Great hunt, no bear

[Guy]

My teenage son and I headed out to NE Washington w/Shane for a bear hunt. Because of school my son only had two days to hunt, I had a few more.

Did we see bears? Oh my yes! Every day we saw and heard bears. We stalked bears too. I learned though, that there's a Big difference between seeing a bear and shooting a bear... Learned a lot about bears from Shane, and also a bit from his father, who took a nice bear right after our hunt. If you hunt with Shane, be prepared for a great hunt with a good guy who really knows his bears, and also be prepared for some good scrambling around on the mountains, and for 300+ yard shots. Yes, I have to admit I took a longish shot, and missed. Phooey. My fault. Later, when we went to check and see if I'd drawn blood, we had to pass on an easy 150 yard shot at another bear, because I wasn't sure if I'd hit the first one or not. I hadn't. Ah well...

The country is remarkable. Steep and rugged with rocky outcroppings, scattered trees, thick brush, open areas, and deep ravines. The weather was unstable to say the least. Sunny, bright and hot at 96 degrees one day, 44 windy and raining another day. A thunderstorm passed through and there was a lightning - strike fire a few miles away. One day I heard a cougar scream! At least, I think that's what it was... We saw turkey, whitetail and mule deer. And bears. Lots of bears. Black bears. Chocolate bears. Cinnamon bears. These things are pretty spooky, and often I only had a very short window of opportunity for a shot. I laughed that we had five second bears, but that I was a ten second shooter... 

My son and Shane, looking for bears far below. Shane's father took a nice one from this spot after we left:


I hunted with my .375 for a day, until I realized that most of the shot opportunities were going to be at longer ranges than I felt comfortable with this rifle. Swapped to my precision/Cloward built .308 after that, and still managed to miss!


Before the hunt, my son and I did a little small-stream fly fishing:




And after, I enjoyed a morning on the Columbia:


Despite coming home without a bear, I had a great time hunting with my son & Shane in some terrific country. We learned a lot about bears and enjoyed the hunt tremendously.

Regards, Guy

[LITTLEBUCK]

Sounds like a great trip in beautiful country. Oh How I like that country. Would spend more time over there if it wasn't for that 7 hour drive one way.

[SHANE(WA)]

You forgot to mention the rattle snakes  lotta fun Guy! 

[Gutpile]

You have a pic of your dad's bear?

[SHANE(WA)]

No pics, 250 ish brown one. He doesn't take many pics of bears these days unless they are something special. He has taken 20+ bears with most of them over 18" skulls, doesn't get to excited over them these days.

[Guy]

I was TRYING to forget the buzztails....

Now I'm going to have nightmares... 

[SHANE(WA)]

LOL I am , still jump at crunchy dry weeds! 

[littletoes]

Sounds like a successfull trip Guy!

Folks, let me say this, when Mr. Guy misses a shot, we can just put that up as "Hunting" 'cause that man is a Long Range HighMaster, and has whupped my arse at a shooting match or two. For those that don't know what that is....lets just say its SOMETHING. 

Just goes to show it "Happens" huh Guy!

Hope you make it out again, but its suppose to be around 90 again this weekend....AARGH! 

[Guy]

Yeah, I made the shot more complicated than it was. Should have just whacked that bear that Shane had all trained to pose for me - but I goofed up and shot over it. Phooey.

Next time Shane is going to get me a bear that will jump to intercept the bullet! 

[SHANE(WA)]