Post by: Terry Green on May 25, 2024, 07:38:59 PM
Post by: M60gunner on May 25, 2024, 08:13:53 PM
Post by: smokin joe on May 26, 2024, 06:06:32 AM
Post by: Terry Green on May 26, 2024, 06:27:33 AM
Post by: charles m on May 27, 2024, 10:30:07 AM
Post by: smokin joe on May 28, 2024, 06:18:00 PM
Post by: doubleo on May 28, 2024, 07:39:39 PM
Post by: smokin joe on May 28, 2024, 09:34:01 PM
Stickflingers has two camps. One has a bit of a camping quality, with grain-bin enclosures serving as the lodgings. The other is located in Minitonas in a hunting lodge where there are bedrooms for the hunters, home-cooked meals, etc. --- an actual large house with all of the comforts.
My friend Bill (RI Red on trad gang) and I set up the hunt for ourselves a couple of years ago. Bill flew to Winnipeg from Maryland, and I flew in from my home in North Carolina. The next morning, May 19, we drove our rental car from Winnipeg to Minitonas. It took about 5 hours to make the drive.
Post by: smokin joe on May 29, 2024, 07:05:36 AM
The outfitter, Ryan, stopped by and had a long talk with us about his operation. He went over his philosophy about baiting. He only gives the bears quality food that will be good for their health. The reasoning behind this is that good food increases the overall health of the bears in the long run and that is an investment in the quality of the hunting. We also chatted about identifying boars versus sows and many other aspects of bear hunting.
We met our guide, Mike, a young guy who is also a fire fighter in Winnipeg. Mike is a terrific guide who puts in lots of extra effort to make sure his hunters have a great hunt.
We settled in for a great dinner, and a bit of relaxation in the trophy room in the lodge.
Post by: Terry Green on May 29, 2024, 09:55:24 AM
Post by: smokin joe on May 29, 2024, 10:55:36 AM
Mike the guide put the quad and its bear carrier on the trailer and hooked the trailer to the truck. We piled in and headed int Duck Mountain Provincial Park where Stickflingers has an enormous exclusive outfitting concession. The first stop drop was a stand for Jeremiah. He and Mike got on the quad and headed into the bush on a little trail.
There were 19 baited stands for the three of us to hunt based on wind direction.
Next stop was Bill's stand for the day.
Then Mike and I headed back to my stand. There was a ladder stand and a bait barrel. Mike got the barrel ready and I got up into the stand and got secured with my safety harness and strap. At about 6:30 PM a big boar came in. He never presented a good shot angle, but he was fun to watch. He ate for about 30-40 minutes and then he left.
At 9:30 a big sow and her spunky son came in. He was about 2 to 3 years old. He was still with his mother but getting to the age that he was starting to show a lot of attitude. He was thin and gangly -- for a bear.
Post by: smokin joe on May 29, 2024, 10:59:46 AM
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Post by: rastaman on May 29, 2024, 11:08:03 AM
Post by: smokin joe on May 29, 2024, 01:50:36 PM
The forecast was horrible. Rain and cold. Bill and Jeremiah went to two new stands and I stayed at the lodge. They saw a few bears, but paid for it by getting wet and cold. A bit of leaky rain gear was the problem.
Post by: supernaut on May 29, 2024, 01:54:40 PM
Post by: smokin joe on May 29, 2024, 01:59:31 PM
The forecast was a little better. Scattered showers. Enough to get a little wet but a plastic bag for the arrow fletching helped. I was at a stand that overlooked a creek and faced a hill. At about 6:00 a good sized bear started walking down the hill toward my stand. Unfortunately the wind was swirling around and he caught my scent and veered off.
At about 7:00 he comes back and feeds for about 45 minutes without ever turning broadside to me. Then he walked away from the stand about 20 yards and laid down by a tree trunk for a few minutes. Then he got up, walked about another 20 yards or so and laid down under another tree and fell asleep. I watched him sleep for about 45 minutes. Then he got up, came back in to feed and never offered a decent shot angle. He finally walked off at about 9:30.
So I had one big male bear to watch for a total of over 3 hours. He never offered me a broadside shot.
Post by: smokin joe on May 29, 2024, 02:02:02 PM
Thursday looked good, but the forecast for Friday and Saturday was for more rain. I had the sense that Thursday was going to be the last day of huntable weather.
As it turned out, I was right.
Post by: Hud on May 29, 2024, 04:05:39 PM
Post by: STICKBENDER98 on May 29, 2024, 04:22:20 PM
Jason
Post by: smokin joe on May 29, 2024, 05:03:32 PM
The one that never offered me a shot was on the far side of the drum facing me and eating everything off of the top of the drum for quite a while. Then he tipped it over and was quartering toward me for a while. He was also laying down and eating.
The policy at Stickflingers is that a wounded bear fills your tag. My approach to dealing with that is that I am not going to shoot at a bear that is not broadside with all 4 feet on the ground. It means I have to be patient and only take a perfect or near-perfect shot.
Post by: smokin joe on May 29, 2024, 05:20:05 PM
Thursday was slow. All there was to watch were birds and squirrels until well into the evening.
At about 8:50 PM a bear comes in. He immediately lays down to eat off of the ground for a while. he was facing me on the far side of the clearing. The bait barrel was between us directly in line. Eventually he decided to stand up and approach the bait barrel. He was very confident and walked straight to the barrel and started eating off of the top. Except for his head and shoulders, his entire body was behind the barrel.
