Ron.C
Lil-Rokslider
Headed out to one of my spots last Wednesday after work. Takes a couple hours to get back there. On the way there, saw a small lone bear and a small sow with what I can only decsribe as a black ball of fur trailing close behind. Sat and watched the pair for a few minutes as I've never seen a cub this small. Was pretty cute!!!
Got to camp and set up. Got a fire going and enjoyed the last few minute of daylight and the evening with a few cold beer. Woke up during the night to pretty heavy rain and in the morning fog/clouds had socked in the valleys. I spent the day checking the usual areas for scat and it was obvious some bear were moving. Late afternoon the ceiling lifted and I headed up to one of my glassing perches as quick as I could. Within minutes of being up there, spotted 2 bears, one being a good one. I pulled out the spotter and gave it a good look, packed up headed across the valley and up the spur. I walked into where I though he would be and there he was, 20ish yards. He was feeding away from me and there was some alder in between us. I moved a bit to try and clear the brush, perfect. Just as I was waiting for him to turn, wind shifted, his head swung back right at me and busted, he was gone. I pulled up the binos and looked across the vally and could still see the other bear, but determined he was to far up a nasty cut so I just sat and watched and hoped the bear I'd spooled would come back out to feed (shot a few in the past using this technique).
The sky opened up and by the time I got back to camp, was cold, wet and zero glassing to be had. But camp was comfy so I enjoyed a fire in the stove, a hot supper and some more refreshments.
The next morning I wake up to the same. Glassing was a no go so I selected a few areas I had explored the day before that were greening up and had scat. Spent the morning walking these but nothing. At noonish a buddy showed up in camp go set up and we split up to check out different areas. I saw 2 more in my travels and he saw 2 or 3 as well. Again, late in the evening it cleared enough to head up high and glass, we saw a couple more but nothing we wanted to go for.
Next morning was still crappy but forcast was for clearing. At about 9 we spotted a bear up high and I headed up for it. My buddy stayed low and watched. The bear disappeared before I got there but did manage to stalk in to about 10 yards and one of the biggerst bodied blacktail bucks I have ever seen. He was way up at the bottom fringe of some old growth and I'm pretty sure he never saw a person before. Anyhow, was fun and hope to see him again this fall. At this point buddy and I each headed seperate ways to hunt.
Weather was crap again until about 2pm. I headed back up to my spotting perch and didn't see anything. At about 4 decided to head about 10km away to another spot to glass. Bumped a good bear on the way there.
Get to my spot and instantly see a real bruiser. He's about 150 yards away across a steeep ravine. I get set up and wait for my shot. But he works his way behind stumps/foliage and never gives me a clean broadside. He heads up a couple hundred yards to the treeline and moves in and out and finally beds down on a log just behind some light brush as if to tease me, where he stayed for an hour. Eventually, he dropped off the backside of the log and was gone. About 20 minutes later a sow/cub work across a washed out area followed by another lone bear minutes later. All this while I can glass 2 bears on a distant cutblock deciding if I should stay or go. I stayed.
Eventually I see a bear come out below me and I make a go for him. Took me about 30 minutes to get down to a spot about 300yards away where I relocate him. I had a clear shot, broadside but I like to get closer unless it's simple not feasable, and this area is perfect for spot and stalk. So I make my way around to where he was and at about about 15 yards I pick him up. Can see his back but he feeds down and I loose sight of him. I wait for a bit and he doesn't come back up so I head back up a bit of elevation and around the opposite side of the cut and manage to relocate him again. He'd only dropped about 50yards down and was on his way back up, so I stalk in on him again. I get to 11 yards before I can see him and wait for my opportunity. After a few minutes, he comes up broadside at about 9 yards and I shoot. He fell where he stood.
Was a great few days.
I'll finish off by asking everyone to really take time to look at every bear before you shoot. We see lots of sow/cubs that the cubs are not immediately noticeable. (see this every year when glassing)
Saw this old sow on the second afternoon (scared face, tip of right ear missing) laying on a stump. Looked like a shooter lone bear. Watched it for nearly 10 minutes. Glad I waited and took the time time to get closer. When she stood up a year old cub (with a beautiful white blaze chest) stood up behind her. Can see by the size of the stumps we have here, it takes nothing to obscure a cub(s) from view. Even a role in the terrain is enough to hide the little ones.
