Well,

I decided to go bear hunting for the first time this weekend. We hunted in some big country up on the Peninsula and guess what I found after a few minutes of glassing burned out stumps. Yup, a bear. From the time I originally spotted it to when we got it was about 3 hours. This was a true team hunt, and to my partners, "I couldn't have done it without you!"

We were within 35 yards of another bear, heard him breathing and saw him moving trees around. I even went down into the puckerbrush to try and push him to one of my partners. This bear just slipped away.

The shot was 343 yards, per my range finder. The longest shot I ever took. The hide was in great shape, no thin spots, and just a touch of gray. The bear weighed just over 165 cleaned out, so we estimate he was about 210. Nice boar, thanks Mr. Bear.

I just got done butchering, so now I have to drop some meat off for the McCleary Bear Stew, and get some sausage made. Might even get another tag.

Andy

Oh yeah, a few pictures.

Andy what's wrong with you?
You suck butt, you go out once and get a nice bear like that, and I go out for 3 yrs, now on my forth and haven't seen a damn one. I went Saturday evening and saw a lil bit of sign but no bear. All this different info that I get, one guy says to hunt a clear cut the next says to hunt the thick stuff. I here that berries are what they want to eat and obliviously you find berries you possible find a bear, well I have found berries and NO bear. Those pics from your hunt seem as though you are hunting really thick and overgrown clear cuts possible 10yrs old?
Just curious if you could input some good advice as to what to look for and where to be hunting( i.e clear cuts, creek beds....)also what kind of berries and things like blakc berries, salmon berries,sumac?
Nice BEAR!!! GREAT J B!!!

Thanks,
Hntr1

Andy - Better to be lucky than good! Nice goin'

Nice job, Andy!!

That's a good looking bear. I assume you'll have a rug?

343 yards.... I'm guessing you didn't use your muzzleloader. That's a long old shot. I'd like to hear about the hunt sometime.

The boys look forward to the deer hunt together.

Congrats,

Dan

That is a good looking bear. Did you have to pack him out 343 yards through that thick stuff?And what was the rifle/load combination?

I had plenty of time to set up the shot, about 30 minutes. I was shooting from an elevated stump with my daypack as a rest and I had a commanding view of the clearcut that surrounded the patch of reprod the bear had gone into. The rifle was my Ruger M77RS in .300 Win Mag. The scope was a Leupold Vari-X 2 3-9x40. I was shooting PMC Eldorado rounds loaded with 150 grain Barnes X all copper hollowpoints.

Because I had plenty of time to wait and set up, I had time to "laser" a few of the areas where the bear might try to go. All were within 370 yards of my position, except for one that was out about 490. As long as I held on the backbone on all of the closer spots, I knew I would hit the bear. The 490 yard shot was not an option for me.

My first shot was a miss, second shot hit his chest and double lunged him, the third hit low on his nearside leg because he was still going. A final shot to the spine from behind put him down for good. These bears are tough.

The drag was about 80 yards uphill to the nearest road, and that took longer than the 3/4 mile downhill drag to the gate where our truck was. I used three heavy duty canvas gamebags to protect the hide, and it wasn't any worse than pulling my kids in a sled, until it got flat.

Enough specifics?

Nice one!

I have not hunted bear the last few years. Shot my last one from 10yds with a 30-.06...... had my pistol but it snuck up on me and since I was sitting on the ground, I wasted no time just pulled and shot. I usually go with the .44 mag pistol, but took the rifle for some reason.

I prefer to hunt the thicker stuff, typically black berry brambles where there is lots of sign. That at least has been my most productive. 3 for 4 last I hunted them. Would be nice to tag another though......... Right now I am too occupied fishing to hunt. Will stop fishing come deer season in October...