So this was my first 'real hunt' ever. I'd been out a few times since I got my license, including a pig hunt in Louisiana... But this is the first one where I was really really trying. 30 minutes into my hunting career = one dead bear. This is easy, I don't know what you guys are complaining about.
I'd been scouting this spot all summer. My first step was doing some research and figuring out which GMU in my neighborhood produced the most bears. Folks on here always say 'find the food, find the bears' so I started looking for bear food out in the woods.
Found a spot that was a literal sea of berry bushes. Kept scouting, saw a couple tracks. There were also small turds out there, but I couldn't tell if they were bear or coyote turds. Pure berries in them though, no carrion. I knew something was passing through on the regular, but not in the afternoon or evening when I was there...
...so I got up early early in the morning, and hit the trail head right at legal hunting hours. I was freshly bathed in that hunter no-scent body wash, scent lock clothes. Got out there, started walking up this old abandoned trail towards the spot I'd been scouting. Saw a couple tracks in the sand/dust/dirt. Saw some more of those poopies I told you about earlier.
After walking about a mile, I come over a little rise and hear the usual 'BANG POW CRASH DESTRUCTION NOM NOM NOM' that a comfortable eating bear makes. Sure enough, there's a bear 20 yards in front of me. I was just like 'No way... Naw... cant be...' cause I was expecting to put in a little work finding one. I stood there for a little while and watched it, making sure there was no sign of cubs, and that I had a safe shot and everything. It wasn't going anywhere and never noticed me so I took my time. Put in my earplugs. Aimed, and then 20 years of playing videogames took over. I shot for the vitals, and then just automatically followed up. I meant to take a followup in the neck, but habit took over and I headshotted it. Bear only suffered for a second or two from the first shot before the followup dispatched it.
I stood there and shook for a half hour looking for movement in the bushes, called my dad, threw a couple rocks in there to see if it was still alive, then started after it. It was 20 yards away, but I had to cut a 50 yard trail straight down through some thick terrible 5' blackberry bushes. I was gassed by the time I got down there, then after having to muscle it around and butcher it I was really really canned. Started pulling it back up this hill, getting stuck on every blackberry bush along the way. I puked a couple times pulling it out, then finally got it to the trail and collapsed. Drank about 5L or water. Then I tossed it over my shoulder and walked back to the car.
Now this guy looks a little small, but keep in mind I'm 6'6" and over 300lbs.
Thanks to h2o and co for the help. Live savers dude, and I learned a ton from you guys.
http://i.imgur.com/KfA2g.jpgOh! And who does taxidermy around here? I want to get the skull mounted like this:
http://www.allclassics.com/wp-content/themes/shopperpress/thumbs/fossil6-1.JPG 
