Well here's the update. We went out yesterday morning at 4 am and spooked him off the kill site. We snuck in hoping to catch him on it. I had the rancher/farmer behind me with his 340 and I snuck in as quite as I could with the shrew. We saw him on it and the wind was good, but swirling. I had good cover for the first 50 yards, but the I had to belly crawl to get any closer.
I was about 55 yards, when he turned and started getting agitated (nice way to say it I guess). He was looking our way and the ravens spooked.
So I laid there as still as I could. He started coming our way slowly moving his head side to side and then he stood up nosing the air.
I don't think he saw us, but was trying to get his nose to work. he started his huffing and puffing again and was hitting the dirt with his left paw HARD.
Then he charged and at about 40 yards he stopped. I heard a whisper behind me and he said "stay down". He shot him with the 340.
He died instantly. When we talked afterwards he explained that he wasn't sure we were going to get a chance for an arrow at that point and that was my last day to hunt there because I was going to PEI for a skills competition and had to have sat and sunday to get ready.
He couldn't have him running around the farm anymore so he thought it was best to take him out.
I was disappointed, but it's his place and so you have to respect that.
He did tell me he has lots of bears in the fall too that come to visit and he will help me pick out a great spot and get a tree stand in there so that was great.
Too bad I am so short of time this spring. I have to take a competitor to PEI for the National Skills Competition which pits apprentices in 57 different trades against the best in the country - kinda like the olymics of trades. It's a very wonderful experience for these young ppl and I have been training a fella for a while now - TIMING SUCKS THOUGH.
Then I just get back and have to go to Alberta and do some work on a duplex for my inlaws..so my spring bear is done now....urrrrrg
Anyway it was a real exciting two days. By the way..I did hit him the otherday....in the front leg..CRAP - I feel awefull - right through the muscle on the foreleg...We found the hole when we were skinning him out. I felt so bad for him and the rancher explained that "caca happens". He thought it probably happens more often than ppl think even with rifles but ppl are afraid to admit it.
I thought that would blow my chances to hunt out there again, but he said that he was pretty scared just holding the camera the other day too...he couldn't imagine was was going through my mind with only a sharp stick.
So all is good...the problem bear is out of his mind now...pretty unnerving out fencing and looking after animals all day and have to be looking for bears too. He shot one last year that charged his tractor and came right up on top of the front of it.
It had killed and elk and he didn't know he was just going out to check the elk and it came out of the bush so fast he didn't even see it until it was on the hood.
He says he never goes anywaywhere without the scatter gun or the 340...I know why now.
So here's a couple of pick for yuh....He would have been a real trophy for a bow hunter and he seemed ALOT BIGGER when he is charging but still a real nice grizz.
All I can say is that I have hunted for along time and ONLY with a bow - I have taken 11 bears - all blacks - some big ones too - 19-10/16's was the biggest, but grizzlies just bring something else to the table....I was real calm the second day it was amazing...I think the day before was my time for the buck fever I guess.
All I am trying to say is practice is wonderful, but the moment of truth is when it all counts. Try as hard as you can to get your breathing and try not to think about the size of the animal etc...just really look at the spot you are trying to hit (unlike my shot). All the other things will come later - size of the animal - the praise of your friends - the trophy you will have mounted and proundly displayed (you experience ppl know what I am talking about - cause it goes through all of our minds at some point)...what I am trying to say is..we practice and practice thousands of shots and visualize that broadside shot at our range (whatever that is) and then it happens and we HAVE TO REMEMBER TO CONCENTRATE on that one tiny little spot and forget the rest cause it doesn't matter now.
What matters is that we have come to a spot in our minds where everything in the past doesn't matter it's now and only now that matters.
Likek that great line in "the love of the game" - CLEAR THE MECHANIZIM....
Good luck to the rest of you ouir there on your quests this spring and throughout the year..Even how things worked out I am proud to be a bowhunter and am looking forward to your stories - successful or not - they are experiences we never forget.
Jer BEARLESS
Topic: UPDATE Look who I saw last night - bears (Read 874 times)
