This page is about hunting bears. If that offends you don't read it. This is essentially a journal of my activities for the season.
Trip 2: April 23rd- I was able to drive the 4 wheeler to the top of the hill beyond which I must walk because it is illegal to drive further. But from there I spent 2 hours just busting my way to the bottom of the hill. I didn't bring the snowshoes and finally gave up and tied the gear and bait in a tree to come back Saturday. On the way out learned a lesson. The snow melts in the midday heat and what I could drive on in the afternoon becomes impassable. I buried the 4 wheeler in three foot drifts and hiked 4 1/2 miles to the truck to comeback early Saturday when it is frozen.
Trip 3: April 26th- The backup 4 wheeler that was supposed to carry me up the hill to my stuck 4 wheeler wouldn't start when I got there. So I had to hike back up the hill and dig out mine. Once this was done returned to the truck to get the kids and the bait. We had finally made it to the bait and got it set up. I remembered the snow shoes this time and took a sled along as well. Hauled in about 1 gallon grease, 1 bag popcorn and 3/4 bag grain, 1 bag dogfood.
Trip 4 : April 30th- After three warm days the snow is starting to melt still must park the pickup at the road and ride 6 1/2 miles before the last mile hike. Got stuck going in and out. Something about the warm days ruined the snow for being able to drive on it even though it was cold this morning. Hauled in 1 bag corn and 3 gallons grease, two packs of Jello.
Tracks everywhere around the bait. Three different bears on the bait beginning the day after it was set up.
Trip #6, May 5th, I was hoping to hunt tonight but I made a mistake and tried to gun the truck through a snow drift. I buried it deep. The snow had a layer of ice underneath it. I had to call my better half with a jerk chain and another truck to get me out. I did haul up more bait. It looks like the same three bears have been hitting. I'm on call this week so I won't be back up untill next tuesday.
Trip #7, May 13th, I didn't get stuck and Blake shot a bear! Great night. Blake will write the story later. The pictures are below. Its a small bear probably about 100 pounds. It is bear #2 shown above. I have 2 more bears (total of 5 coming in)
Trip # 9, May 19, camera malfuntion no pictures. I think they were there but not eating much, all the meat, pastries are gone but the grain, dog food and popcorn are sitll there.
Trip #10, May 23, All three of these trips were done while camping at Birch Creek for the Memorial Day weekend.
Trip #11, May 24 The bears are hitting everyday. I still have yet to hunt the bait
Trip #12, May 26 Below are pictures of the 4 (possibly 5) bears that are using the bait. It's getting hard to keep up with the demand for the food.
Trip #13, May 28, I sent the kids to bait as I am on call this week. I will send them again on Friday and Monday with hopes to be able to hunt tues, wed, friday and saturday.
On May 13 dad picked me up from school and went to our super duper secret bear baiting spot. We got there and had to haul our packs full of doughnuts and popcorn and all that kind of junk to the bear baiting spot. When we got there dad checked the camera while I spread the bait. He told me that he had no pictures of any bears at the bait for several days and he told me to decide whether I wanted to stay or not. I chose to stay at the bait because I thought the more days on the bait the more likely I was to get a bear. So we went and got on our sent-lock clothes and we also got the blind. So while I was still changing dad went and set up the blind. When I got to the blind dad was still adjusting it. After we got it all set up I climbed in and dad said that he would walk out making it appear that we left. So I sat in the blind for about 7 minuets when dad got there when dad climbed in the blind he turned on his camera and started looking at pictures he got through 2 or 3 pictures and I look up and I see some thing moving. So a say dad there is a bear he looked at me in his what are you smoking face and says “yeah rite”. Then he said you need to wait until a reasonable time to start yanking my chain. I said no dad I’m serious there is a bear I swear I saw some thing move over there I it was no crow. So I keep watching where I saw it at and I saw it again and I told him that I was sure it was a bear this time dad decided to look in that direction. Finally it walked into the bait and I look at dad in my I told you so look and said I said there was a bear. So I started to look at the bear I liked it look of it a cinnamon color and I really wasn’t going to pass it up so I kind of debated on whether to shoot it or not and I didn’t want to end up empty handed like last year. So I told dad I was going to shoot it. And I get down there to aim and the bear runs up the hill and I got mad and dad told me to be patient and wait for it to stand in a good position so I could shoot it. And in what seemed like 10 minuets he finally moved back to the bait then he didn’t give me a good shot so I had to wait for what seemed like an hour and finally he moved in to the broad side position. At this time I was way nervous thinking what if I goof it up and gut shoot him and right a bout then dad leaned over to me and said if you gut shot him you are going to die. So I aimed to where I thought dad wanted me to shoot behind the front shoulder and squeezed the trigger. The recoil hit me and dad yelled you hit him you hit him. I sat there and thought I hope your right. So we climb out of the blind and dad tells me if we have to track him give me the gun I tell him what ever you say. So we walk down the hill and we look up on the side hill and there he was lying on the ground but he was still alive. So I get down and shoot him and he runs crashed behind a tree so dad tells me to shoot him if he moves so I stay there and dad moved up the hill to see if he could find a place for a better shot. A minute later dad tells me to run up the hill to him so we can shoot the bear so I made a mad dash up the hill and sit beside dad, but before I could get a good shot the stupid bear starts sliding down the hill like a penguin and so me and dad run back down the hill and the bear is lying on the ground still breathing dad told me to shoot it and I did. After I shot dad told me to reload just in case so I go to reload and there is no bullets and so I reach in to my pocket and there were no bullets and I tell dad and he says crap didn’t you have them in your pocket I tell him yes and so he starts running all over the hill trying to find the bullets. Dad finally found them but by that time the bear was dead. And so me and dad drug the bear down the hill and got some pictures of the bear and cleaned and skinned it. Then I carried the hide and dad carried the meat up to the top of the hill. We finally got home about 1 o’clock it was the greatest hunt ever the bear ended up weighing about 100 lbs. it was so fun. And it was my first hunt of the season to boot.