Location: Forestville, Quebec
Guide: Don Hellstrom, Turnpike Ridge Outfitters
Dates: 10JUN01 - 16JUN01
A week of hunting can make for a lot to tell about, but I'll try to stick to the highlights. The fun started on Monday night around 8:30PM (it's daylight until 9:10PM) when I heard a branch snap out on the powerline cut where I was hunting. I was in a stand about 10 yds. inside the woodline and the bait was about 12yds. away, in the woods as well. I could see the bear making its way across the cut heading straight for the bait. The bear sat down at the bait bucket and began munching. Its back was towards me so there was no shot. After a few minutes the bear walked into the woods, circled and watched me for a minute. Convinced I was not a threat the bear came back to the bait, this time quartering towards me....still no shot. After some more snacks, the bear disappeared into the thick of the Canadian woods. It hadn't been spooked, so I hoped it would return again on another evening. Dad also saw a smaller bear at his bait, but having harvested several bear with bow already, he opted to pass. Brother Jeff saw nothing.
Tuesday evening my "friend" returned again at about 8:50PM, this
time from behind me. The first I heard the bear it was already
within 10 yds of the stand on the down-wind side. I figured I
was busted, but the bear didn't seem alarmed. It circled me and
the bait, and eventually approached the bait facing me. Once
again, no shot. It eventually walked between me and
the bait and although I had made full draw, the bear didn't stop
until it was again behind some trees.....let down and wait some
more. The bear must have picked up my scent where I had walked
in, because it turned and sniffed its way straight towards the tree
stopping at about 15 feet. Again, the bear looked up and
studied me (at the range I was studying it closer than I
would have liked as well) before turning around and returning to the
bait. This time I finally got the broadside shot I needed. The
bear conveniently looked away providing the opportunity to
draw. The shot was true and the arrow buried to the
fletch. The bear crashed off into the woods. I looked for
blood at the spot of the hit, but couldn't find any. As it was
now almost dark I decided to head out and return with the guide,
hoping that another set of eyes would turn something up. We
found the arrow about 10 feet inside the woods but the thick pines
and needles made following the blood trail difficult. After and
hour of looking and only making about 30yds. of progress we headed
out and returned to the rendevouz point to meet with the rest of the
hunters. Dad had taken a good bear just before 8:00PM which dropped
within 30 yds. of his stand and Jeff had been skunked again.
After a rough night, I returned with one other guy (John) to
pick-up the search for my bear. Talk about thick woods!
It took nearly two hours of searching for sign on hands-and-knees and
making loops to extend the line of flags, but we were making some
progress. We had worked down off a small hill when I looked out
to my left and saw the bear about 20 yds. away. To
my relief, the bear was dead. Talk about being excited and
releaved! What a blessing to find that bear. It only
traveled about 200 yds, but that was far enough to make the recovery
difficult. I had taken one lung and the liver, enough to do the
job, but not enough to put the bear down in short order.
Another lesson learned....you gotta get both lungs them bears.
Wednesday night brother Jeff was moved to a new bait site and finally got into some action of his own. Around 6:30PM he too, arrowed a nice bear. Three bears in two night, memories don't get much better than that! So how many days until the PA bow season opens?
David Baechtle
Co-chairman of Olive Mount Bowhunters