# My Idaho Bear



## bearhntr (Oct 6, 2008)

He measures 6'6" nose to tail and 6'3" claw to claw which makes him score 6'4.5" I have not measured the skull but it is freaking huge! I shot him at twenty yards with my 7mm mag and then again at forty. He turned and came down the hill towards the trail and a guy that I was with got excited and spooked him. The bear charged two other hunters in our group and had a chunk taken out of its ear by one of them running away and shooting and the other shot him with his 30-06 and he rolled. I came around the corner and he started to get up to either take me out or get the heck out of dodge. He was at three feet and I only could quick draw my colt 45 and with one quick perfect placed shot behind the front leg he slashed at me a few times and tried to bite then gave up the ghost. When I was skinning him I found my first shot had hit him in the right front wrist. The instant I shot he tried to run blocking his vitals with his leg. He rolled and I thought he was dead until he bolted out of the bottom and I got another shot. That went up under his rib cage ending up in his chest. One 30-06 bullet took out a chunk of the ear and the third was about six inches below the spine. Not one of the shots exited and the first shot did not even break a bone in his fore arm!!! Amazingly tough animals! We guessed his weight over 350lbs and is the as big or even bigger than the biggest one taken out of that area since 1974! What a rush!!!![attachment=6:3kyyda30]Bear 1.JPG[/attachment:3kyyda30][attachment=6:3kyyda30]Bear 1.JPG[/attachment:3kyyda30][attachment=0:3kyyda30]Bear head b.y.JPG[/attachment:3kyyda30]


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

geez, great story!!


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Wow, that guy didnt want to go down without a fight. Thanks for sharing and since I havent seen you around here yet, welcome to the forum!


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## bearhntr (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks guys. It was a rush and a total fun trip. He is going to make a great rug! I have never seen a full chocolate bear in this area before so this is a true trophy. If the wolf hunt would not have been canceled I would have shot me a pure black at 10 yards while hiking to the area where I shot my bear. Can I just tell you that 4 miles of hiking with a bear in your pack is an extra long hike but well worth it.


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## MKP (Mar 7, 2010)

Good grief, what a story! Congratulations!


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## yfzduner450 (Dec 28, 2009)

What a nice bear and a really cool story.


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## bearhntr (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks I almost forgot. The guy who takes me into the area has hunted this spot since 1974. This is the first time he has ever been charged and I know it shook him up a bit! I recall him looking a few shades lighter after everything settled down. We had a 4 mile hike out and it was dark. You could sense that he still had the fear in him because we were nearly running. I was not complaining because of the size of my bear. When I dropped the pack I literally felt as if I was floating. I had to run another 1/2 mile to the truck and you would have thought that I just started my running exercise because how great I felt after dropping the pack. What a blast of a hunt!!! I can't wait until I get it back from the Taxidermist! Thanks for all of you comments.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Great story and photos. Just curious on the load you used in the.45 ??? My carry guns are all .45's. If it will stop a bear then that is one heck of a round. 8)


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## bearhntr (Oct 6, 2008)

I am using 235 grain standard loads no hollow points. They might not go through a shoulder or even the brisket when the bear is on all fours but, if it is standing or broad side and you can sneak it behind the shoulder it will stop it. Nothing smaller will do the trick. We had a guy in camp try and to finish it off one with a 9mm. We found the bullets just below the skin!!! So go big or go home when hunting bears. Haha


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Geez, it scares me just reading your story.


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## bearhntr (Oct 6, 2008)

This hunt has given me the purest adrenalin rush I have ever experienced! I thought that my first bear hunt was a rush but this one with the bear being teed off and taking multiple shots to kill him and the proximity of the whole thing makes for a memorable hunt that I will have with me forever.


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## bearhntr (Oct 6, 2008)

So, I just got my rug back from the taxidermist and man I forgot how big the guy was! I now have to find a place to put him because he takes up a ton of floor space! Hahah My kids were ecstatic about it but Mrs. Bearhntr was not so much! Hahahaha


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## bkelz (Dec 3, 2010)

nice story and great hunt! im so excited for ya!


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## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

wow thats amazing, great story and bear rug


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

Sounds like a story for Outdoor Life! Nice Bear!


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## duneman101 (Nov 6, 2009)

thats friggin awesome! congrats.


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