2017 Skagit spring bear thread

[kodiak 907]

One year ban for the teaser!

I just got home from playing pack mule.   

[Bearhunter]

Who was the lucky hunter?

[ghosthunter]

I think he is still processing the hunt.
He posted on Facebook , so maybe he will find time to post here.

[tarbabyone]

5/4/2017This was a Spring Skagit Bear permit.  I was the lucky hunter.  But I give a good share of credit to Skybuster.  He shared a lot of information with us and was instrumental in letting us know a location where he had seen a recent Bear.  I acted on his information when I could and took a nice Bear.  When I called Skybuster and asked if he could help me get the Bear out he was there in about 20 minutes.  He is just a great Bear Hunting enthusiast.   Then Ghosthunter came up to help as well and assisted in hiding the animal for me.  So the only credit I can take is being retired and able to take a leisurely walk on a road suggested to me by Skybuster.  Anyone can pull the trigger on an animal at 30 yards.  The Bear was probably 280 to 300#'s.  By the looks of his teeth he is an old one.  190#'s hanging at the Butcher shop.  Going to have an upper torso mount done. 

[tarbabyone]

5/4/2017This was a Spring Skagit Bear permit.  I was the lucky hunter.  But I give a good share of credit to Skybuster.  He shared a lot of information with us and was instrumental in letting us know a location where he had seen a recent Bear.  I acted on his information when I could and took a nice Bear.  Then when I called him to help me get the Bear out he was there in about 20 minutes.  He is just a great Bear Hunting enthusiast.   Then Ghosthunter came up to help as well and assisted in hiding the animal for me.  So the only credit I can take is being retired and able to take a leisurely walk on a road suggested to me by Skybuster.  Anyone can pull the trigger on an animal at 30 yards.  The Bear was probably 280 to 300#'s.  By the looks of his teeth he is an old one.  190# hanging at the Butcher shop with hide and guts out.  Going to have an upper torso mount done.

[tarbabyone]

Another picture

[kodiak 907]

That's a big springer!

[Ripper]

Congrats, nice bear. 

[jackelope]

Congrats man! That's a great looking bear.

[ghosthunter]

Congrats man! That's a great looking bear.

A bear to be proud of for sure.  And we cannot say enough about Skybusters help. He is always willing to help us old guys.

I love seeing a hunting partner harvest animals, why/ Because I have a I love to hunt. And I find guys who don't harvest and don't have my drive that will give up. But if my hunting partners harvest animals with or with out me it is a lot easier to get them to go the next time. I like skinning just as much as shooting.
So to the lucky hunter, GOOD JOB BUDDY.

Now I got to get back out there.

[justyhntr]

Nice bear !  Congrats.

[Watimberghost]

That's a BIG bear! Congrats!!

[X-Force]

Great bear! Very cool story. Nice to see the Hunt-Wa community helping each other.

[acrim]

Great looking bear , congratulations !   

[tarbabyone]

Again thanks to all of you for your congratulations.  Ghosthunter always seems to sum up the true hunter in the best way.  I feel honored to be a member of his hunting group.  I would like to make a special mention to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.  This is a well run hunt.  At the pre-meeting we were supplied with a packet of information with maps and other contact information.  After I shot the Bear I contacted Brad Otto the Natural Resource technician and private lands access program representative in this area for this hunt.  He set up a time with me to pull the pre-molar and get the tissue sample.  The next day he showed up at the time he said and he brought Rob Cogdal with him.  They pulled the tooth and took the skin tissue sample.  He said that to his knowledge this was the first bear taken during this years spring bear hunt.  I told him where the gut pile was located and later in the afternoon he called me back to say they found it.  He confirmed that the bear had been feeding on grass and very young skunk cabbage if that helps any other hunters.  I am going to post one last picture that kind of shows how old the bear was.