# 2016 Bear Hunt



## highcountryfever

Ever since SWBuckmaster did his bear hunt thread I knew it was something I wanted to do if I ever got a decent tag. Thanks for the idea Scott! I don't know if this will be as good as his, but it will be fun to document everything.

So a little background first. I wasn't expecting to draw this tag. I only had 5 points going into the draw. Luck smiled at me once again and I drew the tag! I have had the general area I want to hunt picked out since I began putting in for the tag. Reality set in that it was happening and the work began to narrow down the location.

I will be hunting over bait so I began my google search. After talking with several guys that have hunted the unit before I narrowed my spots down to 2 locations. My plan of attack for this hunt is going to be a focus on Bait #1 with Bait #2 as a backup. #1 is a great spot that is well known to have bears. 

I will be updating this thread as the hunt progresses.


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## highcountryfever

Decided to ditch work for the day and head up and check out bait #1 before we haul in bait this weekend. After wandering around for a while I finally found the main trail and made my way up to the bait location. I found the spot I wanted to be and marked it on the gps. I checked my actual location with the coordinates of the COR and was off by 75 ft. Not too bad!

Anyway, I located where I will set my blind and where I will set the bait. I walked 10 ft behind the blind spot and found a fairly fresh pile of scat. Nice to know there are bears in the area already! Can’t wait for Saturday!


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## t_boneking

I love bear hunting and have had success on that unit in the past. Good luck and I can't wait to follow this thread!


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## turkinator

I'm excited to see how your hunt goes. I too enjoyed swbuckmaster' post and it made me want to go near hunting. I got very lucky last year and drew a tag with one point!


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## kailey29us

I'll be watching this thread, I knew money was going to be tight this year so I just put in for a point. I will go into next year with 5, I have never bear hunted before I can't wait. Good luck, I can't wait to see how you do.


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## neverdrawn

I love this type of threads! Best of luck and I look forward to future posts.


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## AF CYN

That spot looks perfect.


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## dkhntrdstn

awesome looking spot. good luck and i will be watching this one. i got 5 points for bears.


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## snw_brdr10

Looks like a great spot! I can't wait to follow on this thread. swbuckmaster's thread got me so excited, it made me decide to want to bear hunt over bait with my bow. So I now have 2 points thanks to him. Best of luck!


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## highcountryfever

Saturday was the big day! We headed up the hill to set out the bait! 
Friday night the prep began. I was up way too late making sure the trail cams were working, getting the bait loaded in the truck and my pack setup. I found myself standing there and trying to think of what I was forgetting or what I wish I would have when we got up there. Before I knew it, it was waay past midnight. 

Before long 5:00 rolled around and I crawled out of bed. I made myself a sandwich and loaded the last few things in the truck to meet the other guys at the mouth of the canyon. About half way up the rain started. So far not bad, just a little but I was the only one that brought a rain coat. Sucks to be the other guys! By 6:30 we had the packs loaded and heading up the hill. Packing bait sucks! 

After about an hour uphill climb we made it to the bait site. By that time the rain was pretty steady. We gathered a bunch of logs and set up the bait area. For bait we had two 5 gal buckets of grease, a bucket of old nasty food, and 5 garbage bags of bread. We piled a bunch of bread, dumped some grease on top and then repeated until we were out of bread. After that we dumped the rest of the grease on top of the pile and all over the logs. Last we cooked up some bear crack and dumped that on the pile as well. 

By that time we were all soaked and cold so we quickly set up the cameras and headed for the truck. The hike down was a lot easier without a heavy pack. (Go figure!) We headed down and I even made it in time for my daughter’s last soccer game!


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## highcountryfever

Here is a quick video my Brother in Law put together:


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## highcountryfever

Ok, went on vacation with the family for a while and then came back and started hunting. I am working on catching up with posts from the last 2 weeks:

Setting the Blind 05/24/2016

After setting the bait a few days before, I realized I didn’t set up my blind. (Rookie mistake, I know) Me and my cousin headed out early before work to get it set up and check the cameras and see if there was any activity at the bait site. 
On the way up we found a huge track in the mud. This thing walked several hundred yards up the trail with no other tracks other than deer. 

