HUNTING CONTINUED
Slow down and look through small openings and it is amazing what you will see sometimes . The butt of an elk or a mule deer laying in the shade or better yet a bear feeding along , that you would have missed if you were driving too fast or walking a steady beat . I have walked or driven down a road and been gone no more than 5 or 10 minutes and come back through and there was a bear standing there .
I am still having a hard time judging the size of a bear and the distance . This is where good optics and range finders come into play . Bears are tough animals and you want the shot placement to be dead on unless you like looking for a wounded bear in the dark .
A bear ’ s eye sight is not that great and their hearing can be off and on depending on the background noise such as wind . However , that nose does not lie and they depend on it for their survival . Keep those wind currents in mind when stalking that bear .
Don ’ t be in such a hurry to shoot the first bear you see unless you are on a tight time schedule and only have a few days to hunt . Get your family and friends involved and let them help you glass for bears and other critters . George ’ s wife Franchesca soon figured out my plan after I had passed on a few bears while out hunting with George . If I tagged out then George would not have been able to get a “ Kitchen Pass ” to go bear hunting . Thanks Franchesca for letting George come out to play !
Before you shoot , make sure you are in good enough shape to retrieve that bear or have buddies to help . Shoot within your range and capabilities . A wounded bear can be bad on many fronts . Make sure there are no cubs around . Have a plan and understand the cost of processing , tanning or mounting your trophy before you pull that trigger . If you don ’ t like bear meat there are plenty of folks that would love to take it off your hands . Get the meat cooled down quickly .
Take plenty of food and drink , it sure makes for a fun day out eating junk food , laughing and “ Living The Dream !”. Don ’ t forget to throw a jacket in the truck or your pack because by sundown you are going to need it . Also , don ’ t forget the headlamp / flashlight .
If you are riding around with someone else offer to pay for the gas and snacks it helps share the cost . I have already requested stock in my local gas stations this year . I am normally a solitaire hunter but I really enjoyed cruising the roads with friends and family .
Even though this publication consumes a very large part of my time I was able to have a very enjoyable spring bear season ... I just wished I had more time to chase those big bruins I long to place my tag on . The “ big ” black bear with a brown nose is still my objective this fall .
Here is a picture of a bear I passed on the last day of the season around 4 PM . How big do you think he is ? He is standing on a ridge straight across from us at 312 yards . We watched this bear for over 30 minutes and I finally decided to pass . Look at the picture to the right and you will see why I passed . We had another bear on our agenda that day .
With a track like this I am hoping to catch him in a Huckleberry patch this fall ... just hope he is black with a brown nose ! All photos for this article supplied by George Nass .
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