Well I for one enjoyed your story. And here's the kicker. I can finish it for you.
My friend and I were walking and glassing up another hill right behind yours when we heard shots. Of course, being in the Methow, we always take a minute or two to stop and wait to see if any deer come hopping over a hill after a shot. Well, we waited about 20 or 30 seconds and all of a sudden this big black beast comes bookin it over the hill.
Now, you can imagine what was going through our heads. I'm pretty sure we both said "Holy sh*t, THATS A BEAR"!
We got set up as he was running closer and my buddy takes a shot and misses. The bear ran into a clump of aspen trees about 300 yards away (yes, his shot was a long one). He didn't stop though and came out the other side of those aspens and disappears behind a little knoll.
My friend and I run down the small hill and crest it to find that the bear is still coming our way along a fence line. My friend again shoots and hits him low in the stomach, the bear continues. I zero in on his shoulder, swinging from right to left, I take the shot and he makes a cartwheel dive about 50 yards in front of us and comes to a rest at the base of a tree. IT WAS AWESOME!!!
To say the adrenaline was flowing would be an understatement. Not only was this my first trip to Winthrop, it was my first big game animal, period.
Here is the picture of the bear, it is about 6' and weighed about 250 field dressed.
