Damn it!

[Yotapup]

So, I'm sure I'm not the only person this has happened to... but I'm gonna vent my frustration anyways lol

Was out hunting with a friend, we're sneakin along a trail I've been before that I've known to have bear. Keep in mind, I'm still looking for my first big game harvest.

So we're walking along, looking for fresh sign when I stop to a sound and listen close. Sounds like a cow or horse ripping grass up, and it's close. I quietly drop my pack so I can move through the small trees without alarming what ever is there (can't see it yet) when suddenly, the munching stops and I hear some slow movement coming on to the trail. I stop, and see a blackie walk onto the trail we're on, not more then 20ft in front of me and start walking away, completely clueless of our existence, and continue into the trees in front in which I quietly followed the noise.

I had that ******* in my sights ready to pull the trigger. But I didn't... why? because of the shrubbery, I wanted to be sure there wasn't any cubs in hiding. I followed for a short time only to have it disappear and couldn't find any trace of the direction it went. The terrain made it very difficult to effectively track, especially with all the other trails leading everywhere.

In the end... no cubs, no bear :evil:

Wishing I woulda put a bullet in his ass when I saw him, but the responsible hunter in me says though there were no cubs, it was the right thing to do.

Still a piss off though lol.

Got some alright pics of some mulies though, will post later

[BCBear]

you are the kind of hunter I am glad to have in the next cut over!

[heyblast]

You say damn it now, if there were cubs then what would you say? You did right.:) There's always a next time.

[srupp]

ya done good..

steven

[BromBones]

Good on ya for not pulling the trigger.

Bears are plentiful in this province, so take your time and hold out for a good shot on a bear you can be sure of. It'll happen sooner or later as long as you keep putting the time in.

[todbartell]

you made the right choice. Brombones is right, lots of bears out there. You will get your chance and it will be even sweeter when it happens

good luck

[troutseeker]

Good for you! I hope the next bear you see is a big one and that you shoot it uphill of your truck.

[emerson]

So, I'm sure I'm not the only person this has happened to... but I'm gonna vent my frustration anyways lol

Was out hunting with a friend, we're sneakin along a trail I've been before that I've known to have bear. Keep in mind, I'm still looking for my first big game harvest.

So we're walking along, looking for fresh sign when I stop to a sound and listen close. Sounds like a cow or horse ripping grass up, and it's close. I quietly drop my pack so I can move through the small trees without alarming what ever is there (can't see it yet) when suddenly, the munching stops and I hear some slow movement coming on to the trail. I stop, and see a blackie walk onto the trail we're on, not more then 20ft in front of me and start walking away, completely clueless of our existence, and continue into the trees in front in which I quietly followed the noise.

I had that ******* in my sights ready to pull the trigger. But I didn't... why? because of the shrubbery, I wanted to be sure there wasn't any cubs in hiding. I followed for a short time only to have it disappear and couldn't find any trace of the direction it went. The terrain made it very difficult to effectively track, especially with all the other trails leading everywhere.

In the end... no cubs, no bear :evil:

Wishing I woulda put a bullet in his ass when I saw him, but the responsible hunter in me says though there were no cubs, it was the right thing to do.

Still a piss off though lol.

Got some alright pics of some mulies though, will post later
Good call. There will be another for you.

[wolverine]

The right thing doesn't always put meat in the freezer but you feel better in the end. You deserve a big one for that. Good on you to have the presense of mind to not just squeeze one off.

[eaglesj]

Last year I went out elk hunting and managed to call a 5point about 80 yards away. Never having shot anything before, I waited for the perfect shot. Well, it never came and the elk took off. I regretted it for three weeks, and only three weeks because I was able to go elk hunting for a couple more weekends, and ended up shooting the same guy in the same place with a well placed shot.

Everybody I know made fun of me for not shooting, but the elk didn't suffer much when I did shoot him and I am glad I waited.

[bsa30-06]

right decision......there will be alot more bears.

[Big Lew]

Great to hear stories like yours. Good job, if there were cubs, or you shot it in the ass and wounded it, imagine what your feelings would be....and the nasty remarks flooding your way from your friends. Most good hunters practice "when in doubt, best to wait for a better time"

[pnbrock]

im with the group you made the right choice between any bear and the right bear.they are everywhere you will find one in plane view right for the taking,keep hunting .