Walking up to the bait nothing had changed from a few days ago. Not a big surprise. A quick check of the camera to confirm and a few adjustments and we headed back down.


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## highcountryfever

Checking Cameras and Disneyland 05/29/2016

A family vacation to Disneyland had been scheduled since before Christmas, so when I drew the tag I knew it was going to be a conflict. We left for Disney on Friday May 27 and would not be back until June 5. That meant that I would miss the first 2 days of the hunt. I made arrangements at work and took of the 6th as well so that I could hunt as soon as I got home.

While at Disney, my brothers in law were going to check on the bait from time to time. The first time they were able to go up was Sunday, the 29th. My BIL and his wife headed up in the afternoon just to check the cameras and bait. 
While watching a show at Disneyland I get a text from him that says “Call me ASAP” so I duck out and they tell me there is a bear on the camera! It had come in the day after we set the blind.


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## silentstalker

Love the story so far! Do you have any other bears hitting the bait? If not, I would suggest you get a second site going if you have not already.


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## highcountryfever

silentstalker said:


> Love the story so far! Do you have any other bears hitting the bait? If not, I would suggest you get a second site going if you have not already.


No other bears. Second site set up, just a waiting game now.

Still working on getting caught up on the story.


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## highcountryfever

While still at Disneyland, I get a text from my cousin. He has made some calls and found a supply of donuts. He was told to take a bin and leave it by the dumpster and they would fill it. A few days later and it was filled.

They headed back up in the afternoon on the 3rd to restock. They found that the little bear has been coming in every day, and some days multiple times. Pictures were showing that he was coming in early morning around 4-5 am and again in the evenings anywhere from 5:30 to 8:30. No sign of the big boys yet.


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## highcountryfever

First day hunting 06/06/2016

On Sunday June 5th we finally got home from the Disneyland trip. While it was nice to be home there was a lot of work to be done. After we got the van unpacked and the kids settled I was able to start to get all my gear ready for the morning. After a few phone calls and arrangements made for who was going with me and I hit the sack.

From the trailcam pics we had we knew that the little bear has been coming in every day. We also knew that getting up there early to hunt was not worth it because he wasn’t coming in until evening, at least during daylight hours. And besides that, it was not a bear I wanted to shoot. 

The plan was to focus on restocking the bait pile, possibly setting up a second site and then hunting the evening. We first hiked in to check on everything and see if anything new had been coming in. This was my first time back into the site since we set up the blind right before we left for Disneyland. Checking the cameras showed that it was still the little bear coming in every day. He was there that morning at 5 am.

While it was not one that I was wanting to shoot (at least not yet) it was still very exciting. We decided to bag setting up the second site and sit the first bait site for the evening and hope something comes in. We quickly made another run to the truck and loaded up with new bait to stock the pile. We made pretty good time and before long were sitting in the blind for the evening. 

This is a new type of hunting for me. I have never sat in a blind waiting for something to come in. I have sat and waited and watched, but never focused on one small area. Every little sound we heard was a giant bear coming in. In reality, it was some stupid squirrel running around. We thought they were going to jump in the blind with us. 

Then it happened. A bunch of sticks snapping that was either the biggest squirrel known to man or a bear was coming in. We were right in the prime time of when the bear has been coming in every night. This had to be him! We waited, then 5 minutes later another snap! Had to be him! 10 min went by and nothing. Was it just our imaginations? Then suddenly a flash of blond hair appeared behind the bait. BEAR! He circled the bait site and appeared to the left of the pile. Almost every pic had him coming and going from the right side of the bait. 

He came in but never committed to the bait. He must have known something was different. He kept smelling the air. At one point we must have made a noise at got his attention. He still had no idea what we were. He ran off about 50 yards, stopped and looked back still trying to figure it out. We gathered our gear and quietly headed out as it was starting to get dark. We could still hear him groaning in the trees as we snuck out of the area.

What a cool experience! Now to wait for a bigger bear.


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## highcountryfever

Short clip of bear coming in. This was shot with my DSLR on a tripod.


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## highcountryfever

longer clip of same thing. I took this with my video camera. I had already decided I wasn't going to shoot him yet so instead I shot him with the camera. Sorry it is a little shaky, it was pretty intense having a bear at 10 yards, even if it is a smaller one!


