Oh man where to even start...I put in for an oregon spring bear tag this year just for the hell of it and ended up drawing a tag. However, with a kiddo on the way this June I didnt really want to spend a whole lot of time 3+ hours away from home, especially in May. So I realized that I was going to have to get it done early season within the first couple weekends. The weather looked perfect opening weekend so I talked my buddy into going with me who also drew the tag.
Long story short we biked into a spot that we had seen a lot of bears in years past, but the trek is so far back in there that its almost impossible to really hunt once you get back there because you're so smoked. Given the shortened season we decided to go for it. We got back there and my buddy and I split up and he took a ridgeline with some good cuts and I took a ridgeline with some cuts. About 645 as i'm making my way across the ridgeline looking into each draw I noticed a black dot that wasnt there before. Instant cardiac arrest ensued as that black dot started moving and my ape brain realized that it was go time. I dumped my pack and ranged the bear at 350 and got in the scope. However, I was breathing too damn hard to shoot. I came out of the scope, closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths and got back in. Calmed and collected I touched off a round and put a good hit on the bear. It made its way another 50 yards before I touched off one more and finished it. April 2nd - and my first ever spring bear!
After getting down to the bear, getting some quick pics and the meat taken care of, we endured the suck fest that was required to pack everything up to the landing. We threw the meat on our bike cart and got back to the truck before midnight. With smoked legs and sore backs we cracked the remaining cold beers that we had and celebrated the end of an awesome hunt. We then proceeded to sling shot each tick that had decided it wanted to hitch a ride to our pant legs (the joys of spring hunting). Its hunts like these that I'll remember the rest of my life - cheers to a short but successful season.
Side note - its by far the ugliest bear I have ever laid eyes on. Anyone else seen a bear that's rubbed all of its hair off of its entire face? Almost looks like a Chupacabra rather than a bear
