Stuck on Black....

[psinclair]

Meaning the last five, or six bears I've shot have been black......but that's not a bad thing!!!

Yesterday afternoon was pretty sweet. This one is the best Black Bear of my hunting career. No way to weigh him, but I figured 450 pounds. Can't imagine what this bear looked like last fall....

 

[Big Fin]

Congrats on a great bear, Pat. Melon head extreme.

 

[highmountian]

Awesome bear congrats!

 

[FAIR CHASE]

You encapsulate what all modern day hunters wish they were.

 

[jryoung]

This one is the best (insert species) of my hunting career.

Seems to be a recurring theme from this past fall.

Awesome bear, if you bleach it that skull is going to be awesome.

 

[Art Vandeley]

Sweet bear!

 

[JBS]

That is a great bear with a huge skull. It always intrigues me what rifle you choose to pack- if you don't mind sharing.

 

[Elkoholic]

Awesome bear! Man all these bears starting to fall has me fired up for next week! Congrats on a great looking bear!

 

[psinclair]

His lower lip had been torn away, and was healed up. Looked like it happened last year before hibernation....probably from fighting with another boar. He had quite a bit of leftover body fat, and was in great condition. There's quite a bit of tooth wear, so I'd bet he an old timer that's been around the block. His fur looked full, and even, with no rubs.

My hunting pard and I were watching the opposite hillside starting at about 5PM, after an hour or so, I was taking a little cat nap in the sun, when Steve shook my shoulder, and said, "There's your bear!" He was about a mile off, and coming across, sidehilling. There was a chute about half mile in front of him that was full of green grass that I figured he was headed for. I dropped down, and started my climb to try to get in front of him without him getting my wind. Steve stayed, and watched the show from our vantage point. Half way up, I topped a small rise, and saw him walking across to my right. The wind was good, blowing from right, to left about 10mph. I had no time to range, and barely got prone, worked a round into the chamber, and did a quick voice howl, that stopped him only a few feet from heavy black timber. I centered the crosshair on his chest, held off a few inches for drift, and fired. He instantly disappeared into the timber. Everything felt good, but I was nervous about the range. It ended up being 280 meters(306 yards). I was shooting uphill, so that took a little of the drop out. I marked the spot where I last saw him, and made my way into the timber. He was laying dead, hung up against a Sub Alpine Fir. He only went about 25 feet after being hit in the center of the chest. With a little bit of grunting, and groaning, we rolled him up out of there for the camera...

 

[shoots-straight]

Wowzers! Great bear.

 

[ashersdad]

Now that's a beast!! Nice! Way to make the shot count. Congrats on a bruiser of a bear.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Wow, he's a brute.

 

[genesis273]

That's a really nice bear!

 

[HalfAce]

That's a pig of a bear. Congratulations! Probably saved a few fawns and calves this season as a result.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Awesome bear!

 

[Big Foot]

Wow. Very impressive bear. Congratulations!

 

[noharleyyet]

Fine shooting.

 

[JCS]

Congrats

 

[mtmuley]

Something tells me that bear was Pat's target. Nice job. mtmuley

 

[npaden]

Wow. Absolute brute! Congrats on an awesome animal.