As some of you know I have been helping my buddy Mike try to get a black bear. He got lucky and drew a spring bear tag for SE Washington (the Blue Creek Unit which is closest to where we live in Walla Walla). We got permission to hunt some private property (the same property where I took my cougar in February of 2002 which Mike called in for me). This property is prime bear habitat and is approximately 5 square miles up on a mountain. The landowners gave us a key to the gate so we could drive the road and glass until we spotted a bear worth stalking. We have seen a bunch of bears so far this spring (I have seen about 25 or 30). Yesterday in fact I saw the most bears ever in one day. I saw 13 different bears. We saw 3 sows which each had two cubs. I saw a small bear, probably about 4 years old and we saw 3 big boars. We put stalks on all 3 of the big boars yesterday morning but they gave us the slip.

Then in the evening we saw the first big boar we had stalked that morning in the same spot. We put a stalk on him and Mike shot it at 8pm. It was 12:30am when we were finally back to the truck with the meat and hide. He was a dandy. Thick brown coat that measured 69.5� nose to tail. Girth was 46� so he was about 315# live weight. His front pads measured 5.25� across and he has a big noggin. We have not taken the skull out yet but I will try to do that tomorrow (good practice for my upcoming SE AK black bear hunt) and let you all know what it measures. We are wore out but delighted that we finally put the drop on a bruiser. He had a busted canine and scars on his face. He was a fighter. Mike used a 7mm Rem Mag with 160 Nosler Partition handloads. Two shots finished him. We were only about 40 yards from him when Mike shot. It was very exciting. If someone can help me post a photo I will send it to them on Monday.

I also saw a moose yesterday. It is the third time I have seen a moose in the 12 years I have lived here. In the morning when we were putting a stalk on the bear Mike ended up shooting in the evening we heard the craziest sound. At first it sounded like a deer snorting or wheezing like they do when alarmed but then it changed and was more like a squall or bawl. It turned out to be a bear cub separated from mama. This sow was a beauty and before I saw the cubs I was telling Mike to shoot, shoot, shoot. He came over to me and was trying to spot the sow and then I saw the cubs. They were born a few months ago and were cuter than the dickens.

Good hunting to all, Rufous.

Congratulations on the sucessful hunt,



Send it to me and I'll post it for you. Just PM me and I'll do it quick like.

Joel Babcock

Yep, get some photos up! Sounds like a great time.

No photos, if the rest of the world finds out about the country up here, itll be inundated with fergnors!!!

JBabcock, how would I attach a photo to a PM? Rufous

Send the photo here, jdbabcock@integrity.com

Then I'll post it.

Here we go, very pretty color on the Bear,



I wonder what the weight would have been come Fall? Either way, very nice Bear. Should make for a nice rug. Was it rubbed?

JBabcock, thanks so much for posting the photo. I have heard they can gain a bunch of weight. Surely he would have been 400# or more come late fall. We got his skull out last night and it was only 18.25". I figured it would be bigger based on his pumpkin head. Still a very nice bear, and no it was not rubbed but my buddy it likely to sell it to a taxidermy shop in Moscow Idaho. Rufous.

There is another photo on another forum. It shows my buddy Mike with his bear. Rufous.
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=290357&page=0&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1&PHPSESSID=