Start of VA Bear Season

[bearhuntermatt]

We started season today here in VA. This was the best opening day I have ever had. I struck about 200 yards up the trail from my truck and jumped him a few ridges over in a thicket. Crossed a road and was able to put a couple more dogs in before it pulled the mountain and crossed road again. Bayed up a few times and whipped a few of the dogs off expect my plot female. She took him back across the road before we could get out there and back to the top before walking him alone for the next 3 hours before we got fresh dogs in to get him treed. A 10 year old boy got to kill him for his first ever bear. The bear weighed in at 275 dressed.

[oswald]

great story and nice bear. u gotta love those plotts

[skimerhorn]

Way to go, is love to get in on some of that action.

[F&M BLUES]

Nice bear congrates to the ten year old.

[bearhuntermatt]

Thanks everyone. The little boy was pretty happy. He couldn't keep the smile off his face. Told him it was going to be hard to find one to top that one for quite a while.

[tmalone]

NICE bet he was one happy boy, thats what its all about!!!

[bearhuntermatt]

Had another good day yesterday with another young boy able to take this bear. Didn't take my camera in woods with me since it was raining when left the truck. Had a little bit of snow to find the track which changed over to rain right before he treed. Was really happy because one of my 10 month old Plott pups was the lead dog running right in front of my bluetick for most of the race. The bear weighed 170 and was a boar.

[Bayemup34]

We hunt up in Craig County, assuming that's where y'all hunt at too? We haven't been doing much this year but congrats that's a nice bear

[bearhuntermatt]

Yeah that is where we hunt at as well. I think the poor acorn crop hurt the area as most bear moved or denned up. Did find good food over in Giles county when I hunted there a few days. What are did you hunt of Craig?

[treetalkingjp]

looking good

[bearhuntermatt]

Thanks. I ended up walking up on this bear a couple weeks ago. One of the dogs I free cast went over the hill and started barking in the hole. So walked down there to find the bear looking back at me. Pulled the dogs back and out it came. Turned out to be a sow bear that weighed 180 dressed. She would not tree at all, she just wanted to walk and fight. At one time she had 15 dogs and was just walking with them. We had a few get some minor cuts but could have been much worse. She would go into ivy thicket and lay down and when the dogs would circle to bay she would charge out at them.

[Bayemup34]

I only got to hunt a few days but then we hunted on Bald mtn, the hoop hole, and over on Barbours creek. We hunted some in Giles too and did pretty good