I got my first bear yesterday. This is the second year I’ve really been after one. Been pervious years but not after one hard. Seen my first bear last year while bear hunting. I was using a pedersoli Rocky mtn hawkin. Figured it’d be pretty cool to get my first bear with an ole style hawkin. I had been hunting several, several evenings. Finally at about 15 minutes before dark I heard something off to my left. I noticed it was a bear, it seemed it took forever for it to come in. When it came in, I got the sights lined up an the cap went off but didn’t ignite the powder. It just stood there, I was shaking like a leaf on a tree. I got another cap on an was about to get it back in the sights an it tore off. Didn’t see another bear the rest of bear season. Didn’t even see one while deer hunting when bear season had gone out.
Fast forward to this year, I decided to change guns a use the ole trusty Remington model 700 7mm rem mag. I’ve been hunting several evenings trying to get one. Have a camera up an had noticed they was coming in late at night an staying till day break, or they would come in mid morning. Only had a few pictures of bear coming in during the evening light. I was going to start hunting some mornings but had thought about it an didn’t want to run one off going in. So I just kept on doing what I was doing. Rained Saturday, a I decided not to go. Rained yesterday morning, was drizzling yesterday evening. I went an sat in the stand, it quit drizzling an the wind was still. Not many evenings have I been an the wind wasn’t blowing. It had rained, so the leaves didnt have hardly any crunch to them. The squirrels didn’t hardly make any noise. I’m sitting there and for some reason it just felt like the right evening, honestly felt different sitting there than it had all season. I’m sitting there taking the usual glance around, day dreaming, fiddling with this an that. I hear something to my left an glance over an it’s the bear at about 15yds. I’m in a ladder stand, an it was like he was coming to check my scent out. That’s the only thing I can think of, an he turned around an went back the way he came an then went to the bait. I didn’t shoot the first time I had a shot because I knew they’ll usually hang around. So he messes around an eats a little, lays down an eats, rolls around. In nc you can’t take a bear while they are consuming bait, so I had to wait till he was done. I wait an it looks like he is heading to check my camera out. I get a good shot an pull the trigger, he spins about a 180 an runs probably 25-30yds an he’s down. I can see him from my stand. So I give him a few minutes an go see how I can get to him. Was able to get my four wheeler about 20yds down hill from him. I get me a piece of rope an drag him down to the four wheeler. An got him loaded up.So here he is, not a big bear but he’s my first. Didn’t have any scales, but by guessing I’d guess he was 135-150lb. I couldn’t just throw him on the four wheeler. I got his head tied up an then hoped up on the four wheeler an pulled him up.

Good job G!! Nice bear

Congrats, good looking hide on that southern bear, should be a good eater as well!

Thank you for the story.

EXCELLENT G !
With a Hawkin yet.
Good old fashion hunting, I like that.
Cool !

I forgot to add I changed guns after last year. Used a 7mm rem this year

Wow G,I also like the step by step..Thank you.

Good job.
Best meat there is.

Good job

Congratulations!!! Sure has a nice hide on it.

Congratulations

Good job

Congratulations that sure is some nice looking black fur

Super Congratulations

Congrats, it gets addicting.

Osky

Great story and bear!! Thanks for sharing!

Very nice!

Looks big to me! Surprised you got him n the wheeler by yourself.

Great bear G.H.! I've eaten a pile of bear way smaller than that one, it is a good one.