I went deer scouting today for next weekend. Got up a ridgeline and found a freshish pile of bear poop. Set up and started calling. After about 20 minutes I was going to continue scouting but decided to keep calling till the 30 min mark. A few seconds after that I looked right and on the hillside over, about 60 yards I could see the back half of a bear walking. It stopped and I could see from the mid section on back. I called softly and he started on in, down a little dip and disappeared. I was watching a spot where I expected to see him come out and what seemed like forever, all the sudden there he was a little more off to my right and shuffling up at about 30 yards head on. He stopped at the trail I came in on and started getting nervous. I will forever regret my next move. I had to lean out just a little and was slightly cantered, but at 25 yards I figured I'd anchor him. I took a bad angle shot at his chest at 25 yards.....and missed him. 25 yards, scoped 30.06 and I missed him.
Beautiful deep chocolate bear. Probably in the 250 pound range. I spent the next 5 hours combing the hillside and draws and found nothing, no hair, no blood nothing. I have a new nightmare. Unbelievable.
