2012 Spring Bear Hunt Thread

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Ok Im back home where was I , oh yes I was on the trail.What had happened was I had been in a blind we built on our first day scouting trip ( way back in on foot ) the weather was the best of the entire trip and it is day 2 or 3 that we had been there.It had just rained a small shower for just a few mins then the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. Along about 5:05 out of nowhere here is a bear about 10yds from my bait , I as slows as I could grabbed my GreenStripe and got as close to the ground as I could as not to be seen.As he came in sniffing the wind and everything he walked by , he is a very beautiful black bear with a thick coat the was glowing in the patches of sun that was now beaming through the trees.As he walked behind my bait he took that right step that put his leg forward and his body quartered away.I drew the 65# GreenStripe back a full 30" locked into a solid anchor held for several seconds and let her rip.
 The TreeShark hit a few inches farther back than I was looking but a great shot non-the-less.I saw the blood fly out on both sides of the bear and knew he was mine , the arrow went clear through him and about 10yds past.He bolted up a small rise and I could see his hind end sagging before he made it out of sight.I then sat back with a big poop eating grin on my face , looked down and saw my camera and took a pic of myself to confirm that poop eating grin.There is nothing like doing the work and then putting it all together and make that shot count dang I love bowhunting with my old Bear recurves and gear.I never heard the death moan but I knew he was down , this will be my 3rd bear with Ridgerunner in the last two years one cinnamon , one chocolate , and now one black man I love this place. And I still have another bear tag and a wolf tag so stay tuned.I gave him some time and then took the trail up where I had last seen him.The blood on the ground told of a good hit and the trail was a easy one until he had made the top and died on his feet and rolled down in a hell hole and slid to rest next to a small mountain stream.Not that the trail was hard to follow just getting to him was almost vertical drop hundred feet down.I could see him down at the bottom and it took me almost 45min before I got my hands on his hide.Well here is my bear and a few other pics , I will pick up with the story sometime Fri.

   

My poop eating grin seconds after the shot.....
   

A great trail..........
   

And my first bear of the trip.......
   

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

Awesome job!  Love the job those Simmons can do!  Impressive ain't it

[KSdan]

That is so cool

[rushlush]

Nice bear!

[Missouri CK]

Great post Sam! Nice shooting!   I hunted elk up in the North Fork Clearwater area with a group called Cayuse Outfitters.  Gorgeous area but impossibly thick vegetation at times.  
Loved the pictures as they took me back to the area in my mind.
Chris
PS I Love Simmons heads too. Great blood trails.

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Thanks guys will finish the story and have more pics in the next few days.......
,,,,,,Sam,,,,,,,

[Ray_G]

Congratulations on your bear, Sam       Enjoyed the photos and story.

I used to live in the South Fork of the Clearwater region and a lot of the game shot seems to slide somewhere.  A big whitetail that I shot, slid about 300 yards on 8" of snow.  He hung up on a couple of small pines or he would have slid farther.  My buddy had to plant his feet and butt to hold the antlers while I gutted him - that steep.

Do you think that if we flattened Idaho out that it would be as big as Texas?    

[bansheewins]

TOTALLY awesome and cant wait to see more pictures. love the stories it is like we are there.

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Thanks guys it was a great trip for sure , If Idaho was flat just the Clearwater might be as big as Tx.Well after that pack out job I was one wore out fella , that means I slept in the next day.I had to stash the meat at about the half way mark we guessed my pack at around 170# with the meat and hide and skull.The next morn the outfitter went in and packed the meat the rest of the way for me witch I did not mind cause my knee from my horse crash wasent feeling very good.The weather was wet as usual for the next few days so as everyone else hunted I hung out and did camp stuff and helped with baits and stands.
 One of our group had brought his flyrod and would catch some very nice trout every time he wet his line.All was going well if we could just get the rain to stop.We got the horses ready and me and Felix and Mr Anderson are going for the backcountry baits and going to make the day of it.All was well until the river crossing we hit the swift ice cold river and was on our way across Mr. Anderson first then me then Felix.It is very loud with the rushing water and 3 horses all crossing , I heard something funny looked back and no Felix just a horse when I looked the other way there he was getting washed down stream in the heavy current and the look on his face said it all.I thought I lost one of my best friends he had on a heavy pack and it did not look good.We raced to the other side and I was off my horse and in the water in the blink of an eye to get my friend , but when I got there he was gone my heart sank and the first time I went to yell for him I could not talk.The water was freezing cold , I yelled as I got farther out and and was about to jump in when I heard him down river cry out Im ok.He had been washed down about 60 - 70 yards and caught a limb and pulled him self to the bank , Im not sure who felt better at this point him or me. We got to him and other than being frozen he was ok ( he is one tough dude)and one of my best friends.I had some dry clothes for him in my pack and an extra wool coat but his boots were soaked.So he ended up going back up the mountain that day.We are not sure what happened he cant recall the events but the saddle was on the side of the horse after it was all said and done and everyone was ok.
 