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## silentstalker

Cool footage! Have you seen, is it a young boar or sow?

Also, Have you poured fresh grease all over the ground in front of the bait? That young bear will leave scent all over the mountain when it leaves each time. You should get multiple bears in a few days. 

Im hoping your second bait site gets going soon!


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## highcountryfever

silentstalker said:


> Cool footage! Have you seen, is it a young boar or sow?
> 
> Also, Have you poured fresh grease all over the ground in front of the bait? That young bear will leave scent all over the mountain when it leaves each time. You should get multiple bears in a few days.
> 
> Im hoping your second bait site gets going soon!


Yes we have done fresh grease, ice cream, Sow in Heat bear bombs, donuts, cake etc.

I really don't know if it is a boar or a sow. I am guessing it is a boar but not sure. I do know it is getting fat!

Chad how do you think this one looks compared to the one you got a few years ago?


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## silentstalker

They look pretty similar. If anything mine looks a little heavier but hard to tell for sure. Here is a pic of mine. 

I had two goals on my hunt. A huge bear (everyone wants that) and a blonde bear. I had a huge bear coming in at night. I weighed the decision as my hunt was to close in a few days. Mine was just too gorgeous to pass up...


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## swbuckmaster

How's the other bait sight going

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## 35whelen

great footage and story. best of luck to you


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## highcountryfever

So I have been terrible at keeping up with posts, so let me catch up the last 2 weeks of hunting. Due to work and family schedules I have been able to go up a couple nights during the week and then Saturdays. We have been getting tons of pics on the cameras! I had to upgrade my google drive account to store them all. The first week was pretty uneventful. The little bear has been coming in everyday, with most days coming in 2 or 3 times. But never when we were there. On the 10th we decided it was time to set up the 2nd site and see if we could turn up anything else.

We headed out in the afternoon to get the new site set up. This site we set up in a stand of aspens with open meadows all around. It looks to be a great spot to try to find deer or elk this fall as well. This hike in is not as bad as the 1st site, and definitely not as steep. We set up and headed to the 1st site for the rest of the evening. 

The next few trips were more of the same. Haul in new bait, change the cards in the camera and sit until dark. Finally on the 14th we got a new bear on the second site. The new bear was bigger than the first, but still not huge. Our plan on the 14th was to restock and check the camera then head to the 1st site. When we saw the new bear on the camera we decided to stay there. Big mistake!

The next time we were able to make it to the 1st site was the 16th. We got set up, switched the cards to see what was coming in. Big surprise that while we were sitting at the 2nd site we had new bears come into the 1st site. We had 2 new bears on the camera. A black sow, and a huge brown boar. Reviewing the camera they had come in on the 14th, 15th and the 16th. The original small bear had disappeared from the camera. The last picture of him was from the 13th. We sat the 1st site until dark hoping they would be back. Every squirrel that was running around had us on edge hoping it was the happy couple coming in for a snack. 

Saturday the 18th we headed back up after some family activities. We decided to check and restock the 2nd site first and then go sit the 1st for the evening. When we got to the 2nd site we found the blind had blown away and was tangled up in some trees. Luckily there was no damage to it and we got it back into place. The bait was completely gone. A quick check of the camera and we found that the smaller bear was still coming in. There was also a new sow with 2 small cubs on the camera. The cubs had been climbing the trees all around the bait. Pretty cool to see. (I haven’t downloaded these pics yet, so watch for them on my nest post)

When we got to the 1st site we quickly got set up and checked the memory cards. The couple was still coming in regularly and had devoured the bait. Last trip up we decided to put one of the cameras to video mode. That has made some cool clips. I will get them uploaded at some point. Normally the most activity has been in the evening, within the last hour of daylight. It was discouraging to see that they had come in that day at noon, and we were sitting at home eating lunch. Freaking bears! 

We are going to try to switch it up a little this week and hit the sites in the morning a few times. It’s only a matter of time before they make a mistake!
More to come!


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## AF CYN

Now you're in business! Good luck!


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## bekins24

I was waiting for this update. Sounds like you are gettin some good action! Good luck and I hope you get that big bear!


