Seeing as the season is creeping up on us I thought I would share my spring 2017 black bear adventure.

I started as per usual in early April, getting out to stretch the legs and take in the seasons first bits of green. One of the areas I hunt holds few bear but usually a good one shows up early in the season while the snow is still on the ground. On my third trip I cut a large track in the snow, this bear was on a mission and kept his pace without showing any interest in veering off his course... which was straight up into the bluffs above a large slide. We will call this day acquiring the seasons target...

The rest of April played out relatively the same as other years, very little sign from other bears and only the odd track around from the big boy. Being an area that's close to home I'm able to make trips most evenings and keep a pretty good Talley on what's happening. April 28th rolls around and I make a later than usual trip out which would give me maybe 20 mins of last light once we make it to the slide. I decide to go for it and bring the wife along. She's stoked on the quad ride so it's worth it regardless. We make it to the pull out I park the quad at and go for a short 20 min hike to the base of a big slide that the boar had passed through twice in the previous weeks. As we approach the edge of the timber there is a hanging suspense in the air.. I'm anticipating seeing the bear crossing the slide or feeding on the odd green shoot coming up. Something just felt right. Tbc...