Sharon’s Corner – Hunting for Grizzly Bear

Our hunting season always consisted of hunting for only ungulates. Hunting for bear was never on our agenda. In 2014 we decided to take on the challenge of hunting Spring grizzly bear. It is done through a Limited Entry Hunting draw in our area, so being able to hunt one means you have to win the draw first. We both applied and my husband, Neil, was successful. I was so excited! I knew what we would be doing every weekend from April 1st-June 15th! The area that we were hunting in is very remote and rugged and only accessible by foot. The torrential rains added to the challenge. We hiked up to the slides where the bears usually hang out but the snow was still deep and the bears were nowhere to be seen. Of course, we saw a lot of them at the valley bottom but unfortunately they were not in our LEH area. One such sighting was when we were driving down a dirt road parallel to the river. We watched a mother Grizzly and two cubs cross from the other side of the river. We were standing on the road in absolute awe watching them. As they approached closer to shore we realized that they were going to land just below us. The river was fast flowing. We quickly got into the Jeep and sat still. They went up the bank 25 feet beside us and started grazing. It was an amazing experience and a privilege to watch them. Needless to say, we did not connect with a Griz that season but the experience was worth every minute.

As the next season rolled around, we put in for the 2015 Spring Grizzly Bear Limited Entry Hunt. This time both Neil and I were successful, and in connected areas. We had the whole mountain to hunt! We were ecstatic! We hunted every weekend and also spent a week camping in the area. One morning as we were heading to the “sweet-spot” for Griz, we spotted a black bear. I had never shot one and decided to purchase a black bear tag should the opportunity arise. He popped-up on the trail about 100 feet away. I stalked him for about 30 minutes, with my adrenaline pumping, and then got the perfect shot! I was pretty pleased, as he was my first bear! It was also the first animal taken with my new Tikka T3 270 Win. I was one happy huntress! Again, we did not connect with a Griz, but there is always next year! Fingers crossed that we get a draw!
My Motto: “Any day hunting is a good day. Even when you come home with nothing! To harvest is a bonus.”