Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Jerry Russell on May 20, 2015, 11:52:00 AM
-
With non-existent cell phone or internet service in our remote bear camp, I wanted to go ahead and set a thread up for the many Trad Gangers coming up to our bear camp in June. We are only hunting in pre-rut and rut so we wont be getting any reports back till mid-June. I am PUMPED more than you can believe. Last year we took some really big bears and this year is shaping up to be even better.
Anyway, all you guys coming up can post here when you get home. I suspect there will be some awesome stories. The baits will have a full month to simmer just waiting on some stick bows to show up...
(http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/BearsBaitsforanearlystartnextseason1.jpg)
(http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/IMGP8840_zpsfc2fca5d.jpg)
(http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/MFDC1721_zps8ec025e6.jpg)
-
:campfire:
Can't wait to see the stories.
-
We should see some good stories here in a few weeks!
Bisch
-
My guys and I are inside a month to roll! Every day I get a little more excited. Last year we had a fantastic week. Some really good bears taken along the way.
Jerry's sets are perfect for us trad guys...so I set up my practice range at home with shots like he sets up. I had a coach in college that repeated a million times: "Perfect Practice Makes Perfect"
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg3_2.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg3_2.jpg.html)
*Set
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg2_2.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg2_2.jpg.html)
* Shooter
I had my son run some shots out of it. He is not making this trip but after seeing his improvement this spring with his recurve it won't be long before we are making a trip as a family unit to Jerry's.
I even made my own pod trail :) Except they look like a size 14 mans boot than a big 'ol boar. Last year I got a shot after passing on 12 different bears in 3 sits. I did not make the most of it and hope to see my old friend this year.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg1-39.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg1-39.jpg.html)
*My boar
So the time is nigh. I will be ready for a story soon and ready to make mine up there in the Mastagouche with Jerry. I see light at the end of the tunnel at work and it comes like a freight train heading for Quebec
-
Sounds like you've got a great setup there, Jerry. I wish I was one of the people coming.
I'm looking forward to this.
Good Luck everybody! :archer2:
Bob
-
While I expect nothing but good things to happen when our guys turn loose of that string, I do want to give a little update on one of our employees in bear camp. This guy was just a little 9 month old pup last year in bear camp and had many great wounded bear tracks including two trails of 1.2 and 1.5 miles on wounded bears. He is a Bavarian Mountain Hound named Bear.
What a difference a year makes. Check out Bear Dog now all grown up. A GPS equipped bear tracking machine. I LOVE this pup.
(http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsffztynkj.jpg)
-
About 4 weeks out and looking forward to my second trip to Jerry's Bear camp. It's " way back in there" wild country. Met some good guys last year and everybody had a story to tell.
Good luck Mike, hope you get that big one. Practicing every day inside 15 yards and patience is the key word for me this year .Jerry's hard work is evident. This hunt is just too good to do just one time. I know Bear is ready to go!
-
I am looking forward to the stories, its been a rough winter with a general lack of decent hunting material on here.
Good luck to all that head north.
Bear Is looking up to his job.
-
Jerry,
Where is your bear camp located? Looks like a great time shaping up!
-
Well like Blueridge say's it almost time, plane tickets bought, rental car waiting and hotel for the pre-night is booked. I'm looking forward to this hunt, if its half as good as last year it will be "off the chain" as they say. Were bringing fishing gear so we can try out luck on the lakes in the mornings,
I believe our camp is all trad except for one, but that ok, we can shoot bows all morning and hunt bears all afternoon..
-
Originally posted by South MS Bowhunter:
Jerry,
Where is your bear camp located? Looks like a great time shaping up!
Our camp is in vast Mastigouche reserve in Quebec. Near one million acres of some of the most beautiful wilderness anywhere.
Lot of info on the website if you care to see it.
-
My hunt is June 16-20, and I plan on making the long drive from Oklahoma all the way to Quebec. Silly, but I have never trusted the airlines with my gear. Looking forward to a great hunt.
-
Pdk safe travels and good luck on your hunt, we will be heading in on the day you leave.
-
Good luck to you as well, sir. This will be my first bear hunt, so hopefully I will learn a few tricks from the more seasoned guys in camp.
-
Well guys it looks like it's almost here and the anticipation of getting back up into the Canadian wilderness is almost overwhelming! Looking forward to a great get away and leaving all electronics behind. got to love bear camp.
-
Good luck up there, Jerry. Wish I could join you but I can't this year.
-
Just spoke and confirmed with Jerry, I'm booked for June 2016
"Rut Week". I'm amped and it can't get here quick enough
To the guys going this year best of luck and have fun
Have a great Memorial Weekend
Andrew
Denver
-
Hey Jerry that bear of mine from last year has scored out at 18-1/4" so he's gonna make the book and taken with my widow recurve, now this year gonna give the widow longbow a try as she is so sweet shooting! Got her all tuned in and ready for some action. Looking forward to making some new friends and ralling with some old ones but I'd have to say most of all the past two years have been the greatest at bear camp so as long as this one is half as good as the past it'll be 100 times better than being at the office. See you guys in camp on the 6-22-15.
-
Bill
I knew that bear would make Pope and Young the minute I laid eyes on it. Don't tell John A. what it scored. He passed on shooting it after watching it at 7 yards for half an hour. That thing had a big noggin.
You guys should be hitting it perfect for some crazy rut action. Let's get you another monster.
-
Bill I'm doing the opposite - Plx last year Psax this year. Congrats on your Pope &Young bear! See you at bear camp.
-
I am heading up for a hunt on 30 May through7 June...good luck to all. Hope I hit the rut good and strong and big bears are moving. :)
-
Just a little something to keep the blood boiling. There are some Giants in these trail camera shots from last year.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PjW72EA6kUE
-
Jerry - Bear looks great!! Lil sis Molly is still a softy but her "bold" is coming out and I look forward to this fall with her past the 1yr old stage.
Good luck up there - I am not making a trip to Canada this spring for the first time in a few years so I will be living vicariously through posts here on the wall.
-
Best of luck guys!
-
That video did it for me, and I'm not even going. wish I was.
Sounds like a great time, Good luck everybody. :thumbsup:
Bob
-
Man-o-man, Jerry. I wish I could be with you this year, it looks so good. I will certainly be with you in spirit.
Looking forward to the stories and LOTS of photos.
Good luck to all.
-
3 weeks but who is counting....Can't wait!!!
-
Mike 19 days but who's counting. Trying to stay focused on work but thinking about all the Bears that are waiting on us is kicking my conscious mind. See you guys there soon!
-
Lol, 14 days.
