Big Bear Down!!!

[Decker]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes! After years of guiding others professionally and as friends, I've finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of taking my own big bear via spot and stalk with archery equipment. Anyone who has ever drawn a bow on a live animal will tell you it is no joke and much more difficult than simply shooting a target.

On Tuesday I took my daughter Josey, who had been asking to go bear hunting with me every day (at 3.5 years old), to the mountains to do some scouting for the upcoming days I had to hunt. Within 10 minutes of the first ridge we stopped and glassed, we'd spotted 4 bears across a very large canyon, around 2 miles away. After dropping her at her mom's the next day, I headed in and couple hours later was standing 15 yards from an amazing blond colored black bear. Brush prevented a shot, and soon it winded me heading for a distant hill where it began feeding again. I closed the distance one more time, to 20 yards where it saw me. It was getting pretty irritated by this point and began woofing at me and popping it's teeth, a warning to leave it alone. I tried to work around the brush for a shot but soon it took off back to the hill we'd just come from. (See photo below.)

As I was contemplating another stalk on it, or the two other chocolate bears I could see in the same area, I spotted a larger boar on a higher, distant hill. I didn't know if there would be enough time for a stalk, but I had to go for it. 25 minutes later, I was sneaking across a wide open hill on a big feeding blackie when I looked up and saw him looking right at me. Light was getting dim and I knew I had to take a shot - and put the arrow right in the hill under him as he sped away crashing into impossibly thick brush, smashing his way to safety. I wanted to sit down and cry, but had so much adrenaline pumping that I couldn't. He was the 8th bear I'd seen that afternoon. On the long walk out, I saw numbers nine and ten, but it was too dark. I'd have to wait to come back.

Fast forward to Saturday where I spent the majority of the day checking other spots, waiting until late afternoon when I new the wind would be right with downhill thermals. 10 minutes after hiking into the area, the same bear came back out onto the same hill side. Boots and pack left behind, I closed to 30 yards, stood up from behind a slash pile of wood and this time got the job done at 30 yards. In archery hunting, you rarely have all things come together to just right, let alone get a second chance at an amazing animal.

Huge thank you to TL Bradford who took part of his day and came to help with retrieval today! Thanks for taking the time to come along on this adventure with me! Here's to many more to come!!!

[Decker]

And sorry haters...while you were typing your doubts, I was knee deep in bear guts and bad-assery. 

[RadSav]

Nice!!  

Great photos.  Worth the wait.

[bowhunterforever]

Nice bear, congrats

[Timberstalker]

Awesome bear Decker. Congrats.

[grundy53]

Great bear! Congratulations!

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

[Machias]

Awesome job, congrats on a beautiful bear!

[cbond3318]

Man that's a beaut!!!

[Buck Rub Jr]

Congrats!

[tgomez]

And sorry haters...while you were typing your doubts, I was knee deep in bear guts and bad-assery. 

Nice bear Decker, that's a great picture as well. He's a hogg brother, ya did yourself proud. I don't think anyone was being a hater. If you got a bear or not it has no effect on my life, so why would a.yone hate. I don't hate I congradulate, CONGRADULATIONS!!!!!!

[Tschaefer72]

Thanks for sharing your hunt and pictures. Great bear man!

[Boss .300 winmag]

Congrats on an awesome bear.

[n_mathews13]

That's a nice one. Congrats

[bugs n bones]

 

[Derekjmcc]

Great bear Man!
Some thick fur on that blacky!