First Day, Port Hardy Bear Camp

Well, the whole point of this visit to Port Hardy is that I am following an old friend around on a bear hunt. It is a guided event, unfolding over six days throughout the timber country in northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. 

We will be driving around timber trails and doing a bit of walking searching for grown, male black bears. This part of Canada has the highest black bear population in the world, and are so common they often come into town and forage through people's bins. The timber country is old lumber country that has been harvested and regrown over multiple generations and is crisscrossed with rough timber trails used by lumber trucks when trees are being felled, but which are also accessible to properly equipped folk who know how to use them. Such as our guide.

I had no idea what to expect on the first day of the hunt. I have to admit I had a back-up plan consisting of a photo-tour lined up of the many little harbors around this part of the world. But it was not needed. I enjoyed every moment of the day, and those that have followed.

Neroutsos Inlet and the Port Alice pulp mill: first stop was a vantage point high above the inlet that would form the anchor of much of the hunt. This is the mill that once processed much of the timber felled in the area, transported old-style by floating logs down the inlet. The mill has been on much reduced capacity since being bought by a Chinese company. Much of the timber from here ends up in China where it is turned into furniture that ends up in places like Australia,

Forest: the first stop for actually looking for bears was Side Bay, on the far west coast of the island. It is accessed by wading through some thick, reasonably mature forest. The bay itself has a lovely gravel beach and the spot we were heading for was a meadow of sea grass located a few hundred meters up an estuary inlet. I made plenty of mistakes with my gear this first day, and many fabulous opportunities were missed. 

Side Bay Estuary: we spent most of the day by this inlet, and by the time we were on our way out the sun was dropping.

Forest Trail: the bears were elusive all afternoon, and after one very close stalk (by the hunters, not me; I was about 150m back!) we headed home through the forest trail.