 
 

 That night there were tall tails being told of our adventure and the guides daughter had a tale of her own.She had wend to bait and ran into a nasty bear , she is 17 and no bigger than a popcorn fart.The bear followed her a bit and was popping his choppers and she shot a few rounds in the ground in front of him and he ended up thinking better and walked off.So it was a very big day in camp for sure.One of the hunters had shot 2 big bears but not sure of the hits we waited til morning to follow up.Early up we headed out on the trail and found both arrows one was broke off at the taper with no blood on the shaft the other with only a few inches of blood on the shaft.We looked for about 5 hours just in case with nothing found.He said the 2 big boars came in fighting over the bait and I think it got the best of him , And that is why we call it hunting right.Well here is more pics and more story later..........
,,,Sam,,,,
 
 
 
 
 

[kestimator]

Great finish to your tale of adventure Sam!!!  Congrats again to you and Felix for getting bears and surviving your hunt!  

[Shedrock]

Nice story and pics Sam, congrats!

[cacciatore]

Sam,thanks for sharing this adventure.

[huntingarcher]

Wow Sam what a great adventure.I know that being a Houston Fireman,you have had a lot of rescue training.But I bet your white water rescue training is limited.We can all laugh now that your hunting buddy is good to go.

Great story and pics.

[rastaman]

Awesome adventure Sam! Nice bear!

[smokin joe]

Great bear -- great Bear bow -- great photos!

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Well it aint over yet have a little more for ya.Two of our other hunters took the horses and longbows across the river for their last hunt and had a little action. The horse ride was great and no one took a bath or got hung up , I think me and Felix rode all that out of em.I had flipped a coin for them before they rode off to see who would hunt what bait and dave won the toss and chose the one on the right.He had been in the blind for a few hours and had to see a man about a horse if you know what I mean.So he walked down the hill and over by the river for a few mins , with everything done and ready to go back he got everything in order picked up his selfbow and turned around. And right there not 60yds away stood a full grown male wolf looking right at him.He said He could not even get a breath and they just looked at each other for a long while until the wolf just walked up the hill toward the bait. Then where the big male was standing a female came out of the brush and walked up with the big boy and they both sat on the hill looking at him for several mins. David said the wolves were never bothered by him and were just acting like nothing was wrong , and that was the part he did not like at all he said it was a very funny feeling.That entire place is covered in wolf tracks and poop , and also bear sign.A bear never came in for either him or Jo that afternoon , but Daves bait had been hit.Well early the next morn they had to leave and it was our last day also we had to get on the road soon as the days hunt was over.And like always me and Felix had to hunt the two hardest bait they have to get to.I will go on the horses again across the river and Felix to the top of the mountain way on down the road.Felix ended up with a great bear about an hour after he got in the stand and boy was I a happy camper when I got that news.He has logged 18 days in bear camp missed one bear and passed something like 6 bears in the past 2 years ( my hats off to him ). I dont pass shots at much my first clean shot I let her rip that being said here is my last day on stand.There I was sitting in a pop-up blind way back in there ( the bait was hammered when I got there ).I was sitting there saying to myself over and over I dont care if I get another bear Just let Felix get one , I said this out loud about 20 times. Right as I was saying this I heard a stick break and looked to my right and about 2 feet away stood a 300# chocolate bear looking over a log right in my blind.
 He just was looking all around with not a care in the world.He dropped down on a lower trail and came right in and stood on his hind legs not 12yds from me and sniffed a tree. Then walked behind the bait and past it then turned around and came back.I was locked at full draw when he stopped behind the bait.I let the string fall and the arrow was off in a flash and it all felt oh so good as that arrow spun toward that big ol bear that was standing about 12yds away.Ok now lets rewind a bit they run about 16 baits and out of them all I think he only has barrels at 2 of them the others are just big logs stacked over the bait.And when he sets the baits they always put a small stick about 4 or 5 feet tall sticking straight up so as they go to rebait they can see at a distance if it has been hit or not cause if its not been hit no need to go rebait.This can save a long walk up and down mountains great idea.And if you look close in the pics you can see the stick sticking up. Ok back to my shot that was feeling oh so good well you have figured it out by now I never saw that stupid $@#*&^% stick and my arrow hit that darn stick and went right over that bear into parts unknown. I mean to tell you wasent even a blade of grass between me and him just that stick and I never saw it.That was the last bear I saw for my last day
( I told Mr. Anderson I am going to break everyone I come across next time Im there ).But its all ok with me cause like I said when I was picked up that night Mr. Anderson rode up wiyh the horses and never said a word and handed me a radio and said talk to Felix and I knew right then who ever I was talking to all that day had heard me ( I dont need another bear just let Felix get one ) It was a great end to my hunt I found out today another hunter also miss that bear just 3 days ago ( bet he hit that $*#@^% stick ). We made the river with a little light left in the day and rode up the mountain in total darkness with my recurve in my hand. When we made camp Ol Felix was still on cloud 9 and the 37 hour drive home was made with no probs.  THE END..
,,,,,,,,,Sam,,,,,,,,,,
 
Look close in the pic below and you can see that friggen stick just to the right!!!!!!!!
 
 
 
My meat cashed down at the river.
 
 
 The end.......................................

[huntingarcher]

 To big of an adventure for page 2.Congrats

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Is bear season over boys?????????????
,,,,Sam,,,,

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

Done for me.  I just got back from one last 3 day stint in Idaho and saw two bears but no shooting.  I haven't been home for 6 weekends so I guess it'd time to get some stuff done there. Til next year

[Bel007]

Lovin this thread...  thanks to everyone for sharing and posting...