SW Colorado Forage

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Be ready to shoot when you're glassing fellas. I feel like an idiot, I had a bear pop up at 290yd while I was glassing and my gun was still strapped to the pack, didn't have the bipod on it and decided I should put it on (vs just shooting off my pack prone, etc.) and overall acted like I had a few minutes to get ready vs executing rapidly on a completely doable shot. Basically I was mentally unprepared to act at that moment which was needed while the bear was in the scrub window.

Saw 2 bears while out for 3.5days, first bear was right before sunset on the first night but at a distance we weren't comfortable shooting and we couldn't relocate it when we closed the distance. That second bear was an executable opportunity that I flubbed.

 

[Bluumoon]

Be ready to shoot when you're glassing fellas. I feel like an idiot, I had a bear pop up at 290yd while I was glassing and my gun was still strapped to the pack, didn't have the bipod on it and decided I should put it on (vs just shooting off my pack prone, etc.) and overall acted like I had a few minutes to get ready vs executing rapidly on a completely doable shot. Basically I was mentally unprepared to act at that moment which was needed while the bear was in the scrub window.

Saw 2 bears while out for 3.5days, first bear was right before sunset on the first night but at a distance we weren't comfortable shooting and we couldn't relocate it when we closed the distance. That second bear was an executable opportunity that I flubbed.

Hopefully you have more time to chase them! Sounds like you found a honey hole.

I think this is where the Forms “hunting drill” has helped me tremendously, starting from carry each time. Not quite the scenario you described, but putting myself on a timer is eye opening.

To your point my opportunity this year wasn’t while I was “hunting”, was driving between spots, but proved out a little planning. Bear crossed the road running, I was able to check maps (already open to OnX), grab gun (w in reach), pull mag out of pocket (where it always was during driving), jump out and load, run up hill (legal distance from road), and fire on bear off hand.

Happened quick.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Hopefully you have more time to chase them! Sounds like you found a honey hole.

I think this is where the Forms “hunting drill” has helped me tremendously, starting from carry each time. Not quite the scenario you described, but putting myself on a timer is eye opening.

To your point my opportunity this year wasn’t while I was “hunting”, was driving between spots, but proved out a little planning. Bear crossed the road running, I was able to check maps (already open to OnX), grab gun (w in reach), pull mag out of pocket (where it always was during driving), jump out and load, run up hill (legal distance from road), and fire on bear off hand.

Happened quick.

Dunno I'd call it a honey hole, lotta country glassed over multiple canyons and I just got "lucky" to catch a visible bear once (my buddy spotted the other one). Not sure I'll make it out again, long drive to the unit I was hunting and other hunts on the horizon with the kids tags.

Yes I think the shooting drill mindset is helpful. But frankly it was my headspace vs true ability, I've dropped and shot quickly as needed in the past, I just hand a mental fart of wanting to make things perfect since I was solo and it was down in the scrub. But yes more repetitions in recent time of quickly shooting would have likely had the muscle memory more primed.

 

[Bluumoon]

Dunno I'd call it a honey hole, lotta country glassed over multiple canyons and I just got "lucky" to catch a visible bear once (my buddy spotted the other one). Not sure I'll make it out again, long drive to the unit I was hunting and other hunts on the horizon with the kids tags.

Yes I think the shooting drill mindset is helpful. But frankly it was my headspace vs true ability, I've dropped and shot quickly as needed in the past, I just hand a mental fart of wanting to make things perfect since I was solo and it was down in the scrub. But yes more repetitions in recent time of quickly shooting would have likely had the muscle memory more primed.

Was a redemption bear for me this year, missed a big beautiful ginger bear this spring in MT to a mental mistake or four.