-
(http://i.imgur.com/yFlPNBj.jpg)
-
(http://i.imgur.com/Gvx5AVo.jpg)
-
What can't this guy kill!?☝️☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝
love ya Pat! I'm going to stop saying congrats after this!
Let's just assume it after this.
-
Everything packed and ready for the trip to the Atlanta airport in the morning where I will meat up with bucksakemmer and Blueridge for the flight to Montreal.Can hardly wait to hear about all that has transpired this past week. Exciting times are upon us.
-
I will get some details up when I get to my computer. Still have 17 more hours of driving to do. Stopping for the night for some shut-eye.
-
BTW, between pre-rut and rut right now. Timing is perfect. Just need a little hotter temps. Mosquito's are bad when the wind dies down, but the blackflies weren't bad at all, and may be tapering off for the season.
-
Man, you are on a roll, Patrick. I say keep on rolling and get all you can!
Congrats!
Bisch
-
Thanks for the report Patrick and you have my prayers for a safe journey home.
-
Congrats guys , I know you had a good time. Leaving in the morning . Look forward to getting back up there. Look forward to the details of your hunt.
-
congrats guys. Looks like you are getting everything kicked off on the right lead. Larry Jr. and I are on our way left out yesterday morning at 0520 and stopped over in Harrisburg PA for the night will be leaving out early this morning for the next to last leg of the drive approximately 8-9 hour drive, been awake since like 0230 tossing and turning. The anticipation of some really big bears lingering in my mind from last season. Everyone be safe and will see you at bear camp.
-
I really kind of hate all of you right now. I'm so jealous. Been to Quebec fifteen times, fourteen of those doing all of my own baiting and stand hanging. Miss it so so so much but can never get away in the summer anymore. Good luck everybody. With Jerry Russel as your guide, I doubt you'll need it.
-
Originally posted by pdk25:
I will get some details up when I get to my computer. Still have 17 more hours of driving to do. Stopping for the night for some shut-eye.
Totally forgot you were driving. OMG. can't wait to hear all about that journey.
-
Originally posted by Matty:
Originally posted by pdk25:
I will get some details up when I get to my computer. Still have 17 more hours of driving to do. Stopping for the night for some shut-eye.
Totally forgot you were driving. OMG. can't wait to hear all about that journey. [/b]
Some of the best thing are worth waiting for..... :thumbsup:
-
Looking forward to the story pat. And love those hound pics.
-
Congrats Guys, Looking forward to the stories.
-
OK, I just finished a 17 hour leg of driving, with a little over 30 hours logged the last two days, and I am back at home with my dog laying next to me and my computer on my lap.
This post is going to be almost telling two stories. One, about the bear hunt and camp, the other about my performance on the hunt, which was less than stellar.
For those of you that don't know, Jerry's camp is in the Mastigouche Reserve, around 2.5 hours Northeast of Montreal. It is a huge tract of land that is bordered by large tracts of land that are off limits to everyone. It is mountainous and rises up out of farmland, and is an absolutely beautiful piece of property. As some of you may know, the average size of bears in Quebec is somewhat smaller than those in Manitoba, but this area produces some of the largest in Quebec, and it would be hard to find a better place to hunt.
The accomodations are very nice, with cabins provided that are similar to those found in some of our National Forests. Hot showers available, and hearty meals provided.
This was the first time that I was able to hunt with Jerry Russell, and he is a top notch guide that is very diligent when it comes to keeping his baits fresh for each group of hunters, and I am sure that the groups to follow will see plenty of bears.
-
I think that I a going to try to get some shuteye, and then tomorrow I will post the details of my hunt. I won't drag it out, but I am pretty tired.
-
There were 4 people in my group at camp, all trad archers. Mike Dutdut, myself, and the father and son duo of Doug and Dave Hill. The Hills had flown into Montreal from Texas and rented a vehicle and Mike had driven from Illinois. I communicated with Mike during the trip, and we both ended up spending the night before the hunt at the reasonably priced Hotel Normandie in Louisville, which is around an hour from camp.
We met up with Jerry, his son Luke, and the Hills on Tuesday morning, got our licenses and orientation, and anxiously awaited getting out to the baits for the evening hunt. If you have checked out any of Jerry's youtube videos, you will be a little familiar with Luke. He is 17 years old, and a very nice and hardworking young man. Jerry is doing a great job of showing him the ropes of being a guide, and Luke has experience that is beyond his years.
I told Jerry during the orientation that my biggest concern was shooting a small bear accidentally, and the group went over some of the ways to judge a bears size, the most obvious one being comparison to the bait barrels, with a discussion of the number of hunters that overestimate the size of the bear due to excitement. I think we all were a little excited from the start, but not beyond what is reasonable.
We headed out to our spots, and were told not to leave our stand for any reason until Jerry returned to pick us up, so as not to chase bears away from the spot(as they were likely close) and ruin the spot for ourselves or future hunters.
We were told how sneaky the bears can be, and each hunter can now confirm that to be the truth. Much like a mature boar hog, they can approach a bait silently, often stepping in the exact footprint from previous trips to the bait. We were told to be ready to shoot immediately after being dropped off, as the bears can be very close and come into the bait right after the truck pulls away, and that the bear will smell you, but if you are motionless and silent they will still come in. Their hearing is very good, and while their eyesight isn't the best, they see motion well.
The stands that we were in ranged from ground blinds to treestands, that were typically around 7-8 feet off of the ground to the platform, to groundblinds. The bait were set up for shots less than 12 yards, although there are other spots that are longer and more setup for compound shooters when they are in camp. The baits frequently have creative names from prior hunts. I wonder if mine will get one after this hunt.
When we arrived at my bait, I got up in my stand and quickly got ready. I could see that stand from the road, and was told that at this spot, bear were notorious for walking down the road and eyeballing the stand to see if a hunter was in it. The blackflies, which are notoriously bad at times, were not bad at all, and the mosquitos that were pretty bad were being held at bay from a steady wind. I didn't need more than my thermocell and the small amount of DEET that I had applied.
The wind made it difficult to hear, and between that and the cooler weather, the bear weren't quite as active as they otherwise would have been, but I was still pretty confident of seeing bear. A couple hours into the sit, and rain squall came in, and the wind blew my tree pretty good, but I was able to put my rain gear on and stayed dry, although a couple of the guys forgot raingear and got pretty drenched that night. Putting on the raingear was probably the only real motion that I made that could have messed things up, but I looked around pretty good before starting and it was a heavy enough rain to dampen any noise that I would have made.