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## highcountryfever

Thanks everyone. Anybody have any tips on how to get them to come in while we are in the blind? The other night they came in 15 min after we left, other times it has been an hour after we leave.


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## Blackbear53

Great story and pictures thank you for sharing. The cinnamon was a really nice looking bear. Good luck!


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## TimJ

Making a routine noise when you replenish your baits, will trigger a "dinner bell" effect. It sounds like that is happening to some extent already. You may need to replenish the baits more often at a routine time as well to make their visits to the bait more predictable. In places where baiting bears is more prevalent, they use 55-gallon drums and whack the barrel a bunch when filling it up.


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## Bucksnort

Have you done any honey burns while rebaiting? That could help serve as the dinner bell.

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## AF CYN

I'll second some ideas and offer a few others:

1. Routine noise that acts like a dinner bell is a great idea. 
2. Burns are also a great idea.
3. Some sort of special treat that smells strong and they want to get to first--cherry pie filling, extra ripe apples/bananas, molasses, etc....
4. Limit the amount of food, so it creates competition among the bears. Of course, doing it this way requires more frequent re-baiting so it doesn't run out completely. 
5. Strong commercial or homemade scents--bear bombs, anise mixes (same effect as a burn)
6. Have somebody walk out of the area after you are set up, so the bears think you are gone. 

Good luck. I really hope you get one.


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## swbuckmaster

That bear never came back in on my bait when he smelled my girls and I sitting in my blind. In fact he never came back at all. So your lucky he's still coming in. When my bear came in I thought he was the bear on your camera. Looking at my photos later I had a suspicion I shot a different bear that hadn't been in before. 

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## highcountryfever

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I have made some adjustments to my schedule and routine so hopefully that will help. Monday night they came in an hour after we left. I am going to start doing burns every night instead of every so often, to try to get the dinner bell going. Last night I did a burn with honey and bacon. It smell awesome! I wanted to lick the pot! 

These two have dominated the site and eat everything we bring in one night. I have never worked so hard for a hunt!

I had my brother in law leave about an hour before dark, and I stayed in the blind. I was hoping that would make them think we had left. Getting down to crunch time, hope it all falls together soon!

What are people's thoughts on scent killer? we have been spraying down before we get in the blind. Is it worth it?


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## highcountryfever

Here is a quick clip from one of the trail cams:


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## swbuckmaster

Sent loc can't hurt but bears will smell you know matter what. Their nose is ten times better then a dog's nose. 

Hunting the same set up is hard. Your other bait probably has just as many bears and no bait right now. If you were hunting both they can't pattern you as easy. If they know your routine the gig is up imho. Keep both baits stocked and keep em guessing. If you screw this set up up. You have plan B

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## highcountryfever

The other bait has a small bear and a sow with 2 cubs. Nothing to get excited about.


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## AF CYN

I agree with SW--Scent block may help a little, but bears can still smell you. I left a sweaty t-shirt hanging above my blind so the bears would become accustomed to my scent. Some people like that method, others do the exact opposite and do everything they can to limit their scent at the bait site. 

Be patient. You're going to get him.


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## highcountryfever

Bears on Bait #2


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## highcountryfever

AF CYN said:


> I agree with SW--Scent block may help a little, but bears can still smell you. I left a sweaty t-shirt hanging above my blind so the bears would become accustomed to my scent. Some people like that method, others do the exact opposite and do everything they can to limit their scent at the bait site.
> 
> Be patient. You're going to get him.


I leave my sweaty shirt everytime


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## Bucksnort

Move the blind further away. Use your max yardage.

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## highcountryfever

Bucksnort said:


> Move the blind further away. Use your max yardage.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


Blind is set at 20 yards. No way to get it further. We have moved it from the original location and I do feel better about the new placement.


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## Bucksnort

I have been looking for bait sites for my August hunt where I can set my trees and at 30-40 yards so that ideally wind won't be an issue. 

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## highcountryfever

Bucksnort said:


> I have been looking for bait sites for my August hunt where I can set my trees and at 30-40 yards so that ideally wind won't be an issue.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


I have had a few people tell me that 20-30 yards is a good distance. Also I would say that if possible find a site that you can see from a few hundred yards away so you can see what is there before you walk in. My second site is better for this than my first. Wish the big bears were hitting #2!


