Free: Contests & Raffles.
I could see doing it if I was spring bear hunting in ID and passing Moscow on my way home.
Wow! I didn't realize it was $1k for a soft tan... That's all I want done with my next good one... I got cow elk soft tanned $200 each... My dad and I doubled one year we both drew tags... The few bears I had soft tanned there were $150-200 each... 2008-2012
Quote from: Kingofthemountain83 on April 20, 2026, 09:31:45 AMWow! I didn't realize it was $1k for a soft tan... That's all I want done with my next good one... I got cow elk soft tanned $200 each... My dad and I doubled one year we both drew tags... The few bears I had soft tanned there were $150-200 each... 2008-2012My first soft tan was around 2016 and was 450. It was only a little more to get a shoulder mount done about that same time was when I got a 6.5’ bear rug done for 1,400$. Same person is now around 1k for the soft tan. I’m sure there’s cheaper if you shop around.
The trapper in me cannot throw any hide in the bushes. The meat is top priority, the skull always comes out and unless it is severely rubbed the hide is coming out, which means the hide is coming out because I don't shoot badly rubbed bears. The last couple of years I've only had badly rubbed bears hitting my baits. Part of that is the area I've been hunting due to my knees. This year I have a spot I used to hunt that I am going to see if I can physically get back into. If so, I will see much nicer bears this spring. Had my first bear hit a bait last night. Super foggy so it was hard to tell much about the size or the quality of the hide, but appeared to be decent.
Quote from: Machias on April 23, 2026, 03:34:30 PMThe trapper in me cannot throw any hide in the bushes. The meat is top priority, the skull always comes out and unless it is severely rubbed the hide is coming out, which means the hide is coming out because I don't shoot badly rubbed bears. The last couple of years I've only had badly rubbed bears hitting my baits. Part of that is the area I've been hunting due to my knees. This year I have a spot I used to hunt that I am going to see if I can physically get back into. If so, I will see much nicer bears this spring. Had my first bear hit a bait last night. Super foggy so it was hard to tell much about the size or the quality of the hide, but appeared to be decent.I care so little about the hides the quality means nothing in the shoot or no shoot decision. Size does. Big bears have more meat. Bears are meat animals.
Quote from: dilleytech on April 25, 2026, 01:22:54 PMQuote from: Machias on April 23, 2026, 03:34:30 PMThe trapper in me cannot throw any hide in the bushes. The meat is top priority, the skull always comes out and unless it is severely rubbed the hide is coming out, which means the hide is coming out because I don't shoot badly rubbed bears. The last couple of years I've only had badly rubbed bears hitting my baits. Part of that is the area I've been hunting due to my knees. This year I have a spot I used to hunt that I am going to see if I can physically get back into. If so, I will see much nicer bears this spring. Had my first bear hit a bait last night. Super foggy so it was hard to tell much about the size or the quality of the hide, but appeared to be decent.I care so little about the hides the quality means nothing in the shoot or no shoot decision. Size does. Big bears have more meat. Bears are meat animals.Honestly, If it’s a legal bear, not a Cub or sow with cubs I could care less about size or hide at trigger time. Given the the circumstances today, I am pulling the trigger on every Predator I can.
Quote from: ghosthunter on April 25, 2026, 04:35:06 PMQuote from: dilleytech on April 25, 2026, 01:22:54 PMQuote from: Machias on April 23, 2026, 03:34:30 PMThe trapper in me cannot throw any hide in the bushes. The meat is top priority, the skull always comes out and unless it is severely rubbed the hide is coming out, which means the hide is coming out because I don't shoot badly rubbed bears. The last couple of years I've only had badly rubbed bears hitting my baits. Part of that is the area I've been hunting due to my knees. This year I have a spot I used to hunt that I am going to see if I can physically get back into. If so, I will see much nicer bears this spring. Had my first bear hit a bait last night. Super foggy so it was hard to tell much about the size or the quality of the hide, but appeared to be decent.I care so little about the hides the quality means nothing in the shoot or no shoot decision. Size does. Big bears have more meat. Bears are meat animals.Honestly, If it’s a legal bear, not a Cub or sow with cubs I could care less about size or hide at trigger time. Given the the circumstances today, I am pulling the trigger on every Predator I can.I feel the same way... I've lost a few bears as well over the years... One was a monster too... We did our due diligence looking for them... The first one tore me up as a kid... My dad told me how many deer and elk fawns I saved no matter what if we found him or not... How nothings wasted in the wild... Took a while to grasp it... But I wouldn't go notch a tag over a lost bear or cougar in this state...
