12 yr old sons first bear pics....

[supersider34]

I posted before about my son not wanting to go up bear hunting. Well I was wrong. Saturday after boiling up my skull I was talking to some of my 14 yr olds daughters friends and they where asking questions about bear hunting. My son was there and he heard the conversation and decided that he would be cool and wanted to go. So I told him we would run up Sun night. I played heck trying to get his license on Sun as the F&G machines where having problems getting there tags out.So at about 3:00 I finally got him one after going to 3 different vendors. Well I invited a friend to go along with us to help haul him out if he got one. We got up there around 6:00 and as we where going in there where dirt bikes riding everywhere. I told my son we might not see one because of this and he said "Dad we might though" We sat there till dark and I grabbed my trail camera on the way out and developed the film and got a muley doe, a vulture and a nice chocolate bear on the camera. He came home and asked Mom if he could go up Mon night also. I said we might have better luck then as everyone would be coming home from Memorial weekend.
Well we got up to the bait around 6:00 last night and sat higher on the hill. Around 7 it started Thundering out so i moved down under some pine trees. So we wouldnt get so wet either. My son kept asking what time it was and he finally leaned back and was relaxing. At 8 he asked what time and I told him. I was sitting there watching up the canyon when I saw the bear coming down threw the trees. I told him and he was up grabbed his gun and hooked it to his Bi-pod. The bear walked to about 23 yds from us and stopped. he heard the safety kick off and bam Damian nailed him. He started up the hill and Bam he hit him again. This time the bear came back down and started his screaming. I told him to shoot till he was dead. 3rd shoot shut him up. My son was thrilled. Man he was excited. 3rd shot hit the bear threw the back end and my son says I was so excited I pulled the shot. I couldnt breath. I was so proud to be there for his first bear.
The first shot killed him as you can see in the pics. Took his heart. Second just stopped him from running to far and the third I believe was over kill. I have had a couple bears do what his did only to get up and run.
Also in the pics you can see the pine tree we where sitting under and it was 23 yds from where the bear was.
The bear weighed 235 pds live and dressed out at 133 pds from the butcher. I will boil his skull up this weekend to see what it measures. I told my son that if he killed a bear I would give him $5 and if it was bigger than mine he got $10. It will be close. Got a melon of a head on him and my son wants it boiled now.LOL
He was a great trooper and I am very proud of him. I have watched the video about 10 times now. great shot for my son.
Hope you all enjoy the pics as I did with him. He has many more hunts with me. He turns 13 on June 9th.

[wrenchman]

thats a nice bear at any age i wish mich would let them hunt bear with a gun at 12 the earlyest they can do it is 14 here.

[model 70]

what did he shoot it with?

[skeeter@ccia.com]

great story and I think if he smilled anymore he would swallow his face....lol....nice bear......a memory has been made...

[supersider34]

Model 70 he was shooting a 243.

[LoneWolf]

Great story and pics, and awesome memories!
Congrats Dad and Son