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## swbuckmaster

Bucksnort said:


> I have been looking for bait sites for my August hunt where I can set my trees and at 30-40 yards so that ideally wind won't be an issue.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


Imho I think 30 to 40 yard shot on a bear is risky. Vital shot is smaller and way bigger bones on a bear. I've seen a few bears stop an arrow with very little penetration. The hyde can conceal a decent blood trail and bears don't leave tracks as easy to follow like deer and elk. I'd stay 20 or under unless your using a rifle.

Curtis study the vital shot on a bear. It's different then shooting deer.

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## Bucksnort

I guess it depends on what your bow set up is. I shoot a high KE (88) bow that was set up to shoot wild pigs. I feel like if it can punch through a 300lb boar pig with its shield it should not have issue with a boar bear. I guess we will see.

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## AF CYN

I think 20-30 yards is ideal. Plus, bears prefer thick cover (especially if you want them to come in during daylight). Bait sites that have field of view beyond 30 yards might be too open for bears to feel comfortable. 

That said, 20 yards feels REALLY close when there is a bear there. Hold on to your britches!


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## highcountryfever

swbuckmaster said:


> Imho I think 30 to 40 yard shot on a bear is risky. Vital shot is smaller and way bigger bones on a bear. I've seen a few bears stop an arrow with very little penetration. The hyde can conceal a decent blood trail and bears don't leave tracks as easy to follow like deer and elk. I'd stay 20 or under unless your using a rifle.
> 
> Curtis study the vital shot on a bear. It's different then shooting deer.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


I have been! now I just need to test it out!


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## highcountryfever

AF CYN said:


> I think 20-30 yards is ideal. Plus, bears prefer thick cover (especially if you want them to come in during daylight). Bait sites that have field of view beyond 30 yards might be too open for bears to feel comfortable.
> 
> That said, 20 yards feels REALLY close when there is a bear there. Hold on to your britches!


The blind was originally set at about 15 yards and we had the small bear come in at less than 10. That got the heart pumping! I can't imagine if one or both of the bigger ones came in that close.


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## silentstalker

I agree with the above. Do your burns when you are there hunting. Set off a bear bomb, anything that might trigger a reaction. If the little bear is still in the area you can start limiting the food in an attempt to create a competition. They have to have a reason to come in before dark.

Be patient, but by all means get up there and shoot him. He will not stay with that sow for long. You need to be sitting there when he makes a mistake. Good luck!


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## dkhntrdstn

that brown bear is a great bear. good luck


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## swbuckmaster

Bear hunting is the perfect up close hunt imho. Nothing like an apex predator climbing up your stand, being 5 feet from your blind with your kids watching or sniffing your arm like what happened to silentstalker 

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## highcountryfever

Boom. And just like that the big ones are gone....Pretty depressing night yesterday when I got up there and no pics. They haven't been to the bait since Monday night. My guess is she went into heat and they are gone. Good thing I still have my second site. Now to see what we can turn up on that one.


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## silentstalker

Keep both stocked up just in case. I agree, they hung out for a few days and that big bear is off the find another sow.


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## highcountryfever

silentstalker said:


> Keep both stocked up just in case. I agree, they hung out for a few days and that big bear is off the find another sow.


Yup. They hung around for 6-7 days and then gone. Got to go pick up some more Sow in Heat and try to get something going again.

I may be down, but I'm not out yet!


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## IDHunter

Be careful about adding any new scents this year. Anything different can actually turn them off. They know the bait is there, they will be back. Freshen the bait, but use what you've already been using.

I agree that honey burns can help but rarely have I seen a bear come in during the burn. They usually show up about an hour after the burn stopped. If you're burning something clear until dark, try stopping the burn 2 hours earlier.

What I've found is that I will leave my scent when I bait (ie. normal boots, touch stuff with my hands, leave a shirt) but I try to be as scent free as possible when I'm hunting (ie. knee high rubber boots, don't touch anything, be careful where you walk.)

Keep in mind that bears will get used to your smell but not your friend's smell if he hasn't been there much. If he shows up to sit with you on the hunt, you are adding a new unfamiliar smell.

