So I book the trip and start communicating with the outfitter; he explains the difference between early season and late season, being early season they are emerging from hibernation, coats are prime and bears are hitting baits hard but weather can be iffy. Late seasons is better for spot and stalk as the bears are rutting and covering ground but are not hitting baits as good as they are feeding on elk calves. Also since it’s warmer weather you have more hides being rubbed out making them not as suitable for mounts or rugs.

The outfit I chose is known for running bears with hounds which is the most effective way to hunt, but it’s not my bag so I opted to spot and stalk in the morning with a rifle and sit over baits in the evening with my bow. I’ve been dealing with a suspected torn rotator cuff so practicing my with a bow has been touch. I stayed up with my recurve but I didn’t have the confidence to take it with me on this trip. I layed off of my compound until mid April when miraculously my shoulder healed and I did not hurt to pull my bow bow back anymore. I started practicing shots from 30-50 yards and counting the days until my hunt.





Eventually the day comes where it’s time for me to depart on my journey to Idaho and I start my journey northward


…..


I had decided to drive up die to me not trusting the airlines to deliver me or my gear to the right place at the right form so on the morning of June 10th I started my drive north….

Good luck on you trip. Take lots of photos.

Nice arrow group. What distance were you shooting from?

That was a 30 yard group

Is a thirty yard distance what you were intending to shoot or were you going to let one get closer?

Preferably get closer but you need to be prepared to take a shot at varying distances. 30 yards with a compound isn’t really close but isn’t really far either.

Ill practice to 50 yards regularly and out to 80 or 90 if I’m going out west for Antelope, Mule Deer or Elk

Nice. I shot my two bears at 18 and 16 yards from short ladder stands.