Alberta big bear 1949

[slimjim]

Here is a photo of George Bugbee, the fellow with the rifle, and Ron Lyle, both from Caroline area. This is believed to be an Alaskan Brown bear, that made its way south to the Limestone Mtn. area west of Caroline. The bear attacked the pack train and Bugbee go one shot off, that clipped a front tooth and entered the brain, killing the bear. Other people will know more about this photo than I do, but I thought I would share the picture, after all its bear season. http://tinypic.com/r/2s9alow/7

[BGSH]

Huge

[JohnB]

I can't see the picture.

[slimjim]

To see the picture, highlite the link, then move the mouse up to the google bar, and click search.

[Grizzly Adams]

I think our banned Sheepguide has the rifle. Some mystery as to what happened to thehide and skull.

Grizz

[cacty]

I first ran across this pic and story in the 80's when I was a young lad, I remember it was in the Western Sportsman. I have tried numerous times since to find out some more info on it to no avail. Cool stuff mang!

[bisonhunter]

they used to have the picture and story at the mountain air lodge, but i wouldn't know anymore as that was 15 plus years ago. maybe you could phone them and ask. any way you look at it that is one big bear, they figured 1600 pounds or there abouts.

[Grizzly Adams]

I've got a photo copy of the story in the Rocky paper. If I get some time tonight, I'll try and post it. Was on Willson Creek, in the Limestone area. The Mountain Aire stuff very likely went up in the fire. Still wonder if one of their "clients" played some part in that.

Grizz

[ishootbambi]

sorry, but i am calling bs. there just aint no way a bear went for a stroll in alaska and ended up near caroline. big bear....either a giant grizzly killed near caroline and a story that grew, or an alaskan bear that had its picture swirl around the rumor mill. either way, im not believing its an alaskan bear killed at caroline.














or maybe im wrong and his name is gump.

[Tundra Monkey]

Looks like a massive head and those teeth are huge!!

The feet of the bear look kinda small though.....I've seen pics of some pretty massive feet using guys bodies as a reference. Maybe the girls didn't like him in Alaska because he had "small feet"

tm

[jimbo1]

can anyone post the pic as i cant get the link up on my computer!

[u_cant_rope_the_wind]

http://i56.tinypic.com/2s9alow.jpg

[jimbo1]

thank you! wow that is a huge bear!

[TomE]

There was a Poster in the Lounge of the old Log place on the entry to Sundre, where the A&W is now, of this Story from a Local Newspaper..looked like a True enough Story for me..If memory serves correct, Huckabee was Guiding Some Americans and after coming out of the woods at the end of a Draw, they surprised the Bear which was on an Elk Kill..Their Horses Reared and he managed to grab his Rifle, (30/30 Lever?) while falling off his Horse and shot the Bear as it was running at him. It collapsed just feet from him..Would certainly like to know more..The Story did say it wasn't a Griz but an Alaskan Brown or Cross..The Story had a similar Pic but it was propped up on posts..Looked way bigger than in this Pic..Funny, That placed in Sundre Burned down too I believe...

[BGSH]

Has anyone seen a bear this size since???????

[H380]

Don't get me wrong , but I don't see any long claws in the photo that would make this a Grizz... Alaska ? that's a looong walk .

[avb3]

An Alaskan Brown Bear IS a grizzly... genetically there is no difference; the difference is that the so-called brown bear is just a well fed grizzly... easy pickings of salmon have a tendency to do that.

Can an Alaskan Brown Bear make it to Alberta?

Consider that about 18 or so years ago, there was a report of an extremely large grizzly up on the Wapiti River in the Peace River area.

F&W tagged that bear.

3 months later it was dead... shot in the Alaskan panhandle.

Don't ask me why that crazy old bear thought it was better feeding time in Alberta, or if he was seduced by some sexy female.

All I know is that he decided to go back where the eating was good, and try and get lucky with the local ladies.

[Jamie]

Glad to see that pic again, last isaw it was in mountanaire lodge.

[Rockymtnx]

[Young Eldon]

Fred Walker (deceased) from Red Deer and I tried to chase down the skull and hide of this bear for many years. The rifle used was a 30-06. I too doubt that it was an Alaskan Brown Bear but it may have been the largest grizzly ever taken in Alberta. My guess is that the hide and skull were seized by the presiding judge at the trial in Rocky Mountain House and then disposed of but I have not been able to determine how the disposal happened. The charge against George Bugby was withdrawn, mainly due to Freda Flemming's appeal to Huestis (Head Alberta Forester of the day). Freda (deceased) was a reporter for the Rocky Mountaneer Paper) at the time and a good friend of George Bugby- she lent me the negatives of the dead bear's pictures. I have been told that the hide was last seen in the back of a truck on main street Rocky, apparently with a Mountie guarding it????

[209x50]

Originally Posted by Young Eldon

Fred Walker (deceased) from Red Deer and I tried to chase down the skull and hide of this bear for many years. The rifle used was a 30-06. I too doubt that it was an Alaskan Brown Bear but it may have been the largest grizzly ever taken in Alberta. My guess is that the hide and skull were seized by the presiding judge at the trial in Rocky Mountain House and then disposed of but I have not been able to determine how the disposal happened. The charge against George Bugby was withdrawn, mainly due to Freda Flemming's appeal to Huestis (Head Alberta Forester of the day). Freda (deceased) was a reporter for the Rocky Mountaneer Paper) at the time and a good friend of George Bugby- she lent me the negatives of the dead bear's pictures. I have been told that the hide was last seen in the back of a truck on main street Rocky, apparently with a Mountie guarding it????

