#156 TERROR ON THE KVICHAK RIVER

A 1990 encounter from a fisherman named Timothy, who was 20 years old at the time and completely new to the Alaskan wilderness. While working out of Naknek on a drift boat, the crew had to take a small wooden skiff up the Kvichak River toward Igiugig to retrieve a different fishing net. When the skiff's outboard motor began having mechanical issues, the crew pulled into a small tributary to fix it. Timothy was given a hunting rifle for protection and went to explore the nearby tundra. While sitting on a ridge, Timothy spotted two dark spots about 300 to 400 yards away. After a passing rain squall, he realized one of the shapes was standing upright—far too tall and slender to be a brown bear. As Timothy began heading back, a heavy, guttural scream bellowed from the creature. Soon after, a second creature stepped out of the willow brush only about 70 yards away and screamed directly at him. Terrified, Timothy attempted to shoot, but being unfamiliar with firearms, he didn't realize there wasn't a round chambered. After fumbling to rack a round, the creature vanished into the brush, only to scream again from much closer. He bolted back through the thick willows, tumbling and losing his gear. Looking back, he saw the creature standing tall above the brush, closing the distance. He tried to fire again, but the bolt action wasn't fully seated down, and the rifle failed to fire a second time. Timothy finally made it back to the riverbank where the captain's son had heard the screaming. When Timothy frantically explained what happened, he was struck by how nonchalant the local Native crew members were about the 'Hairy Man' (Jakayak). They simply noted that since it was no longer chasing him, they were safe to leave it alone. Looking back up the trail one last time, Timothy saw both creatures standing together in the distance. He spent the final hour of the repair job acting as a heavily coached armed sentry on the bank. Once they returned, the old captain fired Timothy, viewing him as 'bad luck' for drawing the creatures out.