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2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt #210854 06/20/2021 4:19 PM
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cmnash Offline OP
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In the fall of 2018, while elk hunting in Colorado, I had an encounter with a color phase black bear. I knew I would have to travel west from my home in Georgia to chase these fascinating animals. By February of 2019, I had found an outfitter that offered what I was looking for. I booked a hunt for my son and myself for June 2020. As many of us experienced, 2020 was trash for plans, and our hunt was delayed for a year.

On May 30, after 28 months of planning and waiting, my son and I boarded a plane in Atlanta, bound for Boise, and for an epic week long father-son adventure.



I booked with an outfitter in southwest Idaho. We would be staying in a bunkhouse, hunting with hounds in the morning, then sitting on baits in the evening. Both of us held a tag. I would be carrying my revolver, and my son would use his rifle.

I took my bear in a most unusual and unpredicted location on the first morning. The hounds bayed my bear IN a culvert. Our best efforts to spook, scare, drive or push the bear out of the culvert failed. I decided to shoot the bear in the culvert. The recovery was discussed before the shot, and it was imperative that I stone cold kill the bear, so that it didn't back deeper in the culvert.
A head shot it would be. Donning ear muffs to save my hearing, I layed prone in the small stream so that I could align a shot on the bear shoehorned inside the pipe. My .44 roared, but it was the bear that recoiled, frantically shimmying deeper in the pipe. The first shot was not immediately effective, so I fired three more, before the pipe filled with smoke and steam. It was done.

The longest and leanest among us crawled in the pipe with dog leads tied together to secure the bear, so we could drag it out.




My son would kill his bear by sitting on a bait the third afternoon of our hunt. We saw several bears, and my son's patience would pay off with this EPIC cinnamon beauty.



This bear checked all the boxes-size, age, color, coat-and was the bear we traveled to Idaho for.

What an incredible trip for us!

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: cmnash] #210855 06/20/2021 4:35 PM
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cmnash Offline OP
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I used my "shiny Ruger" and Federal Fusions on my bear.


I recovered my first Fusion from an animal, and looks as impressive as it acts


Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: cmnash] #210856 06/20/2021 5:56 PM
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Outstanding! Congrats to you both, Mathew!!


The meat won't fry if the lead don't fly.
Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: Randy M] #210858 06/20/2021 8:52 PM
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Great story. One you both will remember for the rest of your lives.

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: ruger4570] #210859 06/20/2021 10:07 PM
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Seminole Wind Offline
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Congratulations on two great hunts. Beautiful bears, especially your son's.

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: Seminole Wind] #210862 06/20/2021 11:09 PM
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gunslingerdad Offline
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any bear is a good bear! both of those are beauties! you have to be happy with the filling of both tags and being there for your son's first.


still Dave Thomas, just an alias so the gov't dont find me
;\)
Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: gunslingerdad] #210863 06/20/2021 11:20 PM
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So cool to do it with your son. The memory will never leave either of your minds.
I was on the other side of ID when you were there laying waste to 363 rockchucks.

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: wvhitman] #210864 06/21/2021 12:54 AM
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cmnash Offline OP
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Thanks guys.

Oh man, I wish I could have got on some rockchucks. That would have been too much fun!

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: cmnash] #210865 06/21/2021 6:53 PM
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Sawfish Offline
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Great trip and great story. Congratulations to both of you.


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Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: Sawfish] #210867 06/21/2021 7:23 PM
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Great story and two really nice bears!!

Thanks for sharing it. Much appreciated.

John

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: jcp161] #210868 06/21/2021 8:21 PM
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gunslingerdad Offline
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The expansion on the bullet is text book Where did you recover the Bullet from? Did it hit any bone? how much penetration did you get?


still Dave Thomas, just an alias so the gov't dont find me
;\)
Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: gunslingerdad] #210870 06/21/2021 10:47 PM
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cmnash Offline OP
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 Originally Posted By: gunslingerdad
The expansion on the bullet is text book Where did you recover the Bullet from? Did it hit any bone? how much penetration did you get?


I put 4 of the Fusions in my bear as she faced me in the culvert (one in the head, which exited, and 3 in the frontal chest). I honestly don't know which one this is. It was found in the front of the right hip. Whatever its path, the bullet penetrated some bear, which doesn't surprise me at all. These 44 Fusions balance expansion and penetration better than any other 44 load I have tried in flesh.

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: cmnash] #210871 06/22/2021 12:47 AM
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sixshot Offline
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Congratulations, sure enjoyed your write up. Experiencing a hunt like that with your son is the trip of a life time except I hope you get to do it again. We have lots of bears (and Rock Chucks) so come & get another one! Great story.

Dick

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: sixshot] #210872 06/22/2021 10:04 AM
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Congratulations,awesome father/ son time ,and 2 nice bears.

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: racksmasher1] #210874 06/23/2021 1:07 AM
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Chance Weldon Offline
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Congratulations on an amazing trip!


Formerly TN Lone Wolf

"We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided." - J.K. Rowling
Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: Chance Weldon] #210876 06/23/2021 2:04 AM
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gunslingerdad Offline
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Nicely Done.


still Dave Thomas, just an alias so the gov't dont find me
;\)
Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: gunslingerdad] #210880 06/23/2021 4:03 PM
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jamesfromjersey Offline
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 Originally Posted By: gunslingerdad
The expansion on the bullet is text book Where did you recover the Bullet from? Did it hit any bone? how much penetration did you get?
Never seen a recovered bear bullet that looked like that...


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Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: jcp161] #210891 06/25/2021 10:21 PM
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reflex264 Offline
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Absolutely awesome!!!!!!!!
Great story and nice bears to boot.


"A quiet hit in the right place is better than a loud miss in the wrong place followed by 10 more shots on the run"

I was a handgun hunter, when handgun wasn't cool.....
Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: reflex264] #210910 06/28/2021 12:50 PM
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Mark Hampton Offline
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Fantastic hunt with your son -- congrats to you both!

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: jcp161] #210938 06/30/2021 4:23 PM
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Vance in AK. Offline
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Making memories! Congrats


Vance in AK.

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"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: Vance in AK.] #210976 07/12/2021 5:24 AM
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Congratulation! Great hunt, great memories, and a great story.

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: DarkTimber] #210977 07/12/2021 10:38 PM
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cmnash Offline OP
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Thanks guys.
It was one heck of a good trip!

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: cmnash] #210985 07/15/2021 1:03 PM
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Congratulations Matthew!

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: SChunter] #211006 07/17/2021 8:17 PM
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cmnash Offline OP
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I should add that we brought back the heads, hides, and the choicest cuts of meat. My taxidermist has great plans for our bears. My family enjoys eating bear, and these were no disappointment on the dinner table.

Re: 2021 father-son Idaho bear hunt [Re: cmnash] #211010 07/18/2021 6:42 PM
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gunslingerdad Offline
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bear meat is delicious. we put the roasts in the smoker, backstraps on the grill and the rest gets turned into bear/pepperjack/bacon summer sausage, I haven't seen anyone turn up their noses at it even the non-hunters.


still Dave Thomas, just an alias so the gov't dont find me
;\)

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