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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Steve O on September 15, 2011, 01:00:00 PM
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I am gathering up photos and thoughts from my just finished black bear hunt in our Upper Peninsula. As this hunt was 11 years in the making, I am going to try to go in chronological order and it will take a while, so please be patient and know that I am not trying to string things out, just trying to be fair to my wife and kids who are so, so, generous to give me the time away from them to do the things I need to do.
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Lets hear it Steve, Been waiting. Gotta dig Michigan Bear hunting,and the way you did it all the more.
Chuck
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Hunting in Michigan is a double edge sword. We have an incredible heritage and history. I would venture to say, when Fred Bear spent nearly his entire adult life here and promoted the world of bowhunting with its center in Grayling, Michigan, it is impossible NOT to end up with a LOT of bowhunters. This large population does not lend itself to a lot of quality experiences on public land. If you have access to private land, life is good, if not, you are just going to have to tighten your boot laces.
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Bear hunting in Michigan has always been controversial. Bait hunters vs. Dog hunters. Bow hunters vs. Gun hunters. I hate conflict and controversy. I feel people should behave with courtesty and respect towards one another, not always trying to "get the edge". Anyway, for a long time, Michigan bear tags came via lottery. You had a slim chance of drawing and the bear were managed like the deer, poorly (as the deer still are IMO).
In 1990, the DNR started to change things. They divided the state into 10 bear management areas. Each area was its own little island where the population was studied and mainained via hunting to give a balance between the people and the bears. In 1999, the DNR instituted a preference point policy for bear tags. By 1999, I had already discovered there were a lot of better places all over the country I could hunt uncrowded and high quality public land for the cost of a non-resident license. I was heavily invested in many western state draw systems and knew even though I did not have any interest in hunting the madhouse Michigan bear hunting was at the time, someday I would want to hunt our bears.
So every May for 11 years I sent them $5 for a preference point...
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So as I gathered point after point, I hunted black bears with outfitters and on my own in Alaska, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec. I tried to learn all I could on every trip. Also in the ensuing decade, I have helped friends with their bear hunts here at home, listened to other Michign hunters talk of their experiences with "guided" hunts here, and just tried to keep an eye and ear out to eventually find when was the "right" time and place for me to use up my points here in Michigan. For 10 years every single piece of intelligence I had led to me not to be encouraged to let loose of those points.
Last fall I ran into a guy who had taken a big bear on Drummond Island. He was my kind of guy. He did it himself and he said if I ever drew, to give him a call. That was the first positive nugget I had ever gotten about bear hunting here in Michigan. I did more research and narrowed my scope. If I was going to bear hunt in Michigan, it was going to be off the east end of the Upper Peninsula on Drummond Island.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9150168.jpg)
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Looks great so far Steve!! Can't wait to follow along!! :thumbsup:
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:campfire:
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You have my attention sir!!
:campfire:
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Sounds good Steve, I know how much work you put in this hunt can't wait to here the rest if the story.
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Nice look forward to more.
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Love the bear hunting :campfire:
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OK, the kids are home from school and I have a few minutes before they have to go to football and cheerleading practice!
Drummond Island has lots of things going for it:
1. The season; most of Michigan's bear seasons are divided up into typically three seasons of varying length. There are many units you could draw a late season tag with no points. Then you have bears that have been subject to an IMMENSE amount of pressure. Drummond Island has ONE season, that season is also the longest season Starting September 10 and going until late October. If I needed it, I would have the luxury of time.
2. Limited tags; typical tags available depending on the unit are from the low hundreds into the low thousands. Drummond Island has two tags available to non-natives and one for natives. There is other pressure as guys will go up there just to run hounds, but all in all, I was not going to have to deal with as many people as in other units. Nothing ruins my outdoor experience more than having run ins with people who are not always as respectful of our natural resources as they should be.
3. Population; Drummond Island is where the vast bulk of the DNR bear population studies have been done over the years. There is all kinds of data available via biologists and conservation officers.
4. Access; as you saw from the map I posted above, there is a vast trail network on the island. Also, ATVs and Snowmobiles can run on just about all the roads up there. I think there were more quads up there than cars!
Any other spots I would consider hunting are about a 10 hour ride. DI was 5 hours, so it would be doable to bait myself and definitely close enough that I could include the family on all the hunt preparation. The Island is approximately 75% public land.
The wife and kids had a blast not only when we were running baits and checking cameras, but when all the work was done for the day as well:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/DI1.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/DI2.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/DIRockClimber.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/AnimalMudpit.jpg)
My wife can be an animal sometimes...I had just gone thru there with nary a ripple!
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Anxiously awaiting the details. I've seen the pics and want to hear the whole story now.
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Steve, I know Drummond well. I own property on the mainland 4 miles from the ferry. I'm gonna enjoy this. :thumbsup:
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Steve i like threads like this keep up the good work Thanks Shane
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Good stuff :) :coffee:
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enjoying this one :thumbsup:
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:campfire: :coffee:
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Nah..na..na..na....nah...I know the outcome!
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Just got home from practice...got to eat dinner and do some homework with the kids then will have a good chunk of time to work on this.
It did drop 30 degrees F the other day and I had to dig my fancy Manitoba Stickflinger touque out of my pack :thumbsup:
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Been waiting for this one :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Drummond is a special place for sure.
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Well, that was a special dinner :D
Anyway, the first six months of the year for me are preparation for the last four. While small game hunting, turkey season, mushrooms, and banquets are nice...they are only a diversion for me and truth be known half the time I am involved in those other activities, I am pouring thru maps, odds, and strategies of what and where I can draw for a quality hunt out west!
