Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: tlbradford on August 29, 2012, 09:55:34 PM

Title: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: tlbradford on August 29, 2012, 09:55:34 PM: I haven't been posting for a while since I have been working in Tonasket with dial up speed internet. Now that the job is wrapping up I am back in Spokane a lot more and finding a little time for the internet.

Here is a bear I shot last Thursday evening. I spotted it feeding at 171 yards out in some thick stuff. Dropped everything but my camera and rifle and snuck into a shady spot and watched it from 100 yards for about 15 minutes, trying to decide if it was a shooter, and if it was alone. Still couldn't get a good look, so I used two big wind gusts to cover my approach across some shale and crispy vegetation to roughly 50 yards away. Watched for another 5 minutes. Finally, it moved into some shorter brush and stood on it's hind legs and the head and shoulders looked pretty blocky. The next time it stood up I shot it between the shoulder blades. .338 win mag bullet exited out the front of the neck after severing the spine. No twitching, no death bawl, no breathing, just stillness. Turned out to be a sow which was a bummer. A couple trips for the pack out went fairly quick. Round as a barrel, good skull, but only 4'-9" from nose to tail. Head, hide and feet weighed 72 lbs (left a lot of fat on since I was trying to beat the darkness), boned out meat 68 lbs, and I'll guess 40 pounds for guts and skeleton, for a total of about a 180# bear.

No room for a decent field photo, but I'll post a better shot of the head when my father in law gets the pictures to me.

I have had a long, dry spell where big game is concerned, so it felt good to knock something down again.
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: ellensburgpo on August 29, 2012, 10:02:14 PM: Great pictures and congrats on a beautiful bear.
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: sebek556 on August 29, 2012, 10:04:20 PM: :tup: sweet good job. Not often you get before the kill pics as well
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: ShaneTyTrey on August 29, 2012, 10:11:35 PM: Congrats
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: bearmanric on August 29, 2012, 10:32:02 PM: Nice lookin g bear. Neat story. Rick
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: saylean on August 29, 2012, 11:04:10 PM: Pretty pictures...nice blaze! Congrats on breaking the dry streak.
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on August 30, 2012, 04:12:25 AM: Good looking Bear!
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: h20hunter on August 30, 2012, 07:49:54 AM: Very cool to see the priors of the bear prior to the shot. Very pretty.....love the white patch. Congratulations on your hunt. I don't have much experience with bears myself but I can attest to the beauty of the "no tracking shot".
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: blacktailcody on August 30, 2012, 08:56:01 AM: That bear wins this years most beautiful bear contest. Good job.
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: Ripper on August 30, 2012, 10:58:21 PM: That's exactly the kind of bear I'm looking for. Jet black with a nice white V on the chest. Beautiful, congrats.
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: MatthewHunter98 on August 31, 2012, 12:00:47 AM: sweet story :tup: good job
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: skier2480 on August 31, 2012, 06:37:14 AM: Way to go!!! :tup:
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: Kowsrule30 on August 31, 2012, 12:07:24 PM: Nothing wrong with taking a sow out that doesn't have cubs.... They need thinned out to.... :tup: Congrats.... Great looking bear!!!
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: grizzlyadams on August 31, 2012, 09:39:28 PM: Good job spotting it in that thick stuff :tup:
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: tlbradford on October 02, 2012, 09:59:22 PM: Just a follow-up to show you the head size. It looks a little weird because I cased out the hide so I would have the option of a half body mount. I may just go with a soft tan though. And I threw in a photo I liked on my way into a different area, trying to get the brother in law a bear.
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: Gutpile on October 03, 2012, 05:12:48 AM: Love the white blaze. very cool.
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: robertsjd on October 03, 2012, 06:55:36 AM: Nice bear man , congrats
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: crschralping on October 03, 2012, 10:13:48 AM: Congrats on a clean kill, very nice bear.
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: coyotecrazy on October 03, 2012, 03:29:01 PM: What a beautiful bear. Congrats. PM sent.
Title: Re: Unit 215 Bear
Post by: Machias on October 03, 2012, 05:43:28 PM: Super nice looking bear, congrats!!!