Tman and Grizzly95 mis-adventures in bear hunting

[Grizzly95]

So it starts with another member (Tman) and I shooting a few messages back and forth about wanting to get our first bears last week. We text a few times then a few phone calls and finally on Monday we are able to get schedules to match up to try to hunt bear. I get up Monday morning and head north for our "blind date" as my wife calls it since we have never met in person. I meet him at his place somewhere between 7 and 8. I know, that seems a little late; but since I am the one not working in my house I needed to wake up the kids and make sure everyone is capable of going to school since one of the 3 little monsters was feeling sick the day before. Anyway, we head up to a spot he had seen lots of sign and got a pic of a sweet bear. Keep in mind, I am beartarded, I really know nothing about bears, sign, habitat to look for, or even how to tell different berry bushes apart. I grew up in orchards and asparagus in Yakima valley, so I can tell you the difference in a fruit tree by the leaves and such, not a berry bush though. Tman showed me how bears will peel a tree, first for me! So we get into an area that every 20 to 40 yards there is a peeled tree, stumps torn to hell, set up a call and wait.........nothing. We spend the rest of the day exploring all over looking for more sign, setting up the call, moving to another place, calling some more.......finally dark thirty is setting in and we have not seen a bear, and only a handful of deer. We are about ready to start killing squirrels, if we killed every one of them that we saw we would have about enough meat to fill a crock pot. We are convinced that when we see a fricken squirrel we need to move to another area, bears and squirrels must not inhabit the same areas. So far at least a couple newer members have met and started a new hunting bond, soon enough we will have our day...stay tuned.....

[high country]

good that you found a compadre'. it seems many of the wetside guys are pards, perhaps we damn near idahoers need a meet and greet.  FWIW, I have killed several bears, but most of my usual haunts are dry of them this year.....it is an odd year for my area.

[bighorns2bushytails]

Guys squirels are the doorbells for bears!  When i got my bear the squirrels were going crazy!  i could hear the squirells far away and the sound of the birds and squirrels just got closer and closer... dont fear the squirrel! 

--BH2BT

[Grizzly95]

Now the song "don't fear the reaper" is in my head only ad-libbed to squirrel! An eastside rendezvous would be great.

[Tman]

Another trip like that and the squirrels will be haunting my dreams.   Before the season started, bears were all over in the area we hit Monday,  I couldn't go in there without seeing a bear.  We haven't gotten any response to the calling, not a cat, coyote... NOTHING.  Either they all moved to the city, or are harder to find now that I have a tag in my pocket... 

[Grizzly95]

OK, so we tried another another day last week with nothing (as far as bears). We saw a decent little buck that stood still long enough for the 2 of us to notice and decide to try for, we put a mini stalk on him but he was one step ahead and peeled hooves and moved on.

  Tman came to town tonight and we went in on a Foxpro Spitfire. Tomorrow we will see if ya'll are feedin us a line of **it!!!  We are gonna try a spot we checked out lasst week, lots of sign but no bears sitting in the tracks. We both agree that we should spend a day just walking the area and calling. You guys have been great of the tips, but we have have come to the conclusion that bears are really a pain in the ass to hunt. I hope that tomorrow night we are posting pictures of us with a bear.

   At first I am sure we both were sitting there listening to the call thinking " I hope I shoot first, it's my bear" now we just want to see one. Even a sow with cubs that we just have to sit out will do. Stay tuned.....

[markts]

Good luck on your future unbearable hunts-it will come together

[bearhunter99]

Keep in mind, I am beartarded,

Now that's funny right there.  The one thing I have learned with bears is that persistence will eventually pay off.  Keep at it and you will get one!

[Buckmark]

I get up Monday morning and head north for our "blind date"
*
Tman came to town tonight and we went in on a Foxpro Spitfire.
*
Wow 1 blind date and 6 days later your buying community property together...

[markts]

Things seem to be moving along quite fast

[bighorns2bushytails]

good luck, took me 4 seasons to get my first bear.  itll happen but itll be sweeter after youve put some honest time in.  good luck!

