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JJHACK Offline OP
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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!
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
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
[Linked Image]


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Congrats. My wife shot one a few years ago.


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Super! Congrats to the both of you.

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Good job, good find, Looks like a load of fun!

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Good job to the both of you.

You are a lucky man......

smile

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Always good to see big smiles.

Mr Grumpy Bear is not smiling now though.
Nice of you folks to remove him from the area too, Might have turned into something nastier than bluff charges one day.

E.WA bear? No need for exacts, just wondering as I haven't seen one here in my "limited" trips to the south and north of the river.

Congrats to the woman in your life. You too.
Geno


The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men.
In it is contentment
In it is death and all you seek
(Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)

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JJHACK Offline OP
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Eastern OR on the Wa state line.

I am a passionate bowhunter but she packed the rifle for this bear. Last week I got to the 20 ish yard more or less from a nice 300ish bear in an apple tree. I could have drilled him with little effort at that moment.

She was a bit further behind me with the video camera. I passed on the shot because I have seen photo's on the trail camera of a couple much bigger bears. They have been nocturnal so far this season. Both in the 400-500 pound range.

I'm hunting a very steep draw that is only wooded about 100 yards wide with a 4' wide creek running in the bottom. This draw is filled with fruit trees. Out side the 100 yard wide swath of timber is wheat fields and CRP as far as you can see. There are cattle running in this as well. The cattle have established trails up and down the creek. The bears use these trails constantly. Our tree stands are on these trails. I've killed 5 bears in here in the last 5 years all over 400 lbs the biggest was 506. All had skulls between 20" and 21". I have only hunted one other location in my life that had bigger bears.

The trick is that you must spend most of your life in these tree stands to be there when the bear is there. I'll admit that I have photos of bears in the trail 16 yards from me, that I did not see while I was in the stand because I had fallen asleep in the stand. The bears walk up and down these trails eating from the pear, and apple trees, along with the hawthorn, Elderberry, and raspberry bushes. In Spring there are dozens of cherry trees as well as plum trees.

We stay until dark and then walk this trail to the gate where we are parked. That walk out is in total darkness by the time we get there. Meeting this smaller bear on the trail was no problem for me. I would have just yelled him away. My wife however was far more easily shook by this. When that bear was getting so close to us, I felt it was a looming problem. Then I decided that the ranchers who have their cattle in here could be charged without any bear encounter experience........ well the decision was easy to make. After all they allow me in here to hunt predators to protect the calves. How can I knowingly leave a threatening bear in here when the purpose of my permission is to take out the meat eaters.

I hope to get a chance at another big bear this year. I spent the first month of the season in Africa, so I did not hunt the long hours of daylight early in the season. Now in the dark woods it's only hunt able until about 7:30 and getting shorter every day!




www.huntingadventures.net
Are you living your life, or just paying bills until you die?
When you hit the pearly gates I want to be there just to see the massive pile of dead 5hit at your feet. ( John Peyton)
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JJ,

Man, a pretty woman that shares your hunting interest, skins her own bruins... AND puts up with a house full of warthog skulls?

You are one lucky guy! smile

John

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JJ,

If you need a local guy to help you keep those bears in check, give me a jingle....


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JJ, Congrats to your wife and you. Thanks for sharing..


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Too cool. I envy your bear hunting lands (and gal).


�Some people hear their own inner voice with great clearness. And they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy�or they become legend."--Jim Harrison


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Congratulations to you and your wife.

30-06 bangs another critter.


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Congratulations to your wife.

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Hey JJ. Have gun ready will travel laugh


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