Hi all!
Pretty new to the community. I met my fiancee 2 years ago and he is an avid hunter. I never grew up around it but I do know that my late grandfather was a big time Hunter through my grandmother's stories...I guess it's always been in my blood. Last year I got my initiation license under my fiancee after being a spectator for 2 years. I was stoked. Although I only shot grouse last year, I fell in love!
2017 Story: My fiancee bought a bear tag for the first time last year. We decided to take a drive up Highway 33 after work and sit in a clear cut for last light. As we were driving to the cut and a black bear darted out in front of us heading down towards the lake. My fiancee got out with the 270. No luck he went in really deep. We decided to scrap the clear cut idea and wait for him to come back. Nothing.
We went back the next weekend and while on our way to the clear cut a massive grizzly and her TWO sows walk across the road up in front of us. We were amazed. I saw a grizzly the year before 150m away...but this was so majestic. We continue driving and about 2 minutes up the road in nearly the EXACT same spot and time out walks the bear from the last weekend. He darted down the embankment again. We decided to park the truck and wait to see if he would come out again. We really didn't think he would. So, fiancee pulls up off on the side of the road and turns off the truck. We wait about 10 mins and low and behold, we see the bear making his way up the embankment. My fiancee goes to get out of the truck and get in ready position - BAM. Truck door hits the tree he stupidly parked beside and couldn't get out. Bear got scared. We knew he wasn't coming back after that.
My fiancee was extremely disappointed and embarrassed that he just missed the opportunity he was waiting for.
We decided to go with our original plan and finally get to that clear cut. No word of a lie, 4 minutes up the road I spot a bear up in the hill behind a tree. Close. No more than 100m away. My fiancee couldn't see it from the drivers seat. Of course I panicked thinking it was going to run away so I kept shaking my finger and pointing up on the hill. He was out of the truck quiet but fast...starts loading bullets and finally sees the bear move. Bingo. He goes to take a shot and the gun jammed. Of course....just our luck. He quietly unloads the jammed shell and reloads one. First shot - the bear went down like a sack of potatoes. We go running up the hill and find him laying there. Of course, first bear my fiancee is worried he wasn't fully lights out so we backed up a bit while he twitched and we were sure. Perfect shot.
After the addrennalin rush, we realized there was a lot of work ahead of us. He had never skinned a bear and absolutely nailed it. The butcher said the bear was so clean.
The butcher weighed it at 310 pounds dressed and said that was the biggest bear he has ever had brought to him.
Looking back, the other bear that got away like 4 times was so much smaller! We felt blessed to have come across this bear.
I finally got my CORE and PAL done in January ready to start for April 1st! One problem! I was put on the short list for ankle surgery and had it done just last Thursday. For 10 weeks I can't have any weight on it or even drive. Needless to say I'm extremely bummed out. My fiancee is great about it though...He said he will tone it back and be a road hunter for this spring bear so I don't miss out.
We are going back to the same honey hole to find the bear that eluded us twice. The area is crawling with bears! He will be there and hopefully a little bigger!
Even with a broken ankle, we are going to get our 2nd bear!
Reply With Quote
