Idaho Unit 1 2022 - Someone took my bear!!!

[Ucsdryder]

The whole leave overnight deal is a farce. Don’t leave anything overnight!!!! 2.5 hours, plus a fur coat, plus spring temperatures…you didn’t kill that bear and if you found him the meat would have been bad, the hide would have slipped, and you would have had to leave it all anyway. The way I look at it, that guy saved you from wasting an animal. I’ve made lots of 2am pack outs. That’s why god made headlamps.

 

[idelkslayer]

The OP definitely deserves credit for taking the criticism that has been offered here without becoming emotional and lashing out, or becoming defensive. I would say that for the most part the criticism has been constructive and offered insight at alternatives that the OP had not previously considered.

The memes get a C-. So far.

 

[87TT]

 

[ddd-shooter]

The whole leave overnight deal is a farce. Don’t leave anything overnight!!!! 2.5 hours, plus a fur coat, plus spring temperatures…you didn’t kill that bear and if you found him the meat would have been bad, the hide would have slipped, and you would have had to leave it all anyway. The way I look at it, that guy saved you from wasting an animal. I’ve made lots of 2am pack outs. That’s why god made headlamps.

This seems harsh, but in spring, if it didn't require a follow up shot, ☝ woulda really been the case. Bears spoil fast.


Really hate the default to "leave it over night" philosophy brought about by hunting programs.

 

[Ucsdryder]

This seems harsh, but in spring, if it didn't require a follow up shot, ☝ woulda really been the case. Bears spoil fast.


Really hate the default to "leave it over night" philosophy brought about by hunting programs.

I killed a bull at last light, I mean 25 minutes after sunset, with my bow. Was convinced I got guts and he took off. It was in the mid 30s that night. Came back before sunup and lost about 40 pounds of the hind end. Couldn’t ask for much better conditions for leaving an animal overnight and it still didn’t work out. Shot ended up being perfect…first and only animal I’ve ever left.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Congrats on pushing through some challenging conditions and making it happen on a bear. Brutal luck the way it worked out with someone else taking the hide, but it seems you have the right attitude about it.

You’ve just gained a huge amount of knowledge about the area, hunting, and bears that you didn’t have before. The next one you shoot will be just that much sweeter to recover.

I think Flyguy nailed it with his posts. Don’t let the hardcore keyboard hunters discourage you. You get out there, you learn some hard lessons, and you build that experience. Half the internet hunters these days probably wouldn’t have even made it back there to begin with.

I think the biggest screw up was hoping on internet forums and begging for somebody to give him back “his” bear hide…seriously, what the hell is wrong with people? Who does that? There is this huge sense of entitlement and I agree with an earlier post that states you have to earn success out west. You aren’t entitled to anything or any animal.

 

[Coveyleader]

Funny, I just arrowed a bear at last light a week ago. I went over got my arrow, and came back the next day. Big Pope and Young Chocolate, 19 or so inch head, perfect hide, no meat loss at all, hide still good to go. The hide and meat was in camp for another 4 day without a problem.

Every bear I've shot at night has always been a morning recovery if I didn't see it go down or hear the infamous moans. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever followed up on a bear shot at last light in the mountain west or alaska. Deer, elk, etc totally different, but bears my question is why?

@ the OP, that is just piss poor luck right there. I almost question if you walked up on someone else's carcass? I can't imagine a person within a mile of any bear I've ever shot. Crazy shit luck right there. Simple question, did you see any other hunters during your hunt? Again, crazy shit luck.

I'd also add, in my experience, with almost any BG animal, the longer the trail, the higher percentage of non recovery. Bears in my experience are find them in the first 100 or the chance of recovery is very low.

 

[Coveyleader]

Thats the crazy part. Didn't see anyone all week. Would have put $ that we were the only ones back there, but we're pretty sure it got skinned out that night. Our best guess is may have been a long range guy posted up cross canyon (?)

The only thing they left behind was their discarded Outdoor Edge blade which we packed out for them. Called ID Game and Fish - apparently it isn't illegal to skin out someone else's down bear as long as it isn't tagged yet - just seems like a weird thing to do.

Wow, nuts!

 

[Pancake]

A little far forward on a bear = not a dead bear. How many bullet holes did you find in him? It feels like either someone came upon that bear by chance and killed it, or your bear is still out there alive and well and this was a separate bear that someone else took in the 2.5 hours of light that were left that day. Either way, not your bear unfortunately. This doesn't sound like a liver-hit deer shot with a bow at last light that needs a few extra hours to expire so you come back in the morning. This sounds like a non-lethal hit.

Sucky situation for sure. Sorry it played out this way.

 

[Buglebrush]

My guess is that it actually wasn't your bear, but a second bear killed by someone else. I've seen many different bears at the same time and on a single hillside in North Idaho. Either way, there'd be nothing to fuss at all how could someone else have known you were returning? Especially if they saw you leaving 2.5 hours before dark? Hunters in North Idaho don't really trophy hunt bears anyway. Vast majority are in it for predator management and opportunity for extra hunting.

It wasn't me or anyone I've heard of though

I would add that I do appreciate you putting in the effort to come predator hunting. It's vital to the future of big game hunting in the west. If you ever come out for bear again hit me up, and I may be able to help you out. Good luck this fall!

 

[Buglebrush]

"Had we been aware that some hunters in Idaho jump at the chance to take hides from non-trophy bears they did not harvest, we would have stuck it out later."

