Gutpile is a victim of ground shrinkage

[Gutpile]

Will post pics later if I can get up the nerve but here goes:

Went up to my favorite Huckleberry unit spot for a little bear/grouse hunt. Had been seeing a fair amount of bear sign so we were pretty stoked. I was really actually excited to get some grouse since I've never even seen a bear in the fall in this particular area. It's just so thick that all we ever see is sign. In the spring we see them quite often. Anyways, Saturday morning we decided we'd go cruise around looking for grouse and scout for sign, then we'd go get some lunch and chase bears in the evening. We didn't see any grouse but did find some fresh bear sign but it was a small bear. Probably 4" wide tracks. We  got back to camp and I decided I wanted to check "the high road" which is right near camp. Bighorns2bushytails decided to stay at camp and maybe take a nap, it was probably 11:00 or so. I hopped on the quad and drove to the head of the high road (an old skid trail) and walked in to the end, probably a mile or so. I saw another set of tracks so thought I'd give calling a whirl.

This is a pretty big clear cut so I went to the far end where it's starts to get really thick and called for 30 minutes or so. I heard guys at their camp off in the distance to the left and to the right but figured "what the heck" I'll keep calling. Got nothing there so walked back to the middle of the clear cut and did another set. I'd say 20-30 minutes or so. All of the sudden accross the valley at 3-400 yards I see a stump I didn't remember before. I glassed it and it was a bear!! I just about crapped this is the first bear I've called in and let me tell you the juices were flowing!! I was stoked!!

It walked from my left to right sidehill accross the canyon and I waited till it got a tree between me and it and I ran down the road back to the spot where I called earlier. I peeked from behind a tree and it was still there but looking towards me. I waited for a second because I was about 250-300 yards away and I really needed to find a rest. It finally looked away and I hustled down to a burned out stump and got set up. The bear then stopped for a minute or two right behind a larch tree so I had to wait. While he stared I got a pretty good look at him and he seemed average. Not real big but certainly not small. Jet black coat- real shiny. Very pretty. Anyways it turned to go up hill so I called. It stopped and looked again but I did want to shoot it in the ass. It started walking again so I called and this time it stopped, turned and walked to a stump and rested it's front paws on it and just stared.

This bear was very interested in the call but if I continued I was scared it'd walk to the bottom and I'd lose it in the brush. I just didn't want to shoot it straight on but I felt like I had no choice. I rested, drew a breath and smacked him with the 350 rem mag. I heard the smack so I knew I hit home. I found the bear in the scope again and it just collapsed in a heap over the stump like you'd pose it for a pic. Now keep in mind this is only my second bear and I'm really hyped up. I sit and watch for movement as I wanted to be sure to anchor it if it need it. Not a twitch. Then it slid off of the stump and rolled like a snowball down the hill and piled up in a large alder bush. From where I was I just couldn't see the bear so I watched for the brush to move, again just to be sure this bear is dead. Got no movement and started to run back to the quad which was a mile or so away.

Man it's HOT, I'm sweating my ars off, I'm totally jacked but I needed help getting this pig out. Finally I reach the quad and THE KEY!!!! IT'S GONE!!! WTF!! I'm checking my pockets over and over and I can't find the key. I start running back to camp which is another mile or so and realized the key was in my teeth. What a jack ass.

I get back to camp and get Nyles so he can help me get the thing out. I tell him to wait till he sees me across the canyon and not to come till I find the bear. I get across and can't find the bear anywhere. I had marked the spot but lost track in the thick creek bottom and had veered to the right. Anyhow I searched for about a half hour and gave up. I figured I'd go back to the spot I shot from. Show Nyles which bush it was in and go back and get the bear. While I was showing the spot we measured with a ringefinder and it was 188 yards. I thought "Oh crap! This might be a small bear. Anyways thats how it worked. I showed him where it was and he guided me right to it.  

And wouldn't you know? This bear was TINY!!!!!!!! It's about a four footer and just cute as a button. I wiped the milk off it's lips so I didn't have the guilt while I was gutting it. It was a heavy little F****r though.    Got it back to camp and skinned and quartered it and promptly took a nap. I was thoroughly wooped.

So I learned how hard it is to judge those darn things. I would have passed on this bear had I known but when looking across a steep canyon to a bear on the other side they are VERY hard to judge.

By the way the bullet hit right between the eyes. I'll post pics later I need to get cleaned up and grab a bite to eat.

[shoot-em-dead]

Dude that's awesome. Can't wait for pics. Love the part of you running away from the four wheeler with the keys in your mouth. Really tells how much adrenaline you had going. I love that feeling.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Nothing wrong with veal!  Post up the pics!  And congrats!

[markts]

Congrats. A dead bear is a good thing. Mark

[Gutpile]

First of all thanks to Bearmanric and rasbo. Rasbo had ric put together some calls and he gave me two for giving him some .44 ammo. I used Bearmanrics call to call in the bear.

Anyhow here's the pics. I was in a hurry to clean the bear up and forgot to take pics until after it was skinned. Sorry you cant fully appreciate the awesome smallness of the bear but thats how it goes sometimes.      I put the skin on a log to give it a little size.   

