Dilemma

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Dave

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A while back I bought a trail camera. I put it up in an old orchard in one of my pastures. It has been catching deer, elk, and coyotes but I was really looking for a bear. Well this last week a big old bear has been coming in. I have him patterned and could go shoot him most any day. The trouble is now it just doesn't feel right. I used a high tech devise to spy on him and pattern his movements. Now it wouldn't be hunting. I would just go out and shoot him. Not much different than slaughtering a steer. This is a real big old bear. He has a grey muzzle, low slung belly, ears look small, all the charactoristics of a big old bear. Great looking hide. But somehow I just don't feel like I would be proud to go shoot him. It just doesn't feel like "fair chase" (for lack of a better term). Dilemma.
 
Sort of like shooting an old friend now huh?? Know what you mean. I'm not the avid hunter I use to be but do quite a bit of photography for fun. If the old boy isn't hurting anything maybe the good close up pics can be your "trophy" and he can die of old age. Best wishes on whatever you decide.
 
I have been kicking around the idea of buying a good camera with the money I would spend making him into a rug. Go out just like if I were to shoot him but take his picture. Me taking the picture instead of the game camera. Hang the picture on the wall and tell people that is the bear I could have shot.
Then come elk season I will go shoot an elk. They are better eating anyway.
 
I agree elk are better eating but a bear that's been gorging on berrys this time of year is really unique flavored. Almost like it was marinated in jam.
 
Dave":3hu4mb85 said:
I have been kicking around the idea of buying a good camera with the money I would spend making him into a rug. Go out just like if I were to shoot him but take his picture. Me taking the picture instead of the game camera. Hang the picture on the wall and tell people that is the bear I could have shot.
Then come elk season I will go shoot an elk. They are better eating anyway.
Sounds to me like a good solution to your dilemma.
 
It sounds like that the old saying of "be careful what you ask for -- you might get it" is playing on you now.

Good luck.
 
Dave":1oqw2sex said:
A while back I bought a trail camera. I put it up in an old orchard in one of my pastures. It has been catching deer, elk, and coyotes but I was really looking for a bear. Well this last week a big old bear has been coming in. I have him patterned and could go shoot him most any day. The trouble is now it just doesn't feel right. I used a high tech devise to spy on him and pattern his movements. Now it wouldn't be hunting. I would just go out and shoot him. Not much different than slaughtering a steer. This is a real big old bear. He has a grey muzzle, low slung belly, ears look small, all the charactoristics of a big old bear. Great looking hide. But somehow I just don't feel like I would be proud to go shoot him. It just doesn't feel like "fair chase" (for lack of a better term). Dilemma.


I know what you mean. Sometimes when I see a deer that is a 6 pointer i kick myself for letting it go but then I remember well next year he will probably be an 8 pointer. That is a good management hunt. I saw an eight pointer on the trail cam the other day. I am after him. He appears to be about 5 years old or so.
 
There are several issues coming to play here. The cost of having a rug made (those taxidermists are mighty proud of their work). The fact that I don't really need the meat. But the biggest one to me is using the trail camera. I didn't realize I would feel this way when I started using it. But using a high tech spying device just isn't the same as throwing the rifle over my shoulder and heading out in the woods. It is more like plotting against this particular bear.

Bears aren't very dangerous. I would be much more concern with a bull that I don't know than a bear.
 
i wouldnt call it cheatin..just cuz ya got his pic dont mean hes gonna let ya shoot him...bears aint stupid..im sure ya know...it might have made it easier but it aint a done deal

ya got the pics...let him live out..git a younger one..ya figure hes earned it??


gary
 
ga. prime":2t8olnhp said:
Dave, aren't bears dangerous? What if you go to take his picture and he kills you? :D
Then the bear can make a rug out of Dave.
 
dun":otgjcy0c said:
ga. prime":otgjcy0c said:
Dave, aren't bears dangerous? What if you go to take his picture and he kills you? :D
Then the bear can make a rug out of Dave.


I do not know why but this made me picture the movie tommy boy where chris farley is singing that fat guy in a little coat song. He is the bear and dave is the coat LOL
 
Then again, if you don't take the bear, the elk may not be there when the season rolls around. More likely the elk's offspring would be the victims of the bear, but you get the idea. Seems to me, the bear is more likely to know I was in it's neighborhood than I'd normally know that the bear was in my neighborhood. If the bear has lost it's natural fear of human presence, the bear worries me. But that's just me. :kid:
 
Dave":3c6mx3ia said:
There are several issues coming to play here. The cost of having a rug made (those taxidermists are mighty proud of their work). The fact that I don't really need the meat. But the biggest one to me is using the trail camera. I didn't realize I would feel this way when I started using it. But using a high tech spying device just isn't the same as throwing the rifle over my shoulder and heading out in the woods. It is more like plotting against this particular bear.

Bears aren't very dangerous. I would be much more concern with a bull that I don't know than a bear.


In that case I'd just take him with a good hunting knife. Give him a fighting chance. ;-)
 
I have read that Western Washington has more bears per square mile than any other part of the USA. Over the years I have seen lots and lots of bears, but strangely never while I was hunting. As I said a bull I don't know worries me more than a bear. That is because 99.999999% of the time a bear will turn and run as soon as he knows you are around. Three times I have got between a sow and her cubs. Twice it was no big deal. One time things got a little nervous. I slowly backed away but she did explain to me what she thought of me. I guarantee a bear popping her jaws at you 20 yards away will get your attention.

It would be easy to shot this bear. He comes down to the apple orchard between 6:15 and 6:30 every night. He follows the same trail. All I would have to do is sit down wind of the orchard and wait for him.

If this bear were to eat some elk calves in this area it woudl be a good thing. I wouldn't have to fix fence as much. Also I don't hunt elk there. There are better areas to hunt elk. One of the good things about Washington is that there are thousands of square miles of private timberland that is all open to the public to hunt on.
 
Dave i think if we me i would take my gun and go watch for the old bear if and when i saw it if it felt right i would take him if it didn't i would watch it walk off.

rattler
 

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