Now it’s Sunday and headed for my stand at about 3:30 with more donuts. I remember smaller Chad told me to put satellite piles of donuts out to make the bears move and get them committed to the bait.
There was nothing going on earlier except for squirrels of course.
Then at about 7:30 I see a bear coming from the top of the mountain down to the bait but he was really skittish and would not come any closer than about 40 yards. After 20 minutes or so he walked back from where he came. Then about 15 minutes later I catch a glimpse of a bear behind me and he starts working his way to where he was earlier. He didn’t cross my left side any closer than 30 yards. Once he made it up above the bait where he was earlier he made a decision to come closer to the bait and he was coming straight down the mountain to the bait. But he stops and sits down Just above the bait behind a bunch of small trees checking everything out. He is only about ten yards from the bait. He starts walking away from me but along a trail just above the bait. But he stops just a short ways and ends up walking back up the way he came the first time; up the mountain. I got to watch him circle down toward the lake. The ridge almost forms a bowl behind me and I eventually lost sight. Now its 8 o'clock and I’m sitting in my stand with my bow and arrow knocked. I hear a twig snap and thought, "oh it’s just another squirrel". WRONG! When I looked in behind and to the right I saw him about just coming out the thicket at 8 yards away. He would look up at me a few times but like the other times, he would stop look around and smell; again in no hurry. So finally he came to the bait sight and quickly ate the donut pile below the barrel. Once he was done with that he headed for the barrel and would not get anything out of it. There was something he didn’t like about the barrel. So he started to walk away but his hunger got the best of him. He headed for the pile behind the barrel and behind the tree. Once his head was covered with the tree I was able to stand up and get ready. Once he gave me the shot I wanted I told myself to calm the hell down. That was useless. Haha. But I waited for him to go back to eating and smoked him!
I watched that arrow go right behind the shoulder and disappear.
He took off straight up the hill and he stopped in a little opening and fell over. He tried to bite the wound but then he started his death moan. At the same time I could hear he coughing and knew it was a lung shot. The death moan went for a good 20 seconds.
I was about fell out of my stand, cause I was so excited. The feeling was indescribable! I then saw my arrow sticking in the ground covered with blood and could not believe I got a pass through.
He only went about 40 yards up the hill. And I knew the shot was perfect at the moment of release.
I ended up shooting him at 8:22 and could not stand sitting in that stand another second. I wanted the guys to come pick me up with the boat. But I didn’t want to leave early so I would not disturb anything. So I made till about 9:15 and made to the lake and sat on a log in the water and waited for about 30 minutes and finally I heard the boat coming.
I told Chad and Dwight that I killed bear and watched him go down. They were ready to go get him. So I got my arrow and made to the bear and could not believe how massive and beautiful this bear was. I figured he weighed about 190 but when we were draggin him I thought about 350. Haha. Defiantly not an easy drag.
Yes for those of you that have hunted this stand I know it’s pretty much downhill but I promise it was terrible. Especially when we got to the logs that were over the marsh part by the lake! Then we had to get him in the boat then once we did and got Dwight and Chad in the boat the boat was beached. But I just pushed harder and we were finally on our way after about a 2 hour drag.
Then we made it to camp and tom was the first to greet us and was so surprised. Then came everyone else and everyone was so nice and were congratulating me. They were saying it was over 250 lbs. but that didn’t matter to me. I was just happy to be done draggin him. And the fact that I killed a bear with a recurve.
We the got him on the scales and I was blown away!!! I never would have guessed it. 275 lbs. !!!!
I couldn’t be more happy!
Then my dad decided not to say anything but Jay told me that my dad got one and that just topped off the night.
What can I say, not a bad father's day after all!
Oh and cannot forget about the infamous draggin crew. Thanks guys.
Now the real work is starting.
Well it all would not have been possible without a couple of great people. I want to thank everyone at camp but mainly Tom, Bow Doc, and Zack for all the hard and long hours they put in getting bear quest ready. Tom was always doing something and always helping when you needed it. Same goes with Zack, he taught me a lot about baiting and about the bears. They do a fantastic job and are great people.
And let’s face it bear quest would not be the same without Bow Doc. He makes sure food is always on the table and it’s the best food you could ask for. There is never a dull moment with Bow Doc in camp. If you weren’t eating you were laughing. Since I killed my bear the second night I got to spend a lot of time with Bow Doc and loved listening to all the awesome stories he had. But when joking was aside he was truly genuine.
All in all it was a great hunt. Wouldn’t trade it for anything.
All thanks to my Dad!
And then on our days off Dwight, my Dad, and I went fishing. Zack and Jeff joined us on our last day of fishing. We were able to feed the camp with 15 guys for lunch with all the walleye and pike we caught and had some left over. We caught quit a lot of fish.
And LD, sorry bout the Tippet knife. I can say it is sure a relly nice knife. Thanks Tippet.
JP
Topic: Bear Quest 6 Start Your Engines!!!! (Read 4722 times)
