The Claw Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Just got back from a weekend bear hunt on the Mescalero. First time there. Was actually a tough hunt in some BEAUTIFUL country. It was a good time having good friends Matt, Jay, and Dick there. Was my first bear hunt so I was very happy to harvest this nice 300 lb class chocolate in a short time. She was an old sow with gray in the face and a nice skull on her. 22" with cape on. Cape is in great condition. Wish we could have spent more time there enjoying all there was. We were glassing bachelor bulls (and LOTS of them) above timberline at 12K feet! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Congrats on the harvest of a great looking bear. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZantlerhead Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Sounds awesome, just to be in the mescalero. I've heard and read great things about their lands. Awesome hunt, glad it worked out for you.Dandy Bear!!! Ive had several very, very, bad bearhunting experiences of wich the details I keep to myself usually. Wish it was like your hunt. Ive been soured so much I've vowed to never bear hunt again, unless a bear is hunting me again, then its open season. But still enjoy seeing others have a great experience. Nice job!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RutNHard Report post Posted August 5, 2009 NIce bear I heard all about it!! Congrats!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Cade, Nice fall bruin from a pretty area of NM. Congrats. Doug Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Switchback Report post Posted August 5, 2009 awesome bear congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Congrats on a nice bear and what sounds like a great hunt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Nice Bear. I talked to Bill he told me no tag for him this deer season. He did offer to go help us and pack out my deer again. Man that guy and my brother both like to pack out just to prove they can. HAHAHA Once again congrats to you and the CLAW. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScottAdams Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Very nice bear. It looks like The Claw did it's job. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Archer Report post Posted August 5, 2009 awesome man. Great job. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilimanjaro Report post Posted August 5, 2009 Great bear, Cade... That Mescalero is a pretty piece of property.. We used to go there from TX to chase Merriams turkeys in the spring.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lionhunter Report post Posted August 10, 2009 Nice bear! Lets get some details/ story... p.s. Is that a spotting scope mounted on top of that rifle or what???? Whitey Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Claw Report post Posted August 11, 2009 Whitey, It does look like a spotting scope doesn't it, LOL. But in reality, it is a Nightforce 5.5 -22 X50mm with sun shade on. The eyepiece looks bigger because I have a scope cam mounted on it where I can record the image seen through the scope. I am doing some T and E for the camera and it is phenomenal. They are primarily used in ops but it has proven to be a neat little tool in the field, although I didn't have it recording on the bear kill because the kill happened so fast. You can bait on the Mescalero, which I have never done before (actually I have never hunted bear period before, only helped friends). We sat a couple baits that were set up for us but they were inactive with no past sign even. The next morning we tried glassing above timberline with no bear sightings and even tried some spot and stalk and calling for a real short time. Then we met a member, Taylor Smith, who was kind enough to put us onto one of his baits. When we found the bait, a bear had hit it that morning. We sat his blind for a few hours but was a little uncomfortable with some swirling wind and being that close (60 yards). It down poured on me and Matt for 3 straight hours and soaked us to the bone. When it finally stopped I really wasn't comfortable with wind so we moved down wind and down a grass cut about 150 yds from bait. I just stood up inside a pinion elevated on the tripod/claw making a good make shift blind. it was getting low light and we were starting to slowly get our gear gathered together when all of a sudden I caught movement to the side. The bear had come out of the tree line further down from the bait as it had before and was following in our footsteps where we crossed the grass cut when we re set up. She had her nose in the air sniffing and walking straight to us at 40 yds. I panned over quickly on the tripod. I didn't want to shoot her head on and risk damaging cape so I just tracked her on the tripod maintaining the crosshair on her chest to be ready to fire at any necessary moment. At 30 yds she got straight downwind of the bait, up the cut, and paused turning broadside to look that direction. That was all I needed as I was ready.........the 300 RUM roared and she was down in her tracks. Happened quickly but was one of the funnest moments I've had in recent memory. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ernesto C Report post Posted August 11, 2009 Very nice bear with cinnamon color! Congratulations. Ernesto C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soazarcher Report post Posted August 11, 2009 Here's Cade set up on The Claw in our blind After the rain, when the wind shifted, we set up 150 yards on the other side of the bait. This is where we stood for the last 4 hours of the day. The bear was just over the top scope turret, walking toward us, when it turned and took a perfect bullet and one more pic of the bruin, just 'cause Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
