Took this bear earlier this week. He is not the biggest bear Ive seen around here but he was in the best shape.

Took him with the .35 Whelen I just finished building. 250gr Hornady at about 2400 fps did the job nicely.

Bill ----- I like your Bear and your rifle, I am a .35 caliber nut myself. Congrats on a good animal and adventure. Good shooting.

Congratulations!

He looks like a good bear to me. Great job!

Nice Bear. The 35 Whelen is a great caliber.

Bill,
Really nice bear and rifle, good job. Could you tell us a little more about the rifle?

Sure....

Its a pre-war model 70. Originally chambered in .35 Rem that was rechambered to 35 Whelen. I cut the stock from the blank. Its a very HARD piece of bastogne. Not real flashy but incredibly strong. Leather recoil pad, skeleton grip cap, inlet studs and 26lpi Fleur de lis checkering. Rings and mounts are Redfields and the scope is an old 4x post and crosshair Redfield. Im going to put a Leupold 2-7 on it later this year along with some QD rings and mounts. The iron sights are original and they work just fine.

It's always good to see nice rifles put to proper use. Well done Bill.

Jeff

The work on the rifle certainly paid off !Nice cartridge......Saw a bear with three cubs today looking very healthy.Bear populations are doing well in NY and PA.

BIll congrats-enough about the rifle, tell us about the hunt?

What state, by yourself, guided, spot/stalk or bait?

Thx

MD

Not much of a story to tell actually. I shot him on my own property. I live in sticks and this time of year when the huckleberries and oregon grapes are ripe I see bears and sign frequently. I just waited for the right one to come along. I saw a bigger one earlier but it was a mess. Couple of big bald spots on it where it had been rubbing on a tree.

Anyway, I saw him and just watched him for a minute. He wasnt in any hurry to leave so I got a good look at all sides of him. About that time he saw me but didnt seem to really care...just started walking slowly away. I waited till he turned broadside and fired. This bear was taken in WA state....no baiting allowed.

thanks man I am a bruin fanatic of the worst/best ways...

MD

Good job! Rug, or full-body mount?

Rug...

Nice bear! Looks good. Great choice of rifle, too. I love the .35's especially for bear. You never know when they'll decide to bite back!

Nice work! Was that in Washington?

IV