# Cohutta backpack bear



## deadend (Oct 16, 2012)

Packed into Cohutta a couple miles this weekend.  Bear sign was everywhere and widely spread.  Deer sign was good in the area as well.  Found an old logging road with lots of bear travel sign leading to thick cover and decided to hunt it the second evening.  My hunch was correct and just before dark a sow came ambling up the trail at 140 yards and got the heat.  She fell, flipped over, and fell into a deep wet draw with lots of blowdowns grunting and crashing.  

Being far from camp with my whereabouts unknown to anyone else, I decided that discretion is the better part of valor and hoofed it back to camp to recover it in the morning as temps were not critical.  

Got back to the draw at daylight and found her piled up in the water 200 yards from the top in perfect condition.  We got her gutted and thought we'd go Beast Mode and sling her on a pole and take her back to camp whole.  That idea quickly turned into a dumb one and we went ahead and worked her up for a backpack ride.  We headed straight for the truck and then came back up to break camp.  Cape and quarters weighed 120+lbs and we figured her live weight to be close to 200.  Was a beautiful weekend in the mountains and over too soon.


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## injun joe (Oct 16, 2012)

Congrats on a fine trophy!


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## SELFBOW (Oct 16, 2012)

Congrats!


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## Etoncathunter (Oct 16, 2012)

very nice


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## mmcneil (Oct 16, 2012)

Awesome job!


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## Todd E (Oct 16, 2012)

Awesome hunt !!!


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## oatmeal1 (Oct 16, 2012)

That's awesome man!


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## FMBear (Oct 16, 2012)

Congratulations on a great looking bear!


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## chevyman10709 (Oct 16, 2012)

Good job. Congrats


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## Jasper (Oct 17, 2012)

Great hunt. Congrats!


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## Michael F. Gray (Oct 17, 2012)

You've got some good eating meat. Enjoy.


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## Gerrik (Oct 17, 2012)

Congrats!!! I had sign all over the ridges I was hunting, but never saw one. Glad someone connected.


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## oatmeal1 (Oct 17, 2012)

What kind of pack do you use. If you were to buy another one would you get the same one?


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## buckeroo (Oct 17, 2012)

Very cool! Enjoyed that story. Great work.


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## deadend (Oct 17, 2012)

oatmeal1 said:


> What kind of pack do you use. If you were to buy another one would you get the same one?



It's a Badlands 2200.  It's an excellent hunting pack that has the capability to haul meat outside the pack though loads over 60lbs are too much for it.  The flexibility of the pack to haul anything from a treestand, to a whole boned animal is good and the layout of the pack works for me.  It wouldn't be my choice for a multi day trip but for the type of hunting I do I can deal with the lack of hip belt stability for the few miles I may have to carry an 80+lb load.


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## olhippie (Oct 17, 2012)

Congratulations on that bear!...Were centerfires allowed? I'd thought only muzzleloaders until the 20th.


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## blackbear (Oct 17, 2012)

SWWEETTT congratulations!!!


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## deadend (Oct 17, 2012)

olhippie said:


> Congratulations on that bear!...Were centerfires allowed? I'd thought only muzzleloaders until the 20th.



Cohutta has an early rifle hunt every year.


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## Cavalry Scout (Oct 17, 2012)

Awesome!


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## whitetailfreak (Oct 17, 2012)

That's a fine bear my friend! Congrats.


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## Coon Dog (Oct 17, 2012)

*Bear meat*

Congrats on bear I really hope your meat was ok they spoil fast with guts in them


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## Killer Kyle (Oct 17, 2012)

Haaahaha I was wondering the same thing about the rifle!  I was like...ummmmm.....where...is....the....ramrod...???  I thought you had incriminated yourself!  Haha.  That is a great looking bear Deadend!  I am green with envy!


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## oatmeal1 (Oct 18, 2012)

deadend said:


> It's a Badlands 2200.  It's an excellent hunting pack that has the capability to haul meat outside the pack though loads over 60lbs are too much for it.  The flexibility of the pack to haul anything from a treestand, to a whole boned animal is good and the layout of the pack works for me.  It wouldn't be my choice for a multi day trip but for the type of hunting I do I can deal with the lack of hip belt stability for the few miles I may have to carry an 80+lb load.



Thank You


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## Y.T. (Oct 20, 2012)

Coon Dog said:


> Congrats on bear I really hope your meat was ok they spoil fast with guts in them



That's what I was thinking. Congrats on the great weekend!


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## deadend (Oct 20, 2012)

Coon Dog said:


> Congrats on bear I really hope your meat was ok they spoil fast with guts in them



Temps were cool and the bear was in a creek.  10 hours after the shot wasn't long enough to do any damage.


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## base3448 (Oct 21, 2012)

So when you get a bear, how do you have the state tag/weigh it?  Does it have to be the entire bear, or can you cut it up, pack it out and weigh the pieces?


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## deadend (Oct 22, 2012)

base3448 said:


> So when you get a bear, how do you have the state tag/weigh it?  Does it have to be the entire bear, or can you cut it up, pack it out and weigh the pieces?



You can pack it out and they will tag it later.  Getting whole bears out of the woods is no fun and unneccesary.


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