Well....I just got back yesterday from my first bear hunt which was in Prince George, BC. I have to say that it was THE most enjoyable, most beautiful and most rewarding hunt that I have ever been on! Even though I got 'just your average bear' which squared 5'8"....I had other opportunities at other, much larger bears which I only have me to blame for not being succesful.

The weather was almost perfect most of the time. We only had one big storm and a couple of small showers the entire week...the last 2 days were the most beautiful days.

I took this bear at about 2:00pm on the last day. I was using my Browning .300 WM with 180 Partitions....It performed perfectly. The bear was up the mountain in a cut block at about 160 yds and slightly quartering towards me. I centered the crosshair on the lower shoulder and let her go. The bullet entered the front leg, exited and then entered the chest and exited near the last rib on the off side.....the bear bolted 10 yards and that was that.




[ 06-02-2003, 07:24: Message edited by: TXPO ]

Nice bear. Congratulations!

(here is your pictures)

TXPO,

Congrats on your first bruin!!!! I am still looking forward to mine. With our temperatures here right now, I bet you wish you were back up there!!

Bob

Weidmannsheil! Lovely looking pictures!
- mike

IronMan, Thanks for putting those pics up. I was in the process of posting them again from another host while ya'll replied to my post...thanks again

Congratulations on a fine bear. Hope to see you in a few when we shoot at ASC. Bob

Congrats on a fine looking bear.

Gentlemen,

These bears really have a grip on me. I have been wanting a bear ever since I first started hunting when I was a 7 or 8 yr old kid...I'm 35 now. I have killed a ton of deer and several other species but this is my first bear. If I could, I would just about give up deer hunting and do nothing but hunt bear with the odd other game to mix it up. I will definately go back to Prince George and hunt with the same outfitter/guide again....I just haven't told my wife that it was going to be next spring!

I truely can not describe the feelings I get when I'm hunting these critters.......it's simply awesome.

Thanks for the comments....next bear you see me post will be a monster!.....I hope anyway

TXPO

Nice bear!

Glad you enjoyed your visit to our province...

Why don't you write a lengthy tale of your hunt, as all of us like to read those...

I always like to hear all the details, and I don't think I'm alone on this!

Great photos,

Fill us in on the details!

Doug

Nice Bear.

Now you will have to come back and get one of each color. Brown, blonde, etc.

Bears are like peanuts, you can't stop at just one.

Graylake

Hey there. Sounds like you had a fun hunt. I just bought a home, 4.5 hours west of Prince George (Smithers area). I've been video taping a 300 - 350 pound black bear across the road from my house in the hayfield. He's there every afternoon. Got some good video playing around with this guy, at distances of 35 yards... I don't want to take him, as I have no time to deal with him, being just moved in to this new house and all. Also, after buying the house I got no more money to mount him anyhow!!! But I did find out that the adrenaline rush is just as much fun, or perhaps more, shooting him with the video camera.
Now before "some" of you guys start jumping down my throat, and picking apart this posting;
(1) No, I'm not turning into an anti-hunter / pro-videographer.
(2) No, I'm not trying to get mauled. I was simply seeing how close I could stalk up on him, (and could have got closer, if it weren't for respect and / or a touch of fear of being eaten by this big bugger. hehehe) HOWEVER, like I said I didn't "want" to take the time required to shoot, clean, and butcher this bear, BUT did have my .30-06 along just in case the bear was thinking otherwise.

Looks like I got a couple of requests for more details Here is a short run down.

I hunted with Bear Paw Outfitters & Guide out of Sinclair Mills, Prince George. Dennis & Irene Smith run a first rate operation and I can highly recommend them. I have never been made to feel so at home in such a short time. I had Greg Rodriguez (GregR here) of Mombasa Trading Co. book the hunt and make all the necessary arrangements....he did a fantastic job by recommending them and handling all the details...thanks a bunch Greg!

We saw bears every day...some were too small, some were too far away, some were not there after a stalk and it seems the biggest bears liked to show themselves to us outside of the hunting area!

I have tried to write down, in some detail, my experience a couple of times and I can't tell it without sounding like a bumbling idiot!!!

Let's just say that I missed 2 really good bears on Thursday afternoon, the 4th day of my 5 day hunt. I consider myself a pretty good shot but no whitetail deer has ever made me that excited! If I could...I would quit deer hunting and just hunt bears!

I shot that average size beer at 2:00 PM on the last day. I had already accepted the fact that I was going home without my bear....and I was OK with that because the hunt was awesome and I did have 2 other opportunities that I had blown.

It was kind of a mind over matter deal....I layed the crosshair of my 300 WM on it's shoulder and drilled it......then I got excited

I'll never be the same

[ 06-14-2003, 00:43: Message edited by: TXPO ]

Congrates on the bear.

I am glad you enjoyed your visit to the BC interior.

I live on a lake about 20 km from Prince George. Shot a bear 40 feet from my front door trying to eat my dog. There is no shortage of them that's for sure. "She" was 375 lb and while the conservation officer and I were putting her his truck an estimated (by the c.o.) 500 lb boar walked accross the street in front of us.

Cogratulations!
Nosler has proven once more that is all the premium bullet you need.

Congrats!

Sinclair Mills is a very beautiful area and it does have some large bears. I have a few friends that work in the mill you pass as you go through Upper Fraser on your travels to Sinclair. They live about a km or two away from the mill and allow me and my father to hunt on their 160 acre plot. But again, congragulations, and I'm glad you had success and a good time to boot!

Turok

Turock,

You live in a really beautiful corner of the world. I plan to visit it again next year.

I understand they are shutting down the mill there...if so, that's not gonna be very good for that little community.

Pretty bear. They're all over up here in AK above the circle. A Native I know shot a 3 legged blackie this week...escaped a snare only to run into a bullet. They make good summer sausage.

TXPO,

I agree. There used to be a little community of about 50 or so houses directly across the road from the mill that were supplied by the owners. They were rent controlled to under $100 or so I believe, but the due to cutbacks and all the other politics that are going on in the lumber industry, the houses were all torn down a few years ago. After that, you could kind of see the closures comming. But do come back next year.

Turok

I have hunted with TXPO enough times to know that he usually shoots pretty well. I've also hunted with him enough times to know that a big Bear is the one animal he's wanted since he was a little kid. Bear fever's a bitch, huh?

TXPO,

It was great to talk to you at ASC. You bear story got my heart rate up. It also took me back to my trip in SE ALaska with BW.

Also looking through your photo book was a real pleasure, beautiful trophies. You got me real excited thinking about where I'll be in a few years hunting with my daughter like you do.

Great job.

-tlfw