So applications are filled out, monies are given to just about every state west of the Mississippi, and the wait begins. Then the rejection. Lots of rejection :(
The last piece of this years puzzle came May 30th. I had 11 bonus points for limited entry bull elk in Utah. I put in for a unit that drew last year with 10. I thought I had a good chance of drawing...except a guy with 13 points had me covered. So as I got my note of sadness from Utah, I opened the Michigan DNR webpage and got my application in before the May 31 due date! One last chance.
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One thing the Michigan DNR does do well is their drawings. Applying out west you end up with many thousands of dollars tied up for months and months. Here, you know within two weeks of the deadline if you have drawn or not. Obviously I drew...now the real work begins!
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This was to be a bait hunt. There is nothing I want to do more than hunt behind a pack of hounds, but Michigan is not the place for that for me. Too much private land and I just would not feel right blindly following the hounds onto someones hard earned piece of paradise. My hound hunt will be in the wide open west for mountain lion.
Now to find a bait supply. One of the best organizations a serious bowhunter can belong to is the Professional Bowhunters Society. Never have I seen such a diverse group of people so willing to help their fellow PBS brothers. Right now, I have gear being used by PBS members from Alaska to Arizona, just because I am not using it and it could make their hunt better. Up step Mike Vines with a PRIMO free source of bait for me, Greg Darling with a CHOICE very low cost backup, and Mark Mitten with a truckload of chocolate sundae topping. Thank you guys, that made my life just a little bit easier!
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Steve, I kept telling you that I had as much fun getting the bait set up just the same as if I was going to be hunting them myself. The same offer is there for anyone who would like the same treatment.
You are welcome, and absolutely correct that the PBS Is the best organization a Bowhunter could possibly belong to. So many helpful and willing people are in the ranks that I feel dwarfed in comparison, but in the same aspect, also blessed that I can contribute something.
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PBSers are great peeps! :campfire:
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Now mind you, I have lived in Michigan all but 9 months of my life. I have seen a LOT of Michigan! With that said, I have never set foot on Drummond Island. I needed to get familiar with it and fast.
When I draw a tag out west, the first two things I do are call MyTopo.com and my buddy Bryan Yorksmith at HuntScout.com--Bryan has a background in wildlife biology and has the most incredible network of contacts from biologist to guides all over the west and works up detailed scouting maps for any unit and species you draw. And he makes ONE per unit/species--you aren't fighting 10 people with the same intel. Just a little tidbit for the future for you all ;)
So with the delivery of my MyTopo map and a recent plat book, I started marking up likely looking spots. I went so far as to scan portions of my map and send them to my favorite outfitter up in Manitoba to see if he was seeing the same thing I was!
I also called Russ, the hunter from the previous year to set up a meeting. He was right on my way up north and agreed to meet me on the way up to the island to go over the map and show me where he had the bait he was successful at. With Russ' directions, I found and restablished his bait. This was my ace in the hole--I was sure another bear would fill in the territory of the bear he had killed and I would have a good spot in that section of the Island. That also allowed me to spend more time in detail on the other 2/3 of the island. We are allowed 3 baits in Michigan. I spread them equally throughout the island so as to not end up hunting the same bears on all the baits.
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:wavey:
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It is amazing to me how the older I get, the faster time goes by. When I put in for that 1st preference point in 1999, my son was 3 months old and was more than likely being rocked slowly with my feet as I filled out the paperwork.
Now I have to feed this machine
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P8270132.jpg)
Daniel is 12, he is wearing my boots and has hands the size of one of his heroes...Ron LaClair :biglaugh: He outshoots most adults on the 3d courses with his TallTines, and is one heck of a pack mule!
I am very proud of my boy. He was with me every step of the way; going over the maps, preparing the bait, hauling the bait. Setting and preparing the stand sites. The only thing he did not participate in was dropping the string and the ensuing tracking job. Poor guy has to go to school ;)
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So every weekend either Daniel and I or the whole family would pack up and head north to bait and check the cameras. And EVERY weekend there was some catastrophe that delayed us getting up there in a timely manner.
We were within 5 cars of getting thru this mess before it exploded and had us sitting for 3 hours while they cleaned it up.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/campfire.jpg)
Everybody was OK
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Camp was situated at the Township park. It was worth the $12/day to have a bathroom and a drinking water supply.
The view was not bad either:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9110137.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9110139.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/carfire.jpg)
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Good stuff Steve! Thanks for taking us along!
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I thought this was pretty cool. I asked Daniel to take a stick and spread the chocolate syrup on some of the trees as high as he could reach to get the scent up and out and hopefully announce to the bears a tasty treat. I did not know he was doing it right in front of one of the cameras.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/LookDad1.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/LookDad2.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/LookDad2A.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/LookDad3.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/LookDad4.jpg)
The first thing Daniel did was check that tree when we got to the bait and was proud to show me the claw marks.
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This is Great!!!
Enjoying it Steve and looking forward to the rest!
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Thanks for being patient all. I have a lot to go with the trail cams, a tour of the Abowyer factory, a little side fishing trip, and the hunt itself :campfire:
Last one for tonight.
Bait site all ready for the bears:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P8270135.jpg)
Bait site after the bears!
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P8270133.jpg)
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Great story!!!!
Martin
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Mmmmmmm Chocalate!!!
Keep it coming!
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This is awesome :pray:
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Wow!
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:campfire: :coffee: :coffee: I like the looks of this already.
