SDS14
Member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2016
- Messages
- 68
Earlier this year, Utah's fish and game announced new spot and stalk hunts this year. I saw that they had spot and stalk only bear tag in Central Manti region from Sept. 25-Oct. 27. I thought, "What the heck, I'll put in for that tag. They are only drawing 18 residents, I'll probably wont draw." With 2 bear points I put in for the bear hunt thinking my odds are slim. To my surprise, I got an email from UT DWR in March saying I drew Central Manti Spot and Stalk only bear. My draw hit the floor, I was shocked that I drew, yet I was so excited to have bear tag during deer and elk season. As months go by I began my research on fall bear hunting, I bought books, read articles, posted questions on this forum, etc. During family camping trips, I would mark on my OnX wild berry bushes, bear scat, clawed trees, and what looked like "bear country".
On Sept. 27, 2019, my cousin and I went out searching for a bear. Both of us had zero experience hunting bears, to be honest I never seen bear in the Central Manti region. That didn't stop our excitement as we headed up the trail eager to find bear sign or better yet a bear. The exact opposite happened. We got ourselves into some elk. It was a "rutfest" in this canyon, we had elk all around us, screaming bugling there heads off. My cousin had never seen or heard anything like that. It was awesome to see him so excited and to see that many elk and call in some bulls for fun. I think counted 6 or 7 bulls, 3 spikes, and tons of cows. My cousin turned to me and said, "I forgot we were bear hunting". I laughed and said, "no worries, that's an experience we will never forget."
Sept. 28, 2019, I took my wife on her first ever hunt. We have been married for just over 2 weeks and she wanted to see what hunting was all about. I was so excited to take her hunting to a region that is dear to my heart. I knew this being her first ever hunt, I focused on her and not so much the hunt. We got into some elk and she heard her first elk bugle and thought that was the coolest thing ever. We didn't see any bears or fresh sign, but it was probably one of my favorite hunting experiences.
Oct. 9, 2019 My dad and I took work off and set off to hunt elk and bears. We both had spike bull tags in our wallet. On the drive down to our hunting area we discussed our game plan for hunting. We decided to focus more and elk hunting that bear hunting, which was fine by me. I was just excited to be hunting with my dad in same mountains where his dad (my grandpa) herded sheep and taught him to hunt and fish. We got into some elk that day, some some big bulls, but no spikes, and bears.
Oct. 10, 2019 Dad and I had to be back to work that day but we got off early and set off to elk camp. We got to camp late that day and didn't get any hunting in.
Oct. 11, 2019 A cold front moved through the Manti Region and temperatures plummeted to -2 with a high in the 30's. It was cold as we started up the trail. We didn't see any elk until about 9 a.m. when a cow and a calf walked out of a clearing. But there was plenty of bugling going on. We figured to stay in this canyon until dark hoping some elk would come out and feed in the clearing. We napped, ate snacks, and shared hunting stories. We glassed some elk way up high in a slide area and we figured there was no way to get to them. We decided to sit and watch them through the spotting scope as they fed. Towards the evening the bugling picked up, we heard 3 bulls in this canyon we were in. I would let out a bugle, and it started a domino affect of elk bugling. We even called in a really nice 6x6 that was 150 yards.
Oct. 12, 2019 Dad and set off to a canyon where my older brother and I saw quite a bit of elk last year during the deer hunt. As we started up the trail we glassed 4 elk right away feeding. Before I could get my spotting scope out, they disappeared into the quakies. We started up the trail hoping more elk would be in this canyon. As we were walking, I spotted a bear all by himself across the ravine about 300 yards away. I said to Dad, "OH MY GOSH DAD, THERE'S A BEAR... I SEE A BEAR." I tried pointing the bear out to Dad. Dad said, "DON'T POINT AT HIM, GET READY TO SHOOT." So I put a bullet in my 7mm Rem. Mag and waited for the bear to walk into a clearing close by. But he never appeared in the clearing that he was walking towards. Dad and I patiently waited for about 10-15 minutes. Then we heard something walking in the bushes. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH. I saw the same bear across the ravine 30-40 ft. below me. I took the shot and dropped him in his tracks. Dad gave me a hug and said SHANE, YOU SHOT A BEAR! I couldn't believe that I shot a bear with Dad, in same mountains Dad hunted when he was a kid with his Dad. He may not be the biggest bear, but I couldn't be happier!
