Alberta Bearhunt - Day #6
Woke early to a light rain and had a hearty breakfast. Won't be loosing any weight on this trip! Jeff built a shower stall yesterday afternoon and he and Eric switched two camp stoves around so we could heat water for the shower outside the main tent. The weather has turned warmer and the extra heat of the stove would drive everyone out of the dining tent. We all took turns heating water and taking showers. One never thinks about the luxuries one has until you go a week without some of them!
At 6:30 PM Jeff and I headed out on the quad to the "Third Chance" stand. The winter road gets worse every day, as the ground frost melts, the ruts get deeper, and the wetter spots get almost impassable. We got stuck twice on the way to the stand, but got out quickly each time. When we got to the stand we found that all the brush had been pulled away from the rear of the crib. All the meat scraps that were left were also pulled out through the rear.
My bear had been back, but he was avoiding the front of the crib like the plague! Looking around it was clear that we should move the stand to a spruce off to the left of the crib. It is a little close, but there is good cover, and I'd have a shot at the bear if he approached from either front or back of the crib. Trouble was we just didn't have time. Jeff had to get back to camp with the quad so Eric could take Big Richard out to sit the "Poplar Grove" stand.
As a second best plan, Jeff pulled all the scraps back into the crib, and also pulled back all the brush. Then he tied all the brush tight to the trees on each side of the crib and tied a fresh beaver inside the crib to a log. The idea was to stop the bear from entering from the rear, while also making him work at getting out the beaver. The combination would hopefully give me a shot opportunity. The wait began.
At 10:00 I heard the first crack of brush which alerted me to the bear's approach. He came from the south as he had the previous night, and came very cautiously. After circling for a while he snuck behind the crib and tried pulling the brush out of the way. It wouldn't move, so he walked off. No shot was presented, and I wondered if that would be my only chance for the evening.
At 10:30 I heard him coming back! This time he came straight for the back of the crib. This kept him facing toward me offering no shot. Once again he tried to pull the brush away from the rear of the crib, and once again he couldn't budge it. Then he reached up over the top of the crib and swatted four of the logs out of the way with one blow. He then leaned up and over the brace log, stuck his head down into what was left of the crib, and pulled out what was left of yesterday's beaver. He then swung around and marched off with his prize firmly locked in his jaws. He walked right out of sight to the west, again giving me no shot. I did get to hear him crunch bones for the next half hour however, so I know he hadn't gone far!
Just before dark he came back again. As before, I heard him before I saw him, and stood with the bow at the ready hoping for a shot opportunity. This time he marched in more confident, but again front on to the back of the crib. This, I thought, would be it. He reached over and latched onto the fresh beaver. I just knew he would have to work to get it out of the crib the way Jeff had tied it in. Hoping for a shot, I raised my bow and started pulling slowly back on the string. Out of the crib his head appeared with a large beaver hanging from his mouth. The beaver was tied with yellow line, and as the bear raised his head, I just knew the rope would tighten and the fun would begin.
Alas, it was not to be. That beaver slid out of the crib, rope and all, like it was never tied! My heart sank as he once again disappeared into the bush without giving me a shot opportunity. I heard the quad coming a few minutes later and was glad to get out of there.
Tomorrow will be a different story! Jeff and I will go in early and set a new stand.
Back at camp I found that everyone had an exciting evening. Little Richard went with Dave to film the activity at the "Border" stand. They had to set up a second stand as soon as they got there, and decided to set it from David's stand to save time. Once Little Richard was settled Dave got in his stand, and started hauling up his gear. Before the bow was half way up there was a large boar at the bait not 15 yards away! At first they didn't know what to do. They needed the bow up the tree to make the shot, but didn't want to spook the bear hauling it up. The decision was made, and up went the bow. Seconds later the bear went screaming out of there after taking an arrow through both lungs. They hadn't been in stand two minutes!
Eric took Big Richard back to the "Poplar Grove" stand where Little Richard had shot the bear a few days earlier. Eric and I had seen a much bigger bear on that bait earlier in the week (not that Richard's wasn't a good one mind you!), and we were certain that he'd be back. The one problem Big Richard was going to have was shooting from the stand. Jeff and I had left an 8" poplar right in front of the stand. Actually the stand platform was nailed to it. It was a great setup for a right handed compound shooter, as the bow could be hung from the tree and be right where you wanted it. The tree also provided some decent cover to break the stander's outline, and there was plenty of room to shoot by the tree ... well for most people there was plenty of room! Big Richard, however shoots a 1968 Bear prototype takedown at 68", and shoots it canted to one side. That tree was going to be a major obstacle for him, so they brought a chain saw with the intention of cutting it off above the platform.
When they got to the stand they found the bait "destroyed". The logs were thrown all over and most of the bait was gone. What remained was tossed about in every direction. Something had been having fun here! The first order of business was getting the bait back into the crib and the logs piled back into place. That done, they prepared to cut the tree. As Eric was getting the saw off the quad, Richard heard noise at the crib. He actually thought a log had slipped over and asked Eric if he heard it too. They both looked at the crib and saw a large bear pushing logs out of the way and starting to eat.
He was only twelve yards away! Slowly, Richard got his bow off the quad and Eric fired up the video camera. This while standing only twelve yards from a large feeding bear that obviously cared not that they were watching!
The shot angle was bad, so they worked their way around the back side of the three trees the stand was in to approach from a better angle. Again at twelve yards, but with a better angle, Richard started the draw. Eric had the camera in one hand and his rifle in the other. Well, I think I'll finish the story in the morning, it's getting late.
OK, I can't do that to you. Richard got the shot off, but it hit a little too far back. The bear took a couple steps away and stopped to look back as if just annoyed. Richard was a little unnerved. Eric pushed the wrong button on the camera and the filming stopped. The bear watched for a second and then started just walking away. They both knew he would die, but they also knew they'd never find him, so Richard told Eric to shoot him with the rifle to finish the job. One quick shot dropped him in his tracks!
Both bears were skinned in the field and brought back to camp. It was too late tonight for picture taking so we'll get that done in the morning. Judging by the heads and hides, even in the dark, both bears should tape over six feet and both should make the P&Y minimums after the official drying period. Neither was as big as the bear that has been playing with me all week, but they are both great trophy bears.
Tomorrow will be a busy and exciting day! See you then.