el unit
Well-known member
After finding some fresh bear tracks and scat yesterday morning, I decided to hunt the last two days of the season here in BMU 316. The tracks were about 2-3 miles behind our place up in the dark timber on the north-facing side of the mountain.
At about 7:15 last night, I left the house to go back to still hunt my way up to where the tracks were. Just as I round the corner in our hay meadow we call “The Swamp”, I spot this bear grazing on the east-facing hillside about 10 yards into the National Forest.
The initial sighting was at about 500 yards. I continued along the fence line and closed the distance to 334 yards. Wanting to get closer, I decided to just crawl my way out into the open and close the distance. The next range was taken at 170 yards. At this point, I took off my pack and laid down in the 4 inches of flowing water running thru the hay field. I watched her for about 5 minutes- she was grazing on the grass and was walking all over the hill side while intensely feeding (eating grass, turning over rocks). After confirming no cubs were around, I waited for her to present a shot.
She ended up moving about 20 yards closer before she turned slightly quartering away and moved her front leg forward.
A squeeze from uncle Mike’s 30.06 and she rolled a short distance right down the hill to the meadow. The 165 grain CoreLokt bullet cut the heart in half and she was dead before she stopped rolling.
I was able to video her while she was feeding, and after the shot, but I wasn’t able to video the kill shot as I was laying in water and had no tripod. My iPhone and the ol Bushnell rangefinder are toast from me laying in the swamp water.
After notching the tags, I hiked back home to get the wife, camera, dry clothing/boots, and atv to haul it out.
Pulled the trigger at about 7:30 pm and was back to the house with the bear by 9:30.
Of course I left my pack at home when we went back, so I field dressed her using my Leatherman.
Leaving in 2 hours for the seal at MTFWP and then off to the taxidermist!
Apologies for the pictures on their side- I cannot figure out how to keep that from happening!
At about 7:15 last night, I left the house to go back to still hunt my way up to where the tracks were. Just as I round the corner in our hay meadow we call “The Swamp”, I spot this bear grazing on the east-facing hillside about 10 yards into the National Forest.
The initial sighting was at about 500 yards. I continued along the fence line and closed the distance to 334 yards. Wanting to get closer, I decided to just crawl my way out into the open and close the distance. The next range was taken at 170 yards. At this point, I took off my pack and laid down in the 4 inches of flowing water running thru the hay field. I watched her for about 5 minutes- she was grazing on the grass and was walking all over the hill side while intensely feeding (eating grass, turning over rocks). After confirming no cubs were around, I waited for her to present a shot.
She ended up moving about 20 yards closer before she turned slightly quartering away and moved her front leg forward.
A squeeze from uncle Mike’s 30.06 and she rolled a short distance right down the hill to the meadow. The 165 grain CoreLokt bullet cut the heart in half and she was dead before she stopped rolling.
I was able to video her while she was feeding, and after the shot, but I wasn’t able to video the kill shot as I was laying in water and had no tripod. My iPhone and the ol Bushnell rangefinder are toast from me laying in the swamp water.
After notching the tags, I hiked back home to get the wife, camera, dry clothing/boots, and atv to haul it out.
Pulled the trigger at about 7:30 pm and was back to the house with the bear by 9:30.
Of course I left my pack at home when we went back, so I field dressed her using my Leatherman.
Leaving in 2 hours for the seal at MTFWP and then off to the taxidermist!
Apologies for the pictures on their side- I cannot figure out how to keep that from happening!
