2012 Washington Bear

[Farmkid]

Just thought I would post a picture of my 2012 bear. It is also the longest shot I have ever made on an animal. 530 yards and the 210 berger performed flawlessly!

I am the one holding the head. The rest of the people in the photo is the group that I bear hunt with.

It isn't my biggest bear, but definitely the prettiest!

It was a very old sow with teeth worn down to the gum line. She was feeding in a black berry thicket across the canyon. We glassed the canyon for probably 3 hours before we spotted her and once I was dialed in and on the scope ready to shoot it took probably another 10-15 minutes before she presented herself for a good shot. She dropped in her tracks and din't move!

When I gutted her out she was full of some type of parasitic worms. It was only in the guts and not in the meat so after a little research I ended up finding out that the meat would still be good to eat. I had her turned into German Sausage. It is very good!

One other interesting thing was that while gutting her I also found a livestock ear tag that was in her intestines. After lots of phone calls I found that it was a scrapie goat tag.

 

[joe0121]

Very cool. I want to go on a bear hunt. What caliber rifle? I need to build me a hunting rig. Every time I build a rifle it always ends up as a tactical rifle for some reason. I'm getting older and much fatter and those 15+ pound rifles seem to get heavier every day.

 

[Farmkid]

The rifle is a factory Remington LSS in 300 RUM topped with a nikon monarch 4-16 with the BDC which works great for when you need to get a shot of quick. I am not 100% sure the scope is tracking true though. I just shot a 700, 900, and 1000 yard gongs and it took 10.25 moa at the 700, 17.5 (i think) at the 900 and 22 moa to get to 1000 with a 200 yard zero.

The 1000 was real close to my range card, the 900 was about 1/2 moa off and the 700 was like 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 moa off.

I need to shoot again to confirm this, but it definitely has me a little concerned. That was the first time I have ever shot that far of ranges tho.

 

[joe0121]

I have had some bad luck with nikon glass on heavy recoiling rifles. Also you might try running both turrets to both extreme ends 5 or six times. I know on high end scopes like my night force if you let them sit too long will have tracking issue because the lubrication settles. Running the turrets through their extreme adjustments re lubes them. Worth a shot.

 

[farout]

Beautiful bear!

 

[Farmkid]

Thanks for the tip. I don't shot very often so the rifle does sit a lot. I will try running the turrets back and forth a couple of times before I shoot next time and see if that helps.

 

[Magnumitis]

Very nice looking bear, congrats! Quite the posse you got there too. Don't think I'd want to eat it though, worms or no worms.

 

[Farmkid]

Very nice looking bear, congrats! Quite the posse you got there too. Don't think I'd want to eat it though, worms or no worms.

Yep we do have a big bear hunting group. It makes for a big percentage of us coming home empty handed with that many people hunting together, but the hunt is as much about hanging out with good friends as it is killing something.

As far as eating it. I was a little skeptical the first time I had bear, but ever since I have yet to eat bear that I didn't like. Of course the only way we eat it is either as some type of sausage or as a roast.

I was shocked the first time I had bear roast. It was served alongside a beef roast and I can honestly say it tasted better than the beef.

 

[Tikkamike]

Sweet looking bear. My dad killed a sow last fall and she had worms too. dont know what they are but in wyoming you dont have to eat bears so we dont.

 

[one crazy kid]

What part of the state did you shoot it?

 

[jmden]

Nice goin' farmkid!

 

[tinytree]

that's a beauty!