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Great stuff Steve. I sure hope Daniel can make that Manitoba trip!
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Great pics. Can't wait to hear the rest.
:campfire:
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So I had three bait sites to cover the island. Russ' site from last year was deep in a swamp on the south third of the island.
My bait covering the center section of the island was my absolute favorite. It was at the end of a 1/4 mile by 100 yard wide clear cut that was all grown over in raspberry bushes. I placed the bait where the raspberries joined a cedar swamp and a hardwood ridge. The bears had everything they needed and they found my goodies on their short nightly forays. It was our favorite becasue we could get a tasty snack right thru the last weeked of baiting which was Labor Day. After that, the berries were dried out and picked over, but the bears by then knew there was another food source right there from me.
My bait covering the northern third of the island was at the end of a hardwood bench where a cedar swamp made basically a 90 degree turn.
I will say, there was quite a bit of anticipation returning to the baits for the first time, especially after a talk with Uncle Barry about a few things I should have done on my initial setups...I have those locked in for next time, but things were OK as all the baits were hit. Russ' was just picked at--it took a while for that one to heat up, but the Raspberry and North bait were destroyed. Then, once we started looking at the trail cam pics, we REALLY got excited. Raspberry and North bait had multiple bears, and multiple is being conservative. They each also had different BIG bears coming into them, and coming into them at all times in the afternoon with plenty of shooting light.
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Just started reading this, this morning and covered it all...might be late for work, but couldn't stop :)
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I tell you what, trail cameras are a gift. I started hunting when you tied a piece of string across a trail and it pulled a pin out of a digital clock when the animal walked by. I remember when my Uncles and I split the cost of ONE 35mm CamTrakker to run on their property. That thing cost a fortune to run. Now you can buy units for under $100 that work 10x better than those of just a few years ago and take and hold THOUSANDS of pictures. And we got thousands! There was plenty of activity at all the baits. I will post a couple of the big bears.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/BBSG1.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/BBSG1A.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/Fatboy.jpg)
North bait above and Raspberry below.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/BigRaspberry.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/Tastytreat.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/Raspberryback.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/Raspberryboar.jpg)
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Great story. You have some nice looking bear coming in.
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VERY nice bears!
Can't wait to hear the rest of this one!!!!
Ya can't question those bear's taste.....gotta love chocolate!
:thumbsup:
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Each bait site got a tree prepared with a set of climbing sticks,a bow rope, and a hook to hang my Lone Wolf Assault stand. I could slide into whichever stand had the best wind and be ready to hunt quickly and quietly.
The North bait had the least amount of cover to hide me, so we cut off a few Cedar branches and used a rachet strap to give me some background cover.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9130153.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9130154.jpg)
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A couple of diversions before the hunt itself starts:
We are blessed in Michigan to have a world class Salmon fishery in the Great Lakes. They are mainly taken on the big lakes; that is as easy as it gets...trolling on a charter boat and reeling in your prize. The ultimate way to fish for these titans is in their spawning streams when they are fresh from the lake. Trying to stop a 20# fresh from the lake Chinook (or as they are more aptly called "King") Salmon in a 40' wide stream full of logs and snags is about as much fun as you can have on a flyrod. Our Crown Jewel is the Pere Marquette River in western lower Michigan. The PM is a National Wild and Senic River and has no dams or impoundments for its entire length. It is not stock; these fish are wild and are a natural producing and sustaining fishery. Well, the Kings were in and I just had to stop ;)
My two best fish of the day:
18# Female
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/18lbfemaleking.jpg)
20# Male
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/20lbmaleking.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/Kype.jpg)
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Hungry now.
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This is great. Those are some Bruts you got coming in there.
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from here, for us , it's just like a kind of dream coming true ... keep it coming please !
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Great read and pics
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Last diversion before the hunt...
I have never shot an animal with a two blade head. Even when I shot a compound, I shot big Snuffers. My best hunting buddy has shared many a camp with Roger--between them, there have been many hundreds of animals cleanly killed. I talk with the Wensels all the time; it is pretty clear what they think works! If I am worried a little that a Snuffer is too much, I drop down to a slim Woodsman. I trust all the experience of these men and I have never had an issue or bad experience with a Snuffer or Woodsman.
Enter Larry Hanify. Larry was making Abowyers LONG before all the single bevel hype. Larry's shop is not all that far away and being an engineeer, I am always interested in seeing how things are done and if there really is a better way.
After seeing how the Abowyers are made, and the precision and hand crafting that goes into them, I knew if I was ever going to shoot a 2 blade, it was going to be one of his Brown Bear. You can't pick one up and hold it without quality oozing all over your hand :notworthy:
The final straw was when I stopped by the shop a few weeks ago and they were doing the final sharpening of a batch of Brown Bears. Larry uses one of those double grinding wheels; standard wheel on one side and paper on the other. I really wish I had a video of how it was done, but throughout the process, the head sharpness is tested on a Post-It note. The whole length of the head slices off 1/16"-1/8" strips of the width of the little yellow note paper. They can FEEL if there is a section of the blade that is not as sharp as the rest and polish that just a little more until it is just razor perfection.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/broadhead2.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/broadhead.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/broadhead1.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/IMG_0068.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/IMG_0061.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/IMG_0064.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/broadhead3.jpg)
I grabbed a pack, mounted them, and put the rubber coating back on!
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So now I have a tag, my limit of 3 places to hunt spread out evenly, and razor sharp broadheads. Now for the bow, which TallTines?
