My wife and I left on May 23rd for a bear hunt with Rockridge Outfitters in Carrot River,Saskatchewan. We were to meet friends Joe and Janice Furlong, Larry and Mala Jones, and Joe and Judy Atherton there on Sunday the 26th for the hunt that would start on Monday the 27th. This was to be not only a hunt but a small vacation for us and the ladies. The camp is situated on the north side of the Carrot River. There is no bridge but there is a low water crossing. Well the water was too high for the pickups so they were left on the south bank and the outfitter came and got us in an old Ford that was jacked up and had big tires.
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/BillrK/RiverCrossing_zpsdf5b2d4f.jpg) (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/BillrK/media/RiverCrossing_zpsdf5b2d4f.jpg.html)
Camp was nice and very remote. It consisted of two log cabins that were furnished with all the amenities and two bedrooms each.
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/BillrK/IMG_0957_zps4b20a9e7.jpg) (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/BillrK/media/IMG_0957_zps4b20a9e7.jpg.html)
On the morning of the 27th, equipment was checked and arrows were shot to loosen muscles that had been cramped up in the truck for 3 days and 1650 miles of driving.
I have hunted bears several times but never taken a color phase and was looking for a cinnamon/brown, or even hopefully a blonde. There was a nice blonde taken the week before we arrived.
Monday afternoon, my guide Leo, and I left at 4:00PM and rode separate 4 wheelers with me leaving mine about a quarter mile from the bait because he said the bears would damage it if left too close. After freshening the bait and telling me shooting hours ended at 9:20, he left to freshen other baits. I was to stay until then and walk out to the 4 wheeler which would be after dark. Let me say I wasn't too happy to do that but hoped I was brave enough.
Leo left at 4:30 and the first bear showed up at 4:50. It was a female weighing about 150 pounds. I turned on the video camera and filmed her for a half hour. It was hard to keep from laughing out loud at the contortions she got her body into trying to get at the beaver carcass tied inside the barrel. After close to an hour of frustration, she left. Another slightly smaller female came and wrestled with the barrel for a few minutes. She suddenly came to attention and then ran to my left and disappeared. The first female came back and was followed by a very nice boar. She went to the bait but kept chasing the boar away. I turned the video back on and the battery was dead. This was a new camera and I had fully charged it before leaving home. I suppose it was depleted during the trip. Anyway, there would be no video of the boar.
He came over to the tree my stand was in and came around to the side the climbing sticks were on. I thought at first he was coming up as he stood on his hind feet and stretched as high as possible. The stand was only about 8 feet high and his nose was way too close to my feet! About now I decided if given a shot at him, I would definitely take it. He was not a color phase but too good to pass up.
The sow kept him away from the bait and that was the only direction I could shoot. He would get in my only opening and have either his butt or head facing me offering no shot. After more than 30 minutes of circling my stand and getting chased by the sow, he walked between her and the stand. He stopped offering a broadside shot at about 14 yards. As I drew he sensed something and started to run. Already at full draw, I swung to the right as he ran and released. The arrow caught him behind the right shoulder angling slightly forward.
The arrow was exactly where it should be and as he ran, I could see equal amounts sticking out both sides. He quickly disappeared in the thick brush but I heard him stop and then heard two distinct moans.
I prepared to climb down, loosening the harness, putting the fanny pack back on and so forth but when I looked at the bait, there was another bear on it. I clapped my hands and yelled but it just stood and looked. After climbing down it was still looking at me so I clapped and yelled again. It only ran a few yards and stood upright looking back. Finally after it moving a few yards and looking back several times, I was able to run it off.
My guide was still out freshening baits but had his cell so he was called and came to camp to help find and retrieve the bear. My wife Jeanne accompanied us to the site to take some pics and the bear was quickly found. This is what it looked like.
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/BillrK/IMG_0991_zps11f48230.jpg) (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/BillrK/media/IMG_0991_zps11f48230.jpg.html)
We cleaned him up somewhat the next morning and took a few more pics. I was shooting my Black Widow PCHX Osage and Carbon Express shafts tipped with Joe Furlongs Tuffhead broadheads.
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/BillrK/IMG_1017_zps73908b23.jpg) (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/BillrK/media/IMG_1017_zps73908b23.jpg.html)
I actually had some other pics to upload but I have fought with Photobucket long enough. I have no idea why it is giving me so much trouble.
My quest for a color phase will have to wait for another time. I remember reading what writer Judd Cooney wrote many years ago...."I am a trophy hunter 'till any legal animal comes along". I suppose that fits me as I ended my hunt on the first day. No regrets though as he is a fine bear with the thickest, most beautiful coat I have seen. The outfitter green scored him at 18 and 4/16ths inches which might qualify him for Comptons or Pope and Young if he doesn't shrink too much.
Awesome! Congratulations on a beautiful bear! :clapper:
Congratulations Bill!!
Say Hi to the Joe's and there wives and good luck to them
Abe
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Awesome story! Thanks for sharing :bigsmyl:
Excellent story Bill. Congratulations!
Nice bear !
Looks big to me! WOW!! Congrats
Fine looking bear. Must have been a great afternoon watching them.
Nice bear Bill!! Congrats
Congrats, Great Story, thanks for sharing.
GREAT STORY AND BEAR...CONGRATS TO YOU!!
Great story Bill!! Nice bear!! :clapper:
Nice bear Bill. They are curious critters that like to see what we are. I am addicted I believe.
D.P.
Great shot and Bear! sounds like that place is full of em.
Great looking bear, Congrats!!
Congratulations Bill. Beautiful bear.
What a great looking bear! Congratulations Bill. With your goal of a color phase still intact you have all the excuse you need to keep going back. Perfect!
Are you planning to be at Ryan's this weekend with your dog?
Nice one! Congratulations
very nice.... I love the Carrot River area...I wen twith Walters Wilderness Camp in the 90s...and that whole region is full of nice bears.
Congrats!
Well done Bill you did a great job!. I am been in the area a couple of times,great bear hunting there. Congrats.
Good for you Bill, sounds like you and Jeanne had a wonderful trip.
Dennis
Great bear, Bill!
Very nice Bill. He looks too nice to pass even on the first day.
Jack
Sounds like an awesome hunt. Nice bear!
Congratulations Bill.Nice shooting.
Very nice!
Congratulations on a nice bear Bill.
Congrats on a fine bear! I go on my first bear hunt in 10 days and can't wait.
Congrats again,
Bisch
Thanks everyone. Good luck Bisch and have a great time. Joe, I am not taking my dog as we are going on to Comptons after Cloverdale and won't be able to go to Ryans this weekend. Wish I could cause you guys are going to have a great time.
Congratulations Bill can't pass up a bear like that, thanks for shareing.
What a beautiful bear! Way to go Bill!
Awesome bear there Bill. Thanks for the story and pics. :thumbsup:
Enjoyed reading the story. Very nice bear Bill.
Great story and awesome bear, Bill.
Now you need to come to Florida, we have plenty of color phase hogs!
Way to go Bill. Great shooting and congrats on a great bear! Thanks for sharing.
Way to go Bill!!Great story and pics. Congratulations!
I was hunting MB the same week. My quest for a color phase is ongoing also. :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :notworthy:
congrats Bill!!
Nice BEER Bill!
Big Bill,
COOL Bear you anchored !! Congrads.
Congrats!
Nice shoot'n
Congratulations Bill, Great Looking Bear, and looking forward to hearing more about your Hunt at Compton.
Excellent! Congrats Bill :clapper:
Way to go Bill. See you at the shoots next week.
One nice thing where we hunt here in Alberta is a two tag system...one of our hunters last year shot a nice boar with his first tag and then a big dark cinnamon phase that scored nearly 20 inches P & Y
Thanks to everyone! Looking forward to seeing you Tim, Jered, and everyone else at Comptons! Be sure and look me up, I'll be around the fifth wheel camper south of the big tent.
Beautiful Bear. Congrats! :thumbsup:
Congrats Bill , Great story and wonderful bear! I too am wanting a colorphase bear but wouldn't pass up one like yours .
Great bear Bill. Really cool hat too!
Congrats on a great bear
Nice job Bill. I just got back from Kent's last night. I stayed in the same cabin as you. We had 6 hunters in camp last week and took 5 bears. No missed shots. All clean kills. A 15 year old boy shot a 19+ inch bear with a recurve. A 21 1/2" bear was taken with a rifle as well. This was the biggest skull Kent has taken in his camp in 28 years. We had a good week. Chad
Thanks Chad, give us some details of the hunt you had there!
I am going up to Kent and Lori's on 31 May...thanks for leaving a color phase for me Bill. :)
That is a great bear, Congrats!
Good job Bill!
Thanks for resurrecting this 2013 thread Ron. You are in for a great hunt with Kent. Accommodations are first rate with satellite TV and the whole works. I saw so many bears the first evening I did not have the will power to wait on a color phase. Kents camp has taken several blonds.
Thanks Bill...truth be told a jet black bear would be just as rewarding. :)
Just remembered this thread...I had a great hunt. Stories are in both forthcoming PBS and Compton magazines. Bill was absolutely correct in how Kent and Lori make everyone feel like family...the camp...the bait sites...the shots they set up...truly a traditional bowhunters camp for sure though others are welcome. I saw a beautiful very large sow on one of the baits multiple times whose rump was taller than the 50g bait barrel standing on end. :) Ended up with what we thought was a very large boar to find out while gasping for breath after turning it on its back that it was a dry sow. LOL This was in the rain...my phone died so I lost hundreds of photos and dozens of videos of my hunt that week...so all I have is what the guide took with his phone right afterward. (http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL285/1460516/24043253/411415113.jpg)
Cant wait to hopefully go back with my nephew if his parents help him for his graduation present in 4 years. :)
Having just put a deposit on a hunt with Rock Ridge, this takes my mind off the currently lousy deer hunting. May is a long way off, but I am already stoked!
You are going to have a blast.... There is a hot tub at one of the cabins as they rent them to snow machine groups riding trails in winter. Good fishing around there as well...guy John in our camp went and caught a bunch of walleye and then chef cooked them up for breakfast the next day for everyone. :)
Thank you for sharing your hunt Bill... Bears are still my favorite animal to bowhunt.
That's a dandy bear Ron! Congratulations! Glad you had a great hunt. If I ever go back to Saskatchewan bear hunting, I will definitely go to Kents place.
Pat,you will have a great time and hunt with Kent at Rockridge. Be sure to take your Thermacell and plenty repellent. Looking forward to seeing you in AZ this winter.
Well done. Nice bear.