ekul246
06-03-2014, 09:39 PM
So, I thought since I am a pretty new member to HBC and hunting, I thought I would tell my first bear story.
I did not really grow up hunting; my dad got into it around the time I was 12-13 and I had only been out a few times, one of which was a ten day trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands. But that is another story. Basically, had no hunting experience, had shot one deer in the Charlottes when I was 16 and that was it.
It was November 2012 and it had not even occurred to me that it was hunting season. Like I said, I never got out hunting much. I had recently acquired a truck and I suddenly realized that I could get out hunting. So I called a buddy who had never been and asked him if he wanted to go, picked up a deer tag and bear tag just in case and got ready for the next morning. We woke up early Nov 10 and headed out to East Harrison. At 8am, came around a corner and there was a two-point that hadn't noticed the truck yet. I got out with my dad's 30-06, loaded one in and put the crosshairs on him. He kept casually walking toward the truck. He was only about 20-30 feet from the front of my truck. Then I started to get a little apprehensive; it had been 8 years since I shot my spike mulie with a 30-30 and it seemed like a vague and distant memory; almost felt like I hadn't done this before. And this time it was me on my own without my dad or anything except my friend who was newer to it than I was. My heart was pounding and I was vibrating. Then I got greedy. I thought "It's only a two-point; It's only 8am; I for sure have to see more deer today and one could be bigger". So I let him go. My friend looked at me and I could see the excitement: that was enough to get him hooked. I know this is supposed to be a bear story....its coming.
Half hour later, we see a big black bear with a light muzzle and patch on the chest walking away down the road. So I drove up closer (I know I should have got out and stalked him) but where he walked into the bush there was a hump and over the hump, less than 50 yards on the other side were campers so we left that guy too. Needless to say, after 8 years of not hunting, I was excited at seeing two game animals that I could have taken in my first morning in the first hour of the hunt! That was all we saw that day. Absolutely nothing else and man was I kicking myself for not taking that deer. I tried to reason with and console myself by saying that one day that deer I let go would be bigger, but man I wished I had taken him. Still kicking myself but had I taken him, I would not have gone out the next day.
I had to go out the next day. I had to. So with the same friend, my dad and my brother, and a whole lot of optimism, I left early Nov 11, Rememberance Day, and headed back to East Harrison. Drove right over to the same road I had seen the two-point....nothing. Drove the surrounding area and still didn't see a thing. So we headed over to where we had seen that bear. Nothing again. We decided to go down to the beach on the southside of the logging camp for lunch. I was standing near the water looking at the lake and sort of along the beach. As I shoved the rest of the sandwich in my mouth and turned to go get another one, my friend shouts "BEAR!" I looked up the beach, saw a big brown stump and said "dude that's just a stump"....then the stump moved. I booked it up to the truck and grabbed the 30-06. With my dad and brother in tow, I walked up the road towards a clear section to look down onto the beach. Couldn't see the bear. So I made my way out a little more to a section that stuck out over the beach a bit...THERE HE IS! I put the sights on him but he was quartering away. Pumped full of adrenaline, I didn't hear any of the guidance my dad was trying to give me. I climbed down on to the beach and attempted to stalk up on him and get a more broadside shot. Then all those thoughts disappeared as I began to stalk him. I was getting closer and closer. The bear was completely distracted with a rotting salmon. I made my way to about 50 yards (I think...this part is a little foggy....too much excitement and adrenaline I guess). Then I heard my dad from way behind me, "SHOOT HIM!" So I got down on a knee (he was still slightly quartering away), put the cross hairs on his shoulder......BOOM! Smoked him. Fell over like a ton of bricks. I stood up and whooped along with my dad, brother and friend who was still down the beach where we had spotted the bear. The bear tried to turn around and scramble back to the trees. Took another shot which grazed the top of his back and then put another one in his left shoulder. I heard my dad and brother celebrating through the ringing in my ears. I was in total shock. I couldn't believe what had just happened. It was shortly after 11am on Rememberance Day. That is a day I will never forget. Great way to celebrate November 11th.
Got him made into a rug. Measured out to 5'11" and my three year old daughter and one year old son love it. My daughter always tells me I need to shoot another bear......I keep telling her I'm trying :smile:.
