Pat's first black bear

Carrying a bear is hard work!!

Melissa and I got our first bear this morning. We started up the Sky Line trail about an hour before daylight and quickly gained about 2,000 feet in elevation. That will really take one's breath away!! Our plan was to get to the top of the string of peaks and glass for bears on the other side. From this vantage point above the tree line we would be able to see bears feeding on the many berries found above the trees. After spotting a bear, I would plan a stalk to within rifle range (less than 300 yards) using Melissa as a director to get me close (she would stay on top and watch the bear). We were within 100 yards of the top where we would begin our search when Melissa said "Wow, look at that view!!" I did and when I looked back I noticed something black moving across the hillside. It was a bear!! I motioned to Melissa to hide and I began to judge the size of the bear. It is illegal to harvest a bear with cubs or a cub less than a year old. This bear was traveling alone and his ears were small in relation to its head. He had seen us but did not know what we were as we were being as quiet as we could. I could feel my adrenaline pump as I steadied the cross-hairs on him, it had been two years since I had killed anything with my Remington 30-06, but it all came back to me as I pressed the trigger. A loud bang was followed by a satisfying thump indicating a solid hit. The 165 grain Balistic Tip slammed into the bruin's neck and he was dead instantly. Melissa saw another bear in the bushes about 400 yards on the other side of my bear, but with one on the ground already, we decided to let him walk. Melissa took the rifle and covered me while I circled around and found the bear. A few shots with my slingshot confirmed the bears fate and that's when the work really started.

It took all we had to drag the bear onto flat ground and begin the skinning/caping work.


A few trophy shots were in order, I really enjoy my hunting pictures.

My trusty backup is the most amazing wife anyone could ever want! How many women do you know that will hunt bears with a pistol?

One Year!

Can you believe we've been here a year?!! We have definitely had a few adventures! We have recently concluded that digital cameras do not like water! They don't float, and upon that revelation, we have lost our current camera. Subsequently, we will be posting photo's when our film is developed and/or when we purchase a new camera. Our adventures are continuing as we are heading up Skyline Trail again tomorrow to actively hunt for a black bear. We will scale the heights and look down below us to find the elusive creature, Pat will carefully and quietly stalk the bear as I guide him from my higher vantage point, and we will hopefully achieve our goal and be able to pack out a black bear before dark! We did invest in some "headlights" this time! We'll let you know how it goes!!

Hiking/Glassing

If the day would have been sunny, this little meadow/swamp would have photographed much better! The fall colors are becoming quite stunning! This is up by Rainbow lake, a small lake on the way to Cooper Lake. We went by here looking for bears for Pat to hunt later this month!
This is on the Skyline Trail. We had the bright idea to hike up this very steep trail the other day and it took us much longer than anticipated! We looked for bears along the top of this trail, as it does as the name implies, have a great view! We saw no bears, but did pick some nice raspberries & blueberries along the trail!


Here's a view from the upper part of the trail. It was absolutely gorgeous, but definitely a strenuous hike! It was about 3000 feet up, and mostly straight up! Unfortunately, we didn't make it back before dark, but isn't that what Adventure is!?!

Pat's Work's Stand on Weapons

"Weapons (defined as, but not limited to, any firearm from which a projectile is fired by force of an explosion or compressed energy [e.g., air rifles or pistols, blow guns, spring guns], such as a rifle, carbine, shotgun, submachine gun, revolver, pistol, derringer, or zip gun, any archery equipment [bow and arrows] or crossbow, any spears, harpoons, or lances, any knife or edged blade not intended specifically as or reasonably useful as a tool [i.e., daggers, dirks, bayonets, push knives, boot shivs, Tantos, stilettos, Bowies, switchblades, ninja throwing stars, large combat or hunting knives, swords, sabers, etc.], grenades or other explosive devices or materials [i.e., Molotov cocktails, bombs, dynamite, blasting caps, fuse cord, etc.] or bludgeoning instruments [i.e., nightsticks, nunchaukus, maces, combat axes or halberds, war clubs or hammers, morning stars, tomahawks, cudgels, truncheons, billies, saps, blackjacks, brass knuckles, slap chains, weighted gloves, loaded canes, etc.]), ammunition, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted beyond the security checkpoint..."Whooo! Good thing we left the ninja throwing stars at home! I wonder if our trebuche would be considered as a "bludgeoning instrument?" I'd better find out!!!

Hooray!

Here's a great photo of a couple neices and a nephew of mine! I wanted to share the excitement that last week, Jackson asked Jesus into his heart! This week marks the one-year "birthday" of Sydney asking Jesus into her heart! What a great pair of siblings Raegan has, despite the apparent "choking!" I'm sure it's just a love hold!!

A Rose by any other name...!

Greenhouse work is now over! I'm a little bit sad, but it was so rewarding to be a part of a beautiful place! It also seems strange that it is already "Autumn" here! I was able to bring home a tiny piece of the beauty that filled Trinity Greenhouse! They smell incredible!