The Camo beater! After last year's pummeling we took in Alaska, it had earned it's place at the top of the stable.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2010%20POW%20Bears/P9020855.jpg)
It is 55# @ 28" and shoots any 250g head like those Abowyers to perfection off any full length 340. That bow is a rocket!
All set now with the pre work. The hunt is about to begin!
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Loving it Steve! :campfire:
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I LOVE THAT BOW! Seriously...it's the fasted curve I've ever shot!!! I think the real BW cut himself making it and put some mojo in it!
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Ha ha Ryan, I believe all his bows have mojo.
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Steve, I'm loving the story. I keep checking back to see what new pieces you have blessed us with.
I hate to do it to everyone else, but we have a hunt to meet about. I will be there around 12:45. I need to stop at the house and get your silencers first then I'll be on my way.
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Best thread ever man :scared:
Those are Michigan bears? Look like some of those Manitoba beasts at Ryan's. Keep it coming!
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:thumbsup:
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Great story Steve. I'm orking on pics right now to start the story of our Colorado adventure. Nice looking bears you have coming in, I can hardly wait to see how this pans out.
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Steve-O you're doing a GREAT job on this story and hunt. You should be very proud of yourself. We all thank you for taking us along. UB
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Steve, AWESOME stuff thanks for sharing
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Good job buddy! Nothing like a great story laced with tips and info as well as a happy ending. Are you going to be renting out Daniel "The Machine" someday soon? Would that cost include feeding him? By the way, you need not designate which of your kids plays football and which is the cheerleader!
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I can't wait for the rest of the story good stuff here.
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Awesome story Steve! Little Jared and I just read through the whole thing! Looks like an awesome time and a great place to hunt.
I almost called ya to here the rest of the story, but i'll be patiant and wait!
So hurry up!!
Oh yea, tell Daniel we said hi... :thumbsup:
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likin it...
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This is great Steve. Thanks so much!! George
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Every one should read this story just before they go on a hunting trip .... if this didn't get you ready nothing would. Fine story and awesome pics. :thumbsup: :campfire:
and now for the rest of the story :jumper: :jumper:
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Wow, great pics and story!!
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Awesome Steve. Wishing I was in your family:)
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OMG...I am on the edge of my seat...television sucks compared to this. :campfire:
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So Steve, they let you put your camera on Oswald's Bear Ranch in the U.P.? That one bear was a double chunk! Thanks for sharing your grand adventure!
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OK, sorry for the delay, now we can get to the actual hunting.
Opening day was Saturday. The plan was to get all the baits refreshed in the morning, check the cameras and wind and get out by 3pm to sit. Mission accomplished early.
The wind was right for either the North bait or Raspberry. I felt my best chance would be at Raspberry as the berries were all but gone. I feared the longer the berries were gone, the better chance there would be of the bears vacating the area. I was sitting by 2pm. About 5:30, there was noise and movement from the north. In comes a 2 year old cub. About 30 seconds later comes BIG momma! I am so lucky she did not come in first, because she would have been dead seconds after I saw her. She had a big crease in her head and was so fat had rolls on the back of her neck. She was a stone cold trophy. But, she was safe thanks to the little fella tearing apart my bait pile. They hung around for an hour and provided me plenty of excitement.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/SowandCub.jpg)
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Sunday things did not look so good. The wind had shifted to the south. That was no good for any bait but the South bait and that one was not getting the action of the others according to the cameras. I was to learn cameras are not foolproof...
So more baiting and camera checking went on in the morning and I was standing under my treestand by 3 pm thinking what to do. The wind was still not quite right and I did not want to mess things up. I decided to move to get the wind and sit on the bait bucket I carried in. I got set up under a large Cedar, brushed things in a bit and made a small shooting lane. I wish I had made a larger shooting lane. At 6:00 a BIG lone boar walked right in and spent 20 minutes 15 yards from me on my bucket. Not once did I have a good shot at that bear. I was half drawn for so long, my bow arm actually went numb! After he had his fill, he just walked off :knothead:
After I got done kicking myself over and over, I came away satisfied he was not spooked and would come back tomorrow, and, I would have some INCREDIBLE trail cam photos. Well, it turns out I was wrong on both counts :(
Monday brought a slight wind change that would allow me to hunt the same bait but properly out of the tree stand. Not one bear sighted! When I pulled the card on the camera, there was not one picture taken before 1 am that day...no pictures at all of the big bear the day before.
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Great story Steve, looking forward to the rest of it.
David
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What a story so far!
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Hah, sorry, I fell asleep halfway thru making this post last night...
Tuesday just after midnight brought some severe thunderstorms thru the area. Hi temps dropped from the mid 80s to the low 50s and the wind shifted to out of the NW. This was perfect for my North bait.
I was on stand by 2. It was FALL! The air was crisp, ther trees were swaying. I even had to dig my "lucky" Manitoba Stickflinger's touque out of my pack for warmth and confidence...
As I said, the North bait was situated on a bench where the swamp made a 90 degree turn. As I looked over to my right, I saw "my" bear emerge from the swamp and strut thru the young hardwoods with purpose. As soon as I saw him, I knew I would take him if given the opportunity. He was jet black and just about glowed in the sunlight. I knew he was not one of the giant bears I had on the trail cameras, but he was big enough for me.
He spent quite a while at the bait. He did not knock down the pile but the used cover to his advantage and worked things over from the side. Here he is just before the shot.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/7ba632cb.jpg)
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Steve,
If you don't hurry up and tell the rest of this story I'm going to need to come over and beat it out of you.
The suspense is killing me!
