Wasatch Spring Bear

H

HoundDawgJr

Guest
Here is a bear we killed a couple of weeks ago on the Wasatch Front here in Utah. My buddy Shane drew the tag and he's the one back right in the goofy hat. I'm the stunningly handsome devil holding the bears head. My two ugly buddies are standing behind me... Jerry, aka Jethro and 'ol Blood and Guts Bettis.

This bear went 440 lbs on the scales and was a mean, no treeing pig. My buddy had to shoot him on the ground... twice. It got a bit western, but nothing a couple of dumb blueticks and even dumber hillbillies couldn't handle. Enjoy. -HoundDawg

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Thats awsome.
Congrats on the fine animal.
Lets hear some more of the story, I always like to see bear pics.

Knifeboy
 
I have no idea if they green scored the skull yet or not.

All I know is after packing that sucker down the canyon whole, I was sure he weighed 1,000 lbs. I was stunned to hear he only weighed 440 lbs. ;-)

We rigged the bear off the truck, the dogs struck hard, lined him out and away we went. He ran hard for a bit then walked us around down in the oak brush for a couple of hours.

We finally got across the canyon and saw him make his stand in a big snow bank. He was charging the dogs and being quite ornery and foul tempered. It was neat cuz I got to video tape them across the canyon with this bear on the ground. Then he walked them up a big open hillside and I video taped that.

He went into a big patch of pines and we thought they'd treed him. We hiked in and when we got to the tree, lo and behold there he was on the ground at the base of the tree. All hell broke loose and my buddy shot him, but just nicked him.

Away he went down the canyon. They stopped him again in the oak and he moved in for the kill again, this time he didn't miss. The bear had no intention of climbing a tree but that's OK, he just didn't have as far to fall this way. :)

Once we got him off the mountain and loaded into my buddies truck, I haven't seen hide nor hair of the stinkin' sucker since. I hear tell it's at a taxidermist. No matter what it scores, I'm sure it'll end up being the world record by the time we all grow old and senile. ;-) ;-)
 
Hey Dawg,
Send me the video of your dogs bayin that bear...lol
I promise to get it back sooner than the last ones...lol
He's not a bad bear....I would have thought you would have held out for the bigger one :)
Congrats
 
Don't know how reliable my info is, but I was told the state record is just over 400 lbs. Perhaps your buddy has an extra something to brag about. Someone correct me if my info is bad...I haven't researched it at all. Nice bruin, very nice.
 
HoundDawgJr,

Congratulations on an absolutely gorgeous bear!!! I have a tag in the book cliffs this year and am crossing my fingers for the chance at such an animal.

Great Job.

CS
 
I know that for the record books they do a skull measurement, I suppose his weight record would just be a bragging rights type of thing. I guess I should clarify myself.
 
Hey Gents,

This bear is no state record or anything like that, just a big 'ol bear that was in the wrong place on the wrong day. :)

He weighed 440 lbs but I don't know what the skull measured. In the fall this bear would have gone over 500 lbs for sure. But he's not the heaviest bear taken in Utah either.

My buddies killed one a couple years ago here that weighed 510 lbs in November. But skull measurement is really the ticket.

I do hear lots of talk every year about "state record bear" or even "world record bear" stuff. Seems like everybody owns either a state record or world record bear.

But the fact is, the world record bear, numero uno ever, biggest black bear skull ever scored is off the Manti in Utah and was a skull pickup back in the 70's I think. And it's MASSIVE!! HUGE!!! I wonder if it will ever be broken.

This bear and all the others that get talked about on these sites every year always pale in comparison to the true world record bear. So just be cautious when someone says there is a "new state record" bear or "so and so shot the world record bear"...

I would be very very skeptical because most of these bears turn out to be WAY SMALLER than the king kong of bears. This bear we killed is a brute, no question about it...

But nowhere near the world record bear. But gimme 20 years and he'll be there. He's growing surprisingly fast even now. ;-)
 
I loved your story.

I had images of dogs chasing a bear with several good ole boys following in behind, through the Wasatch Front canyons of Millcreek, Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon.

I am not asking for secrets... but only curious if it was a populated canyon or commonly public area of the WF?

Great story and photos.

