Bear Down

[skagitsteel]

nice alpine color phase sow, 1st down bear for me 7th one I have seen this season... more details to come

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats

[JakeLand]

pics? story?

[skagitsteel]

self timer pic, was by myself

[skagitsteel]

the pack out

[runamuk]

congrats thats a great bear.....

[skagitsteel]

now for the story, more a story of the season learning about bears and blowing a couple opportunities earlier in the year... but for now friday mornings bear hunt:
Went up to an alpine area that I had been to once before thanks to a tip from a member here.  started hiking from the truck around 5:45 AM solo hunt about 10 minutes from the truck heard something move behind me, though must be something passing bu a deer maybe?  Kept going and hear it again about 30 yards behind me, turn back can't see squat with my headlamp in the thick timber. The third time I heard it I thought could be a cougar, so rifle off my back and round in the chamber.  After that all was quiet.  I reached the meadow about a 3000 ft climb above the truck, snuck through the berries and came upon a hikers camp around 7:30, talked to them for a bit and kept goin.  I got about 70 yards from their camp and was looking over the basin below their camp.  I turn around and a bear is looking right at me about 130 yards up the hill.  I crept behind a tree. then started sneaking in for a shot when the bear went back to eating berries. The bear looks up again I freeze, bear is back to munchin blue berries.  Happened 4 times before I got to the spot I wanted to shoot from.  Wind was coming right toward me so I wasn't worried about him catching my scent.  I threw up my shooting sticks, took a knee from about 115 yards and waited for the perfect shot.  Bear quartered away I squeezed off right behind the shoulder and she rolled and rolled and rolled finally stopping at a bush about 30 yards in front of me.  Probably startled the hikers a bit, but my buddy talked to them as he was heading in to help me pack out and they were cool with it. Was a loong pack out too I was right at 90 ibs packin out, gonna find some stuff I don't need in my pack before I go out with my second tag... Appreciate all the input on this site I learned a ton from it and ultimately it helped me see quite a few bears this year and get one down..  biggest piece of advice to new hunters from a new bear hunter HIKE away from easy access areas.  gated roads and long hikes had by far had the most sign...

[Huntbear]

Way to knock down a Yogi!   

[losdaddy7]

   Congrats!!! 

[X-Force]

 

[Austrian Hunter]

Awesome!!!! 

[Jason]

Congrats on a nice bear!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Right ON!  Great looking bear!

[skagitsteel]

had a cool looking blond stripe all the way down the back, 1st time skinning one out, not sure if I did a good enough job to make a rug out of it (I poked a few holes) , but at least the tail and rear end skinned out perfect...  Plus the exit wound totally blew out the shoulder leaving about a 5" diameter hole.

[3nails]

 Very cool first bear! Been there, done that with the pack out of there. The truck never looked so good did it?