My Canadian hunt my parents took me on for my High School Graduation.

[Pine]

When I was 18 years old ( fall of 1974 ) my parents for my High School Graduation took me to Ontario Canada for a moose hunt . The hunting lodge we were at was called Telfords and it was on Deer Lake north of International Falls Minnesota . We had to fly in because the lodge was on an island .

After we got there we were introduced to the guides , my mom and dad had a guide named Tom and I had a guide named Patty who was Tom's father .

Patty was part Sioux and Blackfoot with a little French . He spoke several Native American languages as well as French and English . The amazing thing about him was that he was 83 years old and in better shape than I was .

Patty liked to tease me and he called me cookie boy because I always ate the cookies that were packed in our lunch . And I might add that those lunches were incredible , there would be pork roast sandwiches made with fresh home made bread along with fruit and other goodies . Did I mention the home made cookies ?

He did seem kinda puzzled as to why someone my age was wanting to take a moose with a bow and arrow . He thought that I should be using a rifle but I told him if I could get within 30 yards I felt like I could get the job done .

[4dogs]

 

[doubleo]

 

[Steelhead]

Sounds good so far.I have been up North of International Falls many times.Not to moose hunt but to Muskie hunt.I did see moose though and had some tasty Blueberry muffins that would rival the cookies you devoured.I was muffin boy.Or muffin man.

Many interesting characters up their.Like your Indian guide.

Keep it rolling!

[Sawpilot 75]

I’ve got a treble hook in my mouth.. This sounds good.

[Joeabowhunter]

 

[The Whittler]

Pine, and?

[mahantango]

Don't leave us hanging man!

[Pine]

We had been together for a few days and he told me stories during lunch that I am sure were a little bit a whole bunch made up , but entertaining none the less . Then he was going to drop me off on this very large island and he was going to go to the other side and see if he could push a moose my way . Before he left me he told me of a bear that the locals call Manu-tout , it is a big bear with red fur and can't be killed . He claimed that it also had an arrow sticking out of the back of its head . I chuckled to myself and thought , here we go with another whopper . He insisted that if I saw it to not move and above all don't try and shoot it even though I had a tag good for bear and deer as well .

[durp]

That hook just set deeper.   

[Pine]

So off he went and I found a good spot to sit where he told me to be . I was in that spot about an hour when I saw some movement and it was big . My heart started to race and my ears tingled from the excitement . I was sure that a moose was headed my way . It was coming closer and I could see that it was a bear . I kinda chuckled to myself and thought that might be the one called Manu-tout . I was almost laughing out loud to my self be cause if how silly that story was when I could see that it was a cinnamon faze black bear . It was huge and kinda waddled side to side while it walked . It was coming straight at me and sniffing the air constantly with its head moving side to side . I started to let my imagination run wild , I was shaking , sweating and I could hardly breathe .

[Pine]

I tried to calm myself and realize that this was just a coincidence , then it stopped and turned so I could see the back of its head . There was something sticking out about the size of a pencil . I was petrified ! What should I do ?

[TOEJAMMER]

I'll bite, changed your shorts.

[Pine]

Thinking about what Patty told me and considered that maybe the past shots were just not placed properly . I got up my nerve and decided if the bear was to present me with a perfect shot I would take it .

[Pine]

The bear started toward me again , stopped about ten yards away , turned sideways to me slightly quartering away . PERFECT ! I stared at a single hair and let fly with all confidence and watched the fletching burrow out of sight into the big bruin . The bear just stood there , slowly turned and looked me dead in the eye , started to walk towards me . It came straight at me and I couldn't get another arrow to my string . it came closer and closer and not two feet away it collapsed and its head landed in my lap .

[Pine]

I think I must have passed out because the next thing I saw was Patty standing over me and saying WOW YOU GOT HIM !

Patty said that wasn't the bear he was talking about , the other one was much bigger and red , not cinnamon .

You mean to tell me I got so scared for nothing ?

Turns out the bear I got had a stick stuck in its fur and the whole thing was just a coincidences . So that story that patty told me was just a story .

Or was it ?

[GCook]

Worth the read Pine.  Very nicely done.

[HARL]

    That was GOOD !!! 

[Steelhead]

I was hoping you got the red one with the arrow sticking out of its head.

But a bear in your lap is crazy stuff!

I had a large bobcat jump on my back once while turkey hunting and calling.It realized I was not a turkey and tore out of their.I had claw marks in my back that went through my turkey vest

Not as crazy as your Bear in the lap.But close as I have come to that scenario.

[SlowBowKing]

That’s a heck of a graduation present!

Glad you got the bear rather than the other way around.