This is the part of your post that makes me think it's two different bears. Most North Idaho hunters wouldn't bother messing with someone else's little bear. Certainly wouldn't want to burn their tag on one when they've got the whole fall season yet. Also, with the constant rain, a carcass will look fresh for a day or two. Could've been the day before even.

 

[280Ackley]

The whole leave overnight deal is a farce. Don’t leave anything overnight!!!! 2.5 hours, plus a fur coat, plus spring temperatures…you didn’t kill that bear and if you found him the meat would have been bad, the hide would have slipped, and you would have had to leave it all anyway. The way I look at it, that guy saved you from wasting an animal. I’ve made lots of 2am pack outs. That’s why god made headlamps.

I’ve worn more clothes bear hunting this spring than I did last fall hunting!!! It’s been cold here!

 

[black dawg]

The whole leave overnight deal is a farce. Don’t leave anything overnight!!!! 2.5 hours, plus a fur coat, plus spring temperatures…you didn’t kill that bear and if you found him the meat would have been bad, the hide would have slipped, and you would have had to leave it all anyway. The way I look at it, that guy saved you from wasting an animal. I’ve made lots of 2am pack outs. That’s why god made headlamps.

How many poorly hit animals have you pushed for miles that otherwise would have bedded within a few hundred yards and died?

There are definitely times to let some go several hours to overnight, the tough part is knowing when to make that call.
I have left a bear overnight (well 10pm to 5am) in high 30s and everything was ok, but felt pretty lucky.

 

[Ucsdryder]

How many poorly hit animals have you pushed for miles that otherwise would have bedded within a few hundred yards and died?

There are definitely times to let some go several hours to overnight, the tough part is knowing when to make that call.
I have left a bear overnight (well 10pm to 5am) in high 30s and everything was ok, but felt pretty lucky.

zero…but I lost 40 pounds of elk to leaving a bull overnight and I lost part of a hind quarter to coyotes on an elk I left overnight (quartered with a coat and a couple shirts laying on the meat). So I guess you made my point for me. Thank you!

 

[Fingershooter23]

"Had we been aware that some hunters in Idaho jump at the chance to take hides from non-trophy bears they did not harvest, we would have stuck it out later."

This is the part of your post that makes me think it's two different bears. Most North Idaho hunters wouldn't bother messing with someone else's little bear. Certainly wouldn't want to burn their tag on one when they've got the whole fall season yet. Also, with the constant rain, a carcass will look fresh for a day or two. Could've been the day before even.

Exactly this! I don't think it was your bear. A few years ago I was on an elk hunt and arrowed a bull with a high lung pass through. Little blood trail so I started grid searching. Couldn't imagine another hunter around. I came upon another fresh elk carcass, but this was a cow elk shot a few days earlier. It blew my mind that a grid search would lead me to someone else's unrecovered elk.

Also I bear hunt every spring and it is rare that I see one bear in an area without seeing another, especially in the evening and late in the spring.

 

[Fingershooter23]

Jlhois/ogdl last seen in feb, op makes account in March... BOALs left overnight.. stolen in ID...
Same guy? Copycat? Coincidence?

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I love a good sequel...

 

[P Carter]

If I was back in as far as your description suggests and I found that, and thought it was my bear, I would be looking up in the trees around me.

View attachment 420306

On a more serious note, is the right side of the carcass, behind the shoulder, flyblown? If so, how late in the day did you find it?

You may have already said, but was there only one entrance hole and one exit hole in the carcass?

Hey is that guy is wearing a fishnet baselayer? He’s ahead of the game…

 

[black dawg]

zero…but I lost 40 pounds of elk to leaving a bull overnight and I lost part of a hind quarter to coyotes on an elk I left overnight (quartered with a coat and a couple shirts laying on the meat). So I guess you made my point for me. Thank you!

In 32 years of hunting, I have left 3 animals "overnight". First was a bull with a questionable hit right before dark. Followed very intermittent blood for a couple hundred yards in pretty rough stuff, and heard the bull get up and take off. Found the bed about 200yds from where the bull was when he was shot with blood in what would be the shoulder area of the bull. At this point it was 1130, and made the call to let him bed again and die. Found him the next morning bedded almost 1000 yds from where we bumped him out of his bed. Was a low liver hit with rifle, and no idea how far he would have gone had we kept pushing. Did lose some neck meat on that one.
Second was a whitetail buck that I made a poor shot on, hit low and forward front shoulder almost missed. Followed huge blood for 100 yds wondering how it was still alive, not knowing where I had hit it. Bumped him out of his bed at about 150 yds from where he was shot. Was very cold, single digits with no snow expected, so went out and came back in the morning and found him almost 500yds from the bed we bumped him out of. But he had been there was absolutely nothing left of him. Coyotes.
Third was a very large black bear that was arrowed at close range, spun at the release and got arrow just in front of the hind quarter. Was not going after him in the dark......learned that lesson already. lost no meat on that one.

Others that I have been involved with (not the one making the calls) have seen go both ways. Saw a shoulder hit cow elk (rifle) go miles being pushed and never found. Saw the same with a bear, no idea where it was hit though (bled enough to follow for 1000 plus yds).

Not saying right or wrong, just some of my experiences. Sucks to lose meat, and sucks to lose an animal.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Likely another bear. There was one particular creek drainage close to where I was hunting this year that 3 bears were killed within 5 days of each other.