I will try to keep this as short as I can. I have a story to tell. I shot compounds for over thirty years and almost two years ago decided I needed a challenge, through some good advice I ended up purchasing a bow from a custom bowyer in our area named Shaun Boyer. I immediately fell in love with traditional archery and decided that would be the method I would use to hopefully harvest a bear on my hunt in alberta. So I spent the last year diligently slingin arrows only to find out a couple short months before the hunt that the airline would be charging me an exhorbitant price to ship my bow since the case was over 62" I immediately decided to purchase a shorter bow so that the money would not go to waste. Shaun came through again in spades, delivering the new bow with no time to waste! Mudd was kind enough to offer to put up pics so here is my new bow. It is ebony and bocote riser with hard rock maple and bamboo lambs 50" 56# @28. Draws smooth as silk with no stacking to my 29+ draw length and sends a 585 grain arrow downrange with authority! thanks again shawn!!! A fantastic bow from a fantastic guy!
Here you go Fudd!
(http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc158/mudd57/IMAG0285.jpg)
(http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc158/mudd57/IMAG0284.jpg)
God bless,Mudd
Now on to the hunt. I booked this hunt over three years ago with jeff from True North Outfitters in Alberta. We went with jeff because of the quality of the bears, the chance at a color phase bear and all the good feedback we received from his past clients. We were not disappointed! When we arrived at camp jeff explained to us that this was the last week in camp and that he had a cinnamon bear that he had seen off and on for almost nine years that he wanted to actively pursue. My friend and I heartily agreed as taking a color phase bear would be a dream come true. Turns out this bear had been wounded twice in the past by compound hunters and had been spotted back in the area the week prior to our arrival tailing a big black sow! What a man wont do for love right? Anyhow a plan was quickly formed to let my friend jim have first crack as he had already killed a black bear in the past and a cinnamon would really be the icing on the cake. It was not to be however and his first evening on stand was a swing and a miss! No bear! The next night was my turn and we set up on a game trail the bear had frequented in the past. I was on the ground and the outfitter jeff elected to tag along and attempt to film the hunt. About an hour in here came a big sow, ambling along without a care in the world, passing approximately six feet from my position. Sows are legal in alberta but I had my heart set on some cinnamon! Like a script from a movie here comes the cinnamon! My guide whispers to me get ready, he is huge! I am like, thanks a bunch! thats exactly what I needed you to say to completely destroy any last little shred of composure I had!!!! Thanks Jeff!!! buddy!!! So the bear comes down the trail and decides something is up and takes a hard left turn into the woods, stopping about 25 yards out, and laying down!!! Now it is a mexican stand off and I have no shot. This goes on for a period of time, the big cinnamon casting a glance in my direction every once in a while as if to say, I know you are there, I cant see you but I sure can smell you! All at once we hear a boat come down river. The bear jumps up at the sound of two men in the boat talking and ambles off into the brush. I have a discussion with jeff and we decide because the bear is so skittish I should get up in the tree with him so as to better my chances. It got a little cozy up there and jeff didnt smell any better than me! We knew he had not completely left the area as we saw the sow again shortly after he bolted into the woods and decided to wait it out. Once again the cinnamon comes out of the woods, and passes broadside at 20+ yds offering no shot. Apparently all those prayers and deals I was making with the man upstairs if he would only let me get a shot were heard and the big boy took a hard left and a left again and presented me with a eleven yard broadside shot. I drew anchored and released and my magnus stinger was on its way! It found its mark, passing through the big cinnamon and burying itself in the ground on the other side. Jeff and I almost broke the tree stand jumping up and down like a couple mountain gorillas!! Kind of funny to see two grown men act like that I imagine, all the while trying not to make a sound. After much celebrating we decided the shot was a little farther back than I would have liked after reviewing the footage and we decided to back out and give him a chance to expire. After about seven completely sleepless hours and a frantic boat ride back to the woods we spent four hours trying to pick up a blood trail. If I was ever going to have a heart attack it was now! Worse than any stress test let me tell you! We regrouped and decided the best course of action was to work a grid in the approximate area we last heard the bear, went to that spot and promptly found him dead!! About 120 yards from where I shot him!!! I had taken out the bottom of one lung, the diapraghm, and a portion of the liver and spleen. After much back slapping, hugging, tears of relief and prayers of thanks, Jeff offered the bear a gift of tobacco as is their tradition and we proceeded to process my trophy. This is my first kill with traditonal equipment and I could not be happier. I did not kill a whitetail for the first time in 28 years last year because I was committed to traditional equipment. My dedication paid off and I want to thank all of you who have endured my dumb questions, and all of those who know way more than me about this wonderful sport who have helped me shoot better than I ever thought possible. Many thanks to Shaun Boyer from flintridge bows, coshocton ohio and true north outfitters!! Thanks again mudd for posting the pics, I will figure it out one of these days!!!
mudd is going to post pics of the bear, I know some will ask how big? Estimated weight per the outfitter was somewhere between 350 and 400 lbs. The skull is a little over 19" so he will make pope and young! He squares out a little over six and a half feet and will be full body mounted to add to my collection!
Here's the 1st image.
The second is still out there in cyber space somewhere...lol
(http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc158/mudd57/IMG_3230.jpg)
God bless,Mudd
PS: I'm sure it will show up sooner or later. When it does, I'll get it up.
Photo #2
(http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc158/mudd57/IMG_3271.jpg)
God bless,Mudd
great Bear and Bow
Awesome animal! Beautiful bow! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice bear, I love the colour. Congratulations on a fine animal.
Great story and a beautiful bear. Congratulations!
Good job and a Great story :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
super bear congratulations. That bowyer have a website?
Excellent Bear and great bow, very good story as well. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Travis
Holy moly!!! Nice bear! Great looking bow as well. Really love the lines on that one!
Goooood Looking Bear.... I too love that color. Congrats !
2nd littlebigman I tried looking up your bowyer does he have a web site ?
Great bear!
Congrats,
Bisch
Good job!!!
Very nice bear.
Very nice. I really like this time of year when the bear hunters are coming in from the bush.
Great bear and beautiful bow! Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful animal! Just gorgeous!! Congrats. :thumbsup:
WHat a great bear cool story and nice bow to boot!
Congratulations!
Wow, a second punkin' headed bear on page 1! Way to go on your first trad kill. May it be the start of a great year with your new bow.
Great bear, well done!
That's a Dandy bear there fella!!! :clapper:
And I gotta say I love the title of your thread... :laughing: Congrats!
Beautiful bear!!! Congrats!!!
Brian
The bowyer that built both my bows unfortuanately does not have a website. He builds a limited amount of bows each year but does a fantastic job with each one. I have looked at a lot of bows and his craftsmanship is just as good if not better than any of the high end bows out there. My new bow in particular is very short, only 50" but does not stack at all and is very fast. I have a 62" r/d longbow he built that is absolutely beautiful as well and shoots just as nicely. He involved me in the build process every step of the way and you could not ask for a nicer guy. PM me if you want to contact him. He is very well known in our area for his fine work but does not advertise. Thanks for all the great comments, It feels great to have finally taken game after spending countless hours slinging thousands of arrows to put one right where it counted.
Great bear and meaningful accomplishment!
WOW, now that's a nice bear right there! Congrats!
Thats a nice bear!!! Thanks for sharing!
Nice bear and bow!! Congrats!!
Congrats very nice bear!I like the bow too,very aggressive design,it must be fast.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats!!
:clapper: Great looking bear!
Bill
Nice bow, and a great bear!
Nice bear, congrats!
Ya done good! Pretty bear, will make an awesome mount to keep those memories fresh. :clapper: :clapper:
Another photo
(http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc158/mudd57/IMG_3300.jpg)
God bless,Mudd
:clapper:
Wish I could view the pictures, guess I'll have to wait till I get home.
congrats on your bear.
Great bear and great story.That is quite the trophy.Glad you are going to have it mounted lifesize.
Great Bear :clapper: - He looks smaller in your last picture ;)
Hey .... Good stuff
Thanks for the great story & Pix Matt. That bow is as beautiful as any I've seen. Complete passthrough w/585gr. Now that's perfect!
Hey .... Good stuff
Great bear man.
Congrats :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
A great story and bear. Congratulations!
Congrat's !!! Nice Cinnamon Bear :jumper:
Thanks for sharing the story with us. I am hoping to get a nice color phase like that someday in the near future.
Great job, congrats!!!!
congrats on a fine bear
Now thats ah BAAR
Fantastic bear and an even better story!
Congradulations on an impressive animal. I'm glad it was not the real Yogi though, Jellystone would never be the same.
Congrats on such a fine animal!
Sweet! That is an awesome bear right there!
That is an awesome bear!!! Congrats!!!
:clapper:
Great story, fantastic Bear, and Wicked looking bow! Well Done! :notworthy: :clapper:
Now that there is one whopper bear. Congrats :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
CONGRAT Nice bear, I love that bow, and thanks for sharing.
WOW what a bear. Congrats :eek:
Beautiful bear. Congrats. Must have been a chore just getting him in position for that second photo.
Great bear and nice looking bow. Congratulations!!
Yep, that's a real trophy. Great job!
Nice bow even nicer bear. Can't wait to get to shoot that bow buddy. Congratulations.
Beautiful Bear!!!! Congratulations and way to stick to the trad equipment! Nothing quite like it, eh?
Nice one . And a great first trad kill.
No question getting to take that bear with traditional equipment was a huge payoff for me. I cant tell you how many of my friends thought I was completely nuts! Macksdad is only one of two friends in the area that shoot traditional equipment and understood my resolve to go to alberta armed only with stick and string. His daughter even made sure I was armed with a few four leaf clovers for insurance! Thanks Mack! I passed up a lot of deer last year because of the limitations that traditonal equipment applies to the hunt but continually reminded myself that is why I took this up. And let me tell you the rewards are just that much sweeter when I finally scored. And the people I have met through traditional archery and this forum only help to reinforce the idea that this is why I got into it in the first place. Thanks again everybody for all your positive comments, they are much appreciated. Hopefully we get to slam dunk some frogs this next weekend macksdad and I am crossing my fingers you can make it to coudersport, sounds like a great time.
Walking the walk. It`s all about HUNTING and not just killing. As you may have heard "the journey IS the destination"!
Great bear!
Heartfelt congratulations, and many happy returns! :campfire:
WOW! That makes the bear I got look like a cub. Beautiful color!
Fantastic bear and hunt! Great pictures also! Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your story.
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Big kill thats for sure,,,congrats
Congratulations on a successful hunt! Thats a cool looking bow you have.
Now thats a bear!! Congrats! Shawn
Beautiful Bear. I love that color phase. Congrats!
That is great!!!! Congrats