4-18-09 / 4-19-09

[billythekidrock]

Finally was able to get out for some bear hunting. I haven’t done any scouting but we decided to wing it anyway. The day started great as we saw about 25 elk on our way into the woods.

The first spot does not currently have any feed in it, but the surrounding area has a ton of young fir trees so I thought we would give it a whirl.



We ran through a few different distress sounds while my son picked up a pack full of spent shotgun hulls. 
At the 50 minute mark my son sky lined just as a yote rounded some young fir trees 150 yards away. The coyote took off like hell and when I went to hit the pup distress button the caller went silent. The battery went dead in the remote. I grabbed my RR open read and did some pup distress but by the time the dog stopped it was nearly 300 yards away. Too far for my wife. Just as I grabbed the rifle and the dog disapeared. A few minutes later we could hear it and another one cutting loose.

We went to another area and this place was over run with chipmunks. I have never seen so many in one spot. Easily a dozen, all chasing each other back and forth for about 40 yards. I got her all set up, showed her what buttons to push and went back to have a sandwich and a drink. And to look at maps and to play the kids NintendoDS.

Went to get her at about the seventy minute mark.


Cut


We started to make a third set and right off the bat she spots a couple deer through the trees. Oh, and she was the one that spotted the elk as well. While we were setting up a truck stopped to talk. After he left, Killbilly came over to say he had a text message about a site member seeing a bear. We started our set then someone started target shooting. After a few minutes we left. We called the site member and I knew right where he was talking about.

We got over there and set up in a thick clear cut. After ten minutes my son wanted to go to the truck. So with my wife all set up, we took off with Killbilly for a drive. Took some pics and threw rocks in a beaver pond. An hour later we went back and my wife still had the call running. After 90 minutes she came out, but without my Foxpro. So I went back for it and we called it a day.

[shoot-em-dead]

Sounds like you had a great day. Nothing better than spending time with family outdoors.

[bobcat]

At least the weather is nice and the bears should be moving.

Has Killbilly done any hunting in his unit yet?

[Michelle_Nelson]

Great write up BTKR.  Hope your wife is ablr to fill her spring tag this year!

[Smokepole]

Awesome to see your family in the great outdoors, BTKR.  You're a lucky man.  Hope you getem.

[Diehard0123]

Nintendo DS, now that's hunting

[bowhunterforever]

Still sounds like a great day

[rasbo]

glad you guys had a good time,I dont think it will be long here before the bears really start moving,I got bit a couple of times by a skeeter.Ill be out in the morning in mommas truck.I sure like the sound of ricks calls.I hope your wife nails one that will make for some good pics

[billythekidrock]

Nintendo DS, now that's hunting

Hey, ya do what ya have to do..
I know hunting for hours can be tough on the little one so not only do I have tons of snacks but the DS as well.

[runamuk]

Sounds fun......
someone was shooting out there yesterday we heard it when I drug the hubby along to go look at a couple of places I spotted earlier.  Saw some deer.  Still no new sign of bear...did find some signs of turkeys though....lol and saw the first chipmunks of the year....

[jager]

Good luck with the bears. Curious.... What is your wife shooting?

[saylean]

Thanks for playing the DS! Keeping me in business I see. Good write up, good thing you remembered the fox pro!

[billythekidrock]

Good luck with the bears. Curious.... What is your wife shooting?

She is shooting my Win. .270 Featherweight.
She has used it in the past to kill both deer and bear.

[billythekidrock]

We hit it again today..boy did it get warm out.

Dropped the wife off at a spot where a few bears were seen in springs past. On the trail in we kicked up a couple deer. She started off with some crow sounds then went into some rabbit and fawn distress. She did have a coyote howling at her. She sat for two hours while the boy and I took off for a hike.

Right out of the truck I found this cougar track. It continued down the grade farther then we went. (about a mile).



We also found a couple sets of bobcat tracks but nothing else.
On the way back I let my son take point and he wanted to have “an adventure” and took me down into a swampy draw.



The second spot she called in was where I killed a big boar in 2005. Since she didn’t want to sit the same tree we found a spot on the ground where she had a little visibility. And I mean a little. Any shot would be about 40 yards max with the Foxpro only 20 yards away. No critters but a couple of turkey vultures dove in for a look when she started the hand calls.



Here is the view from the tree that I sat in in 2005. The visibility is about the same….and the pitch problem is still there.



We left her there for an hour and a half and went shooting the .22.



No bears, but we did see a few deer and four quad riders.

[catwithboost]

Dont worry BTKR after the 1st of May I will be all over the mt with my quad. I will scout for you 

[Sideswipe]

Pretty cool, thanks for sharing the pictures!  The family that hunts together........

[Huntboy]

Nice story, cool pic's too.

[oneezreiter]

good write up, thanks for sharing.

[billythekidrock]

We went out Monday and Tuesday after work for the last couple hours of light.
Monday the first place we went had a guy and a couple kids hanging out so we moved on. Got the wife set up on a little ridge overlooking a small cut along the timber. She called for about 1.5 hours. When she came back she told me she could hear brush snapping in the bottom but only when she used a fawn bleat sound. We are guessing it was a deer.

Tuesday we went to a different spot only a short distance away. On our way in we saw two groups of deer. One group of 5 and the other had only 2. There was no bear sign in this small cut, but it is next to a creek and swamp and I know there are bear in the area. We left her to hang out at the creek and just before dark we took a short walk down an old grade to a place I wanted to check out.

I found a couple small piles of bear crap and where it had eaten some grass. The sign was at least two days old.





While I was taking pictures my son said he wanted to go. I asked, "are you scared?" He said, "no, but it is getting dark and we need to go get mom". 

[bearmanric]

Keep at it Billy. enjoy the picture's. turning bear call's today. with this weather should get very active. wish i was on the coast.we would see some cool stuff there. take care. Rick

[saylean]

Getting closer billy...

[billythekidrock]

Thanks guys.. Yes, getting a bit closer. Judging from the sign it is not a big one for sure, but if he is by himself and she can get the shot I am sure she will take it.

[WDFW-SUX]

Sounds like the boy has some bearanoia.........good stuff.

[Dirty Mike]

wow looks like your close, good sign, what unit are you hunting in?

[billythekidrock]

wow looks like your close, good sign, what unit are you hunting in?

Capitol Peak GMU