Bear Down

[Elkhound]

Well, I decided to take the family for a ride and check the snow levels and look for bear sign. Threw in the new .338 just in case. Snow was quite low still, and saw no sign. Decided I will check out a spot I normally don't hunt in. Well I spotted one bear only. He was feeding on a grassy patch on the edge of a ravine. Wife and I both agreed he was a shooter with those small ears so I went to get closer and left the family in the truck. I got up really close but he busted me and jumped 10yrds in the thick stuff. I still had a shot and had him in the crosshairs but had two thoughts going. Wife and kids in the truck, do I want to do this while they watch, and the bigger thought. If I shoot him and he makes it 10yrds over the bank it's straight down. I passed on the shot. Bear leaves. Get back to the truck and wife and kids give me hell for not shooting. As we are driving away, Tiffany (wife) says get your butt back there and get me that bear.
So I drive a hundred yards and figure I will sneak back and maybe the bear will come out and finish his grassy meal. Turns out I was right. 50yrd shot. Waited till he turned broadside and boom with my new ruger .338 with a 200gr Barnes X. Here is what happened next. He takes 2 bounds for the edge, roars "You will never take me alive" and jumps off the cliff. Okay, he never yelled at me but I know thats what he was thinking. Went back to the truck, got my dog and then went down after him. I knew he was dead it was just a matter of where he landed. Turns out, you couldn't see 5ft in front of you. Not a good feeling. Thats why I grabbed the dog. But the coward wouldn't go over the cliff with me. It was steep. About 90yrds down there he was. Dead as I figured. No blood trail even though it was a complete pass through. But the trail was easy to follow, he broke every small tree and branch on his way down. Cut my tag. Climbed back up to the truck, which took me awhile. Did I mention it was steep. Called a buddy said he would come help. Grabbed some rope. My wife, buddy and I went back. Buddy looked over the cliff and said "I changed my mind, take me back." We both laughed and got back to work. Climbed down tied up the bear and towed him up the cliff with the truck. Admired the beast. Took pics. Got to work again. It was all we could do to get him into the bed of the truck. My buddy figures min 350lbs but more than likely 400+
Skinned him at home, and get this. Very early bear yet he had more than 2inches of white fat on his backside. Never seen that before. Maybe for fall, but early spring.
Anyway. Bear was 6ft 5inches nose to tail. Distance between ears was 9 3/4 inches. I got nice and close in the pics so no one could say I was 6ft behind the bear;-)

[Elkhound]

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/8509/april06bear0py.jpg

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/5835/bearrifle2ec.jpg

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/3387/bearpaw2ok.jpg

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/5515/bear067oc.jpg

[ex bc guide]

Holy crap thats a big bear congrats.
Mike

[huntwriter]

I have seen the picture on the other thread you made but respected your wish not to comment there.

This is a very beautiful bear by any standards. Looks almost like he is one for the books too.
Nice job and congratulations.
Nice pictures too, that's how in my humble opinion, trophy pictures should be taken and not hanging upside down or in the back of the truck and covered in dirt and blood.
Thanks for sharing the story.

[todbartell]

congrats on the bear :mrgreen:

[Mr. Dean]

REAL NICE! 8) :mrgreen::mrgreen:
Waddya goin to do with the meat (prepare)?

[Poguebilt]

Thats a heck of a bear! Nice story too...

[Elkhound]

REAL NICE! 8) :mrgreen::mrgreen:
Waddya goin to do with the meat (prepare)?

Steaks, Roasts, a lot of burger and some jerky. Mmmmmmmmm Jerky:-)

[Gateholio]

Nice bear..

He wil place quite well in the contest, I am sure!:smile:

[Steeleco]

Off to a great start for sure. Congrats

[MB_Boy]

Elkhound.....nice bear and as HW said....I like the pics....

Congrats!

[johnes50]

He's a big fella. I think your in the running. And he's got a heck of a tummy on him for a spring bear!

[derek p]

WOW, HOLY S T,

What a way to break in a new gun..what would we do without the nagging family..great pics and great bear, your hand and the paw shows great perspective...;-)

A bear like this almost deserves some kind of prize, the first posted and it sure ain't no dink.

[stanway]

Congrats Elkhound! That is a nice bear for sure. It will be tough to beat in the contest. Great pictures and thanks for sharing the story with everyone.

James
:mrgreen:

[Iron-Head]

Dave.........NICE BEAR!

