Day three starts as soon as I climb the tree and get hooked up in the stand. My little buddy from the previous day returns to take advantage of the fresh batch of goodies just dropped off. I spent the next two and a half hours watching his antics until he's joined by two more bears, a smaller sow and a second year cub. The sow never comes to the bait and patrols the area softly grunting while her little one feeds.
Sunset is around 8:50pm and darkness comes quickly to the woods after that. At around 9:05pm I decide I should probably chase the bears off the bait so I can get down and back to the truck. I softly clap my hands together to get the attention of the three bears in the area.
Immediately all three run into the thick bush behind the crib. Then comes more noise this time popping of teeth and huffing. The three bears run back past the crib and into the woods in the opposite direction. The popping continues from behind the crib. Out steps a bigger bear that I have not seen before in the darkness about eight yards behind the bait station looking in the direction the three bears had just ran off to.
I had only about ten seconds to make a decision, large body, not much legs and I couldn't see any ears. As the bear stood broadside I quickly came to full draw and the hot pink fletched 5575 Goldtip Traditional tipped with a 1963 Bear Razorhead was on it's way. In the failing light the hit appeared to be good, maybe a inch or two higher than I had intended but still in the right spot. The bear crashed through the thick brush opposite the stand and then there was silence. I checked the time and it was 9:10pm. I waited a few minutes, climbed down and went to the point of impact to retrieved my arrow that was stuck in the dirt. A clean pass thru with good blood, I was happy with the hit but you never know. I'd heard no death moan so I quietly snuck out back to the truck and headed for camp.