The Yogi Bear Challenge

[D-man]

      Last Thursday I completed what my friends and family call the "Yogi challenge."  My first big game animal was a very small bear.  I had him tanned and he soon became known as Boo-Boo bear.  Not only did he look like the bear form the cartoon (in size and color), but had I known just how small he was I wouldn’t have taken the shot: he was an “accident.”  (Wow bears are hard to field judge, especially when you just get into hunting).  Since then I have spent two years up in the hills with my friends, shanevg and company, trying to chase down a bigger bear: "Yogi."  
 
     When my girlfriend visited last week from Phoenix Arizona, I wanted to impress her with what a cool area we live in.  I took her up to a Mt. peak so that we could admire the awesome views of the cascades and the Puget Sound.  I had also heard of bear activity in this area, thank you trail reports, so I brought my gun along.  As we were getting to the top, which was about 4 miles in and 3,500ft from the trailhead I spotted a big bear.  I new instantly this one would be no “accident” bear.  I made about a quarter mile approach, and put on the most perfect stalk of my life.  I got close enough to see not only the bear’s family jewels, but also his eyes without my binos.  I set up for the shot, waited until he turned broadside and shot right through his shoulder.  The bear went about 50 ft. down the hill and piled up in some rocks.  I made sure he was dead, tagged him, and then went to retrieve the girlfriend.

     The two of us were so amped that we were not paying attention to the weather.  As we got to the bear, about 45 min after he was shot, the rain started to move in.  What once started out as a nice summer day quickly turned into a nasty, almost winter like day in the cascades.  We were not prepared for the adverse weather.  The temps went from the 60’s into the low 40’s within half an hour.  Barely enough time for me to get one quarter cut out.  We had not brought along foul weather gear, and were soon shivering so violently it was all we could do to stuff the hind leg in my pack and run down the mountain.  We got chased down the mt. by one of the worst storms I have every experienced.  That is saying a lot because I have weathered a storm through the night on top of Rainier in winter conditions.  Needless to say the warm weather girlfriend was a little shaken up.

      We got home that afternoon, the weather looked like it was getting better.  We decided that the bear would be fine overnight and that by the next morning we would have good weather and an easier pack out.  Especially considering the bear still needed to be cut up into three more quarters. However, after talking with my parents and best friend shanevg I decided it would be best to get the bear that night.  Shanevg couldn’t make it so I called up his little brother Alecvg to help pack out the rest of the bear. I gathered all of my big mt. weather gear and started packing my bag.  I did not expect my girlfriend to want to make the second trip.  However, she figured with the proper clothes she would be fine, and she is one of those gals that want to see a project through to the end.  

      We got to the bear just before dark and started cutting it up.  There was too much weight for us to pack out the three remaining quarters bone and all so we boned the bear out.  This was my and Alecvg’s first time boning a bear, and it took awhile: probably didn’t help that it was an exceptionally dark night.  During this time I failed to realize again the worsening weather, and worsening condition of my girlfriend.  After a bout of hail, that seemed to come and go, I checked on my girlfriend who was shivering like crazy.  I scolded her and myself for not keeping her shivering in check, because I packed up extra warm clothes.  We stuffed fleeces inside her shell, (she didn’t want to take her shell off and risk getting drenched), and put a hat, and gloves on her.  After this I told Al to just work as fast as he could: we needed to get down this mountain.  We did a quick and dirty job of boning the bear, but we got it done.  We stuffed our packs, including my girlfriends’ with as much meat as we could carry and we booked it down the mt.  Again getting chased down the mountain by a storm.  However in the dark and fog we took an hour long detour in getting back to the trail.

      When it was all said and done my girlfriend and I rolled into my parent’s house at 2:00 AM. 22 hours after we had left.  Boy we never imagined such a day; I have not harvested many animals, but hands down hardest pack out to date.  I bet this one will be hard to beat.  It was such a miserable time for my girlfriend that I had to wait for her to go back home before I could write up the story.  I think she is getting over it because at least now she is saying she will come hiking with me again.  It may be awhile before I am allowed to bring a gun along.

      The bear was a nice boar; he measured 6’ 2’’ from tail to nose.  Nearly double the length of Boo-Boo bear.  I decided to make the bear into a rug to commemorate the trip, and to complete my yogi challenge collection.  Enjoy the pictures, and happy hunting.  

[carpsniperg2]

nice bear congrats! also if she made it threw that i think she's a keeper

[Billy]

Nicely done!  That girl of yours sounds like a trooper...and a keeper. 

[denali]

Nice bear !!    good story !!

[Timberstalker]

helluva a story.  Great job.
You WILL never forget that day.
You'd better go buy a ring for that Girl

[D-man]

You'd better go buy a ring for that Girl

Thats the plan, she just needs to finish college.

[carpsniperg2]

you can buy a ring anytime. they keep you know

[Michelle_Nelson]

That is a good looking Bear!

[billythekidrock]

Congrats on such a great girlfriend.......oh, and nice bear. 
Make sure to mark your bear in the Hunt WA 2010 Bear Poll.

[h20hunter]

Nice job.....on the bear. She is to good for you or any other hunter. Marry her now or give her to me!

ps. please don't tell my wife I said that. She may not let me go bear hunting this weekend.

[dirty24d]

Good write up and even better bear. Thats alot of hiking in adverse weather in one day!!

[one-eyed Ross]

Well done, well done.

Now you'll have the pair of bears to keep you two company.

Forget the ring, get her a rifle and let her get a bear in the coming years.

[Alchase]

Beautiful bear, and thanks for he story!

[MtnMuley]

Way to go D-man!  Very nice bear and write up.

[GoldTip]

Excellent story and great bear.  I agree with whats said above, you'd best put a ring on that girls hand before she finishes school and realizes she has better options than to marry a hunter!