That bait with the sow and cubs may be a difficult one to get a big boar on. She will keep most other bears at bay. Those are this springs cubs so she will not be going into heat. I hate it when I have a sow with tiny cubs show up on my baits.

Good luck!


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## IDHunter

Also, don't leave as it's getting dark. You may bump a bear that you didn't even know was there. They don't always come rushing in and will lay down somewhere until they feel safe. Wait until it's well past dark and sneak out as quietly as possible. I would much rather bump a bear in the dark than in the light. For whatever reason they don't seem to be as bothered by it in the dark and will come back. If you bump them when it's still light out, they will be way more cautious and could disappear for days.


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## Bucksnort

IDHunter said:


> Be careful about adding any new scents this year. Anything different can actually turn them off. They know the bait is there, they will be back. Freshen the bait, but use what you've already been using.
> 
> I agree that honey burns can help but rarely have I seen a bear come in during the burn. They usually show up about an hour after the burn stopped. If you're burning something clear until dark, try stopping the burn 2 hours earlier.
> 
> What I've found is that I will leave my scent when I bait (ie. normal boots, touch stuff with my hands, leave a shirt) but I try to be as scent free as possible when I'm hunting (ie. knee high rubber boots, don't touch anything, be careful where you walk.)
> 
> Keep in mind that bears will get used to your smell but not your friend's smell if he hasn't been there much. If he shows up to sit with you on the hunt, you are adding a new unfamiliar smell.
> 
> That bait with the sow and cubs may be a difficult one to get a big boar on. She will keep most other bears at bay. Those are this springs cubs so she will not be going into heat. I hate it when I have a sow with tiny cubs show up on my baits.
> 
> Good luck!


Great info

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## Bucksnort

IDHunter said:


> Also, don't leave as it's getting dark. You may bump a bear that you didn't even know was there. They don't always come rushing in and will lay down somewhere until they feel safe. Wait until it's well past dark and sneak out as quietly as possible. I would much rather bump a bear in the dark than in the light. For whatever reason they don't seem to be as bothered by it in the dark and will come back. If you bump them when it's still light out, they will be way more cautious and could disappear for days.


My experience is the same whitetail hunting from a stand. I stay until deep dark if I think a deer is in the area. Then bumping them out in the dark is less harmful than a daylight or twilight bump.

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## highcountryfever

ok, so finally after getting my password reset I am back. I will just leave it at this for right now....*OOO*


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## kdog

what a tease! 

I want the story and the full photos!


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## bekins24

You can't do that to us! but looks like a big congratulations is due!


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## highcountryfever

kdog said:


> what a tease!
> 
> I want the story and the full photos!


Patience is a virtue....I am still processing what happened! I think I am still in shock. Story to come. It is a good one!


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## dkhntrdstn

it looks like it that big brown bear. congrats and cant wait to hear the story


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## Swampy_Dog

Congrats man can't wait to hear the whole story and see some pics!!


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## AF CYN

Oh man! I can't wait! Congratulations!


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## twinkielk15

This is an awesome thread! I can't wait for the conclusion!


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## Idratherbehunting

I agree, congratulations and we need to hear the story. Looks like an awesome bear.


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## highcountryfever

The story (and the wait) continues.....

Catchup Post 6-19 to 6-23

Again time to catch up on the hunt during the last few days. The big bears have been coming in to bait #1 everyday, multiple times a day. Their schedule is not consistent at all. They are there at all times of the day/night. 
First a little recap: The boar and sow first showed up on the 14th (Tuesday) while we were sitting at bait #2. On the 16th we came back to restock/hunt bait #1 and was the first night we saw the pics of them, and made the plan to focus on the boar and hunt bait #1 every night to try and take him. On the 18th (Saturday) the plan was to restock bait #2 and then head back to bait #1. When we checked the camera at bait #2, we saw that on the 16th while we were sitting at bait #1 the boar and sow had found bait #2 and were on camera at 5 pm! This was depressing that we had missed them, again. But at the same time it was pretty cool that they were hitting both sites. Going through the rest of the pics they were only there the one time. There is no question it is the same 2 bears. 

Fast forward to Monday the 20th. My brother-in-law wasn’t able to go with, so as a big surprise to me my wife said that she was coming with. We dropped the kids off at the in-laws and headed up the mountain. She was pretty nervous on the hike in, but once we got in the blind she was fine. I was really hopeful that we would see something that night, but it wasn’t meant to be. 

