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Post by tuketu on Aug 2, 2021 15:23:06 GMT -4
I soon gotta get my "Poop in a Group" here.
Aug 2nd and I have nothing prepared. Contacted my bait supplier today so I'm all set to start picking up the daily stales from the local supermarket bakery. No guarantee on how much each day... sometimes nothing but 4 boxes is a good day. I try and bait about every 4 days so that works out bait wise for me.
I'm seriously thinking about moving my bait site a few hundred yards down the road to a spot I used to use ...dubbed "The Stillwater". It's a lot more closed in than my existing site. I hate to move because 90% of my hunt revolves around watching the bears. The new spot would drastically limit my field of view , but may entice a larger bear to visit the bait during daylight hours. Having said that I have to state I'm not a trophy hunter. If It's back is as high as the barrel or I can't stuff him in it ... He's a shooter !
A Few Passes !
The one that got away ! He's rump onto me ... no broadside. When he left he just walked around the barrel and down the exit trail, just to the right of the rocks behind the barrel.... check out that time eh ?
Last year I had 3 sows with 6 brand spankin' new cubs, of which included a set of triplets. I had a number of other bears with 2 shooters in the bunch. One never gave me a broadside shot and the second I screwed up by bumping the stand with my xbow while trying to get into shooting position. I now use a monopod which vastly improves my positioning for a shot. I'll be setting up my bait probably on the weekend of August 7th and I'm still not sure what to do ! My head says stay but my gut says go !
tuk
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Post by sideswipe on Aug 5, 2021 11:10:51 GMT -4
Good to see those pics Tuk. Weyhauser’s price to get a permit for their lands went up more than a notch this year. That plus the uncertainty of health & a partner has narrowed my choices. It’s a bit of a hike but Williams mtn still calls. Also close to home is a lot of good land if the’ll grant me permission It’s been awhile but so convenient. this year. They logged a but of it a couple of yrs ago so we might have some new growth to draw those Blacktails out of their hiding places.. General bear season opened last Sun...sure crept up on me! Wish you were here to spur me on.
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Post by tuketu on Aug 11, 2021 7:12:48 GMT -4
So Sideswipe ... are you planning on getting out for a bear stalk. If I were there partners would not be an issue . I have the same dilemma here in the east. Finding a good podner is a rare commodity. And honestly not having someone to share the "In the Moment" of the hunt with is quite anti-climatic.
Hopefully those cuttings are starting to produce some berry patches.
Keep us in the loop !
tuk
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Post by tuketu on Aug 11, 2021 7:28:07 GMT -4
Sunday 08 Aug ...finally got to the woods to at least get a barrel out. Only had enough bait for about 2/3 of a barrel. It won't last long once they find it. Trailer is in the works of being rebuilt so my lugging capacity has been compromised somewhat. Was able to pack the barrel and bait into the back of the Tucson in my first trip. Hope to take the trough and Bait & Bear Buggy next trip in.
Poor Ole barrel looks lonely out there all by itself
Bakery goods, icing sugar, Crosby's molasses, fryer oil and raspberry Jello crystals.
Looks good enough to Eat !
My trusty ole Bait and Bear Buggy !
tuk
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2021 19:19:05 GMT -4
The border’s open boys, here we come!
Headed up to Alaska tomorrow for a 13 day vacation/scouting trip.
Hopefully be hunting with Skull next spring.
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Post by sideswipe on Aug 13, 2021 10:18:27 GMT -4
Just into 1st cup of joe. Enjoyed your pics Tuk. Both of you guys are influencing me. Got a silhouette match tomorrow. Anticipate having a great time getting my butt kicked. Can’t see the horizon as the smoke from BC is thick clear down to the ground. Another trainload of cut lumber from CA whizzing south by our hillside. They sure must have a lot of stumpage up there! Everyday, year after year.
Think I’ll mosey out to some of my old hunt’in grounds east of here today Supposed to be a real scorcher. Send you a pic or two if I see anything interesting.
Good luck ibowhntr61.
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Post by tuketu on Aug 15, 2021 20:43:11 GMT -4
First Hit ...11 hours 14 minutes ... Was finished setting up and on my way out at 10 am. Not a shooter but a great start. I'm pretty sure the nighttime and daytime bears are one and the same. Nighttime seems a bit taller but may be the darkness playing tricks.
Separate small pooh bear !
tuk
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Post by sideswipe on Aug 19, 2021 9:57:48 GMT -4
Things are look’in up Tuk.
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Post by tuketu on Dec 16, 2021 16:16:41 GMT -4
Well the bear season for me ended that last week of September. I had scheduled 3 Weeks off and was into my final week and down to the wire to try and punch a tag. I had plenty of bears on the tcams - as best I can tell at least 13, of which there were potentially 3 shooters. And better yet they were showing up for daytime visits.
Regular to the bait were two young bears just out on their own ... PeeWee and Roy. I'm assuming they were both males as a sow would have pushed them off, and they were never in the company of other bears or each other .
PeeWee jumping for joy "The bait is here, The bait is here "!
Roy checking out a fresh buffet.
tuk
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Post by tuketu on Dec 16, 2021 16:43:34 GMT -4
I must say that I was a little partial to Roy. Without fail 5 - 6 times a day he'd show up . He gets his name honestly ... Every time he came in he always went straight to the Ole Roy dog food dusted in icing sugar . He sit in front of the trough crunching away . I could here him from the stand. His preferred trail came right by my tree and his very first trip in when I was in stand he walked right in my footsteps he right between my ladder and the tree. On his way out he would look up and just walk by.
If ever there was a perfect broadside shot at 13 yards ...Roy teased me with it !
Click on this box for video
tuk
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Post by tuketu on Dec 16, 2021 17:09:23 GMT -4
A few of the other visitors this year
Boss Hog ... Never seen him during daylight hours
tuk
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Post by tuketu on Dec 16, 2021 17:25:39 GMT -4
Soooo ! Not wanting to get caught up in the Opening Day frenzy that everyone seems to get bedeviled by I decided to pass on the first few day ....BIG mistake .Season opened Mon 13 Sept 21 ... take note of the time and date stamp on the photo.
tuk
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Post by tuketu on Dec 16, 2021 17:56:35 GMT -4
Another visitor to the bait , just an hour before was the one I named Tall Boy. He certainly had the height but lacked the mass I was hoping for like in the previous target bear. Both of these bears frequented the bait but I had yet to lay eyes on them while in the stand. By the start of week #3 of my vacation I was starting to get a bit concerned that my tag would go unfilled . Weather was moving in for the later part of the week so I was feeling pressured to close the deal to fill the freezer. With nothing to lose I thought I'd try something a little different. A friend had told me to try some Castor X ...Basically beaver caster in a can. So I smeared a rag in the stinky stuff and stuck it up in the top of a deadwood right at the baitsite.
At 4 o'clock I see movement to my upper right - It's tall Boy and he looks like he's on a mission making a B-Line for the bait. When he reached the barrels he seemed a bit confused. He milled about the bait as I sat at the ready with my Micro 335 ! I've seen enough bears that I don't get nervous or excited ... what I was, was s concerned. I waited for what seemed eternity for him to stand still long enough to give me a good solid broadside shot. He turned and hesitated , crosshairs just forward of center of the center I squeezes off - a yelp and a flash of black and he had disappeared right where he was pointed and where I'd fear he'd go ...." The Swamp"
tuk
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Post by tuketu on Dec 16, 2021 18:34:32 GMT -4
I played through my minds eye the flight of my bolt - a split second in time. Although I watched him tear off I failed to do the one thing that I preach to new hunters. Mark the animals line of travel using landmarks, trees, rocks, anything to give a sense of where it went. I was quite sure I'd made a good double lung shot so he shouldn't be far away. At 23 yards the fletching's showed no sign of anything other than blood and with no smell my confidence was reassured. I quickly began searching for any sign of blood. There were several bear trails leading to the bait and I knew in all likelihood he'd takin one of them. I meticulously , on hands and knees, looked for blood, but knowing that a bears fur can soak up a lot of blood and keep it from dripping on the ground, not to mention that the body fat can quickly plug an exit wound leaving literally no sign of a blood at all ! For 20 minutes I searched in vain for any fresh sign. Panic began to set in . I still had about 3 hours before darkness would set in. I calmed myself down and decided to get back in the stand to relive the moment. This time I thought I knew where I should start looking again . Within a few minutes I found it ! my first sing of blood . I now new this would be an inch by inch painstaking task .
tuk
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Post by tuketu on Dec 16, 2021 18:58:42 GMT -4
Endeavor to Persevere ... when I finally found him I was torn between Jubilation and mental exhaustion.
Now came the arduous task of getting him out . He wasn't a huge bear but we were closely matched in weight ... only difference being it would be dead weight I'd be dragging. I was in a dead zone of cell service so I beat it back the woods road a mile and a half to call for some back up - but nobody answered. to try and squeeze out every minute of daylight I beat it back to the bait site , drug out my block and tackle and headed back to my bear. with nothing but small alders I pulled out my drag strap, wrapped it behind the shoulders and bulled my way through the swamp brush ... tug, grunt suck in air and repeat for the next 40 yards. After collapsing several times on my back I make it far enough that I could use the the mechanical advantage of the block and tackle to get me back up near the bait where I could use my bait and bear buggy to get him back to the truck.
It was all I could do to get enough of him on the buggy and be able to roll him up the hill.
It would be another 3-4 weeks before the crippling effects recovering my bear would begin to mellow !
Rest assured that I will enjoy every piece of bone, fat and gristle on this trophy bear for months to come.!
Those 1 " cuts of steaks and chops will be magnificent after coming off the Barbie !
Just a Sample !
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