Back from my Ontario Hunt

[Buckskin]

We hunted in the Vermillion Bay area last week.  Unlike the bears that Redhawk hunted, there was plenty of natural food for them (actually more than I liked) so we had a hard time pulling them into bait.  5 archery hunters and only 2 bears killed.  Everyone had at least one opportunity but for one reason or another it didn't come together for 3 of my crew.  Baits were being hit very sparingly.  On most days there was maybe one bait hit out of 6 and more than once none. I have to give my props to the guys at Bear Scents, I think they are the reason I connected.  On the third day I was using their Anise scent and was down to the last couple ounces in the bottle. The wind was blowing my scent directly into the bait which I wasn't very happy about. So I decided to start misting the scent into downwind.  About 2 minutes after I finished the bottle I saw a good sized bear about 80yds downwind, sniffing the air.  He eventually came in and walked right past the bait and ended up about 3 yds from my stand.  He then spooked and ran off.  Returning about 5 minutes later.  After an hour of video of him eating bait and leaving he gave me a nice broadside shot.  The arrow took out both lungs and he ran about 50 yds.  Ended up having a nice white spot on his chest and weighing 298# w/ a nice coat for August.

We got everyone together and went by 4-wheeler to get him. It unfortunately started to rain on the way back to camp, so we put up a rain fly over the meat pole just before it started to pour.  I finished skinning, caping and gutting after 1am and a couple glasses of brandy.  Made an awesome bear roast w/ fresh blueberry brandy sauce on the last night.  Over all a great time but could have used a few more bears.

[Redhawk1]

Glad to hear you got one. We did not have a problem getting bears into the bait at all. Our problem was there were to many bear hitting the bait everyday. They were coming earlier and earlier everyday to beat the other bears to the bait. There were 6 hunter's in camp the week I was there, on the first day all but one guy had an opportunity at a bear. On the second day all but 2 guys filled there tags. But they both shot a bear on the second day but did not find them. One guy took a head on shot with a bow, "bad idea" and the other took a shot at one with a 30-06 but must of made a bad shot, the guide was not a happy camper. They went back out the next morning but did not find the bear.

Again congrats on your bear. 

[jk3006]

Congrats on your bear!  What a wonderful animal.  Any pictures?  That's some patience you displayed to hold off for a whole hour. 

[Buckskin]

Wow, a head shot with a bow??? Never thought anyone would try that!  I had a couple opportunities before that, but nothing I wanted to chance.  He would do a lot of pacing downwind of me and the bait that was a reasonable shot with a bow, but moving.  After the second time he ran off I thought I would never get a shot. We were using laced popcorn in a bucket hanging from a tree and he would come into the bait head on to me and eat, never giving a shot.  His downfall is that he couldn't resist the caramel that I smeared on a log in front of the bait! 

I have pics but none of the white spot yet, hoping the other guy who took the pics got it.  I have no idea how to get them on here though.

[Redhawk1]

Wow, a head shot with a bow??? Never thought anyone would try that!  I had a couple opportunities before that, but nothing I wanted to chance.  He would do a lot of pacing downwind of me and the bait that was a reasonable shot with a bow, but moving.  After the second time he ran off I thought I would never get a shot. We were using laced popcorn in a bucket hanging from a tree and he would come into the bait head on to me and eat, never giving a shot.  His downfall is that he couldn't resist the caramel that I smeared on a log in front of the bait! 

I have pics but none of the white spot yet, hoping the other guy who took the pics got it.  I have no idea how to get them on here though.

As far as the head on shot, the bear as we were told was coming into the bait, it stopped and stood there for quit some time. Then the bear started to back out and that was when the guy decided to shoot at the bear head on, he said he was trying to shoot into the hear lung area with a frontal chest shot. Never the less the outfitter was not happy in the least.

I would love to see some pic's of your bear.

