Hey guys! I haven' t been around in a while I having been guiding fishing in northwestern Ontario. I thought you would like to hear about my first big game! This is my second season hunting at the start of this ear me and a couple of guides decided we were going to hunt black bear. We started by setting out all our stuff in 9 locations around the 26th of july it was early but it was the only time we could do it. We started baiting on Aug 1st (the season opened Aug 15th) when we got to the bait that I ahd told the guys I wanted to hunt the bucket had been knocked over already even though there was no bait in there. So we baited for two weeks and our baits were all getting hit every day. Then opening day rolled around and I found out i had to guide a fishing party so when I met them they told me they weren' t too serious and wanted to be back by 3 pm. So we fished then I came in got changed and went out hunting. I got on stand at about 4:05 at 4:45 I was looking at something on my gun when i heard the bucket move I looked up and there was a nice bear sitting ass to me eating the bait I decided i would take him I watched for about 20 mins him eating the bait the he finally moved to eat some grease we had poured on the ground I took a shot as soon as he moved and I shot right in front of him he went running up a ridge to my left he stopped on the hill and was looking at me standing broadside I shot again and missed again right over his back. He went running over the hill I listend and didnt hear a crash or moaning or running so I got down and walked to the bait and started looking for bllod or hair I couldn' t find either so I started walking along the ridge and I coludnt see any there either then i heard a crack up above and there he was standing there looking over the edge at me so I put my scope on him and he took one more step and i shot him right in the chest!! He rolled down the hill right at my feet about 5 yards or less away he moaned 5 times and it was over. I was so excited he was a decent bear about 200-225 lbs nice coat. I will post pics when I get some scanned if I can figure it out!
Thanks guys!! Nub I should clarify a bit about the shot first I definatly had what you would call " buck fever" I was nervous but I thought I had that under control. The biggest problem which was something I didn' t realize until about a week later was some time between the last time I shot my rifle and the hunt which was no more then 2 weeks at the most my scope slid forward an inch in the rings. So my rifle wasn' t on . Definatly thrid times a charm! Thanks again guys I will scan and post pics tonight if I can figure out how to post them!
Congrats. I can remember when I was younger and would get that nervous. It' s a great feeling, but I' m sort of glad it' s over too. Preparation is everything to the hunter. It can' t be over stated the amount of time you should spend shooting from different positions. I can remember when I was younger how I always looked for a tree while hunting in the woods. Now probably 80% of my shots are off-hand, and the others I' ll drop to one knee. You' ll get there, keep practicing. Again, CONGRATS!!!!!
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First big game animal! (pictures)