--bh2bt

[Grizzly95]

Well we went out again yesterday and covered some ground. Got up on some old skid roads that circled some clear cuts on the high side and nasty thick drainages on the lower, tried the foxpro at our first spot a to no avail. We shut the call off and just sit and listen for a bit, then crash, crash, look up and just see something dark smashing through........Bullwinkle! We had this bull at about 15 - 20 feet. A little staredown ensued, I was hoping it wouldn't decide to stop us into the dirt, I am sure Tman can out run my fat arse! After a few the moose turned and blazed a trail through the brush.

 Off we go wallking around the area, Tman hears something below us! We look and BBBBBBBEAR! We look at eachother, the bear, eachother, the bear, finally convinced we are not hallucinating we watch him for a few..........I will let Tman finish.

 All in all a good day, saw a bear, a bull moose, a monster bull elk, and several does.

 What sounds should we get for the foxpro? We were just using the ones it came with, mostly coyote and rabbit calls. We used the rabbit calls yesterday. The whitetail buck fawn bleat sounds wierd, not sure if it was a good one to use or if we need to download some different ones.

[Gutpile]

NOT COOL!!!!!!!! Suck us in and just let us hang like that?? thats just downright mean to treat fellow bear nuts like that.

[Grizzly95]

Sorry guys, I had to let a little out on the story. I don't think Tman likes to type as much as me, plus he has a job and I don't start for another week or two so I have nothing but time. Time to lick my wounds today, my legs are all kinds of sore; but it was a great day to be in the woulds.

[Woodchuck]

Come on, come on, did you guys whack the bear or no? 

[Grizzly95]

Wow 1 blind date and 6 days later your buying community property together...

Well, we are ready for the next step in the relationship. We are going to put together a team for coyote madness.   

[bighorns2bushytails]

the rabbit distress and the fawn bleats are fine for calling in a bear.  i used those sounds when calling in mine.  make sure your on stand for at least an hour those bears take their time coming in.  being in the right area were there are bears is half the battle (sounds like you found them)  the rest is just being patient.  the bears will come in they are a curious creature and right now there starting to get hungry and ready for winter.  just play that rabbit distress till your sick of it then play it some more.... i play my caller non stop i dont pause it when hunting for bears.

--bh2bt

[yotewhacker]

great story! got me tuned in. I also am taking my first bear hunting experience this season and am trying to learn from the masters.

YOTEwhacker-out

[Grizzly95]

Lots of good advice here, Tman and I are convinced there are no sure fire tips or tricks short of being illegal and baiting (not recomended). We are down with the fact that time and persistance are key. Best of luck to ya. Where are you trying, westside or eastside?

[Tman]

We'll I guess Grizzly is going to leave it to me to shock my own ego.  Sorry to leave you guys hangin, damn work.  The bear wasn't a giant by far, we guessed in the mid-100's .  The bear is still roaming that hillside somewhere   , we'll just say, I under estimated the incline we were looking down  (can I blame the scope now) .  After the poor estimation, a search for sign ensued and had us crawling around down a drainage looking for more sign to no avail.  Spent several more hours covering every piece of dirt on that mountain looking for more.  Found a few areas later that looked good.


Do you guys think we've chased that bear clear out of the area, or do you think he'll come back to the drainage he was in.  I plan on getting back on the mountain again this weekend.

[Gutpile]

We all miss occasionally. It happens. Well, not to me but I hear it happens to lesser mortals like BH2BT. 

Just kidding, thats hunting.

Been watching this thread closely, sure hope you guys, or at least one of you tag out.

Tell me this though. Who gets first shot next time?? 

[yotewhacker]

Where are you trying, westside or eastside?

