The Halfway River winds its way through prime elk and bear country in this part of British Columbia.

FORT ST. JOHN, British Columbia – Few places can pour fuel onto a passion for big-game hunting like stalking elk and bear in British Columbia. Together in camp with my dad, the two of us sharing hunting camp in this western big-game Mecca tasked solely with making memories and pursuing game, our expectations were as high as the spruce boughs that waved in the winds that signal autumn in this northern latitude. And Canada didn’t disappoint, as big-game excitement seemed to await us around every birch trunk and thicket, be it bugling elk, meandering moose – or a circus bear.

Hunting, second probably only to fishing, has been the genesis of more campfire whoppers and barroom exaggerations than gridiron glories of yesteryear and romantic conquests. So I suppose it would only be natural to dismiss this seemingly tall tale – but hear me out.

We hunted with my uncle, Larry Jarnagin, on land that he purchased in the early 1980s, a stretch of prime game habitat that covers more than 13,000 acres of the province. On the third day of the hunt, as Larry took dad to a bear stand, the two of them noticed something passing through the woods – something out of place in this realm of quadrapeds. Like something out of the circus, they reported seeing a bear cruising the woods walking upright, on his hind legs. Their stories were consistent: the bear walked this way for at least 60 yards; stepped over logs and behaved as though it was enjoying a mid-day stroll.

In short time, I was teasing them for trying to tell me that they saw bigfoot. They denied the accusation, maintaining that what they saw was a big bear walking upright.

To say that I was hard pressed to believe their yarn would be putting it mildly, but I came from a long line of bad spellers – not big liars. The two of them went on and on about this bear, and with the clock ticking down on my chance to fill an elk tag, I hit the same woods hoping for a shot at a trophy bull and a glimpse of this circus bear. The way they described this bear, should I find it, I halfway expected it to be carrying a picnic basket along side his sidekick, Boo-Boo.

I chose to elk hunt in a field near the infamous walking-bear site on the fifth evening, I already filled my bear tag, arrowing a very nice blonde earlier in the hunt, so shooting the walking bear wasn’t an option. But I had to see it for myself.

As I walked to my stand, I had a brief conversation with a local farmer who let me know that earlier in the afternoon he saw a bear in the road that walked on its hind legs. With this unsolicited, third-party information, I started believing that there may be some truth to the tall tale.

Carefully working my way down the damp road, I encountered a bear on the path’s north side. All that separated us was a small ditch and 20 yards, which is no safe distance should a startled bear have the inclination to charge. I paused to see what it would do, and watched in disbelief as it raised itself onto its back legs and began walking parallel to the road. I picked up the pace and tried to get as close as possible without being spied by the stroller. As I walked, I frantically retrieved my video camera from the pack strapped to my shoulders, for I knew – without evidence – no one who would believe such a tale.

The bear walked 20 yards on his back feet before it disappeared into a large depression in the ground and out of sight of the camera just as the machine powered on. I know what you’re thinking: that Jarnagin Clan either needs a family outing to the eye doctor or they are the biggest bunch of B.S.ers this side of Saskatoon.

But I kid you not.

This bear actually walked on its hind legs as a way of staying mobile. Upon further investigation, we found that the bear has a damaged front paw and has adapted its mode of transportation accordingly, finding the most efficient (and likely the least paintful) way to get around so it could continue to forage and stay safe.

It turned out to be one of the greatest evenings I ever spent in the woods. Not only did I see a wild circus bear, but I also anchored a nice bull (I’ve got pictures to prove this part of the story) and fulfilled every hope I had for my first (of many to come) Canadian hunting adventure. Game on the ground? Memories for a lifetime? Check and check. Not bad for one night in British Columbia.

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