5 shot

Well got back from our anual West Virginia hunt Friday. We camped this year, and ran into some bad weather. Very high winds several days, then freezing rain/Snow. Camp was a mix of Mudd and water, sometimes frozen. MY cabelas guide model tent did keep us warm with the " my buddy" heater from Mr Heater, but outside was rough at times. We missed a lot of hunting time waiting out the high winds and heavy rain. I am just to old to be messing with that kind of weather. Heck it' st supposed to be fun! We had a " problem bear" running around as well. My brother and his friend left their packs at a centeral clearing so they could move a tree stand. I met up with them and when we got back we found the packs and thier contents torn all to peices! A bear had got into both packs, ate a clock, a two way radio, the " can" call, several bottles of scent eliminator along with all kinds of other things. The packs were torn to peices as well. Odd thing is neither pack had any kind of food in them? We also had one tree stand seat that got ate as well. That bear cost my brother and friend some money! While the weather was not great, we did manage to get out and hunt. I will say one thing, I am very glad I had My Summit Goliath tree stand, with the heavy winds and cold temps it allowed me to stay in the tree much longer than normal, and the extra comfort did pay off. I managed to shoot a Doe the last evening of our hunt. The shot looked perfect, but after running for a time the deer stopped and started walking slowly. I decided to wait until the next moring to take up the trail. Thank God my brother was with me, the blood was sparse, and my eyes don' t work like they used to. He on the other hand is one of the best trailers I have ever seen. We found the deer about 150 yards from the hit. She bedded three times and died in the last. The hit was a bit far back, just missing the lungs but taking out the liver. So much for what looked like a perfect hit. Without my brother I am not sure I would have found her, but together we make a good team. When we walked up to her we found the bear had beat us to kill! He started gutting the deer and managed to eat one side of the back straps! I got the rest though, but it looks like we ran him off when we got close. That was one troublesome bear!!![:@] While camp was tough, and the hunting tougher we managed through and learned some good lessons. Bears can be trouble, a good tree stand makes all the differnce, what you think you see isn' t always so, and good company can make up for bad weather and poor hunting. That' s just a short recap of a long week filled with some good stories, fun and missery all rolled into one!

royak

Sounds like a tough time 5 shot I feel your pain about the weather here in WV last week the wind was terrible. Noow they are saying in the 70' s later this week. But congrats on your doe I took a small spike last week also hopeing for better weather soon.

SchuylkillOutdoorsman

Sounds like you have some great storys and memories even though it didnt go as planned.

JeramyK

Congrats on the doe. Even though the bear took a piece of her. [:@] It' s probably a good thing that there were no bad encounters with the bear. Worse things could have happened.

Big John

Congrats on the doe 5, if I would have been there I would have wrasled that bear and pinned him for ya.

Mantis Mayer

Great story! A trip with highs and lows always makes for good laughs later in life.

DaveH

The weather you experienced reminded me of sooooo many spring turkey hunts I' ve taken when tent camping--it ain' t as much fun as it should be.

I started my vacation on Saturday for this year' s " rut hunt." I haven' t been out yet due to other obligations and it' s already rained 2 inches so far today with hard rain pounding the windows as I write this. [:' (] At least I' m not sitting in a tent right now!

Congrats on getting a shot and recovering your doe!

5 shot

Thanks fellows. It was a " tough" trip, but one I am glad we made. You can' t count on the weather, but I sure could have used old Big John to pin that bear for me. I think it would have saved us a lot of money and half a back strap!

KENTUCKY BOY

HERE IS A BEAR IN KOREA. HE CAME 25 YARDS FROM MY PLATOON. SCARED THE HE-- OUT OF US. HE ALMOST GOT SHOT.

Tazman

Well 5 shot although your trip was rougher than mine at least you got a doe out of it. I had a doe at about 15 yards broadside and she busted me when I started to draw!!! I must say I am a very happy man I have never had a bear mess with me or anything I owned.