Post by: Michelle_Nelson on May 28, 2011, 06:52:10 PM
I was hunting with Dale (Bearpaw) and Anthony, his full time guide. There was no sleeping on the way to the hunting area. I was still under the effects of McDonalds Iced Coffee and a 5 Hour Energy. Over the course of 3 days we saw an average of 3 Bears a day. They ranged anywhere from aproximatly 375lbs to 100lbs. Two of the Bears were over 300lbs, 3 were over 215lbs, 4 were over 100. We didn't see any Sows with cubs. Two of the Bears were Color Phase, Chocolate and a Blond with Cinneman head and legs.
We had discussed on our way up to the hunting area what I was looking for and what my expectations were. I told him that a Bear that was black would have to be 300+lbs for me to pull the trigger on the first couple days. I said I was after a color phase and that if it was the right color I'd shoot it down to 100lbs. On the last day of the hunt I will pull the trigger on the first Bear that presents a shot as long as it is over 100lbs.
It was raining and the fog was moving when we hit the hunting area and the Bears were having none of it. We focused on the areas that the Bears were hanging out and feeding but the rain and fog was keeping them under cover. Some of the spots we went to during the first part of the day were fogged in and it kept us moving. We hunted most of the day and even though the Bears were not coperating other game was. We saw dozens of Deer, several Elk, Turkey, and even a large Cow Moose.
Not sure exactly when it quit raining but I am going to say around 1 or 2 pm. Sun came out and it was starting to warm up, Bears were starting to move. We checked out a few more areas and than decided to go back and check out a few areas that we were in that morning when the fog moved us out.
About 7:30pm we were coming into an area where we had seen several signs of Bears working the area. We knew there was at least one small and a decent size Bear working the area. We parked the truck and walked the road, as we were heading up a hill we spot some movement about 100 yards up ahead and we see a Bear run across the Road. We move up the hill in a hurry to where the bear crossed and then Anthony sees the bear in the brush and trees.
It takes me a second but I get on the bear as quickly as I could with all the brush and trees. We knew when it ran across the road that it was a smaller Bear, I also knew that it was a light color phase and one that I wanted. Where it had stopped, it was right behind a bush. All I could see was the head and partial neck sticking up over the bush. What I didn't know was that it had it's front end up on a log. I got into position and put the cross hairs on him and squeezed off a shot. It dropped immediately, Dead Bear, didn't even twitch after the shot.
We took some photos in spite of the revenous mosquitos, then gutted it and I packed it out. It was my first bear and nobody else was packing it out for me. Thankfully it was a short pack to the road, we got it to the truck loaded it up and headed for the skinning pole at the house.
Post by: Jason on May 28, 2011, 06:53:30 PM
Post by: ORCA_SIX on May 28, 2011, 06:55:33 PM
Post by: Kain on May 28, 2011, 06:57:43 PM
Post by: mulehunter on May 28, 2011, 07:03:43 PM
Mulehunter. :)
Post by: carpsniperg2 on May 28, 2011, 07:09:42 PM
Post by: bearmanric on May 28, 2011, 07:25:23 PM
Post by: elkaholic on May 28, 2011, 07:35:31 PM
Post by: billythekidrock on May 28, 2011, 07:43:15 PM
Post by: buckhorn2 on May 28, 2011, 09:03:09 PM
Post by: Elkstuffer on May 28, 2011, 09:46:39 PM
Post by: skier2480 on May 29, 2011, 08:44:53 AM
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on May 29, 2011, 09:25:57 AM
Post by: SkookumHntr on May 29, 2011, 11:00:13 AM
Post by: KNOXY on May 29, 2011, 11:51:56 AM
Post by: Got Deer? on May 29, 2011, 12:05:20 PM
Post by: rebal69972 on May 29, 2011, 12:44:47 PM
Post by: seth30 on May 29, 2011, 12:49:02 PM
Post by: Malardman on May 29, 2011, 01:08:54 PM
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 29, 2011, 01:22:37 PM
-Steve
Post by: Austrian Hunter on May 29, 2011, 01:29:18 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on May 29, 2011, 01:44:45 PM
Post by: bearpaw on May 29, 2011, 03:17:32 PM
Michelle's Spring Bear Hunt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6-cmQrTN64#)
Post by: bowsandhose on May 29, 2011, 03:25:24 PM
Post by: bobcat on May 29, 2011, 03:32:19 PM
Post by: bearpaw on May 29, 2011, 03:47:28 PM
Plus, she was with when I killed my bear in my profile photo.
