Due to the aftershock of what had just happened or the cold I started to shake, a lot. Taking the tree stand down, lowering my bow and backpack and removing the steps out of the tree took quite some time. I was removing the last 2 steps while standing on the ground when I looked up the mountainside and saw Steve’s headlamp coming down the trail. The light stopped right where I assumed the Bear should have crossed the main trail on his run. Thinking Steve may have seen blood I shouted out “ What are you stopped for? “ No response and the light starts moving down the trail, crosses through the saplings goes along the ponds edge and comes to me.
Steve said “What the heck did you yell out to me for?” I just wanted to know why you stopped, don’t know why! He started in again “ All I saw this evening was squirrels, how about you?” Steve you need to know is a man’s man. Rugged dude in appearance and manner, worked for Uncle Sam, trains dogs, builds custom rifles and brews his own Beer among other things. “I said so you think you are pretty macho, huh? How macho are you?” He says, “I am not carry your backpack out for you just so you can carry that tree stand”. I jumped on him right then and said “I just shot a big Bear and WE are going to track it in the dark”.
More (manly) hugs, high fives and I tell the tale as we eventually get to where the Bear was last standing and find no sign of blood. We walk 20 feet to the Aspens and find a couple of spots on downed timber. Initially, every time we would find blood we would leap frog with one of us staying at the last located spot until the next blood was found. We were finding blood every 10 feet for the first 30 yards, when we found 8 inches of the front end of my arrow with the broadhead all covered in blood.
The bear crossed the main trail, jumped on a 24 inch diameter log and went along its entire 30 foot length. There was blood splatters every 3 feet all along the right side of the downed tree. Yahoo! He is bleeding very good from the opposite side of the arrows entrance. At the end of the downed tree we go into more small Aspens and then we hit a wall of Oak Brush with a small opening like a dogs door. It’s a freaking tunnel entering the Oak Brush!
Numerous times we are on our stomachs and our backs pulling our way through this Bear maze, which at times appears less than 18 inches high. This Bear must have been much smaller than I assumed when observing him briefly prior to my shot to be able to get through here. Another 20 yards and we find the rest of my Cedar arrow with blood covering fletching and all, with the next blood found on both sides of the Bears escape route.
Topic: Time for a Tall Tale (Read 1020 times)
