NV bear opens next week!
- Thread starter JasonGNV
- Start date
sjsmallfield
Veteran member
Like others I have been following this thread from day one. Glad to here you guys found her. Hope it all turns out good for her.
2 bears in 1 tree. Finally put some targeted at game up today! Hiking and free casting the dogs about 2 miles in from the end of the road. Trying to hit hard to access areas and find the big boy. Ended up putting up a roughly 300# sow with her cub. Really happy with the dogs and the results of the hard work! Couldn't fill a tag but still worth it.
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So the word is she will be living a retired life of luxury, permanenet hip damage but should be able to get around OK. Just won't be running the mountains anymore. Hate to see a good dog get hurt but anything that puts 110% into anything will see injury at some point in life.
Going to be back at it again this weekend, went out Sunday and found several sets of tracks, dogs struck several times but nothing really big. Hopefully we can locate the big boy this weekend.
Going to be back at it again this weekend, went out Sunday and found several sets of tracks, dogs struck several times but nothing really big. Hopefully we can locate the big boy this weekend.
tdub24
Veteran member
The chase continues, headed back out Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Heading up to the spot we were successful last weekend, have a 9 mile loop we plan on hiking while free casting dogs. Have a damn good feeling about tomorrow. All the buddies are going together, should be a fun hunt and hopefully successful! I plan on posting some trophy pics!
NVBird'n'Big
Veteran member
Did 13 miles yesterday in what NDOW said was the highest population density area in NV. Nothing but old sign the whole way. Went out to one of my favorite spots today and had 3 solid races that blew up after 45 minutes to an hour of chase. Tons of deer in this area and they are breaking havoc on our hunts but still having a blast and learning something new every minute. We were gathering dogs up and had a bear coming lumbering off the mountain right behind us, looked our way and beat feet for the next country, I only had a couple young unproven dogs to send after the bear but let them go. They took the track good and opened on the track. They blazed that track and gave chase for a 1/4 mile and ran right into wood cutters, they said the bear went left when it saw them and a minute later the youngsters came blazing in and went right. The pups ended up jumping dear and fooling around before coming back out. Bear made a slick move and laughed at us! Really cool learning experience and seeing how tricky these bruins can be. Back at it tomorrow, so far 3 bears have been harvested according to NDOW and the hunting has been tough, dry dusty conditions.
Sounds like your out in the backcountry. I thought most bears were messing with domestic horses and tearing into trash cans around the cities?
lookinforwater
Member
- Aug 28, 2013
- 56
- 0
I grew up hunting with hounds. That is all my dad did besides work when I was growing up was coonhunt with hounds. I really love hunting with them, and hopefuly one day I will make it out west to shoot a lion with hounds.My dad and uncles have all shoot lions in Colorado with hounds, and they are one of the nicest trophies in my opinion. I quit coonhunting about ten years ago but I still like to hear them run a track. It takes so much time to have good hounds, and most people are not that commited to it.
First time I experienced dogs and hunting was in Pennsylvania. I was about 16 and an uncle of mine said "can ya shoot a shotgun?" I replied "of course" he said "see that green chair in the field?" Me-"ya" him " take a seat and relax, the dogs will be by in about 10 minutes" I sat in the chair he let his coons out and sure enough about 10 minutes later I hear them going apeshit in the bushes in front of me. Out comes a rabbit and my uncle says "nail em!" I shot the rabbit and a dog brought it over. A few minutes goes by and out comes another with the dogs not far behind. This was his past time with his dogs. Sit in the green chair and let the dogs bring him rabbit after rabbit after rabbit. It was a blast!
Hard stalk, some of the country is way back country. No roads and only horse/backpack allowed, decent trail systems but there's never a perfect trail system to run dogs. Cities aren't to far away but far enough to feel away from everything. Far enough that 4 hounds can bawl for hours and not bug anybody at home (maybe a few mussle loader hunters tho, sorry). My favorite spot is a range between a couple of small cities/towns that I live in. Tons of bear in these mountains.
LFW, I have to agree with you. A lion mount/rug is an awesome trophy. Takes a lot of time and training to get the dogs set on a particular game animal. Seems like each season it starting from scratch sometimes.
Its up to 3 bears according to NDOW, a big color phased bear was taken Friday. I'd been told of him and got a pic of him. Estimated 15-20 yes old, no teeth. Not sure on weight but a good bear. I know of one other bear that's bigger and meaner, not as old but a mean SOB.
Cut several sets of tracks today with the dogs striking several, hardest strike was a very big track. Turned the top dogs loose and they were out like a bolt of lightning. Several miles and about an hour later we were within 500 yds with the bounds working towards us when it seems they made a lose. We hiked over to help straighten out the track, that bear ran circles all over that area and the dogs were going nuts trying to line it out. Finally circled the area when 2 dogs litt up and started trailing again. Another couple hours and miles went by and we had dogs treed. Hiked in to find a massive rock cliff area full of Volkswagen sized boulders with pockets and cases everywhere. We searched that mess for 2 hours before pulling out, can my luck get any worse. Dogs were beat after 3 days and umpteen miles, I'm getting discouraged. I've done better on bears when Cali had a season and haven't worked nearly as hard. I keep telling myself that hard work pays off!
