spring bear 2018

[RyoTHC]

They are 100 percent out and about west of Kamloops, going out towards Ashcroft etc. Tunkwa area too

[Golddust]

Was out by Harrison on Friday. saw 2 beauty black bears but I figure they were young ones. One crept up into the camp 10-15 yards away just after dinner. The dogs chased it away and treed it though.

[whitlers]

Trying my luck next weekend. Fingers crossed.

[Just]

Dann I need to go wherever you're going lol!!! Around kamloops today nothing sighted

Was camping out in the Kane lakes area and seen a moose this weekend. No sign of bear bears yet. There is green grass around!

[Camp Cook]

I had to bury my pup this week put him up on a mtn that same evening when I went back to rake the grave up better when I walked out to the vehicle 200 yards down on the grassy part on the side of the road was a beautiful med sized black bear.

Watched him for a while then let him see me I won't be shooting this guy for any reason I'm thinking my pup is not alone up there...

[caddisguy]

*** It's 100% GAME ON ***

I don't know where to start... how about WE SAW *HIM* ... by *HIM* I mean the bear that charged me in August ... the bear that also had his face up against mine through a soft plastic window while I was sleeping... the bear I first met last April when he ran a few yards behind my jeep while it was running while I was changing.

Yesterday we found a great new spot... we had decided to start scouting for a new honey hole since our other spot is pretty blown up. Once a few people in an MU know you are consistently successful and know what your vehicle looks like, you start getting a lot of followers. Heaven forbid you post something on your Facebook with a mountain or other land mark too. Next thing you know you have guys running hounds in your spot (LESSON) Anyway, new honey hole found... huge win, we can tell by the sign. Bear scat everywhere, grass hit, stumps all ripped up from previous years.

Anyway, we went back to our soon-to-be-old spot because of unfinished business. Decided to grill up a sandwhich and while doing so had that sixth sense something is watching me... little creepy chill. I immediately think of the creepy bear and turn around and there he is... guessing about 180 yards sitting up there from his look out, staring right at us, ears pointed up. He knows who we are... our scent and the whole works. He's thinking. Thinking what I'm not sure. From previous encounters he seems to be trying to sort out if we are food or threat.

I evaluated the situation for a minute or two. We watched him. He bed down for a second and I thought AWESOME... will be the second year in a row I got a bear while he was snoozing... but nope, he got back up... now he's sitting upright on this cliff like he's in a chair and man-spreading (which is apparently a micro-aggression lol) ... ok so problem, some brush in between me and him, line of site is not perfect and I'd like to get closer (I usually shoot bears from 10-20 yards and longest was 60 or 70... 150 would be my comfort zone in perfect conditions)

I had to get a clear shot and I had to get closer. I grabbed my gun and the shooting stick. My first instinct was to use the old growth treeline as cover so there was no way he could see, but the wind wasn't going my way. I decided to go in from another approach, but the wind switched. Back to the original plan, and this is all pretty stupid. He knows I'm there. I just don't want him to see/hear me getting closer.

I worked my way into a position where I thought I would have a clear shot and went prone but couldn't get the angle on him. I thought I would try to get a little closer and a place where I could actually get in prone position. There's enough uneven terrain and dead fall it's harder than you would think. I dropped down in another spot. It wasn't very good either but I was going to try to make it work.

I got him in my scope and was trying to wait a little to calm the nerves, get my shooting stick steady, get comfortable, etc. Unfortunately before I was able to start making things happening on my terms he starts climbing up the knob...

Ok pause for a second. I think a lot of people here know me pretty good and have probably read how many shots I pass on each year before I tag a bear. I won't shoot unless its perfect. If this was any other animal, I would not have taken the shot. My cross hairs were all over the place and he's on the move. Before anybody judges what happens next, unless you have been charged by a bear, had the same bear creep up to you while your sleeping and then had a "chance" at it well there's no position to judge. I threw some lead at him and he ran uphill. I checked back in with caddisgirl to see what she saw. She said he jumped but couldn't tell if it was a hit.

We climbed up to where he was. No sign of fur or blood. We did a grid search for 100M or so in the mossy old growth and came up with nothing. Oh well. My only regrets are 1) not taking a second shot 2) time wasted checking to see if I hit him (but you have to) 3) not having a grenade launcher 4) trying to go prone instead of kneeling/sitting

I am torn trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the season. Keep after the same bear in a spot that is now under high pressure... target that specific bear, hunt the spot the way I normally hunt it, move to the new area that has 0 pressure and major bear activity. I have some thinking to do.

Wicked part is, we have been getting so much of this on camera it's going to be a gooder when we edit all together. I think it will help a lot of new hunters when it comes to reading sign and we hopefully help a lot of people get their first big game animal.

It's going to be a great year especially fall GOS.

Oh and the ticks are out too (I'm sure they were before I'm just hunting a little harder) I just picked one out of my ankle half way through writing this.

[scotty30-06]

Great read as always caddis...and yes shut does happen ....I myself would want to finish the situation with the bear myself ...before someone else gets him....you and that bear have history....go get YOUR bear lol

[boxhitch]

Good story
Give credit where credit is due........you likely whacked him good

[caddisguy]

Great read as always caddis...and yes shut does happen ....I myself would want to finish the situation with the bear myself ...before someone else gets him....you and and that bear have history....go get YOUR bear lol

I'm annoyed the spot has been blown by creepers and those who focus on me and what I'm doing more than hunting, but I'd be 100% ecstatic if someone else shot him. It's not something I have to finish myself. It's personal but not that personal. Would be nice to see birds circling next weekend so I could just go confirm then hunt my new spot

[caddisguy]

Good story
Give credit where credit is due........you likely whacked him good

I half hope so (sorry to say) but dont think I even clipped him but reasonable chance I'll whack him. I'll probably stick around to see it through. Funny it was your words of encouragement (friendly prodding) that is 99% responsible for the bear I decided to take last year. I actually have the raw video footage kicking around somewhere and I'm saying "boxhitch made me do it" or "wasnt going to pass on another bear or boxhitch will have something to say" ... I started walking away then changed my mind Might dig that clip up lol

I wonder if what transpired will change the dynamics of the situation. Will he fear people? Or was I just another recreational shooter? (There was gun shots in the valley all day)

My biggest fear is to shoot but not recover an animal. In this case I'd be happy if I stung him. Bonus if there's birds circling in the coming days I'd cut the pretend moral tag and start fishing.