Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: duckmen1 on August 05, 2015, 10:17:00 PM
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Season started off having to work the opening weekend. Prepping for a week in advanced and only getting a couple hours of sleep we were out the door at 2am. We were gonna backpack in and spend a couple days in our area. As we reached our camp spot and we dropped our gear and only took our regular packs and headed in. Hunted the morning without even so much as a pile of poop seen. Grouse everywhere though. We set up camp mid day. Dad, brother, and my buddy were laying in there tents. I just was milling around outside the tents and kept hearing something move ever so slightly closer. Within 10 yards of the tent at this point I wasn't sure what I was hearing but it went silent. I knew something was there sitting right inside the brush line. So backed up and got my gun quietly. At that point dad busted out laughing about something in tent and it took off. I honestly think there was a chance it was a cougar. But will never know. So hunted the evening and saw nothing but more grouse. Dad left after hunting the one day due to work. Next morning alarm set for 4am I woke up not wanting to get out of sleeping bag. I was cold and it was windy. But pushed on. Headed down a spot I have seen sign in years past and saw what looked like a trail of a bear plowing though tall grass. But it headed in a area I had no visibility and with the wind I just decided to back out an hour into light and head to a spot a little lower to try and get out of the wind. Start glassing and see 4 deer. 2 were decent bucks. Then below me deer start snorting and I knew for a fact they had know clue I was there. And heard something big crashing above them on other side of ridge. I snuck down in position and decided it was a good time to try the call. Within 10 minutes of calling and still looking at deer around I look in the ravine and see a bear hauling down the hill side and coming up right for me. Set up on a rest and got ready. I was shaking so bad from adrenaline I can't even explain. At 33 yards that was close enough. I let the 300wsm bark and dropped the bear in its tracks. Right through the front shoulder. It was perfect. Made it even more special using my own hand loads with 180 partitions. Got my brother and buddy to come help quarter it up and haul it out. Got back to camp and loaded up all that too. Shot at 730ish and was back to truck By I believe around 2:30. Definitely sore today. The bear had a beautiful coat with a smaller white stripe on chest. Big thanks to all the help and support everyone gave me on this trip.
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Hey, i know that spot! :chuckle:
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Way to get it done! nice bear.
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Of course you do jellymon. Sorry the bear came the day after you sat there. :chuckle:
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Awesome.
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:tup:
Thanks for sharing
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Good shootin.
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I have had bear come in when I'm calling but can't get them to break from cover a few times I've had them with in 50 yds or so I can hear them in the brush but can't them to come out to where I can see them and get a shot...any advice
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Nice job duckman :tup: gonna buy your 2nd tag?
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Great bear and a memorable hunt. He got your blood going for sure. That's what it's all about that adrenaline rush for sure. Glad you had a good hunt, and didn't get attacked by the wild cat. Way to put him down, looks like your load does the trick!
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Nice bear! What'd you use to call him in? Congrats! !
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Nice bear! What'd you use to call him in? Congrats! !
Ditto.
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Nice bear! What'd you use to call him in? Congrats! !
:yeah:
And what part of the state?
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OK all these bear pics are getting me excited. Sounds like it was a great hunt! :tup: :drool:
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I have had bear come in when I'm calling but can't get them to break from cover a few times I've had them with in 50 yds or so I can hear them in the brush but can't them to come out to where I can see them and get a shot...any advice
In my experience calling. I have had best success calling in short intervals with around 3 to 10 whines on the call with about 5 to 10 second gaps then starting up again. I always get inpatient and don't call long enough. Don't give up. Stay calling an area for a minimal amount of 45 minutes. I have had success in my areas using a fawn distress. But will start venturing out and using other calls in the future. The only reason I stop is to quickly listen to what's coming. My areas are generally really thick so I have had the same issues as you with some holding up. And if a have a good area to glass I start out by glassing the area over first before calling. In my years of calling I have had way more failures than success calling them in but I consider the failures a learning experience for future hunts.
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Congrats nice bear!
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Nothing like callin them in! Great work. :tup:
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I have had bear come in when I'm calling but can't get them to break from cover a few times I've had them with in 50 yds or so I can hear them in the brush but can't them to come out to where I can see them and get a shot...any advice
Change your calling location. Make it as easy as possible for the bear to come to you.
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This was a western Washington bear. Plum full of berries. Looked like mt. Huckleberries/blueberries. Lots of berrie bushes in the area seemed like they had no berries left due to hot weather in some locations but some spots had decent amounts left Definitely gonna buy another tag and hopefully get out more throughout the season. Although I'm excited about salmon fishing this year too.
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Great story. Nice Bear!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Congrats!!
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I have had bear come in when I'm calling but can't get them to break from cover a few times I've had them with in 50 yds or so I can hear them in the brush but can't them to come out to where I can see them and get a shot...any advice
In my experience calling. I have had best success calling in short intervals with around 3 to 10 whines on the call with about 5 to 10 second gaps then starting up again. I always get inpatient and don't call long enough. Don't give up. Stay calling an area for a minimal amount of 45 minutes. I have had success in my areas using a fawn distress. But will start venturing out and using other calls in the future. The only reason I stop is to quickly listen to what's coming. My areas are generally really thick so I have had the same issues as you with some holding up. And if a have a good area to glass I start out by glassing the area over first before calling. In my years of calling I have had way more failures than success calling them in but I consider the failures a learning experience for future hunts.
thanks I'll try the shorter intervals
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Good job, getting a bear is the best feeling I swear. I love bear hunting.
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Bear hunting has quickly become my favorite. I definitely get more excitement out of it than deer and elk. Even though I do love deer and elk and put more time toward it I should designate more time for bear.
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Go get that second tag then!
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I call non-stop for an hour. I never pause, I have watched bears stop coming the moment a caller stopped calling and quite a bit of the time they do not start back in. I always put my watch out in front of me, so I can glance at it while calling. One hour is a long time and it's hard work not pausing, but that is the way I have had my best success.