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As my bear fed, every so often he would stand up and lean his front paws on the top of my log pile and look into the swamp. I realized that might be my opportunity. If he got lazy and came up and just turned his head rather than his whole body, that would give me a good enough angle for a shot. Finally he did just that.
I came slowly to full draw, engaged my clicker and pulled, pulled, pulled. He was quartering just a bit and there was cedar covering most of his vitals to the rear; I had to put the arrow tight to his shoulder. As I pulled thru, my TallTines powered that Abowyer through the joint of the knuckle and the blade, cutting it 3/4 loose, then blew a silver dollar sized hole in the near side ribs before exiting thru the off side ribs and meaty lower part of the shoulder.
As the bear wheeled, it looked like he wanted to run fast but just could not. Going thru the 20 yards of fairly open hardwoods, I could see my broadhead and arrow shaft sticking out the off side, right where you would put it in. I saw the shaft fall out as he was swallowed up in the silence of the swamp.
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Oh come on Jack, have some patience. I'd be willing to bet a few vintage Super Kodiaks that you haven't seen a thread quite this cool in awhile. Might as well sit back and enjoy getting the details piece by piece:lol: I will say that Steve is making Charlie look like a speed-poster and tomorrow I may help you at Steve's place.:lol:
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Sorry boys, typing on the iPad takes a little time :biglaugh:
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I said a prayer of thanks. Thank you for my family, thank you for our country, thank you for letting me make a good clean killing shot. That last part is very important. Even though I know what I saw, I did not hear any death moan. You all know how doubt likes to creep in if you don't see the animal fall.
I mentally marked the tree where he went into the swamp and decided to wait one hour.
I am proud that I made it 40 minutes before I got down. The shot was too good to have doubt. Thank you Lord.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/Track1.jpg)
I started down the trail he took away from the stand.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/Track2.jpg)
There was part of my arrow. A little bit further, blood and the broadhead end of the shaft. I went nice and slow and quiet marking each spot of blood, now coming more frequently on both sides of the trail. At each pause to tie ribbon on the tree I would survey the area as far as I could see. Then, there he was. That is always such a moment of intensity. Relief, sadness, and incredible joy all in one breath.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9130149.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9130148.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9130145.jpg)
He had made it about 50 yards and took a hard right before going down. He was about 10 steps fom the line he had been on.
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Mick,
Just having some fun with Steve. It's a great story and I'm glad he took his time telling it.
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I am pretty lucky how those trail camera pictures captured things!
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Congratulations Steve on a well earned, beautiful Michigan bear!
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Ditto on the congrats Steve O.
Hard earned success through and through!
Thanks for sharing the whole thing!!! :campfire:
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Congrats Steve! A great bear! :thumbsup:
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Jack,
I just had to chime in to give you a hard time.:lol:
Steve,
Pretty much a dream bear hunt for a Michigander. Draw the coveted tag, get your family involved, and seal the deal. Nice work!
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Yes, all the hard worth was worth it when I called home to let the family know I would be home early. Lots of raw emotion from everyone. My wife thinks because I have been fairly successful over the years, it is an easy thing to do...being along for some of the work rather than just seeing the results was a good thing for her perspective ;)
It was especially good for the kids. I hunt away from home a lot. For that reason, I am pretty selective on what I shoot. Most of my animals they see are in the form of heads being picked up from the taxidermist and chuncks of meat in the cooler. That was one of the reasons I decided to take this bear. He was not one of the huge bears I had on camera, but the trouble with always waiting on the big one is sometimes they do not come. I wanted them to be able to touch the bear they helped me work for. He is a trophy bear in many, many ways to me.
As I pulled into the driveway, there was Daniel with the Buck skinning knife Gene had given him earlier this summer. "Dad, can I help you skin him?"
Absolutely!
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9140163.jpg)
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Nice Steve....Nice!! Loved the whole story!
chris <><
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What an awesome hunt Steve. To be able to include the kids had to be so special. I really enjoyed reading this and your pics are fantastic. Thanks for sharing and congrats on a well earned trophy.
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:clapper:
Great story Steve and a fine Michigan Bear. A trophy bear for sure.
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That bear is the cherry on top of the sundae...
A few years ago, I was sitting in a little ice cream parlor in Fairplay, CO with Marv and Judy Clyncke. Marv had just flagged me within two steps of where I needed to be for a 12 yard shot on a Bighorn ram I had been chasing for three weeks by that time. When I looked up do get my last direction and saw the "ram gone" signal I just about sat down and cried. I felt I had let everybody there helping me down.
When I got back down the mountain to them, they were euphoric. It was a fantastic stalk and the suspense thru the spotting scope was a thrill to everyone down on the bottom watching the events unfold. We definitely saw two differernt things :rolleyes:
Talking it over later, milkshakes in hand, Judy told me something I will never forget. "Steve, that was GREAT! You got everything but the cherry on the top of the sundae!". She was so very right. 99.9% of the hunt is the preparation and the HUNT. The kill is a very small part. It IS an important part, but not the only part :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup: :clapper:
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As the title of your thread states....perfect!
Great story and a great bear Steve, thank for sharing that with us.
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Steve, that was a great story. Your hard work paid off for you. Good job.
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Steve, great story. Having family involved the way you did with this hunt is, too me, hte greatest story.
Your passion for this kind of hunting is awesome. I look forward to you sharing that passion with the kids at Camp Wilderness next summer. You're gonna love it.