We hunted bait #1 every day that week. When we came back the next day we saw that they had come in 30 min after we left the night before. Dang bears! This was also the beginning of the decline. Normally the bears were coming in multiple times a day, but the last time they were there was 30 after we left the night before. Normally they would come in at least once during the night, most times twice, during the morning and then in the evening. The only pic it had taken in almost 24 hours was of the small bear returning during the afternoon of the 21st. My heart sank. With little bear coming back in I was afraid that the pair had run off. 

Hunting bait #1 the next few days confirmed what we were afraid of. Thursday evening when we returned the bait pile was completely untouched. I was sick. I missed my chance a giant bear. We thought about hiking out and going to bait #2, but decided to stay hoping that we were wrong and they would be back. Soon darkness came and we hiked out with pretty low spirits. 
All said and done they were at bait #1 for a total of 7 days. We hunted them for 5 of the 7 days they were there with no luck. It was decided that we would check bait #1 every couple of days and focus on bait #2 for the remainder of the hunt.


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## mlob1one

And...?

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## highcountryfever

The End 06/24/2016
Thursday night/Friday morning was pretty depressing. I was convinced that I would never see the boar and sow again. We figured that she was in heat while they were together and was no longer in heat and drove the boar off. It felt like I got sucker punched in the gut. 

I didn’t want to even head up to bait #1 because I knew they wouldn’t be up there. My brother in law that had been coming with me almost every time wasn’t going to be able to go with on Friday (the 24th) so I was scrambling last min to find someone else to go. My cousin cleared his schedule and we headed up to bait #2. The plan was to haul in new bait as we hadn’t been there for several days. I was a little worried because I had people telling me if the bait ran out the bears would disappear. We got to the trail head and I honestly didn’t expect to see anything on the camera. I decided to load extra bait on my pack and leave my bow in the truck and only take the rifle. 

In a way it was good my cousin was with me. His level of excitement really helped to boost my mood. Hiking in we decided that if there were any bears on this camera we would stay for the evening and not return to bait #1 as we were planning. 

We got up to the bait site and no big surprise everything was gone. It looked like the ground was dug up a little bit so I was hopeful that there were still a few bears coming in. we pulled the card from the camera and started scanning. There were hundreds of new pics! The sow with 2 cubs were coming in every night after dark. The majority of pics were of them. The sow would dig at the ground and the cubs were climbing the trees around the site. We saw claw marks 15-20 feet up the trees. There was also a new bear on the camera that we had not seen before. It was either a young boar or a sow. Hard to tell from the few pics. 

I wasn’t ready for the next set of pics….

Suddenly there was a giant bear on the camera. A few more pics and it wasn’t just one bear, it was 2! Looking closer it was the sow and the boar from bait #1! HOLY CRAP!!!!! Looking at the dates and I couldn’t believe it. We had pics of them on bait #1 at 8:30 pm Monday night, and then a pic of the sow on bait #2 at 10:50 pm THE SAME NIGHT!!!! Then another set of pics with both of them at 4:30 am Tuesday. There was only the one set of pics, but it was encouraging for sure! We decided there was no way we were leaving. We quickly got set up and waited. 

The wait until dark took forever. Bait 2 had the crappy chairs and the sun was right in our face. We had a couple turkeys wander through the meadow and a funky little buck that we got some video of. Finally the sun set and darkness started setting in. We had heard some noises in the thick timber but was never able to see what was causing it. 9:00 came, then 9:15, then 9:20 and still nothing. At this point it was too dark for the camera to see anything so I slowly started to get things put away. As my back was turned, suddenly there was a SNAP! I turn around as my cousin is yelling (whispering) BEAR! BEAR! SHOOT IT! 