Anyhow, we get 2 black bears tags/year here in BC and can take 2 spring or 2 fall or 1 spring 1 fall. If things permit, going to head back over the last weekend in may and try for another
Got to camp and set up. Got a fire going and enjoyed the last few minute of daylight and the evening with a few cold beer. Woke up during the night to pretty heavy rain and in the morning fog/clouds had socked in the valleys. I spent the day checking the usual areas for scat and it was obvious some bear were moving. Late afternoon the ceiling lifted and I headed up to one of my glassing perches as quick as I could. Within minutes of being up there, spotted 2 bears, one being a good one. I pulled out the spotter and gave it a good look, packed up headed across the valley and up the spur. I walked into where I though he would be and there he was, 20ish yards. He was feeding away from me and there was some alder in between us. I moved a bit to try and clear the brush, perfect. Just as I was waiting for him to turn, wind shifted, his head swung back right at me and busted, he was gone. I pulled up the binos and looked across the vally and could still see the other bear, but determined he was to far up a nasty cut so I just sat and watched and hoped the bear I'd spooled would come back out to feed (shot a few in the past using this technique).
The sky opened up and by the time I got back to camp, was cold, wet and zero glassing to be had. But camp was comfy so I enjoyed a fire in the stove, a hot supper and some more refreshments.
The next morning I wake up to the same. Glassing was a no go so I selected a few areas I had explored the day before that were greening up and had scat. Spent the morning walking these but nothing. At noonish a buddy showed up in camp go set up and we split up to check out different areas. I saw 2 more in my travels and he saw 2 or 3 as well. Again, late in the evening it cleared enough to head up high and glass, we saw a couple more but nothing we wanted to go for.
Next morning was still crappy but forcast was for clearing. At about 9 we spotted a bear up high and I headed up for it. My buddy stayed low and watched. The bear disappeared before I got there but did manage to stalk in to about 10 yards and one of the biggerst bodied blacktail bucks I have ever seen. He was way up at the bottom fringe of some old growth and I'm pretty sure he never saw a person before. Anyhow, was fun and hope to see him again this fall. At this point buddy and I each headed seperate ways to hunt.
Weather was crap again until about 2pm. I headed back up to my spotting perch and didn't see anything. At about 4 decided to head about 10km away to another spot to glass. Bumped a good bear on the way there.
Get to my spot and instantly see a real bruiser. He's about 150 yards away across a steeep ravine. I get set up and wait for my shot. But he works his way behind stumps/foliage and never gives me a clean broadside. He heads up a couple hundred yards to the treeline and moves in and out and finally beds down on a log just behind some light brush as if to tease me, where he stayed for an hour. Eventually, he dropped off the backside of the log and was gone. About 20 minutes later a sow/cub work across a washed out area followed by another lone bear minutes later. All this while I can glass 2 bears on a distant cutblock deciding if I should stay or go. I stayed.
Eventually I see a bear come out below me and I make a go for him. Took me about 30 minutes to get down to a spot about 300yards away where I relocate him. I had a clear shot, broadside but I like to get closer unless it's simple not feasable, and this area is perfect for spot and stalk. So I make my way around to where he was and at about about 15 yards I pick him up. Can see his back but he feeds down and I loose sight of him. I wait for a bit and he doesn't come back up so I head back up a bit of elevation and around the opposite side of the cut and manage to relocate him again. He'd only dropped about 50yards down and was on his way back up, so I stalk in on him again. I get to 11 yards before I can see him and wait for my opportunity. After a few minutes, he comes up broadside at about 9 yards and I shoot. He fell where he stood.
Was a great few days.
I'll finish off by asking everyone to really take time to look at every bear before you shoot. We see lots of sow/cubs that the cubs are not immediately noticeable. (see this every year when glassing)
Saw this old sow on the second afternoon (scared face, tip of right ear missing) laying on a stump. Looked like a shooter lone bear. Watched it for nearly 10 minutes. Glad I waited and took the time time to get closer. When she stood up a year old cub (with a beautiful white blaze chest) stood up behind her. Can see by the size of the stumps we have here, it takes nothing to obscure a cub(s) from view. Even a role in the terrain is enough to hide the little ones.
Anyhow, we get 2 black bears tags/year here in BC and can take 2 spring or 2 fall or 1 spring 1 fall. If things permit, going to head back over the last weekend in may and try for another
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