For several season’s, either spring and fall, I’ve been going to Idaho with Boulder Creek Outfitters hunting bear, elk, deer and turkey. This spring I returned, with my oldest son, Braxton, who’d just turned 14.
Braxton has hunted bear by way of spot and stalk and calling, but never over bait. I’m addicted to hunting bears and love watching them over baits. The number of bears thriving in this part of Idaho, atop the Joseph Plains, is mind-boggling, something that has to be seen to be realized. I also like hunting in this way as you can be selective about the animals you take, and it’s a very efficient way to help alleviate predator problems (bears are killing up to 70% of calf elk in this part of the Northwest).
Last season I was at the same spot, with wounded Veteran, Orlando Gill. Orlando took his first bear from a stand I’d taken a gorgeous cinnamon bear from a year prior. Orlando killed a bear on the same bait, two hours into his hunt. I sat in the same stand the following afternoon, and killed a gorgeous chocolate bear. The next evening, the last day of the season, another hunter in camp sat in the same stand and shot a monster coal-black bear. That evening, seven other mature bears were still hitting that bait.
This season we returned to the same site. Braxton’s main goal was to film his first full episode of our show, Trijicon’s The Hunt. He did an amazing job, and captured some shots I’d never before seen. Looks like all the studying of movies he’s done, and being raised around camera men and editors, has rubbed off.
Less than two hours into the hunt I got another great chocolate bear. The shot came across a wooded draw, at 155 yards, and I was shooting a Weatherby .257 using Nosler 115 grain Accubonds. I’ve heard this was Roy Weatherby’s favorite elk cartridge. Still, knowing how tough bears are, I had to see for myself how this cartridge performed.
The bear stood quartering away, and I put the green glowing dot of the Trijicon AccuPoint just over his right hip. At the shot, the bear’s long hair rippled, leaving no question the bullet hit the mark. Question was, how far would the bear go?
I picked up tracks where I’d hit the bear, as it was easy to see where his big claws dug into the soft, dark soil. Peeking through the brush, I could see the bear, dead, 22 yards from the point of impact. The bullet lodged against the offside shoulder, and I was more than impressed. I look forward to using the cartridge on elk next fall.
Running baits with Matt Craig and Tony Hartelius, was an education for Braxton, something he’d never been a part of. These guys have baiting down to a science, and instantly, Braxton was intrigued with the concept. We watched two bears work the bait where I killed my bear, and he loved filming that. We also got trail camera shots of numerous other bears on baits he helped set. The anticipation of checking trail cameras became fun, and offered a different element than what Braxton was used to when it came to checking them for deer.
With my tag filled, and much of the show filmed, it was Braxton’s turn to hunt. He climbed into a treestand, 30-feet off the ground. He was shooting an old lever gun, a .45-70, topped with Trijicon’s RMR. The bullet of choice, hand-loaded 300 grain Nosler Silver Tips.
An hour and half into the hunt, movement to the far left caught Braxton’s eye. As the glowing hide of a cinnamon, almost orange, hide moved through splashes of sunlight in the heavily wooded forest, Braxton’s pulse began to race. The bear didn’t like the swirling wind, and was in no hurry to approach. Fifteen minutes passed before the bear would again show himself, this time approaching on a trail, straight away.
With the angle of the light, the bear looked blond at times. When the bear stepped out from cover, he glanced our direction, lifted his head and pumped the air with his nose. It was then a massive white blaze on the bear’s throat was exposed. Our Cabela’s trail camera video captured impressive images of the bear, less than 10 feet away.
Braxton dared not move until the bear showed interest in the bait. When it did, Braxton shouldered the gun, eased the hammer back, tried to hold steady, then fired. Instantly dirt kicked up on the backside of the bear as the bullet passed through. The hit was a bit far back, which worried us.
As a dad this was a tough situation, for I wanted Braxton to follow-up his own bear, but I also knew how dangerous it could be. I grabbed the rifle and told Braxton to stay put. As I headed through the brush, something didn’t feel right. I looked back and could see Braxton was dejected. I returned and handed him the rifle, outlining the plan of recovery. He snapped back to life, knowing this was a big step in not only hunting, but life. Never have his senses been so in-tune. I’m glad his mom didn’t know what was happening.
Braxton lead the way, following distinct tracts and small drops of blood. The good thing is the bear started uphill, but quickly turned downhill. The tracking was intense, and the brush grew thicker as we pushed forward.
Then Braxton found where the bear stumbled and turned straight downhill. A few more steps and his bear was laying at the base of a fat pine tree, dead. It didn’t go 80 yards. As a dad, it was a tough decision to make, letting Braxton carry the only gun we had with us. Then again, it instilled confidence in him that only hunting can do. It was a classic reminder of how hunting teaches us so much about ourselves.
Braxton was pumped as he approached his downed bear, and I was very impressed with the performance of the Nosler Silver Tip bullet. When Braxton lifted the front paw of the bear, the blaze extended all the way from the chin to the mid-section of the belly. I’d never seen anything like it.
Not only did Braxton and I come away with two very uniquely colored bears, we got some great eating meat. Bear meat is one of our family favorites, and we usually consume two to three bears a year. Tiffany loves cooking with not only the meat, but also the fat, which she renders down (see her blog post on rendering bear fat, on her website, www.tiffanyhaugen.com).
Braxton and I will return to this same camp in the fall, where he’ll be hunting elk, I’ll be after mule deer and my dad, Jerry Haugen, will be hunting whitetails. The impressive amount of wildlife and sheer beauty of this area keeps us coming back; it’s one of my favorite places in the world to be. If looking to book a trip to this place (all on 50,000+ acres of private timberland), don’t expect five-star treatment. Boulder Creek is not known for fluffing the pillows or offering elite lodge-style meals. Their gear isn’t state-of-the-art, and sometimes doesn’t perform like everyone would like due to the beating it takes in this rugged land, but somehow, things work out. It’s a hunting camp, and if you go in expecting not to be pampered, and you’re willing to work hard, you will be rewarded more times than not. No doubt, you will be struck by the awesome beauty and impressive amount of wildlife in this part of the West, which is what keeps luring me back.
