Montana Birthday Bear

[Longrange7RUM]

Yesterday after an early Birthday BBQ dinner with some of my Montana friends, my fiancé and I headed out to go look for a black bear. Mostly we planned on just a leisure drive and check a couple short trails but after spotting a nice bear going to one of the trails our plans changed and we made a game plan. I had told her she had first choice when we find a worthy bear. We closed the distance I looked him over on more time to ensure he was in fact a mature boar and thats when she looked at me and said " Happy Birthday you shoot" from what i could see I tried to tell her how big he was but she insisted I shoot. The first shot he stepped right as i shot and the hit was a little back, he took off but stopped after 50 yards and I high shouldered him. We got to him and got some pics unfortunately he rolled down a draw and was caked with mud and soaked from the water. The pics didnt turn out as well as I hoped but we did get a few I liked.

[ame=http://vimeo.com/96549370]2014 montana black bear 689 yds on Vimeo[/ame]

 

[HARPERC]

A tough day to beat. Good pictures, nice bear.

 

[T3-OleMan]

Don't get much better.....you best do tha RING DANCE....she is a keeper.
Oh, the bear is a good one also, congrats.

What was your range?

 

[Tikkamike]

very cool, good size melon on him and looks like a white chest patch? I have one that looks very similar in color. Love a good bear story... Nice video too.

 

[Longrange7RUM]

689 yards, and Tikkamike very similar to that bear of yours!! What where the measurements on it I can't remember what Robby told me they where?

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

He looks like a griz in the pic that you are holding his head. Hope hes not! Nice bear.

 

[Longrange7RUM]

He looks like a griz in the pic that you are holding his head. Hope hes not! Nice bear.

Haha after he rolled into the creek and was soaked he did look a little grizzly like but he's not I can assure you that. And the MFWP warden probably wouldn't have been so nice when I checked him in lmfao

 

[Tikkamike]

689 yards, and Tikkamike very similar to that bear of yours!! What where the measurements on it I can't remember what Robby told me they where?

Yeah he is pretty similar all the way around. After drying for 60 days mine was 21 5/8" but he had a lot of grease in his head so I think it may have continued to shrink I'm not sure, I should go measure it again.. Game and fish aged it at 18.5 years. Keep me posted on what you find out about yours, awesome bear!


** just went and threw a tape on him and eye balled it without using straight edges and he has shrunk even more he is only 20 1/2" now it looks like. He started off at 22.5 before they cleaned the skull... Seems like a lot of shrinking to me

 

[Longrange7RUM]

Thanks everyone, I Took him to the taxidermist and we measured him 20 7/16 skull and 6'9" the game warden aged him at 18-22 yrs old but will know more when they get the teeth to the lab

 

[Tikkamike]

What kind of mount are you doing?

 

[FEENIX]

Congrats! That's awesome and the smiles says it all. You're one lucky guy, I've been trying to get my wife to gout hunting with me for the last 32 years without any luck.

Thanks for sharing your hunting experience.

 

[Longrange7RUM]

What kind of mount are you doing?

Probably just have him tanned I already used my life size mount for a bear on my last 20" er lmao

I'm pretty lucky she had never hunted before I met her and last year she killed a 180" muley

 

[brentc]

Man, those 20+" skulls are awesome. I've killed quite a few nice large bears to include 7+ footers with ~19" skulls, but we've never killed one with a 20" skull. Hopefully, my day will come. You ought to share the story of your last one too. I'd like to hear it.