0 bear club

[Ghost Hunter]

Pushing 62 and hoping this is my year.

[Cylvertip]

I'm a card carrying member.    Have never put in time to specifically hunt bear.  I will either screw up an elk hunt some time or get serious about it one year and put in some real effort.

[trophyhunt]

I really don't know how to target them down low, but when the berries are ripe up high (4 to 6000ft) start glassing.  Those high country berry eating bears taste good. 

[saylean]

Almost tagged one last night....bugger just would present a shot. Stick with it, you'll get out of the club.

[skagitsteel]

I left your club in 1997 when I finally got serious about getting one. 

1981 for me (bow).  Once the pressure is off and that first one is in the freezer they seem to come a lot easier.

I agree with that!  Way easier once you have done it.  I missed two shots because I was so nervous before I tagged one. 

[ridgefire]

1 for 1 on bears for me. Went out towards sultan a few years back and saw 3 and shot one. Heard it breaking huckleberry bushes so snuck up and shot it from 30 yards with my 30-30. Have deer hunted in the same area and also saw bears but never have hunted them since killing the one. One of these years i may try getting one with my bow.

[andrew_in_idaho]

well after a tough weekend I am still a member of the club, saw 2 cubs around noon saturday they were cute little fellers playing on a ridgetop then I heard a vocalization of some sort and they dropped into the next drainage after momma. About 45 min later I spotted a matched set of elk sheds laying halfway up the opposite ridge, committed the location to memory and planned to return on my way back to camp. After that I went a little farther and sat down to eat lunch when it decided to start raining, I donned my rain gear and quickly decided I wanted to just head back for camp, so I dove off of the ridge I was on and headed for my elk sheds. As I neared the creek bottom, fighting my way through buckbrush a large cinnamon phase bear jumped out of the buckbrush about 150 yards to my right. I gave him 2 very poor parting shots(out of breath, off hand at a running bear) and watched him round a bend. I worked my way to where I had last seen him through more buckbrush and found his tracks (about 8" long and 4" across at the toes) followed them to the last place I'd seen him and confirmed there was no blood, then decided it was time to go get my elk sheds and head back to camp. This was definitely his bedroom and main dining area both so I'm bummed that I bumped him out of it. Hopefully when I try again in 2 weeks he will be back again

[elkrack]

I missed my first bear yesterday! kinda a downer

[trophyhunt]

I missed my first bear yesterday! kinda a downer

Maybe a case of the nerves???  Don't beat yourself up too bad, you'll get another crack at it! 

[Maverick]

I've never killed a bear. Hoping that changes this fall.

[elkrack]

I missed my first bear yesterday! kinda a downer

Maybe a case of the nerves???  Don't beat yourself up too bad, you'll get another crack at it!

You could say there were some nerves

[Bean Counter]

  checking in. I wouldn't mind killing a bear but don't even put in for the tag.

Come to think of it I don't think I've ever seen a bear in the wild 

[RadSav]

I missed my first bear yesterday! kinda a downer

Maybe a case of the nerves???  Don't beat yourself up too bad, you'll get another crack at it!

You could say there were some nerves

I have witnessed a lot of misses on bear.  Especially a hunters first bear.  Few animals get the hunter as torn between anxiety, fear and excitement as does a bear.  The internet world is filled with false vibrato, nerves of steel and certified snipers where success is a given 100% of the time.  The world of reality is much more exciting and it does get the best of us all sooner or later.

I was lucky enough to kill the first bear I ever shot at.  For some odd reason the excitement didn't hit me until the arrow hit the bear.  Took me almost an hour before I felt safe to get down out of the tree.  That wasn't because I feared the bear.  It was because my legs turned to noodles, my hand strength could barely hold the bow and the shakes were dang near enough to rattle me right off the stand.  No other big game animal has done that to me with such vigor...one of the greatest experiences of my life!

Congratulations in getting yourself in position to get off a shot.  Sounds like it was worth every curse word afterward!  Your heart should be better prepared for the next one.  Good luck

[elkrack]

I missed my first bear yesterday! kinda a downer

Maybe a case of the nerves???  Don't beat yourself up too bad, you'll get another crack at it!

You could say there were some nerves

I have witnessed a lot of misses on bear.  Especially a hunters first bear.  Few animals get the hunter as torn between anxiety, fear and excitement as does a bear.  The internet world is filled with false vibrato, nerves of steel and certified snipers where success is a given 100% of the time.  The world of reality is much more exciting and it does get the best of us all sooner or later.

I was lucky enough to kill the first bear I ever shot at.  For some odd reason the excitement didn't hit me until the arrow hit the bear.  Took me almost an hour before I felt safe to get down out of the tree.  That wasn't because I feared the bear.  It was because my legs turned to noodles, my hand strength could barely hold the bow and the shakes were dang near enough to rattle me right off the stand.  No other big game animal has done that to me with such vigor...one of the greatest experiences of my life!

Congratulations in getting yourself in position to get off a shot.  Sounds like it was worth every curse word afterward!  Your heart should be better prepared for the next one.  Good luck

That is well written! Spot on. i learned a couple things for next time

[luvmystang67]

Nothing to turn your legs to noodles like the first bear you shoot looking at you in the dark and blinking at 30 yards and then jumping up to run away from you (thankfully). 

Note: I stuck my nose in the bushes and considered going in after it.  Thankfully D-Rock made me wait.  It died about 10' inside of those bushes.   

The fear makes it more exciting I think.