almost tagged a spring bear in Idaho last night.

[BULLBLASTER]

I arrowed the chocolate bear last night! 
ill post the story and pics tomorrow!

[carpsniperg2]

Way to go

[coop2424]

That is awesome congrats..  More pics!

[BULLBLASTER]

here are a few more pics from my trail cam.
the date and times are off...
the brown one is hte one that i shot, and the black is a big ol boar that comes around at night.

[carpsniperg2]

That black is a brute but got to love the colored bears

[BULLBLASTER]

now on to the story.

I got into stand around 3PM on the 2nd.
the bait was basically gone. I had hung a treestand last weekend after I almost got a shot but didnt have a window in the right spot og the blind. made sure I could shoot there in the future.
around 715 or 730 pm i looked down the ridge and saw legs coming up. this bear was going very slow and very cautiously. stopping every 2 steps and looking allaround and smelling.
I held tight until the bear got to 22 yards and tuned into some brush before I grabbed my bow and hooked the release. when the bear passed back through the brush and toward my shooting lane I drew back and waited. the bear came out to the exact spot as in the very first pic I posted in this thread, but this time I had a shooting lane and the bear was quartered away!
I settled my pin high and tight behind the shoulder and let fly. I saw the arrow dissapear right where my pin had been and knew it was a good shot. the bear let out a bark and took off down the ridge. I heard the thrashing for 2-3 seconds then calm.
I was confident in the shot so I waited in the tree for 5 minutes and then climbed down to examine my arrow (I was alone and wanted to track in daylight because it is very thick brush) I found the arrow stuck in the dirt with the nock pointing right at my treestand. as soon as I picked the arrow up I noticed the "red carpet" this bear left a steady stream of blood all the way right to where it was holed up under a log.

this bear is a sow and I figure her to be in the neighborhood of 160-180 lb. the quarters that I packed out weighed 46 lb. and the cape and head was 55-60. the carcass was the rest. when I checked it in at IDFG the warden guessed weight at 175 just looking at head and paw size, he figured 200-220 for fall weight. so not a tiny bear.

the field pics could have been better, but I did pretty well for being alone and self timering.
thanks for looking

[coop2424]

Nice job and great bear.  You did well for being by yourself with the pics..

[johnr060]

Awsome. A color phase bear is on my bucket list.

[BULLBLASTER]

Nice job and great bear.  You did well for being by yourself with the pics..

i just wish i could have gotten the head up a bit and picked the grass from in front... oh well.

[coop2424]

Nice job and great bear.  You did well for being by yourself with the pics..

i just wish i could have gotten the head up a bit and picked the grass from in front... oh well.

You always look back at it and wish you would of done things better.  That is how we learn and next time the pics will be even better.  It is hard to calm yourself in the moment to get the perfect picture..

[Michelle_Nelson]

Very nice looking color phase!  Looks like she has a real nice coat too.  Way to go getting her with archery gear.  She is a very respectable size sow. 

[BULLBLASTER]

Thanks Michelle! This bears coat is amazing! So long and soft. No rubbed spots or anything. Your avatar bear makes me jealous tho!

[Huntboy]

Sweet looking bear, congrats.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Spring Bears make some of the best mounts just for that reason.  As long as you get them before they start rubbing.  What are you planning to do with yours? 

The Bear in my avatar is much smaller than the one you got.  I still havnt decided what I want to do with it.  It had the thickest coat I've ever seen on a bear from Washington.  I just had it dry tanned and its hangibg on my wall.  Thought about doing a lifesize or a closed mouth rug.  Cant decide.

[RadSav]

And people give me heck for my big stabilizer on my Truth2.  Yours makes mine look like a baby

I sure miss working bait sites and taking bear up close with those perfect bow shots.  Reading your story and seeing the pictures really got me dreaming of my past life.  Those were good times.  I've never shot a sow before, but dang if I might have had to tag that one.  She's beautiful.  Congratulations!