Well I got there Thursday afternoon and unloaded my stuff got settled in and my guide Al asked "Well do you want to go out tonight?" I replied "Well that's what I'm here for right?" So we jumped in the truck and went to one of the bait sites. We climbed straight up the side of a steep hill probably about 800-1000 ft climb in about 800-900 yards or so. I wasn't really ready for that right outta the gate and had a light North Face jacket on. Halfway up the hill I was dying kinda wondering what I had gotten myself into. I asked Al to stop as I was burning up needing to catch my breath and more than anything shed a layer and cool off. Stuff the jacket in the pack found a nice stick on the ground and started up the hill.
Finally we got to the top overlooking the bait. Al set up his spotting scope and we started glassing. After about 45 minutes or so we saw a color phase bear coming down the hill at about 550 yards. He slowing worked down and I spotted a black sow coming through the timber. The color phase wasn't real big and started feeding on the bait at this point we slipped down the hill about 30 yards or so just to the left of where we were along so rocks which gave a rock solid shooting platform with no obstructions at 230 yards 210 shooting distance. Al told me to get my rifle out and I set it up on the bipod and slowly chambered a round. I was ready. The sow had made it to the bait forced the brown off and fed for about 5 minutes and circled back up the hill. The brown came back in to feed. As we were glassing Al saw a larger black boar coming through the timber. I didn't see him. He came in to chase the sow we waited probably 25-30 minutes before he finally came out chasing the sow down to the bait. As they hit the bait and forced the brown off I spotted another black boar coming in. As he came down the sow ventured off and the brown went up the hill. The 4 bears were within 200 yards of each other. The two larger boars came down to the bait. Al was urging me to pick one and take the shot. I just watched the second boar to come in was larger. Al told me that he was a good one and urged me again to shoot. I finally told him I wasn't ready to shoot and was just enjoying watching them. As the winds picked up I put on another layer and finally my jacket. We sat there and watched the Bears interact and feed for another 3 hours finally I was chilled and said lets get out of here before we spook them so we quietly picked up and climbed back up the ridge and down the hill to the truck. That was absolutely awesome to sit there and watch them as I had never seen a bear before.
On Friday morning we got up early and went to check the baits. I decided to leave the rifle in the truck as I wanted to see what Al was doing and just kinda observe and try to learn as much as I could and to take some pictures. We checked the baits and saw some deer here and there. We came back to the bait we sat on the previous night. As we came up to it Al saw a bear on the bait he got his video camera out and recorded it. He slowly slipped up and the bear moved off I was staring right at him and didn't realize the bear was there. I thought it was a burnt fallen timber. Al rebaited the bait and off we went to the next one. We checked the rest of the baits then went back to the cabin for lunch.
That evening he set me up on another bait there was a log on the side of the hill with a second log above it Al took me up there set me up and left. I sat there and observed some Mulies. I was 165 yards from the bait and there was one doe feeding she wandered off to my right and into the timber about 15 minutes later she came back and 3 other deer appeared a yearling doe a 3-4 year old doe and a little button buck. They fed for a while and it started to sprinkle. So I got into my pack and grabbed my wool pants and shirt and slowly got dressed as they intently watched me. It was quite challenging. They then slowly worked down to the creek below me and off to the timber to the right. So I could finally stand up and button my pants. I sat back down and the doe slowly came through the timber back to the bait she fed for another 30 minutes then went and laid down about 15 feet from the bait. She laid there for about ten mintues got back up and hit the bait again. Then slowly worked down to the creek and got within 50 yards of me. She wandered off to my right as the other three deer reappeared out of the timber and on to the bait she finally worked herself back in front of me and off to the right by the creek. The others followed and disappeared into the timber. Finally I heard Al coming down from above me I looked up at him while he was about 30 yards away I kinda shocked him and I gathered my gear and we climbed out at around 2140. We got back to the truck and Al started teasing me about hearing him sneak down on me and sitting where I was which he dubbed the "bunker". By this time my eyes were yellow and my teeth were floating. It was so nice peaceful and quite. The most relaxation I've had in a long long time. Out in the middle of nowhere by myself. It was perfect.
