Successful Weekend Bear Hunt!

[pinks]

Trip started with a 4:45am wake up, threw some coffee and food into our faces, finished loading the truck and we were on the road buy 6am. Drove to our desired camping ground, put up the tent, and started our hunt!

Day 1, right off the start we see alittle runt, he didn't hang around but for a split second, as we pull on to the end landing, i notice some thing in the distance, yep, a bear, nice one at that! he was about 450yrds and with the wind direction, getting to him was not in the cards. Tried to find a road that might get me closer to him, but no such luck, any way the day ended with 4 sightings and no Bear!!

Day 2, we head out to another road that had some real good Bear sign from the day before, as I drive by a old grass covered skid trail, I see a black object, ~400yrds away, glass it, sure enough, a decent Bear!! The wind was perfect, but couldn't figure which way the Bear was headed, so I started the stalk, I get about 150yrds from him and see that he is actually coming my way, so I find a nice stump to rest on, he reaches about 60yrds and offers a beauty quartering away shot, I rest the cross hairs for a high shoulder shot, squeze.....BANG and flop!!! Now the work begins!! It was about a 300yrd drag to the lower road, on flat ground, so with some blood, sweat and tears I got him to the lower road! He came in at 5ft 3in, not a giant, but I hunt them for the meat, so he should be a tasty one!! Thanks for lessoning and enjoy the pics!!

Perry

 

[cayuga]

That looks like a nice sized eating bear. What kind of rifle did you use?

 

[pinks]

Thanks cayuga, its a Stevens 200 in 243win, I was shooting 100gr Hornady SP, over 39.1gr of H4350, nicely wrapped in a win case!!

Perry

 

[OptimaAndy]

8) 8) 8) 8)

 

[Bucker]

bear

good job. I just am amazed at huntng bear w/ a .243 in PA we hunt minimum 30-06 or 30-30. Yea, I know guys that hunt them w/ a 44 mag, but it is a different mind set to hunt them w/ a light gun like that.

 

[wildhobbybobby]

Congratulations on a great hunt in some beautiful country! You have proved that it's not what you hit them with, it's where you hit them.

 

[vabowhntr]

Looks like you painted that stock, looks good.

 

[pinks]

Looks like you painted that stock, looks good.

Thanks guys! It was an awesome weekend with the family indeed!! vabowhntr, I used Krylon Olive green, Stuff works pretty good!!

Perry

 

[Cajun]

Congrats! Nice bear!

 

[cayuga]

I never underestimate a .243 caliber. They are a deadly caliber for such a small bullet. I once watched a farmers kid, knock a big buck down on their farm at over 400 yards. Of course talking to the land owner, he said they load their own and that kid burns off bullets as fast as the can load them.

We'd went out there to hunt the afternoon and was sitting drinking coffee at the house when that buck came out into the field. The kid grabbed his rifles, blaze orange, walked out to the picnic table in the yard, had a gun rest on it, and when he touched that trigger that buck never took a step.

On a different forum I talked to a person that "claims" they use a .243 for elk. I suggested that might be kind of light, but they said, they take a broadside shot, and the elk take a few steps and just lay down dead..

 

[pinks]

Thanks again guys!! cayuga, back in my home province, a friend of the family uses a 243win for all his hunting....from Seal to Moose!! I'm not saying run out and shoot these bigger game with a 243, Thats a worn out topic on any hunting forum!......but it can be done!

Perry

 

[Hiker]

Good job!