got a bear!



We started early in the afternoon yesterday, we were on the water by about 3pm. The first bay we started at we saw my bear feeding on the sweet grass just above tide line.

BW put Billy and I on the beach, downwind, about 800 yds away. We got to w/in about 150 yds of where we had first seen him and watched him for a bit as he fed his way towards us.

After waiting him out for a while, he fed his way into the woods. We waited, but he never came back out. We decided to close the distance and get to a little point in the trees about 40 yds ahead of where we were at. We were about half way there when I looked up and he was standing in the spot we wanted to be!

Billy and I snuck back to the original tree that we were using for a rest. I got my rifle ready and was going to pull the trigger, but when I looked over, Billy was screwing around getting the video camera out!!

So, he got it set up and as the bear turned I put one in the front shoulder, a little low, but it took out bone and some lower lung.

My second shot was in the base of the neck and it anchored him to the beach!

The video is killer!

I used the Remington 700 7-08 that Brother Dave got me for my wedding. Shooting a 120 gr TSX. We haven't put a tape to the skull yet, but we taped him in the yard last night and he should go 6.5. I'm thrilled with him, over 6 foot and beautiful hide with no burns!

Congrats. Fur looks thick and shiny. Looks like he's winking at me.

Beautiful.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Great looking bear, congrats! Nothing like your first one.

Congrats.
A rug? Now you can try makeing bear sausage.

Jamie

GOOD JOB and CONGRATS!! That is sooo cool! Beautiful bear...the coat looks perfect....

Can't tell from the pics....but is he sporting a blaze on his chest?

Plans for him?

HoundGirl

Job well done!! Congrats and very nice bear.

Congrats and well done akgirl.

Tony

Congrat's!!! Way to go!

Congrats! Those are some awesome pics!

Congratulations on a fine bear! Thanks for sharing the story and great pictures.

Who'da thunk, a 7-08 slingin' 120 grain TSX's would whack a beast like that!! You really should send the story and pics to the good folks at Barnes.

The bottom pic reminds me of the banquet....

Proud of ya girl!

Nice bear and great pics.

Wonderful job, and nice to see it happen for someone who obviously appreciates a great animal like that. Congratulations!

Congrats! Great bear and great pics!

Any more details on bullet performance? I'm guessing the 120 TSX's are still flying?

Very nice, indeed!

DJ

A tip-o-the hat to you lady "flinger." Goodly done! We want more pics...and that's the truth. More...more...more

best,
bhtr

Congratulations! That is one fine bear. You must be petite, because that bear looks huge nestled up beside you...

No camo, a 7mm-08- who'd a thunk it?

Way to go!

Super Bear and a great story! Thanks for sharing.
Where will we find the video?
Tom

Congrats AKG !!! Way to go

You know what they say , once you go black.....guess you got a new brotha now! he he he

Keep up the good work.

thanks for all the congrats,it squared 6'6" with a 20" skull. Video will come when I have time to transfer to computer, will be a little while
will let you know when I get it on the net.

OF course no Cammo, it is too bulky and slows me down. I like playing the lady in black

Way well done AKgirl-thx for sharing, that is a wonderful first bruin!

The skull on that old boy should go 20, let us know once you figger it out.

Congratz once again and now you've really raised the bar for volunteer #2....grins

Mark D

Awesome!! Gotta love the -08!!! I guess I better try some of them Tsx's out. Thanks for the story and pics.

Must be one hell of a good women! I don't know many worthy of a gift like that!!

CD

Awesome akgirl. Was looking for the paradise grin pic. You really need to work on that.


Mac

Congrats on the bear! Awesome pictures.

That's very nice. Pics are great. Congrats.

Hey right on.Awesome first bear.Good photo's.

Great bear and pictures. Fine job.!

I make it a point to show my 7 year old daughter any examples of hunters who also happen to be female. Her response to viewing your bear was "Cool...When are we going to hunt bears?" Congrats!

1st rate on everything but the title of the thread!

I saw that and thought poor Billy up on the slope, not even married a year, bad enough to do it, but to brag about it on the 'fire........that's just wrong. (grin)

Congrats, nice bruin.

I bet ole BW was pretty tight lipped about where the bears are with the way the law reads now. Just drove around in circles till they stumbled upon one. (grin)

We are all tight lipped with where the bears are, we don't want any dsmf guys getting our bears

lets see, pretty, likes to hunt and has enough sense to keep her mouth shut on important things.

Crystal clear why he married you sis, good on ya. (grin)

Pretty proud of her, I gotta admit. She done a damn good job. She even picked the local to hunt that day. We passed up several bears in the days before, they were either a bit small or too rubbed up. She bid her time, and drew well in the end....

