Went out for the second time this year to look for bears. First time hiked 4h in Hyas lake road area - no sign anywhere. Discouraging. So waited two weeks and tried a different area. This spot in 3-26 I hunted the crap out of last year to no avail. Being close to the city its pressured, and I did a lot of blundering around spooking game. But i got very very familiar with all the spurs and nooks and crannies.
Got to the area around 5:30ish. Game plan was to put on preparation H and drive until I saw sign, then hike that area. Luckily didn't take long to spot an older scat (pic #1). Parked, and strolled the rest of the spur to the end, and spotted black fresh poops.
Drove back down the main a bit and saw near tracks at the side of the road, so again parked. The road winds down in an extended S curve thru several cuts for about 1.5km, and there's a drainage / marsh at the bottom. I strolled along, glossing every 20 steps or so. Wind was in my face, and it was a beautiful evening around 20 degrees.
I caught movement at the back of the grassy drainage at the bottom and brought up the glasses...bear! Watched for a minute looking for Cubs, none there. The bear was about 450m away, 50m below and ambling along lunching grass. My heart was hammering as I marched down the road to where I could try an approach for a shot. I dropped my pack and crept into the cut block trying to close up enough for a shot. Around 250m I figured this was as close as I could get and looked for a good rest for the bipod. I was on a steep downhill wasn't happy taking a long shot without something rock solid. Finally I planted in a hammock of earth and went to line up. I was still vibrating and couldn't settle, and then the bear went into some high grass to feed and was barely visible S%it.
From having hiked all over the area I knew the was a trail to the back of the marsh that would take my right to where the bear was. I'd have to break contact and hope he didn't cruise off. I hurried down the road and took the trail to box around. The wind was flat, and the spring runoff made the trail into a stream, and the running water covered my steps. I put in earplugs, slipped the safety off and crept along the back side of the box to where I had seen him. The walk had burned off the adrenaline and I felt calm and steady now. I was thinking he had left when I saw him head down mowing about 30 yards away, oblivious. Dropped to one knee, put the sights on him and lined up a perfect quartering to shot. Trigger squeeze and shot cracked and bear dropped I cycled the bolt and waited. I saw his head rise slightly and them he slumped over. I waited another 5 minutes and threw a stick at him..that's a dead bear.
Walked up and took a couple pics and sent them to my wife to let her know I'd be coming home late.
Bear dropped at 7:03pm, was lucky enough to be able to drive right to it by 7:30, loaded and headed home by 9:15. Gonna be a grinder fest next week!
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Treed