I didn't hear or see anything until 8pm, when I heard a branch snap. I was later told that a bear will sometimes do this on purpose to announce their arrival at a bait to other bears, and I really believe this is what happened. I looked to my right, and 25 yards in the dark brush, there was a bear looking around, then it started to circle counterclockwise to the bait. In just a few seconds I heard a boar glonking(?not sure of spelling) as it approached the bait, and the sow that was circling to my bait pitched a fit, screaming and smashing the nearby brush. The boar continued to approach, and the sow threw another fit. That was enough to tell this boar that the sow was not ready to be bred. I caught sight of the boar, a large one that was over twice the size of this sow, maybe 80 yards away to my right, between me and a small lake. It just ambled to the north, parallel to the edge of the lake, and out of my life.
The sow silently circled around the bait, and I lost sight of her until she emerged on the road ahead of me, circled slightly into the brush on the other side of the road, crossed over the road again behind me, then to my right, and again in front of my to the bait, which consisted of some grain piles, grain in the upright 55 gallon drum, and some grease poured on the ground. When she reached the bait, she immediately plopped on the ground nearly facing me and began eating grain piles like lazy dog would do. Every once in a while she would stand, and move quickly into the brush 5-10 yards away, then slowly return to the bait. She didn't look spooked at all. I guess this is just what they do sometimes.
She wasn't very cooperative in standing still for very good comparison to the barrel, but it looked like her back came up only to the second ring of the barrel, and for me it was a no-brainer. She was not a shooter for the first day of the hunt, and I settled in to enjoy the show. They only thing I wanted to do was get a practice draw in at some point, because the anatomy of a bear is somewhat different from that of a deer or hog. The sow moved behind the barrel and laid there for a long time, licking at the holes on the bottom third of the barrel. She even hooked the barrel with here claws and rotated the barrel rather than getting up.
The bait was in a depression with a thick canopy above it, so it got dark pretty quickly, and I was starting to have a little trouble seeing. The sow tipped the barrel and began feeding, againg facing me, but turned to feed at a pile of grain on the ground that had spilled out of the barrel. First chance for a practice draw in the low light, but I could barely make out the silhouette. I drew back, like I had done so many times before, but before I knew it the arrow was gone and I heard a loud crack, and the sow took off, toward the lake then turned to the south. I caught a glimpse of the limping bear when it was directly between me and the lake, but lost it after that in the low light.
My string tracker line had some how come loose, and I with minimal motion I pulled it back to me, and saw probably 4 feet of bloody line at the end. I didn't understand how this was possible, but I new that I must have got good penetration. Jerry showed up around 15 minutes later to pick me up, and I told him that I had shot one. Based on the fact that I didn't hear a death moan from the sow and the sound of bone impact, we decided to wait until morning to look for the sow.
The other hunters all saw at least 2 bear, and all reported seeing a nice boar, but no shots were taken other than my accidental shot. I assumed that I had hit the sow quartering away, and broken the off side shoulder, since I have done that on numerous game animal, and I figured it would be a short track. Wrong. We got to the bait, and put Jerry's tracking dog, named Bear, to work.
Let me just say that his dog is a beautiful Bavarian Mountain Hound that is very friendly, tightly bonded to his owner, and was quite the celebrity in camp. Bear is also a skilled tracking dog, even at a relatively young age.
Bear went to work and quickly found the trail. There was a massive blood trail, with Jerry up front with his dog on a leash, and me staying to the rear so as not to interfere with the track. My blood soaked arrow was found were I last saw the bear, and you could literally see piles of blood as far as 20 yards ahead in the dark timber with the naked eye. I was using the same Snuffer broadhead on the tip of the arrow that I had killed a 200# boar hog less than a week prior. You would have expected to see a bear piled up 50 yards from the shot with the amount of blood present, but this went on an on for over 250 -300 yards, when the track led to thick grass on the edge of the lake and disappeared. Fortunately the hound indicated that the location of the sow, just a few yards away from Jerry, in a small depression in the grass laying on it's back. I am confident that any area search would have discovered the bear, since it was less than 15 yards into the grass for good blood, but it may have taken enough time for the meat to spoil.
We took a quick video of the spot of recovery began the drag out of there, amazed at how far the sow had gone with the amount of blood. It wasn't until we were nearly back to the road that we noticed and arrow wound on the sow's head, since she had been laying on here back when we found here. We tagged here and loaded here into the truck, got here back to camp, and had a good look at here during the skinning process. It turns out, the arrow had gone in through a portion of the skull , down and out the opposite side of the neck, and through the opposite side armpit. Large amounts of blood were on the armpit, coming out the neck wound, and just coating the chest. The best that I can guess is that in the low light, and with not really intending to shoot, I didn't notice that the bear was turning toward me and taking a step back when the shot went off. I believe that the greatest amount of blood loss was from what was probably the Axillary artery in the armpit, and the combined blood loss from the armpit and neck is what did this sow in.
(http://i.imgur.com/YLrWibj.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/ZqxIFj8.jpg)
-
This is certainly not a proud moment in my hunting life and I am pretty disgusted by myself, but I am not going to hide the bad from the good, and I learned some valuable lessons in the process. You can't be nonchalant when practice drawing on an animal. This could easily have had a worse outcome, with a wounded bear not recovered, and in this case still resulted in a shortened hunt with a bear recovered that I had not intended to shoot. Not that I wouldn't have shot this bear intentionally on day 4 or 5 of the hunt if I thought it would be my best opportunity. I am thankful to have shared camp with a good group of guys, Jerry and Luke, and for a speedy track with Bear. Here are a few other pics.
(http://i.imgur.com/YiBJNL9.jpg)
Originally we thought about making up a story about how the sow was still alive and in the lake, and Jerry came up behind the bear, slipped a noose around the neck and choked it out to finish her off, lol. I think Jerry looks a little like Brett Farvre in this pic. We were actually just pulling the bear up onto the rock for a photo.
(http://i.imgur.com/ukkt9AB.jpg)
Jerry dragging the sow out. I did help a little.
(http://i.imgur.com/upMCNkF.jpg)
A little wet from the drag
(http://i.imgur.com/je8Ests.jpg)
Another angle
(http://i.imgur.com/UnyIkh4.jpg)
Luke skinning out the bear
(http://i.imgur.com/sZMzlpL.jpg)
Jerry and Luke holding up the cape, which is covered in sawdust which soaks up the blood.
