POST YOUR BEAR PICS HERE
12-21-2006, 07:02 AM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: POST YOUR BEAR PICS HERE
I've only ever taken one bear and fortunately it was with my bow, it's the only way I wanted to hunt bears so I made the trip to Quebec and hunted with Turnpike Ridge Outfitters out of Maine. I've never hunted Bears in PA. There is a 3 day season the Mon-Wed before thanksgiving here in PA. Guys have hunted their whole lives and never seen a bear. I've been fortunate enough to usually see at least one bear during archery season but of course, they are off limits. This year for the first time they offered an archery hunt but again, I didn't buy a tag, I didn't have the time off nor was it something I was interested in. I think I have my one and only bear unless I go on a group hunt with some great friends. Anyway, I digress, back to the hunt:
I made the trip to Quebec with my Mom's "friend" Tim, now her husband. The accomodations were excellent and I learned that each stand site is set for one hunter only, there are 3 sites per hunter. I was taken out to my stand on Sunday (no hunting) and shown where to go. We didn't hunt mornings so it was actually nice to sleep in, meet the other hunters and do a little shooting. I did have a "debate" with an old school hunter in camp. An elderely man that was so anti carbon arrows it was unbelievable. I was shooting my then Hoyt Tenacity II, Beman ICS 340's with 100 gr Muzzy. He thought my setup was too light but I informed him of the KE at which this setup produced. He just wouldn't hear of it. Even when shooting side by side and my arrow zipped through the target and his arched and stuck out of the target. Oh well I said, we'll see how it does on a bear.
The hunt, the evening I was taking out and dropped off. I had a bout a mile walk back to my stand and it became humbling, I was aware I was the only human being within a 5 mile of myself armed with a bow, a knife and my wits, non of which were very sharp...lol
I snuck/stalked my stand location and there was already evidence there was bear there before I arrived. It was thick too, that made me nervous as I approached. I crawled up in the stand and waited. I didn't see a bear that night. I heard one approach only to wiff and run. I don't know if it saw me, heard me or smelled me. I did however get pounded by black flies. My forehead looked like a pin cushion. As it grew dark I knew I had a mile walk back out so I left early enough to see, again, nervously. This PA whitetail hunter wasn't used to this.
The second night in the stand happend quickly. I was in the stand at 3:00. At 3:30 I see movement. Now this PA Whitetail hunter is sitting in a tree deep into Quebec. As the black materializes I said out loud to myself, "What the hell is that?" and of course the reality that I am bear hunting jolted me back to reality. He came in very cautious, more cautious than I've seen PA bears wonder by. I accidently made a noise with my sight and he looked my way. I had my video camera on a tree pod but was afraid to turn it on, my nerves were getting the best of me.
I came to full draw and sent my arrow through the bear. He was all but broadside, slightly quarted to, I know but more broadside than you think and I had no doubt I'd catch both lungs. The bear tore out of there and all went quiet. Suddenly I heard what they refer to as the "death moan"...I didn't need to hear that. It saddened my heart. I assumed the guide was going to check on us periodically as far as the drop off spot so I walked out. He never showed until just before dark. Had I known that I could have stayed in the stand and seen what else showed up and perhaps taken some video.
The guide and I went back in and and found the blood trail at the impact site. It was a very good trail right to my bear that layed not 60 yards away. We took it out on a stretcher and atv back to the truck. We picked up the other 2 hunters that were 5 miles apart. A second bear was taken that night and a 3rd hit that we all decided to track in the morning. We didn't find him saddely and I really liked the ethics of this guy. He hit a bear on Monday and then Tuesday. He said he was done. The guide wanted to put him back out but he said no, he was done. The guide did his job, he failed his own so he was done with 5 days of hunting left he decided to relax.
When skinning and cleaning my bear the broadhead took both lungs, liver and smashed the femur. I called the "old timer" over to witness good KE and he just smiled and shook my hand. 6 of 8 guys took bear, 2 with a bow, 4 with a rifle. The 7th guy was the guy that hit two, the 8th guy was the old timer. The guide made light that this guy wouldn't be able to take a bear if it was tied. He said he was finding Hall's cough drop papers and candy papers under the stand. I don't know what he was doing out there but he didn't get a bear.
I'd recommend Turnpike Ridge Outfitters to anyone with confidence.
I made the trip to Quebec with my Mom's "friend" Tim, now her husband. The accomodations were excellent and I learned that each stand site is set for one hunter only, there are 3 sites per hunter. I was taken out to my stand on Sunday (no hunting) and shown where to go. We didn't hunt mornings so it was actually nice to sleep in, meet the other hunters and do a little shooting. I did have a "debate" with an old school hunter in camp. An elderely man that was so anti carbon arrows it was unbelievable. I was shooting my then Hoyt Tenacity II, Beman ICS 340's with 100 gr Muzzy. He thought my setup was too light but I informed him of the KE at which this setup produced. He just wouldn't hear of it. Even when shooting side by side and my arrow zipped through the target and his arched and stuck out of the target. Oh well I said, we'll see how it does on a bear.