As he was eating, another bear approached but stayed in the bush. That bear started huffing and walking back and forth, but the bear on the bait was clearly in charge and unwilling to give any ground. He just kept eating.
The bear in the bush started to circle and make noise. The bear on the bait reacted by looking toward the interloper, and then turning away from him as if to say, "You are not the boss bear here. I am"
That gave me a good view of the bear at the bait. He was almost as tall as the bait barrel, but he was not carrying a lot of fat. He had a big, blocky head.
And....he was BROADSIDE with all 4 feet on the ground. He turned a bit to look over his right shoulder at the other bear. I picked a spot and let the arrow go.
The arrow hit exactly where I was looking. The bear ran about 25 yards. Then a moment of silence. Then he let out a moan and it was over.
No blood trail was needed. I could see the lighted nock clearly. It was 9:33 PM.
When we skinned him there was not an ounce of fat on him. It was clear that the rut had started and he had already run off all of his fat.
Post by: Wudstix on May 29, 2024, 07:01:57 PM
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire:
Post by: elkken on May 29, 2024, 11:50:12 PM
Post by: Flingblade on May 30, 2024, 12:01:43 AM
Post by: supernaut on May 30, 2024, 07:27:06 AM
Thanks for the pictures and the recap they were great.
:campfire:
Post by: glenbo on May 30, 2024, 08:33:31 AM
Post by: smokin joe on May 30, 2024, 09:52:05 AM
I will start grinding the meat up tomorrow, and I will make a pot of bear chili early next week.
Post by: rastaman on May 30, 2024, 09:59:56 AM
Post by: smokin joe on May 30, 2024, 10:19:07 AM
The bow is a Centaur Triple Carbon Elite Takedown. It is 60 inches and 45 pounds.
Quiver is a Selway Mini 4-arrow strap on.
Arrows:
The shaft is a 500 spine 3-Rivers Traditional Only cut to 29.5"
The nock is a red light-up Halo Nock
The wrap is a 6-inch custom wrap from One-Stringer
Feathers are 4-inch Tru-Flight
Broadhead is 125-grain original Wensel Woodsman
The adaptor is a 100-grain brass glue-in-glue-on from Ace Archery Tackle
The footing is a 5-grain carbon collar from 3-Rivers
Post by: JamesD on May 30, 2024, 11:00:44 AM
Post by: Pappy 1 on May 30, 2024, 11:44:18 AM
Post by: huckbuck on May 30, 2024, 11:47:30 AM
Post by: stagetek on May 30, 2024, 02:47:17 PM
Post by: frassettor on May 30, 2024, 04:45:46 PM
Post by: Pete McMiller on May 30, 2024, 05:39:59 PM
Post by: Kodiak Fan on May 30, 2024, 07:28:41 PM
Post by: ESP on May 30, 2024, 08:05:33 PM
Post by: Wudstix on May 30, 2024, 08:17:10 PM
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire:
Post by: doubleo on May 31, 2024, 12:15:22 AM
Post by: smokin joe on May 31, 2024, 08:08:19 AM
I think waiting for the broadside presentation was a good idea.
Post by: smokin joe on May 31, 2024, 08:10:25 AM
Post by: Terry Green on May 31, 2024, 08:25:58 AM
Post by: JamesD on May 31, 2024, 09:53:07 AM
Post by: DuckBoss15 on May 31, 2024, 10:34:02 AM
Wudstix -- The coolest thing about bear hunting, in my opinion, is watching the bears and waiting for the opportunity of a shot presentation. That feeling of anticipation is incredible.I totally agree.
Watching bears up close,eating,sleeping,climbing trees and interacting with other bears is worth the price of admission IMO Congrats on your bear!
Post by: smokin joe on May 31, 2024, 11:59:59 AM
In studying the anatomy of a bear from a broadside presentation, and in discussing it with Ryan Derlago, I have come to the following conclusion:
If you divide the area from the front leg to the back leg of a broadside bear in half, shoot for the exact center of the front half. On a normal adult bear that would be about six inches or so behind the shoulder. As far as elevation is concerned, half way up the body is best. Forget about the space the hair takes up on the silhouette, just be half way. That elevation is best whether you are on the ground or in a tree stand.
Of course, never shoot straight down because you won't get both lungs.
Good luck on your bear hunt this year.
Post by: JamesD on May 31, 2024, 03:46:49 PM
Thank you for sharing the shot placement information. I’m beyond elated for you and Bill having a great hunt! Thanks for the well wishes. Weston and I headed out earlier today for Stickflingers.
Post by: Shinken on May 31, 2024, 05:15:37 PM
WAY TO GO !!!
Nice bear....
Shoot straight, Shinken
Post by: Rob Emerson on May 31, 2024, 07:41:56 PM
Post by: smokin joe on June 01, 2024, 07:47:36 AM
Post by: Hud on June 01, 2024, 07:32:49 PM
Post by: Chad R on June 01, 2024, 09:08:44 PM
Post by: Hud on June 01, 2024, 10:01:51 PM
Post by: Terry Green on June 03, 2024, 11:19:46 AM
James, here's a couple of bear vitals images I added to the shot placement thread.
https://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=168283.20
Post by: Bamboozle on June 03, 2024, 12:01:51 PM
Way to wait out the shot. :notworthy:
Post by: smokin joe on June 03, 2024, 12:16:01 PM
The bears hibernate from late October to early April according to information I found when I looked it up. I believe that Ryan runs his hunts from May until the end of the season in June. He is booking 2026 now. You may wish to get on the Stickflingers website and inquire about exact dates.