[mtnmax]

Great pics,great bear,,NICE JOB!!!

[moose hunter]

woooo way to go elkhound!! u lucky $%# he he congrats man:mrgreen:

[smitty16]

nice bear good job :)

[Schmaus]

Thats a cool bear, one question though. Whats all the green stuff that he's lying in, I haven't seen anything like that in like 6 monthshttp://bestsmileys.com/lol/3.gif

[Elkhound]

Thats a cool bear, one question though. Whats all the green stuff that he's lying in, I haven't seen anything like that in like 6 monthshttp://bestsmileys.com/lol/3.gif

HAhaha, I know, like I said. This was a new spot for me as all my others are full of snow as well. I have been watching this area for a couple of years and keep wanting to hunt it. Yesterday was the first time I tried it.

[CanAm500]

Thats a nice looking monster :mrgreen:

[Iron-Head]

Hey Dave there was a bear on my road this mornin.....I was walking back from school today and in the brambles there was a clear hole right through with everything in its way broken and snapped,as well as a bunch of nice big bear tracks.:-)
Here Bear bear bear........Symon

[Elkhound]

Hey Dave there was a bear on my road this mornin.....I was walking back from school today and in the brambles there was a clear hole right through with everything in its way broken and snapped,as well as a bunch of nice big bear tracks.:-)
Here Bear bear bear........Symon

Maybe you should get your Mommy to walk you home from school for awhile.....:razz:

Just teasing you Symon. We will have to get out soon

[Salty]

That's a real nice bear Elkhound, congradulations. Thanks for the well written account.:smile:

[.270boy]

what a brute. congratulations

[ratherbefishin]

a very nice bear-and a great family outing too

[rollingrock]

oh man, you're gonna pay over a thousand on the hide or what? :) congrats, nice bear!

[cowboy-up69]

Thats a beautiful bear Elkhound! I would do anything to get my first bear that big!!! :D

[Adam.c]

real nice bear

[Elkhound]

Thanks guys it was nice to be able to share this with people who understand why we do what we do

[Rookie]

Way to go man,beauty bear! Congrats!

[talver]

WOW WHAT A WHOPPER very nice bear congrats

[ianwuzhere]

nice pics! good job on the kill!

[oldtimer]

WOW !!! That is BIG !!! and I am talking about the rifle.;-) Great story and great pics. With that fat still on him he will be yummy:smile: Now you got everybody rarin to go. lol once again well done.:mrgreen: Mike

[bsa30-06]

congrats elkhound that one's a beauty, great pics.Well if i needed some motivation to get off my a$$, and get out you just provided it.

[3kills]

nice bear elkhound...looks like a big noggin on him too should go book,....

[Kirby]

Very nice bear. I was gonna wait another couple of weeks, but think I can manage to get out this weekend now.

Kirby

[Darren]

Way to go, Nice looking Bear. Are you going for another one, or will he fill your freezer?

[Dragginbait]

Nice bear, did you thank the wife and kids for making you go back?

[bcboy]

Nice bear !! I guess I might have to pass up on a few if I wanna compete;-)

[BlacktailStalker]

Beauty, nicely done, Nice colour to him too, esp with the really dark muzzle.

[sealevel]

Nice bear i guess that puts you in first place in the big bear contest.

[goathead]

Great bear.You have set A high mark for the rest of us.I will be going out this weekend I can only hope to see A brute like yours.Congrats again.

[Iron-Head]

Dave what happens if you win the contest and win the prize you donated from your store:eek:.Mabey If I share enuff prawns,you will be tempted to share those wicked shooting glasses.:rolleyes:Or you could just guide me into one of those BRUINS!

[Marc]

That's why we decided that the winner had the choice of either the glasses or the game bags :D

That's one nice looking bear. I've read that most bears will have 90% of their fat still when they come out of the den. They lose the fat looking for new food to keep them going. I shot one bear on June 6th and man was he lean.

Marc.

[mrdoog]

Never hunted bear, seen some while hiking and deer hunting.
Looks like you one big bruin onyour hands, congrats!

[jethrobuddy]

Good job. Nice bear!!!

[Freshtracks]

E-gad Elkhound ... what a great looking bruin, congrats buddy. Also tip of the hat for being the first of '06.

I can hear everyone scrambling to get their gear ready for this weekend. Who will be next ... I think Marc has a chance. ;-)

[Kirby]

scrambling to get their gear ready for this weekend. Who will be next ... I think Marc has a chance. ;-)

I actually went out an bought my Tags today because of this thread:redface: .

