It all began at the S.C.I. International Exposition in Las Vegas this last February. When asked, my son Trevor, had responded that he would like to go on a bear hunt for his 30th birthday. I met with booking agent Brent Chapman, B.C. Outfitters Consultants. He advised he had an outfitter in British Columbia that had a good record with large coastal mountain bears. The outfitter would be visiting S.C.I. later that week so I arranged to meet him. The Outfitter, Jamie Reynolds, was a pleasant young enthusiastic man with many photos of great looking bears in his smart phone. Jamie recommended hunting in June as he was typically snowed out until early May. Further the rut would be on in full force and this was the first time British Columbia had extended the spring bear season past June 15. Despite being concerned with the late dates I booked the hut.
Trevor and I arrived in camp Sunday morning the 14th of June. It was late, very late. The winter had been mild, the spring a full month early and there was no snow save for the tops of the very highest peaks. We met Eric, our guide. He was so typical of sheep and goat guides, young, fit, very tall with a 40 inch inseam. A pleasant young man from Denmark who had found his passion in life when he and his father hunted with Jaime several years prior. The rut was in full swing, there were no bears on the slides. Sightings were few, random, and of brief duration. Eric advised it would be a tough hunt. Jaime joined us on Tuesday. He decided to switch hunting tactics from the slides to the marked bear trees and terrestrial boundaries of the dominant bears.
Tuesday morning Jamie and I set off to check bear trees and travel routes while Trevor and Eric went to try to find a very large black phase boar who was shadowing a sow on the other side of the mountain range. Just before noon we drove into Marriott basin on a logging spur overlooking a recent timber cut. Jamie advised a brute of a brown color phase boar often patrolled this skid road between noon and 1 pm. Jaime had an earlier client miss this bear on two different occasions. We parked and watched the mountain side until about 1:30 We were relaxed and as hunters often do shared some of our hunting experiences. Jamie broke out his smart phone to show me pictures from some fall hunts. Pointing out some photographs of a large heavy antlered blacktail he began to tell me of the hunt he and his partner had this last November. How long we were so distracted I do not know. Jamie glanced over his left shoulder and exclaimed “shoot that bear”! I looked out the drivers window and there stood a massive bear staring at us from 25 yards. The next couple of minutes were a zoo, video of the events to follow would have made for good comedy. British Columbia regulations forbid any ammunition in any rifle while in or on any vehicle, thus my rifle magazine was empty. I reached for my pocket to retrieve some cartridges only to find my seat belt was fastened. I tossed my water bottle, unbuckled the sat belt and opened the door to step out. This much activity was too much for the bear. He turned and ran back down the road. I am now running down the road after the bear while stuffing cartridges into the rifle’s magazine. The bear turned right up a dry creek bed jumbled with rocks and down debris from the timber harvest. I lost sight of the bear. Jamie grabbed my shoulder and guided me up onto a finger that paralleled the creek. No bear in sight. Jaime said the bear would be crossing the white log so be ready. There was a large down tree with no bark about 75 yards from our position. within moments the bear climbed up on the torn butt and dropped over the log. I tracked him in my rifle scope. Traveling at an uphill angle from the log he gained enough elevation to expose his right chest. My first shot was true. The bear flinched from the bullet’s impact. He then turned directly uphill heading for some thick cover provided by down live fir trees. Having no other target than his backside I shot him in the butt knocking him down. All was quiet for a few moments, no bear emerged from cover.
Suddenly were both broke out laughing and the tension was off. We found the bear piled just under the edge of the fir boughs.
Tuesday morning Jamie and I set off to check bear trees and travel routes while Trevor and Eric went to try to find a very large black phase boar who was shadowing a sow on the other side of the mountain range. Just before noon we drove into Marriott basin on a logging spur overlooking a recent timber cut. Jamie advised a brute of a brown color phase boar often patrolled this skid road between noon and 1 pm. Jaime had an earlier client miss this bear on two different occasions. We parked and watched the mountain side until about 1:30 We were relaxed and as hunters often do shared some of our hunting experiences. Jamie broke out his smart phone to show me pictures from some fall hunts. Pointing out some photographs of a large heavy antlered blacktail he began to tell me of the hunt he and his partner had this last November. How long we were so distracted I do not know. Jamie glanced over his left shoulder and exclaimed “shoot that bear”! I looked out the drivers window and there stood a massive bear staring at us from 25 yards. The next couple of minutes were a zoo, video of the events to follow would have made for good comedy. British Columbia regulations forbid any ammunition in any rifle while in or on any vehicle, thus my rifle magazine was empty. I reached for my pocket to retrieve some cartridges only to find my seat belt was fastened. I tossed my water bottle, unbuckled the sat belt and opened the door to step out. This much activity was too much for the bear. He turned and ran back down the road. I am now running down the road after the bear while stuffing cartridges into the rifle’s magazine. The bear turned right up a dry creek bed jumbled with rocks and down debris from the timber harvest. I lost sight of the bear. Jamie grabbed my shoulder and guided me up onto a finger that paralleled the creek. No bear in sight. Jaime said the bear would be crossing the white log so be ready. There was a large down tree with no bark about 75 yards from our position. within moments the bear climbed up on the torn butt and dropped over the log. I tracked him in my rifle scope. Traveling at an uphill angle from the log he gained enough elevation to expose his right chest. My first shot was true. The bear flinched from the bullet’s impact. He then turned directly uphill heading for some thick cover provided by down live fir trees. Having no other target than his backside I shot him in the butt knocking him down. All was quiet for a few moments, no bear emerged from cover.
