That bear is on my wish list. We used to go run dogs wish some folks when I was a kid, but I haven?t been since. I remember it being super tender. One day?
You definitely should, if you get the chance. That bear was taken with dogs. California outlawed dogs for bear in 2012, so I went in both 2011 & 2012, just to try it before it was gone. I
wasn't really looking forward to it (thought I wouldn't like it) - but it was awesome! The dogs never hurt the bears. The bears never hurt the dogs. The bear runs until it's tired, and climbs a tree. You get to look at the bear and make an informed decision.
I looked at a lot of bears both years. The guide had other clients, but he and I had become friends, so I got first-right-of-refusal on every bear. I turned down Sows, Cubs, and smaller Boars. Other clients took some of them. Late in the 2012 season, I figured I wouldn't get one, and then the guides friend calls and says, "Get that guy over here ASAP - I've got his bear treed". ... It took us a while - but we got there. It was a very nice bear for California.
Funny side-story: I recovered 2 perfectly (fully) mushroomed 240 gr Hornady HP-XTP's from that bear. At home, I'd ask people if they'd like to see my "Pair of Dice" - I'd shake those 2 bullets in my hand and roll them out onto the table like dice. I kept them for a year of so - showing every naive californian that came by - and watching them try to figure out what they were looking at. (Of course I had to tell them eventually
) It amused me greatly ... then the cleaning lady found them on my bar one day, and threw them out as trash. Of course I didn't realize it for a couple weeks ... talk about un-replaceable! Oh well. She didn't know. ... I still miss my "Pair of Dice"!
I can?t tell if it?s just the light or if that?s a brown phase.
He's dark, almost black, with a touch of deep chocolate.