-
So this took up to mid day on Wednesday, and the other hunters went out that evening, and the elder Hill, Doug, and Mike both saw bear, but not shots were taken. The last to be picked up was Dave, and from a gound blind at 4 yards he shot the sow with the very plush coat that is in the picture on the previous page. I have never seen a hunter more excited after a successful hunt, and it was contagious to be around. He was still shaking the next morning, lol. They skinned his bear out Thursday morning, and Mike and Doug went out to different stands on Thursday evening. No shots were taken, with Doug seeing bear, and Mike sitting on a seat in the brush not seeing anything but hearing several in the brush behind him. That was a rough hunt, because the wind kicked up and it started to rain right at the best time, around 8pm. I should mention that the next group of hunters arrived on Thursday, and I got to meat them. That group included tradgangers Brian Lance and Mike Davenport. They seem like great guys and I am sure that they will have a great hunt and stories to tell when they get back.
I was originally only supposed to leave this morning, but with having killed my sow the first day, and horrible flooding at home from Tropical Depression Bill, I decided to leave early and get home to help my wife around the house, and left Friday morning for the long drive home. I hope to call Mike later today to get an update on how the last 2 days of the hunt went.
-
As an aside, I was using my silvertip recurve and an arrow tipped with a Snuffer, Dave shot his sow with another silvertip recurve with an arrow tipped with a Simmons Safari. He put a perfect hit on his sow. Mike is using a Palmer recurve with arrows tipped with an Ace head, and Doug is using a centaur longbow with arrows tipped with a Simmons treeshark.
-
Even though IT wasn't what you were expecting ..... Congrats Pat.
Did you happen to recover the broadhead? I would like to see what a snuffer looks like after hitting that much bone.
-
I did. It was surprisingly sharp, and is in my quiver, having been sharpened and it ready to go. Fletching isn't perfect, but good enough.
-
Wowser! Glad that worked out for you! Like you said, it could have ended in a worse way!
I learned that same lesson practice drawing on a ground squirrel once.
Anymore, if I want to practice draw, I just do it at a leaf or something!
Congarts on your bear!
Bisch
-
Congrats pat and one heck of a story man ...CONGRATS on your bear way to take the good with the bad
-
Congrats Sir ;)
-
Nice Bear Pat. I would be very happy with that one. That silvertip is a keeper. Heck ,it kills stuff even at practice. One deadly bow! Of course the owner is a killer too.RC
-
Congratulations Pat. :clapper:
-
Looks like you guys had a GREAT time !! The Canadian Bush is wonderful. Congrads on the Bears harvested.
-
Congrats on your bear!! :thumbsup:
Sounds like everybody had a good time.
Bob
-
You set out to kill a bear, and you succeeded. Nothing wrong with that, and nothing wrong with one killed, even if it was the result of a practice draw. Congrats.
-
Wow, that is a wild hunt recount. I'm glad, once your arrow was released that your shot was lethal and your recovery solid.
Even though your practice draw wasn't meant to be released your practice paid off and a fatal shot delivered. You got a nice bear and a personal lesson to boot.
I thank you for relaying this just in case I ever think to make a practice draw on a critter. I'll remember this story and learn from your experience.
-
One thing for sure, Pat is an avid traditional bow hunter with a great deal of experience and many animals to his credit. Its easy to talk about your successes, but its hard to tell a story like this. Thanks for sharing Pat, we can all learn a lesson from this post. :campfire:
-
Pat, very nice meeting you at camp. Things happen, they just do. Your honesty is respected by this bowhunter! Congrats on the bear, regardless of where the hit was :campfire:
I have a yarn to spin but I need a minute. Just home from a 22 hour drive and work calls...
-
Our adventure started last week with an arduous car ride of 20 hours to Bierthersville Québec to a nice room, a good meal and a much needed cocktail. Three of us drove, three of us flew. All of us were wore the heck out. The next morning we rallied for groceries before driving to the Mastagouche to meet Jerry. I had arranged for a camp of six guys and since I am a foodie in training, jumped at the chance to cook for the week for my crew. I had a menu planned for weeks, and for the most part we ate according to plan :)
The cabin we stayed in was close to the entrance to the Reserve: water, power, flush toilet and a KITCHEN! Sweet!
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg2_4.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg2_4.jpg.html)
*Digs
After getting the low down on the hunt from Jerry we ate a bite, readied our gear, and got a hunt in. It rained fairly hard and the sightings were low, but 3 of us were relative bear rookies. The excitement at dinner that night was fun to witness!
The next few days buzzed by. A couple of days went by before one of us connected. It was with a compound so I can't divulge pics. It was his first bear, so we were all excited. For me, the hunt was slow until day four when all heck broke loose. 10 bears in one sit...nine of them walked out of "Lefty" (my new favorite bait) unscathed.
-
Father's Day we awoke to good weather and winds...finally! I had picked up some fabulous Quebec lamb from the local market and decided we'd eat that for dinner. Along with some fiddlehead ferns, mushrooms, potatoes and root vegetables it turned out well. Those fiddleheads are a favorite of ursus and homeo alike...a little vino topped off our mid-day meal. It was a pleasure to cook for my guys, all of us fathers but one.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg7.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg7.jpg.html)
Fathers Day Spread
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg8.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg8.jpg.html)
French wine...when in Rome...
After a nap we headed to the baits. I kept a smile on my face as we bounced down the road and way north on one of the last baits on the string: "Lefty". I had hunted there early in the week and it looked great. I had a hunt there last year that was awesome, so I looked forward to the sit. Jerry settled me in and as he drove off I had a good feeling.
-
:campfire:
-
Thanks Mike. It was great meating you too. Can't wait to hear the rest. Lefty, huh? Is that the stand that you hunted last year, with the water in back of the bait?
-
No Pat it was one that has a mountain feel to it...you are thinking Permier. Good look there too!
I didn't get a visitor until 8 pm, a smaller sow that skirted the bait. Soon thereafter a giant propane tank of a sow walked into view, nervous. I thought I heard something behind her and wanted to wait and see if it was a boar. As Jerry says, big sows have big boyfriends :) To my surprise a 60 pound bear was trailing and it dawned on me this sow had offspring still. What I witnessed was tough to watch though. She'd run him up a tree and bite him then walk off a few paces and wait on him. It was like she couldn't make up her mind yet to run him off before a big tending boar killed him. I truly hope she eventually ran him off. Either way she got a pass...
30 minutes later I look to see a nice boar heading my way. I grabbed my bow and watched as he skirted the bait scent checking. I could only assume he had love and not food on his mind. I counted coup on him as he was smaller than I wanted and the night was young. It was the right call for me as I would have rather gone home empty than kill such a fine young boar.
