Couzer

Well all I can say is wow, tasted amazing! I could definitely taste the hickory smoke along with the bacon juices that had penetrated the meat. I ended up cooking the meat to 165 degrees for at least 60 seconds just to be on the safe side. I now have lunch meat for my sandwiches for a few days if it last that long.

Holy Bearzilla!!!! Nice job calling him in!!! Great JOB

Testing out the ol'smoker as I speak, Ill let you know how it turns out.

Ok not a lot of info out there on Bear Backstraps, but found a lot on deer. The meat is pretty lean so I wrapped it with Bacon, can't go wrong there? Probably have way to many tooth picks, oh well.

Sounds like archery is the way to go!

If I was going to buy another it would be the tika 7mm. I wouldn't go with a a Remington or savage if I was going to buy a stock rifle, if custom then a savage or remington

I've read and respect your content here on CWT but I'm interested in how that makes you "lucky" instead of just sounding selfish? Are dogs not allowed off-leash on the public land you're trapping on? Do honest accidents not happen from time to time at trap locations? Public land?

I was told that you can bait to take pictures but no baiting for hunting? This is what the big game specialist told me. Wrong not sure??? Few years back we baited bear traps with fish to get them to come in for AZGF. I was told a few cams were put up as well.

Dane bonecollector, what a pig

Awesome! Looking good

Thanks guys for all the kind words. I had gone over to the Mesa G&F office today to check him in. Dustin down there with G&F is a great guy and rough aged him 7-8 years, but will know for sure when the results come back. I dropped off the hide to Jim over at SW Taxidermy (CW Sponser) and we laid the bear out and rough measured him at 6' 1". Jim has a awesome shop, looks busy with all the mounts he's working on, definitely pleased with his customer service. For now I am going to do a rug mount, and if I can convince the wife to do a life size in the next 6-7 months that would be awesome! (High Hopes and lots of flowers for the next 6-7 months) I took my meat over to SW Processing in Queen Creek (CW Sponsor as well) and having ALOT of sausage, chorizo, and a few roast done. I kept the backstraps, planning on smoking those here at my house! I wonder if I'll wake up from this dream? Couestracker- I'll admit a was pretty darn scared walking down that wash, especially not seeing any blood or sign. My headlamp was not the brightest in that pitch black overgrown wash. My buddy Chad said the only thing he was worried about was walking up on a rattle snake, 5 mins laer he almost step on one of the biggest rattler I have seen in the wild. Good thing it rattled before he got to close, he let it live since it warned him before getting to close. That's why you always let your buddy walk in front

For some reasone the rain or clouds never came over us giving us shade, they got close. Here is pic of that control burn at four peaks

Here is a better pic

Awesome job man!!! Congrats on getting him done solo, that is unbelievable, especially on how hot it was this weekend!!!! 2 years ago I was helping a buddy pack one out and fell over under a shaded tree throwing up water from heat stroke in 100+ temps!!!! Again congrats!!!

Thanks guys, and sorry for the late post on the Pics, I just woke up from what I thought was a dream. Kidso, I did glass him up, after I missed the first shot I grabbed my hand call and started calling to see if he would show himself again. Not sure if that is why I was able to get another shot off or not. He was a darker reddish color with some good scars on his muzzle. Bonecollector thank you for offering to come out and help pack out! could have used you for sure. The full moon and the nice night made it a good pack out, the last bear I packed out was in 100 + degree weather and I about got heat stroke.

In the process of packing him out! 300+ lb

Or might be missing a spark plug?

I noticed there is a fire on 4 peaks, east side. Anyone know any info on it, I was planning on csmping out there on top somewhere.

You do not have to leave the tendorloins with the gutless method! You just make an incision near the spine and reach in and cut or grab them out. It's pretty simple. And you can even decide to take the heart and liver after you are done with removing all the meat. What the gutless method does is let you handle all the meat without risk of cutting open any organs. If you decide you want heart and liver, then you can open body cavity and remove them. + 1 Amanda! It is very easy to take the tenderloins using the gutless method

The gutless way I think is the best if someone could show you this method

Here is a pic, looks like it's heading on the north east side now .

Thanks guys! Just out enjoying nature

Yeah just seeing if I'm reading that right as well ???

Thanks 1shot

Awesome, great times in NM! One spur bird is pretty cool, good beard, longer than my 2 nm birds