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Tuk 17
Sept 27, 2017 12:57:42 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Sept 27, 2017 12:57:42 GMT -4
25 hours and only one brief encounter during daylight is unusual for that stand. Mind you the bears that did show up weren't shooters either.
That's big country you're hunting Brother. Hell of a lot easier having them come to me , than you trying to find a needle in a haystack. Is that a bit of Canuck slang I hear from ya ? We'll soon have you converted.
Here's a blow up of that bear that's still haunting me. The more I look at it the smaller it gets. I found it really hard to judge for size when it came in . My first thought was it's a good bear but that jet black fur can really stand out and clouds one's judgement. He's back high to the top of the barrel as he walked by ... that's when I decided it was go time.
I'd be interested in what some of our more seasoned hunters think for poundage. Initially I thought 200-225 lbs, but the more I look I'm thinking under 200 lbs. Our good Buddy Lost Hunter sizes him up around 250 ...given the picture quality. Like he says he's not right at the barrel.He's about 3 feet away from barrel which stands parallel or a little forward of the rooted rock and as you can see the bear is walking behind the rock making him a foot or two deeper back than the barrel.
tuk
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Tuk 17
Oct 4, 2017 10:38:37 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Oct 4, 2017 10:38:37 GMT -4
A few views looking back from the bait.
About 23 yards to stand.
tuk
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Tuk 17
Oct 4, 2017 20:51:30 GMT -4
via mobile
Post by henpecked on Oct 4, 2017 20:51:30 GMT -4
There all nice looking bears Chip. Last picture I'd say 220 on the weight
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Tuk 17
Oct 6, 2017 10:11:45 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Oct 6, 2017 10:11:45 GMT -4
That's about what I was guessing too Henpecked but some of the other more seasoned hunters weigh him in higher than that ... 250 - 300 lb range, on the hoof.
Well ... Sonuva B**** !
07:09 - 08:03 in the freaking morning !
I just know Skeeter will have something to say about this one !
Broadside at 23 yards ... I could just cry.
Guess you're right Losthunter ... ain't gonna stuff in that barrel after all !
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Tuk 17
Oct 6, 2017 10:31:50 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Oct 6, 2017 10:31:50 GMT -4
Skeeter I was quite pleased with the elevated barrel and how it worked this year. It will be a bit higher next year.
With the change in setup I noticed how clean the bait site stayed this year. Don't know if that's a good thing or not, certainly lessened the scent trail potential ... altho I constantly would drizzle syrup or molasses in front of each barrel.
I was also surprised that the feed barrel never really got moved around very much as it's not anchored or tethered. Damn bears eat better than I do.
Ole Roy dog food, Beef fattener and whole corn mixed with Crosby's table molasses and pancake syrup
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Tuk 17
Oct 6, 2017 21:17:39 GMT -4
Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2017 21:17:39 GMT -4
I'm lov'in the commentary 'bout how well your bears are eating plus the excellent photography. Baiting certainly requires a strategy.
Spent a few hrs today high above Mosquito Lake on Talc Mtn. Jane wouldn't look out the Jeep window cuz it was just about straight down in a few places. No bear sign, no berries. Walked an old road that was full of elk sign. The 1" saplings that were reclaiming the road were raked in places up to 7 ft. Don't know if the tree was raked upright or if Bubba the elk smashes the tree down, stood over it & raked it w/his antlers. Either way he got my attention. Piles of elk pellets almost the size of Brown Bess British musket balls. The mud puddles along the ditched logging road had been turned into elk wallows. How bull elk piss & mud is a turnon for miss elk I will never understand. Anyhow, it beat sitting on the couch at home if you know what I mean.
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Tuk 17
Oct 7, 2017 22:05:35 GMT -4
Post by skeeter on Oct 7, 2017 22:05:35 GMT -4
Tuk
put a tape measure from the ground to the bottom of the hole. Then I'll tell you his weight.
We shot 3 bears this fall for the 3 of us. All 3 were weighed and we have videos of all those bears interacting with our elevated barrels. So I got a pretty good idea NOW what a bear will weigh when interacting with one of my barrels set up to my heights.
Bears are nearly impossible to judge especially with still photos, distance from bear to camera relative to a know size (like a barrel) .... some bears just seem to look big .... really round and short they can appear to be monsters.
My approach is a bit more like an engineer ... everything measured .
BUT I do like your bear and I'm glad you've had some positive results with your elevated barrel.
This year we used the elevated barrel exclusively ... no roller barrels, no teasers, no grease, no call bait ... nothing..... just our elevated barrels, dried bait and my 24/7 autosprayers spraying out scent for our call lure. All 5 sites were identical. All 5 sites had bears. We never had a single cub or yearling. We did have one cubless sow that figured out how to beat us and moving forward we have a plan to eliminate her and any others like her. The plan will be deployed at all 5 sites.
My system isn't totally bullet proof YET! but it's pretty close!
I then went to Quebec on a moose hunt - bow - it was too hot 30c for about a week ... never hunter at all the entire 1st week ... 2nd week got out about 6xs called out 2 cows and a calf ...they paraded around us for about an hour .. quite the show .... while it was hot we put out 2 roller barrels - 6 km apart and we got 2 more bears down. Two of our other friends that never got bears were the shooters. I got the pleasure of seeing a plan come together - then I dragged, skinned and deboned and vacuum sealed those bears. They got all the meat since I didn't need any. They were very thankful and got me a 60 pack of coors light!
What the h3ll am I going to do till next bear season?
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Tuk 17
Nov 9, 2017 20:54:44 GMT -4
Post by skeeter on Nov 9, 2017 20:54:44 GMT -4
tuk
you alive out there?
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Tuk 17
Nov 10, 2017 7:29:55 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Nov 10, 2017 7:29:55 GMT -4
Yeh ... I'm still kickin' the can and punchin' the ole time clock. Time ran out on me this year and I had to return to the drudgery of workin' for da Man.
This year was quite a contrast from the last several years. Extremely warm and unseasonal temperatures seem to keep my bears , at least, from making any daytime appearances. The only daytime visitor I had was Stubbie. Was great to see him again this season... his third. I peg him as a 4 1/2 year old now. Decent length but still scrawny for his age.
Was surprised that the 2 sows and their cubs did not return at all this year. Best I can figure I had 5 - 6 bears this year. Couldn't seal the deal on Lucky. I only had the one opportunity and had to let him walk because he just wouldn't give me the shot I wanted ...sooo close tho ! He did show up one time after that during daylight at around 8:30 am... of course.
I was " In the Tree before 3" most days, making for a 4 -5 hour sit. Pretty frustrating having so many days with no bear visits. I never did lay eyes on those Nocturnal Fatties, Stubbie and Lucky were the one bears I saw the whole time on stand.
I do think the number of bears is directly proportional the amount of food I had available. It was slim pickin's for bait this year. Both the Elevated barrel and the open feed barrel seemed to work well .. I will definitely use them again next year. One thing I did notice without all that bread strewn about was how clean the bait site remained. I was also surprised at how clean they were able to get the elevated barrel with hole height at a little over 5'.
Seriously debating whether or not to move my site for next year. I'll stay in the same general area, thinking I just need something a bit different.
There ya have it Skeeter !
Guess I should get back to work .. after all it is your tax dollars!
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Tuk 17
Nov 10, 2017 11:05:12 GMT -4
Post by skeeter on Nov 10, 2017 11:05:12 GMT -4
It was a hot season for sure.
One thing I do know. The bigger the bear the more affected it is by heat. Our bigger bears that come in during the night are panting and gasping. The night is the coolest time of the day, yet they're overheating. My cameras with video and sound really prove this out. The coolest day we had during our hunt was the most productive. Bears showed up an hour before sunset. I elected to hunt for BIG HUGHIE that night because Mark decided to take a night off. Well the next day when we ran baits and checked cameras ... BIG SKEETER was in at 6:45pm ... GRRR.... I was in the wrong stand. I've often wondered how I would do if I moved my bear hunt a couple weeks later. Never could because we've gone moose bow hunting then for the last 29 years.
So many hunts ... so little time.
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Tuk 17
Dec 3, 2017 13:32:04 GMT -4
Post by tuketu on Dec 3, 2017 13:32:04 GMT -4
Here in Nova Scotia they have now moved up the primitive deer hunting season to coincide with the opening of Bear season. There have been a lot of hunters get into Muzzleloaders to take advantage of an early deer hunt. I'm sure to some degree it affects the bear hunters having deer hunters scattering their scent and bait throughout the woods.
Got out to the woods Nov. 26th just for some fresh air ...I'll be damned !
The snow was only a few days old.
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