Ya I know, she outshot me.... :chuckle:
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on May 29, 2011, 03:57:15 PM
Dale - Love the pink lettering. You should bold it a little larger though. Little brighter pink, I am getting old and having difficulties reading it ;)
Joe
Post by: Austrian Hunter on May 29, 2011, 04:26:39 PM
Post by: rasbo on May 29, 2011, 04:42:48 PM
Post by: wapiti hunter2 on May 29, 2011, 04:52:19 PM
Post by: huntnfmly on May 29, 2011, 04:57:02 PM
Post by: carpsniperg2 on May 29, 2011, 05:14:19 PM
Post by: beave on May 29, 2011, 06:41:21 PM
, congrats
Post by: Machias on May 29, 2011, 07:16:44 PM
Post by: mulehunter on May 29, 2011, 08:37:41 PM
Great story.
Mulehunter
Post by: bodangles on May 30, 2011, 06:07:18 AM
Post by: huntnnw on May 30, 2011, 06:20:09 AM
Post by: Wea300mag on May 30, 2011, 07:25:13 PM
Post by: turkey slayer on May 30, 2011, 08:16:03 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on May 30, 2011, 08:37:21 PM
It was deffinatly a fun hunt that is for sure. I will deffinitly be putting in for the East side Spring Bear hunts from now on. I like the increased opertunity to take a color phase. The accomidations were also great.
BTW they will pack out and gut your animals for you but the pack out and gutting is one of my favorite parts of the hunt so I prefer to do it. :chuckle:
Post by: TheHunt on May 30, 2011, 09:08:02 PM
Post by: ouchfoss on May 30, 2011, 09:17:07 PM
Post by: bucklucky on May 31, 2011, 09:49:19 AM
Post by: arrowflinger on May 31, 2011, 10:05:36 AM
Post by: cohoho on May 31, 2011, 01:04:52 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on May 31, 2011, 01:10:07 PM
Post by: saylean on May 31, 2011, 06:34:24 PM
Post by: seth30 on May 31, 2011, 06:36:09 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on May 31, 2011, 06:56:22 PM
I had someone say it looks like a head shot. It wasn't. It went in one shoulder, broke the spine, out the other shoulder. Broke both shoulder blades.
Post by: quadrafire on May 31, 2011, 07:00:16 PM
Post by: seth30 on June 01, 2011, 06:18:35 AM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on June 01, 2011, 08:23:23 AM
Post by: Idabooner on June 01, 2011, 09:28:09 AM
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on June 01, 2011, 07:33:29 PM
Post by: epq21 on June 02, 2011, 08:06:18 PM
Post by: brew on June 02, 2011, 08:26:31 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on June 02, 2011, 08:30:25 PM
Post by: Ridgeratt on June 02, 2011, 08:30:45 PM
Oh and the opening scenes before you crossed the cattle guard. I hope you weren't hunting as that is Private. But I give ya credit watching you did cover a ton of the unit.
Post by: Ripper on June 02, 2011, 08:32:36 PM
Post by: Ripper on June 02, 2011, 08:38:43 PM
Post by: brew on June 02, 2011, 08:39:52 PM
Post by: bearpaw on June 02, 2011, 09:11:55 PM
Looked like a turkey to me getting out of the way!
Oh and the opening scenes before you crossed the cattle guard. I hope you weren't hunting as that is Private. But I give ya credit watching you did cover a ton of the unit.
No worries ridgeratt, there is just a small piece of private there that a guy has to drive through on the public road to access hunting land. You know how it lays and so do I.
Post by: Ridgeratt on June 02, 2011, 09:16:26 PM
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on June 02, 2011, 09:24:18 PM
Looked like a turkey to me getting out of the way!Dude. If they are driving on a public road ... WTF? Last I checked, videotaping from a public road ain't a crime.
Oh and the opening scenes before you crossed the cattle guard. I hope you weren't hunting as that is Private. But I give ya credit watching you did cover a ton of the unit.
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on June 02, 2011, 11:15:02 PM
Post by: Ridgeratt on June 03, 2011, 05:11:25 AM
Post by: Guy on June 03, 2011, 05:45:22 AM