Just before last light I looked up to see another bear walking the road away from me about 40 yards. It made no attempt to come in and seemed intent on leaving. I did something that I had not done before: I mimicked a boar glunk with my mouth...picture a bad moose grunt. I didn't know if it'd work but it stopped the bear in its tracks. She turned and walked directly at me. At some point picking up the scent of the boar who had skirted the bait. I decided that was enough for me. Recognizing it was a nice sized sow, alone, on the next to the last night of my hunt, I told myself this bear was the one.
When she stopped right where the boar stopped and gave me a quartering away money shot I drew my Talltines longbow and let the string roll off my fingers...
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg3_5.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg3_5.jpg.html)
*First visitor
-
The shot was as perfect as the set-up. Before I could finish looking to heaven and thanking God for the gift I heard her crash. With that lonely moan that makes me happy and sad at once it was over in less than a few seconds. The most humanely quick death of any animal I Have taken further supported that this bear was indeed the "one".
I had 5 more visitors: a trio of nearly grown cubs intent on being hooligans, along with their wired mother and another skirting boar. All of that was a backdrop to the end of a perfect evening. A perfect Father's Day for me. I sat there in the darkness listening to wild bears doing wild bear stuff with a feeling of satisfaction and contentment that I can't explain.
When Jerry picked me up I told him of the shot and we found the arrow painted red stuck 6 inches in the ground at point of impact. A short 40 yards and there she was. We got her out and tagged.
A word on Jerry: he is a tireless worker and a great guy. He had his hands full this week with two full camps. I appreciate his hard work so much! It was nice to give him an easy trail on this one :)
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg1_7.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg1_7.jpg.html)
*Hard working man
-
We might have had a cocktail or two when we got back to camp. I had one of my oldest friends from college with me, M. Hunt. A newly converted trad Hunter and I hope a contributor here sometime. I also had my buddy B. Lance aka Big Sexy along for this ride. Along with the other guys of the group it was good to enjoy the success over a gumbo and a cold beer.
The next day I drive the 23 km to Jerry's camp from our cabin. Halfway there I remembered I forgot my Talltines for photos. So the bow I have in the pics is borrowed. If it seems disingenuous, sue me. I borrowed Mr. Al's selfbow as it was cool :) I managed to wrangle "BearDog", Jerry's Bovarian Mountain Hound into some pics. He helped me with my bear last year and is as cool as the other side of the pillow. I am glad we didn't need each other this year.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg6.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg6.jpg.html)
*Selfbow hack
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/75110c45-2845-41a6-ae74-d9f42136977b.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/75110c45-2845-41a6-ae74-d9f42136977b.jpg.html)
*BearDog
I spent the morning with Luke, Jerry's hard working son and assistant guide skinning my bear. I took every piece of meat I could. It will make some fine dishes for my family. Tomorrow we are having bear shank braised osso bucco style...the hide will become a rug for my daughters room and the claws a necklace for my wife. Such a great gift of a bear!
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg2_5.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg2_5.jpg.html)
*Luke and I working
The hunt ended too soon. I was not ready for work today. I did get to hunt with my friend M.Hunt that last night. I ran the camera as he tried to take his first animal with a stickbow. True to his grit, he passed a small sow.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg4_2.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg4_2.jpg.html)
*Brother
At dark we had a nice boar come in but darkness caught us. He grinned from ear to ear and I know now he is hooked for life :)
I'd like to thank Jerry, Luke and the men I shared camp with! Great week for the soul...until we meet again my dear friends :campfire:
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/image.jpg1_5.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/image.jpg1_5.jpg.html)
-
Mike, congrats on a beautiful bear!!! I enjoyed the heck out of your story, and the pictures. That meal you cooked in the pic looked awesome.
Glad to hear that you took all the meat from your bear too, some don't.
You probably already know this, but if you like liver to begin with, It's hard to beat bear liver. To me, It's very similar to pork liver, only better. Good stuff.
Thanks Mike.
Bob
-
:thumbsup:
-
Well done my friend! I hope we can share a bear camp again soon, east or west.
D.P.
-
Congrats on a fine bear mike ...great story I felt like I was On my stand with you!! Also the eats looked yummy too! :D
-
Great bear, Mike. Congrats. I will probably make a bear roast after work settles down some.
-
Way to go Mike! Always love hearing your adventures and how you make them come to life for us to read...thanks!!
Those french bears were lucky Big Sexy didn't pick a spot on one of them. Things die when he picks a spot!!
Looks like a great hunt and a great place...congrats to all the hunters here!!!
-
OK, I just got asked to make some posts about Mike Dutdut's hunt. Here is his comments about the first day.
"What a great experience at Bear Camp this year! I arrived back at home on the 22nd but stayed unplugged from the internet and outside world until this morning. I wanted to savor the last few days of solitude until the reality of everyday life returned. My hunt started the afternoon of June 16th. We all met with Jerry and reviewed expectations for the hunt and he answered any questions that we had. After a great lunch, we shot a few arrows and Jerry explained to us where we would be that evening and what we could expect to see. The excitement began to build within us all and we couldn’t wait to get on stand. We piled into his F150 and headed out. I was the last to be dropped off that evening, which meant that I would be the first to be picked up. Jerry and Luke led me out to the stand and baited the site. As I settled in, Jerry signaled the location of the bear trails, gave me a thumbs up and quietly exited. The woods were completely silent except for my heart beating out of my chest. It took me a few minutes to settle down and overcome my excitement. I was able to gain my composure and take in the beauty and solitude of dense north woods. I have ever witnessed such complete silence. For once in my life, I had nothing from the outside world weighing on my mind. I was here to enjoy the experience and hopefully see some bears. About 2 hours into the sit, the silence was interrupted by the snapping of a twig to my right. I slowly peered around my shoulder to see a bear floating in. I was impressed by the sheer size of this bear and how stealthily he moved through the undergrowth. I was taken back to my earlier orientation with Jerry. He said that your first bear encounter will be unforgettable and that no matter how big or small it is, it will look huge. Jerry was correct. The bear continued surveying its surroundings and passed right under my stand. I could have easily lowered my Palmer recurve and touched its massive head as it passed. I steadied myself in the event that the bear offered a shot. At 5 yards he turned broadside and looked up at me. I remember looking at his massive head as he licked his nose and attempted to pinpoint the origin of the unfamiliar smell. I was pinned down and couldn’t have taken the shot without spooking the bear with my movement. He turned away from me and began to move towards the barrel. I stood up and readied myself for a shot. The bear was now facing my direction as he knocked down the barrel and began to feed. I was not offered with another shot opportunity on this brute that night but I was able to enjoy the up close encounter. After 15 minutes he lumbered off slowly into the darkness of the canopy. I remember Jerry advising me not to shoot the first bear that I saw but instead enjoy the experience. Had I shot, my trip would be over and the therapy of the deep woods would end. It wasn’t until the next bear approached that I truly realized how big that first bruin was. I identified this one as a sow and watched as she nervously approached the bait. She would look over her shoulder, stop, sniff the air and evaluate her next step. She was only 7 yards away when she began to feed. She offered multiple shot opportunities for the next 20 minutes. As tempting as it was, I kept my bow on the hanger and took in all that the experience had to offer. Darkness fell in short order and the woods came alive with bear noises and the clamoring of unknown activity. In the distance I could hear a vehicle approaching. I waited in anticipation as the white truck stopped and a red head lamp closed in on my stand. Jerry grabbed my bow and waived for me to begin my descent. As I climbed down, the anticipation began to build once again. I couldn’t wait to pick up the other hunters and hear their stories. This was going to be a great week. "
-
Great Bear mike.
