Page 5 of 15 FirstFirst ... 34567 ... LastLast
Results 41 to 50 of 144

Thread: The Grizzly Thread

  1. #41
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Cranbrook
    Posts
    2,744

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Stone Sheep Steve View Post
    Gorgeous country, Trev! Makes me ache.
    You can say that again. The image of that bear at the top of the slide about 20 minutes before dark and watching him drift off into the timber is one thats stuck in my mind for a long time. In a way I'm glad I didnt know the season would be ending, as I likely would have been more inclined to shoot that bear, knowing it may be my last chance. That being said, knowing that it wasnt quite 'the bear' I was hoping for, it felt good to watch him walk away that evening after having him within range. As this spring greens up and I'm out chasing black bears, I know I'll start wishing I was glassing slides for a big grizz. I guess I can just count myself lucky that in the 6 years I got here I got to experience a couple grizz hunts. One of the coolest experiences BC has to offer....

  2. #42
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Fort St. John
    Posts
    973

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Stone Sheep Steve View Post
    I think I missed a pile BCHFSJ! Searching thread titles for 'grizzly' yielded hundreds of threads....most of which weren't tales of adventure....that's why I asked for everyone's help to post links to old stories.

    There are many, many more hiding in the archives.

    Do you have a link to the original story to go with your awesome grizz??

    SSS
    Yes; it has appeared on other threads, but here it is again...

    A Grizzly Dream


    As one grows older, one begins to philosophize more frequently on one’s life, both the successes and the failures. As I lay awake one night, not being able to sleep, I thought about all of the different things that I had really wanted to do... from the time I was a very young man to the present. What had I accomplished? How many of my dreams, passions and aspirations had I fulfilled? Was my life a success? One of those must do things, I realized, was to hunt and kill a grizzly bear...
    Although my dreams of grizzly bear hunts began when I was a mere lad growing up in the province of Quebec, I was only able to fulfill those dreams much later on when I moved my family to the wilds of northeastern British Columbia. At that point, the quest really began. In those days there was a regular grizzly bear season, with no need to apply for limited entry tags as one needs to do now, and I started to spend my spring weekends looking for bears. Much to my wife’s displeasure, many of my weekend hunts were solo efforts and I soon acquired a .338 Winchester Magnum to dispel some of her fears, and probably also because I really wanted one anyways. I persevered for six years; alone, with my growing sons, and sometimes with the odd hunting partner. We did see some bears, but they were always too far away, too small or in family groups. As my need for a “grizz” grew, I hunted for them during both Spring and Fall. After all, there was now much talk about putting all grizzly bear hunting in B.C. on Limited Entry Hunting...
    The seventh year of my quest was the last year that B.C. had regular seasons on grizzlies. It was now or never, as I had never had much luck drawing LEH tags! That spring I met Hans, a fellow teacher in Fort St. John who was a bear hunting fanatic who had already shot two grizzlies and wanted to help me harvest one of my own. He suggested a completely different area on the western side of Williston Lake, with
    fascinating names like the Osilinka and Mesilinka Rivers. I was immediately hooked on the idea, and off we went on the seven hour long drive on forestry and mining roads that were in deplorable condition. The second day found us in our major hunting area, between Aiken and Johanson Lakes. Around 10:30 we were glassing some very green hillsides when we spotted two grizzlies; a very dark boar and a light colored, but much smaller sow. The male was obviously trying to mate with her; quite a remarkable sight! We decided to leave them for the time being, and then drove for some 30 kilometers before turning back. Beautiful country here, but no bears were spotted, so we sped back to where we had seen the bears in the morning.


    By 3 PM we entered the bush, crossed the stands of timber, and made our way up the grassy slopes by around 5:30. This was a steep mountain, and Hans set quite the pace! We did some glassing for about an hour and then split up. Before I knew it, Hans was wildly signaling for me to join him. He had found the bears! I got there just as the boar was about to enter the timber, and I had no choice but to shoot fast or not shoot at all. I shot! The range was around 150 meters and almost straight downhill - very tricky - but the bear tumbled down the hillside and into the timber, so I had connected. Approaching the timber we took off our packs and Hans removed the scope from his rifle. I spotted a bear; but it was the sow, and after a while she moved off, and we proceeded down to look for my bear. What a feeling, not knowing whether it was dead, or perhaps just waiting for us in ambush! Luckily, however, the .338 Magnum with a 250 grain bullet had done its job, and within minutes we found my bear, good and dead. I had my grizzly!
    Keeping an eye out for the other bear, we took pictures and videos and then proceeded to skin out my trophy. We finished at 9:30 PM and I shouldered the 45 kilo plus load and staggered down the mountain. By the time we got back to camp I was in total agony. Next morning we discovered that the other grizzly had followed us down the mountain and prowled around camp while we slept the sleep of the dead. I skinned out the head and we measured the hide. From nose to tail it measured 7 feet and 3 inches (2.2 meters). We rough measured the skull at around 24 inches or 61 cm (it later made it into the B.C. Record Book). This was indeed a good mountain grizzly, and I was delighted with both the size and condition of the hide. Finally success; I had fulfilled my lifetime dream of bagging a grizzly bear!

  3. #43
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Yucatan Mexico
    Posts
    14,832

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    Bumpity bump

    Time from a new government....provincially AND Federally!
    https://oceola.ca/
    http://bcwf.net/index.php
    http://www.wildsheepsociety.net/

    I Give my Heart to my Family....
    My Mind to my Work.......
    But My Soul Belongs to the Mountains.....

  4. #44
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    6-09
    Posts
    1,217

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    The grizzly population is certainly expanding into areas where they were previously thinned out. In reg 6 we have had successive years of bumper berry crops, with this year shaping up to be another. Bears of both species look to be having plenty of twins and triplets.

    Last year I saw a black bear mama with 5 cubs!

  5. #45
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    North by North West
    Posts
    109

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    We live in region 6 and have had no less than 6 grizzly come through our yard this spring. It seems like that’s all I ever see any more.
    Based on my observations, the exploding grizzly population is having a negative effect on moose And black bear. I’ve seen far fewer Adult black bears but every sow I’ve seen has 2-3 cubs. I think less of them are surviving to maturity.

  6. #46
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Cranbrook BC Where The Elk Are..
    Posts
    29,308

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    When I encounter a grizzly bear its up with the defender or my mag its all about getting all ready for a all out full blown attack the camera stays in the pack the
    defender or other are ready hand held in position ready to fire saftey off...
    Hunting Elk Is All About Finding Them ,If You Can't Find Them Keep Trying ..

  7. #47
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    kamloops
    Posts
    3,260

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    Missing this hunt soo much!

  8. #48
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    6-04
    Posts
    1,820

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    A bear we had roam into sheep camp last fall.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JMZ...&feature=share

    I dream of a grizzly season...

  9. #49
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    In the mountains...
    Posts
    1,630

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    Damn I miss hunting grizzly bears something terrible!
    Live to Hunt...

  10. #50
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    239

    Re: The Grizzly Thread

    On our Trip to BC back in 2018 we seen 9 different Grizzly bears in the 8 days we were in the back country. I lost my Mountain Goat to this Sow and Cubs she was looking pretty thin but I was pretty disappointed I lost my meat and cape she did manage to leave me the Skull. Next time I will know not to hang the meat in a spruce tree even if its 18ft up.


    Last edited by Astepanuk; 06-05-2020 at 10:32 AM.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •