Bear Quest V -- Stories for all Posts

[Missouri CK]

Here are some random pictures that I took that turned out pretty good.

 

 

 

[buckeye_hunter]

When I saw the white blaze on her chest and beautiful black coat I knew it was her. On that first night, I had whispered that I wouldn't let her go again. It was 100% green light for me at this point.

She fed and stood, then layed down again and ate some more. She did this for what seemed like an eternity! In real time it was about 30 minutes I think. I kept letting down my string arm as it was getting tired. Larry was also getting frustrated with her. Every now and then we would look at each other and our faces said COME ON ALREADY!

[Missouri CK]

Check out Bowdoc's mohawk!  Pretty cool.  He did it himself.

 

Here is a sow and a cub that came in late to the bird stand.  The sow is looking up at me on stand. I thought these were the same as the sow and cub that Charlie had seen earlier but after looking at his pictures I don't think it was.  She only had one cub and the pictures of the sow in Charlie's post seem to have a funny looking front left leg.  Tell me if that is correct.  This sow was the prettiest bear I got a good look at. I'm glad the cub was close in tow because I had tension on the string and was moving towards full draw when she first came into the crib. Once I saw the cub I just sat back and relaxed.

This cub also climbed up the tree I was sitting in but I just leaned my bow over when he got close and blocked his path.  I could have touched him too. He was frustrated by this big limb that suddenly appeared in his path.  He started crying like a little puppy would.

Luckily after this sow left I still had enough time for another bear to move into the bait.  I was on full "go mode" after seeing the honey burn bear and then this sow and cub.  I didn't think the night could get any better but then I heard another bear breaking sticks in the back ground.....    

[buckeye_hunter]

At one point she stood up, but was quartering toward me. I had some tension on the string, but no intention of shooting until she was full broadside to me. Larry saw the tension on the string and thought I was letting that arrow fly shortly. He hand gestured for me to wait. It was good to see we were both on the same page! Unfortunately she only offered me a 2 second window at broadside and then faced us again.  

[buckeye_hunter]

Finally, the sow finished eating and lazily turned broadside for a perfect shot opportunity. I picked my spot, pulled back my bow and let the arrow fly on a 8-10 yard shot. The 2 blade broadhead zipped through her and stuck in the ground on the other side.

[buckeye_hunter]

It happened so fast Larry actually thought I had missed her completely. The shot turned out to be a high and slightly back double lung pass through. We were completely thrown off though because the blood had no bubbles and was bright red. We also didn't hear a death moan and there were only small blood drops. We backed out and waited until morning to recover her.

[buckeye_hunter]

Tom wanted Larry to go bait with some other guys the next morning, but he asked to come help recover my bear. So I headed out with Larry, Kip, Tom and Chris to find my bear.

It turned out that she only went about 50 yards from the stand and 20 more yards to the left. The shot was good and she hadn't gone that far. I was glad we had backed out though and had an easy recovery. It is tough to see a downed animal in the thick Mountain Laurel. If there had been no leaves, we may have made the recovery the same day. It all came together nicely in the end!

Thank you Larry for all your help!

 

I will get the video up when I can.

[buckeye_hunter]

[Kip]

We all drew for stands and I got the blowdown which is on the lake.I was happy with that b/c I had never hunted the lake on my other trips.It was decided that being late we would all carry in bait and climb up the stand and hunt that afternoon.Bait was clean but had not been baited since the week before and no bears showed up.The next morning we baited again and my bait was cleaned out confidence went up high.That afternoon the biggest racket and most noise I had ever heard from a stand was happining just up from the stand and I saw a small patch of black.He ran over trees and bushes and making all the noise he could.But he woiuld not show himself just making a lot of movement and noise.Next bait trip all gone again and that afternoon I saw him to the left near lake and then about 18/20 yards from bait but he looked at me and climbed the hill and proceded to make all the noise he could and not coming in.(He acted like the male gorilla in nature shows where he pounds his chest and breaks brush all around).I was starting to think this bear would not be killable.He was a good bear but smart and had been around the block before.I threw my name in the hat for another drawing of the available stands and that turned out to be a good decision

[KentuckyTJ]

Wow great adventure. I bet the camp fire pow wow's were something to partake in.

[Kip]

Wednesday I went to bait the stand called the Bucket Brigade.It looked good with the angle of stand for shooting out of and about 7' high.That evening I dropped off Chris and wished him good luck.I got in the stand and after looking around I pulled out my book to read a little.Chris and I discussed reading on the stand and he felt you may have less movement by reading.I don't know but I was almost finished and wanted to find out what happened.At about 6:30 or maybe bearthirty I started really looking and put up the book.At 8:15 I saw him about 25/30 yards out very quite unlike the bear on the other stand.He did not come in but just kept moving or circling around but getting a little closer every time.This moving side to side and closing the gap took a bunch of time but he was moving in but also getting later.A couple of times he gave me a broadside shot at about 12/15 yards and I wanted to shoot b/c I thought he would wait till dark to come in.Lucky I talked myself out of it.At 9:15 with about 5/10 minutes of light left he came in to the bait broadside and when he turned his head to the right I made a good shot.With a loud growl he ran a little ways away from the entrance trail.A lot of loud noise and mad sounds and then some air sucking sounds I felt he was down but still back out quite so hopefully he would stay and expire.After picking up Chris I found out we had both shot and his was dead on the trail.Next day he was exactly where I thought he was about 18 yards from the bait.Here is where we found him.
 
Back at the camp.

 
Much thanks to my haul out crew.Bill,Charlie,Randy

[SKYLER W]

Congrats guys!!! I knew you'd do it Larry!! I'll give you a call tonight.
Skyler

[buckeye_hunter]

I am trying to get the video, but having complications.

[turkey522]

Thanks for the great stories and pics.Keep them coming and congrats to all.

[fatman]

I had the opportunity to share the ride up with
Bill Terry - not a Trad Ganger, but a man involved with PBS, P&Y, and Compton for years.  Bill kept me entertained with stories of his hunts in Africa and across North America, and bowfishing for carp and stingray around his home in southern CT.  It was a long night, but we arrived in camp Saturday morning:
 

[fatman]

The Saturday hunt at Bear Quest is a mixed bag...on the one hand, you're so tired that you hurt, and every shadow and stump in the woods becomes a bear.  But you go anyway - you didn't travel this far to sleep.....
 

[fatman]

Saturday resulted in nothing but hallucinations in the woods, and the all-day rain on Sunday gave an excuse to relax and catch up on spome sleep.  Monday afternoon, the game was on...

One of the disadvantages of the first week of Bear Quest is that you don't know the last time your bait was hit;  it could have been a week ago, or just Saturday morning.  So it can take a few days for the baits to really get cooking again.  By Monday, my chosen stand (Roller Coaster) was seeing daily activity.  That afternoon. just a couple of hours after climbing into the stand, a medium-sized bear came straight in to the doughnut barrel and fed for 20 minutes....this bear basically BEGGED for an arrow through the lungs.  But I had shot a nice smaller bear two years before, and thought maybe I should hold out for a larger specimen.  Toward the end of this bear's stay, my resolve weakened, and I raised my bow as my right hand slowly came back....the bear looked up at me and trotted away from the bait.

Had I screwed up?  Was that "my" bear, the one meant for me?  Too late now, no regrets for the time being.

Just before dark, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and a much larger bear eased alongside my tree, then stopped when it reached my entry trail, turned around and melted back into the woods.  As I sat there playing that short clip back in my mind, I knew that bear was a shooter.  Minutes later, he appeared in front of the bait, outside the barrier of brush stacked behind.  The bear moaned, paced, jumped on the brush, and generally showed his frustration at not having a clear shot at the barrel. Just as the last bit of light drained from the sky, he again vanished into the woods, and I slipped quickly and quietly out of my stand and up the hill to my pickup.....

