June 4, 2013
Today Kyle had the day off and because I already got my bear he decided he wanted to have an afternoon/evening out. His parents said they would take Pheonix and Easton for a sleep over. Our bear hunt turned into a date night, and it was a beautiful day for it. So we got the kids stuff packed up, got in our gear and headed out to drop them off for their sleepover with Oma and Papa. We drove up to an area that Kyle had hunted just a couple days earlier that he had seen tons of bear sign in, and parked. We geared up and started hiking. Not even 100 yrds from the jeep we found pile after pile of black bear scat. Within a 20 yard walk there was 7 piles. We were able to identify that there was at least one cub in the mix. So Kyle was very optimistic about seeing a bear. So we continued to hike. The farther and higher we got, the bear scat got less until we had a period of no sign at all. We pushed on anyways. Then as we were examining a puddle and mud we found a bear track. But it was the wrong kind of bear. After finding the track we started finding grizzly scat, and it got more and more in quantity. We decided that we would turn around and head back to the jeep and go to a different area.
We drove for a bit and noticed the temperature was dropping rapidly so we decided to stay in the jeep from a bit and follow some of the old abandoned roads. Again we found lots of bear scat all over the roads, side roads and main. Kyle "tagged" one pile that was on the main road and it was so fresh it splattered up the jeep after being run over. The farther we drove the higher up we got into the alpine and into the snow. We stopped to glass one large clearing and Kyle announces that there was a bear in it. I immediately asks if it was a black or grizzly. Too be honest, i figured we would have ran into a grizz before a black up that high. He said it was jet black, so I started searching the part of the clearing he was watching and I finally found him after he moved his head. He was about 350yrds away from us and didn't have a clue we were there. Kyle grabbed his rifle and decided to try to get a better look at him. By the time he got up to the top of the clearing the bear had disappeared. I was Kyles eyes from the road and it was like he laid down and vanished. After a few minutes Kyle did the same thing to me. So I waited. I strained to hear anything but with the creek roaring behind me it was next to impossible. I waited and waited. Finally Kyle came walking down the road from way back and around the corner. He had gone behind a roll in the clearing that I couldn't make out from the road and found the bear heading that way as well. He had followed him until he could stop and get a really good look at him and decided it was about a 4 foot bear. Not what he wanted. So once the little guy was out of sight Kyle came back to me and the jeep. In the mean time the temperature had dropped down to 3C and I had all my layers on. It was too dark by the time he got back to the jeep so we headed home, happy that we at least go to see a bear.
Nikita
Today Kyle had the day off and because I already got my bear he decided he wanted to have an afternoon/evening out. His parents said they would take Pheonix and Easton for a sleep over. Our bear hunt turned into a date night, and it was a beautiful day for it. So we got the kids stuff packed up, got in our gear and headed out to drop them off for their sleepover with Oma and Papa. We drove up to an area that Kyle had hunted just a couple days earlier that he had seen tons of bear sign in, and parked. We geared up and started hiking. Not even 100 yrds from the jeep we found pile after pile of black bear scat. Within a 20 yard walk there was 7 piles. We were able to identify that there was at least one cub in the mix. So Kyle was very optimistic about seeing a bear. So we continued to hike. The farther and higher we got, the bear scat got less until we had a period of no sign at all. We pushed on anyways. Then as we were examining a puddle and mud we found a bear track. But it was the wrong kind of bear. After finding the track we started finding grizzly scat, and it got more and more in quantity. We decided that we would turn around and head back to the jeep and go to a different area. 
We drove for a bit and noticed the temperature was dropping rapidly so we decided to stay in the jeep from a bit and follow some of the old abandoned roads. Again we found lots of bear scat all over the roads, side roads and main. Kyle "tagged" one pile that was on the main road and it was so fresh it splattered up the jeep after being run over. The farther we drove the higher up we got into the alpine and into the snow. We stopped to glass one large clearing and Kyle announces that there was a bear in it. I immediately asks if it was a black or grizzly. Too be honest, i figured we would have ran into a grizz before a black up that high. He said it was jet black, so I started searching the part of the clearing he was watching and I finally found him after he moved his head. He was about 350yrds away from us and didn't have a clue we were there. Kyle grabbed his rifle and decided to try to get a better look at him. By the time he got up to the top of the clearing the bear had disappeared. I was Kyles eyes from the road and it was like he laid down and vanished. After a few minutes Kyle did the same thing to me. So I waited. I strained to hear anything but with the creek roaring behind me it was next to impossible. I waited and waited. Finally Kyle came walking down the road from way back and around the corner. He had gone behind a roll in the clearing that I couldn't make out from the road and found the bear heading that way as well. He had followed him until he could stop and get a really good look at him and decided it was about a 4 foot bear. Not what he wanted. So once the little guy was out of sight Kyle came back to me and the jeep. In the mean time the temperature had dropped down to 3C and I had all my layers on. It was too dark by the time he got back to the jeep so we headed home, happy that we at least go to see a bear.
Nikita
I couldn't even imagine going hunting for a bear! That's so freaking sweet! Love your blog and ugh sooooo jealous of your scenery.
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
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