Bear Double Header

[gophanator]

This year i decided that due to a shoulder surgery and a bunch of time off of work i was going to put in a effort at getting my first ever bear with the help of my dad with the heavy lifting and just in general help with getting the bait in and restocking weekly. I knew there was going to be no way of getting to hunt bears this year with a bow due to the surgery so i figured id break in my 45-70 gov't this year and hopefully next year use my bow. I had the bait up for 2 weeks until it was finally hit for the first time and i had a younger boar coming in on and off and a big sow with a 2 year old cub that was in the bait every few hours and keeping the boar at bay. My dad a buddy and I headed out weds morning to see if we could get on a bear in the morning and on the way in we spooked one off the bait and then the wind shifted directions on us and our hunt was over shortly after that. Yesterday the wind was perfect so i went up by myself with my climber tree stand and my gun and headed into the bait at 3pm, on the walk in i tried to be as quite as possibly this time just in case there was one at the bait again and just as i was able to see the barrels i noticed something black just in behind them and a tree so i quickly set down my stand and pulled up the binos and ranged him at 44yrds. I could see it was a bear with a really dark face but as soon as he got to the front of the barrels he laid down to eat so i couldn't tell which one it was. Originally i was planning if given the opportunity to harvest the big sow because the cub was a 2 year old and she had a very nice white V on her chest so i thought that this bear was her. While the bear was laying feeding for maybe 20sec i stood up in behind a tree and as i did this the bear stood up and was perfectly broadside, the back of the bear was the same height at the 45 gal drum so i knew it was a good one, i pulled the hammer back on the 45-70 and let it fly. The bear made his moan and took off which ended up being directly at my so i quickly cycled another round just incase but the bear only took 5 steps and it was over. I backed out of there and called my dad to tell him the news and get him to come up there to help me out because theres no way i was moving a bear by myself with 1 arm and i didn't want to be in there by myself dealing with a bear while others are around, i also had a good buddy come up to help out as well because he was excited for me and wanted to be apart of it all so 2 hours ish later they both got there and we headed into the bush to recover mine. Again just as i could see the barrels cause i was leading i seen another bear at the barrels so i quickly told my dad to take the gun and shot the bear at the bait, he grabbed the gun from me pulled the hammer back and let it fly. He ended up hitting the bear a bit back so after 10 mins of looking around we found it and ended up needing to give it another shot but then it was all over. There was a bunch of high fives and congrats going on because now in all of about 3 hours me and my dad both managed to get our first bears!! I was more excited for my dad getting his bear then i was me getting mine! I am always calling him up and making him come help me deal with my animals i get, it seems to work out that i get them when he's not with me haha Thanks again dad!!
My bear measured at 6'8" and dads was 6' even from nose to tail and waiting till we get skulls back to know there measurements.

And thanks to Hyde Hunting for the awesome sweater!

Had a good day today bringing my bear up to Marco at Sugar Creek and helping him skin it out to get a rug made up because i had never skinned one for a rug before. I cant wait to get it back from him and see it all done. Thanks Marco for the help and teaching me more about skinning the cougar before and now this bear!

[Hugenuge]

Congrats on a great day in the woods for you and your dad, nice bears!

[Demonical]

This year I decided that due to a shoulder surgery, and a bunch of time off of work, I was going to put in an effort, at getting my first ever bear with the help of my dad, with the heavy lifting, and just in general help with getting the bait in and restocking weekly (this was due to a shoulder injury/surgery).

I knew there was going to be no way of getting to hunt bears this year with a bow due to the surgery, so I figured I'd break in my .45-70 this year, and hopefully next year use my bow.

I had the bait up for 2 weeks until it was finally hit for the first time, and I had a younger boar coming in off and on, and a big sow with a 2 year old cub, that was in the bait every few hours and keeping the boar at bay.

My dad, a buddy and I headed out Weds morning to see if we could get on a bear in the morning, and on the way in we spooked one off the bait, and then the wind shifted directions on us and our hunt was over shortly after that.

Yesterday the wind was perfect, so I went up by myself with my climber tree stand and my gun, and headed into the bait at 3pm. On the walk in, I tried to be as quiet as possible this time, just in case there was one at the bait again.
Just as I was able to see the barrels, I noticed something black, just in behind them and a tree, so I quickly set down my stand and pulled up the binos and ranged him at 44yrds.

I could see it was a bear with a really dark face, but as soon as he got to the front of the barrels, he laid down to eat, so I couldn't tell which one it was.

Originally I was planning if given the opportunity, to harvest the big sow, because the cub was a 2 year old and she had a very nice white V on her chest. So I thought that this bear was her.
While the bear was laying feeding for maybe 20 sec, I stood up in behind a tree, and as I did, this the bear stood up and was perfectly broadside. The back of the bear was the same height as the 45 gal drum, so I knew it was a good one.
I pulled the hammer back on the .45-70 and let it fly. The bear made his moan and took off, which ended up being directly at me, so I quickly cycled another round, just in case!

But the bear only took 5 steps and it was over. I backed out of there and called my dad to tell him the good news and get him to come up there to help me out, because there's no way I was moving the bear by myself, with one arm, and I didn't want to be in there by myself dealing with a bear, while others are around.
I also had a good buddy come up to help out as well, because he was excited for me and wanted to be apart of it all. So two-ish hours later, they both got there, and we headed into the bush to recover the bear.

Again, just as I could see the barrels, cause I was leading, I saw another bear at the barrels. I quickly told my dad to take the gun and shoot the bear at the bait. Dad grabbed the gun from me, pulled the hammer back and let it fly.
He ended up hitting the bear a bit back, so after 10 mins of looking around we found it and ended up needing to give it another shot, but then it was all over.

There was a bunch of high fives and congrats going on, because now in all of about 3 hours, me and my dad both managed to get our first bears!!

I was more excited for my dad getting his bear than I was me getting mine!

I am always calling him up and making him come help me deal with the animals I get, it seems to work out that I get them when he's not with me!
Haha! Thanks again dad!!

My bear measured at 6'8" and dads was 6' even, from nose to tail, and waiting till we get skulls back to know there measurements.

And thanks to Hyde Hunting for the awesome sweater!

Had a good day today bringing my bear up to Marco at Sugar Creek, and helping him skin it out to get a rug made up, because I had never skinned one for a rug before.

I cant wait to get it back from him and see it all done. Thanks Marco for the help and teaching me more about skinning the cougar before and now this bear!

[Demonical]

Congrats on the two bears! Nice story too.

Btw, what ammo were you using? Handload, bullet etc?


P.S. Sorry about editing your post, but I couldn't read it...

[Gboe8]

Congrats to both you guys

[Countryguy]

Great story, Congrats on the bears.

[craig82]

Nice bears!! That boar sure has a big head thanks for sharing

[DJS]

Nice bears! Congrats!!

[AlphaRaptor35]

Nice Bears! Awesome that you and your father could share the experience. Congrats!

[gophanator]

Thanks everyone!!


I was just using factory Hornady Leverevolutions 325gr ftx for this hunt. I do have some Hornady 325gr ftx loaded up for my gun over imr4198 but i have not had a chance to test them out yet.

[284 norma]

cool

[jayrod77]

good job nice work