A good friend of mine wanted to go bear hunting.

I helped him Shoot/harvest his first bear 15 years ago.

Due to career changes and marriage and several children. He had had a hard time getting away for a bear hunt.

This year things aligned so we brought tags and planned a hunt.

My heart attack put a bit of a damper on our plans.

By the first week of August I was feeling good enough to start baiting.

The places changed where I wanted to bait as I would have to be able drive close. As I wasn't up to carrying bait buckets any distance.

I put 3 baits out and had bears on two of them right away the third took about a week.

My friend came up the night before opening day.

Opening day of bait season. I placed him in a pop up blind at 1pm. I knew that bait had at least two decent bears on it.

We were not looking for monsters just good bears for Wisconsin.

About a half an hour before shooting time end he called me and said he shot a bear.

His bear was a boar that field dressed at 225 pounds. By the time he got it field dress and to the processer.

We were back to the house at 11pm.

For me season started a week earlier when I went to hunt with a friend to run bears with hounds.

In that group we had 3 kill tags. I was the number three in line to kill a bear. If the chance came.

Over the next week that group killed a couple big bears one that weighted in at 517 pounds.

I also went out with another group of hound hunters and they ended up killing five or six bears. In the 250 to 350 pound range.

Due to my health and the fact that the afternoon temperatures were in the mid 80's. I really had no desire to shoot a bear. The fact that I had shot bears in the past. I let the other hunters kill bears.

I really had no desire to kill a bear.

I still had active baits out with numerous bears on them.

I sat out several times but due to the heat and rain I always came it before prime time.

In my older age I have become very picky about when, where , how and if I shoot any thing.

Fast forward to two days before the season ends today.

I have had a great season so far been out with the hound saw more then one bear put up a tree.

Got in and several long and short chases. The longest was close to three hours the Shortest was about 15min. before the bear treed.

Two days left the weather turned with lows forecast to be in the 30's. In decided if I was going to shoot a bear I should get it done.

I was down to baiting one place, but still had several legal bears coming to it.

I decided to shoot the first legal bear because I was meat hunting not trophy hunting.

I have killed and have on hunts where big 500lb plus bears have been shot. They tend to be a real PITA to get out of the woods.

I went out, baited and was in the stand by 2 o'clock as planned.

At 10 to 5 I noticed a bear approaching the bait.

I didn't take me long to realize it was a legal bear.

He came in straight towards me. Stood next to the bait stump. With his head slightly down.

Range 37 yards. I settled the gross hairs on the center of his head and shot DRT.

The 325gr Hornaday out of my Ruger No.3 45-70 destroyed the brain broke the neck. Travel almost full length. I it found right next to the rear hams when I field dressed him.

I called my daughter. she and my SIL came and helped me load him him up. A 250lb field dressed boar.

By 7pm I had him hung skinned and cooling,

The temperature dropped to 30 degrees over night.

Just before I typed this I went out and check the carcass and found it very nice and cool.

Bear dinner in the future.

A very successful season lots of fun ending with bear in the freezer.

Sounds like a great season with a fitting end. Well done to the whole bear hunting team up there.

Sounds like a very good time!

I wish it would cool off in my woods. Summer won't go away.

Great job! I hunt bear in PA where we aren't allowed to use dogs or bait. It was a lot better when Bear season was the Monday before Thanksgiving and lasted 3 days. Then Buck season came in the Monday after Thanksgiving and lasted 2 weeks.

Now the seasons start on the Saturdays before those Mondays and the Buck season is gone. 2 weeks of either or Buck and Doe. Plus there are tons of early specialty seasons for Bear and Deer.

I am a dinosaur and hate change.

ETA: You can't beat good bear meat! It is like fine beef!

quote:

ETA: You can't beat good bear meat! It is like fine beef!

When it comes to wild game my top 4 choices

1 bear
2 moose
3 elk
4 deer

hey are all good but I like a good black bear the best.

you did good! keep an eye on your health and keep enjoying the outdoors.

Congratulations! Sounds like you had a great season.