LFW, I have to agree with you. A lion mount/rug is an awesome trophy. Takes a lot of time and training to get the dogs set on a particular game animal. Seems like each season it starting from scratch sometimes.
Its up to 3 bears according to NDOW, a big color phased bear was taken Friday. I'd been told of him and got a pic of him. Estimated 15-20 yes old, no teeth. Not sure on weight but a good bear. I know of one other bear that's bigger and meaner, not as old but a mean SOB.
Cut several sets of tracks today with the dogs striking several, hardest strike was a very big track. Turned the top dogs loose and they were out like a bolt of lightning. Several miles and about an hour later we were within 500 yds with the bounds working towards us when it seems they made a lose. We hiked over to help straighten out the track, that bear ran circles all over that area and the dogs were going nuts trying to line it out. Finally circled the area when 2 dogs litt up and started trailing again. Another couple hours and miles went by and we had dogs treed. Hiked in to find a massive rock cliff area full of Volkswagen sized boulders with pockets and cases everywhere. We searched that mess for 2 hours before pulling out, can my luck get any worse. Dogs were beat after 3 days and umpteen miles, I'm getting discouraged. I've done better on bears when Cali had a season and haven't worked nearly as hard. I keep telling myself that hard work pays off!
Been hunting hard every weekend and some week days. Been hunting the same area consistently because we found THE track. Huge bear running a pretty specific area. Conditions have been horrible for the dogs and we seem to be one step behind this guy. We've turned dogs in on him several times and dogs always lose him after awhile in thick pinions and pine needles. I know my dogs are plenty capable and we got a little moisture early Sunday, thought it would help but never did strike or cut his track, snow ended up covering any sign of him from the night before. We find good sign and the dogs strike scent multiple times everyday but we are focusing on this BIG bear. No sense in running little guys when you know the big guy is out there.
NVBird'n'Big
Veteran member
Keep it up Jason, thanks for keeping us updated. Can't wait to see the pics and read the story once you finally get that big bastard.
We decided to do another hike in free casting the dogs, we did our home work and found a good core area of this bears range. Met up early Saturday and drove into our starting point, looked to be about an 8 mile loop off trail that we wanted to cover. Hiked our way up for an hour or so when we made to the top, lots of rock piles covered in pinions. Our plan was to cover every rock pile and look for sign. We walked along way and started seeing more tracks and sign of just the big guy. We knew we had made the right call and kept working piles. About 11 am I was dropping off of a pile and working to the next when my Turbo dog lit up with her nose down, I couldn't see a track due to all the rock and hard ground. She took off beading south and pulled the other 3 dogs in with Ber while I searched for a bear track. I rounded the pile and bingo, his big ol' track fresh as it gets. Listened to the dogs for 20 mins as my buddy with the tag caught up and from the sound of it they had already caught up to him and hes was taking them down the mountain to the west. We set out in hot pursuit and followed them when my GPS told me they weren't moving anymore but the dogs were going crazy. They had him bayed up against a rock pile and we were only 500yds out. We started hustling in when they started moving and working back up the mountain when they bayed him up on a steep north facing mountain. We were again about 500 yds out and moving as fast as we could. I got about 250 yds from the action and again they were on the move to the top again and beading back really close to were we started this race. I took off in hot pursuit once again and finally got 100yds from the may lay when I finally laid eyes on this hog. The dogs had him bayed again against a large rock outcropping and all 4 were about 6-8' away from him in a half moon. He saw me and started walking slowly with dogs all around him keeping their distance yet pressuring him. I lost sight in the trees and yelled for my buddy cause be was heading to the big to rock pile again. He caught up and the dogs were still within 100yds when we made it to the rocks they went into bawling like crazy. The bear worked his way up a narrow channel into a cave and was having a stand off with the 4 hounds voting nutts and stepping on each other. The bear kept charging out at the dogs and swing and popping his jaws. This was a bad situation for my dogs and I hurried my buddy to set up and take the bear first clear kill shot he had. He made a good shot but it didn't kill him, the bear came charging out at me and my dogs falling on top of one of the hounds. My dog squeezed out unscathed and the bear got up again and blew past me knocking me over and rolling down the rocks 30yds and regaining his feet. My buddy put the final shot in him and he dropped 10' into the only clear dirt spot around. This ended up being about a 2.5 mile loop. All my dogs came out with out a scratch and this could be the biggest bear this year. Biologist says with a 57" chest he's way over 500# and measured 6' from nose to base of tail. This guy stood 8' when on his hind legs and had a 64" stomach measurement. He's getting the skull measured to see where he stands for B&C and NV state records.
The bard work paid off handsomely.
The bard work paid off handsomely.
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