Pat, I hope to hear more of Duck Butts adventure... :campfire:
-
Keep this coming!
:campfire:
-
Originally posted by pdk25:
OK, I just got asked to make some posts about Mike Dutdut's hunt. Here is his comments about the first day.
"What a great experience at Bear Camp this year! I arrived back at home on the 22nd but stayed unplugged from the internet and outside world until this morning. I wanted to savor the last few days of solitude until the reality of everyday life returned. My hunt started the afternoon of June 16th. We all met with Jerry and reviewed expectations for the hunt and he answered any questions that we had. After a great lunch, we shot a few arrows and Jerry explained to us where we would be that evening and what we could expect to see. The excitement began to build within us all and we couldn’t wait to get on stand. We piled into his F150 and headed out. I was the last to be dropped off that evening, which meant that I would be the first to be picked up. Jerry and Luke led me out to the stand and baited the site. As I settled in, Jerry signaled the location of the bear trails, gave me a thumbs up and quietly exited. The woods were completely silent except for my heart beating out of my chest. It took me a few minutes to settle down and overcome my excitement. I was able to gain my composure and take in the beauty and solitude of dense north woods. I have ever witnessed such complete silence. For once in my life, I had nothing from the outside world weighing on my mind. I was here to enjoy the experience and hopefully see some bears. About 2 hours into the sit, the silence was interrupted by the snapping of a twig to my right. I slowly peered around my shoulder to see a bear floating in. I was impressed by the sheer size of this bear and how stealthily he moved through the undergrowth. I was taken back to my earlier orientation with Jerry. He said that your first bear encounter will be unforgettable and that no matter how big or small it is, it will look huge. Jerry was correct. The bear continued surveying its surroundings and passed right under my stand. I could have easily lowered my Palmer recurve and touched its massive head as it passed. I steadied myself in the event that the bear offered a shot. At 5 yards he turned broadside and looked up at me. I remember looking at his massive head as he licked his nose and attempted to pinpoint the origin of the unfamiliar smell. I was pinned down and couldn’t have taken the shot without spooking the bear with my movement. He turned away from me and began to move towards the barrel. I stood up and readied myself for a shot. The bear was now facing my direction as he knocked down the barrel and began to feed. I was not offered with another shot opportunity on this brute that night but I was able to enjoy the up close encounter. After 15 minutes he lumbered off slowly into the darkness of the canopy. I remember Jerry advising me not to shoot the first bear that I saw but instead enjoy the experience. Had I shot, my trip would be over and the therapy of the deep woods would end. It wasn’t until the next bear approached that I truly realized how big that first bruin was. I identified this one as a sow and watched as she nervously approached the bait. She would look over her shoulder, stop, sniff the air and evaluate her next step. She was only 7 yards away when she began to feed. She offered multiple shot opportunities for the next 20 minutes. As tempting as it was, I kept my bow on the hanger and took in all that the experience had to offer. Darkness fell in short order and the woods came alive with bear noises and the clamoring of unknown activity. In the distance I could hear a vehicle approaching. I waited in anticipation as the white truck stopped and a red head lamp closed in on my stand. Jerry grabbed my bow and waived for me to begin my descent. As I climbed down, the anticipation began to build once again. I couldn’t wait to pick up the other hunters and hear their stories. This was going to be a great week. "
This is the best description I've ever heard or read about being alone in the silent serenity of the bear woods that can suddenly erupt with hair raising activity. And yes, the first one you see is gigantic. I didn't have the self control needed with my first one but I learned on subsequent hunts how to judge a good bear before dropping the string. Thanks for taking us along and I'm looking forward to the rest of the story.
:campfire:
-
I thought the bear I shot was huge until I saw what it weighed! Not so big.... When they have a thick coat and you are a first timer, it can be tricky!
-
I had the pleasure of traveling to Mastigouche with John Abbott (aka bucksakemmer) and Stan Bennett. We took to the air to get Montreal then rented a jeep from there. Our group of five was rounded off with William Hamrick and Larry Young Jr. Larry took his compound, John and Stanley their Black Widows, and I took two self bows and some river cane arrows tipped with stone points I had made. I had never hunted big game with them but thought this would be the time to do it so I did and have no regrets even though I did not return with a rug. To say I came home empty handed would be a lie, I came home with so many wonderful memories and experiences I cannot list them all. The fellowship and excitement alone were enough to make this trip an awesome experience. I got home yesterday afternoon at 5:30 and have not had time to go through all of my photo's but hope to get a good start on them today and will post them up soon.
As we were entering the camp we pulled up alongside of the skinning shed where Luke was busy skinning. We could see several bears laying around waiting their turn for Luke's knife. Luke turned around to see who had arrived and the look on his face was priceless. He looked slap dab worn out and I suspected he was thinking; "Oh no, more hunters!!!" lol If he did think it he never complained about all he had to do. That young man is really something and I am proud to know both him and his dad. You will never find anyone that will work harder to make sure your hunt is exceptional and successful.
-
Back in the world now with 15 hours of driving behind us and 9 more to go. Leaving the Mastigouce Wilderness always leaves me depressed for a few days. That place and the many friends, new and old are hard to drive away from.
I will post up a recap with a compilation video in a few days after my phone and camera that I left behind catches up with me in the mail. There are lots of great stories to come for sure. In spite of the most difficult bear hunting weather in years we still managed to go 100% on shot opportunity (bear at 10 yards) for every hunter and 24 bears hit the ground. Bear Dog was a rock star on the blood trails and in camp.
The many Tradgangers that came out to hunt with us did very well. I so look forward to these guys coming up every year.
We had a large number of hunters that wanted to hunt from the ground this year and their stories are incredible. I hope they choose to share them here.