You might actually inspire me to remember to start applying for a MI bear tag. I always forget to do it LOL.
fantastic story, thanks so much for sharing it in vivid detail with us. Icouls almost smell those norhtern MI pines as I read it.
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Steve, fantastic on all accounts!!! :notworthy: :clapper:
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Congrats Steve O.
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Well done and extremly well told! Thanks!
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Good hunt, good story, good pictures and GREAT analogy!
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Great story and pics! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. I'll be rereading this thread tonight with my daughter. She's my quiver caddy right now, and will love hearing your story.
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Steve O, that was awesome! Exactly the kind of phot pictorial I come to Trad Gang for.. Congratulations on your successes, and not just the bear. Steve
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Steve just awesome buddy! Congrats to you and your family!
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Thanks for sharing Steve. Congrats! :)
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Congrats to you Steve and all the hard work that goes into every hunt if prepared right. Just like my Alaska trip, i was close but not close enough, a taste of the ice cream if you will. Thank you for the pics and story you always provide.
David
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Great hunt and story steve. congrats!
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WOW i just went on my first bear hunt, thanks for taking me along.
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Thanks for sharing your hunt.
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Way to go Steve!
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A well told story for sure. Congratulations.
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Thanks for taking us along bro. Blessings
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All around AWESOME!!!
As far as renting out "the mule".....1ST dibbs for baiter and bear skinner in my camp!
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Great thread SteveO, thanks for taking us along.
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Great story, photos, bear but more important putting your thoughts of your family in front of everything. As dad would say, good job.
Couple of things. Did the bear bother your cameras? I had to build a cage for mine.
I hunted elk out of Fairplay, Co years ago.
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That's awesome, nice job!!!
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Jon, thanks to a great PBS friend, I had bear safes for my camera. They would have been destroyed. I have a lot of close up photos!
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Thanks I have been following this thread avidly since you started it.
I also really appreciate your attitude to the hunt, in that the kill is not all there is to making a hunt great.
Like you at the end of a successful hunt I have that same joy, sadness, relief thing happening.
Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
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Steve O,
Great story. So wonderful to have the entire family participate. Super job...I love bear hunting...tippit
PS: The Kings weren't bad either...off to New Brunswick for Atlantics in two weeks ;)
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A great story well-told, Steve. Thank you!
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Loved your story Steve! Reading it was almost like being there with you. I guided bear bowhunters for 14 consecutive springs, and trailed more bears than I can remember, however we lost our hunts when Ontario closed the spring season years ago. I'm taking my 17 yr. old son back to my old stomping grounds next fall. Good going!
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Great job Steve and well written story. Nice to see another Michigan Traditional shooter have success with a bear. I too took a bear this September in the Yopper.
habu john
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:clapper:
Very well done!
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Congrats on a Great Bear Steve!
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John, I saw your success on the MI Bowsite. Congrats, but it is old hat to you. We have talked before at MTB in Grayling; I've had a bow or two from your brother ;)
By the way, these fall bears taste MUCH better than all the spring bear I have eaten. The kids and I gobbled up the tenderloins a couple nights ago. My daughter saved a couple pieces to share with her little cheerleader girlfriends at lunch...they loved it!
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9150170.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9150169.jpg)
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Great story !
Congrats on a fine bear.
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Wonderful story and pics!!! Thanks for sharing them and congrats on a great bear!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
(P.S. Man that last pic left my mouth watering!!!) :clapper:
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Congrats on a perfect hunt. Great story and pics. I only have 3 points saved up, so I'll be heading to Ontario again next August.
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Congrads Steve on your hunt, That was one of the best stories put together on here. Great Job and very well done indeed. :thumbsup: :clapper:
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Well done all around sir. You getting the bear was the cherry on top for us as well. We would have been happy with just the story to that point! Congrats!
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Wow Steve.....that is an awesome story. For those of you non-Michiganders....I know where Steve lives, and I know where Drummond Island is....for him to travel there every weekend for scouting and baiting is an amazing commitment.I'm pretty sure it's about 5 hours one way for Steve, plus a ferry ride. Wow!
And for those of you who only know Steve from this forum...he is someone I have long admired. He never gets involved in the ugly side of Michigan hunting politics....he has an opinion, but is always a gentleman. He minds his own business, and gets out there and HUNTS. And he does it the correct and ethical way. There is not a doubt in my mind that Steve will one day be in the Michigan Bowhunters Hall of Fame.
Outstanding Steve, I'm proud to know you!!!
p.s....thats one helluva a Michigan bear.
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Ditto what Roger just said. Steve is a real plus o our outdoor passion and why I conside rhim such a close friend. Plus he spins tales and good tails!
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Great tale and pictures. Loved how the family was involved. Thanks.
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Absolutely great job on the story, the pics and the commitment to your boy.
I love the end of the story when he was waiting in the driveway with his buck and ready to help you skin!!
Very awesome brother.
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Very,very, nicely done.
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Awesome story Steve, you brought back many happy memories. Good to see the family involvment and your dedication and pursuit of the Bear in the truest sense of the word.
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Congratulations on a fine Michigan bear Steve! Great photos and story.
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Hey Steve, as usual an awesome ending to an awesome story. I to have had the privilage of hunting with Steve, he always puts 110% into all his hunting adventures. Its good to have a family who stands behind you. Great photos, that story needs to be in Traditional Bowhunter mag. Now you have to help me get those 2 blades ready for my bufflo hunt. Great job Steve!!!!! :clapper:
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:thumbsup:
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Congratulations! Great story, well told.
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Excellent story and photos. Thanks for sharing this hunt and all the prep work with us.