The bullet passed through the head through the lower jaw shattering it and then into the chest exiting on the top of the back near the tail. It took out a lung and liver on the way out but didn't blow up the guts thanks god. Yuk.

[boneaddict]

A gutpile is a gutpile.  Well done!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Any Bear is a good Bear.  I'd have probably shot it. 

You could always make a toilet seat cover out of it.  

[Gutpile]

Any Bear is a good bear.  You could always make a toilet seat cover out of it.   

  

The fir was thick and shiny I'm going to tan it and probably just keep it in the corner. Just to small to rug but too pretty to get rid of. I hope I can salvage the skull. That'd be a great trophy with the bullet hole in it. We'll see.   

[littletoes]

Nice job, no complaints here-you got meat! They're hard as hell to judge size on.

[BLKBEARKLR]

Sounds like you had a good time, any bear is a good bear congrats to you.

[boneaddict]

Idabooner has a grizz skull that was thumped with a 200 grain nozler and its fine.  I have a black bear, same thing.

[TeacherMan]

Great story, the bear should taste great!!!

[robodad]

Booboo ?? 

Nice work, adrenaline can be a SOB sometimes, great story !!!

BTW what is a "larch tree"  

Oh and don't forget to post him in here !!
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,33131.0.html

[Gutpile]

BTW what is a "larch tree"  

People call them Tamarac which is incorrect. Western Larch are native to western states Tams are native out east.

Oh and don't forget to post him in here !!
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,33131.0.html

Already did.

[robodad]

BTW what is a "larch tree"  

People call them Tamarac which is incorrect. Western Larch are native to western states Tams are native out east.

Oh and don't forget to post him in here !!
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,33131.0.html

Already did.

 

[alecvg]

Great bear, I would have shot him with out a doubt!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Skull should be salvagable.  Might be a few bones to glue together.

[DOUBLELUNG]

The fir was thick and shiny I'm going to tan it and probably just keep it in the corner. Just to small to rug but too pretty to get rid of.

Remember, bathrooms need rugs too!

[runamuk]

Congrats and hey its a bear and it is in your freezer and it does have nice fur.

[LongTatLaw]

well...

it was a lovely shot!

[Abolt338]

Like the rest of these guys said, a bear is a bear.  I've shot bears too big for three guys to move; and I've shot bears small enough to throw over my shoulder and hike several miles to the truck without breaking a sweat.  I bet that one is going to taste amazing!!!

RW

[Wea300mag]

Gutpile, just claim that you are 8ft tall and weigh 380lbs.  

Nice shot!!!

[ICEMAN]

Good job. I too know ground shrinkage. 

Great story and congrats!

[boneaddict]

You two should get together.  Between the two of you you might have enough for a pair of slippers.

[ICEMAN]

They wouldn't match....mine was a blonde bear... 

[boneaddict]

I heard michelle was good at sewing.  Maybe a set of black ones with blonde racing stripes. 

[Gobble]

My 8 yr old loves teddy bears, Maybe you could pick up some batting material, stuff it and make a teddy bear for her    Just kidding.  I've never shot one so yours is still bigger than mine 

[Machias]

Congrats!

[littletoes]

The problem is AIR. Some are full of air, and GIANT! But you punched a hole in it and let it all out!

Been there......! 

[bearpaw]

congrats on a successful hunt.....at the end of the season when everyone else is throwing away their unused tags, you will be eating bearchops....

[runamuk]

The problem is AIR. Some are full of air, and GIANT! But you punched a hole in it and let it all out!

Been there......! 

So that's how it works 

[fishcrazy]

The problem is AIR. Some are full of air, and GIANT! But you punched a hole in it and let it all out!

Been there......!  

I had  girlfriend like that. I think she was full of HOT air I couldn't get the air out she just kept blowing up!!


Nice bear. same story with my first bear. looked alot bigger untill I shot it! then it deflated.


Kris

[MagKarl]

Great job.  I too love that you included the details like the missing key and the misjudged range.  You're all right in my book.  Adrenaline is amazing isn't it?

[Wacenturion]

Gutpile....congratulations, and great story.  Thanks for sharing.  As far as judging the size of bears....it probably has nothing to do with your hunting skills and knowledge, but rather the bad juju that constantly hangs over you because of all the weird avatars you make us look at on a daily basis....LOL.   

[Gutpile]

  the bad juju that constantly hangs over you because of all the weird avatars you make us look at on a daily basis....LOL.   

That was funny.       

[sisu]

Gutpile, don't worry it happens to me every time I go into an icy lake after a hot Finnish sauna. 

[rasbo]

way to go gut,that's awesome and the pic with the bullet between the eyes rocks.that skull will be cool...

[ratherhunt]

Great Shot Nice bear Great Story Congrats

[carpsniperg2]

any dead bear is a good bear congrats but i feel sorry for yogi his buddy is in your freezer

[saylean]

I think every bear hunter has a small one they misjudged...

I know I do...

Nice shot and congrats on the bear.

[rasbo]

they are all better than tag soup