Quote from: Kingofthemountain83 on April 25, 2026, 05:45:13 PMQuote from: ghosthunter on April 25, 2026, 04:35:06 PMQuote from: dilleytech on April 25, 2026, 01:22:54 PMQuote from: Machias on April 23, 2026, 03:34:30 PMThe trapper in me cannot throw any hide in the bushes. The meat is top priority, the skull always comes out and unless it is severely rubbed the hide is coming out, which means the hide is coming out because I don't shoot badly rubbed bears. The last couple of years I've only had badly rubbed bears hitting my baits. Part of that is the area I've been hunting due to my knees. This year I have a spot I used to hunt that I am going to see if I can physically get back into. If so, I will see much nicer bears this spring. Had my first bear hit a bait last night. Super foggy so it was hard to tell much about the size or the quality of the hide, but appeared to be decent.I care so little about the hides the quality means nothing in the shoot or no shoot decision. Size does. Big bears have more meat. Bears are meat animals.Honestly, If it’s a legal bear, not a Cub or sow with cubs I could care less about size or hide at trigger time. Given the the circumstances today, I am pulling the trigger on every Predator I can.I feel the same way... I've lost a few bears as well over the years... One was a monster too... We did our due diligence looking for them... The first one tore me up as a kid... My dad told me how many deer and elk fawns I saved no matter what if we found him or not... How nothings wasted in the wild... Took a while to grasp it... But I wouldn't go notch a tag over a lost bear or cougar in this state... Definitely not notching a tag on a lost predator. I wonder how many cougars got shot this year before people realized the season ended in October “in our unit” after the crazy stupid rule change for Cougars.
Quote from: dilleytech on April 26, 2026, 10:00:36 AMQuote from: Kingofthemountain83 on April 25, 2026, 05:45:13 PMQuote from: ghosthunter on April 25, 2026, 04:35:06 PMQuote from: dilleytech on April 25, 2026, 01:22:54 PMQuote from: Machias on April 23, 2026, 03:34:30 PMThe trapper in me cannot throw any hide in the bushes. The meat is top priority, the skull always comes out and unless it is severely rubbed the hide is coming out, which means the hide is coming out because I don't shoot badly rubbed bears. The last couple of years I've only had badly rubbed bears hitting my baits. Part of that is the area I've been hunting due to my knees. This year I have a spot I used to hunt that I am going to see if I can physically get back into. If so, I will see much nicer bears this spring. Had my first bear hit a bait last night. Super foggy so it was hard to tell much about the size or the quality of the hide, but appeared to be decent.I care so little about the hides the quality means nothing in the shoot or no shoot decision. Size does. Big bears have more meat. Bears are meat animals.Honestly, If it’s a legal bear, not a Cub or sow with cubs I could care less about size or hide at trigger time. Given the the circumstances today, I am pulling the trigger on every Predator I can.I feel the same way... I've lost a few bears as well over the years... One was a monster too... We did our due diligence looking for them... The first one tore me up as a kid... My dad told me how many deer and elk fawns I saved no matter what if we found him or not... How nothings wasted in the wild... Took a while to grasp it... But I wouldn't go notch a tag over a lost bear or cougar in this state... Definitely not notching a tag on a lost predator. I wonder how many cougars got shot this year before people realized the season ended in October “in our unit” after the crazy stupid rule change for Cougars.Yeah with the quota's updating on Thursdays I'm sure it happens...
Quote from: Kingofthemountain83 on April 26, 2026, 12:11:06 PMQuote from: dilleytech on April 26, 2026, 10:00:36 AMQuote from: Kingofthemountain83 on April 25, 2026, 05:45:13 PMQuote from: ghosthunter on April 25, 2026, 04:35:06 PMQuote from: dilleytech on April 25, 2026, 01:22:54 PMQuote from: Machias on April 23, 2026, 03:34:30 PMThe trapper in me cannot throw any hide in the bushes. The meat is top priority, the skull always comes out and unless it is severely rubbed the hide is coming out, which means the hide is coming out because I don't shoot badly rubbed bears. The last couple of years I've only had badly rubbed bears hitting my baits. Part of that is the area I've been hunting due to my knees. This year I have a spot I used to hunt that I am going to see if I can physically get back into. If so, I will see much nicer bears this spring. Had my first bear hit a bait last night. Super foggy so it was hard to tell much about the size or the quality of the hide, but appeared to be decent.I care so little about the hides the quality means nothing in the shoot or no shoot decision. Size does. Big bears have more meat. Bears are meat animals.Honestly, If it’s a legal bear, not a Cub or sow with cubs I could care less about size or hide at trigger time. Given the the circumstances today, I am pulling the trigger on every Predator I can.I feel the same way... I've lost a few bears as well over the years... One was a monster too... We did our due diligence looking for them... The first one tore me up as a kid... My dad told me how many deer and elk fawns I saved no matter what if we found him or not... How nothings wasted in the wild... Took a while to grasp it... But I wouldn't go notch a tag over a lost bear or cougar in this state... Definitely not notching a tag on a lost predator. I wonder how many cougars got shot this year before people realized the season ended in October “in our unit” after the crazy stupid rule change for Cougars.Yeah with the quota's updating on Thursdays I'm sure it happens...I think very few hunters check to see if cougar is open on a weekly basis.
Heading out soon for Oregon spring bear. What do you guys do with the rug, claws, etc. if you have zero plans for taxidermy work? I don’t have enough room for another rug. Skull yes. Meat yes. Claws?? Curious. elksnout