, with the current high density of Bears in the Rainy Pass area several are being taken each year that measure between 8 and 9 feet squared. These are big bruins that can weigh between 500 and 700 pounds. Truly outstanding interior Grizzly Bears. They traditionally are found feeding on the King Salmon and Red Salmon runs on the Skwentna River and Happy River during late July and August. In mid August they start to supplement their diet with wild Blue Berries that are found in abundance on the mountain side meadows.

The color of the fur can vary considerably with the Grizzly Bear. They will range in color from the dark chocolate to the very blond. Two or three cubs in one family will often have different colored hides. One color phase found here is the very desirable Tolklat Grizzly. This color phase begins with very dark chocolate legs and gradually lightens to a blond color on the back with light silver tips on the fur. A mature Tolklat Grizzly makes an outstanding rug mount.

The interior Grizzly is well muscled with a prominent shoulder hump. They are capable of short bursts of speed that can and often do bring down Moose and Caribou. They have long claws that are used for digging out ground squirrels and excavating dens. When one comes across the remains of a Moose or Caribou kill that has been buried by the Grizzly Bear it can make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. It looks like a bull dozer has moved half an acre of sod and piled it six feet high over the kill.

Grizzlies are crafty and cunning and seldom seen by people in their natural environment. They are elusive and normally range about during the night. However, all Bears are gluttons and this trait brings about the seasonal situation that allows the hunter a chance to take an incredible trophy. When the Salmon spawn and the Blue Berries ripen Grizzlies lose their natural shyness and venture out onto the Salmon streams and the Blue Berry patches in good numbers during the day light hours. Hunting is still best during the early mornings and late evenings but Bears can be seen through out the entire day as they feed.

Hunting is done in several ways in the Spring. During the month of April Grizzlies will emerge from their winter hibernation. They spend five full months in their dens and can be hunted for several days as they lounge about the den's entrance. They make daily forages in search of food and to toughen up the tender pads on the underside of their paws. Once they leave the dens they are generally taken off of a Moose carcass that was either winter killed or freshly hunted. This is the time of the year that Moose and Caribou are the most vulnerable to Bear predation. Deep snows hinder the Moose and Caribou while the Grizzlies seem to be able to power right through it. Travel during this time of year is by super cub and by snow machine. Walking is done with the use of snow shoes.

Several methods are used to hunt Grizzly Bear in the Fall. When the season opens, on August 10th, the Grizzlies are fishing on the rivers. This is a good time to use a boat to drift past good fishing holes and to make stands at the entrances of streams that hold spawning Salmon. During these hunts a mobile camp is used, but a camp that is more substantial and comfortable than the light fly camps used for hunting Sheep. In mid August the Bears will begin to migrate up off of the Salmon streams onto the mountain sides in search of Blue Berries and Parka Squirrels. Horses are then used and hunting is done from the main Lodge or small comfortable log cabins. Good binoculars are a necessity since much of the day is spent glassing the surrounding hillsides from a favorite high ground look out. When a good trophy is spotted the horses are used to get into position and the final stalk made on foot. When the hunter has taken a Moose or Caribou trophy a good method of hunting is to set up a blind and wait for a Grizzly to begin feeding on the remains of the kill. During the first week of September the Fall colors are spectacular. This is the perfect time for the hunter that wants to hunt in a more relaxed atmosphere, have the amenities provided by the main Lodge, and yet have a very high level of success.

The Grizzly Bear is an outstanding trophy animal. Combine that with a stalk in the majestic scenic setting of the Rainy Pass area and the hunter will have an adventure that most sportsmen only dream about.