The hunt, the evening I was taking out and dropped off. I had a bout a mile walk back to my stand and it became humbling, I was aware I was the only human being within a 5 mile of myself armed with a bow, a knife and my wits, non of which were very sharp...lol
I snuck/stalked my stand location and there was already evidence there was bear there before I arrived. It was thick too, that made me nervous as I approached. I crawled up in the stand and waited. I didn't see a bear that night. I heard one approach only to wiff and run. I don't know if it saw me, heard me or smelled me. I did however get pounded by black flies. My forehead looked like a pin cushion. As it grew dark I knew I had a mile walk back out so I left early enough to see, again, nervously. This PA whitetail hunter wasn't used to this.
The second night in the stand happend quickly. I was in the stand at 3:00. At 3:30 I see movement. Now this PA Whitetail hunter is sitting in a tree deep into Quebec. As the black materializes I said out loud to myself, "What the hell is that?" and of course the reality that I am bear hunting jolted me back to reality. He came in very cautious, more cautious than I've seen PA bears wonder by. I accidently made a noise with my sight and he looked my way. I had my video camera on a tree pod but was afraid to turn it on, my nerves were getting the best of me.
I came to full draw and sent my arrow through the bear. He was all but broadside, slightly quarted to, I know but more broadside than you think and I had no doubt I'd catch both lungs. The bear tore out of there and all went quiet. Suddenly I heard what they refer to as the "death moan"...I didn't need to hear that. It saddened my heart. I assumed the guide was going to check on us periodically as far as the drop off spot so I walked out. He never showed until just before dark. Had I known that I could have stayed in the stand and seen what else showed up and perhaps taken some video.
The guide and I went back in and and found the blood trail at the impact site. It was a very good trail right to my bear that layed not 60 yards away. We took it out on a stretcher and atv back to the truck. We picked up the other 2 hunters that were 5 miles apart. A second bear was taken that night and a 3rd hit that we all decided to track in the morning. We didn't find him saddely and I really liked the ethics of this guy. He hit a bear on Monday and then Tuesday. He said he was done. The guide wanted to put him back out but he said no, he was done. The guide did his job, he failed his own so he was done with 5 days of hunting left he decided to relax.
When skinning and cleaning my bear the broadhead took both lungs, liver and smashed the femur. I called the "old timer" over to witness good KE and he just smiled and shook my hand. 6 of 8 guys took bear, 2 with a bow, 4 with a rifle. The 7th guy was the guy that hit two, the 8th guy was the old timer. The guide made light that this guy wouldn't be able to take a bear if it was tied. He said he was finding Hall's cough drop papers and candy papers under the stand. I don't know what he was doing out there but he didn't get a bear.
I'd recommend Turnpike Ridge Outfitters to anyone with confidence.
12-21-2006, 07:52 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: NH
Posts: 854
RE: POST YOUR BEAR PICS HERE
Nice bear Rob!! How much did that hog weigh? I live for the adrenaline rush that comes with taking a bear with a bow. I have taken 6 with archery gear. I don'thunt forthem specifically, they are a target of opportunity for me. I hunt a hardwood ridge that has plenty of beech nuts and it adjoins an apple orchard. It never ceases to amaze me how stealthy a critter of that size can be.
12-21-2006, 08:12 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pa.
Posts: 1,062
RE: POST YOUR BEAR PICS HERE
I took a bear with my bow in Maine several yrs ago. Double lung and went 40 yds, and like Rob, mine let out 3 death moans which would make your knees knock. The pic is not scanned to my puter but I'll post a pic I took a couple yrs ago.
12-21-2006, 08:24 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,858
RE: POST YOUR BEAR PICS HERE
Here is a picture of my first bear. I was suppose to get drawn this year to hunt black bear in Wisconsin after 6 years of applying for preference points. BUT a wedding, two honeymoons, and moving to Iowa (means I have to by an out of state) laterI was forced to apply for just another preference point this year and waituntil next year.
Needless to say, I can't wait to go. I didn't think it would be as expensive. But by the time I buy a non resident tag, pay for a guide/baiter, food/lodgeing, and hopefully a bear mount....I'm looking at between $1,500 and $2,000. Damn
12-21-2006, 08:27 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pa.
Posts: 1,062
RE: POST YOUR BEAR PICS HERE
Rob- to this day I can hear those moans, so human like it scared the beegeezus outta me, and I don't scare easily after 41 yrsof carrying a bow around. Reminds me of the time at dark one night hunting when a screech owl let off a scream. For a week I had to use brylcream to keep my hair down.