collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Great hunt, no bear  (Read 1970 times)

Offline Guy

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 680
Great hunt, no bear
« on: September 07, 2009, 05:44:28 AM »
My teenage son and I headed out to NE Washington w/Shane for a bear hunt. Because of school my son only had two days to hunt, I had a few more.

Did we see bears? Oh my yes! Every day we saw and heard bears. We stalked bears too. I learned though, that there's a Big difference between seeing a bear and shooting a bear... Learned a lot about bears from Shane, and also a bit from his father, who took a nice bear right after our hunt. If you hunt with Shane, be prepared for a great hunt with a good guy who really knows his bears, and also be prepared for some good scrambling around on the mountains, and for 300+ yard shots. Yes, I have to admit I took a longish shot, and missed. Phooey. My fault. Later, when we went to check and see if I'd drawn blood, we had to pass on an easy 150 yard shot at another bear, because I wasn't sure if I'd hit the first one or not. I hadn't. Ah well...

The country is remarkable. Steep and rugged with rocky outcroppings, scattered trees, thick brush, open areas, and deep ravines. The weather was unstable to say the least. Sunny, bright and hot at 96 degrees one day, 44 windy and raining another day. A thunderstorm passed through and there was a lightning - strike fire a few miles away. One day I heard a cougar scream! At least, I think that's what it was... We saw turkey, whitetail and mule deer. And bears. Lots of bears. Black bears. Chocolate bears. Cinnamon bears. These things are pretty spooky, and often I only had a very short window of opportunity for a shot. I laughed that we had five second bears, but that I was a ten second shooter... 

My son and Shane, looking for bears far below. Shane's father took a nice one from this spot after we left:


I hunted with my .375 for a day, until I realized that most of the shot opportunities were going to be at longer ranges than I felt comfortable with this rifle. Swapped to my precision/Cloward built .308 after that, and still managed to miss!


Before the hunt, my son and I did a little small-stream fly fishing:




And after, I enjoyed a morning on the Columbia:


Despite coming home without a bear, I had a great time hunting with my son & Shane in some terrific country. We learned a lot about bears and enjoyed the hunt tremendously.

Regards, Guy


Offline LITTLEBUCK

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Hunter
  • ***
  • Join Date: Feb 2008
  • Posts: 213
Re: Great hunt, no bear
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2009, 02:03:38 PM »
Sounds like a great trip in beautiful country. Oh How I like that country. Would spend more time over there if it wasn't for that 7 hour drive one way.

Offline SHANE(WA)

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Dec 2007
  • Posts: 1297
  • Location: MEAD, WA
Re: Great hunt, no bear
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2009, 07:47:46 PM »
You forgot to mention the rattle snakes  :chuckle: lotta fun Guy! 

Offline Gutpile

  • Gaseous horribulous stinkusis
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 4475
  • Location: Spokane Valley
    • https://www.facebook.com/mark.farrell.142?ref=tn_tnmn
Re: Great hunt, no bear
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2009, 07:52:35 PM »
You have a pic of your dad's bear?

Y.A.R. Gold Member

Offline SHANE(WA)

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Dec 2007
  • Posts: 1297
  • Location: MEAD, WA
Re: Great hunt, no bear
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2009, 08:15:06 PM »
No pics, 250 ish brown one. He doesn't take many pics of bears these days unless they are something special. He has taken 20+ bears with most of them over 18" skulls, doesn't get to excited over them these days.

Offline Guy

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 680
Re: Great hunt, no bear
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2009, 08:28:46 PM »
I was TRYING to forget the buzztails....

Now I'm going to have nightmares...  :o

Offline SHANE(WA)

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Dec 2007
  • Posts: 1297
  • Location: MEAD, WA
Re: Great hunt, no bear
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2009, 08:57:48 PM »
LOL I am , still jump at crunchy dry weeds!  :chuckle:

Offline littletoes

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: May 2007
  • Posts: 885
  • Location: NE Part of Worshing-ton,
  • old fart
Re: Great hunt, no bear
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2009, 08:21:11 PM »
Sounds like a successfull trip Guy!

Folks, let me say this, when Mr. Guy misses a shot, we can just put that up as "Hunting" 'cause that man is a Long Range HighMaster, and has whupped my arse at a shooting match or two. For those that don't know what that is....lets just say its SOMETHING.  ;)

Just goes to show it "Happens" huh Guy!

Hope you make it out again, but its suppose to be around 90 again this weekend....AARGH! 
"The People of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." - Abraham Lincoln

Offline Guy

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 680
Re: Great hunt, no bear
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2009, 09:28:06 PM »
Yeah, I made the shot more complicated than it was. Should have just whacked that bear that Shane had all trained to pose for me - but I goofed up and shot over it. Phooey.

Next time Shane is going to get me a bear that will jump to intercept the bullet!  ;)

Offline SHANE(WA)

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Dec 2007
  • Posts: 1297
  • Location: MEAD, WA
Re: Great hunt, no bear
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2009, 11:53:19 PM »
 :chuckle:

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

Springer Fishing Opportunity 3/29 & 3/30 by xXLojackXx
[Today at 10:13:39 AM]


Bearpaw Season - Spring 2024 by Machias
[Today at 09:19:44 AM]


SB 5444 signed by Inslee on 03/26 Takes Effect on 06/06/24 by hughjorgan
[Today at 09:03:26 AM]


Walked a cougar down by 2MANY
[Today at 08:56:26 AM]


Springer 2024 Columbia River by WSU
[Today at 08:31:10 AM]


Average by lhrbull
[Today at 07:31:56 AM]


Let’s see your best Washington buck by Pathfinder101
[Today at 07:22:11 AM]


CVA optima V2 LR tapped hole for front sight by Remdawg
[Today at 07:09:22 AM]


Which 12” boat trailer tires? by timberhunter
[Yesterday at 08:22:18 PM]


Lowest power 22 round? by JakeLand
[Yesterday at 08:06:13 PM]


1x scopes vs open sights by JakeLand
[Yesterday at 07:29:35 PM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal