Always impressed and great stories. Thanks for sharing with us.

Dan in KS

Way to go Gary!  I have been out of the country and just now got to read your posts. Well done sir!!  I knew you were going to have a good hunt!!

Congrats Everyone

Congrats to all of you guys! great thread!

Thanks to all of the hunters in camp this year for your support and putting your faith in us at Stickflingers! Love seeing the adventures come to life and be shared here on TG!

There were a couple of monsters shot with sticks the last week but the hunters are not much for posting here. With enough prying perhaps they can share their adventures???

come ON guys and SHARE THE HAPPINESS

This thread has gotten me through the last several weeks.  I wanted to be hunting bears but I am doing physical therapy.  Thank you, for all who has posted.

Please,  please,  please tell your stories  

   come boys cough'm up

Okay, I guess you guys have called me out.  As background, I've hunted with Stickflingers for the past five years.  Over that time, I've seen some great bears come out of the Manitoba bush.  More importantly, I've always had great fun in Ryan's camp.  Ryan runs a top shelf operation and I've been fortunate to share some quality campfires with some great bowhunters.  I've been going up each year with the Tall Tines group and we always have a great time.

Over the years, I've passed on several really nice bears and a couple of years ago I was fortunate to kill a nice color-phase bear.  Last year, I had a unique encounter with a very large bear on the "Shirt Sleeves" stand but it never presented me with a good shot opportunity.  This year Ryan and my guide David mentioned that Shirt Sleeves had a big chocolate colored bear as well as a very large black bear roaming in the area.  They suggested I hunt Shirt Sleeves again and I was happy with their recommendation.  

I sat Shirt Sleeves for the first two nights and only saw a single, average-sized bear each night.  On day three, I told them that I was ready for a change of scenery.  They agreed and quickly recommended the Fishing Lake stand.  

Fishing Lake is a remote stand that requires a twelve mile quad ride.  I had sat this stand in previous years and saw some good bears but nothing huge.  I was in a "go big or go home" hunting mode.  Shortly after getting settled in my stand, I had bears working their way towards me.  Within the next couple of hours, I videoed five different black bears but never picked up my bow.  During the last twenty minutes of the evening hunt, I glassed a large bear slowly working his way in my direction.  This was a "no doubt" kind of bear and I waited patiently for him to close the distance.  Slowly but surely, he progressed towards my stand.  At the end of the evening, the bowstring slipped from my fingers as he walked by at seven yards.

I guess the picture will tell the rest of the story...        

   

Holy Mackeral Bryan. What a brute of a bear!

7 yard shot. He must have looked huge at that distance!

Congrats to you!

Well done Bryan!!! I'm sure it was worth the wait, and a half a can of bear spray from last year.

That's what I'm talking about , thanks for sharing .... and congrats on a great bear !

Pictures don't do that bear justice. He was a brute. And we have handled some beasts!

Bryan has put in a lot of time for his once in a lifetime bear. Thank goodness Ryan manages his area so there are bears of a lifetime to go around. Can't wait to go back with my son as part of the TT crew. A finer group you will not ever meet.

Man that looks like a huge bear, congrats!

Wow what an animal.  Congratulations on holding out for your bear. Your patience definitely was rewarded.    

Awesome Bryan ...that  there is a brute  WAY TO GO!
Definately a bear of a lifetime for many Ryan sure does know how to manage them ..Thxs for sharing pics and the story!

Outstanding Bryan!  Ryan has got some big boys and I applaud your patience.  I have not been as strong willed, but I saw a couple of truly big bears this year and plan to adopt your go big or go home attitude when I go back in 2018.  

By the way,I shot my bear this year at Shirt Sleeves this year.  I also have to agree with you that some of quad rides are epic.  At least we had low water levels this year.

D.P.

I was astounded when Bryan sent me a photo of his bear. Just a real beast, and nobody deserves it more than Bryan. Super way to get things going in 2015!

Great Bear Bryan!  His coat is perfect!