BTW - that photo of the tenderloins in the skillet made my stomach growl......
Well done!
:campfire:
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A most enjoyable read.
Thanks so much for sharing your adventure with us. :clapper:
..........Philip
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Originally posted by Steve O:
I said a prayer of thanks. Thank you for my family, thank you for our country, thank you for letting me make a good clean killing shot. That last part is very important. Even though I know what I saw, I did not hear any death moan. You all know how doubt likes to creep in if you don't see the animal fall.
I marked the tree where he went into the swamp and decided to wait one hour.
I am proud that I made it 40 minutes before I got down. The shot was too good to have doubt. Thank you Lord.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/Track1.jpg)
I started down the trail he took away from the stand.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/Track2.jpg)
There was part of my arrow. A little bit further, blood and the broadhead end of the shaft. I went nice and slow and quiet marking each spot of blood, now coming more frequently on both sides of the trail. At each pause to tie ribbon on the tree I would survey the area as far as I could see. Then, there he was. That is always such a moment of intensity. Relief, sadness, and incredible joy all in one breath.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9130149.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9130148.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/P9130145.jpg)
He had made it about 50 yards and took a hard right before going down. He was about 10 steps fom the line he had been on.
Steve,
Outstanding story and I'll Ditto, Ditto Roger Norris's comments. I know some guys get a little facial hair growth after a few days in the bush. Is that you on the right or the left in the hero shot? ;)
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Steve,
Congratulations on a beautiful animal! Looks like you put a lot of work and dedication into your hunt, I am glad it worked to perfection for you.
Mark
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Steve congrats! Thanks for a great story and pics.
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Good Job. :archer2:
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Steve, very well done. You did it "your way" :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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fantastic story!
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I forgot to add this on my last post. I wish you would have shot that bear with one of my bamboo arrows. Just kidding, I know what you think of them. I must say though, those single bevel heads did an awesome job. You've made a believer out of me. I think I'll give them a try on my buffalo hunt.
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Steve, you did a great job all the way around with the hunt and the story. You depicted many collateral benefits of hunting bears over bait. It’s up to the individual hunter to set his own personal challenges and you raised it for yourself and your family. Can you show a few more pictures of the bear? It may not mean a lot to others, but I’m curious as to age, hide square and skull measurements if you have them. Thanks, Mike
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Thanks Mike. As far as weight, I don't know exactly. I do know he was a lot heavier than any deer I have ever dragged. Skull is still on the skin; by the point I gto him skinned I was working on 2 days with 3 hours of sleep, so I decided I will let the taxidermist take care of it. The hide was 78" wide paw to paw and 74" nose to tail. I will get the age of him at some point as each bear has to be sealed and they take a tooth for aging as part of that process.
I did a pretty good job of documenting the hunt until the bear went down...at that point I went into total work mode and without anybody around to give me a hand, the few pictures I have posted here are all I have of him and I :(
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Its good to see that Mike offered his congrats. I want to here about his hunts out West. Steve I still think the bear should be full mounted. It was a most worthy effort. Can't wait to here whats next!!!!
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Great story, and hunt.....congrats on a nice bear. :clapper:
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Thanks!! Awesome in every way!! :clapper:
Nathan
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Great story and hunt Steve. Congrats
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Good job Steve! Great story! Congrats!!!!! :clapper:
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Steve,
I hear you on the work part. When I got my 2008 MI bear it was 70 degrees out. Fortunately I had 4 guys help me get him out of the woods (we used an old tarp to set him on and each grabbed a corner) for the 1/3 mile out, which was mostly closed off two track. My bear weighed 225 on taxidermist scale and I thought that was bad enough moving around with help! The rug came out beautiful and I'm glad I had the help and tarp. Thanks again for the great pictures and tagalong.
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Congratulations Steve, awesome story and pictures!!!
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:clapper:
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Steve~
Thanks, Man, really enjoyed the pictorial. Congrats on a hard earned trophy, memories for a lifetime.
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I am glad you all enjoyed the hunt. I did on every level.
Scott--here is a pic from one of my "test baits" from your new camera:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/2011%20MI%20Bear%20Hunt/CDY_0006.jpg)
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Steve great pic! looking forward to it...
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Congrats Steve on a great hunt and the hard work you put into sharing the storya nd all the details you put in about our great state is fantastic. Gods speed buddy,,Jason
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You are certainly blessed young man! Congrat's!!
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Steve-O, just seeing this as I've been mostly hunting hard since Sept. 15 and not on-line much at all. Enjoyed the entire journey here. How different this is compared to what too many of today's hunters who have been weaned on TV many consider to be "bowhunting." There is so much "ownership" in Steve's kind of hunt.
I'll take one hunt like this over a whole bunch of hunts where someone else did all the work for me. Good work Steve.
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All I can say is WOW!!! Congratulations and Thanks for taking us along!
Glenn
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Last night I got an invite to meet up with Steve O. and some of the Michigan longbow guys. They were at 7 Lakes State Park in Holly Michigan. We met up after the evening hunt to share stories and food. Steve brought a roast from that bear he shot in a Dutch Oven. Man was it great! I can't wait till he gets another one. Again, great job Steve.
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Congrats for such a fine story and great hunt;I don't know how I could have lost this thread!
:thumbsup: :clapper:
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I also had some of that bear roast. It was very good. Thanks again Steve.
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Steve,
Congratulations on a great hunt, for telling a great story and for setting your priorities in the proper order before the hunt, after the shot and after recovering the bear. Thanking the Lord for your family, your country and a clean killing shot was right on my friend. I love the fact that you had your family involved in all aspects of the hunt!
