Trad Gang

Group 1 broke camp early this morning.  After the ride back from La Tuque with Jeff Springer (Tippit) and Barry Wensel, it is time to catch up on some rest.  

It was a very successful 1st week.  Once I get back home tomorrow night, I have a lot of pics to post.

Hold tight as there are a lot of adventures to be shared.

:campfire:

:campfire:  

Should be a good one.... Can't wait .....

:campfire:    :coffee:

Cant wait,    :notworthy:

Been looking forward to this one!!

Glad you made it back Larry,can't wait for pics.

:bigsmyl:    :campfire:

Awesome week with a bunch of great guys.
Thanks for making this such a memorable event.

Git ready... I know a lot of the guys aren't even home yet but I'll get the tales rolling.. be right back. UB

Yea boy.  Let's hear em and have a safe trip home.

God Bless,  Pierre

Without making this a sales pitch, this hunt continues to be an outstanding example of what traditonal bowhunting is all about. Tom Phillips and his crew do an absolute outstanding job year after year. I know there are guys who have this hunt on their bucket list and seem to put off going for one reason or another, but you really should go for it as nothing is forever. I'm afraid there will be guys in the future who will look back and kick themselves for letting a golden opportunity slip through their fingers. It's not just the excellent hunting but the colorful "character" of the entire camp. This was my fifth year in a row and every hunt was unique and something I'll never forget. There's literally centuries of wisdom sitting around each and every campfire.
Every single hunter in camp had opportunities with close range encounters. Some, including myself, chose not to shoot for one reason or another. But that's what bowhunting is all about. I had at least one bear under me each and every day I hunted. My last day is a good example so I'll elaborate on Friday so as not to make this too long. Please remember we are very remote with no cell service so it's not like everyone can keep you folks updated daily. Friday I climbed into my stand about 11:30 AM. The first bear arrived at 1:00 and the next at 4 PM. It was sunny and cool and I got some great video footage. About 6 PM a front moved in and it started to rain shortly thereafter. I put a plastic bag over the camcorder and pulled my raincoat on. No problem until about 6:30 when the lightning started. It began cracking all around me. Sitting in a metal treestand in a lightning storm it's real smart so I left everything there and slid out for the safety of the truck until 7PM. At 7:10 here came a nice boar that I'd already passed up on Wednesday waiting for an even bigger one. He was recognizable since he had two puncture wounds on his snout from an obviously recent encounter. He circled and finally walked right in. When I rebait I normally put about a third of the bait in the barrel which was 13 yds. right in front of me. Then I place another third in a small pile on the ground about ten yards quartering off to my right and another third in a pile about ten yards off to my left. These "satellite" baits allow more than one bear to feed at the same time. With just the single bait barrel you often have one bear dominate the barrel whereas the smaller piles are far enough apart to allow multiple bears to feed at once. Additionally, if a single bear comes in he often will walk between the piles offering more shot angles, etc. Anyway, this nice boar walked right in and laid down at the satellite pile to my left. He knew I was in the tree and constantly kept his eyes on me but only offering the frontal angle. Twice as he maneuvered around I got about two inches from full draw when he shifted a little and I let down. If someone would have bet me he would lay there for fifty minutes and never offer me anything but a frontal angle I would have lost the bet. At one point a snowshoe hare came right under my stand and walked literally 6 or 7 feet from the bear. He stood on all fours and took a wide stance with his front legs. As the rabbit hopped just in front of him he swung his head to his left. It was really tempting to sink a three-blade just to the left of his sternal notch knowing I'd likely get either the carotid artery and/or jugular but I knew better. I knew I'd also not likely get an exit hole and it was still drizzling rain. Always practice what you preach. After fifty minutes, at about 8 PM he stood and swapped ends. When I draw the bow it takes probably two seconds to draw and settle in for the shot. In that two seconds he went from frontal to the butt angle and slowly walked straight away. Since I still had a solid hour of light remaining I figured he'd be back knowing there was still plenty of bait left. The bad news is his short departure gave two more bears the opportunity to slide in from my right. The one I wanted stayed back in the brush about fifty yards huffing and popping at each other. One of the newcomers was a very decent boar that I'd seen every day I hunted. I'd already passed him up a dozen times. The third bear had a great pelt but was a teenager. The bigger one laid right in front of me offering all kinds of shots. He had a bum back right leg. It looked like it had been caught in a snare years previous. He wouldn't bear weight (no pun intended) on the leg and you could see the right hindquarter was atrophied from lack of use. He adapted by sitting mostly on his opposite hip and therefore rubbed most of the hair from it. Sorry guys, I gotta go... be back shortly. BW

Okay.. the limper sat there at under ten yards just begging me to shoot. I looked at the time. It was almost 9PM and getting dark. My stand is a one hour drive back to camp. It I shot him at 9PM I wouldn't get back to camp until 10PM. If a group of guys came back with me we'd likely not start tracking until well after 11PM. Then finding him, carrying him out, another hour back to camp, then we'd still need to take photos, skin him, butcher him, etc. I know the guys would have jumped all over that opportunity but the fact we had to leave camp early the next morning and everyone still had to pack, etc. I didn't want to do that to the guys. I lowered the bow with him right there at dark and walked away with two bears under 12 yards and a smile on my face.
It seems Tom Phillips has a harder time filling the slots the second week of the hunt. I think guys are thinking they're getting sloppy left overs after the first week. This is NOT the case. The guys in the second week usually see even more rutting activity as the bigger boars get more bold and are actively ranging for hot sows. Plus the fact guys in the second week know which baitsites are the most active and can adjust accordingly. I'm anxious to see whoever sits my stand (if they shoot one I recognize) to see how close my guess on actual weights will
be. No matter, I think there were only three of us who chose to come home without a bear. Don't feel sorry for us because we didn't get one. I think you'll find we all had the time of our lives and made many life-long memories. Thanks guys... it was an honor and pleasure to hunt with you all. Now for the rest of the stories. BW aka Uncle Barry

Sounds like another good week Barry.  Been looking foward to the stories.

Its was a good time meeting everyone there...
Still trying to recoperate from it all

Ken B

Great story Barry , and you sum up perfectly what Bearquest is all about . I have been fortunate to have been on two of these hunts and to say they were memorable doesn't do them justice . Lord willing I will make another trip with Tom in the future . Best to the second week guys , Fred

:campfire:

Thanks Uncle Barry, Hope papa bowdoc feed ya all well and cant wait for more of the Bear Quest 5 gangs events. Best wishes

Like Barry said in his earlier post, this is an event worth attendingg.  Tom Phillips puts on a "first class act" for the Bear Questors -- it is a wonderful experience with or without bringing home a bear.

My journey started on Thursday, the 9th of June when I flew from Pensacola to Boston and was picked up and hosted by Jeff "Tippit" Springer and his lovely wife, Molly.

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Thank you Jeff and Molly for opening up your home to me.

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After a wonderful Thursday evening dinner, sharing stories and catching up on past happenings, and getting a good night's rest, we were all set for our travels to La Tuque, Quebec, come Friday morning.  

After Barry Wensel arrived on Friday morning, we packed up the vehicle and were on our way.

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It was a long haul to La Tuque, but with Barry's stories, the time passed quickly.  Being from Florida, I can attest to the beauty of the beaches.  But it just doesn't compare to the beauty and scenary I was able to take in on the way up to and in Canada.

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:campfire:    :coffee:

Man this is just getting started and im headed for the PA mountains.I will check back on thursday.  :campfire:

Friday evening in La Tuque was great because we met up with several more Trad Gangers.  Saturday morning the rest of the group arrived.  

This was a great group, and I enjoyed sharing stories with all of them.  I hope to one day share another camp with all of them.

Our group consister of:  Tom Phillips, "the Real Bowdoc", Tippit-Jeff Springer, Kip-Kip Manuel, Buckeye_hunter-Charlie Miller, Bowhuntersrct-Bill Terry Sr., KS bowman-Ben Saye, Bill Langer, Wapitimike-Mike O'Connell, Fatman-Kevin Symes, Chris Kinslow, White Oaks-Randy Page, Gatekeeper-Tom Porter, Barry Wensel, Bowplinker-Ken Bueche and myself.

We met at the La Tuque Sporting Goods Store and gathered up last minute articles before heading on to the camp.

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The ride to the camp presented even better scenery even with the last few miles of dust being kicked up by the lead vehicles

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But with Jeff's driving and Tilly's keen eye, we made it without a hitch.

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I hope you stayed upwind of Ben  :)  I've also heard he is good bear bait  ;)

:campfire:    :coffee:

The drive back home to Ohio seemed longer than the drive to Quebec somehow. I got in at 7 this morning after taking a 3 hour nap in the truck near Cleveland. I was too sleepy to make the last 2 hours in the dark.


It was an honor to hunt with these guys! The biggest thing I learned in camp was all that I don't know yet. Many of the guys in camp are EXTREMELY talented with leather and steel. Everyone was very gracious and patient with me as this was my first bear hunt. It seemed as if so much of the history of trad bowhunting was right there in camp.

I had a number of interesting and hair raising experiences in the stand. The stories will have to come later after I get some sleep and finish unpacking. We just got back in from celebrating father's Day in Columbus with my in-laws. So no time to get much done yet.

A special thanks to Barry for riding into camp with me when he saw I was flying solo. I also want to thank him publicly for all his advice. Everything he advised/told me proved correct when on stand. If you haven't had the chance to hunt with Barry, he is a genuine guy. Thank you for helping me out, it was a priceless experience.

A second and equally personally thank you to Larry Surtees for filming my hunt, fishing with me and being there for the recovery of my bear. It was a special time for me.

I also want to thank Chris and Kip for carrying out my bear. I was glad to return the favor Kip(although yours was MUCH larger).

Kenny thanks for the leather and the subtle humor you added to the hunt! Your leather working skills are phenominal.

I also want to thank everyone that cooked this week. The meals included Shrimp, cajun crawfish, steak, chili, ribs, balsamic chicken, BBQ chicken etc. We ate VERY well!

Finally, before I get to the task of sleeping and putting away my gear, I will second Barry's comments on hunting the second week. I firmly believe your chances may be even better in the second week. We killed 2 bears from my stand. It was still getting smashed even after two hunters had killed bears there. As a matter of fact there was even a bear fight at the stand one morning that kept the guys from being able to go in and bait it. The second weeks guys will do very well!


More later.....

12 out of 15 hunters shot and recovered bears. Pics and stories will come.

I'll be sure to check back in.

Congrats to everyone on a great camp shared.   :thumbsup:    :campfire:

Great begining for the Quest....  wonderful stories guys I can't wait to hear more  :)

 :campfire:

Been waiting for the stories to begin.Thanks and congrats to all.

We finally arrive at camp Saturday a.m., unpack, eat some lunch, and get ready for an evening hunt.

Before I get started about the hunts, I'd like to share some pics I took around the camp.

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Keep it coming guys.  My nephew, his son and friend are up there right now.  

Mr. Surtees great pics.  :campfire:  

God Bless,   Pierre

Love BQ stories. Time around camp and being able to fellowship with friends is what I remember most about hunting trips.

Thanks for sharing and can't wait for more!

BQ5 was a great time with great friends as usual!

I hunted the moose tower Sat-Thur, passing on a sow that was around 125 lbs, three different times. There was sign of a large bear on the bait
and thought she might bring him in, but that was not to be. I had traveled with Mike O. and Ken B. who both got bears early in the week. On Friday afternoon we left before the last evening hunt so I could catch my Oldest son Billys little league play off game at noon on Sat. Unfortunately after going undefeated all season they lost, however I was unaware that it is a double elimination tournament, so they still can win it all on Tuesday...

Bill Terry shot a bear on the moose tower Friday evening, do not know if it was the same bear I was seeing. Hopefully he will post with details.
Bill

This is the story I put up on my own thread, but per Terry's urging I am copying it here.

This was a great hunt and I was lucky to be a part of it! The stand I hunted was named "The Bird" because of a bird that led the way when Tom was scouting for bait/stand sites.


Day one:

We arrived at camp and I set up my bunk. After that, I began to prepare everything for an evening hunt. Barry, Tom and number of the guys told me to hold off shooting a bear on the first night if possible. That way I would have a chance to get a feel for things on stand. It turned out to be excellent advice by the end of the hunt. Barry was also VERY clear that should a sow come in with cubs, DO NOT let a cub get up above you in your tree. The obvious reason is that it puts you directly between mommy bear and the baby. With our stands set low this would not be a good situation for the hunter. Barry's advice would also prove pertinent and interesting later......

After a bit, I followed Tom out to my stand called "The Bird". He baited it while I climbed in my stand and got the Thermacell burning. The black flies and mosquitoes are naasty up there. At first I sat and watched the squirrels play with not much else going on around me. A sow came into the bait with about an hour left of hunting light. She saw me and came over to check out what was in the tree. It was me of course, but she was more curious than anything and soon became disinterested. After just a minute or two she went over to the bait and began eating some treats. It appeared that both she and the red squirrels liked the chocolate best.

I immediately began flip-flopping on whether or not to shoot her. This was likely a once in a lifetime hunt and I thought I should make the most of it. I had a hard time deciding whether shooting this bear or waiting to see more bears was making the best of the situation. Eventually, I went with taking a few pictures and trying to get to full draw for practice. I was able to do both; get the pictures and then get my bow to full draw. After I let the bow back down I just watched her for awhile eating snacks. I quietly whispered that if she came back to the bait again, I would not let her go a second time. She was absolutely gorgeous!

This particular sow offered me a perfect shot more than once, but I had decided not to take it on the first day. Eventually it started getting dark and I ran her off the bait and went back to camp for dinner.  Overall, this was an excellent start to the hunt. I had no idea what was in store for me two days later, but I am VERY glad I decided not to shoot a bear on the first night.....


Here are a few pics of her just in front of and under my stand. The stand was about 6 1/2 feet up.

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A picture from camp of the lake.

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The Real Bowdoc's 60 egg omlet

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Day 2

We were rained out, but still went to bait stands. Many of the baits had been cleaned out. This was a good sign for day 3 of the hunt, providing the weather held out! As luck would have it, the third day was beautiful and the stage was set for a great evening of hunting.

Day 3

I was planning on packing a pile of food and going out hunting first thing in the morning, but there was a bit of confusion.  I wound up running baits on the water with Bill Langer, Bow Doc and Kenny. Going to the stands near the water is a pretty cool experience and I am glad I was able to hit those sites. After we got back, I found out that when the other guys went in to bait my stand, bears were in there fighting! The guys had to leave without baiting the site. I was wondering what I would have seen if I had been able to get in that stand early....

After baiting the other stands with Bill Langer, Bow Doc and Kenny we had some lunch. With another good meal in the books I headed out to my stand. I was in the stand for about an hour before any bear activity started. While I was waiting, the red squirrels entertained me. A number of times they perched in a branch not 8 feet from my head. They are fearless little guys. One squirrel even got cornered in the bucket by a bear on the first night and the bear left it alone!

I digress, so I will get back to the bears now. I heard the squirrels alarm call and heard a branch snap. I KNEW a bear was coming into the bait. Then I saw a large patch of black fur walk past up on the hill in the brush. This bear is a good one and I need to get ready. I pick up my bow and watch the hill as it walks back the other direction. This time I see three small fur balls in tow! I set my bow in the crook of my arm and man the camera for some pictures of the babies! They walked back and forth up on the hill 4 or 5 times before mom and cubs came into the stand site. Even though sows with cubs and the cubs are legal to shoot, I had zero intention of shooting any of them. Pictures would suffice on this one!

Here is a pic of one of the little buggers.

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And another

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The cubs start to work on the baits without much concern, but mom continues to pace the bait site and didn't get comfortable. After a few minutes of pacing around, mom decides she doesn't like something. It could have been another bear or me. I still don't know what had her spooked. At any rate, she woofs and the cubs head for the nearest tree. One of them goes up a tree out in front of me and another goes up a tree off to my right somewhere in the brush. Bear cub number three has a different idea. He came up my tree as fast as he could go. I had a camera in one hand and my bow occupied the other arm. All I had left was a leg, so I tried to kick him on the shoulder to keep him out of my tree. I missed his shoulder and kicked him in the butt! This made him climb even faster so I hit him with my camera, which did nothing to help. Now the bear cub was getting above my head and I took one last swat. I don't remember if I got him or not, but he was now firmly in the top of my tree. This is the EXACT thing Barry Wensel had warned me not to let happen when he was giving me tips on bear hunting during the ride to camp.

So here I am with a bear cub up over my head and a ticked off mother bear just below me and ten yards away. She was huffing, popping her teeth and bluff charging my tree.

Here is a pic of the sow and 2 of the cubs just before she gets VERY ticked at me.....

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This is a pic of her headed toward my stand, just a half second before the cub gets above me. Sorry it is blurry, but things were happening quickly.

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To sum up the situation; I have a cub over my head and an upset mother bear at about 10 yards. I have to figure out what to do because she wants her baby and is letting me know very clearly she aims to have that cub back! Decision time.....

She charges the tree, but stops about 5 yards short. Then she startes working back and forth popping her teeth, huffing and bluff charging from time to time out at about 10 yards. I stand there trying to think what to do. I was remembering a movie where the main character said, "Most people that wind up dead in bad situations are dead because they didn't stop to think."

OK...here were my choices the way I saw it.

Option 1. Stay in the tree and have the confrontation with the mother bear right here. I would have to hope for a good shot before it gets any worse. I don't like this choice because it would leave the babies without a mom. Also, if there is no shot I could get knocked off the stand. That would likely be bad for me on a personal level.

Option 2. Stay here, make noise and see if she goes away. This is not really going to happen. She wants her cub back! I tried this option anyway with the whistle I packed and using a loud deep voice. She backed up a few yards, but she wasn't leaving.

Option 3. Wait until dark when someone else comes in to get me.  They might scare her away or walk into a nightmare. Doubt it, this option is not functional... Things will get interesting before that point anyway. Besides all that, it could get someone blindsided in the dark.

Option 4. Make as much noise as possible to back her up. Get down from the stand with my knife ready and see if I can get out of there walking sideways down the trail. I like this option because I might get away and mom hopefully doesn't have to get shot with an arrow. I figure if I stay in the tree, the stand is low enough that she will come to remove me sooner or later. I had to find a way out from between the two of them. This looks like the best option.

I did go with option 4.

I started blowing on my whistle and using a loud deep voice. The angry sow backs up to about 15-18 yards. She definitely isn't leaving the locatation, but at least I have some breathing room. Next, I have to lower my bow before I can climb down. The hoist rope is attached to the platform so I reach for it. All the while, mom is continuing to get more and more agitated with the huffing and popping of her teeth getting more frequent. I tie up my bow and lower it to the ground 6 1/2 feet below me. It drops over sideways and is lying on the ground useless to me until I have it back in hand. I grab my day pack and put it over my shoulders before I descend to the ground and the waiting mother bear. The biggest thing that made me uneasy was that I had to turn my back to her in order to climb down the screw in steps. Only 7 or eight steps, but all with my back to the mother bear. I put my knife in my teeth and turn to climb down...


I was fully aware of the gravity of the situation. I could possibly be mauled. If I did go down by some chance they wouldn't find much of me left with that many bears in the area. The trail cam had more than 1,800 pictures in a week on that site. Not all bears in the pictures, but many of them were bears. This wasn't a joke, but it was a situation that left me with no options. Go into it with my head up or sit and wait for bad things to happen. I wasn't sitting and waiting.

I muttered, "Let's do this." through the knife in my teeth and I started down the steps.  I couldn't make much noise with the knife in my teeth. I don't even know how hard I tried to make noise because it was all autopilot now. At this point I honestly didn't know what the sow was doing.  I couldn't see her and everything seemed to be mute with the wonder of what would happen next and the pounding of my heart in my ears. I was hoping she wouldn't charge with my back to her. I should have been soiling myself, but somehow all I saw was a battle and a need to get out in one piece. My foot hit the ground and I quickly turned to see where she was while taking the knife in my hand. I raised my voice and hit the whistle again. She had only advanced maybe 3 or 4 yards when I had my back turned. She was right there at about 12-13 yards huffing and popping her teeth, but she backed up that same distance when I hit the whistle and yelled, "Go away bear!"

I reached for my bow and the Thermacell that dropped in the confusion. I got the Thermacell and put it in my pocket(still turned on), but the bow was tangled in the hoist rope on the ground. It took me a few seconds to undo it and get an arrow knocked. I didn't like having to bend over to do it, but it was just a little bit important to have a decent way to defend myself. I continued with the "Get outta here bear!" yells while I was untying the bow. Finally with arrow knocked and the knife still in hand I started slowly walking sideways to the trail. During this time the mother bear stayed at about 15 yards and made one last small bluff charge. She did let me get to the trail, and I could still hear huffing when I felt I was at a safe distance. I went back to the truck, got in, and took a big breath. I felt something oddly hot on my leg and remembered the Thermacell. Just a word to the wise, Thermacells get hot in your pocket! I went ahead back to camp and relayed the story to Tom who runs the bear camp.

What does Tom say to my story? "So you got some action eh? Going back out later?"

I told him I thought it was better to let the stand cool off until the next day.

Bill,

It was great meeting you and I had a blast! I don't think Bill shot the same bear, but it was a decent one for sure. Bill was soaking wet after a huge storm blew in to the area. He, Barry, Chris and Tom toughed it out. It had to have been misearable, but Bill got his bear!

Here are some more pics I thought I'd share of the 1st week group in camp, along with some photos on the water, and on stand.

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nice pics Larry,looks like a great time.

There was a lot of wildlife to be seen from Moose, deer, birds of all types, squirrels, ground hogs, water fowl, and BEARs!

A few more pics of what I was able to capture on camera.  I saw a moose, but wasn't quite quick enough to get it on film.

(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5051.jpg)

(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5050.jpg)

(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5049.jpg)

(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5048.jpg)

My first hunt on Saturday the 11th was exciting.  Barry Wensel, Jeff Springer, and Chris Kinslow helped me up to the Cardiac stand.  I might near had a cardiac getting to it.  Barry and Jeff spread out some goodies for the bears while Chris handed me my bow and gear once I got on stand.  After they left, I heard movement to my rear, but only to hear a psst, psst sound that was Chris Kinslow returning with my jacket that I had left behind.  He wished me good luck and I don't think he was back to the vehicle when I looked up the hillside to see my first bear.  It stayed up on the hill for at least a half an hour before it started moving downhill toward the crib.  I lost site of it, and then it appeared and ate for a short time before leaving because of a bigger bear moving into sight.  I wasn't going to shoot the first night so I took quite a few pics of the 2nd bear.

  (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5052-1.jpg)

  (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5061-1.jpg)

  (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5060-1.jpg)

  (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5055.jpg)

This 2nd bear stayed around for about 1/2 an hour or more and then moved on.  I sat on stand admiring the beauty of the woods around me until about an hour before dark when a third bear moved in.  As I mentioned, I wasn't going to shoot this first night, but then bear fever set in, and the 3rd bear gave me a several shot opportunities.   I couldn't take it any longer so I drew to full anchor, but I let down the first time thinking to myself that I should wait for a bigger bear.  After a few more minutes and another shot opportunity, I once again pulled back to full draw and let the arrow fly this time.  It was a perfect hit.  The bear did a back flip and rolled down into the bottom of the ladder and then got up and ran another 15 yards and I lost sight of him.  After another few minutes passed, the death moaned echoed out and filled the air all around me.  I waited until it was just about the end of shooting time, climbed out of my stand and then started down the hill.  I found the bear 15 yards behind my ladder stand laying on the trail down.  It was an easy drag as it was all downhill.  It wasn't the biggest bear, but it was still my trophy!

  (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5046.jpg)

  (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5047.jpg)

Although my bear hunt was over, I sat another couple of stands the following days with camera in hand.  Here are a few more pics of bear visits

 (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5042.jpg)

 (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5041.jpg)

 (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5036.jpg)

 (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5035.jpg)

I had fun helping Charles one night film his hunt that ended in a downed bear.  I also took a few folks to water stands, and shared the excitement of there downed bears when I picked them up after their hunts.

I also got in some fishing time.  I caught a few wall eyes, but only one keeper.

The week passed quickly, too quickly, and it was now time to say goodbye to a great bunch of TGers.  My thanks goes out to all of them!

Although the hunt was over, there was still excitement for me as Jeff took time to let me forge out a knife back at his house.  It is a treasure that I'll be using for many years to come.

Thank you Jeff for taking the time to allow me to forge up the knife (with a lot of your help to be able to finish it)!

  (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/JeffKnife.jpg)

It was time to say goodbye to 2 of the greats -- Barry and Jeff!

 (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5105.jpg)

 (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5106.jpg)

 (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/BQ5107.jpg)

Another thanks to Tom Phillips, and I'll never forget you "The Real BowDoc"!!!!!!

So as the sun rose for my first bear hunt, the sun also set to close off a week filled with memories that will last me a lifetime!

  (http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/lsurtees/bearquestsunset.jpg)

GOOD LUCK TO THE 2ND WEEK'S BEAR QUEST V HUNTERS!

Im hooked on bear hunting sounds like yall got a great place,,,,,,,Sam,,,,,,,

If anyone from the first hunt wants me to post pics of their bears let me know.  

I have all of the "hero" pics taken back at camp.

You guys are livin the dream  :thumbsup:

Great pics and stories  :)

Congrats on your Bear Larry.  He's got a real nice pelt on him.  Sounds like a super trip!
If I still lived in VT I'd be trying to join the party.  My granddad had a boat access fishing camp in Northern Quebec and he used to take me with.  I saw my first black bears there.  Beautiful country.

Way to go Larry! Awesome job!  :thumbsup:    :thumbsup:

CONGRATULATIONS LARRY!!!!!!!!
That put a big smile on my face!

WAY TO GO   :campfire:

Outstanding pictorial, Larry, et al. Ya gotta love it. I did a lot of Bear (baiting and bow hunting) during the six years I was up in Maine but it was just a local friend (he ran a bow shop) and I doing it all on our own (and I was on the "dark side" back then - LOL) but I did finally get one. Loved everything about it, including even the scarier, lonely parts - LOL. Your Canadian adventure keyed back so many good memories for me - that's what hunts are all about. Congrats to all involved. Yep, Canada is a land of magnificent beauty also. Went fishing up there a couple of times.

Congrats Larry that is awesome.

Great pics and beautiful bear Larry!  Sure wish I could have been there to share that one with you.

Congrats Larry!! Great bear  :thumbsup:

Great report and pics, Larry.  You bring back a lot of wonderful memories of the Quest!

My question is....

Did Tilly get any action on tracking jobs????

Congrats Larry.

As I sit at home unpacking from the trip and withdrawing from BowDoc's awesome coffee I decided I would share my Bear Quest V adventure.
I flew into Albany on the 10 and linked up with Kip. We rented a car and drove a couple of hours to Tom's place to link up with Chris, Ben, Tom, and Kevin. The trip was great and Kip was a nice traveling companion. Once we arrived at Tom's we all did some last minute shopping at the local Wally World and finalized the packing for the trip. We left for La Tuque around 730PM. Kip and I were selected to pull the coveted rotten meat bait trailer with a full complement of flies and maggots. Lucky us. Be right back.

I'll cut through the trip through Mass, Vermont, and NH but I will say it was a pleasant trip with lots of nice scenery. At the Canadian Border I was asked by the officials about the trailer and it's contents. I told them rotten meat scraps and old fryer grease with full complement of flies and maggots. I offered up the trailer for their thorough inspection. Needless to say they rushed us through customs and turned their head as the trailer passed their window. Good thing I'm not a smuggler. Kip and I drove into canada leaving only the pleasant stench of bait buckets behind.

We linked up in La Tugue with Barry, Tippit, and Larry. We decided to have breakfast before heading up the mountain. We ate and made one final stop at the local sporting goods shop for bug juice. Off to camp. Once in camp, even though we had traveled all night, we were all eager to get the first hunt in. We quickly drew tags to assign stands and grabbed our gear for the first evening hunt. I drew "The Cove" which is a stand near the lake and must be accessed via boat. Several of the guys told me that "The Cove" was getting hit regularly. Bill Langer and I jumped in the boat and traveled to our stands. The boat ride to one of the water stands is a great kept secret. Until Now.

Bill dropped me off and we agreed to meet back up after dark. Dark comes in La Tuque around 915 PM. I found my stand and was really surprised at just how low the stands were set. Maybe 8 feet off the ground. The red squirrels provided the entertainment almost immediately. One little fella was clearly the HMFIC of the site and did everything he could to discourage anyone from visiting his donut barrel. On several occasions he would navigate the trees to get just above my head. Bold little sucker to say the least. I'm bear hunting and worried about getting attacked by a squirrel.

I also had several baby eagles come into my stand on the first evening hunt which was totally awesome. I struggled to stay alert and evjoys everything going on around me but the hunt ended with seeing any bears. Oh well. Super start to a promising week. Once back in camp almost everyone saw bear on their first hunt. I was slowly getting discouraged with the stand I drew.
After a good night sleep Bill and I traveled to the water stands to bait and check for activity. The cove didn't look hit but Bill's stand had some activity. I decided to hunt "The Cove" once more without success. Two hunts with zero bear sightings or activities. I was happy when Larry shot his bear because I needed to reassure myself I knew what a bear was suppose to look like at this point.

At this point I was starting to get a little frustrated with my hunt. Everyone was seeing bear for the most part and it seemed as if everyone was just waiting on the larger bears. I just needed to see a bear. One sighting. One opportunity at a good bear.
Wapiti Mike had been having the same luck as me on his first stand, "HILLBILLY" He had decided to give up on it and hunted "The Moose Trail" Mon. evening. We rode together to our stands, so when the hunt was over Mike and I recovered his bear.
The next day Tom asked me to go with him to bait some other sites in an attempt to find myself a new stand to hunt with activity. We baited Bucket Brigade, Grouper, Old Camp, and the bowl. Nothing was hit great but all the stands were open to hunt except the bowl. That was BowDoc's Special Place.

We traveled back to camp for lunch. On the ride back I was thinking about the stands and trying to decide where to hunt. It was getting to me because nothing I had seen was giving me any confidence that I was hunting in the best spot.
Once back at camp everyone started discussing their prior evening hunt and what activity they had seen during the baiting trip. Larry sat MM41 Mon evening and reported a nice bear visiting that stand. I was seriously thinking about hunting M 41 when Ben said he was gonna hunt MM 41. WapitiMike told him we would have to draw straws for that stand but I insisted Ben go ahead and hunt 41 since I had never seen it and he called it first. What to do. What to Do. Where do I hunt next. Will I ever see a bear this week?

Still undecided and not knowing how the hunt would end up I started looking over every possible stand and discussed past results of each stand. I was also reviewing prior bear sightings of each stand since everyone was keeping track of sightings. Time for bed.

Tues morning rolled around and as we were enjoying some awesome coffee WapitiMike was clearly planning to assist me with my bear hunt sice he was tagged out. We discuss the recovery of his bear and we were pretty certain another bear was on that stand. After coffee we all split up to bait all the stands. Upon return Bill Langer reported that "HillBilly" had been hit and suggested I hunt that stand. WapitiMike had hunted that stand hard and recommended I stay away from that stand. With no confidence in the other stands "HillBilly" appealed to me for several reasons. First off I'm from Southwest VA and if you have ever heard my accent you would know why a stand named "HILLBILLY would appeal to me. Second off it was a water stand. Now bumpy rides on the road. I decided to hunt the HillBilly Tues evening. I would travel via boat with BowPlinkr.

The boat ride was awesome on the way to "HILLBILLY" and the weather was hot and buggy.
BowPlinkr dropped me off at the back below "HillBILLY". We wished each other Good Luck and agreed to stay until last light.
I travelled up the hill to the "HillBilly" stand. When I arrived I could not find the stand. I was scanning the rear about 10 feet off the ground. I was worried that Wapiti Mike had moved the stand to "Moose Trail". I then realized that Mike likes to hunt high so I adjusted my scan pattern. Success. I located the stand just off to the right of the barrel but it was 35 feet in the air. First off, I don't like to hunt that high and second, I didn't have a safety harness. I did not like the set up and if I had had a boat I might have ended the hunt right there. Since I was stuck, I decided to give it a shot. I climbed the stand and after about 15 minutes of suffering from altitude sickness and nose bleeds I decided that I need to move the stand. At this point I didn't care if I ruined the hunt or not. I just wanted to return to mother earth in one piece. In a rush I decided to drop my pack straight off the stand. I later found out that my camera took the brunt of the impact. I quickly dropped my gear and bow, climbed down several rails and positioned the stand about 8 feet off the ground. Once the stand was secure, I dropped down to check my shooting lanes. After trimming several branches out of my way I sat on the stand and it just felt right. I could just imagine a perfect quartering away shot on a nice bear. Pulled all my stuff up on the stand and settled in for an evening hunt.

Around 7 oclock I could hear popping sounds around the hill top. Uncle Barry said a Bear's nose will pop when he is smelling around so I got excited. After a little time I could hear something walking way of to my left in the woods. I continued to scan the area of the sound and prepared myself for any opportunity. The sound continued around my left in a counter clockwise direction until it was directly upwind of the stand site. Moment of truth. Is it a bear? Will he smell me? Did I use enough cover scent? Is he looking for food or sows? Will he commit to the stand. My body was on a huge adrenaline rush as I anticipated the next few moments and what would unfold. After a few seconds which seemed like several minutes, the noise continued and the ole boar finally appeared off to my left. He beelined for the site and presented himself for the shot. As I looked at the bear and recalled how most of the hunters had cameras spent lots of time on stand filming the bears and letting them roam around the site I remembered five things. First, I was not seeing a lot of good bears. Second, This was the first opportunity to take a bear. Third, When and if would I get another opportunity. Fourth, Bear Tag soup probably tastes a little worse than Deer Tag Soup even though its more expensive. Finally, Kip kept saying in his Southern Gentleman Louisiana accent, " If you wanna be a Bear Hunter you gotta kill a bear".
Mind was made and hat was clear to go for the shot.

I drew the old SA II Widow I had owed for many years. Thoughts of the time I had spent practicing, making the arrows, the string, the silencers, sharping the wensel woodsmen just right and bevelling the tips to prevent curling zipped though my head as I drew the bow. I cleared my thoughts and tried to pick a spot.
This is easier said than done on a bear but I thought I was on it. As I was about 3/4 drawn, the bear sat down covering the front of his body with his front legs and looked straight at me.
If I let down he'll spook. I find my anchor and tried to find the right spot for a lethal shot. One I zeroed in and decided to shoot my mind had already released the Wensel Tipped 250 CE. As I watched the arrow travel toward the boar in what seemed like slow motion. One minute I saw my fletching on the side of the boar and the next it was gone. Did I miss? Was it a complete pass through? What's next?

The bear bolted bolted off to the left and ran over the hill. I was hoping it was a good hit and the trail would not be long. The Bear ran about 30 yards and stopped. He immediately started the death moan and that was a sound I'll never forget. four moans and all was quiet. Uncle Barry had told us of the death moans and we had discussed this several times over camp. Long story short. Death Moans are a good thing when you bear hunt. I climbed down the stand and started looking for signs of a good hit.

I could not find any blood at the point of impact. This bothered me a little but after helping to trail several bears, I knew that the fur soaks up a lot of blood. About 5 feet from the shot I found my arrow. Still intact and glistening with clean fhesh blood. Definitely a good sign. I looked around be never saw another drop of blood until I saw the bear. He was down less than 30 feet away.

Since it was only 730, I had over 2 hours to kill. I marked my bear and headed for the pickup point on the lake shore. Once I carried all my gear I got a wild idea that maybe I could move the bear to the lake myself. I traveled back up HillBilly and after rolling around with that bear trying to pull it and trying to roll it up on my shoulders for several minutes I decided I would have to wait until someone came to pick me up. If there had been a camera around when I was wrestling around with that bear someone would have won $10 K on America's Funniest Videos.
I went back to the lake shore and thanks to my Bug Tamer Suit I was able to take an awesome 2 hour nap lying across 3 logs while being sung to sleep by the many loons that call La Tuque home.

BowPlinkr showed up a little after 9. He asked if I had seen anything and I said no. I was going to surprise everyone the next morning. He shared that he had taken a bear and already had it back in camp. I congratulated him and said since he was successful we might as well recover mine tonight. He was happy for my success as well. We ran back to camp to get some help. Bill Langer, Wapiti Mike, Ken and myself headed back across the lake and Up HillBILLY to recover my bear. We enjoyed the boat ride and the recovery was easy. Mike thinks I'm the luckiest hunter in camp because there were no bears spotted on HillBilly before I hunted and there was no activity on HillBilly after I hunted. Sometimes you just gotta go with your GUT. I needed one opportunity and HILLBILLY provided me that.
  (http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n320/randypage/Hunting/Bear1.jpg)

An even more awesome story that evolved this day was that KSBowman (The guy that decided to hunt MM 41) was also successful. Three bears. Ben, Ken, and myself. I look forward to reading Ken and Ben's story.
  (http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n320/randypage/Hunting/bearhuntpics086.jpg)

Bear Quest V was an awesome week where I had a chance to meet some great guys who share many interests. We got to talk Trad Archery 24 hours, seven days a week and the world was perfect. I met guys that I have read their books and watched their videos and who I have come to admire, and envy from a distance.

Tom - Thanks for a great week
BowDoc - You are the Man, The Myth, The Legend. Thanks for the awesome coffee and great meals.
Uncle Barry - Loved the stories and appreciate the advice and knowledge
Tip - Awesome guy and a talented Knife maker
Kip - Congrats on the Bear and thanks for everything.
Kenny - Enjoyed hunting with you and truly amazed by your leather work.
Mike - You may be a lost brother. Thanks for everything. Super guy.
Chris, Tom, Ben and Kevin - We always seemed to be baiting differently sites and hunting opposite locations but I enjoyed every moment we had a chance to talk. I looked forward to future hunts with you guys.
Charlie - You were a nice addition to the camp and I hope to see you again at another camp.
Bill Langer and Bill Terry - Both class acts and a true pleasure to meet and share a bear camp with.

I learned a great deal about bear and different hunting styles from each and every one of you. My greatest take away is that I really need to start documenting some of my hunts with camera. I think I'm really missing out on some great opportunities and hunts I can document and share for a lifetime.

Thanks Again and look forward to everyone's story.

PS - This would have been a one post story if I was not still pinging from BowDocs awesome Coffee.

Forgive me for missing credit acknowledgements for this great week.

Larry Surtees - Buddy, you are a class act. You had the most RBIs this week. You contributed to many successful hunts this week. I'll share a camp with you anyday. Thanks also for the pics.

Tilley - It was nice having a dog in camp. Keep up the tracking work but remember when you go flying through the woods on a trail that the guy on the other end of the leash is a little taller than you. Tip. Watch out for the low hanging branches or start wearing a crash helmet on your next tracking mission.

More Pics.

Wild Man Wapiti Mike. Thanks for letting me hunt HillBilly. I'm gonna talk you outta that hat the next time we share a camp.
 (http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n320/randypage/Hunting/bearhuntpics060.jpg)

(http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n320/randypage/Hunting/bearhuntpics083.jpg)

(http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n320/randypage/Hunting/bearhuntpics081.jpg)



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Posts: 362 | From: Savannah GA | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged |  


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:campfire:

Keep it going Randy. I didn't realize it took that long for you to get on a bear. I thought it had been a little sooner than that. Good story though in the end!   ;)

No safe harness?! Not fun.    :knothead:    :deadhorse:  
JAG/Johnny

Randy just came on for a short while.I have one thing to say It isn't me that has the accent it is all you other guys.Good job on the story and Larry great pics.Hope to have mine online this evening and will post tonight.Kip

:thumbsup:

I already miss you guys. Wish I could have been up there for a two week hunt! Great job telling the story Randy!

Congrats to ALL, but especially Larry ! To say you deserved that bear would be a huge understatement. Tired from the road trip back from Compton and baby sitting Skyler, Mason, JerryD, and Uncle RobTattoo. I needed some air back in my tires and this thread and pics of your smile pumped me right back up bud. Congrats again Larry !!!

:campfire:    :clapper:

It is conforting to see that there are some many super guys roaming here.thanks for the stories and pics.

Great stories and pics, congrats to all that went and had a great time!

Great pics and story Larry. Congrats on a fine bear.

Barry, sounds like you also had a great hunt.

Randy,

This was not just my post.  I just started it for all the Bear Questors for Week 1 and if Week 2 wants to join in that's great.  Please put your posts back on here.

Larry

Great story, Larry. Congratulations!

Very nice read.  I read Randy's earlier, and enjoyed that also.  I might have to give bear hunting a try one day.

Thanks for sharing with all of us.

Mike

Great story and pictures.  :clapper:  Congrats!!

Congrats Larry.....I'll call ya soon.  Way to go Sir!!!

Thank to you also Barry for the story and comments on this hunt.  I always look forward to reading these every year.

I can't believe I had to miss another one of these hunts.  Like Barry said....nothing is forever.  Least on this earth.  I just gotta make it to one of these some how - some way - some time.

Here are the things I learned at bear camp...

1. It's crawfish not crawdads
2. Don't screw with with Bow Doc or suffer unspeakable consequences!
3. Don't kill a bear early in the week or bowdoc will own you!
4. Don't forget your whistle!
5. The most dangerous things at bear camp are the logging trucks
6. Bill Terry has been there and done that X 301
7. Both the pencil neck and no neck are pretty cool dudes
8. No matter what you think the bear weighed subtract a 1/4.
9. If Larry Surtees touches it then your golden.  He had a helping hand that contributed to at least 3 bears killed. Hats off my friend.
10. Bear hunting is a blast

:clapper:    :clapper:

As always I had another great time in camp and in the woods.  This year was a bit different in that the Medicare Bus loaded with Barry, Larry, Tilly and myself decided to leave Friday morning instead of diving all night.  Meeting up with Bill Langer, Mike O'Connell, and Ken Bueche in La Tuque for a nice dinner and a good night's sleep.

I had planned on trying to shoot a bear with my St Charles Thunderbird bow and his Micky Finn broadhead.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/tippit/Quebec%20Quest%202011/QuebecQuestV2011185.jpg)

That is until I saw this guy on my trail camera over looking the Deli   :eek:  Date and time is wrong as I don't know how to reset my Covert trail cam.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/tippit/Quebec%20Quest%202011/QuebecQuestV2011227.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/tippit/Quebec%20Quest%202011/QuebecQuestV2011233.jpg)

Things seemed to unravel a bit from there.  It was raining on Monday so I decided to shoot my Griffin with carbon arrows thinking my cane shafts might warp in the rain. First mistake  :knothead:

QuoteOriginally posted by WhiteOaks:
 :clapper:      :clapper:  

x2

Larry,

I will get my pics and hopefully video up tommorrow.

:bigsmyl:  This thread keeps getting better.

Again, Congrats to all involved.

The eerie cry of the loon,smell of the trees,bayous(I guess rivers)and lake with rocks in them and many other sights and sounds I had missed since leaving two years ago but I was back and very happy.I will start my story with a knife trade.I knew Jeff Springer was going to be there so I asked him if a knife trade with someone was something he would be intrested in.He knew who I was talking about.A man named Everette Johnson who hunts and fishes and makes knives and is handicapped by not having any arms and does everything with his feet.I contacted him and he said he would make a knife for Jeff and exchange one with him.The pic below was our knife exchange and I hope to get Jeff's knife to him soon.I just noticed I was in my P.J.'s still when we did this.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/Kip_album/DSCN1190-1.jpg)
The knives were both made with deer antler handles without each other knowing.

Hey Doc-did you get an instant head ache when you looked at the pics Larry posted of the three wine bottles... I did...  :saywhat: ...

This is one of the ways Bear Quest members can pass time if they kill there bear early.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/Kip_album/DSCN1194.jpg)
Here is Tom Phillips and bowdoc planning something to make sure everything goes right.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/Kip_album/DSCN1217.jpg)

COngrats Larry and great thread going guys.

Who would ever have thought that a traditional bear hunt would have a success rate of 75%? Certainly not me. Just to have the opportunity for a shot would have been a success by any hunters standards. We shared camp with a great bunch of people and one dog Tilly, with a cook of insane porportions. Bowdock kept us entertained the whole time and all the meals were very good. How anyone could pack two lifetimes of experiences in one is amazing. I was lucky enough to score a bear on the fourth day. Day one started with us rolling into camp midmorning and unpacking. As soon as things were unloaded we began the task of replentishing the bait in the 23 bait sites and stands Tom Phillips and his helpers had set up. I rode with Tom the first baiting session and was shown the stand I had drawn "The Point". It was tucked way back at the end of a two track and had been hit before we rebaited. Sitting it the first evening I had a bear come in to seven or eight yards, but was very spooky and when I moved my right foot my ankle popped and he blew out of there immediately. That was all I saw the first night. Day two was rain all day and we unwrapped so many sweets that I can't even look at a Twinkie again. Day three was uneventful and I spotted no bears

Getting very good.....

Hey Jeff don't leave us hanging . Did you have any encounters with that bear ? I would have been married to that stand for the week , he looked like a keeper to me . Big bears seem to follow you around , what's your secret ? Fred

Here is a video of a bear that came into my stand at 4:30 one evening.  I was doing a honey burn which certainly was an attraction for him.  Sorry the video is taken with the camera sideways as I wasn't expecting him at that moment so your going to have to turn you head to watch it. He takes a while to come into to the view so be patient.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/th_HoneyBurnvideo.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/?action=view¤t=HoneyBurnvideo.mp4)

At the end of the day it was really enjoyable to take one of these   (http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd251/bens5218/GEDC0290.jpg) If you can't speak French that's a shower , not what you think. During the day on Tuesday our forth day I talked with Larry Surtees about his experience sitting at "KM 41" the night before and the pictures he'd taken in that stand. He had pictures of bear coming into that bait. Since my stand at the "point" hadn't been hit for a couple days I ask Tom if I could sit the KM41 stand and he said sure. I climbed into the stand at 4 PM and got ready. At 6:20 I saw movement on the trail I walked in on about 25 yards away. The black form of a bear soon appeared. He was extremely cautious and would take a step or two, then stop and smell all around. Finally he got in to 5 yards, but was behind some cover. He caught a nose full of something he didn't like and he blew out of there fast. I got ready hoping another bigger bear was up above and he smelled him and not me. About 10 minutes later a bear came down the hill about 90 degrees to the left of where the first bear came in. I believe it was the same bear, but it was the same size so he must have just circled. One or two steps and he would stop and smell repeating this over and over until he was about fifteen yards in front of me. Then he sat down! There was a huge cloud of bugs all around him and he occasionally shook trying to get some relief from the blood suckers! I knew exactly how he felt. Then he stood once more and came closer. There is a pile of brush placed behind the bait barrels to encourage the bears to came only to the front (standside) of the bait. He wanted no part of that and came right over the top of the brush pile, then sat down again. Fighting the bugs once more and shaking his head he once again checked the scent. He rose and came to the bait finally feeling comfortable he picked up a sweet and ate it. I was ready for a shot with my bow up and sitting comfortably on the stand only 6 feet off the forest floor. As he stuck his head in the bait his left front leg swung forward giving a open shot. I drew and released in one motion. The Pearson switchblade hit right where I aimed and exited through his right front leg. He came up biting at the shaft protruding out his rightside. Taking off at a staight run towards my tree I thought he was coming up for a breif moment. Then as he passed my tree he went head over heels and lay dead 4 yards from my tree. The shot was made at 6 yards so he'd only gone 10 yards after the hit. I always pray for a good shot and a quick kill and it certainly was delivered.    (http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd251/bens5218/GEDC0246.jpg)    (http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd251/bens5218/GEDC0264.jpg)      My bow was a 64#@29 1/4" 60" Pearson Mercury Marauder td with Pearson Switchblade heads on 2215 aluminum xx75s

:clapper:    :clapper:    :clapper:

Atta Boy Ben!! Congrats Bud!! I have a hard time believing that bear smelled anything besides you   :bigsmyl:    :thumbsup:

Way to go guys.  Awesome story.  

Larry, i just knew you would have great luck.  Its good to see you in that picture with the Bear.  

This trip is on my wish list too.  One of these days i will be home long enough to make a trip like this.  

Keep it coming guys, i am really enjoying it.

Before I say anything about the bear I shot, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for being able to have a military veteran out in the stand with me. I appreciate the efforts of our armed service men and women greatly. Thank you for your service Larry and thank you for agreeing to film my hunt.  :clapper:

Five years ago on a cruise to Alaska with five other couples I celebrated my birthday on June 19th.I told my wife that it would be nice if I could be out of state or country for my birthday from now own at 57 and not getting younger or stronger.She thought it was a good idea little did she know three of those years would be at Bear Quest but being the great wife she is cherred me on.
After arriving in Albany for about a half hour I spoted a guy with a big fish on his tee shirt.I walked up to him and he turned out to be Randy Page a colonel in the U.S Army and my pardner for the long trip up of which I will not bore you with.Back soon

Larry is correct....these group hunts are best if there is one thread for all the stories, and that the name of the hunt is also in the title.  Making a thread for week one and a separate one for week two also works great.  These are the ones to surely get archived in the future.

This keeps all the stories together and you get to see all the players on one thread.

If you start your own thread, that's cool too, it just that time has shown us those kinda get lost over time, but the 'main' threads hang around.

If you have already started your own thread, feel free to copy and paste your story here as well.

Larry and I headed out to "The Bird" stand in the early afternoon. Tom wanted us to put up another hang on stand, but I was more comfortable with my climber. The location only had one stand and that was not big enough for both of us. There was a tree opposite the current stand and I knew my climber would work fine right there.

When we got to the stand, I went up with my Summit climber and then Larry handed everything up to me. I set the climber at the same height as Larry's stand at about 6 1/2 feet.

It was prety cool to have two people up in stands that close together. One filming and the other shooting. I just couldn't get comfortable in my stand because the seat angle was wrong. As a result, I moved WAY too much and no bears were coming into the stand. I stood for a bit and leaned back against the stand, but the seat creaked when I did that. Finally, I decided to move the top part of my stand to get it in a better spot and at a better sitting angle.

I love those old bows!

After sitting for about 25-30 minutes quietly we started hearing bears in the periphery of the stand. I saw one behind Larry and I believe he saw a couple out behind me. Twigs would snap occasionally and the squirrels would sound alarms from time to time.

After awhile of this I looked to my right and saw a bear on the path. I got Larry's attention and said with hand gestures "Big bear over there!" I was actually fooled because she was no where near as big as I thought. 4-5 inches of thick fur all the way around makes bears look much larger than they are in reality. It didn't matter at this point, I was interested....

The bear popped her teeth a few times and then rushing in to the bait site. She took a minute or two to get comfortable, but then settled in facing directly toward me! She stayed that way for 20-30 minutes. This bear turned out to be the bear I had let go on the first night!

Here are some random pictures that I took that turned out pretty good.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/016.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/021-1.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/022.jpg)

When I saw the white blaze on her chest and beautiful black coat I knew it was her. On that first night, I had whispered that I wouldn't let her go again. It was 100% green light for me at this point.

She fed and stood, then layed down again and ate some more. She did this for what seemed like an eternity! In real time it was about 30 minutes I think. I kept letting down my string arm as it was getting tired. Larry was also getting frustrated with her. Every now and then we would look at each other and our faces said COME ON ALREADY!

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/Tippitsbear8.jpg)

Check out Bowdoc's mohawk!  Pretty cool.  He did it himself.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/Sowandcubs7.jpg)

Here is a sow and a cub that came in late to the bird stand.  The sow is looking up at me on stand. I thought these were the same as the sow and cub that Charlie had seen earlier but after looking at his pictures I don't think it was.  She only had one cub and the pictures of the sow in Charlie's post seem to have a funny looking front left leg.  Tell me if that is correct.  This sow was the prettiest bear I got a good look at. I'm glad the cub was close in tow because I had tension on the string and was moving towards full draw when she first came into the crib. Once I saw the cub I just sat back and relaxed.

This cub also climbed up the tree I was sitting in but I just leaned my bow over when he got close and blocked his path.  I could have touched him too. He was frustrated by this big limb that suddenly appeared in his path.  He started crying like a little puppy would.

Luckily after this sow left I still had enough time for another bear to move into the bait.  I was on full "go mode" after seeing the honey burn bear and then this sow and cub.  I didn't think the night could get any better but then I heard another bear breaking sticks in the back ground.....    :coffee:

At one point she stood up, but was quartering toward me. I had some tension on the string, but no intention of shooting until she was full broadside to me. Larry saw the tension on the string and thought I was letting that arrow fly shortly. He hand gestured for me to wait. It was good to see we were both on the same page! Unfortunately she only offered me a 2 second window at broadside and then faced us again.   :banghead:

Finally, the sow finished eating and lazily turned broadside for a perfect shot opportunity. I picked my spot, pulled back my bow and let the arrow fly on a 8-10 yard shot. The 2 blade broadhead zipped through her and stuck in the ground on the other side.

It happened so fast Larry actually thought I had missed her completely. The shot turned out to be a high and slightly back double lung pass through. We were completely thrown off though because the blood had no bubbles and was bright red. We also didn't hear a death moan and there were only small blood drops. We backed out and waited until morning to recover her.

Tom wanted Larry to go bait with some other guys the next morning, but he asked to come help recover my bear. So I headed out with Larry, Kip, Tom and Chris to find my bear.

It turned out that she only went about 50 yards from the stand and 20 more yards to the left. The shot was good and she hadn't gone that far. I was glad we had backed out though and had an easy recovery. It is tough to see a downed animal in the thick Mountain Laurel. If there had been no leaves, we may have made the recovery the same day. It all came together nicely in the end!

Thank you Larry for all your help!

 (http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd107/miller_cem/P1060106.jpg)

I will get the video up when I can.

We all drew for stands and I got the blowdown which is on the lake.I was happy with that b/c I had never hunted the lake on my other trips.It was decided that being late we would all carry in bait and climb up the stand and hunt that afternoon.Bait was clean but had not been baited since the week before and no bears showed up.The next morning we baited again and my bait was cleaned out confidence went up high.That afternoon the biggest racket and most noise I had ever heard from a stand was happining just up from the stand and I saw a small patch of black.He ran over trees and bushes and making all the noise he could.But he woiuld not show himself just making a lot of movement and noise.Next bait trip all gone again and that afternoon I saw him to the left near lake and then about 18/20 yards from bait but he looked at me and climbed the hill and proceded to make all the noise he could and not coming in.(He acted like the male gorilla in nature shows where he pounds his chest and breaks brush all around).I was starting to think this bear would not be killable.He was a good bear but smart and had been around the block before.I threw my name in the hat for another drawing of the available stands and that turned out to be a good decision

Wow great adventure. I bet the camp fire pow wow's were something to partake in.

Wednesday I went to bait the stand called the Bucket Brigade.It looked good with the angle of stand for shooting out of and about 7' high.That evening I dropped off Chris and wished him good luck.I got in the stand and after looking around I pulled out my book to read a little.Chris and I discussed reading on the stand and he felt you may have less movement by reading.I don't know but I was almost finished and wanted to find out what happened.At about 6:30 or maybe bearthirty I started really looking and put up the book.At 8:15 I saw him about 25/30 yards out very quite unlike the bear on the other stand.He did not come in but just kept moving or circling around but getting a little closer every time.This moving side to side and closing the gap took a bunch of time but he was moving in but also getting later.A couple of times he gave me a broadside shot at about 12/15 yards and I wanted to shoot b/c I thought he would wait till dark to come in.Lucky I talked myself out of it.At 9:15 with about 5/10 minutes of light left he came in to the bait broadside and when he turned his head to the right I made a good shot.With a loud growl he ran a little ways away from the entrance trail.A lot of loud noise and mad sounds and then some air sucking sounds I felt he was down but still back out quite so hopefully he would stay and expire.After picking up Chris I found out we had both shot and his was dead on the trail.Next day he was exactly where I thought he was about 18 yards from the bait.Here is where we found him.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/Kip_album/DSCN1206.jpg)
Back at the camp.

(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/Kip_album/DSCN1209.jpg)
Much thanks to my haul out crew.Bill,Charlie,Randy

Congrats guys!!! I knew you'd do it Larry!! I'll give you a call tonight.
Skyler

I am trying to get the video, but having complications.

Thanks for the great stories and pics.Keep them coming and congrats to all.

I had the opportunity to share the ride up with
Bill Terry - not a Trad Ganger, but a man involved with PBS, P&Y, and Compton for years.  Bill kept me entertained with stories of his hunts in Africa and across North America, and bowfishing for carp and stingray around his home in southern CT.  It was a long night, but we arrived in camp Saturday morning:
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ1.jpg) (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ2.jpg) (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ3.jpg) (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ11.jpg)

The Saturday hunt at Bear Quest is a mixed bag...on the one hand, you're so tired that you hurt, and every shadow and stump in the woods becomes a bear.  But you go anyway - you didn't travel this far to sleep.....
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ15.jpg) (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ16.jpg) (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ14.jpg)

Saturday resulted in nothing but hallucinations in the woods, and the all-day rain on Sunday gave an excuse to relax and catch up on spome sleep.  Monday afternoon, the game was on...

One of the disadvantages of the first week of Bear Quest is that you don't know the last time your bait was hit;  it could have been a week ago, or just Saturday morning.  So it can take a few days for the baits to really get cooking again.  By Monday, my chosen stand (Roller Coaster) was seeing daily activity.  That afternoon. just a couple of hours after climbing into the stand, a medium-sized bear came straight in to the doughnut barrel and fed for 20 minutes....this bear basically BEGGED for an arrow through the lungs.  But I had shot a nice smaller bear two years before, and thought maybe I should hold out for a larger specimen.  Toward the end of this bear's stay, my resolve weakened, and I raised my bow as my right hand slowly came back....the bear looked up at me and trotted away from the bait.

Had I screwed up?  Was that "my" bear, the one meant for me?  Too late now, no regrets for the time being.

Just before dark, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and a much larger bear eased alongside my tree, then stopped when it reached my entry trail, turned around and melted back into the woods.  As I sat there playing that short clip back in my mind, I knew that bear was a shooter.  Minutes later, he appeared in front of the bait, outside the barrier of brush stacked behind.  The bear moaned, paced, jumped on the brush, and generally showed his frustration at not having a clear shot at the barrel. Just as the last bit of light drained from the sky, he again vanished into the woods, and I slipped quickly and quietly out of my stand and up the hill to my pickup.....

The next two days were a series of cat-and-mouse games with the Big Boy.  This bear had obviously either had a run-in with a hunter or had his butt kicked by another bear.  He would appear, disappear, try to climb over the brush  barrier.  Anumber of times he would come into the bait, even approach the barrel, but never stop moving long enough to get a decent shot...

On Wednesday evening, during one of these nerve-wracking exchanges, there was a twig snap behind me, and the Big Boy turned and hauled up the hill.  Presaently, another bear, smaller but still solid, entered the bait area.  I had had a honey burn going, and had hauled bait into the stand when I came in.  This bear sniffed the honey burn, then came to the base of my tree and started rummaging around in the empty doughnut bag laying there.  I rose, came to full draw, and sent an arrow straight down, aiming for the left lung.  At the release, the bear bolted and ran up the hill, cracking brush as he went....then nothing but the silence of the woods.  I sat for thirty minutes, my heart pounding and knees shaking, before I stood up and began gathering my things.  As I turned around to lower my bow, Big Boy sat in the clearing outside the bait, watching me.  He turned and trotted off into the woods....

When I got to the ground, the arrow lay in three pieces, with blood on each section.  However, the fletching had not passed through, and there was no blood on the ground.  I slipped out quietly, and quickly climbed the hill to the truck.  It was going to be a long, sleepless night....

All night Wednesday,  hunters around camp examined my arrow and quizzed me on the placement of my shot.  The more questions, the less sure I felt of the shot....and of my decision to shoot at that angle.  My nerves were tight as the E string on a pawn shop guitar, and I had been too anxious to send an arrow at the bear.  I should have waited until he slid over to the bait and got comfortable.  But an arrow released cannot be recalled, and there was a trail to follow the next morning.....

Ben and I have been on many a trail together, and I definitely wanted him along for this job.  I also talked Tippit into bringing Tilley along, and Larry volunteered as well.  I hoped that my decision to back out quietly had allowed the bear to lay up and bleed out.  I hoped....

When we got to the bait, we traveled in the direction that I last heard the bear.  In about 20 minutes, Tilley found the blood trail, and we began tracking in earnest, leaving markers along the way.  Across the face of the hill we traveled...then the blood stopped.  We fanned out and ran a couple of grids across the hillside, but found no evidence of the bear.

Later, Doc Springer gave me a little bear anatomy lesson, and we decided that the arrow had slid along the outside of the ribcage and nor entered the vitals.  Mixed emotions - I was glad that the bear would survive, but kicking my self for not being more patient.  Every hunt is an opportunity for a lesson learned, and I had learned.

Two nights left;  this afternoon, I would try another stand....

I was numbed by the experience of the previous 24 hours, and my emotions were pretty flat.  I was moving in a kind of daze getting ready for the afternoon hunt.  I needed solitude to reflect, to heal, to prepare myself.  From here on out, the goal was nothing short of a good, clean kill.

As Ben drove me out to the Moose Path stand, I realized that I'd left my Super Glove and camera laying on the bed.  I dug down in my daypack and located another glove, but I'd be without a camera.  That would come back to haunt me....

I settled into my stand, and entered that meditative state that allows hunters to sit for hours....relaxed, but senses poised to take in all surroundings.  A couple of times I heard brush popping in the swamp behind my -- moose?  Then, the noise of bears screaming, possibly fighting.  I straightened, and came to full attention.  Presently, I heard something cross the little brook flowing behind my stand, and focused my attention on the direction of the sound.....and there appeared a couple of small cubs winding their way through the woods.  For the next couple of hours, I was entertained by their antics...and me without a camera!  They were apparently orphans, as Momma never showed up.  A couple of times, they spooked and climbed to the top of a tall spruce tree ten yards from my stand.  Finally, they came down and sauntered off into the woods....

About 8:00, I heard the breathing of a bear entering the bait area.  It was a small bear, and acted rather nervous, walking around the barrel, standing up and looking around, on the lookout for a more dominant bear.  It noticed me sitting in the stand, but only glanced in my direction.  After a short while, the bear walked to the barrel and stuck its head in.  Slowly, I brought the bow up, and drew the arrow back, feeling the muscles in my back come together.  As I reached my anchor, the bear reached its front leg forward, and I released.  The arrow zipped right behind the shoulder, angling sharply forward.  At impact, the bear wheeled and ran behind my stand, in a wide arc through the woods, making noise like it had whooping cough.  I watched as the patch of black raced throught he trees, and heard a crash, followed by two coughs....then all was still.

I sat for fifteen minutes, then slowly climbed down to look at the front half of my arrow, which lay in front of the barrel
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ12.jpg)

Kip & Kevin,
Super Job.

 :clapper:    :clapper:

I felt pretty confident that I'd made a fatal shot;  however, there was no drawn out death moan, like there had been with my first bear.  After the events of the morning, I wanted to be sure that this bear was dead before we followed up, so I elected to walk on out to the road for my pickup....

The next morning, I enlisted the Kansas City contingent of Ben, Chris, and Tom Porter to help me retrieve my bear.  I had marked the last sound with landmarks from the stand, and within minutes, we walked right to her....it's amazing how much a bear can shrink when left out overnight:
 (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ10.jpg)  (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ8.jpg)

and a little trick photography, courtesy of Tippit:
 (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ7.jpg)

Biggie Hoffman once wrote, "an animal taken with traditional gear is an accomplishment;  not necessarily a trophy."  I agree with that wholeheartedly.  A trophy should represent a pinnacle, a lofty goal, an outstanding animal.  I went to Canada to shoot a bear, and that's what I did.

Bill Langer's signature line says, "Traditional Bowhunting; it's not about inches or antlers."  We choose to hunt the way we do because it's pure, it's difficult, and it satifies a need within us to prove to ourselves that we may have a chance to survive if things get tough.

Uncle Barry told another Quester, "It's YOUR hunt; you're the only one that matters"  There were 12 bears taken by 15 hunters.  I didn't hear a single man in camp say they were disappointed with their hunt.  From Larry who killed the first night, to Bill Terry, who didn't SEE a bear until the last fifteen minutes of the week (after sitting through a thunderstorm without a raincoat) and then delivering a killing shot to his 301st big game animal as the clock ran down.  Even the three who chose NOT to take shots claimed to have had wonderful hunts.  This is what Bear Quest is all about.
I can't seem to make this camp an annual event, but I WILL return....to hunt, to kill a bear, and maybe someday take a trophy....
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ5.jpg) (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ4.jpg) (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/BQ13.jpg)

Bear Quest has often been the site of weaponry with a "theme"  Tippit tells me that the concept for the Trad Gang Bear Quest started after the year that the Little Delta Bow made the trip to La Tuque.  Selfbows, old bows, sentimental bows, all have been part of the equation at this camp.  For this year's hunt, I chose a Sky Archery Skyhawk Takedown, to commemorate Earl Hoyt, Jr's 100th birthday.  I got to meet Mr and Mrs Hoyt at their old factory on Natural Bridge Rd in Bridgeton, Mo back in the 90's, and bought my first "new" bow from them.  I have accumulated three sets of limbs for this bow, and now that I have "blooded" it, my son will receive it for his birthday:
 (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/Bow1.jpg)  (http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/Bow2.jpg)
The arrows were a gift from Gene "BodarkOkie" Eakins.  Gene lived in Oklahoma, but had spent years living in Missouri, and we spent a lot of time comparing notes about the country and people that we knew.  Gene passed away last fall, and I thought it was fitting to take these arrows on a special hunt:
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj8/fatman60/arrows.jpg)

quote:

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Originally posted by steadman:
Atta Boy Ben!! Congrats Bud!! I have a hard time believing that bear smelled anything besides you    :saywhat: