Ambush
07-18-2011, 11:41 PM
It's in between seasons and not much for hunting stories, so I'll post my spring grizzly tale.
This is the second time in fourteen years of applying for a 7-05 spring tag that I've gotten it. The last one was four years ago and after hunting hard for many days with archery gear, I finaly gave up and shot one with a rifle, in a thick snow storm, on the afternoon of June 15th.
This year was shaping up to be tough as far as access goes and my prefered area was snow in, so I looked where I could. Early in May I spotted a large boar that after a brief chase just out distanced me and dissappeared into the dark, rainy scrub of an older slash. The closest I got was fourty four yards. The wind was steady and he didn't hear me, so I was sure I didn't blow him out of the area. He was a bear worth looking for.
A week later, I was talking to some fellow HBC'ers and they told me about a bear they had spotted while black bear hunting. The very next day I found the grizzly in the same place. I got within bow range, but, although it was a good sized bear, it looked like a sow to me and had some serious rubs on the hind. That and visions of the big boar, made me pass.
I made several trips to relocate the boar, but with no tracks or sightings, I had to admit that he was likely just passing through and was long gone.
Still my valley was blocked by snow. It was great for the Alberta sledders still off loading there, but it didn't look good for me.
Then another hot tip from one of the same black bear hunters. He had seen a small but very pretty bear in my area.
Two nights later I was coming home from checking areas for the weekend hunt and there he was! I bailed out and glued my binoculars to him. A very pretty bear indeed! I watched him for a while and was just about to trade the glasses for the video camera when the bear made a fatal mistake. He pee'd in front of his legs. Boar, for sure! That changed things and with my hunting time running out I made the decison to try a stalk. I grabbed my bow took off.
Sometimes, nothing goes right, but then sometimes everything just couldn't be better. The wind was steady, the cover just right and the ground wet enough to be quiet without squishing. I moved along the treeline. A little finger of tall brush stood between us and close to the bear. When I got to the brush there was a little dip in the terrain and I was able to slip into it and get ready. The bear was feeding at twenty two yards. I drew and waited. He turned toward me a bit but then turned his head to the other side to grab some green goodies. This opened up his ribs nicely and I let the arrow go. THUMP!!
I saw the fletch dissappear right where it should and quickly put another one on the string. I've shot a lot of bears with arrows and they almost always just grunt and hightail it for the thick stuff. This grizzly just kept spinning in circles, one way and then the other. Starting to doubt the shot I aimed at the twirling fur and let go. Once again, luck strikes. The broadhead spined him just behind the shoulder and I saw his hind end drop just as he dissapeared into a thick clump of trees.
I ran around to the other side just in time to see him pulling himself with both front legs stroking. I knew I could out run him so I moved into about fifteen yards to try and get another arrow through the brush, into his lungs. That one hit him just in front of the shoulders.
Then, suddenly, after such display of his will to live, he just stopped moving. He was dead.
After skinning, it was evident that the first arrow would have killed him in short order. Double lung, pass through. The whole thing likely only took ninety seconds and didn't cover much more than seventy yards. But what a lot of excitement in a short time.
It's a small boar, but the thickest, longest fur I think I've ever seen on a bear. Even the armpits are full. This is only my third grizzly so I'm very happy with it.
Can't wait for the next spring grizz tag!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/0162.JPG
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/00813.JPG
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/00221.JPG
This is the second time in fourteen years of applying for a 7-05 spring tag that I've gotten it. The last one was four years ago and after hunting hard for many days with archery gear, I finaly gave up and shot one with a rifle, in a thick snow storm, on the afternoon of June 15th.
This year was shaping up to be tough as far as access goes and my prefered area was snow in, so I looked where I could. Early in May I spotted a large boar that after a brief chase just out distanced me and dissappeared into the dark, rainy scrub of an older slash. The closest I got was fourty four yards. The wind was steady and he didn't hear me, so I was sure I didn't blow him out of the area. He was a bear worth looking for.
A week later, I was talking to some fellow HBC'ers and they told me about a bear they had spotted while black bear hunting. The very next day I found the grizzly in the same place. I got within bow range, but, although it was a good sized bear, it looked like a sow to me and had some serious rubs on the hind. That and visions of the big boar, made me pass.
I made several trips to relocate the boar, but with no tracks or sightings, I had to admit that he was likely just passing through and was long gone.
Still my valley was blocked by snow. It was great for the Alberta sledders still off loading there, but it didn't look good for me.
Then another hot tip from one of the same black bear hunters. He had seen a small but very pretty bear in my area.
Two nights later I was coming home from checking areas for the weekend hunt and there he was! I bailed out and glued my binoculars to him. A very pretty bear indeed! I watched him for a while and was just about to trade the glasses for the video camera when the bear made a fatal mistake. He pee'd in front of his legs. Boar, for sure! That changed things and with my hunting time running out I made the decison to try a stalk. I grabbed my bow took off.
Sometimes, nothing goes right, but then sometimes everything just couldn't be better. The wind was steady, the cover just right and the ground wet enough to be quiet without squishing. I moved along the treeline. A little finger of tall brush stood between us and close to the bear. When I got to the brush there was a little dip in the terrain and I was able to slip into it and get ready. The bear was feeding at twenty two yards. I drew and waited. He turned toward me a bit but then turned his head to the other side to grab some green goodies. This opened up his ribs nicely and I let the arrow go. THUMP!!
I saw the fletch dissappear right where it should and quickly put another one on the string. I've shot a lot of bears with arrows and they almost always just grunt and hightail it for the thick stuff. This grizzly just kept spinning in circles, one way and then the other. Starting to doubt the shot I aimed at the twirling fur and let go. Once again, luck strikes. The broadhead spined him just behind the shoulder and I saw his hind end drop just as he dissapeared into a thick clump of trees.
I ran around to the other side just in time to see him pulling himself with both front legs stroking. I knew I could out run him so I moved into about fifteen yards to try and get another arrow through the brush, into his lungs. That one hit him just in front of the shoulders.
Then, suddenly, after such display of his will to live, he just stopped moving. He was dead.
After skinning, it was evident that the first arrow would have killed him in short order. Double lung, pass through. The whole thing likely only took ninety seconds and didn't cover much more than seventy yards. But what a lot of excitement in a short time.
It's a small boar, but the thickest, longest fur I think I've ever seen on a bear. Even the armpits are full. This is only my third grizzly so I'm very happy with it.
Can't wait for the next spring grizz tag!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/0162.JPG
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/00813.JPG
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/00221.JPG