First kill with my 116 classic
Bear season opened tuesday and i was lucky enough to draw a tag this year. Sun set thursday was at 7:48 so I could shoot till 8:18. My stand is positioned on a wide "V" in the trail. Bait barrel 50 yards to the left, trail I walk in is to the right. Can't see more than a few yards in front. About 8:00 I heard a twig snap in front of me then caught a glimpse of movement. I got ready and he popped out by the barrel. He instantly ran to it, grabbed it and turned it. Turning the bait hole for a perfect broadside shot away from me. All I could see while he was digging in the barrel was from his ribs to his tail.... I keep my crosshairs on him waiting for a shot. By this time it was getting tough to see the cross hairs. Then he sat back on his rump and gave me a shot and my '06 sent the 168 grain barnes through both shoulders. He tipped right over and didn't even twitch. Looked at my watch and it was 8:16. By the time I stopped shaking and was able to get down it was well past dark. So I didn't get any good pics of him at the site. I gutted him right there at the bait using the headlights on my wheeler. Left my trail camera still in the tree to see what critters come eat the guts and to see what bears remain.
He's not the biggest bear in the woods but for my first bear and first kill with my Savage 116 classic it's a trophy. Looking back through all my trail cam pics he is the guy who rolled my barrel away in the pics.
It was an unbelievable rush that I can't wait to do again. Got him all butchered and packed away in the freezer. We did have some chops Friday night and I was pleasantly surprised how good they were
