Throwback
AH veteran
My son and I just spent a week at the Flying B Ranch in Idaho. Great place, the staff, guiding, hunting, food, accommodations, the whole package.
We sat bear bait each day from about 3:45 pm until dark, about 9pm. Sounds boring but we did not really find it to be. For me, it was very nice to disconnect. The fact I could get my 16 year old son to do it, with no cell signal, etc... was priceless. You have to sit pretty still and not really any talking.
The first night we saw nothing, not one bear. Heartbreaking, but a great way for my son to learn you have to earn it.
The second night a bear came in 530pm, awesome, but it smelled something and ran before it got to the bait. Also heartbreaking. Three hours later, what we think was the same bear came in at 830pm. You only have one shot for these guys due to the terrain, no follow ups. The bait was at 150 yards and my son let loose with a 180 grain Barnes TTSX which hit the bear broadside. Total pass through. We found the bear about 50 yards away, dead.
The third night at around 8pm a bear came in to the bait which was 78 yards away and I took my time studying it through the scope. I waited until quartering away and tucked a 7mmPRC 160 grain Hornady CX round right behind the shoulder. The guide was adamant about not shooting them in the shoulder due to their intense bone density. The bear ran 20 yards toward us and dropped.
Great time, great people and a different kind of hunt for us Texas boys, particularly terrain wise. Very steep and very thick terrain. Weather was great. Very good fishing too.
I highly recommend the Flying B and we will be back. I would love to cougar hunt with them and even attend their one week upland bird hunting guide school. Cheers
We sat bear bait each day from about 3:45 pm until dark, about 9pm. Sounds boring but we did not really find it to be. For me, it was very nice to disconnect. The fact I could get my 16 year old son to do it, with no cell signal, etc... was priceless. You have to sit pretty still and not really any talking.
The first night we saw nothing, not one bear. Heartbreaking, but a great way for my son to learn you have to earn it.
The second night a bear came in 530pm, awesome, but it smelled something and ran before it got to the bait. Also heartbreaking. Three hours later, what we think was the same bear came in at 830pm. You only have one shot for these guys due to the terrain, no follow ups. The bait was at 150 yards and my son let loose with a 180 grain Barnes TTSX which hit the bear broadside. Total pass through. We found the bear about 50 yards away, dead.
The third night at around 8pm a bear came in to the bait which was 78 yards away and I took my time studying it through the scope. I waited until quartering away and tucked a 7mmPRC 160 grain Hornady CX round right behind the shoulder. The guide was adamant about not shooting them in the shoulder due to their intense bone density. The bear ran 20 yards toward us and dropped.
Great time, great people and a different kind of hunt for us Texas boys, particularly terrain wise. Very steep and very thick terrain. Weather was great. Very good fishing too.
I highly recommend the Flying B and we will be back. I would love to cougar hunt with them and even attend their one week upland bird hunting guide school. Cheers
