Little Pathfinder's 2025 Bear

[Pathfinder101]

At some point, he'll have to outgrow the Little Pathfinder moniker.  He's 3 inches taller than me and headed to college in a couple of weeks...

We returned from our caribou hunting trip to Alaska (his graduation present-I promise I'll get a thread up as soon as things calm down) just in time for me to start school (I'm a high school teacher for those that don't know), so LP was on his own for bear hunting this year.
Set up his tree stand and put out his predator call for a good, long sit.  Day one a bear crossed his clearing but didn't give him a shot with his bow.  Day two, right before dark a bear stepped out of the shadows to investigate, but due to low light, LP elected to use the rifle on him. 
Had to find him the next morning. 
LP texted me:  "Dad, this is a big bear.  I can't get him loaded."
Chalk up another fawn killer for the Grim Reaper...

[highside74]

Little isn't so little anymore😁

Nice bear young man

[Pathfinder101]

 

[Pathfinder101]

Little isn't so little anymore😁

Yeah, that's my fault.  I keep feeding him...

[jrebel]

Pretty AWESOME!!!!

Where is he headed for college??  I just dropped my oldest off a week and a half ago.....boy do they grow up fast. 

[Dan-o]

Great bear. 

Congratulations on sending him to college.

[Pathfinder101]

Pretty AWESOME!!!!

Where is he headed for college??  I just dropped my oldest off a week and a half ago.....boy do they grow up fast.

He signed with Eastern Oregon University to play baseball and major in education. 
I wonder when it will occur to him that teaching school and hunting in the fall are not necessarily compatible with each other...

[Pathfinder101]

Drives me nuts that I can never get these pictures to flip the "right way" when they post...

[HntnFsh]

That's awesome!
You have obviously raised a great kid!

[jrebel]

Pretty AWESOME!!!!

Where is he headed for college??  I just dropped my oldest off a week and a half ago.....boy do they grow up fast.

He signed with Eastern Oregon University to play baseball and major in education. 
I wonder when it will occur to him that teaching school and hunting in the fall are not necessarily compatible with each other...

Not sure there is a worst job to have when it comes to hunting.  My wife is an educator and I was going to college to be one......thought better of it and now work 8-9 days a month and get to hunt as much as I want.  Can't wait for my wife to retire so she can join me on my hunting adventures. 

[teanawayslayer]

Congrats!

[Gentrys]

Congrats LP!

[Boss .300 winmag]

Little isn't so little anymore😁

Yeah, that's my fault.  I keep feeding him...

If you quit feeding them they don’t grow anymore.😉

[Boss .300 winmag]

Nicely done PJ.👍

[brokentrail]

Congrats to the young hunter, way to get it done and solo!  Your dad is very proud I am sure.  My youngest is on his way to college to play ball next week as well.  I wish you the best down in Oregon!

[redi]

Great bear congratulations.

[high_hunter]

Congrats, way to go solo!  Nice bear 🐻

[Pathfinder101]

Pretty AWESOME!!!!

Where is he headed for college??  I just dropped my oldest off a week and a half ago.....boy do they grow up fast.

He signed with Eastern Oregon University to play baseball and major in education. 
I wonder when it will occur to him that teaching school and hunting in the fall are not necessarily compatible with each other...

Not sure there is a worst job to have when it comes to hunting.  My wife is an educator and I was going to college to be one......thought better of it and now work 8-9 days a month and get to hunt as much as I want.  Can't wait for my wife to retire so she can join me on my hunting adventures.

Agreed.  I think a one-man-taxidermy shop or being a game warden might be worse... but not by much...

[lewy]

 

[nwwanderer]

Pathfinder 2.0 gets it done!!!

[Kingofthemountain83]

 

[hunter399]

Heck ya .... congrats 👏👍🤙

[pianoman9701]

Great bear! Maybe Bear Slayer should be the new nickname.

[Twispriver]

Very nice, congratulations 

Did any of it go sour after being left until morning?

[Pathfinder101]

Very nice, congratulations 

Did any of it go sour after being left until morning?

Good question.  We may never know.  The whole bear is getting sliced up, brined and made into jerky.  I don't know if we'll be able to tell, unless he's pretty bad when we're cutting him up.  Starting that process today.  He's been in the cooler at CoryTDF's house since we recovered him. 

[Pathfinder101]

Started cutting him up and putting him in the jerky brine today.  Meat smelled fine.  Got the skull boiled out.  Not quite as big as the monster he killed last year, but still a pretty big bear.
 

[nwwanderer]

Big batch of jerky, get up to 150 or more!!!!

[bearhunter99]

Good looking bear there!  Congrats to the not so little PF now...