I did not really grow up hunting; my dad got into it around the time I was 12-13 and I had only been out a few times, one of which was a ten day trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands. But that is another story. Basically, had no hunting experience, had shot one deer in the Charlottes when I was 16 and that was it.
It was November 2012 and it had not even occurred to me that it was hunting season. Like I said, I never got out hunting much. I had recently acquired a truck and I suddenly realized that I could get out hunting. So I called a buddy who had never been and asked him if he wanted to go, picked up a deer tag and bear tag just in case and got ready for the next morning. We woke up early Nov 10 and headed out to East Harrison. At 8am, came around a corner and there was a two-point that hadn't noticed the truck yet. I got out with my dad's 30-06, loaded one in and put the crosshairs on him. He kept casually walking toward the truck. He was only about 20-30 feet from the front of my truck. Then I started to get a little apprehensive; it had been 8 years since I shot my spike mulie with a 30-30 and it seemed like a vague and distant memory; almost felt like I hadn't done this before. And this time it was me on my own without my dad or anything except my friend who was newer to it than I was. My heart was pounding and I was vibrating. Then I got greedy. I thought "It's only a two-point; It's only 8am; I for sure have to see more deer today and one could be bigger". So I let him go. My friend looked at me and I could see the excitement: that was enough to get him hooked. I know this is supposed to be a bear story....its coming.
Half hour later, we see a big black bear with a light muzzle and patch on the chest walking away down the road. So I drove up closer (I know I should have got out and stalked him) but where he walked into the bush there was a hump and over the hump, less than 50 yards on the other side were campers so we left that guy too. Needless to say, after 8 years of not hunting, I was excited at seeing two game animals that I could have taken in my first morning in the first hour of the hunt! That was all we saw that day. Absolutely nothing else and man was I kicking myself for not taking that deer. I tried to reason with and console myself by saying that one day that deer I let go would be bigger, but man I wished I had taken him. Still kicking myself but had I taken him, I would not have gone out the next day.
I had to go out the next day. I had to. So with the same friend, my dad and my brother, and a whole lot of optimism, I left early Nov 11, Rememberance Day, and headed back to East Harrison. Drove right over to the same road I had seen the two-point....nothing. Drove the surrounding area and still didn't see a thing. So we headed over to where we had seen that bear. Nothing again. We decided to go down to the beach on the southside of the logging camp for lunch. I was standing near the water looking at the lake and sort of along the beach. As I shoved the rest of the sandwich in my mouth and turned to go get another one, my friend shouts "BEAR!" I looked up the beach, saw a big brown stump and said "dude that's just a stump"....then the stump moved. I booked it up to the truck and grabbed the 30-06. With my dad and brother in tow, I walked up the road towards a clear section to look down onto the beach. Couldn't see the bear. So I made my way out a little more to a section that stuck out over the beach a bit...THERE HE IS! I put the sights on him but he was quartering away. Pumped full of adrenaline, I didn't hear any of the guidance my dad was trying to give me. I climbed down on to the beach and attempted to stalk up on him and get a more broadside shot. Then all those thoughts disappeared as I began to stalk him. I was getting closer and closer. The bear was completely distracted with a rotting salmon. I made my way to about 50 yards (I think...this part is a little foggy....too much excitement and adrenaline I guess). Then I heard my dad from way behind me, "SHOOT HIM!" So I got down on a knee (he was still slightly quartering away), put the cross hairs on his shoulder......BOOM! Smoked him. Fell over like a ton of bricks. I stood up and whooped along with my dad, brother and friend who was still down the beach where we had spotted the bear. The bear tried to turn around and scramble back to the trees. Took another shot which grazed the top of his back and then put another one in his left shoulder. I heard my dad and brother celebrating through the ringing in my ears. I was in total shock. I couldn't believe what had just happened. It was shortly after 11am on Rememberance Day. That is a day I will never forget. Great way to celebrate November 11th.
Got him made into a rug. Measured out to 5'11" and my three year old daughter and one year old son love it. My daughter always tells me I need to shoot another bear......I keep telling her I'm trying :smile:.