Not much to it really, Danny. I was bowhunting deer on the Bass Hill unit of Northern California. I was about 3/4 mile in a walk-in only area hiking at daybreak trying to get to a little nob I wanted to glass from for a bit. I took a shortcut next to a creek bottom that had the only pine trees around, as the entire area was bitterbrush and sage hills. As I sneaked up the creek bottom, I walked right up on this bear, who spooked and headed for the nearest pine tree rather than risk heading out across the sage flat in the daylight.
As he went up the huge ponderosa tree, I thought, "Well, he can't be too big since he's climbing a tree." As I looked at him, his head size looked bigger and I soon realized this was a big color phased black bear. I quickly looked in my pack (to ensure I also brought my bear tag on the trip), and checked my phone (on-line) to ensure the unit I was in still had an open bear season. Kinda nice when one is up the tree and allows all that......who needs dogs, right?
After conforming everything, I made the shot and the rest was really uneventful. Of course, the multiple pack outs were tough, even though the short amount of distance. He was a BIG bodied bear.
Probably the luckiest I've been while hunting in a while.....no skill at all really......just the right place at the right time.
BOHNTR )))---------->