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Idaho Spring Bear is a Wrap

Brentster7189

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So this is the first time I've solely went after bear in a few decades...since I was a kid. Now I have kids myself, two daughters of which recently went through hunters education. Both of which are still under 12, so of course they can't shoot any big game yet, but I enjoy taking them with me when I go hunting. Last weekend I took my 10 year old with me for the day.

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She hung in there all day. She fought through the snow...and the ticks which are out in full force right now. We had them on ourselves, and on our gear.

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Two great signs I love to see when I go hunting...

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And who isn't a fan of this one...

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So yesterday I asked my 11 year old, who will be 12 this fall, if she wanted to go out with me, and she was all for it. With five kids, anytime one kid can get a chance to go out with dad alone, believe me they jump all over it. We hiked in a few miles and spent some time glassing at a few different vantage points.

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After my daughter realized how much stuff she could see through the bino's I don't think I ever saw her put them down. We saw about 6 different herds of elk and watched them. Watched some bulls milling around on the hillside that were just starting to get some growth, as well as a lot of mule deer that also were starting to show.

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The grass is really coming in now on the hillsides, and we were lucky enough to find some great spots to glass from.

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Kicking back in the warm sun, and glassing some hillsides...that is some serious relaxation.

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So about 730 in the evening after not seeing any bears all day this guy comes bolting out of the woods across a bare hillside. My daughter and I move to intercept him and when he stops I put one in his shoulder, he buckles, then did a 180 and started heading back to where he came from, so I put another one in him and it rolls him, and he's done.

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My daughter was a serious trooper all day long, and helped me get this guy skinned out and quartered. I don't think I've ever seen her so excited, I think I have myself a great little hunter in the works. She was there to see it all unfold and felt how great it was to go out and just see a lot of animals without actually seeing what you were after, and how quick things can suddenly happen, going from nothing...to something. The adrenaline rush of the whole ordeal, and then how much work it is once you have an animal down. She really got an appreciation of all that hunting can be...in a one day lesson.

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So that's the end of my spring bear season, and the first bear I've ever shot. I'm stoked to have done it, what a great adventure.
 
A day neither of you will ever forget. Whether you got a bear, or not, the trophy was in the time spent together.

Great to see kids joining their parents on these type of excursions. Congrats on your bear and thanks for getting your girls into the spirit of the outdoor lifestyle.

The pics tells some cool parts of the story.
 
Now that's some good stuff, like others said a day that will never be forgotten.
 
Awesome write up with pics Brent! Grats on your bear. Sounds like it was a great day with your girl.

I see you finally got a MR pack, NICE! Which model is that and how do you like it? I'm loving my longbow and don't see myself needing to find a newer better pack anytime in the near future...unlike years past.
 
That is AWESOME! I just asked my five year old daughter last night when I tucked her in if she would rather go bear hunting or go to Disney World. She looked at me with a scowl and said "Why do you always ask me such hard questions?"
 
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