[Jeff Higgins]

I "met" the bear that starred in the TV series Grizzly Adams, or the one that was in the Disney movie about the bear years ago. I can't remember for the life of me which bear it was; for all I know it was the same one in both. He was out at a private zoo and exotic wildlife breeder in Sequim, on the upper part of the Olympic Peninsula (really sad place if you love animals by the way). This little feller had an advertised weight of 1800-2000 lbs, depending on which account you believe. The top of his head, with him on all fours, came to about mid-chest on me and I'm an honset six feet tall. His hump was about even with my eyes. These things get far bigger than most folks can imagine. At that size, they will still out sprint a horse.

I saw a grizzly one time on the Tagagawick River (just inside the Arctic Circle, east of Kotzebue) chase a ground squirrel. He caught it after matching it move for move; he was every bit as agile and quick. Granted he was a true open tundra griz, and a very good one goes maybe 600 lbs, but still pretty impressive. He would have caught me no problem. That's why I hunt caribou with a .375 H&H when I'm up there.