Brian’s Hunt
About
Two years after having survived a plane crash into the Canadian wilderness, a sixteen-year-old returns to the wild to befriend a wounded dog and hunt a rogue bear. The plot contains violence.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Describe Brian’s dreams right after the accident of crashing in the lake and how they’re different now.
Page 2 — They were more tarrying and traumatizing then and now they’re more fond memories and comical
2
How old is Brian now?
Page 2 — 16 yrs old
2
Why did Brian decide against shooting the moose?
Page 5 — It was a lot of meat to deal with and he didn’t want to waste any of it
5
Why did Brian think about Susan Smallhorn?
Page 6 — She sounded interesting; pretty; brave; had a scar under her eye he thought of as a beauty mark; he’d never met her
6
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Why had school and studying become different after his airplane crash?
Page 10 — He started to realize the things you could learn and know from books. Being in his life and death situation changed his perspective
10
Why did the world Brian’s parents live in look ugly to him?
Page 11 — He didn’t like the sights, sounds and smells anymore. They focused on “things”, money, the right car, the right girls and the right clothes
11
Why did Brian take so long to move the canoe after studying the pike?
Page 14 — He didn’t want to scare it
14
What lesson did Brian learn from the Inuit hunting seal?
Page 16 — To be patient and not get frustrated
16
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Why did Brian check his equipment every day?
Page 21 — To make sure it was in good shape; make sure it was all there
21
Why did Brian like to sleep in the canoe in the middle of the lake?
Page 24 — Less mosquitoes, like a cradle rocking him to sleep
24
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
How did Brian wake up in the middle of the night?
Page 27 — He heard an odd sound and he’s very in tune with odd sounds out in the wilderness/bush
27
What was making the sound?
Page 30 — A dog that was in his cooking spot
30
How did Brian know the dog he could approach the dog?
Page 30 — It was wounded, it was female and a type of dog he had seen in Cree camps, whimpering and not growling
30
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Describe the dog’s condition.
Page 33 — Its side was ripped open about 1.5 feet long, there was a torn back flap of skin on the shoulder that exposed muscle
33
How did the dog respond to Brian sewing up it’s shoulder?
Page 36 — Moaned, looked him in the eyes, seemed to trust him
36
What Brian know about the dog?
Page 38 — She was a female, she was a human dog, couldn’t hunt for herself, away from her people and wondered why so far away from them
38
What kind of thinking skills is Brian using to figure out what happened to the dog and what conclusion did he come to?
Page 42 — Critical thinking, process of elimination; a bear attacked the dog
42
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
What were the two reasons Brian gives of why the rabbit screamed when he shot it?
Page 46 — It warned other animals there was a predator and other predators came to the area out of curiosity
46
What were the ingredients to Brian’s stew?
Page 48 — Rice, rabbit meat, fish meat
48
How does the author describe how Brian felt about the dog?
Page 50 — She was a friend in need
50
Explain why you think Brian felt a push to move and go north?
Page 50 — He felt a pressing need to know where the dog came from and why it was injured
50
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
How did Brian get over the beaver dams as he was traveling?
Page 54 — He had to unload his canoe, lower it by hand, then repack it in the stream below
54
What does the phrase mean, “he saw inside things” relating to hunting?
Page 56 — He saw a line of where the arrow should hit
56
Why did Brian say “thank you” to each animal after he had killed it?
Page 49 — Because it cost the animals their lives to feed him and he was grateful to them
49
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What did Brian realize about having a dog?
Page 61 — That he would never go without a dog again, there was a loneliness that was always there, until now
61
Why did Brian think the dog left his people?
Page 62 — Something hurt them or the camp
62
How did Brian know he was in the woods where man lived?
Page 66 — The animals were quiet and out of sight
66
How did the dog feel about drawing nearer to the island?
Page 67 — She was up and whining and growling
67
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Who did Brian find and what condition was this person in?
Page 72 — David Smallhorn; he was ripped up and dead
72
Why didn’t Brian grab the gun?
Page 74 — He wasn’t as familiar with it and knew his broadhead could do good damage
74
Where did he find Anne’s body?
Page 76 — Dragged off into the brush
76
What had happened to Susan?
Page 79 — She was berry picking along the shore and saw what had happened as she came back and ran back to the canoe and was able to get away from the bear
79
Where did Brian find Susan and what condition was she in?
Page 82 — down the lake 4 miles from the island; she was crazed and exhausted
82
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
What was Susan’s reaction to finding out both of her parents are dead?
Page 86 — Sobbed for hours
86
Where were the two small children?
Page 86 — In Winnipeg with relatives
86
Why did Brian want to stay on the island and not fly out with the rescuers?
Page 87 — He wanted to hunt the bear
87
THE HUNT
Comprehension questions
Why was Brian able to trust the dog?
Page 91 — She could smell out the bear’s tracks even if Brian couldn’t see them; the dog would warn him if there was danger
91
How was Brian able to discern between the bear he was hunting to the other bears he saw?
Page 93 — The other bears didn’t chase him or go after him; their claw prints were different since the big bear had a missing claw and broken claw
93
How did Brian feel when he first realized the bear was hunting him?
Scared; coldness on his neck, no breath, everything stopped 94
How did Brian fight the bear once his bow was knocked out of his hands and the bear attacked him?
Page 96 — Picked up arrows that had been flung to the ground around him
96
Was Brian satisfied now that he’d killed the bear? Explain.
Page 98 — No, he just felt sorrow for his friends that had died
98
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