Suddenly were both broke out laughing and the tension was off. We found the bear piled just under the edge of the fir boughs.
Jamie estimated the bears age at 14 to 15 years. He measure 6-3 nose to tail. The skull green scored 20 11/16. There was plenty of evidence of hard battles being fought this breeding season. Both of his eyelids were torn. His lip on one side was deeply split. There were numerous sets of bite marks with deep punctures, some still festering, about his neck and chest. Examination of his dention revealed fractured canines and short well worn teeth. A black bear of a lifetime.
After a couple of tense, close, but unsuccessful stalks of the 7-0 black boar, Trevor shot a bright red bear and our hunt was complete. Jamie maintained his 100% success rate on spring bear in spite of tough, unfavorable conditions.
After a couple of tense, close, but unsuccessful stalks of the 7-0 black boar, Trevor shot a bright red bear and our hunt was complete. Jamie maintained his 100% success rate on spring bear in spite of tough, unfavorable conditions.
We were advised that due to the Cities requirements we would not be able to bring our bears home with us. Jamie is a taxidermist and provides services from salt, dry hides, and boil skulls for shipping, to full life size mounts. He will ship our hides and skulls when properly processed.
You can contact Jamie Reynolds, c/o High Caliber Adventures, 6110 Mountain View Road, Agassiz, B.C. V0M 1A4 Canada. Telephone 604-819-2016. He features Spring Black Bear, Fall Mountain Goat, Blacktail Deer as well as Mule Deer. Jamie knows his territory well and I would not hesitate to hunt with him again.
Rifles used; 1) a commercial Mauser 98. Caliber 6.5-06. Remington 140 grain Core-Lokt spire points, 2) Smith & Wesson 1700LS 7x64 Breneke 172 grain spire points.
In spite of my packing lists etc. I managed to leave my binoculars at home so we stopped in Oregon on the way up where I purchased a set of Bushnell 10x42 binoculars which proved to be comfortable and efficient at a very reasonable price. They were no problem even with my glasses.
Weather was warm enough for shirt sleeves in the daytime only getting chilly when the sun was at a low angle and when a wind came up. Layers are important. I was very comfortable with the Swazi fleece clothing. We experienced sunny days for all but one days hunting and that proved to be scattered showers that were no real impediment to our activities. The bears however, were not openly active during the showers.
The camp was quite comfortable. A combination of wall tent with wood stove, enclosed equipment trailer, and a class A trailer for our bedroom set along side a glacial stream. Cooking was done on propane fired grills and cook tops. Food was plentiful and great, Classic breakfasts, dinners featuring mountain goat in several forms. Hunting days were long, as the length of daylight was near the longest days of the year. We often arrived back at comp near 10:00 pm.
You can contact Jamie Reynolds, c/o High Caliber Adventures, 6110 Mountain View Road, Agassiz, B.C. V0M 1A4 Canada. Telephone 604-819-2016. He features Spring Black Bear, Fall Mountain Goat, Blacktail Deer as well as Mule Deer. Jamie knows his territory well and I would not hesitate to hunt with him again.
Rifles used; 1) a commercial Mauser 98. Caliber 6.5-06. Remington 140 grain Core-Lokt spire points, 2) Smith & Wesson 1700LS 7x64 Breneke 172 grain spire points.
In spite of my packing lists etc. I managed to leave my binoculars at home so we stopped in Oregon on the way up where I purchased a set of Bushnell 10x42 binoculars which proved to be comfortable and efficient at a very reasonable price. They were no problem even with my glasses.
Weather was warm enough for shirt sleeves in the daytime only getting chilly when the sun was at a low angle and when a wind came up. Layers are important. I was very comfortable with the Swazi fleece clothing. We experienced sunny days for all but one days hunting and that proved to be scattered showers that were no real impediment to our activities. The bears however, were not openly active during the showers.
The camp was quite comfortable. A combination of wall tent with wood stove, enclosed equipment trailer, and a class A trailer for our bedroom set along side a glacial stream. Cooking was done on propane fired grills and cook tops. Food was plentiful and great, Classic breakfasts, dinners featuring mountain goat in several forms. Hunting days were long, as the length of daylight was near the longest days of the year. We often arrived back at comp near 10:00 pm.
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