MT bear down

[----]

Nothing in the berry patch this morning, so I decided to glass an overgrown creek bottom on the way out. Got lucky and spotted this guy crossing through the creek. Took about an hour to finally get in and get a shot on him, and put one in him at somewhere around twenty-thirty yards.

He went down quick and made a pretty good death moan, but I backed out anyways to give him some time, and to call in help to get him out of the jungle we were in. Spent over two hours looking for him (no blood what so ever) before my brother finally stumbled on him, less than fifty feet from where I shot him. We really got lucky to find him at all, couldn't believe how well an animal that size could hide in the middle of a berry bush.

Not a tank, but a good healthy boar, he's also my biggest and first non-black bear.
After a really frustrating spring season, and a rough year in general, I couldn't be happier.

A lot of emotional up and downs today. Way up after making a great stalk and putting a good shot on what I knew was my best bear, then way down with spending so long trying to find it, when I knew he was down and baking in the middle of the day sun. And then finally back to the highs of finding him.

First picture is just showing the mess we were trying to track him in, second and third is the showing how he was when we found him.

 

[jabber]

Congrats!!!!!

Looks like a pretty good bear, but it seems to be missing one shoe in that last pic.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

WTG! Nice looking Bear. John

 

[Spitz]

Well done! thanks for sharing.

 

[IdahoBugler]

Awesome bear congrats on a great stalk and kill.

 

[cornfed]

Nice bear,looks to have a nice hide.

 

[BuzzH]

Nice bear, congratulations!

 

[Oak]

Congratulations Randy. Good looking bear!

 

[Carl]

Nice bear, love the patch!

 

[upper deck]

Good looking bear. Congrads

 

[brian]

Congrats, great pics.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Nice bear and congrats on sticking with it and finding him without a blood trail. Good job!

 

[Missoulaz28]

I ha walked in the exact same spot that I saw him from a half our earlier, amazing what going the opposite direction and a little luck with the sun poking through that thick stuff helps.

You owe me a beer by the way.

 

[shoots-straight]

Way to stick with it! Good job.

 

[Layin_It_Down]

Congrats!!! I love the "noble" patch on his chest. Gotta love those "Jungles". I guess that's bear country though. Thanks for sharing.....

 

[----]

I think I owe you a lot more than just one.

Thanks though everybody, appreciate the congrats.
Just dropped him off at the processor, tons of fat on him. Should be lots of good eats. Can't wait to cook the first roast.

Not entirely sure what kind of berries he was in, I've always called them chokecherries but a quick google search showed that's not right. He was definitely getting his fill of them though, his stomach was rock hard it was so full of them.

* edit to add I found the berries online and they're serviceberry. Same stuff I saw a great big jet black bear in last week.

 

[Horn Seeker]

Nice job! You save that for pie filling? Little Saskatoon Pie is good chit!

 

[1_pointer]

Very nice!!! Like the color of that sucker. I really, really need to give them a try soon...

 

[----]

Very nice!!! Like the color of that sucker. I really, really need to give them a try soon...

So get up here. They're thick anywhere near berries and water right now. Can't find anybody to come hunting with me during the week anyways.

This is the black guy I mentioned earlier, looked to me to be bigger than the one I shot. Took this picture on the 13th, and I know no one's bothered him yet. Only problem with this guy is he shares his berries with the bigger, browner variety.

 

[Smokey76]

Randy 11,
Very nice bear, good job!!
This is for you and Pointer-1, still looking forward to that spring hunt, and I hope to do it with a buddy or two, stay in touch fellow!!
Again nice bear!!