Davesphizikal
FNG
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2016
- Messages
- 88
Most folks in Montana hunt bear by accident, driving forest roads with a tag in their pocket while looking for something else.
But there are a few of us, well most everyone on this forum, who prefer a different way!
After hunting this area in my backyard for a few years, I was finally successful. Let's call it "No-tell-em Gulch". I used to tell people where I hunt until I saw how that turned out. They never wanted to hear about my times spent in misery looking for game without success, and to me that's most of the fun. The catalyst to what makes it an experience, if you will.
I live close enough to this area to make it a day hunt if I wake up very early. Though I prefer to make it a few days at a time. The bears around here love working creek bottoms for choke cherries, eating those out of stock then working into the high country for kinnikinnick.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get on bears in the low country, it's just never that easy for me! So here I sit glassing for bears after finding sign on the adjacent mountain side.
After not finding any bears, I called it quits that weekend and decided to return next weekend- this time with a friend.
Business as usual, and on the second day we spotted one about as far up the mountain as I wanted to go! I took off and left my buddy behind, seeing the bear was making its way up the mountain to try and go over. He said he'd catch up, no hard feelings. He was after elk anyways.
I got to within 680 yards of the bear and would to have loved sending a round at it, but the wind was crossing me full value at 40mph. No way. So I stalked the bear, walking straight at it for 500 yards. No trees, little cover, stopping every time it looked around after having a bite to eat. When I got about as close as I was comfortable without spooking the bear, I setup for my shot. I dialed my elevation, made my wind call and held that correction. One shot from my custom Remington 700 sps tactical dropped the bear where it stood. Then it came rolling down the mountain, toppling end over end for almost 50 yards. It stopped against a boulder and I walked up. My bear was a 6ft mature female black bear. Little white patch on her chest, muzzle almost turned black.
My friend and I got her skinned for a rug and loaded into packs.
It sure is not easy, heading out on foot looking for a bear and only a bear. But the accomplishment is worth the sore feet and back!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
But there are a few of us, well most everyone on this forum, who prefer a different way!
After hunting this area in my backyard for a few years, I was finally successful. Let's call it "No-tell-em Gulch". I used to tell people where I hunt until I saw how that turned out. They never wanted to hear about my times spent in misery looking for game without success, and to me that's most of the fun. The catalyst to what makes it an experience, if you will.
I live close enough to this area to make it a day hunt if I wake up very early. Though I prefer to make it a few days at a time. The bears around here love working creek bottoms for choke cherries, eating those out of stock then working into the high country for kinnikinnick.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get on bears in the low country, it's just never that easy for me! So here I sit glassing for bears after finding sign on the adjacent mountain side.


After not finding any bears, I called it quits that weekend and decided to return next weekend- this time with a friend.
Business as usual, and on the second day we spotted one about as far up the mountain as I wanted to go! I took off and left my buddy behind, seeing the bear was making its way up the mountain to try and go over. He said he'd catch up, no hard feelings. He was after elk anyways.
I got to within 680 yards of the bear and would to have loved sending a round at it, but the wind was crossing me full value at 40mph. No way. So I stalked the bear, walking straight at it for 500 yards. No trees, little cover, stopping every time it looked around after having a bite to eat. When I got about as close as I was comfortable without spooking the bear, I setup for my shot. I dialed my elevation, made my wind call and held that correction. One shot from my custom Remington 700 sps tactical dropped the bear where it stood. Then it came rolling down the mountain, toppling end over end for almost 50 yards. It stopped against a boulder and I walked up. My bear was a 6ft mature female black bear. Little white patch on her chest, muzzle almost turned black.

My friend and I got her skinned for a rug and loaded into packs.

It sure is not easy, heading out on foot looking for a bear and only a bear. But the accomplishment is worth the sore feet and back!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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