As for BW, I wouldn't worry 'bout that much, he's hunting our neck of the woods and I haven't seen a dollar exchanged yet........'cept for that fat haidapotumus the other night at the bar. <grin>

am thinking there will be some dollars exchanged now Brudda Bill, BW forking over cash to pay for your silence! lmao

and tweren't worried I just couldn't resist taking another poke at a stupid law, "I want pay you to take me to where I want to hunt, but by rights I don't care if it's a good place or a bad place,just don't tell me now y'hear."

I'm still paying from my last trip....

grin

Sounds like a bona fide veteran bear hunter to me.

Bill, I'm still rolling about the CHAPS......

...and it's a beaut! Nice bear, nice pics...nice going!
Paradise don't suck!

Very, very nice bear, Akgirl! Way to go!
M

We watched the video again, and akgirl hammered that bear twice. I'd not want to be a bear when she's behind the trigger! It was a classic stalk and kill, everything was perfect.

I had a great time hunting with everyone this week. We saw lots of bears, lots of great country, and had lots of good times. The kill numbers are down, but that's due to folks getting picky, not due to lack of chances. I didn't have any intentions of shooting a bear, already got a good rug now, and another at the taxidermist. So I just enjoyed driving the boat, and helping skin a bear or two. But the best part was just being with such good people who have such a great time hunting.

Already thinking about next year, and hopefully some deer hunting in a few months.

Beautimous Bear

Congrats on a Great Hunt

HBB

Nice Bear, Good Job.

Awesome job Akgirl....







No camo and but the nails are done..hmmmmm maybe the paradise secret?

Thats what I am talking about, nice fuggin bear KT...........Blake

Too cool. Whatcha gonna do with it?

akgirl...Good job, congrats.

I MISSED a huge bear this weekend and am feeling pretty chitty about it. Was 7' or so, nice big head, blew the other ones we saw away.

Got within 40 yards on a rocky beach. Shot at his chest, and somehow, for no damn reason, missed. We both though I'd hit him, but we spent several hours looking for blood, and not a drop. I had no chance to shoot again, as he ran right into the treeline 10 feet away.

I was shaking with adrenaline after the shot, but I had taken a breath to steady myself before I squeezed the trigger.

Ah, well...next time. He would have made one beautful rug...now THAT was a true POW BRUIN!!

Great first bear -- GOOD JOB --- for that matter a great bear anyway you look at it, first, last or only.

Mel

Great job KT! I'd love to see the video.

Good job! What a beautiful bruin. Did you take him to JB for sealing?

Skull measurement?

Go for the full body mount -- match the ox ... .

Looking forward to seeing the vid...

great bear.........Blake

Congrats on a great hunt and a fantastic bear. Picky is the way to go IMHO. Let those little bears grow up to be big ones to harvest in years to come.

If ya can post that video, I'd sure watch it!

Very nice, very nice indeed.

CK

I'm gonna get a rug done and take him to our taxidermist in Anchorage.

the skull was roughly around 20, so will be 19 something when all done.

I'm working on getting the video transferred, but am a little busy at work still. Will let everyone know when it is on the net

What a great looking bear!

I hope to find one like that this year. I passed up a bear last weekend that probably would have gone 6-foot, but I couldn't really tell by looking through the scope. I was only 50 or 60 yards away, but he was crawling around in the rocks, and I never got a real good look at his whole body. I decided to wait until I knew for sure it was a big one. We got the stalk on video (from the boat), and after watching the video, he seemed like he was a pretty decent bear. Oh well, it's a long season. Now I get to enjoy a little more of it.

Again, NICE bear!!!

Nice bear hope to See the vid.

Way to go guys and gals!

That's a bear anybody could be proud of! Amazes me how big their heads are...

Would love to see the video.

Mike

Great bear. Wish there were more women in the world like you.

Friends and neighbors, THAT's the way to shoot a game photo! Congratulations, the bear is beautiful.

What? You don't like the traditional campfire stare?

ak_enviro & KT,

The video was just so outstanding! I'm jealous to have only watched from the boat.

In every way, from great shooting, great bear, great hunter enthusiasm, to great husband/wife interaction, that was a classic hunt that can never be beat.

You two, IMHO, have set the bar so high, it may never be equaled in my lifetime.

My view...

Dude.....very cool...

That is a cool pic.....

I think thats about the time she was getting pissed that I was getting the vid cam ready, instead of my rifle....grin.

Thanks for the pic!

MD,
You going to be making a trip over any time this summer? Would love to hook up and shoot the [bleep] again sometime.....

Yessir...though I don't know when. Shoot me your schedule and we'll make a plan. Was Down South for a week and a half doing the family thing; just got home last night. (America's Largest Non-Scheduled Airline was late -- can you believe it ?)

How can I be so busy if I'm retired ?

BW...

That photo sets the bar pretty high !

What a great shot...and what a pig of a bear!