So Saturday morning we checked baits today I was carrying my rifle. The bait I had sat on the previous night had a real nice bear come in about 15 minutes after we had left. We saw a couple bull elk as we came up on the bait.
So we were off to the bait we sat on the first night. As we came up there was a bear on the bait his rear facing us. I pulled my rifle from my pack and slowly chambered a round. Al put me on point and I slowly moved up to the right to get a better view. I came up to a fallen tree that was leaning on another tree. I tried to go under it but kinda got snagged so I backed out and moved about 5 ft to the right and laid my rifle across it. Slowly I lined everything up making sure there was no obstructions. It was clear but his rump was still facing us. So I grabbed my binos and started glassing. He turned his head a bit and I could make out a scar above his right eye. I still wasn't sure what he was I kept looking at him. Finally after about a minute he took two steps with his front end and turned his head. I could see his big roman nose and the scar above his eye. He was quartering away from me at about 35 degrees one of the boars we had seen Thursday night. With my rifle tucked under the crook of my right arm I dropped my glass and took a half step back. I shouldered the rifle aimed about 6 inches behind his right front leg and let one rip about 2 seconds after I dropped my glass. The 338 recoiled I settled the rifle back on the makeshift rest and I couldn't see the bear. I knew my hold was true but couldn't see the bear with my left eye. I didn't hear the familiar whack of the bullet I expected I slowly worked the bolt when Al said "He's down hard, where did you hit him?" Got him behind the right shoulder took out the off. About a minute later the brush started moving. I saw his head raise above the log and I looked for a shot. He pulled himself off the hill and down into a small draw crashing against a rock and a couple fallen trees. I followed him down and he started moving again. I couldn't figure out what end of the bear I was looking at as it all was a black mass finally he lifted his head and I figured out what I was looking at I shouldered the rifle and put a second one in him between the shoulder blades and exiting the bottom of his neck he was down.
I waited a few minutes as Al rebaited. We made it down to him and set a couple small timbers up. I was shaking now with excitement. Al commented on the textbook shot as we drug him up and rolled him for pictures. I was pleased my first bear. After pictures we went down to the truck and got some bags and stuff to skin him out. We skinned him out and as we quartered him Al commented on how the left shoulder was destroyed and I put the bullet right where I told him. He loaded the meat into his pack and gave me the hide in a plastic burlap sack. I tied it to my pack with some para cord and carabiners. Stood up and couldn't quite get my pack on he assisted me and we started heading down to the truck. With a stick in hand I took my first step with the "wrecking ball" I was very wobbly. The first few steps was almost like I was drunk. Finally I re acquired my balance and started down with each step the wrecking ball hit the back of my knees. We came to a few fallen timbers and the one was high enough I couldn't get over it so I stepped on it broke it and fell back to earth. Al looked back figuring I had crashed and burned. I just smiled saying I couldn't get over we got back to the truck dropped my pack untied the wrecking ball and loaded it into the truck. I told Al I was never doing that again. He asked me what and I replied tying a wrecking ball to my pack. He laughed and said Been there done that. We got back to the cabin hung the meat and rolled out the hide in the freezer.
That afternoon we went to town got some beer and I checked for tags in NV and found out I had drawn a pronghorn tag bull and cow elk tags. It was one hell of a good day.
Sunday we went and set baits then got the pack horses and went over Monumental Pass to set up another bait in his two bear area. The pass was still marred with snow but it was a good fun hike.
Monday we went and set baits again in the morning that night we went up to spot some elk. We left the truck and went straight up a steep hill. Probably climbed 1200 feet in 500-550 yards. It was a challenge for darn sure. We sat there and glassed for about 4 hours and saw a bunch of game. A sow with two cubs 4-5 Mulies including one nice buck, and a bunch of elk 10-15 head I think mostly embedded in the timber. I got to play with my EL Ranges and was able to range a tree at 1920 yards. The bear and cubs were well beyond that and so were most of the elk and the nice buck. We saw a rag horn bull on the draw across from us at 975 yards. It was awesome.
Al was awesome he's a hell of a good guy and I was really happy with him he went above and beyond what he had to do. I had an absolute blast and if I can will be back next year.
Statistics: Posted by nvbroncrider — Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:22 am