Beautiful Blond Bear

[Todd_ID]

I was lucky enough to draw a spring tag close to home, and I was able to take a beautiful blond bear with my lever action .45-70.  I'd spotted the bear from about 1/2 mile and 800' below me.  I got onto the next ridge over and slid down to where I hoped he'd come out.  After a couple minutes he did finally show.  Being a bowhunter and not a rifle guy I had a good rest prone off my pack and gave him a warning shot just over his back and got him on the move to make it more sporting, but the follow up shot I took more seriously.  It was straight down off the cliff and moving toward me, and the bullet entered between his shoulders and came out the bottom of his chest.  I don't think I could have hit that bear any harder if I had fallen a tree on him.  He tumbled and slid about 200 yards until hitting the bottom of the ravine. 

The pack out was brutal since I was alone and had my camp with me.  I had told myself that there was no way I was packing a hide out of that hole, but it was such a beautiful hide in perfect condition that I couldn't leave it behind.  Thankfully it was a small bear (maybe 130#); otherwise it would have been 2 trips for sure, and that would have likely done me in.  I packed my 105-110# pack down 800' in elevation and back up 1600' over the course of 4.5 miles, mostly on trails.  I shot the bear at 7 am and had it to the truck at 7 pm thoroughly exhausted.

[MtnMuley]

  Very jealous as that's the exact bear I've been looking for to rug. Perfect size and color. Congrats!

[Turner89]

Nice job I have felt your pain

[RadSav]

Looks like the kind of country where you pray for a big one and thank the Lord for a little one   I got tired just looking at the picture.  Beautiful bear

[B.G.hunter]

What beautiful bear! Congratulations. 

[jackelope]

Way to go Todd. Happy for you. Congrats.

[Cascade]

Awesome bear, congrats!


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[autodink13]

Nice work and beautiful bear! I usually try to give them a warning shot too

[Expedition Scout]

As a fellow bow hunter, I feel your pain! Its funny how either up or down with the arc of an arrow we can keep it all straight, but you put a gun in our hands that should be flat shooting (relatively) and warning shots is what we get.

Great looking bear, an way to go with the pack-out job! Its hunts like that one you'll be telling the story about for the rest of your life.

[boneaddict]

A beautiful bear! Congratulations Todd.

[redi]

Like I   always say " You gotta love blondes". That is a beautiful bear. Congratulatiuons

[jrebel]

Very beautiful bear and an equally beautiful rifle.  That looks like a Marlin XLR 45-70....if so I have the same gun in stainless laminate and it put a hurt'n on my bear a few years ago.  Put a scope on that baby and you have a 300 yard bowling ball launcher!!!!   

[Girl Gone Hunting]

Congratulations, Todd!! Beautiful bear! We have seen several but all too far away or in the wrong unit so far. Saw a huge black one last weekend within rifle range of our unit, but alas, on the wrong side of the boundary. Go figure!

[Lefty315]

I've taken a few black bears but would absolutely love to have a color phase as beautiful as yours!   Nicely done and what a hunt, especially using open sights on a lever gun.   

[rasbo]

beautiful bear,awesome memory for you I bet