[Shooter]

Good call. If you shot and cubs scrambled you'd feel worse than you do now. Thats the problem hunting bears where its thick. Its good if you can catch them in the open. Even then, watch closely... those cubs can disappear behind the smallest knoll even when you think it's wide open.

[Yotapup]

yeah it was a pretty open area, an old slash but we were walking up the old logging road that had since overgrown and was trying to follow it into the open and get a good view to see if there was anything of concern.

Not gonna lie, that adrenaline rush of being that close to my target that could potentially kill me and it not seeing or even hearing me. Damn what a rush

[Jelvis]

What, why did you let that boar walk? There were no cubs you said.
I hope you see another boar now .... You snuck up so close for that killing shot and then, that boar could have turned on you..
jElvi$ .... One of these days .... Lil bit a fever lol hey we all get it pup .. lol ..

[Mik]

Good call! that's what makes a great Hunter, you should be proud of yourself!!

[OutWest]

There's always another time. Definitely the right call. Like everyone else has said, you'd be feeling 10x worse if you wounded it or if there had been cubs around. Keep at it and you'll get another opportunity. Good luck and you made the right decision!

[Fisher-Dude]

walking away,


Wishing I woulda put a bullet in his ass when I saw him

Pardon? A bullet in a bear's ass that is walking away from you? Are you serious?

[lip_ripper00]

Pardon? A bullet in a bear's ass that is walking away from you? Are you serious?



Oh oh:( hockey's over and now we are mis quoting post's:rolleyes:

[Yotapup]

As it was walking away it was at a slight angle facing away. What I mean by "bullet in his ass" was I figured my hot, 30-06 180g loads would do some nice damage to the hip to stop it allowing me to chamber another and finish the job.

But then there's the time old question of;
What if...?
...I miss, only wounding and angering it. Will I get one chambered fast enough? It was only 20ft
...I do hit my target, and do finish the job, thats another hold on the hide that I planned to find a home on my floor or couch
...I do hit the hip, but it really does a whole lotta sweet F-A and I'm back to scenario 1

Bottom line... I put my life on the line each time I go out and hunt, but I'm at least packin a rifle to protect myself from the dangerous wildlife that I may piss off with a poor shot, but I wasn't about to put my good friends line in that situation, whom was unarmed and just along for the experience.

lol, too much thinking all at one moment.

Oh well, I'm just hoping I can get out at least one or 2 more times before the spring bear season closes, and that is coming way to fast...

[jessbennett]

As it was walking away it was at a slight angle facing away. What I mean by "bullet in his ass" was I figured my hot, 30-06 180g loads would do some nice damage to the hip to stop it allowing me to chamber another and finish the job.

But then there's the time old question of;
What if...?
...I miss, only wounding and angering it. Will I get one chambered fast enough? It was only 20ft
...I do hit my target, and do finish the job, thats another hold on the hide that I planned to find a home on my floor or couch
...I do hit the hip, but it really does a whole lotta sweet F-A and I'm back to scenario 1

Bottom line... I put my life on the line each time I go out and hunt, but I'm at least packin a rifle to protect myself from the dangerous wildlife that I may piss off with a poor shot, but I wasn't about to put my good friends line in that situation, whom was unarmed and just along for the experience.

lol, too much thinking all at one moment.

Oh well, I'm just hoping I can get out at least one or 2 more times before the spring bear season closes, and that is coming way to fast...

k. first off. shooting a bear in the ass, hip, or whatever is completely unethical. whether you think your "hopped up" 30-06 would wound it long enough for you to jack another shell or not.

wait for an ethical shot.
you may be putting your life on "the line" everytime you go out but maybe just maybe you should be a little more concerned with making a clean ethical kill with that "hopped up" 30-06 instead of packing it to protect you from the dangerous wildlife you may "piss off" with a piss poor shot.:rolleyes:

i honestly cant believe that this was a scenario that even required u to "think" about it? :?

well im glad your pro's and con's list worked out in favor of the bear.

[hunter1947]

You did the right thing good on you ,there will be a next time and the bear might be a big hog of a black ,congrats to you for thinking before you pulled the trigger http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif..

