Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

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Tuffcity
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Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#1 Post by Tuffcity » Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:34 pm

So as you folks roll towards winter the flip side of the world heads in summer. My wife and I both drew permits for grizzly bear in the central coast region of BC. We spent 14 days looking for the elusive g-bear. She was hunting with her muzzle loader and I was going to pack my trusty recurve ... until 3 weeks before we headed out I got tripped up by my 2 dogs and crashed shoulder first into the side of the house- which resulted in a torn back muscle and a partially detached tendon. Lovely. Yes, I know, you all feel horribly sad for my situation. :) My way of apologizing for pics containing my "traditional" (albeit pre-64) .375 H&H Winchester.

Major flooding the fall before had rendered many access roads almost impossible to use and we had to get creative sometime getting the quad into areas. We had a CanAm "2-up" that we used to get us close to slide areas so we could hike in and glass for bears.

A few pics from the trip.

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"Starbucks" on bush time.

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Break during a tough day. :) Apparently a 2-up makes a good snooze pad.

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Paintbrush

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Grizzly print the size of my hat- you can see the 4 toe indents and the pad outline- this is a front paw.

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Sometimes you can't get there from here...

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Some local wildlife:

Blacktail deer- young buck in velvet

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doe

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Black bear

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RC

- no grizzlies were harmed on this little adventure. But not for lack of trying. :) We did see 5 in total, 2 outside the area we were permitted for, a sow with a cub (not legal to take) and a nice boar on the last morning that ghosted away without a shot opportunity.
That which doesn't kill me better run for cover...

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UPTHETOP
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#2 Post by UPTHETOP » Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:12 pm

Tuff is good to see you back with the camera. Cant beat them jetboils for a hot cuppa in freezing conditions.
I see you still havnt got the old girl away from the mussel loader yet they are addictive.
Hope the shoulder and back get better soon and the recurve can be put to good youse once again.
Thanks for posting the pics mate never get bored of you and the misses and all that space in BC.

Cheers Wayno
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Slackshot
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#3 Post by Slackshot » Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:06 pm

WOW :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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AndyD
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#4 Post by AndyD » Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:32 pm

Thanks for sharing - amazing scenes.
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Roadie
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#5 Post by Roadie » Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:33 pm

Love the Photos. Some serious Fire power there. Cheers Roadie.

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bigbob
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#6 Post by bigbob » Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:35 pm

That is just stunning scenery! I am envious--- until winter time. Aint no snow and cold here thank the Lord.But again what beautiful country. Thanks for sharing .
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kerry
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#7 Post by kerry » Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:52 pm

In your intro you mentioned your wife was using her muzzle loader, I was expecting something similar to Davy Crocketts rig. Guess I should get out from under my rock more often. Great pics of some unreal country thanx for sharing. :smile:
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woodie
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#8 Post by woodie » Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:04 pm

Nice photos.
Kerry I have one of those Davie Crocket rifles, well it is a .45 Kentukey, and love shooting it. Ilook at it as traditional rifle shooting.
woodie
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flyne
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#9 Post by flyne » Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:07 pm

Nice spot mate
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#10 Post by Stickbow Hunter » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:15 pm

Thanks for the great photos from your part of the world and good to see ya post RC.

Jeff

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Tuffcity
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#11 Post by Tuffcity » Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:37 am

Thanks guys.

Jeff: work has had me on the road waaaayyyy too much in the past 3 months. Not much time for photo taking or posting! Happily home for awhile- at least until the wife and I head out in early August for a 2 week fly-in mountain sheep hunt up north.

RC
That which doesn't kill me better run for cover...

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GrahameA
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#12 Post by GrahameA » Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:25 am

Morning.

I really like this photo.
Some local wildlife:

Blacktail deer- young buck in velvet

Image
Makes you want to go a long way north for a Holiday. Thank you for posting it.
Grahame.
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#13 Post by Stickbow Hunter » Fri Jun 22, 2012 9:29 am

Tuffcity wrote:Happily home for awhile- at least until the wife and I head out in early August for a 2 week fly-in mountain sheep hunt up north.
What a hunt. I hope the shoulder is well and truly mended by then so we get to see that recurve in action. :mrgreen:

Jeff

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Bent Stick
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#14 Post by Bent Stick » Fri Jun 22, 2012 5:59 pm

Amazing pics mate, enjoy your time at home and enjoying it as much as possible.
If your not having fun, your doing it for all the wrong reasons

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Sparra
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#15 Post by Sparra » Mon Jul 09, 2012 7:25 am

I only just found this thread...Those pic's are amazing..Thanks for sharing,the only downside I could see was that there wasn't enough of them...

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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#16 Post by littlejohn59 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:08 am

:surprised:
Great photos!!!!!!!!!! What an exotic location. Thanks for sharing

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clinton miller
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#17 Post by clinton miller » Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:55 pm

thanks for the pics. reminded me of my time in BC working on a bear outfit. shame you didn't get to fill your tag.
how long have you been drawing to get it?
when i was in cranbrook, BC i meet a local hunter who had been putting in the draw for 25 years for a grizzly. he drew the year i was there. he didn't get one though. i couldn't handle that sort of system.

there would have been some nice goats on the tops hey?
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hazard
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#18 Post by hazard » Mon Jul 09, 2012 7:45 pm

UPTHETOP wrote:Tuff is good to see you back with the camera. Cant beat them jetboils for a hot cuppa in freezing conditions.
I see you still havnt got the old girl away from the mussel loader yet they are addictive.
Hope the shoulder and back get better soon and the recurve can be put to good youse once again.
Thanks for posting the pics mate never get bored of you and the misses and all that space in BC.

Cheers Wayno
Yes Muzzle loaders a are addictive :biggrin: But what beautiful scenery! Thanks for sharing.

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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#19 Post by TEX » Mon Jul 09, 2012 8:29 pm

Beautiful place love the photos.

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Tuffcity
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#20 Post by Tuffcity » Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:28 pm

Hi Clinton,

This is my 4th tag in the past 20 years - but I don't put in every year either. Still looking to put a G-bear on the ground. :) Seems that when I don't have a tag I bump into them on a regular basis... when I do have one it's like bear repellant! Oh well, it's a good excuse to go out and see new country. :) Odds of drawing a tag depends on where you put in for, it can be as low as 0.5:1 odds to as high as 50:1. I tend to put in for low odd draws, even if it's tougher hunting.

I'm hoping there will be nice goats where I'll be in a month! lol

RC
Makes you want to go a long way north for a Holiday.
Grahame,

Bring your boots and a pack and I'll be happy to show you around. :)
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clinton miller
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Re: Spring.... and a quest for grizzly bears

#21 Post by clinton miller » Wed Jul 11, 2012 4:32 pm

Tuffcity wrote:Hi Clinton,
I'm hoping there will be nice goats where I'll be in a month! lol
wish i was with you. would love to hunt them one day. saw plenty in the purcell mountains out of cranbrook where the bear outfit was.
The degree of satisfaction gained from the accomplishment of a goal is directly proportional to the hardships and challenges overcome in order to achieve it.

border black douglas recurve 70# & 58# HEX6-H BB2 limbs
brigalow selfbow with rawhide string

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