[jk3006]

Wow, a head shot with a bow??? Never thought anyone would try that!  I had a couple opportunities before that, but nothing I wanted to chance.  He would do a lot of pacing downwind of me and the bait that was a reasonable shot with a bow, but moving.  After the second time he ran off I thought I would never get a shot. We were using laced popcorn in a bucket hanging from a tree and he would come into the bait head on to me and eat, never giving a shot.  His downfall is that he couldn't resist the caramel that I smeared on a log in front of the bait! 

I have pics but none of the white spot yet, hoping the other guy who took the pics got it.  I have no idea how to get them on here though.

Details, details.  Of course, I completely understand why you wouldn't take a head-on shot.  Nevertheless, it must have been torture waiting for him to give you something you could work with.  The last bear I shot with the bow didn't allow me to take a shot until after I had come to full draw three separate times.  What fun!

[Buckskin]

Frontal shots with a bow on a bear or deer for that matter are not very forgiving.
It was a bit nerve racking but even more exciting. If I would have cleared a little sapling that was in front of the bait, I could have shot earlier. I did draw about 4 times before getting a good shot.  Thought about shooting a couple times when he was pacing, but glad I waited for a better shot.  Horrible feeling when you know you may have made a bad shot.  Much better when you know the arrow passed through the lungs.  Both lungs were a pile of mush when gutted.  I should have taken a picture of what the Slick Trick did to them.  Unfortunately when you shoot in the evening and get it out of the woods at 11:00 and its raining, pictures are not the priority.  I could post pics, but not sure how.

[jk3006]

Unfortunately when you shoot in the evening and get it out of the woods at 11:00 and its raining, pictures are not the priority.

I know what you mean.  I always have the best of intentions with all those details, but when the rubber meets the road I just want to get'r done.

[Buckskin]

Pictures added.  Thought it was tougher than that!  Didn't you used to have to do it through a secondary website?  Also added a pic of a limit of walleyes.  The fishing was much better than the hunting overall.

[jk3006]

Glad you got the pictures posted.  Nice bear!

[theoldarcher]

I just read this post, and I have to tell you, the bear camps I have worked with/in, an intentional head shot would be an invitation to leave...that night!  Stupid disregard for an animal would not have been tolerated.  Any hunting situation calls for patience; and with patience comes a fuller enjoyment of the animal; and with fuller enjoyment on any animal comes knowledge; with knowledge comes satisfaction, whether or not an animal has been killed.  There are guys running around the woods with bows in their hands claiming to be hunters, then there are guys who know how to hunt.  I vote for the second batch!

Arch

[teddy12b]

Congrats on your bear!  I'm glad to hear that you had a good hunt and a good time.  Great pictures too!

[bearfat]

He then spooked and ran off. 

I have read where that is normal. They try to make you show yourself by startling you to jump whatever.

Nice bear for the freezer. I'm going to miss my bear stews this winter unless I can score before 10-14 and that's doubtful.

[Buckskin]

I have read where that is normal. They try to make you show yourself by startling you to jump whatever.

Nice bear for the freezer. I'm going to miss my bear stews this winter unless I can score before 10-14 and that's doubtful.

Well his little trick didn't work as planned.
He is a tasty bugger.  Had a roast last week and having loin tomorrow. MMMMmmm, can't understand why some people won't eat them.

[bearfat]

Haaaa...we had a guy transfer in to our railroad yard that was a farmer raising prime beef cattle. Whenever he started talking about beef the guys would say, "You know some of the best meat I've ever eaten is bear. It's the beef of the north and it's free."

Drove him nuts, he would start throwing his hands up in the air, "Oh you don't know what good beef tastes like, eating that garbage meat."

I've had many friends over that were shocked at the flavor of bear - BEEF OF THE NORTH!!

[Buckskin]

I grew up on a beef cattle farm and my Dad has been raising quality beef all his life.  He never liked venison, even though when I gave him a med-rare loin chop, he thought it was pretty good.  Sunday my parents are coming over for dinner and to watch the Packers - they are getting bear.  I will report.