[valleycowboy]

how are you putting your life on the line?
"too much thinking all at one moment?".....you should be thinking if you are out in the bush with other hunters around.no such thing as "too much thinking"!!
with that said.....you made the right choice with NOT shooting.like it has been said before......"that's hunting"

[fuzzybiscuit]

Yotapup, you had me on your side until your last post. Now I'm just shaking my head.

Thinking before you shoot is right up there with thinking before you post. Fail to do either and you could end up with a f****d up mess.

[Caribou_lou]

Sounds like something I've done many times. I don't regret doing what you did once. Keep it up. The time will come and you will get that bear your after.

[Caribou_lou]

As it was walking away it was at a slight angle facing away. What I mean by "bullet in his ass" was I figured my hot, 30-06 180g loads would do some nice damage to the hip to stop it allowing me to chamber another and finish the job.



I guess I should have read all the posts before I threw one up myself. I do not respect anyone who has this train of thought.
Wait for a good kill shot. I don't care what you shoot or what your hunting.

[835]

You made the right choice, If it did have cubs it coulda turned you right off hunting and made you feel bad for a long time..... BUT instead of that you have a bear in your minds eye that will haunt you forever!!!!! Thoes are the memories that stick. Dont think it wil be the last! I have tough times sleeping at night because of a few choices i made not to shoot!


Oh and he didn't shoot the bear in the ass he made the right choice. And he admits he is a rookie so type nice guys.
But Yotapup Next time there is no contemplation ok. There is only one place a rookie should shoot any animal. That is broadside in the chest. You wont run into trouble this way..... And if you do it will be in your mind you took the right shot and it went wrong rather than you took a crappy shot and it went wrong.

[cavebear]

right choice:-D. You woulda felt a lot worse if there were cubs and moma was dead:icon_frow

[Yotapup]

You made the right choice, If it did have cubs it coulda turned you right off hunting and made you feel bad for a long time..... BUT instead of that you have a bear in your minds eye that will haunt you forever!!!!! Thoes are the memories that stick. Dont think it wil be the last! I have tough times sleeping at night because of a few choices i made not to shoot!


Oh and he didn't shoot the bear in the ass he made the right choice. And he admits he is a rookie so type nice guys.
But Yotapup Next time there is no contemplation ok. There is only one place a rookie should shoot any animal. That is broadside in the chest. You wont run into trouble this way..... And if you do it will be in your mind you took the right shot and it went wrong rather than you took a crappy shot and it went wrong.

Thank you 835,

Yes, I am a rookie. I've only had my hunting license for about 4 months now, so everything is a learning experience. Granted I do know what a proper kill shot should have been, and the circumstances of not getting that proper kill shot.

That being said, whether you like my thought pattern or not, I was able to overcome my excitement and think about the situation and not be thinking "OMG A FREAKIN BEAR!!!"*BANG!*

[835]

If i told you i never had that thought pattern myself id be a lying. I get it in one way or another every year! I passed up a 5x5 mulie that woulda gone way up the score pole a couple years ago. Was huge. My friend was right beside me. Seconds prior i shot a 140 ish 4x4 and the big guy stood up at the shot. My friend had buck fever bad! he couldnt shoot. He TOLD me to shoot. I didnt, Thought was SHOOOOOOT but i didnt. If i did i would be breaking the law as well as closing my friends chance at a mulie on his first trip. Later that day after a motivational chat we went for a drive looking for birds when a 2x3 White tail ran across the road. He shot it in the head. We never would have saw the white tail if i had closed his mulie tag so we did the legal and right thing. But that buck is welded into my head watching him stand up at 75yds broadside with a 5x5 rack that went way past his shoulders!

I have a memory of my buddies first buck instead of me being trigger happy. But that is alll the fun
Good luck

[cloverphil]

I had a similar situation last weekend, with a nice sized brown blackie. We were barely 10 k off the highway when we come around a corner and spot a large brown bear across a pond from us. We began looking for a way across the stream/river to get closer, and without the water between us. As we got about half way down the hill near the water we see another bear on our side of the water, munching away on grass like a cow.

So I'm crawling down the side of the road getting closer for a good shot; there are many little trees between us and I don't want a deflection and a miss. When I'm about a 100 yrds away I get set, prone, check my breathing and excitement, I start watching him through the scope, waiting for that perfect moment. He stands up and starts grabbing leaves off the trees and I watch in amazment at this awesome creature. I hesitate, just watching him, enjoying the moment, and he drops and starts walking; the other bear from across the water is calling him so he walks right in to the pond and starts swimming across. The shrubs at the waters edge conceal him and we never see him again.

