Went For A Bear walk

[JimB]

This is a strange spring in Montana.We have had a lot of cold weather and frequent mountain snows.Bear season started April 15th but doesn't normally get good here till say,oh,May 11th.Really,things start to get into full swing for bears about then,at least in this area.

We finally got a break today and I decided to check out a couple spots,not sure if they would be moving much yet but the first order of business is to check the grass growth in the hunting spots.Spring bears need that green grass when they first come out.No grass-no activity.

The first area I checked had several good trails to check and this bear rub tree.Big boars have used it in the past.You can see how high up the bark is stripped.The bow is 56".No recent activity.

You can almost see the ridge in the background.
 

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

All the luck in your bear hunten , I will be going to Idaho for bear the first 10 days of June , have fun and keep us posted,,,,,,Sam,,,,,,

[JimB]

Just down the trail was a break in the canopy and I had a view of that ridge.Not a great picture,at maybe 3/4 mile but there are 5 mountain goats on the ridgeline.One is skylined toward the right side of the picture.Another is just below it.Follow the ridgeline to the left and a billy is laying,skylined on the ridge and another just below the ridgeline,to his left,also bedded.Look at the rock outcropping on the left end of the ridge top,another billy bedded on top of it.They appear to be enjoying the sun.
 

[JimB]

No signs of bear activity so I moved to another canyon a few miles away.This is another favorite bear rub tree on the trail in.It looks like it was shaped for a bear's back.No fresh activity.
 

[JimB]

Further on is this ancient,hand hewn water trough.It must be 15' long and 30" in diameter.The water has long since been routed around it.A pretty cool land mark though.
 

[JimB]

A few yards from the trough is another favorite bear rub tree.Like the others,it leans into the trail.I know big boars have used this in the past and early.No recent activity here either.
 

[bayhunter]

Good luck, whats your setup for bear like what broadheads,arrows and bow are you using?

[JimB]

Just up the drainage is this old post that the bears have been chewing for years.
 

[tracker1]

Cool pictures good luck I hope the grass starts growing and the bear activity picks up shoot straight

[JimB]

Uh-oh! Large canine track.Grass just hasn't come out enough to support bear activity yet.In seventeen years,I haven't seen things this far behind normal.This wolf track was on a ground squirrel mound in one of the meadows I checked.It looks like it was made yesterday.

Well,bears aren't stirring yet but I think it will pick up fast.I did get to take a few stump shots and missed the only shot I had at a ground squirrel at about 35 yds.They just didn't seem to want me to get closer.

All in all,not a bad day.I need to check back in a week.Enjoy the pictures.Sorry I forgot to get a shot of the snow capped peaks,just beautiful.
 

[cacciatore]

Thanks for sharing Jim,I like your posts.

[Longbow1953]

I Like The Post And I Like My Arrows.

[kibok&ko]

Originally posted by JimB:
Uh-oh! Large canine track.Grass just hasn't come out enough to support bear activity yet.In seventeen years,I haven't seen things this far behind normal.This wolf track was on a ground squirrel mound in one of the meadows I checked.It looks like it was made yesterday.

Well,bears aren't stirring yet but I think it will pick up fast.I did get to take a few stump shots and missed the only shot I had at a ground squirrel at about 35 yds.They just didn't seem to want me to get closer.

All in all,not a bad day.I need to check back in a week.Enjoy the pictures.Sorry I forgot to get a shot of the snow capped peaks,just beautiful.
 

thanks for this walk, beautiful place !

please wath is this SB broadhead ?

thank you

david

[bornagainbowhunter]

That was very cool.  I kept expecting you to walk up on a bear.  It was almost like I was trying to slip around in the woods with you.  

It is funny how one hunter will live a story told by another...

God Bless,
Nathan

[JimB]

David,that is a 200 gr Grizzly El Grande.After sharpening it had lost some finish so I painted it.

Longbow1953,glad you like them,I'm going to send you a PM

Bornagainbowhunter,I have occasionally walked up on one like that but there are a lot of "scouting" trips in between.

[kibok&ko]

OK thank you Jim i recognised more or less the design but not the color !!!

great Job anyway on this Broadhead !

[steadman]

Things are way behind here too Jim. Good luck, at least it wasn't snowing  

[ti-guy]

[Jeff D. Holchin]

You are blessed to live in and hunt beautiful country, thanks for sharing and I hope to see more.

[lt-m-grow]

Take us on another walk soon.  Thanks for sharing. Great pictures.