.35 Whelen finally strikes

[lefty315]

I finally got to draw blood with my .35 Whelen last night. I drew a Spring Bear tag for Western Washington and was able to harvest about a 5 year old boar with a 80 to 100 yard shot. 250 grain bullet through the shoulder and the bear piled up 20 yards later. I picked this rifle up 4 years ago just a week before going to Canada on a bear hunt. I used my .338 on that trip but have been chomping at the bit to use this one ever since. I will try to get some photos on later.

 

[bullet]

WOW, congrats on the bear and also being able to use a great cartridge to get the job done. Looking forward to the pictures. Once again, congrats on the bear and being able to use your 35 Whelen.

 

[Guy Miner]

Outstanding Lefty! :grin: Glad you finally put that bear-thumper to good use! Congrats, and looking forward to the photos.

Regards, Guy

 

[JD338]

lefty315

Congratulations on your bear. The 35 Whelen is a great bear thumper.
Looking forward to the pictures.

JD338

 

[cloverleaf]

Congrats!! Always good to hear a guy who shooots an "antiquated" classic cartrige do well. pics would be great when you get 'em. CL

 

[bullet]

The 35 Whelen has always done well and anyone who ever has used and killed game with the 35 Whelen knows it is not out of style or function and certainly a classic but not "antiquated". Infact it is a very efficient round kind of like the 30-06, 270, 25-06, 280. Yeah, folks just keep going back to what has worked and still works really well.

 

[Bob in TX]

Congrats!!!

.....and the photos??

Bob

 

[lefty315]

I will get the photos on the site as soon as I actually have them. I have a bad habit of not taking my own camera hunting with me. I sort of think it may bring me bad luck if I am too prepared.

The taxidermist I had skin the bear thought, by the looks of the teeth, it was a 4 to 5 year old bear. He was traveling with another bear that was still hanging around the area even after he was dead. My guess is maybe a sow?

 

[Guy Miner]

And here's Lefty's bear along with what must be the mighty .35 Whelen!

 

[bullet]

Great shot and picture Lefty, glad you bag one man, that is just to cool. :lol:

 

[JD338]

lefty315

Nice bear, congratulations.

JD338

 

[russ808]

Nice harvest. Good eats I bet.

 

[DrMike]

Great bear, Lefty. No doubt it was a fun hunt for you. Tell us about the hunt.

 

[lefty315]

I had been spending alot of time in the hills but had yet to see a bear. About the middle of may I started finding the bark ripped off the trees in the 12 to 18 year old range. Once things warm up they go after the cambium (spelling?) layer under the outer bark. I had found some really good areas but the timber was so thick you would have to step on a bear, or have it in the middle of the road to see it.

The Saturday of Memorial day weekend I went out around noon. I hiked up some old grass covered roads and found more trees torn up. I had passed this particular road a hundred times and had never driven up it. The trees looked about the right size for the bears to be in and I could also see on the hillside above that there were several dead trees from last year. The map said this road ended in around a mile so I tip-toed up to the end. I never saw a single tree that had been touched the entire way. Once at the end, I started using some predator calls trying to pull a bear in, no luck.

I started walking back out as slow as I entered but then decided to pick up the pace so I could hunt somewhere else until evening. As I rounded the bend I saw a bear in the middle of the road. I watched him for about 5 minutes as he fed back and forth in and out of sight. I closed the distance to no more than 100 yards and set up the shooting sticks.

When the bear was facing to the left I took the shot and watched him lift up his left front leg and spin around. He headed for the thick stuff. I waited a few minutes and then crept up to where he entered the woods. I heard some noise back in the brush so I walked the rest of the way out to my jeep. I called a friend to come up and help me out and about 15 minutes later I drove up to the spot.

I strapped on the Super Blackhawk .44 mag with some 300 grain loads and slowly started to pick the woods apart with the binos. I could see my bear only 15 to 20 yards off the road laying on his side. I took a different route than that bear to make my walking easier and when I got close a bear took off away from me.

CRAP, actually worse, I said outloud. He's not dead, that's not good. Then I looked over to my left and saw my bear still laying on his side, not moving. Then I thought I had possibly shot a sow with cubs and I started to feel bad. I went over, .44 out, and checked my bear. Dead, dead and more dead. So dead when he hit the ground his nose got all scrunched up. I lift the leg and behold a boar. I thought maybe he had found himself a girlfriend and the courting had just started to begin.

I went out to my jeep to await my friends and a short time later the bear reappeared about 75 yards from me. The neck was longer and thinner with a thinner head. I have heard that a sow will have characteristics like that but I don't know. Finally the other bear had had enough of the invasion and left.

The taxidermist who skinned it out for me looked at the teeth and thought 4 to 5 years old. I am very happy with the bear. I know they grow larger but this thick county they inhabit makes it pretty tough to find them. I have had a string of bad luck when it came to Washington bears, hopefully the string was broken by a 250 grain bullet from the .35 Whelen. :grin:

 

[DrMike]

Bears are where you find them. Sounds like you did alright. You have a great rifle for these critters, that's for sure. Again, congratulations. You'll have great memories each time you see the rug.

 

[Guest]

Lefty 315, You probably are sick of that rifle by now. Probably should sell it to a guy near buy! :grin: Where did you pick up a ruger in 35 whelen? It's a beautiful gun man. Can you still get one chambered in it?

 

[lefty315]

I actually bought it on Auction Arms, it happened to be just down the road in Olympia. I don't think Ruger has made them in several years. I know Remington is chambering the CDL in .35 Whelen. Sorry, not for sale.