crestoncowboy
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- Joined
- Feb 22, 2011
- Messages
- 3,307
Many years ago one of my friends was into the expensive bear dogs and bear hunting. He kept on wanting me to go and eventually I did. I took a Redhawk (a blued one even) with 300 grain xtp over a Ruger only load of 296. I went to spend time in the woods with a friend. I had no use for a dead bear, even a record dead bear, but that was my "bear defense" load. Lol. We drove 100 miles to a town in the blue ridge mountains called (I kid you not...) A-ho. Met up with some record holding bear hunters. These guys had brand new 20k trucks (pretty high at that time) with permanent tracking collar antenna and dog boxes mounted to them. Dedicated hunting trucks. They had dogs they paid 5-10k for. Then cheaper pack dogs just to protect the good dogs. Most had lever action guns. The 450 was new then and many had those. Some 45-70. A few 44 mag revolvers. One 45-70 revolver and a few 357. The x-frames weren't yet developed.
I hated the trip. Didnt see much sport in it. And nobody seen a bear. Although I see them regularly at home I drove 100 miles to walk a dog in the drizzling rain. Fond memories of it now but it was miserable back then. I met some nice guys. Some of kept in touch with until they passed. Eventually another dog cut its foot and somebody was going to have to walk out and drive back toward my home and take the dog....I volunteered and hauled the expensive dog home in the hatch area of a 500 dollar Mustang.
I hated the trip. Didnt see much sport in it. And nobody seen a bear. Although I see them regularly at home I drove 100 miles to walk a dog in the drizzling rain. Fond memories of it now but it was miserable back then. I met some nice guys. Some of kept in touch with until they passed. Eventually another dog cut its foot and somebody was going to have to walk out and drive back toward my home and take the dog....I volunteered and hauled the expensive dog home in the hatch area of a 500 dollar Mustang.
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