The Hunt (2014)

Twice a year, on the rugged island of Kodiak, Alaska, a select group of hunters head into the wilderness for the ultimate test against the elements and the largest land predator on Earth–the Kodiak brown bear. Narrated by James Hetfield, the voice of Metallica, The Hunt is an eight-episode series that documents one of the most dangerous pursuits known to man.

Bear hunting on Kodiak goes back millennia, tracing back to the early Alutiiq people who sought these enormous creatures to provide food and raw materials. Today, the bear hunt remains a cultural fixture on Kodiak and is crucial to the delicate natural balance on the island. Strictly regulated by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, every year thousands of hunters apply for one of 496 tags that are given via a lottery system. While Alaskan residents may hunt by themselves, outsiders must hire seasoned guides who are experts in both the Kodiak brown bear and the island terrain. At the root of their craft, these guides have a profound reverence for this animal.

The average Kodiak brown bear hunt is ten days, most of which are spent living off the land with only the supplies carried on the backs of the guide and hunter. During that time, expeditions trek miles of treacherous terrain, often enduring ferocious weather changes that can become extremely dangerous at a moment’s notice. The game they’re hunting can grow to be 12 feet tall, 1500 pounds, and are armed with razor sharp claws and powerful jaws. The Kodiak brown bear also possesses an eerie elusiveness and a sharp intelligence that is not to be underestimated. They have the ability to blur the lines between the hunted and the hunter.

Most of the hunters look at Kodiak as the hunt of a lifetime, yet less than half walk away with their tag filled. While getting a bear is no easy task, most hunters still value time-honored traditions by hunting with bow-and-arrow, black powder single-shot rifles, and/or use the minimum amount of technology possible. Honoring the animal is paramount and taught to all hunters who come to the island. Hunters have an ethical and legal responsibility to strive for clean kills that is taken very seriously. There are pages of stringent regulations they must follow that ensure respect for the animal and the land.

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Blood on the Trail
Premiere Date:July 27, 2014
Native American guide Mike Carlson leads father-son hunters, Ben and Tom, to track down a nuisance bear that has been terrorizing Mike's village. They discover that bear has been killing deer behind a neighbor's cabin. Stalking a feeding bear is as risky as it gets, and Mike must carefully guide his hunters into certain danger. Rancher Chris Flickenger is alone on the outskirts of his 500-acre ranch searching for the cow killing bear that has taken up residence on his ranch. Chris scours his property, finding evidence of the bear that continues to outsmart him. After almost losing his arm in an accident, guide Darrell Lindgren made a miraculous recovery and returned to what he loves best–guiding hunters in Kodiak. His hunter Greg Kratzer is returning to Kodiak, after his last hunt with Darrell was shut down by a snowstorm.

In the Crosshairs
Premiere Date:July 20, 2014
Hunter Marty Loring has wounded a bear that has disappeared from sight. He and his guide Eric Fischer must track it down, but in the adrenaline-induced search, Marty loses Eric, and disappears into the dense Kodiak brush without the safety of his guide. Legendary bear guide Scott Mileur and his hunting partner Greg Accord lead a hunt with two crop dusters from Arkansas. It's the last hunt of the season for veteran guide Mike Horstman; Alaskan resident hunter Darrell Weatherall joins him. During their hunt Mike spots one of the biggest bears he's ever seen on the island, and christens him "Big Papa." At Flickenger Ranch, rancher Chris Flickenger and his wife Shelly are still plagued by the bear that killed one of their horses earlier in the season. When Chris and Shelly do a count of their cattle, they notice a significant loss that forces Chris to go out on a solo hunt for the beast, in a last ditch effort to save his ranch.

Death Charge
Premiere Date:July 13, 2014
Husband and wife hunters Hal and Michelle Barber face off against a charging Kodiak bear. They win the battle against the raging beast, but their fight to survive isn't over. Hungry, dehydrated and slowed down by the effects of Hal's diabetes, The Barbers struggle to make their long journey back to their cabin. Ex-NFL pro turned bear guide Eric Fischer is a no holds barred hunter who believes in pushing himself and his hunters to their limits. His hunter, Marty Loring is a deer guide from Canada who experiences the most intense hunt of his life navigating the grueling Kodiak terrain. Veteran bear guide Mike Horstman is on his second hunt of the season. His hunter, Mike Redes, is living his dream on this bucket-list hunt. He has total faith in his guide, and it comes in handy when he loses sight of a potentially wounded bear and is forced to rely solely on Horstman's keen eye.

Ambushed
Premiere Date:July 06, 2014
Alaskan residents and husband-and-wife hunters Hal and Michelle begin their quest for the Kodiak Brown bear. Michelle, a newbie hunter, is the one with the tag and her husband Hal will be right by her side coaching her while they navigate the treacherous Kodiak terrain. After a brutal rainstorm, which threatened their cabin, and stalled their hunt, the weather breaks giving Buckey and Steve an opportunity to take their hunters back out to track for bears. But when the group does come upon one, hunter Kyle comes down with a serious case of boar fever. Heading out for his second hunt of the season, Native American guide Mike and his hunter, John embark on an intense mission to find a bear. John is tasked with a difficult decision to shoot from the guide boat and a glimpse of a monster-size bear puts Mike in the terrifying position between a protective sow and her cub.

Close Encounters
Premiere Date:June 29, 2014
Buckey Winkley, the oldest living bear guide in Alaska embarks on a dangerous hunt that may ultimately send him into retirement. Bear Guide, Jeff "Grizzly" Welch leads his hunter after a ravenous bear in an effort to save the lives of two innocent orphaned cubs. An injured and weather beaten Frank Sanders refuses to abandon the hunt and pushes his hunters on with their quest.

One Shot
Premiere Date:June 22, 2014
After surviving her first night on Kodiak alone and armed with just a single shot muzzleloader, Hillarie Putnam engages in a game of cat and mouse with the bear that has been stalking her. Surrounded by bears, Frank Sanders and his crew face a series of close calls and near misses that could spell the end of their hunt. Native American Hunting Guide Mike Carlson and his hunter hit the jackpot and find a beached whale carcass–with enormous bear tracks all around. Their hunt takes them through sacred native lands and they soon discover that they may have led them into a trap.

Night Stalker
Premiere Date:June 15, 2014
Guide Frank Sanders leads two of his closest friends on a hunt in honor of his best friend who recently died in an ATV accident. Armed with just bows and arrows the men battle the harsh Kodiak weather and find themselves in a standoff with a massive bear. Hillarie Putnam finds herself facing Kodiak alone. During her first night solo a bear circles her threatening her life. As time runs out on Sam and Dave's hunt, they decide to pursue a large bear in an area where there may be another hunter. Any direction they move could put them in the line of fire.

Predator or Prey?
Premiere Date:June 08, 2014
The long-standing tradition of the Fall Hunt begins on Kodiak Island where we meet Alaskan resident Hillarie Putnam as she takes on Kodiak for the first time with the help of her father and armed with a single shot muzzleloader. Meanwhile, veteran hunting guide Mike Horstman helps local cattle rancher Chris Flickenger track a bear that has killed one of his horses and is threatening his cows. Third generation hunting guide, Sam Rohrer and his hunter Dave have a nine-foot bear in their sights when they hear gunshots come out of nowhere–forcing them to take cover until this new adversary reveals himself.