Glocking for Bears: part II

*Look for a version of this story to be published in an upcoming issue of Bear Hunting Magazine!

I always am mesmerized by the pads of a predator and take the time to study them…almost like some sort of Palm Reader would analyze someone’s “life line”. I can’t help but wonder what trails have been trod and how many miles had been laid down in this bear’s 15-20  estimated years. A quick note on field judging bears, based on the size of their pads: measure across the pad and then add one inch to equal what the bear would square. This bear’s pads almost measured six inches across, which jived perfectly…as the bear squared over six feet.

There is a saying that “every dog will have his day” and this most certainly applies to hunting. If you spend enough time in the woods, you are bound to experience an “epic” encounter at some point. A few weeks back, my number was apparently up to be thrown a bone and I was to experience one of these “epic encounters”.

The Mountain Got It’s Own Ways

I made camp where my legs gave out on me. It just happened to be on a narrow saddle that was the only way over the mountain and onto the nearby ridge system.

For some reason Will Greer’s line to Robert Redford in “Jeremiah Johnson” springs to mind, when I think of this past opening weekend’s bivy hunt. “You can’t cheat the mountain Pilgrim. Mountain’s got it’s own ways”. It seems just spot-on appropriate.

I began scouting the higher elevations just as soon as the snow receded enough to give me access and quickly found an area that held plenty of promise and had me excited. Towards the end of July, I began climbing higher and higher up the mountain and was surprised to find plenty of Elk, Mule Deer and Bear sign. The sight of a small Elk herd lolling in an Alpine bowl one afternoon, had my hopes high and fantasies of chasing bugling bulls above the tree line brimmed in my heart.

Glock-ing for Bears! My first season chasing Black Bear with my Glock 20.

Bear Medicine: My film dipped, Lone Wolf built, Glock 20SF 10MM. If you are planning on doing a similar build up using components from Lone Wolf Distributors; be sure to use promo code:” backtrail” when you order! Just trying to hook my Back Trail fans up!

As every year comes and goes, a lot of changes may take place….but one thing stays the same: I dream about the month of September all year long. Usually this time of year, all I can think about is chasing rutting, Bull Elk with my bow and everything else that goes along with the preparation. But this year is slightly different.A couple of months ago, I was at work discussing some marketing campaigns and strategies with our Marketing guy, Zack. I work for Lone Wolf Distributors; which most would consider the “King of the hill” when it comes to anything having to do with the Glock pistol. It’s been in my mind for a while now, to help push us into the Hunting/outdoor market, instead of just catering to the competition/Law Enforcement venue that we’re known for. After all, according to the CEO of the company, JR Shepard…that was the whole reason Lone Wolf was founded: to fuel his passion for hunting and fishing! So why not? One model of Glock in particular; the Glock 20, chambered in 10MM has long been regarded in some circles as an ample hunting sidearm. I’ve been a long fan of the 10MM cartridge and know good and well what it is capable of. I’m never found very far away from my G20 and Lone Wolf offers quite a few performance upgrades that turn it into a hunting beast. So…an idea was hatched. I had already made claim to be the one with the first known kill, using our 9G AR carbine (now called the “G9” http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Products.aspx?CAT=3682) last year while in Texas, when I took a very nice hawg from the ground. But that was not enough! I wanted to whack something with my Glock 20 and I wanted to very badly.

So, what could I set out after, hunting with my Glock?….The first thing that came to mind, was a picture a customer of mine sent me last year. It was of a huge Alaskan Black Bear that he had leveled with his Glock 20, which (of course)  had been pimped with our long slide and 6″ barrel. Plenty of bear medicine!

I always have a bear tag in my pocket; however I’ve never just set out after bear as a species. Bear have always been a secondary to the Elk and Deer I love to chase during the archery seasons. I gave up rifle hunting almost 10 years ago and it was hard to leave my bows at home; but I knew what I had to do. This is my last year hunting as a WA resident; but luckily the unit only minutes from home, opened to bear just a couple of weeks ago. I knew going into the month of August, that I’d have only a couple of weeks to dedicate to bear hunting, before the madness of September set in. Since then, I’ve already been out a few times; but so far not so much as a decent look at a bear.

The mild winter and relatively short summer has left the woods around here still very lush and green. The berry patches are six-foot tall and very abundant; this leads to a food situation akin to an “all you can eat buffet” for  bears! The trick is finding “the right berry patch” and being at the right place at the right time. I’ll be out until the end of the month, busting brush and Glock-ing for bears! Expect to see more of my bear season…hopefully the next title will be: “Bear down!” Some info on my setup:Glock 20SF: film dipped in Mothwing Woodland Mimicry 1.0, Long slide and 6″ barrel by Lone Wolf Distributors, trigger job (3.5# connector, 6# trigger spring, skeletonized striker and polish job.) LWD stainless steel guide rod and 20# ISMI recoil spring. Ameriglo “Hackathorne” sights.http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Default.aspx?PAGE=Main

Ammo: Double Tap Ammo: 180 gr. CXHP http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_25&products_id=122 and 200 gr. FMJ. http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_25&products_id=39

*Make sure to read “Glocking For Bears: part II“…I finally am able to put my Glock 20 to the test.

 

***If you are thinking of building up your Glock pistol to become a more effective hunting tool, for competition or just for defensive purposes; you Can’t miss this: EXCLUSIVE TO WATCHING THE BACK TRAIL FANS: go to www.lonewolfdist.com and use discount code: “backtrail12” to receive 10% off  your purchase of Glock parts and accessories!***