Daughter's upcoming bear hunt

H82Miss

H82Miss

Member

My 13 y/o daughter drew a pretty good Idaho youth bear tag so we are planning our first ever hound hunting trip. We're pretty excited. I've hunted bears over bait in the past but we've never hunted with dogs. The gun I use for bears over bait is an AR platform in 6.8 SPC with an 18" barrel. Is this the gun she should use for a treed bear? She shoots it well. Or should she use her 7mm-08? She shoots that pretty well too but it recoils more. She's pretty small (4'10", 92lbs). Anything else you guys would recommend?
 
If I were chasing dogs around in the Idaho mountains I'd want the lighter one! Unless of course Dad's gonna carry the rifle, then take the heavy one!
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Good luck on that hunt, we definitely want pictures afterward!
 
You do not want anything with a scope on it and you want something with a fast action, such as a lever gun. A 45-70, 44mag, or something along those lines. You want to use a heavy bullet that will knock the stuffing out of the bear and insure it is DEAD when it hits the ground. Have the hounds tied back, so the bear has an opening if it hits the ground alive. In a situation like that, you need to be able to get on target quick, which is why you don't want a scope. When we hunt for bear in Wisconsin we always have a backup shooter who fires their weapon immediately after the tag holder. Two good shots to the head usually means the bear expires in the tree. I always use my '94 30-30 with heavy leverevolution ammo.



Tex
 
Please keep in mind that hunting over hounds is a little different than sitting in a stand watching a bait. The dogs throw a whole new level of variables into the mix.

OP, will you be using the services of a guide? If so, ask for his opinion. Many guides who use hounds will have clients use their rifle and most won't let you use anything with a scope.

Tex
 
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Originally Posted By: Tex AdamsYou do not want anything with a scope on it and you want something with a fast action, such as a lever gun. A 45-70, 44mag, or something along those lines.

I've been looking for an excuse to buy a lever gun! A 45-70 may be a bit much for my little daughter, but a 44mag lever may be just what the doctor ordered.

We will not be using a guide. A good friend of mine is an avid hound hunter and is going to teach my daughter and I all about the sport, the dogs, and just what it takes to make it all happen.
 
your idea of the lever gun is a good idea.. I would also suggest a large caliber handgun for you as you stand next to her. To protect her.

The other thing key for her enjoyment in a hunt like this is to get her the boots and get them wet and wear dry, then hike and hike a lot.

Hound hunting will involve a lot of hiking and climbing. The time you and she spend on a stair climber won't be wasted before the hunt.
Carry mole skin.
 
Originally Posted By: BlowgunnerJust wondering what unit she drew

Its hunt #8504, area 22-1 (all of 22 and 31), youth tag. Should be a good one.
 
That is definitely a good one. If you have decent dogs you shouldn't have any trouble finding bears. Might have to weed through some smaller ones but there are some good ones in there. Good luck to her and watch out because Running bears with dogs gets pretty addicting
 
A good, light heavy hitter... Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. Not much recoil, fast, easy to either scabbard or hand carry horseback. No more, maybe less recoil than 7-08. You can get 200 grain round nose soft points that will definitely break shoulders, expand quickly, and won't beat your daughter to death.
 
Sorry it took so long for the update.
We had a great time. Hound hunting is a lot of fun and watching the dogs work is amazing. We ended up only having 2 days to hunt, Saturday and Sunday. The weather was nice but awfully hot for the dogs.
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Treed and average size bear on Saturday afternoon. My daughter asked “Is it was bigger than the one you shot a few years ago?” “No, about the same size” I replied. “I’ll pass then, I want to shoot one bigger than yours.” Always trying to out do dad
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The bear was treed about 30ft up in the tree behind us.

Sunday morning, we got on a bear at first light. The dogs chased him for several hours and many miles. They finally lost him. We gathered up the dogs and they were exhausted.
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Watching my daughter wrangle hounds all weekend was pretty cool. We had a great time and look forward to trying it again in the future.
 
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