A Stuck Truck, a Spotting Scope, and a 5XL Bear
River Mossberg’s spring 2026 Wyoming bear hunt opened with his pickup sinking into the mud so thoroughly that even tire chains couldn’t save it. The Cowboy State Daily reported back in May that after hiking out for help, he returned the next day with his father and friend—and switched from roadside recovery to bear spotting. Mossberg prefers the “spot-and-stalk” approach: hike, scan the country, and hope the mountain gives you a reason to keep walking.
His father spotted the bear first; Mossberg later saw it crest a ridge and sized it up as “5XL.” He waited for an opening, stopped the bear with a “woof,” and made the shot from 118 yards. The bear was estimated at over 300 pounds, with a preliminary skull score of 20¼ inches—an impressive catch, even if the pickup’s mud bath had been the day’s first big event!
What a bear! Check out the pictures here.
Feature image not actual photo of the bear
