TBT: Why don't you take that Hippy BF of Her's Hunting, Spring Bear - ID - 2012

AvidIndoorsman

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As we all know non-consumptive users are all hippies, all of them.

Ipso facto, this guy getting kinda serious with the ranchers daughter was...

So we moved in together, and about a month in I get a call from my father-n-law.

"Yeah so Tues-Thurs after work and Saturday you're going over to the CPW office for you hunter's safety.."

"Huh"

"Let me know how it goes...*click*"

So I went...

Couple weeks later was the turkey opener...


Borrowed gun, jacket, etc... first critter.
Willturkey.jpg

I had a good time but basically thought my filial obligations met, got the card, shot the bird... one and done, back to avocado toast, sandals, and shredding moguls.

Couple months go by and I get the call from her brother...
 
Apparently there was a snafu with a hunting buddy on a spring bear trip... and hazing your little sisters BF is a riot ... so

"We're leaving on Weds (it's Friday), I will bring and will just get tags there"

So here I am, I've shot a turkey, and now I'm driving 12 hrs to go on a 5 day backpack hunt with my BIL.

*at this point have shot 20rnds out of a .22 and a centerfire rifle twice... maybe?

*BIL claims to be an awesome hunter, now he has taken a bunch of animals and some great elk at this point, but what I don't know is that... pretty green on the whole backpacking thing.

So weds, drive through the night, around 4:45am I'm driving, cruising through Hailey, and whoop whoop. *F&$K

BIL from a stupor "what did you do"

...

great start...

anyway we arrive...

Idaho 2012 013.JPG
 
E-scounting... ha... I made some maps using my nascent skills

"other side of the unit bro"

so it was kinda a going in blind deal.

First day we decide to pack in "for the trip"

We picked the *easy side of the mountain with no snow because "there will be more bears".
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I was worried about our water usage... and packed all 8 nalgenes

Note the super sweet scarf that made me extra sneaky.
Also 10x42 on a neck strap... 1/5 yelp review.
044.JPG
We decided that in fact this spot was not rad... so climbed back down. 7 full bottles returned to the truck unmolested.
 
The second night in it got really cold. Needless to say, sleeping in the bed of the truck without a topper with a 20 degree bag in May was not the greatest decision.

We awoke tired.

Dramatic reenactment
1616711525699.png

Protip, if you don't clear your water filter and it gets below freezing your filter might crack in half.
Protip 2, your mendel's might be bitchin but if you don't wear gaiters they are going to get soaked when you walk through the river
 
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If your doing the super sneaky (blue???) scarf correctly, it will cushion the concertina wire strap on the binoculars.

Enjoying the story/efforts so far
 
So this is when things get serious, we see our first bear of the hunt. It's a ways off moving across an avalanche slide, I stay with the spotter and BIL takes off with his bow.

He makes a valiant effort and puts in a heck of a stalk, the bear isn't sitting still and boogies over the hill when he's about 120 yards out.

I pack up and meet him on the ridge, we hike up to the top and watch the tracks disappear into "too far", which looking back on it was not that far..
1616712444332.png

We spend the rest of the day glassing and don't see much else.

Day 4, we hike back up to the spot where we last saw the bear and glass.

Nada....

Around noon we decide to make our way down and talk about driving to a different drainage.

On the way down we spook up a fawn [calf] elk, thing looks like it's only a couple weeks old it runs down the hill into the canyon below us.

We decide that a nap is in order.

View from the nap.
1616712640777.png

We put in a good 45 min of zzzs and then make our way down.

We hit the bottom of the canyon (bottom left of picture above), my BIL is in front and I'm in back.

Brown blur explodes from our right heading up the hill.

I grab my BILs shoulder, "BEAR"

He looks at me like what do you want me to do about it?

*At this point I haven't shot a bow and don't get the whole, release, nocking, draw... or range aspects of this whole archery thing people do

I look back at him.

He looks at me.

Back at him.

"SHOOT HIM"

Not a round in the chamber, I rack one in, drop into a one knee shooting position.

BLAUKŠ​


Bear rolls down the hill towards us, and comes to a stop about 50 feet above in some small trees.

We approach... I'm like WTF is happening.

Bear down.

First reaction, is that a grizzly
Second reaction is that a dog?

1616713278030.png
 
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Pretty amped at this point, and made some huge mistakes.

1. Firearm safety: I did not check to see if my rifle was safe. I set it aside with one in the chamber and the safety off. Check your weapons, check your buddies, double check the FNG. Rifle slid during skinning, didn't go off but it was a bad deal.

2. Idaho doesn't require you to take the meat. I didn't, I still feel like shit about, wish I could take that move back. Definitely wish their were meat salvage rules in every state for bears. I should have known better, but it wasn't a rule and neither of us had much bear experience. I think if I had had to take the meat I would been a couple years further along in my cooking.
 
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