A local rancher comes up behind us on the road were my truck is parked so I move and chat with him. As we head back down the road we see a sign for the park boundary we were just in. If I had shot the bear I would have been within the 400 yrd no shooting area.

I'll always remember watching him, but don't regret no shooting. If the rancher had been a CO instead, while I was gutting and loading, I could have lost a great deal. One bear is not worth it, and there will be more chances.

[Yotapup]

Yeah the time will come.

We almost had the hunters dream yesterday as well. Just making our first stop of the morning to go scout and as I'm relieving myself on the side of the road friend pipes up "Holy sh!t, is that a bear?!?"

It's 8am, I may be a rookie, but I've done some homework, read all your stories and threads, so I'm not expecting to see anything till later. I just say "F-O don't play with me like that"

She says "No really, it just looked at me, it's standing on the side of the road" and slightly out of MY view.

So by that time I'm rushing to get my rifle out of it's case, trigger lock off, loaded... then some loud lifted blazer comes roaring around the corner and scares it off into the bush.

Tried tracking it for a bit with no success. It was either long gone, or well aware of our presence and hiding, watching us.

One thing is for certain, if I don't cut my tag this spring, I can't wait for fall, because I know I'll be able to cut a mulie tag fairly quick.

[Spokerider]

I wish all hunters had your insight and ethics.

[fuzzybiscuit]

Originally posted by Spokerider:
"I wish all hunters had your insight and ethics."

:lol: Now that was funny! Thanks.

[BearStump]

One thing is for certain, if I don't cut my tag this spring, I can't wait for fall, because I know I'll be able to cut a mulie tag fairly quick.




hahahaha. just for your info, you may see lots of mulies out right now, but they become pretty scarce when the rifles start popping in the woods.
you'll see lots of does walking away or even standing still staring at you. But the bucks run like hell.
Dont get too confident.

[jessbennett]

Originally posted by Spokerider:
"I wish all hunters had your insight and ethics."

:lol: Now that was funny! Thanks.

took the words out of my mouth.:-?

[sparkes3]

whats up with the trigger lock and gun case

[Billiam]

I've been there a couple of times in the past two seasons and let those bears walk away, only to have my head filled with a bunch of 'what ifs' and 'why didn't you shoot?' These thoughts only bug you for a while and as most hunters will tell you, You did what was ethically correct. I got my first big game animal this year after a few seasons of nothing but grouse, and the wait was worth it. Male black bear, no cubs. Just how they should be. My new system that I use now is to catch up to the bear, get him/her in a rear naked choke and wait and see if any cubs come out to help him/her. No cubs.......load the rifle.

[DGuest]

you made the right call, the thing I worry about most while bear hunting is not seeing cubs if there are any that is.

But I am curious to know from so many of you that say wait for the perfect shot, does this mean you don't shoot running game etc.? Not that I think we should be running around wounding animals but part of hunting is getting a good ethical shot in under a variety of conditions and angles.

This does not include shooting it in the ass in hopes of a second shot just to be clear.

[835]

But I am curious to know from so many of you that say wait for the perfect shot, does this mean you don't shoot running game etc.? Not that I think we should be running around wounding animals but part of hunting is getting a good ethical shot in under a variety of conditions and angles.

.


I have shot animals moving at varying rates of speed, distance and angles. I know when i can shoot and when i cant. I have taken shots where i am sure i would catch a pile on here. I have missed only one animal and that was my first. And i have lost only one animal and that was last season opening day. I am not saying this to pump me up just to make a bit of a point.

I have hunted for a long time, I do not think new hunters should take these shots. I didnt then, My dad coached me. I do now after 20 years of hunting and shooting. Sounds like this guy doesnt have a "coach" and he made the right choices.

[dougal]

its the same thought as walking in the bush looking for mulies and a huge blakie comes out of nowhere doesn't see you there are no cubs its fat and alone and you "me to my shame" didnt pick up a tag.
what an dumb a$$. so you watch a good 400+ walk away in the open only for it to walk past your hunting partner who also didnt get a tag.

Karma sucks