Bear Quest III >>---> Start Your Engines

[tippit]

MRI in with very small tear of one of the rotator muscles.  I'll try some PT first.  Sorry Charlie I couldn't use your Osage longbow...gettin' too old I guess...Doc

[Curveman]

Somehow I just can't think of someone who just brought down a 309# bear as "old"!   :D  

Good luck with your shoulder Jeff!

[Novaln1975]

Tom and LB.



Simon

[Novaln1975]

Here is the official Quebec Bear Quest III poster. If any of you want it in higher resolution, PM me and i'll send the file through e-mail.



Simon

[rastaman]

Awesome stories guys! Thanks for sharing...makes the hot summer days pass a little quicker!  

[hill boy]

All I can say is what a bear! congrats Jeff,You will be high stepping for month,  

[Blue Monday]

Shaun, You left without me getting to say thank you again for the bow. You are a very talented bowyer. I have made many selfbows and have yet to build one with that kind of backset. That is an art in itself to tiller a bow and not have it turn into a noodle. The trip was filled with great people and I look forward to another trip up there. My bear actually went 28 yards, but I appreciate the kind words Shaun about my shot placement.  Thanks Rob

[Shaun]

Don, 28 yards would be about 23 of your long legged steps. You deserved to win that stick and I hope you get to use it afield. Good shooting and Good Hunting!

So, I got some fishing done and that was half of my ambitious plan for after felling a bear. The other half was visiting. I have met so many great folks on these group TG hunts. My only regret is that I sometimes spend too much time hunting and don't get to spend enough time getting to know these good people. On this hunt I got to spend time with lots of em.

Here's the main cabin - there was another bunkhouse and a tent, but this was the main gathering point.



Around the dining table was a popular spot - L to R in this one Bow Doc, Kevin, Lloyd, Nate, Paul, Steve, Jeff.




And in this one L to R; Myron, Bill, Thomas, Steve (again) and Barry.

[Shaun]

There was a whole clan of Langers. Patriarch and master camera man Dick Langer filmed his son Bill, his son-in-law John and one other hunter taking bears. He had no intention of hunting, but that was one too many "over the shoulder" video experiences and Tom picked up a tag for Dick on the Wednesday trip to town. After nursing his new tag for about 4 hours it was the same old story - bear down. I guess you'll have to buy the video to get the story but here's a hero pic.

 

This is one admirable family top to bottom. I picked up some of their videos and really enjoyed watching now that I know these men first hand. (Bill Langer Productions is a sponsor of TG)

[Shaun]

There was another Bill (Kissner) from southern Illinois who brought his Jagd terrier Susie. Many of the recovered bears were found by this blood tracking team. I am sorry I did not get to watch them work a track, maybe next year.

 

I met BW some time ago at a PBS gathering, but it is a whole different thing to get to share a hunt and hear this story teller extraordinaire under the stars around a campfire. Barry has a long running feud with a Volkswagen scale bruin that never showed in the flesh - only on trail cam this year. While waiting for Mr Big, many humorous encounters with other bears with much throwing of water bottles and false charges (by Barry!) were reported each evening when he returned to camp.

 

[Shaun]

As the hunt week waned, there was one hunter who had seen bears but they were not the right one or the right shot and we all started to hope against hope that 13 year old Thomas Reeves would take his first trad big game animal. Finally, with his dad looking and filming over his shoulder, Thomas sent an arrow true and there was a great deal of good cheer in camp. Here he is at the scale with Tom and Lloyd



A hero shot to remember



And of course - one proud papa

[PV]

When I peeked back through the flap the bear was gone.Somehow he had slipped behind the crib without me seeing him. He first checked one side of the crib walked behind the crib and came right to the meat bucket. Didn't give the blind any notice at all. Trail cam showed there was larger bears visiting the bait but well after dark.

I'd been carring a team tippet arrow in my quiver since last years bear quest and the only thing I'd taken with it was a centerpunched maple tree. A few hours before I headed out to hunt Jeff had given me the new improved version. Single bevel with a tanto tip. Took a few practice shots a 4 yards and it flew great.



The bear fed on the fresh meat scraps and then started in on the sweets. When he was done he decided to see what the blind was all about.
He paused at 7 feet put his front leg forward and the tippet arrow sliced through just behind the shoulder and buried itself in a log in the crib.Impessive performance from a 47# longbow!

The bear ran about 35 yards and dropped within site.

[Shaun]

This event was the chance for the closest thing we got for a group photo, we were all so damned pleased with our young hunter



Lets see how many I can name: Back row L-R; Barry, Kevin, Ron, Jeff, Lloyd, Myron, Bill (with Susie), Bow Doc. Front staggered row L-R; Matty, Nate, Dick, Steve, Tom, Randy, Thomas, John, Me, Bill. Hah! nailed it!

Missing at this picture were Paul and Grant.

[Shaun]

It was sweet to get to know Don Ward aka The Real Bow Doc aka bd. Another old hippie like myself. Don't let his "rode hard and put away wet" appearance fool you, this man is full of life! Most mornings bd making coffee was the sound that started my day. We got to share some time as the rest of the camp woke. He can cook and entertain and is a master craftsman at refinishing old bows. When he shot his bear (with a '59 Kodiak and a Forgewood with Razorhead of course) he was so excited that he spent a couple hours on his tiptoes. His energy is infectious. Here he is "on camera"




I have had the pleasure of sharing camp with Paul V and Doc Tippet before. All the rest of this gang were new to me and a finer bunch you would have a hard time finding. I would jump at the chance to hunt with any of them again - and hope to next Bear Quest or maybe sooner at Pig Gig.

In every gathering like this there seems to be one kindred spirit and I found him in Grant Young. A quiet man wearing a fedora and carrying a B riser Bear take down that has the grip cut to shoot off-the-hand. Several evenings after the rest had turned in the two of us had a last smoke around the campfire and talked of family, hunting and literature. I know our paths will cross again.

That's it for my report. The End or as we Frogs say in the maritime provinces - Finis

[4runr]

Story well told Paul. Congrats on a nice bear!

Enjoyed your writing Shaun. Thanks for all the pics.

[Curveman]

Great narrative and pictures Shaun, thank you!!!

[Raineman]

I gotta' say, there is no better way to start my work day than to open up this thread, read all these great, well written stories, and see some pics.

Thanks guys for "taking us along" and congratulations to everyone.

Jeff, can't wait to see ya' at Denton and hear some more details of that monster.

Let us know when and where we can go see some video footage.

[joe skipp]

Great photos and great reading. You guys really had a super time        

[hunt it]

Fantastic adventure and even better story tellin and pictures. Congrats Doc on your monster bear.
Tom I'll bring the back pills to Denton for you!      

[lt-m-grow]

Thanks Shaun.   Great story telling and thanks to the others for sharing too.

One thing that was extra special about Shaun's stories is the headings on the pictures.   I know many folks post great pictures, and of course pictures are great, but it is nice to put a face with name on these pictures.  

Fun stuff.