2021 Bear Success Thread

[North Idaho Stickbow]

He’s not the biggest bear by any stretch, but I got to have my 80 year old dad and 7 year old son be there the whole time.

Plus, he treed 30 yards from the road and I got him with a longbow. How could I say no?

 

[mdkelley]

Buddy and I only hunted one day in Idaho but he shot a cinnamon phase black bear. It was a small one, somewhere around 150 lbs was my guess. We weren't able to retreive it due to hunt ending truck issues the next morning when we were going back in to get it so no pics. Was a lot of fun. I saw the bear and got my hunting partners attention (I shot one my first time out there in 2019 so I wanted him to get one). The bear walked away before he was able to get a good shot opportunity. I called the bear back in and he was able to get a good shot at maybe 50 yards. He hit the spine (was sighted in high for a 250yd point blank range) and the bear went down. It got up on it's front legs and started toward the edge of the trail which was a 500+ ft. drop into a very brushy ravine/creek bottom. He shot it again just before it went over the edge and into a log jam. After a death moan and a few seconds it tumbled head over heels out of the log jam down the mountain into the ravine. It hit the bottom and moaned a couple more times and then it was silent so it was definitely finished. Was a fun hunt and learning experience. Sad we couldn't finish our last two days of the hunt or retreive his bear. Did quite a bit of scouting, covered alot of area and saw some elk and mulies really close which was pretty cool. I now have a second great area in ID for spring bear!

 

[Geewhiz]

Buddy and I only hunted one day in Idaho but he shot a cinnamon phase black bear. It was a small one, somewhere around 150 lbs was my guess. We weren't able to retreive it due to hunt ending truck issues the next morning when we were going back in to get it so no pics. Was a lot of fun. I saw the bear and got my hunting partners attention (I shot one my first time out there in 2019 so I wanted him to get one). The bear walked away before he was able to get a good shot opportunity. I called the bear back in and he was able to get a good shot at maybe 50 yards. He hit the spine (was sighted in high for a 250yd point blank range) and the bear went down. It got up on it's front legs and started toward the edge of the trail which was a 500+ ft. drop into a very brushy ravine/creek bottom. He shot it again just before it went over the edge and into a log jam. After a death moan and a few seconds it tumbled head over heels out of the log jam down the mountain into the ravine. It hit the bottom and moaned a couple more times and then it was silent so it was definitely finished. Was a fun hunt and learning experience. Sad we couldn't finish our last two days of the hunt or retreive his bear. Did quite a bit of scouting, covered alot of area and saw some elk and mulies really close which was pretty cool. I now have a second great area in ID for spring bear!

So he shot a bear, knew it was dead, knew where it was, but didn't go and get it? huh

 

[SecretSpot]

Here's a couple

 

[280Ackley]

Buddy and I only hunted one day in Idaho but he shot a cinnamon phase black bear. It was a small one, somewhere around 150 lbs was my guess. We weren't able to retreive it due to hunt ending truck issues the next morning when we were going back in to get it so no pics. Was a lot of fun. I saw the bear and got my hunting partners attention (I shot one my first time out there in 2019 so I wanted him to get one). The bear walked away before he was able to get a good shot opportunity. I called the bear back in and he was able to get a good shot at maybe 50 yards. He hit the spine (was sighted in high for a 250yd point blank range) and the bear went down. It got up on it's front legs and started toward the edge of the trail which was a 500+ ft. drop into a very brushy ravine/creek bottom. He shot it again just before it went over the edge and into a log jam. After a death moan and a few seconds it tumbled head over heels out of the log jam down the mountain into the ravine. It hit the bottom and moaned a couple more times and then it was silent so it was definitely finished. Was a fun hunt and learning experience. Sad we couldn't finish our last two days of the hunt or retreive his bear. Did quite a bit of scouting, covered alot of area and saw some elk and mulies really close which was pretty cool. I now have a second great area in ID for spring bear!

That’s not a story I would be telling people. First off I am pretty sure that is illegal and I would be ashamed of myself.

 

[rodney482]

My cousin got it done in Wy

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

I just got my bear sausage back from the butcher and it’s outstanding. I’m very happy.

