Gr8 White Jr Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Killing a bear has been something I have wanted to do so bad for so long and it finally happened Saturday evening. After finding a canyon last year during bear season that was loaded with bear sign I went back last April and set a couple cameras. At first I was getting an abundance of bear pictures but as it got later in the summer the bears were getting less and less frequent but were still there. A week before the season I set my tree stand up and had high hopes of killing my 1st bear. Saturday morning I sat my stand until noon with no luck and then climbed down, retrieved the SD cards from my cameras and hiked out of the canyon back to my truck where I looked over the pictures on my laptop. I was very disappointed to see that no bears had come through since I set my stand up. Maybe I made too much noise or got too much of my sent around in there when I set up the stand. I’m not sure but I felt like it was pointless to sit the stand. I drove back to my dad’s cabin where I picked up my girlfriend Angie. We headed back to the canyon to try to glass up a bear. After doing some predator calling we hiked to the edge of the canyon. We made our way to a good glassing point and I set my rifle down and took off my pack to get my 15’s out. As I was about to get into my pack I looked down into the canyon and spotted a bear moving across and opening about 400 yds out. I immediately got excited and told Angie “bear, bear” as I was pointing into the canyon. Angie saw the bear right as it went back into the thicket of oaks. It looked HUGE! The bear was moving toward us but to our right. We were on top of a cliff that dropped down about 300 to 400 ft into a forest of oak trees. Looking down into the trees from above was like looking into a thick sea of broccoli. I knew that the odds of me seeing the bear again were very slim since it went into the thick trees so I told Angie to stay put and watch below her and I was going to move down the canyon and try to glass from a different angle. I moved down a few hundred yards stopping and glassing as I went. After about 15 minutes with out seeing the bear again I was thinking that I was happy to have just seen a bear. As I looked down into the canyon I started hearing a bunch of thrashing around in the trees below me and to my right. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a bunch of birds flying out of the trees. I knew I needed to get a better look so I got up and moved very quickly around some brush to get a better look. My eyes scanned the thick trees trying to find the source of the sound when they caught a brown patch at the top of the trees about 300 yds away. It was the bear! It had climbed up about 20 to 25 ft to the top of an oak tree and was feasting on the acorns. Only its head and mid section were sticking out of the top of the tree. I dropped down to get a good rest on some rocks, flipped out the bipod on my .270 and settled the crosshairs just above the bears shoulders. I squeezed the trigger, boom! After recovering from the recoil I looked up to see the bear falling from the tree. I heard it falling through the tree branches and then the thud of it hitting the ground below. I jumped to my feet and screamed “WOOOOHOOOO!!!! I smoked him!!!!” I yelled to Angie who was still sitting a couple hundred yds down the canyon that I had got him and to grab my pack and to come to me. She came quickly and we had a short celebration. I knew the bear was done for because we heard the death moans. I called my dad at his cabin and told him that I didn’t have time for details but I had just shot a bear and I needed help asap! He said he was on his way so I got ready to go look for my bear. I put an orange hat on so Angie could see me and she stayed up top to guide me as I climbed down a steep crevice and tried to work my way to the bear. Once I got down into the thick jungle of oaks I knew it was going to be almost impossible to find it. After looking for about and hour I got extremely lucky and walked right up on my bear right as it got dark. I was so happy to have found it! It was a beautiful red colored sow. I was a little disappointed that it was a sow but still extremely happy to have my 1st bear! I had finally done it! I never saw any cubs with her but while gutting her I was still happy to see that she hadn’t produced any milk confirming no cubs. My dad arrived shortly after and I met him almost at the top and we climbed back down in. The terrain was so nasty and steep with boulders the size of small cars we decided it was too dangerous to try to pack her out in the dark. After partially skinning her to cool the meat we hung her in a tree, marked it on the GPS and headed out. My dad, Angie and myself returned in the morning and found an easier and safer way down into the canyon. Once we made our way to the bear we got it to a flat spot, took pictures, and started the pack out. The three of us didn’t get the bear back to the truck until almost 1:00 in the afternoon. Bears are the heaviest most dense dead weight I have ever packed out. It was hard work but worth every drop of sweat and every burning muscle. I was so glad that my dad and Angie were there to experience all this with me and HUGE thanks to both of them for all the help and packing out! Thanks for reading my story and thanks to Amanda for a great site where we can share our passion with each other! -Tracy Angie and I. My dad and I. Me and my trophy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Congratulations! I know exactly what you are going thru. I loved your story and it is a fine bear you shot. I'm glad Angie got to be there and your Dad as well. It's something you'll never forget. Thanks for sharing and I'm sure it won't be your last. Way to get it done. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Congrats on a nice bear and thats a great write up. Thanks for sharing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAM Report post Posted October 5, 2010 GREAT JOB, Tracy you are one luckey guy this year, 1st archery Coues and now your 1st bear..... With all the time and effort you put foward you deserve it all. Congrats -Ryan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Great story and pics! Congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
revaeb Report post Posted October 5, 2010 I was getting butterflies as I was reading your story man. Im jealous!! Nice bear. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Great story and beautiful bear. Congratulations Tracy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Tracy, Congrats on an exciting hunt! Great color that will look good if rugged. Looks to have the ears apart on the head indicating an older bear. Did you square him or measure skull size yet? Doug~RR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRAZYBUCK Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Very nice bear and great story to go along well done Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joeybari Report post Posted October 5, 2010 wow nice Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kaffer62 Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Tracy! Congratulations on your bear again!! Way to lay down the hammer! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pwrguy Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Real nice bar...good job Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
massamino Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Great story and a great looking bear! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CritterGitter Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Outstanding! That is awesome. It gives me hope that it can be done later in the fall. I'll keep after my first one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WOODSAZ Report post Posted October 5, 2010 Awesome Tracy! Thats a big ol melon on that sucker! Congrats. Jay Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
