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I finally figured out how to put the pict and story together.
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October 2, 2002
My first bear hunt
It is 1:30pm just outside of Doaktown New Brunswick Canada and I am walking the trail into my stand getting ready for the evening hunt. The forest is still with a light breeze occasionally rattling the leaves about the tops of the maple trees. Shortly after I sit down in my stand, the squirrels start chirping and a camp robber flies into view greeting me then landing in a tree a little ways away. Flying from tree to tree slowly closing the gap until he is only a few feet away. Then with a blink he is gone leaving me in silence once again.
Minutes seam like hours in the peacefulness of the forest waiting to see what's coming next. Then I here the crunch of leaves then another as I wonder what its going to be this time. I wait and wait then they appear out of the thick bushes a whitetail doe and her fawns. The fawns playing around like kids in an odd game of tag. When suddenly the doe pops her head and tail straight in the air. I could see the hair raising on her back. The fawns stop and wait for there mothers next move. As they are looking around to see what danger she has sensed. Then with a snort and a stomp they were gone back into the darkness and I am left in the quiet peacefulness waiting intently once again.
The intermittent breezes growing farther apart and the silence growing longer than before. Then I hear the faint crunch of leaves and a breaking branch more leaves crunching and getting louder and louder watching into the darkness so intently what prize for the camera will this be. Its certainly to loud to be a bear . A squirrel breaks into a chorus of chattering nearly scaring me to death. The crunch of leaves getting closer when from behind a poplar bush appears a two year old bull moose. Slowly grazing down into the valley for the evening. I watched him eating a couple of bites of grass then take a couple of step and a couple more bites of food then a few more steps until he disappeared back into the darkness of the forest like everything else leaving me in the silence once again.
I look down at my watch only to see another day is about gone. With less than an hour left until my guide will pick me up and take me back to the lodge. The breeze has stopped completely now leaving a silence that is ire. I can hear my breath sounding tremendously loud, a chickadee picking up and dropping a leaf ten feet away , a distant squirrel chatter then silent again, My heart is pounding in my chest thump… thump… thump…
Its after seven now and the light is starting to dim as the sun goes down. When a new sound appears I first think it’s a wild pig coming into the bait. I cant see the animal thru the trees but I can hear it snorting then a squirrel erupts into chatter then another. I hear a plastic bait bucket being rolled around on the ground . I see some black moving . It’s a bear!! My heart jumps and I can feel the adrenaline pumping thru my body. The excitement flows uncontrollably as I slowly raise my rifle to my shoulder and find the bear in the scope. I see his silk like black fur shining in the dimming light and a unique white heart on his chest. What a beautiful animal a perfect first bear towering above the second rig on the bait drum . He is in full view now standing broad side forty feet away sniffing the air for the donuts in the barrel and still snorting as if to scare some smaller bear of which I have not seen . This bear is a perfect trophy for me and a memory of a life time . I line up the cross hairs on the front shoulder trying very hard to control the excitement I am feeling . The gun settles down as I have found a spot the top of the shiny cut in the hair on the shoulder I gently slide the safety forward with a light click holding the gun tight I take a long deep breath and start to squeeze the trigger. Crack . The noise is tremendous sounding like thunder as it breaks the peaceful silence of the forest I watch the fire come out of the barrel with bright brilliance as it sends the bullet to its mark. Rippling the fur as it penetrates thru the shoulder and into the internal organs. Exiting the far side with a spray of bright red blood. The bear whirls around facing me and bolts towards me stumbling from the loss of the front leg and cart wheeling back to his feet with glorious speed he takes three more strides as I eject the empty casing and ram another shell into the chamber but its over the bear cartwheels once more and lays on his side the last breath escaping from his blood filled lungs with a gurgling moan I let out my breath and admire the strength of this animal as his eyes are still shining a few feet away I click the safety on and crawl down out of my stand to take a look at my first bear.
Closing his eyes with my rifle barrel I kneel down beside him feeling the soft black hair slowly petting his head as if to say good night.