Author Topic: Gramps' First Bear (Read 9857 times)

gramps · « **on:** May 15, 2009, 10:19:07 AM »

My first bear hunt is now over. I was drawn for the Dayton unit this spring and this was the first time I have specifically hunted for bear. From opening day until 10May09, I had made 7 or 8 day trips to look for bears and had not seen a track or any sign at all.
On 10May I went up to spend a week or so in an area I had not hunted before. I ran into Rufous and a friend and they had seen a bear feeding on a dead elk…sounded good to me. I was camped about 3 miles from where they had seen this bear.
On Monday the 11th I decided to just go for a walk from camp. I had went about a ¼ mile and was trying..unsuccessfully.. to get out of the wind and rain beside a tree with no limbs or needles from the fire when I spotted 3 cow elk below me feeding in a steep draw. Just above the elk I spotted two whitetail does also feeding. Wow..there is a bear feeding between the elk and deer. The wind was from the SW and I was walking NE…not a good deal, but it was all new terrain to me. After a few minutes the bear had his nose in the air and soon was off down the draw and out of sight. In the few minutes I watched them, it did not appear that the deer, elk or bear were aware of the each other.
By this time I was soaking wet and went back to camp to dry out.

The ground was white with snow Tuesday morning (3800 feet elev.). I decided to go out the same ridge some distance farther and come back sidehill about ½ way down toward the bottom. I approached a large draw about an hour later and there was two bears turning over rocks and feeding below me. Pretty exciting for a novice. They were the same size and similar color..could have been twins. Since they were moving up hill, I sat down and waited for a few minutes or so and since my only criteria for a bear was any color except black…didn’t care how big…when the bear that was closest to the top of the draw presented a good shot, I took it. Hunt Over. It rolled down the draw and wedged between some rocks and brush. I ended up tying the bear to trees and rocks with three ropes to keep everything from rolling downhill. Based on the weight of my packs, I think this bear (a sow) weighed about 160 pounds...there was zero fat. It’s front teeth are worn nearly to the gum line..will be interesting to learn how old it was for such a small bear.
Thanks for the tips from BobR, Rufous, Machias and others.
My only regret is that my hunting partner and brother could not have been along. His wife is very ill and he is staying with her 24/7.

jackelope · « **Reply #1 on:** May 15, 2009, 10:22:37 AM »

congrats gramps...that bear will make for a nice rug. thats a lot of steep country over there.
good pics and nice write up too.

Michelle_Nelson · « **Reply #2 on:** May 15, 2009, 10:28:40 AM »

Great looking Bear Gramps! Nice Color phase. I deffinatly want to get one of those to some day. Did you get pictures of the teeth?

Just curious are you going to do anything with the hide/skull?

GoldTip · « **Reply #3 on:** May 15, 2009, 10:33:51 AM »

Congrats on a nice bear, pretty color.

Huntbear · « **Reply #4 on:** May 15, 2009, 10:55:11 AM »

Congrats on your first bear. Very nice color.

coop2424 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 15, 2009, 11:10:19 AM »

Congrats on the bear I like the color.

bigdave · « **Reply #6 on:** May 15, 2009, 11:11:32 AM »

beautiful bear!!

Congratulations!

Machias · « **Reply #7 on:** May 15, 2009, 12:04:36 PM »

Awesome, VERY happy for you. Beautiful bear as well.

Red Dawg · « **Reply #8 on:** May 15, 2009, 12:11:56 PM »

that looks like a great spring bear. Congrats

KillBilly · « **Reply #9 on:** May 15, 2009, 12:14:40 PM »

Good job Gramps, nice color phase bear.

Huntboy · « **Reply #10 on:** May 15, 2009, 12:43:41 PM »

Nice bear, congrats.

Ray · « **Reply #11 on:** May 15, 2009, 12:55:52 PM »

Great job. I like the color of the coat. The photos and short story were good to read.

skybusterbo · « **Reply #12 on:** May 15, 2009, 01:23:31 PM »

Congrats on such a nice bear. Great job!!

bowhunterforever · « **Reply #13 on:** May 15, 2009, 01:25:16 PM »

Quote from: Huntbear on May 15, 2009, 10:55:11 AM

Congrats on your first bear. Very nice color.

Awsome

Timberstalker · « **Reply #14 on:** May 15, 2009, 01:57:08 PM »

awesome job. That is a great color phase bear.

whacker1 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:28:55 PM »

Well done - good looking bear

Houndhunter · « **Reply #16 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:30:38 PM »

great bear, cant beat that color

arees · « **Reply #17 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:32:14 PM »

That is a beautiful bear. Congratulations.

cohoho · « **Reply #18 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:42:36 PM »

Nice Gramps, told you that purchase exchange we had several months ago would pay off. If you used it at all.. Anyhow very nice coloring, I am tired of Black so exicted to get to your side of the state this fall for some color phased action. Way to go...

bucklucky · « **Reply #19 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:52:26 PM »

Cool bear man! Congrats!

X-Force · « **Reply #20 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:55:02 PM »

Nice Blurb sounds like a pretty fun little trip. Congrats.

gramps · « **Reply #21 on:** May 15, 2009, 04:53:34 PM »

Thanks everyone for the kind comments!! Had a great time.
Here are a couple more pictures. These aren't very good pictures of the teeth and I am certainly no judge of bear teeth so someone with more experience can comment. The premolar was just 1/2 " long (and difficult to remove)..was a little distortion in the picture.
I am gonna tan the hide, but not make a rug per se. It won't have the head or paws.
Thanks again.

markts · « **Reply #22 on:** May 15, 2009, 07:17:17 PM »

Great looking bear gramps. Mark

Moose Eyes · « **Reply #23 on:** May 15, 2009, 08:01:16 PM »

Well done! Congrats!

BLKBEARKLR · « **Reply #24 on:** May 15, 2009, 08:05:23 PM »

Nice bear, awesome color phase.. Congrats to you

rasbo · « **Reply #25 on:** May 15, 2009, 08:11:50 PM »

thats great ya nailed one..let me know the age I shot a sow was 22.5 yrs old looked like old sheep teeth

Jackjr · « **Reply #26 on:** May 15, 2009, 08:13:26 PM »

Nice Bear.

saylean · « **Reply #27 on:** May 15, 2009, 09:07:39 PM »

Great work on your first bear, she's a beaut. My first was a color phase too. Hope you had fun, and well wishes to your brothers wife.

Pathfinder101 · « **Reply #28 on:** May 15, 2009, 10:54:45 PM »

Congratulations Gramps! Great looking colorphase bear.

robb92 · « **Reply #29 on:** May 15, 2009, 11:32:22 PM »

Congrats on a nice bear!!

bearmanric · « **Reply #30 on:** May 16, 2009, 08:25:45 AM »

great story and great going. i hunted Lick creek last year. didnt know it was bowhunting. nice country. going back up to usk area again want a colored bear. again nice color. Rick

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