Preplanning a Bear Hunt with OnX Hunt.
Based on his preference points, Braedon researched the best areas in Oregon to draw a bear tag and decided on that tag. He then got on OnX Hunt and began to search for areas that looked like they would hold bears within those units, narrowing it down to a few specific areas.
OnX Hunt is a phone app that uses GPS satellites and Google Earth-style satellite maps for navigation. It is also great at pre-mapping a hunting area for public hunting lands, roads, and terrain. A hunter can mark locations on a map and use OnX GPS to guide them to those locations.
From there, he started looking at more remote areas that would have less pressure and decided on a spot to start. We drove five hours south from our home and set camp on Friday afternoon. We hiked into an area to glass, and we sat until dark. We didn’t see any bears that night, but we did see lots of great habitats for bears and lots of Blacktail Deer feeding.
The next morning, we went back to the same area but hiked a bit further to glass another basin and found more deer but no sign of bear. We spotted a basin that was several miles away that looked great from our perspective. We reviewed the area with OnX and decided to hunt that area in the afternoon. The weekend we picked was nearly a full moon, so that may have had something to do with the lack of seeing bears and last and first light. We hiked back to camp at around 10 am and decided to drive around and find more country to explore before heading to the other basin.
At around 2 in the afternoon, we started to drive into that basin we found in the morning, and after about a half hour, we found a bear feeding on a tree line. The bear was going in and out of sight, and we watched it for a few minutes to make sure it wasn’t sow with cubs. We determined that no cubs were in the area, and Braedon started his stalk. Within minutes, he found the bear and let his 6.5 PRC loose into it, killing it without hesitation. However, the hill that he was on was very steep, and I (Dad) was hanging back a bit to let him hunt the bear. From my perspective, when he shot, it looked like the bear was charging downhill at Braedon.
High-Five to a Successful Bear Hunt.
Hunting Gear Used in This Bear Hunt.
Christison Arms 6.5 PRC
Warne Scope Base for Christensen Arms
OnX Hunt
Hornady 6.5 PRC Ammo
Zeiss Rifle Scope
For the gear you need for a successful bear hunt, shop WARNE!