A quick note to those that have tried to reach me by phone about next year, I will not get my phone back until the middle of next week. Please send an email to hold your spot. I promise to answer all request in the order that I get them.
-
Jerry, sorry to hear about your phone and camera, I just want to say thank you for one of the best hunts that a trad bowyer could ask for, it seems that each year gets better and better. I had the opportunity to share camp with some of the best hunters that I have ever had the pleasure to meet as the dynamics of the fellowship in an invironment of the wilderness was at its best. I have just gotten back home and after a little rest will post my story.
Jerry, Luke, Stan, John , Al & Larry gentlemen oh yes Bear dog it was an absolute pleasure to have shared the same bear camp and shall our paths cross again that it should be so
enjoyable. Take care my friends and safety in your travels
-
Bill , I echo your comments. It was a pleasure hunting with you and the others. Even though I did not bring home a Bear I got to poke a big sow in the nose with my arrow at less than 3 feet. Quite an encounter. I am always amazed at how hard Jerry works to make everything flow and enjoyable, Luke is obviously a chip off the old block. great hunt in a beautiful place. glad ya'll made it home safe.
-
Glad to see how much success everyone had. Jerry definitely works his tail off to give the hunters their best opportunities. Hope to hear more stories to come.
Poking a bear in the nose from the ground sounds like a more unique experience than actually bringing home a bear. Must have been exciting.
-
Yep Stans (Blueridge) encounter with the bear and the resulting arrow poking to the nose will earn bait#12 a fancy new name as soon as we can think of something catchy. Maybe nose picker? lol.
It was a new bait for us this year and several bears were shot there. My son Luke hunted there from the "blind" (AKA small bush) and had 7 bears at 5-7 yards. John A. and Doug H. both put arrows through a couple good bears at 4-5 yards there.
-
As stated, I will post a ton of pics and video soon but I did want to give a huge thank you to the hardest working assistant bear guide I have ever encountered. My son Luke is 17 and worked like a rented mule to help make the hunt enjoyable and successful for every hunter. Not a single complaint from him during the entire hunt, even when the bears were 4 deep at the skinning shed.
I love that boy. He is a keeper for sure. (http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/11262231_1082850551743077_4166912967414040544_n_zpsh6onlm2q.jpg)
-
Its not something I would want to do again. She was a beautiful bear. sent Jerry a pic of her so maybe he can post for me.
-
I want to start off by saying thank you to my personal guide Mr. Mike D. and therefore this story is dedicated to him.
I had hunted several stands and hadn't seen a bear as the hunt was half over and the weather was not the best for bear hunting. On Wednesday Jerry stated that Mr. Mike had spotted a really nice big bear at the stand we call Lefty, and that Mr. Mike had an issue when he went to stand up and draw his bow on the bear as the seat had a spot of pine resin on it and it managed to stick to his pants as he attempted to stand and the sound of separation was like pulling velcrow apart. Needless to say we all know what happened next the big bear didn't stick around. :eek: Well here's where I steped in, Jerry told me about the sighting and what had transpired and that he was willing to haul me over to Lefty which happened to be about an 1hour drive from camp on some of the roughest roads that the reserve have to offer. Mr. John had tagged out the night before and wanted to spend another evening on stand so I asked if he'd like to tag along and shoot some video and take some pics. We arrived on stand around 430 pm with about 5 hours til sunset. We both managed to sit totally silent for the first couple of hours and then I hear this gurgling sound coming from Mr. John and then he let out a cough that was like sending out a fire alarm bell. About 15 minutes had passed and he let out another and reached down in his bag and pulled out some cough drops well when he grabbed his bag he managed to bump his thermo cell against the stand and at that moment I was sure my hunt at Lefty was done. :knothead: As I rolled my eyes to give him one of those looks :mad: he bumped me on the should and held up three fingers and pointed down the trail in front of him. There were three 75 lb cubs headed our way to have there way with the bait site.... More to follow. :campfire:
-
Man I forgot to put that "Velcro" fiasco in my original account...I guess painful memories are truly suppressed. That giant girl was a testy fussy-britches that hates tree sap on pants sounds. I can't wait to hear if she likes "feathers in the wind" sounds :)
Another word on Luke...great young man, a quiet professional doing his job. If every kid worked that hard with no complaints we wouldn't have many problems in this world!
Now tell me about that fat bottomed girl (or boy) :archer:
-
Well the Cubs came in and we watched them for about 15 minutes when Mr. John noticed a bear out front of him at the same time I noticed one to my left and they both seem to make eye contact with each other and started towards one another and off to our left they went at the same time there was another bear on the hill side to my left rear that let out a growl and the cubs turned themselfs inside out to get out of the bait site, two of them ran towards the thicket and the other started up the tree beside ours. Things were really getting exciting as the bear to our left rear started popping it's teeth and if you've never heard that sound it can be a little unnerving. While the bear continued to pop its teeth another bear showed up out in front of us at about 75 yards across the creek. Appeared to be a good boar but he wanted no part of the popping teeth so he moved down stream and onto the road bed but still had the bait site on his mind and cam our way up the road to the same trail that the cubs had came in on as he came our way we noticed he had rubbed his entire back in completely raw, he entered the trail and the teeth popping seem to get louder at that moment he turned and went back in to the road and crossed to the other side and out of site, as he was leaving the cubs had came back into the bait and started feeding again. This time they were followed by a very very large jet black sow that was as pretty as they get and as big as any sow I have ever seen. So I figured that this must have been the bear that Mr. Mike D. had seen, as the sow came in to the bait from out front and to our left, she made her way to the bait but didn't want to fully commit so she turned and Mr. John said there's your shot but from where I was standing there was a small bush in front of her vitals. She walked back off to our left but she did something I never expected, she walked behind a very large cedar and came back out right under our tree and put her nose to the stick ladder took a good whif and walked right over to the bait stood broadsided at less than 5 yards as she did this I was standing with my BlackWidow PLV at the ready at this point I leaned over ever so slightly and asked Mr. John "is she big enough" I thought he was going to scream in an instant I had drawn, anchored, picked my point and released the Zwickey tipped Gold Tip just behind the shoulder. :archer2: The big ol sow took a giant leap and ran straight out in front of us with my string tracker playing out like a fishing reel with a great white on the end as she reached the top of the hill she let out what is called a death moan but the string tracker line was still bailing out as she turned left at the top of the hill and bailed back down through the thick stuf to our left and again another very loud death moan but this time the string tracker had stopped. At this point my knees began to buckle and my hands began to shake. I had to take my seat oh yes the one that had the pine sap on it except I had placed my face mask over it as we had entered the stand. As dark had fallen we set in silence awaiting the arrival of the white f150 that Mr. Jerry would be picking us up in. Soon we could see the head lights coming down the dirt road. Once he arrived we began the tracking job there was some blood but not what is was expecting and thank goodness for Mr. Jerry, Bear the bear tracking dog and the string tracker as it lead us approximately 200 yes to my bear, the arrow was still in her as it had entered exactly wher I was aiming but had caught the off side shoulder and pushed it back up with string tracker still in tow. And what a bear she is. so Mr. Mike D. Thank You!!! This makes two very nice trophies out of the same stand as I was very fortunate to take a very nice boar from the Lefty stand last year that Mr. John had to pass on as he had shot a sow the day before. With this I'll try and post some photos of all of us and the bear.