Bill
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Originally posted by Chimaster:
Last night I got an invite to meet up with Steve O. and some of the Michigan longbow guys. They were at 7 Lakes State Park in Holly Michigan. We met up after the evening hunt to share stories and food. Steve brought a roast from that bear he shot in a Dutch Oven. Man was it great! I can't wait till he gets another one. Again, great job Steve.
I kept making myself burp just so I could taste it again, and again. That was the best roast (from any animal) I had ever had.
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That was a true hunt in every aspect,nothing could be more perfect and complete.Ol' Mentor a tip of the Fedora to you my friend !
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This is one of the best books i have read lately. Awsome . :thumbsup:
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Thank you all for the kind words. Hopefully some of the info I presented will help some of you in one of your hunts. I tell you what, I am SO impressed with how good this bear is to eat. I love to eat and have done so in some world class restaurants...that bear pot roast I cooked up in the Dutch Oven was one of the top 10 meals I have ever eaten :thumbsup:
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Thank you for an excellent story, and congratulations with the bear :archer:
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Man this was quite a story. I love the involvement of your family. Having 4 kids and a wife who put up with my traveling and hunting I can't imagine what this means to all of you.
Thank you!
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Had some requests in Kalamazoo to bring this up for some computer "challenged" guys.
We had bear burger steaks last week for dinner. I still can't get over how EXCELLENT this bear meat is. :thumbsup:
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Thanks for bringing some for a sample Steve. :biglaugh:
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Having tried some of that bear at deer camp, I'm seriously reconsidering my decision a long time ago to not hunt bears. Not being one to just sit, I think a spot and stalk black bear is in my future.
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Great story telling thanks, and I agree bear roasts are a number one pick in my house too.
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Well, I went to a Wild Game dinner this evening, and this hunt was the subject of the "Guest Speaker". Steve did a wonderful job taking us along on this hunt with him. He trully made it a family hunting trip at every level of the hunt. I was very pleased I was able to take my boys to the "Seminar" and the AWESOME feast that was layed before us.
Thanks for also putting the bug in me about a new bow. Now it's time to start crunching the numbers. (All of them)
Thanks for taking all of us along on this trip with you Steve. You did a great job of explaining the whole process.
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I stumbled upon this thread tonight while searching out threads about my own favorite pastime - bear hunting. There's just not a lot I can add to the comments others have made other than to just say, "Wow".
This has got to be the absolute best story of a hunt, but more importantly the story behind the hunt that I have ever seen on all the bowhunting "sites". You covered every aspect of it.
Terrific story Steve. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading through the entire thing this evening. Thanks so much for sharing it and best wishes for your continued success!
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Wow! Missed this one. Great job!
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What a great hunt !!
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Wow...missed this thread until just this morning, and took me a while to read through it, but what an awesome story!!!
Congrats on a great MI bear!!!
Someday...
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Remembered this story well! That Steve is certainly hard on the bear population. I have a funny feeling that Daniel will be the one with the stories in the future. Thanks for bringing this up again!
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Steve
Great story man, actually really close for me. I bought the back of russ s grandfathers place, and have become very good freinds over the last few years.
I was there the night russ shot that monster, and I helped him bring out one of the biggest bears I have ever seen on the ground. I also am maxed out in points I just havent decided to draw yet.
I bought the place to run hare as I have a beagle kennel in newaygo.
Well as I said that was a great story and a nice bear GOOD JOB
Shoot Straight
Dennis
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I am very surprised to see this up. That was a great hunt! Unfortunately, it can only happen here once a decade or so...thank goodness for Manitoba Stickflingers !!!
Dennis, if you ever need any more gunners or arrow flingers to help control the hare population, we would love to meet up with you and Russ.
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I love bear hunting and this was one great story,, Congrats Steve!
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Man, don't know how I missed this when it was originally playing, but this is an awesome story and thread. Great job, Steve O!
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Great story Steve. Thanks for sharing
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Way to go Steve!
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Other than a lot of great meals, here is how he ended up:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/Post%20Pics%202012/4c159c61e911c32a0339307cbe6db0c6.jpg)
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Very cool Steve. :thumbsup:
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Steve
Great job buddy, but i have one question for you...I have hunted with you and Daniel, how did you keep him out of the chocolate sundae that Mark gave for baiting? Ha!
Gene is right he is a MACHINE!!!!
George
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Excellent job Steve! Great story, great pictures, I loved every minute of it!
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Bear hunting time is nearly here
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One of my favorite bear hunts :thumbsup:
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Thanks for bringing that post back up. It's a great story, and well documented. Thanks, Steve O.
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What a great story and success ..its great when u put all the pieces to the pie and it all comes together...FINE JOB STEVE O!!!
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Randy,
You must have big plans this spring! Thanks for bringing up some great memories. No bear hunting for me this year :(
My BIG hunt this year is taking a group of young bowhunters to Wyoming to hunt antelope in August with the Professional Bowhunters Society. No hunting for us adults, just "guiding".
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One day i will go to stickflingers. I really wanted to soon though work and money are a challange. I like reading your stories though.
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Bump for Two Tracks(and everybody else-Great read!)
:goldtooth:
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This is a great read! Congrats!
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Really a great adventure told nicely. Thanks for sharing your story and photos. Great trophy. :bigsmyl:
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I'm late to the party, but WOW! What a great story, and great memories you have. I love how your family was involved in the process and shared in the success. Very well done!