Kirby

[Offroad]

Beauty of a bear. Seen a nice one on the beach just down from your area two days ago. Could see him from the dock. Congrats.:razz:

[iiijbird]

Nice bear Elkhound!!! Goin to buy my tag today because of this thread...Saw a small one up a tree yesterday, so there out here already.:smile: Curtis

[Elkhound]

Thanks for all the congrats guys. It was fun, and the wife and kids are taking the credit.;-) I will go out some more. Need to buy another tag so I can go with a few friends to help them drag a bear out too. I won't fill my other tag unless I see something real special. But going out with my buddies keeps me out there. I sure hope to see some more pics soon though. Symon needs to get his licence cause I promised to take him out this year for his first bear. I hope he get a bigger one than mine. The smile on a first timers face would be worth it for sure.

[JohnS]

congrats!!! he is a nice one....

[Sikanni Stalker]

Nice job Elkhound, great bear.I am going to get my tags and have a peek around this weekend too.

[Elkhound]

Just read the rules and it states that there must be 2 pics of me with the bear. I better post another so I can't be disqualified for a technicality.;-)

Ps- No one commented on my new, very cool, and now lucky hat8)
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/6748/bear0621dr.jpg

[endtimerwithabow]

very nice bear!! movin south in 2 wks cant wait to see some green and maybe get out for a look around. :smile:

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Nice bear Elkhound! His forearms almost look dark brown but it's hard to tell from the pics on this crummy monitor. Has he got some brown in him?? What are you looking for in your second bear??

SSS

[Elkhound]

Nice bear Elkhound! His forearms almost look dark brown but it's hard to tell from the pics on this crummy monitor. Has he got some brown in him?? What are you looking for in your second bear??

SSS

No brown, all black with a little white in the muzzle. He was a little muddy dragging him up the cliff, hence the brown on the forearms. My 2nd bear? Well I found a beautiful cinnammon on the coast 2yrs ago. I had one shot at him and missed him clean, (I know cause I dug the bullet out of the stump I tried to sneak the bullet by) Tried to find him again that season and all of last season but have not seen him since. I really want to find him cause a bear thats not black is not that common here on the coast.
I think he is in Mexico somewhere by now, he was out of there fast;-)

[Foxer]

As we are driving away, Tiffany (wife) says get your butt back there and get me that bear.

I like Tiffany :)

[Blacktail]

hey Elkhound

you shoot that bear on the sunshine coast or the Island?

No brown muzzle

[bsa30-06]

oh sure you shoot 1 big, giant, huge bear and all of a sudden the hat is lucky.I guess your glad you listened to the wife and went back and got that monster eh?Congrats again elkhound.

[Elkhound]

oh sure you shoot 1 big, giant, huge bear and all of a sudden the hat is lucky.I guess your glad you listened to the wife and went back and got that monster eh?Congrats again elkhound.


Hahaha
Actually I think it's my wife thats lucky, every time she is with me I see a great bear. Hmmmmmm, good thing she is in the middle of her CORE. I need to take her out more

Blacktail- Sunshine Coast, not the Island

[Elkhound]

On a side note, when we first started skinning, Tiffany was all grossed out by the amount of fat and how greasy it was on her hands. Well 2 nights of butchering later and she is convinced that her hands have never been softer. She thinks the fat is the best skin cream ever:eek:
She is a cosmetician and has tried them all. Then she started picking my brain on how she could turn it into a business.:mrgreen: I told her all her hippie customers would just love to hear about this cream.........she winked at me and said "Well it's not like it was tested on animals"

I love my wife

[3kills]

i would have to agree with her on the fat being good hand cream...before i started my course my hands were always rough and now that i m handling fat all the time especially pork fat my hands are always soft....lol

[Foxer]

Then she started picking my brain on how she could turn it into a business.

Bet it'd make a hell of a soap.

[elkster]

Hey Elkhound,
Thats a real nice bear. Its got a big head, just like the blackies on the rock. good story, great yogi.

