thecrittergitter
Well-known member
I'm certain that 2013 isn't going to go as well as 2012 for me, but I can say its off to the best start of any season ever. Been coaching my two boys' baseball teams this year so the bear hunting has not been happening. Got to go on the first real attempt and man was it cool. Couple great friends and I took my boys along with us (as if we had a choice when they heard we were going) and they got to witness up close a spot and stalk archery bear kill!
We spotted the bear at about 300 yards or so and sized it up. We all thought it was real nice bear and with a bow, would be an awesome trophy. Problem is, it had fed out into an open clearing that probably didn't have a blade of grass over 4" tall in it so to get into bow range was about 1% chance of success
With only about 30 minutes at best of shooting light left, I finally just said, I"m going for it, if he busts me, o well, its only the first night.......... So we all started stalking and got to within 150 yards. My buddies and the two boys held up there and I took off the last bit on my own. He was so damn hungry that he was hardly ever lifting his head from eating. Every time he would pick his head up, I would lock down tight, and when he went back to eating I crept forward. I hit him with the rangefinder once while tight and was 75 yards.......I started thinking that this just might actually happen. Then the bear put his head down and turned straight away from me. This was exactly what I needed. I popped up and "speed walked" right at him as far as I could get. I dropped as he started lifting his head again. Hit the range and dialed my single pin for it. I clipped the release and waited. He turned perfectly brodside with his head in the grass just as textbook as you could have asked for. I drew the bow, settled the pin on the pumpstation and let er rip. I didn't see the arrow hit the bear but it looked dang good as I lost sight of it. THe bear jumped, let out a little roar, and bit his side telling me that it was on the money!
I heard the bear take off into the trees and crash. Dead silence. I hear a WHoo hoo from behind and as I turned around, I see my two boys running as fast as their legs could go with grins from ear to ear! Braden hits me full speed with a big hug and a "you smoked him Dad"!!!!! It's hard to put into words moments like this but seeing the excitement they had sharing that experience with me was incredible! The bear only went 70 yards and piled up.
Even though the hunt would have been awesome with a smaller bear, this one suprised us a bit when we finally realized he was better than we thought. He ended up being a 6 footer with a nice white patch on his chest. As perfect of hair as you could ask for. Just an epic night all the way around. Shared it with the boys, and some damn good friends.
Although, those friends did challenge me a bit as to think a guy couldn't pack an entire 6 foot bear whole in a MR Crew Cab off the mountain and so of course I at least had to try
By the way, for anyone considering trying it, a MR Crew Cab will definately hold more weight than your legs want to try to carry. And when you strap a load like that, about 180 lbs, you need help from your buddies even getting off the ground. And if you fall, your not getting up on your own But I did make it almost 400 yards before my legs felt like total collapse
I sure hope you all get to experience a hunt like this sometime. My kids still can't stop talking about it!
Funny part after: I get home, and after a while, see my son in the back yard with a Box propped up with a stick and he is laying about 20 yards away holding a string. I'm laughing figuring that probably nothing has ever really been caught that way, and just as that thought finished my mind, a damn chimpmunk walks under that damn box where he had put bird seed and he jerks the string......caught the thing Animals are going to be in serious trouble when he can pack a bow or gun in the woods.....
We spotted the bear at about 300 yards or so and sized it up. We all thought it was real nice bear and with a bow, would be an awesome trophy. Problem is, it had fed out into an open clearing that probably didn't have a blade of grass over 4" tall in it so to get into bow range was about 1% chance of success
With only about 30 minutes at best of shooting light left, I finally just said, I"m going for it, if he busts me, o well, its only the first night.......... So we all started stalking and got to within 150 yards. My buddies and the two boys held up there and I took off the last bit on my own. He was so damn hungry that he was hardly ever lifting his head from eating. Every time he would pick his head up, I would lock down tight, and when he went back to eating I crept forward. I hit him with the rangefinder once while tight and was 75 yards.......I started thinking that this just might actually happen. Then the bear put his head down and turned straight away from me. This was exactly what I needed. I popped up and "speed walked" right at him as far as I could get. I dropped as he started lifting his head again. Hit the range and dialed my single pin for it. I clipped the release and waited. He turned perfectly brodside with his head in the grass just as textbook as you could have asked for. I drew the bow, settled the pin on the pumpstation and let er rip. I didn't see the arrow hit the bear but it looked dang good as I lost sight of it. THe bear jumped, let out a little roar, and bit his side telling me that it was on the money!I heard the bear take off into the trees and crash. Dead silence. I hear a WHoo hoo from behind and as I turned around, I see my two boys running as fast as their legs could go with grins from ear to ear! Braden hits me full speed with a big hug and a "you smoked him Dad"!!!!! It's hard to put into words moments like this but seeing the excitement they had sharing that experience with me was incredible! The bear only went 70 yards and piled up.
Even though the hunt would have been awesome with a smaller bear, this one suprised us a bit when we finally realized he was better than we thought. He ended up being a 6 footer with a nice white patch on his chest. As perfect of hair as you could ask for. Just an epic night all the way around. Shared it with the boys, and some damn good friends.
Although, those friends did challenge me a bit as to think a guy couldn't pack an entire 6 foot bear whole in a MR Crew Cab off the mountain and so of course I at least had to try
By the way, for anyone considering trying it, a MR Crew Cab will definately hold more weight than your legs want to try to carry. And when you strap a load like that, about 180 lbs, you need help from your buddies even getting off the ground. And if you fall, your not getting up on your own
But I did make it almost 400 yards before my legs felt like total collapseI sure hope you all get to experience a hunt like this sometime. My kids still can't stop talking about it!
Funny part after: I get home, and after a while, see my son in the back yard with a Box propped up with a stick and he is laying about 20 yards away holding a string. I'm laughing figuring that probably nothing has ever really been caught that way, and just as that thought finished my mind, a damn chimpmunk walks under that damn box where he had put bird seed and he jerks the string......caught the thing
Animals are going to be in serious trouble when he can pack a bow or gun in the woods.....
