Bearpaw Season - Fall 2019

[bearpaw]

Just curious, are you going to be taking advantage of our august bear opener now for your guided hunts?

Yes, we already have and will expand on that next year.

[bearpaw]

One of the guides called a big herd bull to within 67 yards last night, unfortunately due to other elk in the way the hunter was pinned down and couldn't get closer and the herd bull wasn't coming any closer. Suddenly they spotted a 5x5 satellite bull that had snuck in the backside, the hunter turned but miscalculated distance and shot low and missed, the 2nd arrow found home, they tracked the bull quite a ways but just at dark they saw him still on his feet so they backed off and started hiking out the lower route to let him hopefully bed down over night, I picked them up at 11pm. This morning we took them back to the top where they are parked to hike back in to where they last saw the bull. Unfortunately we had a heavy lightning storm and even snow on the tops overnight, but hopefully they can find the bull even though the rain probably washed away all the blood. Fingers crossed.

The other two guides and hunters are back after the other bulls they saw and the bulls missed yesterday. Fingers crossed on both hands for better luck today! The weather change as usual totally changed this hunt, we went from struggling to get an answer, now we are all over lots of bulls and they are calling good, all the stars just need to line up so that we are packing out meat!

[Machias]

Any luck on that bull? (Fingers Crossed for you guys!)

[bearpaw]

Thanks Machias! 

It rained hard overnight, they searched quite a while the next morning but didn't find the bull the next day. The big herd bull took his cows and disappeared, we still haven't found him again. Two other bulls were called in close range the next day but the hunters couldn't get clear shots. The next day after that we called in a 4x4 that we couldn't get a shot and saw the bull was wounded s few days before, he had moved two big drainages to the north, he seems to be doing ok, he'll probably heal up and maybe we will get on him again. Last night on the last day of the hunt we called in another bull to the one hunter who hadn't had a shot yet, we had three guided hunters in camp, but he didn't see the bull, Russ the guide showed him the cell phone video of the bull and unfortunately that was the end of that hunt. No kills, but lots of calling action and some opportunities that didn't work out.

[bearpaw]

Not sure if it was the same herd bull but one of the hunters missed a big herd bull at 25 yards earlier this week, he miscalculated the distance and shot right over the top of him! We had two more misses this week on bulls unfortunately and a few close calls with no arrows released. Opportunity has been good but no kills until Matt from California drilled a 4x5 bull through the heart, it took a couple steps and tipped over in less than 10 yards, congrats goes to Matt, best shot of the season so far!

(I'll add a photo when I get it)

[TheStovePipeKid]

I'm trying to get myself into bow hunting. It definitely comes with it's own satisfactions and frustrations. Great job getting them on elk. Great season so far.

[bearpaw]

We had a good archery hunt, we called in between 30 to 40 bulls, I lost count, quite often the bulls were close but no shot opportunities, that happens often bow hunting as any bow hunter knows. Eight out of thirteen hunters had at least one good shot opportunity, unfortunately only one hunter made a good hit that resulted in a dead bull, but nonetheless it was a good season with lots of bulls called in and shot opportunity. Fortunately most of the bulls we didn't get were complete misses, one bull that was wounded we saw a couple days later and he is doing good, I hope we can find him again in rifle season.

[bearpaw]

We started moose hunting today, there is a lot of snow in moose country, one guide who has some bulls staked out went as far as he could this morning with his truck chained up, the snow is two feet deep, they hiked in further, spotted one of the big bulls a mile away and are stalking in closer now. I've got an extra guide on hand to bring a snowmobile if they put the hammer down.

I've got another guide calling another bull right now too, I'm anxiously awaiting The "come and help" call from either guide. 

[bearpaw]

We also started mule deer hunting in Utah today, there seems to be a good supply of deer, its just a matter of finding which one the hunter wants to shoot. This is almost always a 100% hunt. I do still have two hunts available if anyone needs a good mule deer hunt, it's a 13,000 acre ranch and we only do 10 deer hunts per year, last year I hunted for myself on the last day of season after all the other hunters filled their tags and still saw 9 bucks that day and shot an average size 4x4 in the afternoon, I saw three bucks that day better than him but didn't get them.

[RB]

Always like watching this thread!

[HillHound]

I am following along. Love this time of year and stories of others success

[bearpaw]

Guide Ray spotted bull tracks going into some thick cover, he circled the area and the moose never came out, Ray set up at a good vantage point where he thought the moose would come out and Patty put the hammer down on this bull at about 100 yards this afternoon. Great shooting Patty, I love it when a plan comes together! 

[brew]

great eats right there...congrats to the hunter

[Machias]

Wohoo, nice one!!!

[bearpaw]

The other guide Charlie went after a big bull they spotted at long distance yesterday but they didn't get him, they ran out of daylight. This morning they headed in again and spotted two bulls, one big one and a young one, the hunter got on the bull and pulled the trigger, Charlie says shoot again he's still standing, shoot again he's walking away. There was one problem, the hunter dropped his bull! It turns out he shot the wrong bull by accident! So the big boy is still on the mountain! Daniel and Ray went and helped and they got the bull out in good time today. The hunter drew other tags and was happy to get his moose and move onto the next hunt.