[Elkhound]

Well boys, it's a little disapointing. official measurement without the drying period is 19 8/16ths just missed B&C, maybe next time. all that fat sure made his head look more massive than the skull really was I guess. Still proud of him though as he is my biggest

[todbartell]

aint nothing wrong with a 19.5" bear :grin:

[Blacktail]

GEt it officially measured anyway
It makes the BC record book

[Elkhound]

GEt it officially measured anyway
It makes the BC record book

Really, I did not see a bear catagory when I looked earlier?

http://www.members.shaw.ca/wildliferecordsofbc/pages/wildl_rec_1pag.html

They do have a bear pic in their gallery though

[bighornbob]

Under minimum scores, Black Bear is listed as 19 inches.

BHB

[todbartell]

of course the BC books has a black bear category :) :mrgreen:

that website sucks :neutral:

[oldtimer]

Bear fat is the best boot waterproofing I have ever had. !!!!!

[Elkhound]

Bear fat is the best boot waterproofing I have ever had. !!!!!
I have been meaning to ask about this......do you just rub it all over the boots or do you have to cook it down and bruch it on or what. Cause it had so much fat that my boots I was wearing will never leak

[BCLongshot]

:-D You are a hell of a Stallion. That has gotten me even more excited than I was before. My wife loved the article.

[Elkhound]

:-D You are a hell of a Stallion.

Ummmmmm, thanks........I think

[Foxer]

Ummmmmm, thanks........I think

Just nod and smile, and back out of the room slowly :D

[huntwriter]

Bear fat is the best boot waterproofing I have ever had. !!!!!

I remember many years ago when I served in the Swiss Army we used bear fat made in Canada to waterproof our boots. I can't remeber the brand name. It was in a red tin and on the top was an impression of a maple leaf, the inscription read, "Made in Canada" and "Property of the Swiss Confederate Armed Forces". We refered to it as the "Canada Fat". It worked great, I used so sneak some of the tins out of the army camp and gave them to my father for his hunting boots.

[Thunderstix]

That thing has a niiiiice noggin!

[bigwhiteys]

Bearfat is excellent waterproofing.

My Aunt lives on the Indian reserve out here, she is married to a Native and they want any and all of the bear fat/grease from the bear I shoot.

My Grandpa/Dad have been using bear fat for years to waterproof boots and other leather gear. I'll ask if they boil down or what...

I know my Aunt also uses bear grease for hair... Don't ask why.

Happy Hunting!
Carl

[K-1]

Bear fat should be rendered down, the same as beef. Put the fat in a pot ,cover it with water and simmer it until you think all the fat has been reduced. Put the pot,fat and water in the fridge to firm up, then skim the fat off.If you do this again you will get cleaner lard.

[ratherbefishin]

if you mix bear fat with bees wax and Crisco ,it makes a tolerable good boot dressing-and not bad as a bullet lube either,for Black Powder shooting

[Foxer]

cover it with water and simmer it until you think all the fat has been reduced

Reduced to what?

You mean 'melted'?

[K-1]

Reduced to what?

You mean 'melted'? Reduced is a cooks way of saying melted ,or untill there is nothing left of the fat chunks

[Foxer]

Reduced is a cooks way of saying melted ,or untill there is nothing left of the fat chunks

Huh. Interesting - so is that the same as 'rendering' fat? Like - to make lard?

[K-1]

Huh. Interesting - so is that the same as 'rendering' fat? Like - to make lard? same thing different name

[Foxer]

same thing different name

Somehow it just seemed like it'd be more complex than that :)

I hear rendered bear lard is supposedly quite the excellent pastry lard. Weird, cause it tastes like crud on the meat..

[Elkhound]

And here is some skull pics after I finally got around to it.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/6581/bearskullfrontview4gy.jpg

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/8889/bearskullsideview9ka.jpg

It's now dry and on display in the Living room at the wife's request

[Marc]

what's the measurements on that bad boy?

[Elkhound]

what's the measurements on that bad boy?

19 8/16ths But will remeasure after the 90 days drying time

[huntcoop]

Elkhound, did you "clean" the skull yourself? If so how and by what method, it looks awesome. I did one a few years ago and ruined it.
...Huntcoop

[Elkhound]

I took someone's advice from here and boiled it on the side burner of the BBQ outside. Just used water and some baking soda. Have to say it worked well. And I think the B.Soda kept the smell down as well. Then kept taking it out of the water, letting it cool, then peel the meat off of it. I did not use bleach cause I have been told that it really weakens the bones.
I hear some people paint them. Anyone do this or seen the results of it?

[Brambles]

I've heard of guys brushing a thin coat of wood glue on them

[Blacktail]

If any of you guys are local and want it done let me know
I do skulls for one of the local taxidermists here in Victoria