Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: SilkOnTheDrySide on August 27, 2017, 11:58:55 PM

Title: 17 Miles
Post by: SilkOnTheDrySide on August 27, 2017, 11:58:55 PM: What a weekend!

FillTheFreezer and I had an area picked out deep in the Glacier Peak Wilderness to try and target some late summer bears.

Thursday started late with traffic and we hit the trail at 8 pm. We knocked out 6 miles in the dark and were up early to hammer out another 11 and all the gain.

We spent Friday and Saturday glassing our basin to no avail. Not even a deer to turn up.

We had an epic time regardless of a zero on bears. We were up early this morning to try and beat the heat and start hammering down the 17 miles back to the truck.

As we rounded the corner and looked back at camp we realized that we had totally missed an insane sub basin with massive berries.

While we were remarking that we missed the boat, we noticed a black spot moving through the berries. We slammed the packs down, unstrapped the gun and got a range.

511.

I dialed my scope 2 MILs and got steady.

He was about to dip over into a fold at any minute and while I would have loved to give Scott another minute or two to get the phone skope setup it wasn't worth losing an opportunity.

I squeezed through the shot and heard the watermelon thunk as he disappeared into the fold.

I found him 50 yards from where I shot him piled up under a tree. Double lung.

Then the fun began.

We quickly quartered and loaded and started the grind. 7 hours, 17 miles, and 4000 feet of decline we finally hit the truck.

I'm not going to lie...I was a total wreck. I hit a pretty hard wall at around mile 14, and had to struggle to finish the last three.

We weighed the packs at the TH. Mine was 83 pounds, Scott's was 75.

It's pretty rare to have a hunting partner as bad ass as the one I do.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170828/890192efff026e9dfd4a8c074e462f7e.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170828/ed579258ec791430d05618d8f8edb558.jpg)

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Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Huntingtony on August 28, 2017, 12:06:16 AM: 17 miles, what a trek! Good job!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: TVHunts on August 28, 2017, 03:32:18 AM: Wow, great story. Congrats to you both on a beautiful bear.
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Wanttohuntmore on August 28, 2017, 04:47:02 AM: Congrats! You won't forget that trip, especially today and tomorrow when your muscles are screaming.
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Timberstalker on August 28, 2017, 04:47:29 AM: Nice bear! Thanks for sharing. :tup:
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Stalkin Prey on August 28, 2017, 06:28:08 AM: Congrats and nice bear. Good job pushing through. Thanks for sharing

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Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: CLARKTAR on August 28, 2017, 07:00:34 AM: Beast!! The trip in general. You two needs to send me the skulls!

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Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: castnblast on August 28, 2017, 07:02:28 AM: Wow! I did half that distance and elev drop with my bear last week and I wanted to tap out. You paid the price. That's success deserved!

Congrats!

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Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Bob33 on August 28, 2017, 07:10:11 AM: Well done. 17 miles is a long haul even without a bear. You earned that one.
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Ripper on August 28, 2017, 07:46:46 AM: Well done you two. :tup: That is a long haul and a half! 17 miles :yike: My bones are aching just thinking about it!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: pygmy1985 on August 28, 2017, 07:49:53 AM: Just 9 more miles and we call it a marathon! Nicely composed pics, and nice bear!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Machias on August 28, 2017, 08:08:41 AM: Ouch, my legs would be jello! Congrats, you earned that rug!!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: X-Force on August 28, 2017, 08:35:56 AM: Awesome weekend!
Title: 17 Miles
Post by: fillthefreezer on August 28, 2017, 09:15:47 AM: feet look like hamburger. everything hurts. i think im ready to take up road hunting. i shouldve trained more this summer..

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170828/9e2a637f8a199172037d418a01a2d67b.jpg)
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: boneaddict on August 28, 2017, 09:22:00 AM: I feel your pain. Ive never shot a bear that was easy. That's a haul. Thanks for sharing
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: hntrspud on August 28, 2017, 09:37:56 AM: Well done! Well earned trophy. Funny how quick things can happen just when you think you wont. Congratulations
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: jackelope on August 28, 2017, 10:12:26 AM: Way to go, boys. Thanks for sharing!!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: SilkOnTheDrySide on August 28, 2017, 10:21:58 AM: Here's the information from the biologist...(he had an ear tag)

Tagged 6/9/16 on Pole Ridge above Lake Wenatchee. At the time he weighed 230 pounds and was 175 centimeters long, 70 centimeters at the shoulder. Aged 11 years.

So a year later in a better food year 2 months further along in the feeding season and I'd say he was in the 250 range. Little more then I estimated him at.

He died a long ways from where they tagged him at. Pretty crazy how far they will travel!

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Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: pianoman9701 on August 28, 2017, 10:32:22 AM: Great bear and story. You guys are animals!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: RB on August 28, 2017, 10:32:54 AM: Awesome!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: NRA4LIFE on August 28, 2017, 11:17:23 AM: Holy Moly, nice. I can barely drive 17 miles anymore. Oh to be young again.
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Holg3107 on August 28, 2017, 11:50:25 AM: Great write-up and pics on a well earned and beautiful bear fellas! Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Magnum_Willys on August 28, 2017, 12:14:10 PM: 12 yr old Hawg ! Nice. Good Job LT :tup:
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: teanawayslayer on August 28, 2017, 12:22:01 PM: Great job guys. Nothing about harvesting a bear has ever been easy for me. I feel your pain. Can't beat that country over there!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: jamesfromseattle on August 28, 2017, 01:04:03 PM: If you posted the gps coordinates and said there was another 250 pound bear back there, I wouldn't even think about it unless I had a helicopter. That's a great effort, guys.
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: 762Armo on August 28, 2017, 02:45:50 PM: Nice job,
but your title should read 34 miles. Crazy!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: Watimberghost on August 28, 2017, 03:05:27 PM: Nice work! Trips like that are unforgettable :tup:
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: yakimanoob on August 28, 2017, 03:28:52 PM: Great bear and great write-up! Thanks for posting.
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on August 28, 2017, 03:33:05 PM: Well earned congrats!
Title: Re: 17 Miles
Post by: bowhunterforever on August 28, 2017, 11:29:16 PM: Nice work :tup: