Ryan definitely has a phenomenal area to hunt. The combination of agriculture and bush habitat is perfect for bear reproduction and growth. I sat 5 different stands and saw about 30 different bears. I might be color-blind though, as every last bear was black. It was almost the norm to walk in and find bears actively feeding at the bait. They would often amble away and wait until things quieted down, then return to feed.
I hunted the Determination stand on day 4 and actually found it to be fairly tame. I saw 5 or 6 bears that night and had 3 of them chased up trees around me by bigger ones. One 175 pounder jumped up a tree next to mine and popped its jaws at the huge distance of 5 feet. After exiting the stand toward dusk I had a bear follow me out the trail and try to bluff me...great fun. It was absolutely the norm to climb down with bears feeding/watching from the bait.
Ryan's new camp is superb. Elevated decks hold 2 large wall tents which are very spacious. Four hunters have plenty of room to occupy. The combination bathroom/shower house is a true luxury and we all commented how good it was to have a hot shower whenever needed. Kitchen and dining areas were also very well set up, though my cook could have been better looking. I guess that's to be expected when you prepare your own meals!
All-in-all, the toughest part of this hunt for me was actually not having to work hard. I told Ryan and Mike I am so used to diy hunts...haven't hunted with a guide in many years...that I found it hard to 'just' hunt.
Topic: Stickflingers (Read 6763 times)
