riverswild
New member
I drove down the highway without any idea where we were going while killbilly talked on his cell phone. Both hogsniper and Jerome had told killbilly about an area and I had a slight idea where it was but I wanted to take a look at a small unit just north of there.
We stopped for a minute and looked at this small unit and decided it would be best to come back in the evening when the sun was on the westside of the knob.
We headed back down the highway and pulled up to a gated road that we thought we had good instructions for. We were told to go in and follow the road to a swamp…. but we apparently didn’t follow the right road.
We saw a little sign from the year before and it looked like it could be a good spot. We continued passed a small swamp and around a few corners until we came to a fork in the road. We had not seen much old sign for a bit so I suggested we go back to the first spur road but we decided to continue and not knowing which way was the right one to take (neither were according to our source) we to the left fork and headed downhill slightly.
At just over a mile killbilly mentions that it looks like we bottomed out but we didn’t seem to find the grassy area we were told about. We decided to continue for a little bit and we came upon a swamp.
At 9:29 I stepped about 10 yards off the grade to take that pic. I took a couple and as I turned to step back up on the grade…BOOM!
I look up to see killbilly ejecting a round. Being a smartass, I started to say something and BOOM! Now I am up on the road and I can see the bear at about 80 yards and it is trying to get up but it looked like it’s back end was paralyzed. Then it turned to head into the brush and I told killbilly to hit him again.
After the third shot the bear started to moan and I turned my camera to the movie function and ran up to it. Killbilly hollers to me, “be careful, I am out of bullets”. The bear is moaning but barely moving and by the time I got up to it, it was all over. I kick the bear in the ass and look up from my camera to see killbilly standing a few a couple yards away with a knife in his hand.
We moved it across the road to a clear spot for photos.
The pic doesn’t do it justice but you can barely see the gold stripe down it’s back.
Healthy teeth.
Pale claws.
I then left killbilly to gut the bear and I went back to the truck for the game cart and tarp. When I got back I took more pictures of him finishing up the gutting.
It’s stomach was full of grass and in the last day or so it also ate a bunch of Salmon Berry flowers.
We then rolled it up in a black mesh tarp, strapped everything to the cart and headed out the 1.4 miles to the truck.
Here are some notes from Killbilly.
A little self reckoning:
While BTKR was gone for the game cart and stuff, I was busy cutting/gutting. It was quiet and I was immersed in thought about the task at hand. All of a sudden, I heard something heavy thrashing around nearby. I had a knife and picked up a healthy stick/club and stood up to look over the huge stump I was behind. The hair was standing up on the back of my neck but I couldn't see anything. I walked about 30 feet down the road and heard it again. I looked over towards the swamp and saw another bear jumping out of the water onto solid ground and scurrying away. I couldn't tell much about size but it was a Blackie.
Giving some thought as to how quickly and unexpectedly the one I had just shot had appeared out of nowhere, it made me very nervous not knowing where the black was heading. Anyway, I decided that I was going to be on the alert and watch my surroundings until BTKR got back. It was strange to me because bears don't scare me but after one appearing out of the clear blue sky, it made me nervous knowing that another was not far away. Oh well, we got it packaged up and were back to the truck by 11:30 AM. It was a good for a Bear to die....
On another note:
Color Phase Bears, I have always wanted one...........
Whether right or wrong I was convinced that I would have a better chance of finding and harvesting a color phase bear up in the Skagit or Monroe units than I ever would on the Coast where we usually hunt.
My sole purpose of applying for those units was the elevated odds of it happening. I was told that color phase bears were seen up there but to not get my hopes to high....
Well boys and girls, When I looked up and saw that brown/chocolate walking towards me, It was all over. I was not concerned about it not being huge. It quite frankly registered that this was the bear I was supposed to harvest.
I am tickled to death with the gold very thick chocolate coat, the gold muzzle, the gold stripe down it's back, the white blaze on it's chest and the blond claws.... What more could I have asked for? I am humbled by this hunt like no other ever. All the good folks that helped out and having my friend and hunting partner along... There is nothing left to say, except Thanks
When asked about having been a Marine and running out of bullets he commented…
I was waiting for that one... I actually had three extra shells in my pocket earlier but had taken them out and put them in the door pocket. Forgot and left them there.. However, as BTKR noted, when he turned approached the bear he turned around and saw that I had my knife in hand and ready.... now just picture that scrap going on..
Headlines: Ex Marine armed with knife attacts cute little brown bear....
We stopped for a minute and looked at this small unit and decided it would be best to come back in the evening when the sun was on the westside of the knob.
We headed back down the highway and pulled up to a gated road that we thought we had good instructions for. We were told to go in and follow the road to a swamp…. but we apparently didn’t follow the right road.
We saw a little sign from the year before and it looked like it could be a good spot. We continued passed a small swamp and around a few corners until we came to a fork in the road. We had not seen much old sign for a bit so I suggested we go back to the first spur road but we decided to continue and not knowing which way was the right one to take (neither were according to our source) we to the left fork and headed downhill slightly.
At just over a mile killbilly mentions that it looks like we bottomed out but we didn’t seem to find the grassy area we were told about. We decided to continue for a little bit and we came upon a swamp.
At 9:29 I stepped about 10 yards off the grade to take that pic. I took a couple and as I turned to step back up on the grade…BOOM!
I look up to see killbilly ejecting a round. Being a smartass, I started to say something and BOOM! Now I am up on the road and I can see the bear at about 80 yards and it is trying to get up but it looked like it’s back end was paralyzed. Then it turned to head into the brush and I told killbilly to hit him again.
After the third shot the bear started to moan and I turned my camera to the movie function and ran up to it. Killbilly hollers to me, “be careful, I am out of bullets”. The bear is moaning but barely moving and by the time I got up to it, it was all over. I kick the bear in the ass and look up from my camera to see killbilly standing a few a couple yards away with a knife in his hand.
We moved it across the road to a clear spot for photos.
The pic doesn’t do it justice but you can barely see the gold stripe down it’s back.
Healthy teeth.
Pale claws.
I then left killbilly to gut the bear and I went back to the truck for the game cart and tarp. When I got back I took more pictures of him finishing up the gutting.
It’s stomach was full of grass and in the last day or so it also ate a bunch of Salmon Berry flowers.
We then rolled it up in a black mesh tarp, strapped everything to the cart and headed out the 1.4 miles to the truck.
Here are some notes from Killbilly.
A little self reckoning:
While BTKR was gone for the game cart and stuff, I was busy cutting/gutting. It was quiet and I was immersed in thought about the task at hand. All of a sudden, I heard something heavy thrashing around nearby. I had a knife and picked up a healthy stick/club and stood up to look over the huge stump I was behind. The hair was standing up on the back of my neck but I couldn't see anything. I walked about 30 feet down the road and heard it again. I looked over towards the swamp and saw another bear jumping out of the water onto solid ground and scurrying away. I couldn't tell much about size but it was a Blackie.
Giving some thought as to how quickly and unexpectedly the one I had just shot had appeared out of nowhere, it made me very nervous not knowing where the black was heading. Anyway, I decided that I was going to be on the alert and watch my surroundings until BTKR got back. It was strange to me because bears don't scare me but after one appearing out of the clear blue sky, it made me nervous knowing that another was not far away. Oh well, we got it packaged up and were back to the truck by 11:30 AM. It was a good for a Bear to die....
On another note:
Color Phase Bears, I have always wanted one...........
Whether right or wrong I was convinced that I would have a better chance of finding and harvesting a color phase bear up in the Skagit or Monroe units than I ever would on the Coast where we usually hunt.
My sole purpose of applying for those units was the elevated odds of it happening. I was told that color phase bears were seen up there but to not get my hopes to high....
Well boys and girls, When I looked up and saw that brown/chocolate walking towards me, It was all over. I was not concerned about it not being huge. It quite frankly registered that this was the bear I was supposed to harvest.
I am tickled to death with the gold very thick chocolate coat, the gold muzzle, the gold stripe down it's back, the white blaze on it's chest and the blond claws.... What more could I have asked for? I am humbled by this hunt like no other ever. All the good folks that helped out and having my friend and hunting partner along... There is nothing left to say, except Thanks
When asked about having been a Marine and running out of bullets he commented…
I was waiting for that one... I actually had three extra shells in my pocket earlier but had taken them out and put them in the door pocket. Forgot and left them there.. However, as BTKR noted, when he turned approached the bear he turned around and saw that I had my knife in hand and ready.... now just picture that scrap going on..
Headlines: Ex Marine armed with knife attacts cute little brown bear....
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