I've spent several nights in the hills and perhaps your bear is one of those awkward sound you hear in the middle of the night. Last year I was helping my friend pack out his deer. He called me late in the evening... arrived and cleaned him out... too tired to go out... only several hours till morning and with an elk tag in pocket we decided to sleep overnight. My buddy had a bivy sack with sleeping bag. I thought I'd tough it out and sleep in the game bags that I brought up. I could still smell game on the game sacks and in the middle of the night I kept waking to the thought of your bear nose 6 inches away from my face! Stupid mind games.... How is a guy suppose to sleep?

GWNOT4BEARSATNIGHT
 
I hate to be the bearer of bad news to you Mr. HoundDawgJr, but if it ain't a record, then it ain't #####!! Anybody can kill a bear, but only a hunter with superior skill and training can put one on the books.

So if this bear is not a world record, then it's hardly worthy of mention Mr. Dawg }>

Keep 'em treed.....................
 
Kevin right if that bear don't make 840 lbs it's a baby with milk on his lips. LOL

Still it's a nice bear, and to get your hunt on video it pretty nice too.

Wait that bear don't look like he's 840 lbs your sure the scales wasn't weighing right he looks closer to 1,440 now we talking MM World record.
 
GW4, it was in a very populated, busy canyon along the Wasatch Front. One you've probably driven up many times. :)

A damn helicopter was buzzing us for awhile watching and then landed on up the canyon above us. Still don't know what they were doing but they left about when my buddy was jacking a round into his .270 so they picked an opportune time to stop hovering over us. :)

At one point I boldly prophecied, "Damn boys, we're gonna kill a big bear today and an even bigger helicopter!" But they flew off and he never took the shot. :)

Kev, if you are wanting to measure something that is no doubt at least a state record, and maybe a world record, come on over and bring your tape... I got your record right here buddy!! ;-)

Gator, I'll tell you what I told everyone else that asked, "How much did he weigh and how far did you pack him?"

When we got that bear to the truck, I figured him to be about 1600 lbs and we killed him about 100 miles from the truck. At least that's how I remember it. ;-)
 
Now we are getting somewhere, that is starting to border on the record for MM get a couple of more longnecks and we will have a record for sure.

Your right about the packing and the weight the farther it from the road the bigger they get.
 
that is one pretty truck! did you get the tie-rod fixed? hope you made it back from that nice dirt road this weekends trip
 
Dawg,

Very nice bear. When is your new video "Hillbillies Gone Wild" going to be out?;-)
 
Damn Monarch,

You are poking fun at the only hunting truck I've ever seen that has more miles on it and is more run down than mine!!!

I used to boast about how many miles my old hunting truck had on it til this white hunk of scrap metal showed up. He's got me by damn near 100K in miles. :-(

We pulled into the gas station on fumes, I bought a roll of duct tape and climbed under there and did my thing. We drove 'er home 60 or 65 MPH the whole way!!

I guess the mechanics damn near laughed themselves to death when my buddy dropped the truck off to be fixed.

(My buddies tie rod broke so we wired it back together with baling wire and duct tape and drove it about 200 miles home) :)

When we goin' back Monarch? We still have to go let the air out of that big bear hangin' around the willows.

KTC, that has to take guts for a Greek like you to call anyone a hillbilly!! ;-)
 
Sorry Dawg. The last photo appears to be of an individual born and raised in civilization.;-)

Greek? That is Western Greek to you buddy. Short, ignorant, and mouthy. I am being trained from all sides. One day I am going to be famous. Oh wait. I already am! I would be in pretty good shape around here if it wasn't for your DAMN RELATIVES!;-)

I had a guy from Price shoe my horse today. I guess I need to be nice.:)
 
Hey HoundDawg jr...Is that Wasatch unit only open on a spring hunt,or do they have a fall hunt there...By the way,thats a real nice bear vato.....Good job....Coop
 
That is a great bear. The hunt makes it better. Love to see some clips off that video! Hope I don't ever get to where an animal has to be "book worthy" to shoot. The hunt is where it is at. I know a couple of what I consider respectable trophy hunters. They obviously have alot of repect for the animals they hunt, love the hunt, and will back slap and congrat the man with the fork horn mulie as much as the one with a heavy 32 incher. True sportsmen: Live up to the standards they set for themselves and respect the standards of others.
 

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