My Copalis adventures

[Jpmiller]

Keep hunting! Also I love the family pics. Don't think the wife will be much help on a pack out if she is already packing in. Or is that just practice for the fall hunting season?

[PastorJoel]

Keep hunting! Also I love the family pics. Don't think the wife will be much help on a pack out if she is already packing in. Or is that just practice for the fall hunting season?

She said, "Tell him I have incredible lower body strength!" 

[PastorJoel]

Two more days of hunting finished.

The ONLY sign I saw was this one pile of scat.  I put on about 8 miles of walking in the area where I saw that scat hoping to see more but I didn't.  I also looked through my binos at a lot of bear like stumps but none of them would grow fur.

It was, however, lots of fun with the family.

The fawn is in the yard of the house we stayed at.

[WoolyRunner]

PM Sent.

[PastorJoel]

Day 7.

I have FINALLY seen a bear!!!  It was a cub. Now I have about 4 hours left to find a shooter!

[Jpmiller]

Day 7.

I have FINALLY seen a bear!!!  It was a cub. Now I have about 4 hours left to find a shooter!

Too far for a shot huh?

[Kit Carson]

Good luck! Hopefully you get one in the last bit of light! 

[PastorJoel]

Well..................

I had never seen a bear in the wild until yesterday, and then I saw three!

The third bear I saw I shot.  It appeared to be a med-large boar.  I was able to take my time, get in a prone position, I had (what I thought was) good shot placement, at 225 yards (a distance I have practiced at), and with a 30-06.  I was sure this was a dead bear.  I hit him hard but he ran into some brush.  I waited and waited, letting him die.  Then, finally, I approached the shooting site and found LOTS of blood and bone.  The blood trail was the thickest I have ever seen, leaves and plants had drops of blood hanging off of them.  In some spots the trail was wide and appeared to have blood spray.  I followed this blood into the brush that is as thick as it could possibly be.  For the first hour, I was 100% sure I would find the bear.  The blood was so thick I was getting soaked in it from following the trail.  Eventually, however, the trail just stopped.  I assumed the bear must have doubled back but was unable to find another trail.

After LOTS of looking in the dark, my dad (who I was hunting with yesterday) finally convinced me that it was no longer safe or prudent to keep looking.  Today it is pouring rain there and there is, therefore, no trail to follow.  I marked the spots and trail with GPS but later realized that I was getting a poor signal and all of the GPS points I made along the trail are probably only within 50 yards of where I actually was.

Even though didn't make it to bed until 3:00 am this morning, I couldn't sleep.  I have never lost an animal before and it's a terrible feeling. 

[Odell]

he's in there. Can you go back?

[Bob33]

That's a shame. Don't give up. I wonder if someone might possibly want to take a dog for a nice walk?

[Jpmiller]

I'd bet you he is in there. The hardest recovery I had was a blacktail buck the almost dropped in it's tracks. Was so thick I was almost standing on it before I found it. Keep looking and my money says you find him.

[PastorJoel]

I am doing my best to get a plan together to get back out there.  I am currently 3 hours away from the kill site because I have an important meeting to lead.  After that, I am planning on grabbing a friend and going and getting soaked in the brush!

[Jpmiller]

I am doing my best to get a plan together to get back out there.  I am currently 3 hours away from the kill site because I have an important meeting to lead.  After that, I am planning on grabbing a friend and going and getting soaked in the brush!

Good attitude lol can't wait to see the pics of it.

[ctwiggs1]

Dang man I wish I lived just a tad closer.  I'd bring my bird dog down to help. 

You've got this - don't let the doubt get to you.  Just keep going back to where the blood stopped and expand your search from there.

[PastorJoel]

This is totally crazy. But I bought a bunch of flagging tape and a huge machete and I convince my contractor friend to come with me! Hopefully I will have a picture of a bear in a couple of hours. The Bear is in a bog and it's raining.