Nothing ruins your elk hunt like...

[Mark251]

Congratulations 

[Timberstalker]

Nice bear!  Hell of an adventure. Thanks for sharing.

[Fl0und3rz]

Nice!

[Pete112288]

I know exactly what that's like. The bear in my profile picture I shot in 2012. First bear, while elk hunting with a bow at 15 yards, was also first bow kill. Congrats and good job, I would have kept it too, first bear, going to the taxi.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Good job ! Bow kill to boot !!! 

[tgomez]

That is awesome man!!!! However I just want to say I wouldn't recommend running at a wounded bear at close range. Next time for safteys sake shoot and wait, bear are very greasy and sometimes leave a poor bloodtrail and if you push them their adrenaline will take them very far. This adrenaline aloud him to climb a tree after your fatal shot. Glad you got your first bear, and with a bow! "Put another notch on the belt."

[Smossy]

Shooting your 1st bear! And with a bow to boot! not a big bear but I'm stoked! A buddy and I had just Hiked up from base camp, about halfway up the ridge on the trail. He stopped to take his jacket off amd I heard something. I looked up and said there's a bear! Walked forward a bit and he walked right across the trail in front of me. I drew back amd whistled, 12 yards hit him. He took off running into the thick brush I could hear him so I ran to the edge of the hill to see. He climbed up a tree and was sitting on 2 branches bleeding good. I was afraid he'd die in the tree and not fall out, so I stuck another one in him he jumped up and fell out dead!

Turned out he had an ear tag, said call wdfw before consuming meat and had a number. I called and left a message hoping for a reply before I packed him out 4 miles. I started skinning and the phone rang. Turns out he was a problem bear from kalama 10 days ago, and they said don't eat the meat. If I notch the tag I could take the hide, if I leave the bear I could keep my tag. I notched it and skinned him out. A little bummed about the meat thing tho.

First of all congrats! Getting a bear is number one on my list over even elk. I dont know what it is about me wanting to hunt a worthy predator.
Did you guys do any kind of cow calls before the fact or anything? Or did you just happen to be at the right place right time?

[buglebuster]

Smossy, just pure luck!

[Smossy]

Smossy, just pure luck!

That is so sick man, heck yeah. Sometimes that's what its all about.

[Becky]

Awesome! I wonder why the meat was inedible, is it because it was eating some crap in the town they tagged him in? Sucky, but awesome you got the bear.

[chester]

I believe it's due to the drugs they use to tranquilize the Bears.


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[Titan-1]

Thats awesome, nice work!!

[jackelope]

Congrats Mike. Solid work.

[300rum]

Great story.  It makes the pack easier, I guess!

[Becky]

I believe it's due to the drugs they use to tranquilize the Bears.

Ohhhhhhhhhhh ok that makes sense. Woulda never guessed lol.