Well I got to my tree stand a little late, which is on because I didn't wan to spook any real early dears away in the dark. I went up the tree stand about 8:30 am, the wind was howling about 15 to 20 mph, I was still pretty optimistic because I was getting trail cam pics throughout the day, but I must admit the we're diminishing a bit due to the acorns starring to drop. The severe thunderstorms weren't due til 4 om in SE Oklahoma.
The 1st day bear hunting ever made it much easier for the time to go by, with absolutely nothing moving. It was disappointing but, I was getting pics throughout the day, so I stayed alert, pretty good for a man my age. Well as predicted the wind picked up about 4 on to dangerous levels, so I got down and headed towards our cabins and about the tune I got to the cabin the rain started coming down very hard with extremely strong winds. So I looked at bear cam pics for about 2 hrs, which I could do for entertainment for twice the time, probably due to a lack of intelligence.
About 5:30 pm the rain lightened up and the winds dies down dramatically, so off I went to get back into the tree stand and wait for the bears to come running to me. I'll have to admit that this was one of the first times that my body was fatiguing before my mental state was.
Well about 6:15 pm came and off to my right I see the first bear I have ever seen in the woods. To my left is the bait that I have been keeping up for 6 weeks. I will admit that I was EXTREMELY excited at this point, legs went to shaking, heart throbbing, brain going numb the whole 9 yards. I had to mentally talk to myself, with no answering back, to get a grip. Well that helped a little bit. The bear came from the bottom of the ridge, was going up and when he should be turned to his left???? He went straight up the ridge and then turned right going away from me!!! All I could think was that he was directionally challenge and could find the bait that I had been slaving away at.
So I sat back down and tried to think if he had smelled me? Seen me? Heard me?? Or just was gonna hit the bait later?? So about 15 minutes later another bear came from behind again, from the bottom of the ridge. This one much closer than the 1st, adrenaline kicked in again, same symptoms as before, same pep talk that I gave myself. He stops at about 40 yards and pauses for about, it seemed like forever and turns to his right and walks away and then goes up the ridge like the bear be for him. Now I'm thinking what in the heck is going on, the bait is right there and this is the biggest predator in the woods that has had NO hunting pressure on them.
So I'm pretty baffled and confused, these bears are suppose to cooperate better than this nonsense!!!!! Success pics were suppose to be done WAAAAAAAAY before now!! We're going on 7 or 8 hrs in the tree stand. Well I'm thinking I'm done for the evening when about 15 minutes pass and up on top of the ridge is a bear.
Now the weather condition have changed a lot by now, we are talking dead quiet, absolutely no wind what so ever!! Now the bears starts to slowly and I mean slowly towards me, stopping and checking the wind every few steps. I had no idea these bears were this cautious!!! He's circles around behind me, taking a step every 4 hrs, well maybe a little faster than that. He's is finally within 8 yards of me, facing directly at me with no shot! Does not have a clue that I am there, but he is staring to get nervous and as he starts to turn away from me and leave I start my draw. I hit my anchor a little before he is quartering away, I guess I picked a spot, used back tension and all that, but like I said before I don't remember a thing. The arrow flew and hit him perfect angling forward, and he runs down the steepest ridge in a 4 state area. Now he is at the bottom of the ridge I can hear his deep breathing. After about 5 deep gurgling breaths, I hear it, and I mean the death moan. It echoed off of the opposite ridge and was a sound I don't think I will ever forget.
Now the uncontrollable shaking starts, extreme excitedness!!!! I had no idea of how difficult it was going to be to get him out and I must say I was very nieve about getting him out. I thought I would just drag him out like I do everything else, but when I got to him I figured out real quick that wasn't happening.
So I get on the road and I am going to get something to eat and figure this out, but in the mean time I am texting everyone under the sun. I received several offers from people willing to drive 3 hours to come help me. So I settle on my best friend who has help me on many occasions and made several memories with do so!!
He gets down to where I am at about midnight we go to sleep in the cabin and look at what else before we sleep, but trail cam pics. So we wake up the next day and get the 4 wheeler out and head off. We weave our way down the ridge and hit a stopping point, to where we have to stop. We get to the bear and have to carry him about 100 yards up the ridge to the 4 wheeler, load him up and start to take off and the 2 wheel drive 4 wheeler doesn't move and is stuck. Unload the bear, get 2 wheel drive 4 wheeler Un stuck and had to push and coerce the vehicle up the ridge about 200yrds. So back down the ridge we go to get the bear, and after 3 and 1/2 hrs we finally get the bear to the 4 wheeler and get him out of the bottom of the ridge. It was way too steep of a ridge for a 2 wheel dr 4 wheeler. Lol. The rest was gravy. Very happy and blessed hunter.
Topic: My 1st bear! (Read 6419 times)
