Buddies 6 foot 1 inch Wenaha chocolate bear

[DeerThug]

Here is the story.
We left last Thursday to the Wenaha.  Got there in the dark.  Was greeted to OK weather when we got up.  Then the challenges started.  The road still had snow drifts and trees across the road.  By 8 in the morning we made it to the place where we could hike in to a bowl where we have not gone without seeing bears. 100% sure thing.  After 2 hours of ridge climbing, we found the wild onion fields only 1/2 inch high.  We found 1 old track in the snow, but no bears.  We decided to head out and try to get further around the mountain range we were on.  We had to cut 9 more trees out of the road and dig some snow drifts to get to where we could make it up a good ridge.  It was now after noon.  We kept climbing and glassing and figured we could make it to the top - take a nap in the sun and then hunt the evening on the way out.  But at 2 we spotted a bear way across two canyons.  We decided we had enough time to get to it and he was a good one.  50 minutes later we were climbing the knife ridge that would put us 200 yards from the bear.  The boys were up there with the pack ready to shoot off of.  The bear was in an onion patch feeding up.  Jeff and i were climbing hard, but we are not 17 any more. We had 10 feet before the top, when the boys said he is gone.  He had went into the timber.  We sat there for about 15 minutes glassing and nothing.  I thought we should get to where he was and see if we could see it in another onion field.  25 minutes later we were in his onion field 20 yards from the timber when mathew hissed at us pointing to the trees.  This bear was coming back.  Jeff had to take one side step.  What he saw was this bear swinging his head side to side.  He shot and dumped him.  After pictures we looked back up the ridges from where we came and thought what have we done, we were so far into this ridge it was crazy.  Luckily we all had game bags in the packs.  We dressed him and started up and down the two ridges to the trail that lead to the truck.  At 7:30 we could see the truck.

The lessons of the Wenaha is to go prepared, be willing to be physically challenged and  reap the rewards.

that night we got the storms that came through, mountain thunder. 
We stayed another day to get a turkey, but the birds must have froze out.  In years past we see tons, this year we saw 6 and only one tom.  Did not have the heart to shoot it - figured we better leave him with his ladies. 
As usual we came home with everything wet dirty and we were tired and a trophy in the back.

Another epic adventure....

[rasbo]

jobwell done,congrats

[yelp]

Awesome!     Great Job.!

[blindpig]

Holy smokes, what a beautiful color bear.  Congrats!

[runamuk]

great story ......absolutely gorgeous bear....

[Guy]

Terrific bear! Great color and he's one whopping big critter too. Good description of a tough hunt.

Congrats!

[oldleclercrd]

Nice bear!

[Kain]

Wowza!

[D-Rock425]

Awesome bear

[Michelle_Nelson]

That is a Great Looking Bear!

[bearpaw]

great bear, congrats....

[saylean]

Its a pretty color phase~
Good work and thanks for posting!

[Huntbear]

Congrats on a well earned trophy...

Gorgeous bear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

[TW GUIDES]

Wow, great bear and a great story. Those boys won't forget it.

[PacificNWhunter]

Thats a great bear, congrats!