Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting My wife decided to shoot a bear!

My video camera team mate finally decided to shoot the rifle instead of the camera. i learned that running the camera is not as easy as it looks to get good footage! Her shooting is far better then my camera work!

So I have been working hard trying to help my wife get a bear. Twice in the last week we had been confronted or as some folks might say "charged" by a young male bear. Both times in the same area, after dark while hiking back to the truck. He would run through the brush slapping the ground and woofing clicking his teeth together. He never came closer then about 30 feet, but it was difficult for her to see this in the dark and not be afraid.

We decided that even though this bear was only about 200 lbs and was not the trophy we were working for. We should shoot this one to just eliminate the stress. She had never shot a bear before so this was our new strategy. Sure enough he shows up again. We had practiced shooting and bear anatomy for a few weeks. She could handle the 30/06 with no problem. So I told her just shoot this thing and lets be done with it. She shot it broad side at about 15 yards. His bold mistake last night was fatal. At the shot he ran 20 yards and rolled into a tree dead.

Ever see a girl shoot a bear? The reaction to the whole event is heartwarming! The shaking, the inability to speak properly, the tears welling up in her eyes. She was as excited as humanly possible. About 10 minutes of this followed. Then some snaps, and the work began. She helped with the whole skinning process in the dark. Then once it was loaded on the pack she packed the whole hide and skull out to the road.

Today I taught her how to skin the paws to the knuckles and she did all four of them. Sure a couple knife cuts in the hide, but we have all had that happen on the first one. She fleshed part of it with me. I did the head, turned the lips ears, nose and eyes. Then we salted it. It took me 50 years to find her! But well worth the wait!



Tough to get a good photo in a thick place in total darkness. ( with my skill set any way) but she is using the kifaru spike camp with the accessory that holds meat bags to the outside of the pack. The name of this ingenious piece of kit escapes me right now. The load may not look to big, but it's the whole hide paws and skull still intact. I'm guessing it's 65 lbs. The hide was unfleshed, but skinned pretty clean. I expected to pack it out myself. However she insisted! I packed about an equal load of meat and we walked/ climbed up back to the road. We made it out with one trip