# 2020 Fall Bear hunt..



## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

I'll do A quick little write up about this hunt...

Where to start! Well, this hunt started for me on July 1st when I scouted and GPS'd my bait site. It's been a lot of hard work preparing, getting bait, making runs to drop bait. Every time I make a bait run its a 10 hour day. Starting August 1st I could start setting bait. From there it was both weekends there and back and once in the middle of the week.

Things were looking good on camera. We were starting to get some decent bears on camera. Mind you, I'm a rookie bear hunter and my goal the whole time going into this was to get a good looking bear with a nice pelt.

Finally the hunt is right before us ( I lost a few nights of sleep stressing this hunt) I had a lot going on from worldly Covid nonsense to my wife and I selling our house and buying a new one. In fact, we closed on our new house on August 11th and I left for bear camp on the 14th! HUGE shout out to my wife for carrying a load while I tried to keep everything organized.

We (me and my dad) got to the base of the mountain and loaded up the side x side and headed up in and got our camp set up and did one more bait drop Friday afternoon. We got back to camp early and relaxed for the rest of the night. 
We know we had a hand full of bears on camera that I would be happy to take. Opening morning finally comes with the sound of the alarm clock, we get ready, eat breakfast and head out. 
After we arrive where we park, just as you can start to see, my dad and I sneak into the blind after about a 600 yard hike. We sat on the bait from 6:30am to 11:30 am with no bears so, we throw in the towel and go back to camp for a break.
Most the bears were coming in the early morning and later in the evening. We knew it was only a matter of time.

While in camp we made a plan to be back in the blind by 4:30pm.
Again, we park the ATV and hike in towards the blind. 
The way my bait site sits is in a thick swell of pines with aspens mixed. there is a game trail that leads past it, you can't see inside the the bait crib until you either walk to the crib and past OR from inside the blind.

Now that we are into the hunt, I'm on even more high alert as we approach the bait site. Keep in mind, I chose to use my .243 on this bear hunt for a lack of time allotted to myself on my end for this hunt.

SO.. My dad and I slowly sneak up the trail towards the bait site. I'v got a spray bottle of anise oil that I spray on the trees for sent control and extra attractant as I walk through the woods. 
As we get half way up this particular section of trail, we are now getting close to the bait. My dad says he's gonna cut left and head to the blind while I go pull an SD card. I said to him "no, fallow me until I can see inside the bait crib just in case there is a bear".

So, my dad continues fallowing behind me really slowly as we sneak up to this bait pile! finally we are within 30 yards of the bait pile and I can just barley peek inside the bait crib. I see a brown rump! I say in my head "thats a bear rump, its gotta be!" So, I throw up my scope and confirm what I had thought. It looked like a even brown color with a good back end but, I could literally only see the rise of its rump. I turned to my dad and gave him some hand signals to HOLD TIGHT! there's a bear!! Just then the bear turned to me and raised its head to smell, exposing its chest and shoulder for a front on broadside shot. I'm processing everything in my head in a nanno second and decided to make a shot before the bear turned to run. I was already raised up with my gun so I put the cross hairs right on its front shoulder and pulled the trigger and the bear dropped like a sack full of mashed potatoes!!

It was WILD!!! and it turns out she's a SOW! but, regardless she's a pretty bear with a beautiful pelt and I am absolutely happy with taking her! 

It was a chore for my dad and I to carry her into the shadows to skin her out. I laid this bear on its back to skin out and laid next to her and I'm 5' 9" but, this bear laid out a good 8-10" longer then I was laying next to it.

I got it checked in and the fish cop said she looked like an old sow.

ALSO, I captured the frame by frame picture on my trail camera as I shot the bear and in the picture you can see my dad standing in the center right side of the picture in camo while I was in front of him behind a tree, in the second frame you can see my muzzle flash and the dust impact on the bear... Check it out!!!

Bear hunting is FUN!!


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## BGD (Mar 23, 2018)

Congrats! Great looking bear and sounds like an awesome fun experience. Thanks for sharing!


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Nice Bear!


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

Pretty bear! Cool experience to share with your dad as well!


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Congrats - that’s awesome!


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Well done!

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Way to go! That’s a beauty!


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## 300MAG (Nov 3, 2009)

Was a great experience! Thank you for sharing.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You need to frame that one picture of your dad and the bear. 

Dandy bear


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Congrats! That is super cool that you were able to get it all on trailcam!


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Nothing better than a well executed plan


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Very nice! She looks gorgeous and very nicely sized. It'll be cool to hear how old they age her at


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## super chicken (Nov 5, 2014)

And there you have it...... another Bear Hunting Addict. sorry to tell you G
oose Freak, there i no counseling or treatment for bear addiction. I sure am glad you got a nice bear. I dont think she was one of the other ones you posted photos of. NICE BEAR.


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## Wire (Nov 2, 2017)

Congrats on a great looking bear. Pretty cool you have trail cam memories of it too.


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

That's a beautiful bear! Congrats!


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## pollo70 (Aug 15, 2016)

Awesome...nice YOGI!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I keep toggling between your kill photos and the first photo of that one bear you posted in the other thread--I'm pretty sure its the same bear you had on camera before. Either way you shot a great one! Now, let's get excited for that elk hunt of yours!


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## snw_brdr10 (May 20, 2014)

Great bear! What an exciting experience! Thanks for sharing. Bear hunting is a blast!


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## pockypie (Jan 4, 2019)

Thanks for posting; I am excited to try hunting bears for my first time next month. I'll be considering myself lucky to even see a bear let alone a nice looking shooter!


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

johnnycake said:


> I keep toggling between your kill photos and the first photo of that one bear you posted in the other thread--I'm pretty sure its the same bear you had on camera before. Either way you shot a great one! Now, let's get excited for that elk hunt of yours!


You think its the very first one i got on camera? I don't think so. That first one was small, I have pictures of it standing up and it was 4 1/2 ish. When I laid next to the one I killed, from the palm of its feet to the tip of its snout was easy 10" longer then I was and im 5' 9" and the first one had more of a two tone color but, mine is solid. Iv got another camera angle of the one I killed but, i have my SD cards mixed up right now. I'll find it.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Sounds like a big ol bear! Good job!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

goosefreak said:


> You think its the very first one i got on camera? I don't think so. That first one was small, I have pictures of it standing up and it was 4 1/2 ish. When I laid next to the one I killed, from the palm of its feet to the tip of its snout was easy 10" longer then I was and im 5' 9" and the first one had more of a two tone color but, mine is solid. Iv got another camera angle of the one I killed but, i have my SD cards mixed up right now. I'll find it.


Not the very first one, but the last set of photos you posted had two different bears--i think she's a ringer for the first one


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

johnnycakes yeah, thats the bear! here is a picture the moment I shot.

And another picture of what I believe to be the same bear on the paw. I'm happy with her, no doubt! not one regret! cant wait to hang the rug up in my office room in the new house!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

goosefreak said:


> johnnycakes yeah, thats the bear! here it a picture the moment I shot.
> 
> And another picture of what I believe to be the same bear on the paw. I'm happy with her, no doubt! not one regret! cant wait to hang the rug up in my office room in the new house!


Yep, I agree that's her too. She's awesome!


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

She’s a beaut!


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