-
That stand called Lefty is sure piling up the memories but I am starting a new rule there next year. The bears have to be facing towards the road before you can shoot them, lol. Those last two bears that he has shot there were brutal to drag out of thick stuff on that hill. Here is his bear from last year.
(http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/IMGP8840_zpsfc2fca5d.jpg)
-
Attaway Bill!!! So glad she rolled in for you :clapper:
She is a big ol girl for sure! I think that when we are in camp together we will need to rock, paper, scissors for that set. It has been a good one! Two big bears in two years outa there for you. Way to go!!! Tree sap. We don't need no stink in tree sap...
-
Posting this picture up for Bill Hamrick. Trust me, this photo does not do this bear justice.
(http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/IMG_0182_zpsj1hzh1sn.png)
-
Sooooo Jerry, was I right about the size or what? Propane tank with legs :)
Beauty of a bear!
-
Wow, that is an awesome bear. Congrats on a great hunt.
-
Mike she was a tank of a bear for sure. Mega sows always are a bit shocking because of their massive looking girth. I would loved to have had a video of me and Luke dragging her out of that nasty thick spruce thicket to the left rear of Lefty stand. We did it in the dark because the death moan told us she was on the ground and the string tracker and Bear dog made the 200 yard track a breeze.
The drag was tough but I am glad Bill put her down. She was not long for this world as she had a MASSIVE tumor in her mouth and her teeth were gone. Probably explains her nasty disposition.
-
This is the bear that Stan AKA "Blueridge" played ticklefight with by poking it on the nose with an arrow. My son has awesome video of the bear at 4 yards from the ground. I am sure John A (Buckskemmer) will be along to tell his encounter story soon.
(http://i1265.photobucket.com/albums/jj501/jerryrussell1/IMG_0341_zpsg1jeg85u.jpg)
-
Nose Picker sounds good, I know I won't forget it.
-
Originally posted by Blueridge:
Nose Picker sounds good, I know I won't forget it.
Perfect.
-
Sorry folks, but I'm having problems with my photobucket account and cannot upload pic's even if logged in.
-
Great Bear Bill. Loved your story!
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have read all of the other stores of our great adventure and at Jerry's urging I though it was time for my story.
I hunted at Jerry's bear camp last year and I enjoyed it so much it was a simple decision to rebook for this year. When that decision was made we (being Jerry, myself and Stan) decided to recruit Al to go along. I have to say that Al had some misgivings about hunting bear over bait, but he decided that he was in. (Ask him what he thinks now)
I recall the planning, booking flights and rental cars, making a list and checking it twice, sometime three times, knowing that were going to a wilderness just added to the excitement.
Well the departure day arrives we meet in the Atlanta airport, I help Al get everything checked in and were off to the gate. You have heard the story about Walmart closing on Saturday and Al's failed attempt at meeting the French lady, our drive to camp and of the other side stores which were many.
My hunt:
It starts with Stan telling his story of poking the bear in the nose, well when he told the story at dinner the lights went off, I had to try a "on the ground" hunt.
Luke took me to the bait, pointed out the chair in the hole and the little two foot high blind and said here ya go and leaves me.
After about 5 minutes I realize that this gives a whole new meaning to "up close and personal" and really so when the first bear shows up and your close enough to see the bugs flying around its eyes.
It was almost like a parade of bears, cubs would show up feed a little bit and leave sows would come in look around and leave, they were most likely the same bears but who knows. They would come in look over at me, and buy now the distance to the barrel had changed from yards to inches, its very unnerving to have a bear look at you that close and then walk over too get a closer look, not sure what you are but wanting to find out.
A lull in the action and then a good sow and a small bear show up, game on, she looks at me walks behind the barrel and starts to move off from my left to right, changes her mind and starts back the direction she came in from. As she is walking past me I come to draw she stops broadside at what seemed like three feet but was really three yards, (still darn close) and I make the shot, she's off like a flash lots of crashing and noise and then all is quite and I hear what I think is a soft moan, not the loud death moan you sometime hear.
It becomes deathly quite and the action is I believe over. I am still in the chair in the hole three yards? feet? from the barrel and hear a bear "whoof"(SP) and turn to my left, there is about a 12 inch opening thru the undergrowth and standing there at about 5 yards is a big boar, he is scent checking the barrel, stands there what seems like and hour but really only about a minute and just turns and walks away.I decide at that point that I should leave the stand and wait for Luke to pick me up on the road, which he did shortly, we came back to the bait, found some blood and decide to back out and let Jerry decide when we would go in after her. Just a side note here, alto there are large trees in the wilderness, the under growth is like a jungle, the bear trails are beat out paths but outside of that you have to fight your way thru and you can become disoriented very quickly, you never go in without a GPS.
Next morning were on our way with Bear Dog Jerry's tracker, short look complete pass thru about a 50 yard recovery. She was a very good bear, about 175# very old with a beautiful hide with no rubs, I'm very happy.
This is my second hunt and second bear with Jerry and the "Georgia Boys" will be back next year if the Lord has that in his plans.
This is my story of my hunt but the trip was/is so much more. The planning, the anticipation, the hanging out with friends, the new friendships and the strengthening of old ones, the late night dinner with retelling of the days hunts, the shooting at bottle caps (aim small miss small) during the day, the morning devotional that started small but by the last day the whole camp was attending. Then before you know its time to leave.
We all have a book of memories and I hope more to add, the book isn't full yet.
I have two bear skins and three grand sons, so I need one more.
Years from now they will tell their friends:
My granddad shot that bear in Canada, and with a bow
__________________
And hours discourse with a good friend is better than a days meditation.....
-
Great Bear and story John. As Luke told me when he dropped me off at that bait " it will be cool"
It was real cool. Congrats on your bear.
-
Jerry
Looks like you had another great year.May have to give you a call sometime.
Terry