well judd, wait till next year might not be that easy. i started hunting that very area almost 60 years ago. so far ive put my tag on one. your fortunate to be with a good group, and hunting in a good area. also hunting long range is a big help in that country. problem with bears is they usually dont stop after the first miss. you were very lucky to get a good second shot. ive missed several fairly easy shots. there were no follow ups. you dont need any advise, but ill offer this anyway. next year use your own gun, and make sure your very comfortable with it. to me its like driving somebody elses truck.