Ahhh…that feeling when you draw a bear tag. These don’t come along frequently and the anticipation is half of the hunt. The hopes to bag a beautiful bruin run high. This is when the planning starts.
We spent a number of weekends glassing the areas we felt were going to be fruitful. We saw a number of sows in the area—all with cubs. As we got closer to the season, we started laying eyes on some boars. And one of those boars was a gorgeous cinnamon bear. We knew he was working through a specific drainage and I decided to hunt the cliffs around this particular canyon.
Opening day of the season started early as I headed out solo in the dark. I set up on a rim overlooking a promising tree line where I’d seen the cinnamon boar pre-season. I had my rifle set and I glassed throughout the morning. No bears decided to present themselves. I set up again in the evening with similar luck.
The following morning I was unable to get out due to work. We all know that frustration as the nagging in the back of our minds is always this…THIS is when that bear would appear. As I worked through the day, I decided to hang it up early to get back out to start glassing. I headed out far earlier than I normally would so I could ensure I was in place in case the bear was roaming early. I packed my pack with a book and snacks as I knew I would be out there at least four hours.
I headed up canyon at 2:00 pm. My hike to the rock outcroppings was about two miles. I had my pack on my back and my rifle slung over my neck and shoulder to make it easier for me to use my hands through the steeper rocks. The hike in was steep and rocks were sliding frequently. I knew I was quite noisy, even if I tried to be quiet. I felt that it was so early, I would most likely be in early so I could quiet the area down for an evening hunt.
I was wrong.
As I rounded the last ravine to the outcroppings I had been hunting, I looked down the ravine only to see the cinnamon boar I was after. The problem was this...I was in the wide open. The bear had seen me and was locked in on me while up on his back legs. My critical mistake was that my rifle was around my neck and over my back. There was no easy way to get my rifle off my back and over my head while in the wide open 60 yards from the bear. Agh. I had let my guard down thinking I was in too early to be spotted and I carried my rifle in the most comfortable way, but it was not at all accessible in a hurried situation.
I decided to ease myself flat onto the ground. I could still see the bear, but he was definitely on high alert and I had very little time. I was able to slide my sling over my head slowly. However, the problem now was this- how was I going to sit up, get into shooting position, roll a round in the chamber and raise my rifle to shoot. I was so angry with myself for my lack of preparedness for this early encounter. I was able to lay flat on my back with my rifle facing downhill. I slowly sat up and pulled my rifle to my knee into a shooting position. The bear was starting to push out of the ravine as he was on high alert. I had given him every reason to be alarmed. I had no more time left. I chambered a round, caught him in the sights as he was moving off to the trees, and moved the safety to the fire position. I had a second to take a breath, hold it and level off a shot.
I had a direct hit that I saw and heard. I rolled him but still saw some movement at the base of the trees. I chambered a second round. The movement stopped, but I couldn’t quite see him in the brush. I felt certain I had a clean shot, but being alone, I was a bit hesitant to walk blindly into the brush with a bear that could be wounded if not dead.
I waited a few minutes and was able to put some glass on the area. I still couldn’t see him. I decided to head down the ravine with the rifle loaded. I approached slowly and cautiously. I took the safety off as I got to the brush where I last saw the boar. I can’t lie, I was a little nervous. As I crested the north side of the ravine to get a closer look, I found the bear down. The shot was well placed and the bear was dead.
I took a deep breath, slipped the safety on and got to take a good look at this cinnamon bear. I had seen him at a distance and thought I had a good gauge of this bear, but I was wrong. He was STUNNING. His coat was clean, thick and beautiful. His head was perfect. I paid my respects to this animal and thanked Mother Nature for her bounty.
I got him gutted but given the distance to my vehicle and the size of the bear, I decided it would be best for me to hike out and use my lifeline to call my husband to help me finish skinning him out and help me pack him out in one trip.
I love solo hunting. I love when it all comes together. I also appreciate the lessons learned each and every time I hunt. I will never be complacent in my hikes as you never know when you may encounter your quarry and I will never find myself so tangled up in my gear for reasons of comfort of climbing. I also will not assume I will not encounter an animal even if the timing is off. I am a firm believer of one fact- if I cannot learn something new on every hunt then it is time to hang it up.
After we got the bear home, my grandson, Mason was so excited. His only request that he, his sister and his cousins all got bear claw necklaces. Stay tuned, this is 100% in the works!
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