Well now that my hunting season is more or less over I thought I would look back at the only game animal I was able to put on the ground this season. To say this season was difficult would be an understatement. We put miles after miles on the truck and on the boots. Saw a TON of different game but nothing quite panned out. Even had to cancel a 5 day back pack trip due to that freak snow storm in mid October. Also, had a beautiful mature 4pt give my partner the slip in November.
All that being said I did get lucky last spring...
It was a Saturday morning and the wife wanted to drive up and check out an old camping spot a couple hours from the house. We loaded up with snacks, grabbed the dog and took off sipping on some hot coffee. I threw the rifle in the truck "just in case" knowing bears frequent the area. A couple hours later we were having lunch by the lake letting the pup take a swim. Of course while the wife was throwing the ball for the dog I was sitting back on the glass looking for a bear. Nothing in the ridges around the lake just some quality burnt bear stumps that caught my eye.
After spending a few hours at the lake we decided to start the journey home. All loaded up, wet dog and all we started driving. Every now and then I would stop and glass a clear cut or down a small valley. Surprised that I hadn't seen a bear yet we decided to take a detour home. Not knowing this particular route very well we got turned around twice before we were back on track. Rumbling on down the dusty logging road about 40 minutes before last light I pass an old deactivated spur road. As habit would have it I turn my head and look down the road which leads into a steep clear cut. Just out of the corner of my eye I spot a black object moving up at the far end of the cut. I slow down and come to a stop, putting the truck into reverse. As I back up to the spur road I spot him again. He is feeding 3/4 of the way up the steepest part of the cut about 400 yards out. I get out of the truck and throw up the binos to get a better look. He looks okay but I definitely need to get closer. I grab my rifle and start working my way in with my wife 50 yards behind me. The wind is perfect and he is too busy chewing away to notice me. I managed to get within 120 yards but he was nearly vertical on this steep hill. I watched him for a bit and couldn't decide. This would only be the second bear I have harvested and the first...well the first had some major ground shrinkage so I was worried about making the same mistake. I found a rest and put the scope on his vitals. He looks decent enough I thought, now or never. Clicked the safety off and squeezed the trigger. Booom! My 7mag sends a 160gr TSX right behind his front shoulder. He drops and rolls about 10 yards down the hill before getting caught on a stump. To my surprise he throws his head up and looks like he is going to stand up! Boom! I send another one in his neck. He's done!
I stand up, make the rifle safe and collect my spent casings. I am cool as a cucumber, job well done. I look over at my wife and she is in pure shock hahaha. She has been with me for years but has never really had a direct interest in hunting other than getting me out of the house. She was an absolute trooper that evening. We hiked up the near vertical hill to where he laid. It was so steep I could barely see him until I was right there. He wasn't as large as I had hoped but much better than the last bear I harvested.
By now it was getting dark and we needed to get this guy back to the truck. I thought about going back and grabbing my kill kit but I figured it would be easier if we dragged him off this steep slope and got him down to the flat. I never knew she had it in her but my wife grabbed the front legs of this bear and we slowly made our way down. About half way down she drops him and screams! WTF?? She said "It growled at me!" hahahaha. I had to explain to her that his lungs were probably deflating and he is dead as dead can be. We had a good chuckle and carried on. Once down on the flat we managed to drag him slowly all the way back to the truck. Dumb idea in hindsight, I had no intention of keeping his coat but I definitely wasn't going to now. It was pitch black, so I quickly gutted him and threw him in the truck. I would deal with him at home.
The next day I got him all cut up, wrapped and ground. I always forget how much work it is to process game but I much prefer to do it myself and be in complete control. There is also something cool about knowing you are the only one to have touched that animal from the forest to your table.
Thanks for listening!
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