Well, I just got back from a Saskatchewan bear hunt last night and I thought I'd share the adventure with you guys. My buddy Tony, his son, Brandon and I left Nashville on the 5th of June for Sask. After nearly 4 hrs of flying with a stop over in Chicago we finally arrived in Saskatoon, Sask. Richard Farago, the owner and operator of Clearwater Adventures at Clark Lake Lodge was soon there to meet us. Richard is a seasoned outdoorsman and engaging prankster who loves to dabble in tall tales and practical jokes. He professes not to like most people but I suspected otherwise as I got to know him better over the week long hunt. The next morning (Sunday) we loaded two pickups and set out on the three hour ride to Clark Lake. Most of the way we traveled on dirt roads heavily rutted by recent rains. The lodge is located several miles north of Big River, the nearest town. Once we arrived at the camp, we settled into very comfortable cabins and soon after experienced the first of several fine home cooked meals and fresh pies and pastries prepared by Richard's wife Ramona and her sister, Donna. This first culinary experience would characterize the table fare for the rest of the week. It being Sunday, we were not permitted to hunt, so the day was spent fishing for northerns and zeroing in the guns. Our hunt was the last of the five week season in Sask. and with a little luck we hoped to avoid the heavy rains which plagued hunters the previous week. I was the only trad hunter among seven other gun hunters in the camp that week. Each day of the hunt followed the same routine: breakfast at 9:00 a.m., fishing til noon followed by our "big meal" at 12:00. A short nap usually followed lunch and then off to the stands at 3:00 p.m. Hunters were driven to within a few miles of their stands and then taken by 4 wheeler the remainder of the way. The first night on stand, a young bore arrived at the bait station to enjoy the chocolate kisses, vanilla icing, beaver and other goodies drenching the deer shoulders and other parts stuffed into the 55 gallon drum. Although that was the only activity of the night, it was exciting to be on stand, 30 miles from the nearest other hunter, with only a stick and a string. The following day proved to be a great deal more exciting. Around 5:00 pm a chocolate sow moved into the bait and appeared to be a bit nervous. I guessed her to be an estrous bear with perhaps a bore on her trail. That proved to be true as the sow soon took off and two males came in and circled 20 or more yards from the bait. At 15 yards, the larger of the two finally presented a perfect 15 yard broadside shot. The CX 150 with 90 grs behind a 145 gr Magnus Snuffer hit its mark behind the bore's shoulder, taking out both lungs and the top of his heart. He dropped in thick brush 40 yards from my stand. The bore weighed 160 lbs. and sported a lush thick black hide that glistened like mink. Six of the eight hunters tagged out by the end of the week with Brandon, the youngest at 12 yrs. old, taking (as you might expect) a 315 lbs bruin the second day of the hunt. A fantastic trip with a first class outfitter!
Topic: "Sweet Pea" takes a Saskatchewan blackie (Read 705 times)
