2010 Bear (with a .444) pics

[allhands]

Well, Bear with bait season here in maine has begun. We have been setting bait since August 2nd, and our efforts paid off. I shot this 240 pound male on August 31st at around 6pm. He snuck in to the bait just like you see on TV. Short chip shot with my .444 scout. A 300 grain XTP dropped him INSTANTLY. CAnt wait to skin him (monday) and see exactly how well my hit was. Oh, and the steaks won't be too bad either!!!!!

[86er]

Nice bear! We have a full week of hunters in Maine now so I'll add more bear pics later. 4 for 4 so far!

[allhands]

86er...where are you guys set up in Maine? Also, we went 2 for 3 so far, with mine being the bigger of the two, but we have pics on cameras of a 400+ pounder. Hope for your continued success!!!!!!!

[Hobie]

[TedH]

Nice bear!

[win38-55]

That is a nice bear, Congrats. Did you load that 444 round yourself? If so do you have any load data on the round?
I am just wondering because I am getting ready to make up some 444 rounds. Thanks.

[Nath]

Nice picture. Congrats

Nath.

[dr walker]

Congratulations! Nice bear.

[2X22]

A dandy!

Congradulations

2x22

[Markbo]

Never had the opportunity to eat bear. What's it like?

[RIHMFIRE]

Nice bear!

+ 10
nice coat!

[RKrodle]

Congrats on a very nice bear.

[RKrodle]

Never had the opportunity to eat bear. What's it like?

I've only eaten bear once but I couldn't get over how much it tasted like a pork chop, and if you've seen my waste line you would know how much I love pork chops.

[Dave]

Congrats! That is some thick stuff you are hunting in.

[allhands]

Hey guys, sorry i've been away from the computer today, but I'll address a few questions. First, thats a 300 grain Hornady XTP hollow point over 30 grains of 2400. Muzzle velocity is only about 1700 fps. I have another recipe of 45 grains IMR 4198 which results in about 2200 fps. The 2400 has little recoil, the IMR a BIT more.....

As to terrain, yes it is very thick as is most of the forest in MAine. We hunt on paper company land, which comprises a good percentage of the state. It has been clear cut at least twice over the years, and walking/hunting is very hard up here. My actual location is Township 2/Range 1. Which is the state designation for where we are, as it is an unorganized township with a population of maybe 200. There is no Post office, and 2 convenience stores within 20 miles. The vegetation is very thick everywhere. The nice part is, we can hunt anywhere we want on millions of acres despite the fact our camp is on only 2 acres. All paper company land is open to anyone, anytime, and we have a great amount of snowmobile trails in the area. If you hunt an actual clearcut, you may get a 200-300 yard shot. If you hit at that range, you will find that it will take you 30-45 minutes to cover the distance due to the slash from the clearcut and terrain. It is the most un-Godly terrain you ever saw. All you levergunners from MAine will no doubt back me up on this.

My dream started last year, baiting 2.5 hours away from my home and hoping for a hit. WE got it going this summer, lugging 200 lbs. of bait once or twice a week to 3 bait sites, and checking progress. I now know why guides charge so much for a hunt, because it is a ton of work, but we got it done and our freezers are full because of it.

As to bear meat... I believe all game tastes are due to what it eats and how fast it dies. If the deer or bear or moose gets winged and runs for a long way, then you get lactic acid and adrenalin buildup and the meat is terrible. This bear has been eating cupcakes and frosting for 4 weeks and dropped instantly at the shot, so he will taste great!!!!!!The meat is very fatty and marbled, but very good, especially for making sausage........

[KirkD]

CAnt wait to skin him (monday) and see exactly how well my hit was.

Congratulations on a nice bear. I am wondering why you are waiting till Monday to skin the bear?

[allhands]

Well, we are waiting because we now have him in a walk in freezer at 33 degrees and its best to hang him for 5-7 days for the meat to tenderize. The natural enzymes in the meat will make it more tender if you hang it in the cold for that long. I just now realized that I am speaking to alot of levergunners who may not ever see 6 months of really cold weather, but we have found that a minimum of 5 days hanging in the cold (32-39 degrees) tenderizes the meat best. We hang all our game that long if weather permits, and if not, pay a person to hang it for us. Hopefully, my new homestead will eventually have a walk in to process all our game. Hope that helps.....Also, my taxidermist can't skin him till then, and mama wants a rug!!!!

[rjohns94]

well done. congrats. bear steaks are one of my favorites.

[Pathfinder09]

Great bear. Meat hanging! Man it doesn't get any better.

Our season starts the 16th. I'm pumped.

[O.S.O.K.]

Congrats!!! And thanks for sharing the pic and information.

I'd like to give that a whirl myself some time.