Good going behind the lens.

BW is officially on the Goatsack staff.....

You need to change the title on that to

"Beauty and the beast"

Very nice!!!

Some lucky guy has one fantastic gal pal!!!

The nails even match the lips before the cutting has started.

Video...video...VIDEO...

That shot of you and Bill "Beading-up" is great! I'll have to put it next to the other on my desk at work. I suppose your mother wants to whack a bear now, too. Although, when checking the bait the other night I almost dropped her in the Chena! Maybe that will sway her.

Will have to get a copy of the video sent up for you......

That would be great.

video is up! check my new post! hope you enjoy. I have watched it in slow motion about 50 times tonight! I'm not sure I should be left alone for these long periods of time.

Now that I have figured out how to get the video on the computer and upload it, watch out....I'm gonna start on the boys collection soon

Congratulations, akgirl. That's simply mighty fine.

akgirl,

Nice bear, nice video, nice pics.

You GO Girl!!!

$bob$

Great Video

HBB

COGRATS!!! GREAT PICS, you play to the camera like my daughter does. I killed a bear here in Pa. with a rem. model 7 in 7-08 140 gr. core loct. 80+ yards quartering to me. the bullet entered in front of the shoulder and exited near the last rib on the opposite side. bangflop 330 lb. dressed 18 14/16 skull. I was impressed enough to sell the 7 mag.

Thanks, I love my gun...Brother Dave did good! I've never had a gun that shoots so well and is so light..can't wait to bloody it up on the deer...only two more months!

KT, PM incoming!!

oooohhh, is this too personal to post tee hee

NO

darn it, sometimes you are so boring

I answered

About once a year for 3 minutes I'm boring...

Nice to see you have that great avatar back Steelie

I lost a bet......

Me too....

With due respect, I see a calender in the making.

Congrats, again - great bear, pics and video.

Do you have any details on how the 120 TSX's performed (other than hammering the big sucker and putting him down mighty quick ). I'm curious how the little pills performed out of your 7-08.

Thanks,

DJ

I don't know the details, but I think the 120's are still going...

Thought they might be. I thought I might have heard the first one ricochet off a rock in the video...

Thanks,

DJ

As I understand it, KT's first shot was just below the shoulder. It passed through the upper leg, into the chest, out the other side through the upper leg.

Bill immediately gave it's retreating backside a shot at the cheerio, which only burned fur off it's upper butt. It was enough to turn the bear back onto the beach though.

As it collapsed and squirmed a bit, KT put one center of the neck under the chin.

The video loses much, in the web post.

Perhaps Bill can comment on observations of tissue damage during the skinning...

3 bears fell to 120tsx's out of 3 different '08's during the week. All with good results....

Just out of curiosity, what muzzle velocity are you getting with the 120 TSX out of the 7-08? I have what seems to be a very accurate load using the same bullet at just over 3100 fps out of one of my .280's, and I'm thinking it will kill a deer.

Thanks, Dave.

Look forward to more details. My Little Sky Montana in 7-08 is just a crazy sweet little rifle - Hill Country Rifle accurized it for the previous owner who built another while waiting and made me a nice deal on it. This is my first 7-08 and I am really enjoying this cartridge and marvelling at what its capabilities seem to be, especially with 120 TSX's. Even as light as it is, it just has no recoil even with heavier bullets. I have smacked some big hogs through the shoulders and bang flopped them all with 140 Fusions - some exits, some no.

Haven't had time to work up a 120 TSX load yet, but it's first thing on my list when I get some time.

Thanks,

DJ

The first shot was a pass through, you heard right on the video. The upper leg bone (low on the shoulder) was completely shattered and the heart and lower lungs were in a serious state of dis-repair. The exit hole on the off side was around 1.5" IIRC. To be honest, I didn't pay much attention to the exit side.

The last shot, to the neck, was aslo a pass through though I don't recall seeing any damage to the spine. Wish I would thought to take some pics of that part.......

Dennis..I don't remember the velocity. It ain't 3100 though...

We started with some pretty mild loads, found an accurate one, and never upgraded....

Works good though.

Outstanding....Those bullets really dig.

What a potent combo...

DJ

"my first black"

And here I was thinking this thread was going to be X-rated... or perhaps show a Southern past-time that went WAY out of vogue about 150 years ago...

Seriously, that's a helluva bear, a great story, and I'm envious... Congratulations!

I think they need to rent Mandingo.

It was a rather bold thread title....grin...

So you're thinking my .280 featherweight stuffed with 120 TSX's will work out OK around here ? I'm thinking I need some turrets .

Nice going KT!
Where is the Chick PIC of you holding the bleeding heart?
I think that needs to be a Paradise standard.

Brother Bill, Wifey got lots of pictures but I couldn't get you to take one. Grins