The short shot

[Michael Eichele]

Last weekend, my hunting partner and I harvested 2 black bears in one day. We were out scouting for dall sheep when we had spotted several bears and our scouting trip turned into a hunting trip. My ability to stalk sucks, I admit it, that why I am a long range shooter/hunter. Staurday however I thought I would try my hand at stalking for practice for the up and coming sheep season, as I didnt really care if I screwed it all up and went home emty handed. I snuck to within 75 yards of a group of 4 bears and shot him at 75 yards. My first succesfull stalk. Sometimes, it is nice to be up close and personal with the quarry, yet I realized how much I love long range hunting when I stood up with my 125# pack and looked up to the other side of the drainage where our camp was when I had seen another bear at 500 yards, a surge of feelings came up of a long range harvest. Unfourtunatly, my limit is full at this point, and my buddy who is not a long range shooter ran up the other side and set up on his bear. I eventually made my way up to him and was able to watch him harvest his bear at 157 yards, with my rifle!! I realize now how important it is to get as close as possible without spooking our game, before shooting. Just because one is capable of shooting game at 1/2 mile doesent mean he always has to.

Good hunting/long range hunting to all of you

P.S. This is my first bear, and the icing on the cake was Sunday we spotted 7 rams and 2 legal rams. Pictures of our success can be seen at http://www.maeichele.addr.com/Blank%20Page%204.htm

[ 06-14-2003: Message edited by: Michael Eichele ]

 

[Guest]

[ 07-11-2003: Message edited by: S1 ]

 

[halfbreed]

Michael, sometimes getting close is not so good either. About 20 years ago, my hunting partner shot a nice 6 pointer with a bow. We tracked it down, a perfect dbl lung shot. The deer was down, but not dead. We shot this deer with another 7 arrows all heart and lung shots. as it layed there kicking and bleeting, snorting and snotting blood. It would just not die. Finally out of arrows, I cut its throat from behind. This stopped me from bow hunting for 20+ years. Now due to physical problems it's either long range capabilities or not able to hunt at all.
time to break out the .300 ultra and big glass's.

Halfbreed

 

[Brent]

Congrats on the Bears Michael, can't see the pics in the link though?

How far away did you spot them from?
What area did you get them? I know what you mean about gettin them back too, I was lucky in a way and mine only weighed 100 pounds, if even that, hide and all.

 

[Michael Eichele]

Brent,

We got them in the chugach mtns in 14A. We spotted the first one at 50 yards in our camp. That alerted us to the bears in the area. We then spotted 4 about 650 yards away, and from there I made the stalk.

What happens when you try to veiw the pix in the link? I think sometimes it takes a while to for the pix to load. Do you see blank squares?? If so, maybee give it some time and they should show up.

 

[Len Backus]

The pix worked for me.

 

[Michael Eichele]

P.S. Brent,

I dont know if you know, but 14A for black bear has been changed to no closed season effective now. The baiting was extended to 6-15-03 also. I dont bait though.

 

[Brent]

Michael,

My brother works over there at Chimo Guns and he said they sent them a notice a while back detailing the changes in bear season. They need to change it to two bears per season, one LR and one SR.

The pix had a BMP icon in the corner and never showed up after waiting a minute or two. Tried to copy the URL from the pic and paste it in the address bar but it was the same address as the page I was allready on.

I'll try it again and see what happens.

[ 06-14-2003: Message edited by: Brent ]

 

[Brent]

The pix worked this time. The first two were already displayed and it took a few for the others to load up is all.... dial up must take a while.

How far away were you, and what rifle did you use on the moose there? It's impressive how those Barnes bullets work. Can't say as I've ever recovered one but they weren't ever any quartering shots either. That one there looks like the ones I pull out of the sand at about 200 yards. I'd guess yours was around 100 yardsm aybe less if it was out of the 308win.

Here's a .338 WM 225gr XLC at about 2500 fps. (20" bbl) My buddy Eric shot his bear with at about 30 yards. The bullet went in on a quartering away shot, hit the spine and turned and stopped under the base of the ear. The petal that broke off went through the spine and severed the jugular... the bear never twitched and just fell limp.

 

[texas]

Michael I still couldn't get the link to see the pictures tried a couple of times different days.

Brent you have mail.

 

[Michael Eichele]

Brent,

The moose was shot at 90 yards with a remingtom 788 308 win. Velocity of 2407. Not very fast but very effective for a short shot. Moose die very easy though anyway. He came from about 75-80 miles north/NW of Venitie which is 300 miles north of Fairbanks. well inside the arctic circle just on the edge of the brooks range. That 788 in the only gun I have ever owned that shoots those barnes bullets well. For now I stick to the SMK. The 190 SMK was devistating on those 2 bears. 2600 FPS is the velocity on those. A 168 at 2661 took the sheep and caribou on the same page and the wound on the caribou was tremendous. 3" exit at 300 yards with a 6" wound/trauma path. The sheep was to far for much of an exit wound but very effective anyway. The 190 with a 11.25 twist is AWESOME, as far as long range accuracy. That will be this years loads.

 

[MAX]

I wonder if S1 is playin' with torpedos?