newbie spot 'n stalk

[chinook907]

Have climbed the hills around here the last couple Saturdays, looking for a black bear.  Went after one last week but my wind got to him before I did.  Got a late start this Saturday, climbed ~ 2,500 feet and what do I see...

 

That's one on the left and another a smaller speck towards the right of the pic.  Eating crowberries and the few blueberries on that slope this year.

[chinook907]

So I changed out of my shorts & sweat soaked tshirt into my camo, and started after the one on the left.  Had the wind in my favor, from the bear to me.

[beaver#1]

well did you get'em

[Harmless]

Oh don't tease us like that. And then ??

[chinook907]

Was sneaking on him but couldn't see him, then the wind turned around as it does, poured rain for 15 minutes and sent my scent to him.  When  I got out of the brush he was gone, so I headed back up the ridge I had been on, hiked a bit further for a better view of that slope and beyond, and now I see 4 bears in different spots within a mile or so from me.  Whats a guy to do...

[sticshooter]

get moving and SHOOT...SHOOT!!!!!LOL<><

[chinook907]

They all looked like good bears, the closest looked stalkable so decided to try for him.  I snuck to the base of the slope where he couldn't see me, hiked further on ~1/4 mile, then pushed my way up thru the stunted hemlock and juniper and broke out into the open stuff a little below and several hundred yards past him.

Couldn't see him but had some preplanned landmarks I headed towards that would put me close to where I had last seen him.

[chinook907]

Stashed my pack just inside the trees and headed towards my landmarks, wondering whether he had heard me, winded me, just moved on, or if he was still there feeding.

Got to my last landmark and had been sliding along on my side, just a litle at a time, and I got just past my last landmark and I see the top of a black outline maybe 40-50 yards from me, hard to judge as I was on my side and couldn't see the ground between me and him.

Holy cow this might just come together.

[frassettor]

     ....What happened? Sounds Great so far

[chinook907]

Still looked like I good bear, and he was feeding this way and that, didn't know I was around.  No brush over 6" high between us, but lots of little bowls in the ground that was good cover.  Picked a spot on the far side of a little bowl to slide to that would get me as close as I could without being exposed.

Slowly slid to the spot, peeking on the bear as I went, only moving when he was facing away.

[chinook907]

Got to my hangup spot.  He had been ever so slowly feeding my way.  He got to where I was comfortable was in my range.  The slope I was on and the way I was facing, the slope was on my right as I faced the bear.  That's good as I shoot lefty.

He was close now but facing me and I figured when he gets sideways I'll shoot.

I had just had the thought and he goes broadside then quartering away, a bit upslope of me.  I came up on my knees like on a reflex and I could see my fletching going thru behind his shoulder before I knew it, it just happened.  He jumped sideways and swapped ends, heading downhill with my arrow falling out his far side (now the side to me) as he went.  Watched him go ~75 yards downhill, stopped at the edge of the trees, droop a little, then went into the trees.  Looked back to where he had been and my arrow was standing straight up from the ground where it had dropped out of him, silverflame in the ground and bent/broken knock in he air, would have made a great picture.  Even from where I stood I could see it was soaked in blood.

[aprice555]

Where's the pictures?

[frassettor]

Aprice555,Im sure they are coming...    Tap, tap

[chinook907]

Thought I heard his moan a minute or so after he went into the trees.

Retrieved my arrow, hiked back & got my pack.

About 1/2 hour after I shot I went to where he entered the trees, good blood (for a bear) out both sides. Started poking around and there he was in a pile about 15 feet into the trees.  It was awesome.  Got my first recurve this winter/spring, this was my first arrow out of a recurve at a critter.  They say even a blind hog gets an acorn.  Here's a couple pics, it would have been a grunt to get him in the open for pics, and I was burning daylight so they're not the best, pretty cramped quarters.  You can just see the open slope in the background.  BW PSAX in osage, 58", 60lbs @ 27.5, grizzlystik alaskans, 150 gr silverflames and some weights, total weight with bh ~635 grains.  

 


Oh yeah and this one has my brand new sticshooter knife in it, thanks Frank.
 

[frassettor]

                     ATTA BOY!!

[chinook907]

Thanks.  Sure good a lot of good info off this site.

Forgot to add, got him in the heart and some other good stuff, it was probably around 17 yards.

Was by myself, the hide with all the meat and other stuff I had was too much for as far as I had to go, so I stashed the hide in a game bag, then packed all the meat for about 45 minutes, then it was way past dark and I was falling all over so stashed the meat & took another 1 1/2 hours to get to the road around 11:30pm.  Came back yesterday with some friends & we got it all out.  Heart is boiling on the stove as we speak (yum).

[CheapShot]

Nice bear. Good story telling too. Congratulations, sounds like you worked hard for him.

[Billy]

Congrats !!
ANY bear is a dream of mine, and that is a nice one.

[Lin Rhea]

Congratulations on the bear and the great story.
                          Lin

[SirRobin77]

DANG!!!! Great story! Great bear!!!