On Sept. 27, 2019, my cousin and I went out searching for a bear. Both of us had zero experience hunting bears, to be honest I never seen bear in the Central Manti region. That didn't stop our excitement as we headed up the trail eager to find bear sign or better yet a bear. The exact opposite happened. We got ourselves into some elk. It was a "rutfest" in this canyon, we had elk all around us, screaming bugling there heads off. My cousin had never seen or heard anything like that. It was awesome to see him so excited and to see that many elk and call in some bulls for fun. I think counted 6 or 7 bulls, 3 spikes, and tons of cows. My cousin turned to me and said, "I forgot we were bear hunting". I laughed and said, "no worries, that's an experience we will never forget."
Sept. 28, 2019, I took my wife on her first ever hunt. We have been married for just over 2 weeks and she wanted to see what hunting was all about. I was so excited to take her hunting to a region that is dear to my heart. I knew this being her first ever hunt, I focused on her and not so much the hunt. We got into some elk and she heard her first elk bugle and thought that was the coolest thing ever. We didn't see any bears or fresh sign, but it was probably one of my favorite hunting experiences.
Oct. 9, 2019 My dad and I took work off and set off to hunt elk and bears. We both had spike bull tags in our wallet. On the drive down to our hunting area we discussed our game plan for hunting. We decided to focus more and elk hunting that bear hunting, which was fine by me. I was just excited to be hunting with my dad in same mountains where his dad (my grandpa) herded sheep and taught him to hunt and fish. We got into some elk that day, some some big bulls, but no spikes, and bears.
Oct. 10, 2019 Dad and I had to be back to work that day but we got off early and set off to elk camp. We got to camp late that day and didn't get any hunting in.
Oct. 11, 2019 A cold front moved through the Manti Region and temperatures plummeted to -2 with a high in the 30's. It was cold as we started up the trail. We didn't see any elk until about 9 a.m. when a cow and a calf walked out of a clearing. But there was plenty of bugling going on. We figured to stay in this canyon until dark hoping some elk would come out and feed in the clearing. We napped, ate snacks, and shared hunting stories. We glassed some elk way up high in a slide area and we figured there was no way to get to them. We decided to sit and watch them through the spotting scope as they fed. Towards the evening the bugling picked up, we heard 3 bulls in this canyon we were in. I would let out a bugle, and it started a domino affect of elk bugling. We even called in a really nice 6x6 that was 150 yards.
Oct. 12, 2019 Dad and set off to a canyon where my older brother and I saw quite a bit of elk last year during the deer hunt. As we started up the trail we glassed 4 elk right away feeding. Before I could get my spotting scope out, they disappeared into the quakies. We started up the trail hoping more elk would be in this canyon. As we were walking, I spotted a bear all by himself across the ravine about 300 yards away. I said to Dad, "OH MY GOSH DAD, THERE'S A BEAR... I SEE A BEAR." I tried pointing the bear out to Dad. Dad said, "DON'T POINT AT HIM, GET READY TO SHOOT." So I put a bullet in my 7mm Rem. Mag and waited for the bear to walk into a clearing close by. But he never appeared in the clearing that he was walking towards. Dad and I patiently waited for about 10-15 minutes. Then we heard something walking in the bushes. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH. I saw the same bear across the ravine 30-40 ft. below me. I took the shot and dropped him in his tracks. Dad gave me a hug and said SHANE, YOU SHOT A BEAR! I couldn't believe that I shot a bear with Dad, in same mountains Dad hunted when he was a kid with his Dad. He may not be the biggest bear, but I couldn't be happier!
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