Now on to the hunt. I booked this hunt over three years ago with jeff from True North Outfitters in Alberta. We went with jeff because of the quality of the bears, the chance at a color phase bear and all the good feedback we received from his past clients. We were not disappointed! When we arrived at camp jeff explained to us that this was the last week in camp and that he had a cinnamon bear that he had seen off and on for almost nine years that he wanted to actively pursue. My friend and I heartily agreed as taking a color phase bear would be a dream come true. Turns out this bear had been wounded twice in the past by compound hunters and had been spotted back in the area the week prior to our arrival tailing a big black sow! What a man wont do for love right? Anyhow a plan was quickly formed to let my friend jim have first crack as he had already killed a black bear in the past and a cinnamon would really be the icing on the cake. It was not to be however and his first evening on stand was a swing and a miss! No bear! The next night was my turn and we set up on a game trail the bear had frequented in the past. I was on the ground and the outfitter jeff elected to tag along and attempt to film the hunt. About an hour in here came a big sow, ambling along without a care in the world, passing approximately six feet from my position. Sows are legal in alberta but I had my heart set on some cinnamon! Like a script from a movie here comes the cinnamon! My guide whispers to me get ready, he is huge! I am like, thanks a bunch! thats exactly what I needed you to say to completely destroy any last little shred of composure I had!!!! Thanks Jeff!!! buddy!!! So the bear comes down the trail and decides something is up and takes a hard left turn into the woods, stopping about 25 yards out, and laying down!!! Now it is a mexican stand off and I have no shot. This goes on for a period of time, the big cinnamon casting a glance in my direction every once in a while as if to say, I know you are there, I cant see you but I sure can smell you! All at once we hear a boat come down river. The bear jumps up at the sound of two men in the boat talking and ambles off into the brush. I have a discussion with jeff and we decide because the bear is so skittish I should get up in the tree with him so as to better my chances. It got a little cozy up there and jeff didnt smell any better than me! We knew he had not completely left the area as we saw the sow again shortly after he bolted into the woods and decided to wait it out. Once again the cinnamon comes out of the woods, and passes broadside at 20+ yds offering no shot. Apparently all those prayers and deals I was making with the man upstairs if he would only let me get a shot were heard and the big boy took a hard left and a left again and presented me with a eleven yard broadside shot. I drew anchored and released and my magnus stinger was on its way! It found its mark, passing through the big cinnamon and burying itself in the ground on the other side. Jeff and I almost broke the tree stand jumping up and down like a couple mountain gorillas!! Kind of funny to see two grown men act like that I imagine, all the while trying not to make a sound. After much celebrating we decided the shot was a little farther back than I would have liked after reviewing the footage and we decided to back out and give him a chance to expire. After about seven completely sleepless hours and a frantic boat ride back to the woods we spent four hours trying to pick up a blood trail. If I was ever going to have a heart attack it was now! Worse than any stress test let me tell you! We regrouped and decided the best course of action was to work a grid in the approximate area we last heard the bear, went to that spot and promptly found him dead!! About 120 yards from where I shot him!!! I had taken out the bottom of one lung, the diapraghm, and a portion of the liver and spleen. After much back slapping, hugging, tears of relief and prayers of thanks, Jeff offered the bear a gift of tobacco as is their tradition and we proceeded to process my trophy. This is my first kill with traditonal equipment and I could not be happier. I did not kill a whitetail for the first time in 28 years last year because I was committed to traditional equipment. My dedication paid off and I want to thank all of you who have endured my dumb questions, and all of those who know way more than me about this wonderful sport who have helped me shoot better than I ever thought possible. Many thanks to Shaun Boyer from flintridge bows, coshocton ohio and true north outfitters!! Thanks again mudd for posting the pics, I will figure it out one of these days!!!
Topic: First blood with trad gear! Yogi takes a dirt nap (Read 4958 times)
