First Bear Ever:Opening Morning

[GUscottie]

The first downed bear started with the soon to be brother in law telling me all of these great stories of seeing bear and killing bear at a little place called no-tell-um ridge (Must be a Native American name). After a few phone calls and stories by him getting me pumped up, he give me the official notice. "Opening morning, my place, 2am."

We hit the mountains and are hiking as the sun starts coming up. Not much bear sign, but lots of cat and coyote sign. The first ridge has a really nice 3x3 black tail buck on it. He is doing his thing...We glass for a while but don't see the real critter we are hunting for.

We go hiking towards area two for the day. Not many berries up in the mountains, but we see more sign and lots of berries as we get settled down on the second clear cut. As I sit down, I start hearing noises down below. Jeremy points below himself and motions that he sees a bear. I start moving towards him...falling...I thought I busted the bear, but thankfully he didn't even hear me.

I get positioned next to Jeremy and get my sights on the bear. I ask if he is too small and Jeremy said, "Nope, shoot em."

I line up the first shot, about 100 yards and put the cross hairs right on the front shoulder. Down he went with the first shot. He got right up and started to move. I have heard too many stories of people losing bears or them running, so I had predetermined that I was going to shoot until he was stationary. I hit him hard for round two. Bear hit the dirt again and gets up on the log next to him. I put the third round into the shoulder and knock him arse over teakettle. A few seconds later, as I see his big black body, I hear the death moans.

My first bear was down at 9am. We had him skinned and quartered by 10am. We were down to the truck by 11:30 and officially home by 3pm.

I must admit, this was the most amazing hunt I've ever been on. The bear was an old boar with almost no fat on his body. We guessed he was about 180-200 pounds of old boar.

[jgoetz]

Very nice bear there!  Great story too!   

[saylean]

Very nice! Hooked yet?
Second tag now!

[Rooster1981]

congrats on a great first bear 

[crschralping]

Nice job, pretty impressive to get three shots in him.

[Huntboy]

Congrats.

[MLBowhunting]

Nice job

[whackmaster]

cool bear what kind of gun and ammo ?

[RadSav]

Not going to damage too much good meat on a bear.  Keep pounding them till they stop.  Excellent!  Not uncommon to have very little fat this time of year.  By the end of October they will have all they need.  He's a fine looking bear for sure!

I took my first bear in '81 I think.  I still remember each leaf, each noise, what the sight looked like as I aimed and how the bear smelled.  It was my favorite "First" ever.  Nothing has ever come close!

You're going to be hooked now!  Congratulations!!

[b.roberts]

Good job!  I got my first this year during spring season.  Can't wait to get another tag and hit the woods again.

[Ripper]

Nice job!  Looks like a good bear.

[johnhart84]

Very nice first bear! Congrats 

[SkookumHntr]

Awesome man!!

[bugs n bones]

Nice job

[jordanwlee]

Nice bear and story!