My first duty assignment was Airstation Kodiak. And, like everybody else I felt dutybound to buy a 'bar rifle.' Mine was a 98 mauser with 26" tube, Lyman ghost peep, checkered steel buttplate, french grey and circassion walnut beauty with 85 rounds of 200 grain Bitterroot handloads.
Then I had to finance a guided hunt. So I took a off duty job cleaning the base exchange after hours. I was putting a final buff on a completely stripped and waxed mezzanine in the half light of winter.

I backed into the taxidermied brown bear standing on rear legs, upraised forepaws and snarling so hard it began rocking slightly. I saw it's moving upraised forepaw in the corner of one eye, freaked out and ran, sliding in my socks on that fresh floor wax and slamming into the opposite wall.I may have screamed. I stared from my sitting position at my 'adversary' looked around to see if anyone was looking in at 2A.M. and blushed.

I soon financed my hunt and after an exausting stalk found myself looking through the peep at a stunning and rare blue phase brownie- eating sedge grass and rolling on his back.Taxidermists never mount brownies on their backs with grass in their mouths. I said bang! turned to my guide and shook hands. He laughed and said he really hated shooting them too.
My hunting ethic led me to meet Bart the Bear, Douglas Peacock and
( unfortunaltly) Timothy Treadwell. All in all, it's been a fair exchange.

I still have my first rifle too AND 20 of those original rounds. Somebody mentioned to the dumb kid Bitterroot bullets are hand made.