So the bear was shot illegally? The fellows in the picture are holding up the rear feet. They are back at the rear of the bear changing the perspective a whole lot, making the bear look much larger than it is. As another astute observer pointed out those rear feet are very small and lead me to believe that the magic of photography is blowing things all out of proportion.
I don't believe it is a Alaska brown nor even a very large grizzly.

[cacty]

Originally Posted by Young Eldon

Fred Walker (deceased) from Red Deer and I tried to chase down the skull and hide of this bear for many years. The rifle used was a 30-06. I too doubt that it was an Alaskan Brown Bear but it may have been the largest grizzly ever taken in Alberta. My guess is that the hide and skull were seized by the presiding judge at the trial in Rocky Mountain House and then disposed of but I have not been able to determine how the disposal happened. The charge against George Bugby was withdrawn, mainly due to Freda Flemming's appeal to Huestis (Head Alberta Forester of the day). Freda (deceased) was a reporter for the Rocky Mountaneer Paper) at the time and a good friend of George Bugby- she lent me the negatives of the dead bear's pictures. I have been told that the hide was last seen in the back of a truck on main street Rocky, apparently with a Mountie guarding it????

Fascinating mate.

The whole story is in the Rocky Mountain House History book. They have
a copy at the Rocky Library.
The size of the skull was recorded as 29 1/4 inches B & C measuring system.
Back in the early 1970's I made a trip to Lund's Wildlife museum in Prince
Albert, Sask. as I had heard that they had the skull. They had it in a glass
case and wouldn't take it out so I could put a tape on it and wouldn't allow
a camera inside the museum. So I took my tape measure and stood right over
it. So I got a pretty close measuement of the length and the width. The
measurement of 29 1/4 is authentic. Even today it would be close to a world record Grizzly if not the world record. The reason I know it was George's
bear skull is that; it had the same tooth broken off from the 30-06 bullet
hitting it on the way into the bear's brain. I was back to Prince Albert about five years ago and the museum is nolonger there. Noone I talked to in PA knew where the skull got to after the museum closed up. I have a few more photos of the bear if I can find them. I have them and the story on a disk somewhere.
If I can find them I will post them.

[cacty]

Talk to Garry Donald he would probably know where the critters from Lund's went.

[209x50]

Originally Posted by Rancher_49

The whole story is in the Rocky Mountain House History book. They have
a copy at the Rocky Library.
The size of the skull was recorded as 29 1/4 inches B & C measuring system.
Back in the early 1970's I made a trip to Lund's Wildlife museum in Prince
Albert, Sask. as I had heard that they had the skull. They had it in a glass
case and wouldn't take it out so I could put a tape on it and wouldn't allow
a camera inside the museum. So I took my tape measure and stood right over
it. So I got a pretty close measuement of the length and the width. The
measurement of 29 1/4 is authentic. Even today it would be close to a world record Grizzly if not the world record. The reason I know it was George's
bear skull is that; it had the same tooth broken off from the 30-06 bullet
hitting it on the way into the bear's brain. I was back to Prince Albert about five years ago and the museum is nolonger there. Noone I talked to in PA knew where the skull got to after the museum closed up. I have a few more photos of the bear if I can find them. I have them and the story on a disk somewhere.
If I can find them I will post them.

Well then I stand corrected! LOL, thank you for more background on a very interesting story. Can anyone say why the hunter didn't own the skull and hide?

I have the whole story as it was written back in 1949.
Answer to the question. George shot the bear in self defence so the bear was not taken in accordence with the game laws. George was guiding as the time and didn't have a bear license. Somewhere during the hastle with the Game Warden's the hide & skull disappeared.
Ron Lyle was the Forest Ranger at the Clearwater Ranget station at the time.
I have always disputted the weight though.
The skull was sent to the University of Alaska for confirmation as to what kind of a bear it was. Their results said it was an Alaskan Brown Bear. Who know's?

[Young Eldon]

I'm pleased to hear that you actually saw the skull in the PA museum Rancher 49. Fred Walker also went over there looking for it but by then the original museum owner had died and his wife would not let Fred into the place. Fred was told they no longer had the skull. Apparently, the museum had been broken into and some stuff was stolen, they had also had a fire which may have destroyed the skull. It sounded like the family wanted the entire story ended since there was always some suspicion about how the skull had ended up there.
Freda Fleming told me that she had strongly advised George not to let the skull and hide go to a museum outside of Alberta. He had been offered dollars by the American Museum of Natural History.
The skull and hide should have been retained by the court, even though the charge against George had been dropped but that may not have been what actually happened. Perhaps the judge let George keep the skull or one or both of them may have donated or sold it to the museum in PA. The family in PA are likely the only ones that may be able to sort this one out and they don't seem to be inclined to do so.

[Jordyturnertpc]

Does anyone have anymore photos, information, stories about George bugbee and the bear as im from caroline and he is my greatgrandfather and we never had a chance to meet him or see the bear and any stories or photos are great to hear

[cacty]

Whats the name of the Rocky history book the story is in? Im going to buy a copy if I can.

[Bushmaster]

C'mon ISB, it's Christmas ! You gotta believe !