At 2.00 this afternoon Bob Adams paid us a visit.
What happened then was so remarkable, unbelievable, and bizarre that it took me a minute to work out what was going on.
Quite literally, he went for me.
He was shouting and swearing, and touched, almost pushed, me several times - yelling that the failure was all down to me(!). Because I'm always asleep in my tent!
That is such an absurd, outrageous lie - completely untrue!
One of our hunts lasted for 18hrs. and none have been under 12hrs.! Only the day before yesterday we didn't get back until after midnight. His style of argument relies on aggression, shouting, and not letting the other person get a word in. Everything he had said is simply not true, but then John starts to behave a bit strangely too. Now that his boss is here, his opinion about the lack of bears has suddenly changed. Now he is just echoing Bob's words, even though he had previously agreed with me that all the bears were elsewhere. It is all about the fact that I twice spent 10-15mins. in my tent making a video, because outside it was so windy that my voice wouldn't have been heard. That is the basis of their argument, why it is impossible to hunt with me!
It is a shocking and incredible insult!
As I've already said, in order to keep watch efficiently, we divided the camp in two. My half was on the side with the tents and the other was over the ridge. They then twist the facts even more, saying that the reason I hadn't shot that alleged moose was because I hadn't felt like accompanying John up to the Gallery, preferring to stay down by the tents! I just didn't know what to say; not that I was given the chance, anyway.
There seems to be some tension between Bob and John, too.
But I can see that John is not resolute enough to stick to his opinion that we should move to another camp. Bob's opinion, and he's yelling it at us - if there was a bear anywhere near, it will be far away by now - is that we have to stay here, and that I will be able to shoot a bear here.
John asks me to decide whether I want to stay or go on.
Me, who is here for the first time! Exactly who is the guide here??? Who is supposed to know the area??? Is this a guided hunt, or not???
This is a sly move on John's part, because, if the hunt is a failure, they can then put the blame on me, saying that was the place I had picked. The behaviour of these to men is underhand and quite despicable!
Chapter VI.: Return to Alaska
Page 36
To clarify the matter to my readers, here is a list of my main points:
- Whoever needs to shout won't be in the right. Nothing can justify such coarse and rude behavior!
- It is extremely unprofessional to behave like this towards a client who has paid a small fortune for just ten days.
- Based on his recent hysterical and aggressive outburst, my personal opinion is that Bob Adams is not a very intelligent man. Anyone who argues like this can't be very bright.
- Every problem can be solved if you examine it calmly. It's a pity Bob didn't try to do that.- What he says is not true. But, even if it was, it wouldn't matter, as finding the game is not the client's job. That's what your guide is for. The client's task is to obey the guide and shoot accurately.-
Neither Bob nor John know where the moose and bear are to be found. I firmly believe that this is the root of the problem.
Soon after Bob's stormy departure I make a final decision.
I decide, of my own accord, to bring my moose and bear hunt to an early conclusion.
Chapter VI.: Return to Alaska
Page 37
I give John my decision, and he radios it to Bob. He quickly returns to the camp - he'd left before I had decided what I would do - and we start to pack. 30mins. later all three of us are on the plane, flying back to the base camp.
There are many reasons for my decision.
This has been a dreadful hunt. There was never the slightest chance of success. I can see how embarassed Bob and John are, but they try to hide it with bluster and yelling. I do not doubt that Bob is one of Alaska's best outfitters. Many people have said so, so it must be true. The facilities at the base camp and the standard of organization also suggest it. But Bob just could not handle the situation, he got very wound up, and consequently became unpredictable and aggressive.
This is not the right job for a nervous man. Given the general mood and atmosphere, I really don't feel like going on with the hunt.
For me the bagging and the trophy are no more than 50% of the hunt. The size and weight of a game species unfamiliar to me are almost incidental. I've always asked my guides not to let me shoot anything way below the average. But, if I get that, then I'm happy. And if it happens to be above the average, then I'm especially happy.
The other 50% is the experience itself.
The personal relationships I build up with my hunting companions.
For me, the laughs we have together, the non-stop teasing, the endless chats about guns, calibers and ammunition, listening to other people's stories, looking at their photos, appraising each other's clothes and binoculars, and getting to know their histories, are what are important.
Drinking whisky together behind the guide's back, telling dirty jokes... Looking back over my journey so far, these are what first spring to mind. Now I am going to be very honest: I don't have the faintest idea idea how big a Dall sheep's horns are. Greg Jennen assured me it was a good one, and I believed him. It is not a point that greatly interests me. But I still start to laugh when I think of the two archers, and all the silly things we got up to during those few days. That is what it's all about! That is what I remember now, and hope I will for decades to come!
In the current atmosphere that second 50% has gone completely.
This is no place for me.
With a little bit of magic I might have been able to get my grizzly, say, the day after tomorrow. But I'm not particularly bothered. What would it remind me of when I look at it back home? All the quarrels and stress that Bob has brought into my life? Is that what I'm here for: to fight with people like this? Should I start yelling, as well? What would i gain by it? It wouldn't improve the atmosphere. I'm not here to get a grizzly at any cost, but to enjoy some good hunting in Alaska.
But, if this is what it costs, I don't want it. With a bit of luck the greater part of my life still lies
Chapter VI.: Return to Alaska
Page 38
ahead of me. I can always come back to Alaska to get my moose and grizzly. And I hope I will make many more good friends, and spend the hunt in a happy atmosphere. But one thing is for sure: I won't be using the Adams Guiding Service. Once was quite enough. Perhaps too much.
I've made the right decision.
Room 2069
Expedition Headquarters
Anchorage Hilton
Anchorage