Eye level Manitoba Bears, a new bow..TUSX Gear, and Instinct heads.

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

As many of you may know, springtime here in Manitoba is a busy time for me preparing to host 16 hunters for spring bear hunts. Much to my surprise my good friends Chuck and Mike (both Stickflingers themselves) had camp set up and all the baits baited before I could even get to camp.

Rewind**** I had twice headed up north to get the baits done with minimal success due to the late spring and huge amounts of snow. On my frustrated drive home each time I stopped 2 hours south of bear camp at my own personal bait to top it up just in case I had a day to hunt...

[jcar315]

[Jake Scott]

 

Jake

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

So arriving in camp was a surprise to see everything ready to go for the upcoming weeks. 4 days to go before hunters arrived, and maybe a half day of fine tuning and grocery shopping was all we had ahead for work.....hmmm...what to do?

Bill Dunn had sent me up a new bow, quiver, and some Instinct heads to try out just in case I had the chance before he arrived in camp. My new set of TUSX gear had arrived a few days earlier, my bait was being cleaned out, the wind was from the south, and I had a cameraman pulling my rubber arm to head south to hunt.

Oh...alright...I guess we can go hunting!

[Hermon]

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

I've already posted a thread on the Zipper, but haven't had a chance to comment on the Grizzly Instincts. In under 2 minutes I had each head popping hairs and spinning perfect. The long lean profile gave me confidence in them from the first glance. Watch for them in the pix to come...

The TUSX Gear...WOW! Everything has been well thought out in this stuff! Fits like a glove...options everywhere...perfect material for warm weather,,, and the pattern is something else. I really liked the pattern as soon as I opened the package but you have no idea how well it works until you hit the woods. The colors in it seem to mute into the woods depending on the area. No lie...the greens in it fade when no green is around, and the then seem to come to life when green vegetation is near. All camo looks good in shadows but TUSX gear blends in when you're in direct light. Watch the flowing pix for examples...

Back to the hunt..

[Ray Lyon]

Oh boy. On the edge of my chair

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

So Mike and I crest the hill that looks into the valley and hidden field where the bait lives and no lie it's like a herd of bears in the field below....maybe 6 or 8 bears are roaming the field, up trees, or on the bait.

(my previous bear videos show a creek I always cross...which..has become a nemesis of mine very spring due to high water levels. I decided to move the bait to the close side of the creek along the edge of the field. With the open field behind me I felt confident that bears would not circle..(man was I wrong)

With video to shoot we lost the opportunity to capture all of this but did get the trip into position on tape with one treed bear in the background.

[wapiti792]

 Yeah boyyyeee!

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Mikes view over my shoulder!

[Steve O]

Ahhhh, back to the hunt!

Saw a hint of this earlier and have been waiting eagerly.. Can't wait to get back up there next spring Ryan.

[Steve O]

Holy cow, you better flip that thing, I am getting dizzy!

Don't stop now! You are just getting warmed up!

Bisch

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Heres TUSX in mixed light and shadows...no front cover. Check out the pretty broadhead!

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

More direct light.

And resized...sorry moderators!

[Ryan Sanpei]

"Herd of bears"!!! I really need to book a hunt one of these days...

   

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Needless to say there was no "settling in" phase but rather a constant flurry of bears for the entire evening. The idea of the open field being a barrier was quickly ruined as a dozen bears making it home and many of those trying to share our makeshift blind. An easy 24 different identifiable bears (likely more) visited the bait that evening, many of which would make most hunters happy. Bears of every color, size, gender...sows with cubs, single sows, small boars, giant boars.

Giant boars?

[dhermon85]

   

[Hermon]

Come on Ryan, keep going!

[steadman]

Keep it coming bud! Bears from the ground, dream right there