My buddy and I were going to go after an eastsider, seems to be the right choice for us since we know the woods a little bit better there.  A coastal blackie would be nice though, i've seen some HOGS over in the olympic forest 

[Tman]

I'de have to say that if things work out the way the last bear did while we're packing in on some skid road and haven't separated, it would only be fair for Grizzly to be the trigger man.   I'de be happy with a bear in the dirt no matter who killed it. The hunt is the best part.

 That question always comes up when your hunting with another person and aren't separated at the moment.  "Who shoots"..  Theres no right answer, who saw it first,  rock paper scissors  etc.

[Grizzly95]

Tell me this though. Who gets first shot next time??

Theres no right answer, who saw it first, rock paper scissors

I have been practicing my lever gun quick draw 

It will also depend on distance, Tman is shooting a 7mm and I am shooting a 30-30 with leverevolution reloads.  I doubt I would try to poke passed 150 yards.

My rifle has been misfiring also, I checked the primer and it doesn't seem to be too deep. And I have shot quite a few rounds from this batch of primers, different gun. The gun has been in the safe for 5+ years and probably not shot in 10 until last week when I ransome rounds through it and zeroed at 100 yrds. I completely stripped it last night and it was really gummy in the action and primer. I scrubbed it with Otis kit and oiled it up. Anyone ever have an issue like this? Think it was the gummed up crud? I haven't rifle hunted since I was 14 or so, I have always been archery since, except for the dogs.

[bighorns2bushytails]

We all miss occasionally. It happens. Well, not to me but I hear it happens to lesser mortals like BH2BT. 

clearly you must be refering to MHWASH, ive never missed shooting at a bear! I only miss shooting at coyotes...


--bh2bt

[turkey buster]

good for you grizzly95, I have met and hunted with, got out int the woods with 4 guy's from hunt-wa and would be honard to go out hunting with anyone of them again, this truly is the best forum in the nw with great people
chuck

[Grizzly95]

Quick afternoon hunt. Saw ............... nothing. But then again by the time we finally got to the woods we only had about 2 hours give or take. Spent part of the time driving a couple different roads glassing some different areas. Took a short walk half mile or so, blasted the foxpro for a while and then just listened. We pretty high up there and had a great area to glass and watch over.

We did however come up with a new agreement when someone misses a shot. You have to put your hat out at the yardage of your shot and check your rifle. 

Anybody remember the movie "The Never Ending Story"? I feel as though I am righting our own now.

[Grizzly95]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........

[littletoes]

   Is that a bullet hole in the rim???! now that-there is funny! At least you know the gun is on! I like the sound of that ideeer of yours....'cept I missed a dandy buck a couple of years ago, and it seems EVERYONE heard the shot!

 

[Tman]

Went for an evening hunt on Saturday and back out Sunday morning.   Saw 3 bears, weren't able to close the deal.  The first bear was spotted about 300 yds out and dissapeared into the timber quick, tried the foxpro and nothin..  The second bear was a big chocolate sitting almost skylined on a ridge at around 400 yds, no way to close the gap at last light..  The third was in some bushes and busted out and over the hill as soon as we heard him.  We're getting closer, just got to close the deal now.  Hope to get out to this spot again soon, before the bears get even harder to find.

[Grizzly95]

And on that trip we saw bobcats tracks and a cougar that had either been watcing us or crossed through saturday night. We were watching the soft ground pretty weel on our way in saturday but not as much on the way out and didn't see the tracks, then this morning on the walk in we saw the tracks; not far from where we were calling. Was a little strange not seeing any other critters in the area though, tracks were there just didn't see nothin but bears. Great day in the woods though. By the way I feel tonight we got our asses handed to.

 You bear hunters that have had success with the foxpro: What call sounds are you using? We only have the ones that are on the original card, should we maybe download some others? We are not 100% sold on that thing yet, might have to order some of the custom calls you guys are making.
 

[Grizzly95]

Gonna take a buddy out for his first deer season tomorrow and give it another try for the bears. I took the wife up to our bear highway last Sunday and talked to a few guys that were deer hunting up there and they said they have been spotting bears. One guy even said he watched one get aggressive with a bull moose.