[fatman]

The next two days were a series of cat-and-mouse games with the Big Boy.  This bear had obviously either had a run-in with a hunter or had his butt kicked by another bear.  He would appear, disappear, try to climb over the brush  barrier.  Anumber of times he would come into the bait, even approach the barrel, but never stop moving long enough to get a decent shot...

On Wednesday evening, during one of these nerve-wracking exchanges, there was a twig snap behind me, and the Big Boy turned and hauled up the hill.  Presaently, another bear, smaller but still solid, entered the bait area.  I had had a honey burn going, and had hauled bait into the stand when I came in.  This bear sniffed the honey burn, then came to the base of my tree and started rummaging around in the empty doughnut bag laying there.  I rose, came to full draw, and sent an arrow straight down, aiming for the left lung.  At the release, the bear bolted and ran up the hill, cracking brush as he went....then nothing but the silence of the woods.  I sat for thirty minutes, my heart pounding and knees shaking, before I stood up and began gathering my things.  As I turned around to lower my bow, Big Boy sat in the clearing outside the bait, watching me.  He turned and trotted off into the woods....

When I got to the ground, the arrow lay in three pieces, with blood on each section.  However, the fletching had not passed through, and there was no blood on the ground.  I slipped out quietly, and quickly climbed the hill to the truck.  It was going to be a long, sleepless night....

[fatman]

All night Wednesday,  hunters around camp examined my arrow and quizzed me on the placement of my shot.  The more questions, the less sure I felt of the shot....and of my decision to shoot at that angle.  My nerves were tight as the E string on a pawn shop guitar, and I had been too anxious to send an arrow at the bear.  I should have waited until he slid over to the bait and got comfortable.  But an arrow released cannot be recalled, and there was a trail to follow the next morning.....

Ben and I have been on many a trail together, and I definitely wanted him along for this job.  I also talked Tippit into bringing Tilley along, and Larry volunteered as well.  I hoped that my decision to back out quietly had allowed the bear to lay up and bleed out.  I hoped....

When we got to the bait, we traveled in the direction that I last heard the bear.  In about 20 minutes, Tilley found the blood trail, and we began tracking in earnest, leaving markers along the way.  Across the face of the hill we traveled...then the blood stopped.  We fanned out and ran a couple of grids across the hillside, but found no evidence of the bear.

Later, Doc Springer gave me a little bear anatomy lesson, and we decided that the arrow had slid along the outside of the ribcage and nor entered the vitals.  Mixed emotions - I was glad that the bear would survive, but kicking my self for not being more patient.  Every hunt is an opportunity for a lesson learned, and I had learned.

Two nights left;  this afternoon, I would try another stand....

[fatman]

I was numbed by the experience of the previous 24 hours, and my emotions were pretty flat.  I was moving in a kind of daze getting ready for the afternoon hunt.  I needed solitude to reflect, to heal, to prepare myself.  From here on out, the goal was nothing short of a good, clean kill.

As Ben drove me out to the Moose Path stand, I realized that I'd left my Super Glove and camera laying on the bed.  I dug down in my daypack and located another glove, but I'd be without a camera.  That would come back to haunt me....

I settled into my stand, and entered that meditative state that allows hunters to sit for hours....relaxed, but senses poised to take in all surroundings.  A couple of times I heard brush popping in the swamp behind my -- moose?  Then, the noise of bears screaming, possibly fighting.  I straightened, and came to full attention.  Presently, I heard something cross the little brook flowing behind my stand, and focused my attention on the direction of the sound.....and there appeared a couple of small cubs winding their way through the woods.  For the next couple of hours, I was entertained by their antics...and me without a camera!  They were apparently orphans, as Momma never showed up.  A couple of times, they spooked and climbed to the top of a tall spruce tree ten yards from my stand.  Finally, they came down and sauntered off into the woods....