 

[slatty]

I shot my first spring bear this year on may 2. With lots of snow up high I spent a full day walking low elevation roads slowly, with the wind in my face. As long as there was grass, I was walking slowly. After probably 8h came slowly around a corner and this guy was really focused on a nice patch of roadside grass. I had all the time in the world to watch him, get to 50 yards, and take a prone shot off my pack with my 308. After a hell packout of my last year's (fall) bear, I sure was glad to shoot an animal on the road. I'll take it. When it's all said and done, 60lbs meat, lots of bear oil, bone broth, and after getting a few deer hides experience under my belt, this will be my first bear hide I try to do on my own. So much good stuff off a bear, it's a very resource-rich animal that I feel fortunate to harvest. I couldn't believe the layer of fat this guy had, he wintered well.

 

[hodgeman]

Spring bear was good in AK... found this guy cruising the beaches and tidal flats. Squared 6' with a 17 and 11/16th" skull.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Buddy and I only hunted one day in Idaho but he shot a cinnamon phase black bear. It was a small one, somewhere around 150 lbs was my guess. We weren't able to retreive it due to hunt ending truck issues the next morning when we were going back in to get it so no pics. Was a lot of fun. I saw the bear and got my hunting partners attention (I shot one my first time out there in 2019 so I wanted him to get one). The bear walked away before he was able to get a good shot opportunity. I called the bear back in and he was able to get a good shot at maybe 50 yards. He hit the spine (was sighted in high for a 250yd point blank range) and the bear went down. It got up on it's front legs and started toward the edge of the trail which was a 500+ ft. drop into a very brushy ravine/creek bottom. He shot it again just before it went over the edge and into a log jam. After a death moan and a few seconds it tumbled head over heels out of the log jam down the mountain into the ravine. It hit the bottom and moaned a couple more times and then it was silent so it was definitely finished. Was a fun hunt and learning experience. Sad we couldn't finish our last two days of the hunt or retreive his bear. Did quite a bit of scouting, covered alot of area and saw some elk and mulies really close which was pretty cool. I now have a second great area in ID for spring bear!

Say what?!?!?

 

[rodney482]

My other buddy got it done as well. WY

 

[rodney482]

Say what?!?!?

No kidding… smh

 

[mdkelley]

Yeah, sorry if I didn't mention my truck broke down and we were not able to get back in there for a second recovery attempt. I do understand many of you have never shot anything and failed to recover it. I also apologize if I failed to mention we did attempt to recover but were unable to get to where it was from the bottom of the mountain and were going to try to get it from above the spot when the truck died. No requirement in Idaho to recover bear from what I understand. We were both upset that we couldn't recover but your uninformed judgement of our situation is very helpful.

 

[rodney482]

Yeah, sorry if I didn't mention my truck broke down and we were not able to get back in there for a second recovery attempt. I do understand many of you are holier than thou though and have never shot anything and failed to recover it. I also apologize if I failed to mention we did attempt to recover but were unable to get to where it was from the bottom of the mountain and were going to try to get it from above the spot when the truck died. No requirement in Idaho to recover bear from what I understand. We were both upset that we couldn't recover but your uninformed judgement of our situation is very helpful.

Go rent a truck… piss poor excuse.

 

[GKWMontana]

I hope it was an unscalable cliff and high a percentage of death!

 

[mdkelley]

I am very happy some of you have never been in that situation. Keep hunting, eventually you will be. I won't bust your chops about it when you are though because i know how much it sucks. It was a very steep and dangerous spot but we still made an attempt from below which was not possible and were going to try from above when bad luck stepped in.

On rental trucks, good idea and we actually tried that, no rentals available anywhere around grangeville area, all uhaul were gone and only one shop had a rental car avail for short term rent and it was not available that day. We tried every option short of renting the salmon river helicopter tour, which would not have been able to get in that spot either.

