2012 Spring Bear Hunt Thread

[Bel007]

C'mon Sam... don't leave us hangin'

Spill it    


 

[Big Ed]

Come on Sam!!

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

I have never did one of these on going stories but I will do my best cause there is a lot to tell.Please forgive my grammar and spelling , here goes.

 This will be my 2nd year hunting with Ridgerunner outfitters in Idaho , I had a great hunt last year and this year was just as good. Me and my hunting buddy Felix made the 36 hour drive straight through and hit camp in the Clearwater wilderness a few days early and got settled in for our hunt. And as last year the weather wasent the best rain and kinda cold not the greatest for bear hunting but we did not care we were in bear camp.We put our packs on and did a little walk a few miles back to a spot we hunted last year and saw a bear our first day out so we were pretty happy about that.
 The next day Jo( a fellow tradganger ) and his friends got in camp and we made our plans. The weather was still not good so while everyone hunted I cut wood and helped with stands and bait sites.Wasent many bears seen but everyone is having a big time ( great guys to share a camp with ).
 
 
 
 

 Be back in a few need to eat dinner........

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

cant wait to hear the stories sam.  I havent told my Idaho tale yet either. Brother blaster and a friend headed out for an 7 day hunt with me in Idaho last week.  I had been baiting about 4 spots and trying toi get the bears patternable.  Well after a month of hard work packin 55 galoon drums and numerous buckets of bait up and down the hills I only had 2 baits really getting hit well.  We were a little disappointed at the high volume of people that showed up to hunt in the area we were in.
  We just tried to do what we could to avoid them and make our odds a little better.  we rafted across a river and tried to bait where no one else would go.  Every day we would change from hunter to videographer to allow everyone a chance to kill a bear on our limited baits.
   On the 5th day Blaster and I went in at about noon for a long sit and decided to swap every hour from camera guy to hunter to keep it interesting.  Blaster had the first sit from 1 to 2 and didnt see anything. at 2 it was my turn and by 2:07 we had a bear coming in.  It circled the whole bait and while I was watching for it where I last saw it Blaster spotted it peeking from behind a tree at about 20 yards where it took off outta there.  The sit was uneventful until about 4:40 when once again it was my turn and we saw a bear approaching from below. This bear committed well and soon was walking up to the bait. As he got to the bait I picked a spot and let her rip. Lookin down at the bait I felt pretty confident...
 

[Bel007]

[swp]

Dang Chris,
Did you spray paint the ground and the top of that bait can?

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

The barrel and ground are gelatin mix I believe.  The logs and arrow on the other hand are the results of a sharp Simmons.

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

By the time all hunters are picked up and everyone tells of the days events its very late every night.Not much bear news , as usual the baits that no one is sitting get hit.Ok lets start this part by saying I have never been on a horse keep this in mind.Me and Mr. Anderson our outfitter are going to set a few backcountry baits on horseback , ok Im game.The total trip at the end of the day was over 12mi total , I had no idea a horse could go the places it took me.We rode up and down mountain trails that were just plain crazy and do a river crossing now I dont think I am scared of much but the pucker factor was in high gear you could say.We were packing bear bait a chain saw 2 bow blinds and some other stuff on another horse that I was leading.We would clear the trail as we went go back get the horses move up stop , clear so far go back ect. ect.
Well at the first river crossing the horse with the chainsaw on it did not want to cross.It was getting a little heated between the horses and I came out on the wrong end of this deal. We were turning around and the chainsaw blade got hung in between my leg and both horses. It did have a guard on the blade but let me tell you if your leg is hung between two horses going two different ways you will loose every time brother.
Im still a little sore from the deal but it was all worth it in the end ( think I might get me a few horses ) The ride out in total darkness up a very steep and muddy mountain was just insane and I loved every min of it , and now have a very new respect and love for horses. Well we had been there for a few days now and no bears shot and I had not even hunted yet so the next day Im going hunting no matter what.The next morning I get my pack together for a hike back into where me and Felix had went and scouted and seen the bear on day one , the weather turned out to be the best of the entire trip. Its prob a mile and a half back in on foot to this spot up and down the mountain with one river crossing by walking a big log.Here is a few more pics Im about to leave for work now 3 days at the firehouse. When I get home Thurs I will get back to the story.
,,,,,,,Sam,,,,,,,
 
 
 
 

The view from my blind.....

Then I found this about 10yds past my bait , why its my arrow with red stuff from end to end??????
 

Then I fount this stuff on the ground and on the plants , Im gonna follow it and see what is leaking.
 
 

 See yall Thursday...............
,,,,,Sam,,,,,

[kestimator]

Congrats Sam and Felix!!!
I spoke with Sam as he and Felix were hauling through Denver last evening.  
Sounds like a great adventure with rugs to be made and great tasting bear steaks to be grilled and fried!!
Between weather and wrecks they had one heck of a good time!!!  
Sam keeps after me to join him, and I plan to either when my sons can go with me or things get a little more "stable" regarding family schedules.  
Anyway...I tip my hat to Sam and Felix and their bear hunting exploits!!!

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

Nice!  Love the suspense and the bloody arrow!  
 After me shot the bear only went about 30 yards and was down in under ten seconds.  It wasnt a big bear like a lot of you lucky guys have been killing but very rewarding since so much hard work went into it.
  After the shot I hung up my bow and grabbed the camera and blaster took up his shrew.  About an hour later we had a sow walk by about 50 yards away and then a nice boar came from the opposite way and walked within ten yards of us. Blaster couldnt get turned that way without being seen and the boar caught the sows scent and birddogged after her.  We waited til an hour before dark and got down for pics.
 
  The next day the trail cam showed a nice bear at the bait before we must have been a few hundred yards away.  I believe they must be able to see or smell you and hang back in the brush and wait.
   I was a little aprehensive about my set up since I have never hunted with a bow that light before but I got great results.  I was shootin a 47 pound "dark matter" centaur and beman arrows with a simmons safari head up front.  Complete pass through on a quartering shot.  Not a huge bear but a great hunt.
  We went on to hunt the next few days with some close calls.  On the last day my wife shot a pretty chocolate bear with her compound to end a wonderful week.  
   We all gained about ten pounds from some amazing cooking from my wife.  already lookin forward to next year and next weekend.  One tag left and will give it the old college try once more before I hang it up for the spring.

[Bel007]

Awsome TFG !!    

[kestimator]

Congrats Turkeyfootgirl!!

[Missouri CK]

This thread keeps getting better.  Great stories and pics

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Great bear you got there Tutkeyfootgirl , what part of Idaho are yall hunting , Im stuck here at work now looking at this on my phone.

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

Up on the lochsa river.  Lots of bears but lots of people as well.  You must be west of us but somewhere close if your in a 2 bear area.

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

We are on the North Fork of the Clearwater around Skull creek.......

[steadman]

Congrats and thanks for the stories! Especially for those of us who dodn't get to go this year.

[rbcorbitt]

Sam,

Goog story!  Watch out for those horses, my friend!   They sometimes have a mind (or lack of a mind) of thier own.  Looking forward to the next installment!

Bob C

[rbcorbitt]

I meant good, not goog!     Guess I'm going to have to break down and get me some readers!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Congrats to thew new posters.

There has been blood shed at bear quest!