Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Bears 0, Big Sky 1

Let's just say I'm riding the high this morning that goes with successfully acomplishing a goal set a long time ago. No, this bear is not a record book bear, but he is a trophy to me and signifies the end to a very long jinx. I got him on a spot and stalk hunt, just before dark last night. One shot = one bear. I used a 30.06 with 165gr Hornady Interbonds. Worked like a charm...as if, a 30.06 would work any other way. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />


One more just for good measure.

Awsome Troy, he's a dandy!

Chuck

Very Nice! Thought about heading out to see you for a little bear hunting but the next two weekends are shot for me. Can't imagine too many bears are moving around by the end of Oct. Congrats!

Congrats Troy, ..... that bear is a trophy in my book too.
Maybe you could elaborate on that "jinx" you broke ... ?
or was it just gettin the "Skunk" off that rifle / boolit ??

Plus, ya gotta stop pouring Miracle-Grow on your rifle ... it's causing the scope to start growing these wart-like thingys on top !! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

We need details man ... shot distance ? ... bears reaction ? (Hated-it !!)
Boolit entrance / exit / performance ..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

... Silver Bullet

Luckier than a rodeo bull-rider ... walkin into a late night Country bar, full of 20-something, round-heeled, Cow-girl wannabees.

Looks like a DANDY to me....
Oh and yes, Details...

Nice job.

Like everyone else said, we need a story.

"DWDT"---darn well done Troy

Glad to see it all came together for you. Give me a call when you get regrouped and you can give me the play by play instant replay.

Thanks for sharing

Mark D

Congrat's!!!

Here's the details as best as I can remember, I'm a bit groggy from a late night last night. Last Sunday a person at church mentioned they had been seeing a bear on their place and really didn't want it there as they have young children and a lot of live stock. I asked if they would be open minded to the idea of me hunting for it. They readily agreed and gave me a green light to hunt the canyon above their place. I couldn't make it out there until last night though, as Monday I had to go to my oldest son's final football game. I was also concerned because I knew we were due to get hit with a big storm today. I was worried the bears would go into hibernation, as it's cold and supposed to snow later today. Last night was a little cold, but not real bad somewhere in the low 30's. However, it was windy and it's been my experience that bears generally hate wind. I was hoping that maybe some bears would be out for one last meal before the long winter nap. I hiked into the canyon where they had seen the bear the most and set up to glass. I glassed and glassed, and glassed, and glassed. Then when I had enough glassing, I glassed some more. This was pretty much the routine until just before last shooting light. I kept looking back at an area at the bottom of the canyon about 75 yards away, where the brush had a little opening. It had a creek running through it and it's just a bear-y looking spot. It was now getting quite dark, as the storm was blowing in and it was really overcast. I was basically just seeing how well my new binoculars could gather light and I had pretty much given up on the hunt. I glassed the little opening one more time, then looked above the opening up the side of the hill. I was getting ready to call it a night and swept the bino's past the opening one more time just before I was going to lower them and head out. BAM! There was a bear right in the middle of the opening. I switched from bino's to rifle scope in about .000000001 seconds. I watched him for little while to make sure there weren't any cubs. Once I decided he was alone, I tripped the trigger and sent one of Hornady's Light Magnum loads his direction. He went down hard, then jumped up and hopped over a little bump near the creek. I couldn't see him, nor did I hear a death moan. There wasn't any sound at all which I found very eerie. Now I was nervous and a little worried I had a wounded bear in low light to contend with. By the time I got my stuff together, and got the flashlight turned on it was getting quite dark. I slowing approached the little bump to look for blood. My nerves were on end. I kept trying to conceive every possible scenario and how I would handle a bear, flash light, and rifle at the same time. I didn't like how the outcome kept going in my head, as I usually came out the loser. When I was about 10 feet away I saw something black sticking out from behind the bump. It was the bear's rear end. I walked up behind him and gave him a kick. He was done for. Then I commenced with my best Montana happy-dance. It was definitely a mixture of relief and elation. The rest of the night was spent getting the bear gutted and skinned out. The bullet entered high above his shoulder and took out his spine and exited the top of the far shoulder. How he was able to jump over that little hill (bump) on the ground, I'll never know. He went approximately 10 to 12 feet and just far enough to be out of sight. I also don't know why he didn't let out with a death moan. If he would have, I would have been a lot less nervous. Oh well, it just made things all the more exciting. So there you go that's the story. I'm headed for the FWP office this afternoon to check him in and make him all legal like.

COOOLLL. He might not let out a moan caused he was spined and used his last breath making the jump.. Nice rifle too....
Thanks for taking the time to share.
Dave

Oh, I forgot to add about the jinx. This bear marked my 8th bear, however it is my first Montana bear. I moved to Montana 11 years ago and during that time I have ventured to western Montana many times in hopes of killing a bear. Living on the eastern side of the state really handicaps a person. About everything that could go wrong and keep me from getting a bear has occured during those trips to the west. Sure I saw bears and nearly closed the deal a couple times, but it was just never to be. I swore that if I ever moved to western Montana that things would be different and I would go relentlessly until I killed a bear or the season ran out. Well, I moved west a couple months ago and thankfully last night I ended the long 11 year jinx. I got my Montana bear before the season ended, and my wallet ran out of money to pay for gas to head up into the mountains.

Bout friggen time! Good on you dude. I know how frustrating it has been for you....and I know the feeling of the "alone in the woods, finally busted the jinx happy dance" YOu just hope nobody is watching you and listening <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />Flinch

Congrats on the bear and breaking your curse....

Good work, Troy. Congratulations. E

Glass that works to the leanest of shooting hours, bullets that go where they're aimed and work as advertised, hunting is great when the correct tools are used. Nice bear, great story.

Congratulations, I feel your excitment......... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Big Sky,

Very well done and a Big Congratulations!!!!!!

Jeff

Great bear Sky! Very nice sized one.

Way to go.

Congrats!! Very nice bear. Glad the jinx is broke/ long dry spell is over. Thanks for posting.

Way to go!!! Congrat's!