Edit: regarding legality from IDFG book:

Waste of Game
Hunters are required to remove and care for the edible meat
of big game animals, except black bears, mountain lions and
gray wolves. This includes the meat from hind quarters as far
down as the hock, meat of the front quarters as far down as
the knee and meat along the backbone which is the loin and
tenderloin. It does not include meat of the head or neck, meat
covering or between the ribs, internal organs, or meat on the
bones after close trimming.

I and others have derailed this thread enough so I won't post in this thread about it anymore. If you would like to continue to explain to me how you are so much better of a person than I am or would like to suggest other things you would have tried that you assume we didn't please feel free to pm me.

 

[280Ackley]

I am very happy some of you have never been in that situation. Keep hunting, eventually you will be. I won't bust your chops about it when you are though because i know how much it sucks. It was a very steep and dangerous spot but we still made an attempt from below which was not possible and were going to try from above when bad luck stepped in.

On rental trucks, good idea and we actually tried that, no rentals available anywhere around grangeville area, all uhaul were gone and only one shop had a rental car avail for short term rent and it was not available that day. We tried every option short of renting the salmon river helicopter tour, which would not have been able to get in that spot either.

For out of state persons, from IDFG book:

Waste of Game
Hunters are required to remove and care for the edible meat
of big game animals, except black bears, mountain lions and
gray wolves. This includes the meat from hind quarters as far
down as the hock, meat of the front quarters as far down as
the knee and meat along the backbone which is the loin and
tenderloin. It does not include meat of the head or neck, meat
covering or between the ribs, internal organs, or meat on the
bones after close trimming.

I and others have derailed this thread enough so I won't post in this thread about it anymore. If you would like to continue to explain to me how you are so much better of a person than I am or would like to suggest other things you would have tried that you assume we didn't please feel free to pm me.

The part about wasting game does not mean you can just go shoot animals and leave them to rot even if it is “just a bear”. I hunt all over that country and I have yet to see a “mountain” that you are not able to access from the bottom. It might be hard as hell and take a lot of time but it is always do able. You just didn’t care to do it.

 

[mdkelley]

Please feel free to pm me... let's keep the thread on track.

EDIT: I dont remember ever saying or even thinking "its just a bear"... I Love bear meat. I posted the IDFG snippet as as response to the "not legal" comment.

 

[bsnedeker]

I am very happy some of you have never been in that situation. Keep hunting, eventually you will be. I won't bust your chops about it when you are though because i know how much it sucks. It was a very steep and dangerous spot but we still made an attempt from below which was not possible and were going to try from above when bad luck stepped in.

On rental trucks, good idea and we actually tried that, no rentals available anywhere around grangeville area, all uhaul were gone and only one shop had a rental car avail for short term rent and it was not available that day. We tried every option short of renting the salmon river helicopter tour, which would not have been able to get in that spot either.

For out of state persons, from IDFG book:

Waste of Game
Hunters are required to remove and care for the edible meat
of big game animals, except black bears, mountain lions and
gray wolves. This includes the meat from hind quarters as far
down as the hock, meat of the front quarters as far down as
the knee and meat along the backbone which is the loin and
tenderloin. It does not include meat of the head or neck, meat
covering or between the ribs, internal organs, or meat on the
bones after close trimming.

I and others have derailed this thread enough so I won't post in this thread about it anymore. If you would like to continue to explain to me how you are so much better of a person than I am or would like to suggest other things you would have tried that you assume we didn't please feel free to pm me.

No matter how long I hunt I can't imagine ever getting to the point that I care so little about the game I'm chasing that I wouldn't do everything I could to recover an animal that I shot. If you are at that point you may want to consider a different hobby.

Sounds like your legs were working just fine at the time you made the choice to leave your animal to rot.

 

[bluetick78]

Please feel free to pm me... let's keep the thread on track.

EDIT: I dont remember ever saying or even thinking "its just a bear"... I Love bear meat. I posted the IDFG snippet as as response to the "not legal" comment.

You may not be required to retrieve the meat, but you are required to check in the hide and head with evidence of sex naturally attached within 10 days to IDF&G. It actually IS illegal to not retrieve your harvest, regardless of the meat exception. Do us all a favor, stay in your home state (along with your buddies) to needlessly shoot and leave game to rot. Idahoans respect the resource more that that.