I turn to see a bear standing right on the edge of the clearing, right below where we had been hearing the noises. The bear looks around for a second and then starts heading in. Luckily the wind was in our favor, blowing in our face and blocking our scent. As I was grabbing my rifle the bear started circling the meadow to come into the bait from the downwind side. I was scrambling to get a solid rest. I tried the top of the tripod, too tall, tried to hold the legs but not steady enough. Finally I gave up on the rest and just decided I would take the shot free hand. I gave my cousin the signal I was ready and he gave a quick whistle. The bear immediately stopped and looked right at us at 50 yards. I center the crosshairs right on his chest and the next thing I see is the muzzle flash. Once I recovered from the recoil all I could see in the scope was his back legs in the air. He dropped right where he stood. No recovery required. BEAR DOWN!!! It all happened in less than a min. it was right at 9:25 when he stepped out of the trees. We quickly ran down to him to make sure he was down. HOLY CRAP I JUST SHOT A BEAR!!!!!!! After he was down for sure, we took a min to come back to reality. My cousin looked at me and said “now what?” 

Walking up to a bear is a different experience. I watched him drop, and he hadn’t moved at all and I knew he was down, but it still was very nerve racking to approach. His head wasn’t initially visible, buried in the tall grass. His body looked big, but we didn’t know what we had yet. I grabbed his head and lifted him up and knew immediately IT WAS HIM!!!! I can’t explain that feeling at all other than it was a roller coaster of emotions. 

We snapped a few pics and then ran down to the truck to make some calls to get everyone up there! I was not going to wait until morning. Everyone needed to be there now! A few miles up the road we had service. My first call was to my wife of course. She answered and all I said was don’t wait up! She replied with “what the He!! Does that mean?” BEAR DOWN!!!! I don’t think she really believed me. After convincing her it was real I made more phone calls. They all seemed to go about the same. Soon everyone was on their way. To my surprise my wife called last min and said she was coming too. Her mom came to stay with the kids and she was on her way. 

At 11:30 the troops were assembled and we head up the trail. By midnight we were back up to the bear. After a million pics we started to break down the bear. What a surreal experience. We got the bear done and the blind packed up and headed for the truck. We left the carcass in the grass and set the trail cam on it. We will head back up in a few weeks and see what came in to feed off it. The hike down was quick. The hide was heavy, no doubt about it, but it was not near as heavy as some of the loads of bait we had been hiking in for the last month. I had to slow down and wait for everyone a few times. We got home about 4 am and I crawled in bed for a few hours trying to get some sleep.


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## highcountryfever

A few more...


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## mlob1one

Congratulations! Definitely a hunt to remember. Great job. 

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## dkhntrdstn

wow what a great hunt and congrats on the bear. Did you take any of the meat from it ?


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## Shunter

Awesome! Congrats, your hard work paid off. And thanks for documenting the hunt like that. 

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## silentstalker

Great bear! Nicely done.


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## Swampy_Dog

That's a nice looking bear, congrats


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## BigT

Congrats. Pretty color phase!


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## bekins24

Great story and congratulations. Super good looking bear!


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## highcountryfever

dkhntrdstn said:


> wow what a great hunt and congrats on the bear. Did you take any of the meat from it ?


Yes we took some meat.


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## SidVicious

This has been on of my favorite threads I've followed on here. Congrats on an awesome bear! You earned it, man. I love it.


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## elkantlers

Very nice bear. Congrats. The trouble with these hunts is they are so addicting and getting another tag takes years. There is a huge learning curve and I know there are a lot of things I would do different next time I help with a bait hunt.


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## kdog

congrats and well done!


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## deljoshua

Comgrats on a great bear! Great story too!


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## AF CYN

Great bear. Based on the teeth, it looks like he was pretty old. Did the DWR give you an age estimate?


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## 35whelen

congrats!


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## sambo3006

Congratulations on a well earned bear! Love the chocolate hide.


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## highcountryfever

AF CYN said:


> Great bear. Based on the teeth, it looks like he was pretty old. Did the DWR give you an age estimate?


Honestly I didn't even think to ask the biologist when he came out to look at hiim. The ladies at the desk did say I could call in 6-8 weeks and they should have the results back from the lab


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## highcountryfever

Been doing a little work on the skull. I still have to degrease and bleach. And yes I do have the teeth.


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## Romulus

highcountryfever said:


> Been doing a little work on the skull. I still have to degrease and bleach. And yes I do have the teeth.


Great write up. Thank you for sharing this experience with us.

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## nateysmith

Congrats on an awesome hunt. :grin:


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