Walked that few km good stretch with multiple areas with sign from previous day.
Checking for new sign. I thought i kicked all the scat yesterday, so it seemed that new stuff was there mostly in one of the 5 areas that had potential.
But, this time I did a more detailed scanning and kicking sweep of the scat to be sure for next visit.
A bit hard to say on age bc of the rain most nights so far, but seemed really fresh.
Saw a Ground hog type animal; I wondered what was making these tennis ball size holes.
I went to discover a new area for day.
~11am sitting in the start of side road a doe pokes her head out (~80m away), looking to see who's there. She looked kind of tatered and had 2 long horizontal scars down here side, about 5 inches apart. Would this be from mating season?
Started walking this grassy, once logged side road, with a logged hill with messy regrowth started. I got the stupid urge as usual to see what is at the top of this cut with shallow shrubs. No view, as usual. Minimal dear sign. Animals like the easy paths too! I'll try to remember next time that's always a pointless climb.
Went back to the lower grassy road, it got tight but maps said it may open up later.
So followed it 1-2 km, when it got down into a creek bottom it was noticeably cooler and a lot of sign there. Scat, mowed grass, many old and new 'saplings' broken over @ ~6-7ft (may not be bear sign?).
Bear central? It was just so thick, to the sides and stuff growing 1-3feet tall sporadically on the 'road'.How would you hunt something like this? Longest shot 20-30m.
I thought of calling with rabbit distress or fawn, but honestly was not really wanting at fast close encounter I envisioned could happen here. Being alone and lowest power on scope being 6.
After poking around there I headed back not seeing a reason to see the rest of that old regrown cut. Got back to that area with the pointless hill and thought it might be a good spot to just sit and see what may come out. Just as was about to 'take a load off' and sit, to my right ~10ft I see this...
Gut pile with jaw bone. And you think you're keeping your eyes open! This is also bovine? I could see old tire marks back to this spot, but i guess they could be unrelated.
How old does this gut pile look?
~2-4pm rested in car, short nap, weather cooling, so I thought I should had back towards that prime area.
The broken saplings are the mark of the dominant boar. He's showing other bears in the area that's his breeding territory. They stand up and reach over a shoulder to bite them and break them there.
~5pm going along main road I think that's was the first time i was on this road in day light. Going very slow, Noticing sign I didn't before.
Here to my left, there is a good 10m of grass/bush then a down slope; on the right is bush and an immediate upslope.
Noticing the good 'habitat' I role the window down and am listening, hear something in thick stuff on the downslope (north) side. I decide to try calling around here, maybe something would come out.
I drive 40m or so and stop to set up to call.
I get out, turn around, BlackBear! About 50m back, at edge of brush/road, on upslope side (south).
Bino him, looks like a sure shooter. I don't have much experience, but looks BIG and thick. It was about at the far end of this photo, almost around the corner from my view.
I frantically grab needed stuff, load rifle, look again gone... It's vanished like a tiny rabbit. What to do!?
Maybe if I call a bit it would come out? Waiting Calling At some point in here he appeared briefly but then once again vanished. Noise in the bushes up directly hill from me, huff huff, snap!
I cant see anything past 2ft into the bush.
I quckly retreat to other side of road behind the car haha!
Waited...nothing. Could it be same one? Didn't think so because it was about 50m different location very quickly with no noise.
After a bit, Back in car, move on, 30m further, a black head, left (downhill) side of road this time, in bushes, pops down instantly and goes into thick stuff. Bear O'clock!?
I cant help but feel if my gear was more ready to go, and not in hiking mode I could have got it. Maybe if I just waited silently I would have had another chance instead of calling.
~6pm downpour of rain started. Went close to prime spot hoping to walk in and past it by ~7pm before wind switched.
Then when it did @7:30/8, I would still hunt back through good area until reaching my planned ambush spot on other side of opening.
Waited in car overlooking a decent grassy spot close to where i want to stalk, but headed back to camp after the heavy rain just did not let up by 8:30.
Excited to see my first bears, but 20/20 vision haunting me.
Do bears feed in a downpour? 100m into leaving I see a flash of black disappear into the bush. ~40min later, approaching camp on a side road, I see a strange reflecting pattern in the road a head, it seems to be spinning, or bouncing maybe? What is that? Oh, it's a skunk! And it's running straight down the tire tracks, at me!
Getting closer! I stop and honk the horn, it pauses, raises it's tail, struts around a bit and continues at me. Wanting NO part of this I start reversing! It's a narrow, half flooded road, in the semi dark, going in reverse. After a few more honks it goes into the bush finally. Thanks God. At camp I realize the rain noticeably decreased in intensity. I wonder if I missed the perfect mosquito free wait on a big BB.
By the time I find and kill some tent mosquitoes the rain is heavy again.
Day4
6am morn drive, Light rain
Sightings: Rabbit, Doe jumping across the road, Rabbit
Young buck @25m
Doe @100m
Then saw 5 more Rabbits
How would you hunt these road rabbits?
The rabbits are generally running from cover to cover. Do they actually run away or just slightly into the side brush, so of you wait them out you'd get a shot when then come back? Walk my declared prime spots,
Didn't notice any fresh sign from day/night before. I wonder if this is good bc surely they'll be back today to add to their ~15 scat piles; I wonder if being in the area too much could push them to another spot? It's 9am, what to do?
Go for a drive
10am - as cresting the road, driving into the wind, I see dark head and ears of a Black bear.
I stop, I'm about 75m away, get ready much more efficiently this time, take aim, it's head on.
In the course of about 5-10sec I have a million thoughts: I should shoot it in the head, neck, chest,
Start lining up head shot, oh it's now quartering to, it's moving and shifting, my crosshairs are hovering over the chest/neck area, then it was gone. I waited 20min, nothing, it's gone gone.
It definitely knew I was there, it was not feeding nonchalantly but trying to smell me or figure me out. I spent too much time trying to have a perfect dead set crosshair, which I now see is not going to happen when standing. Afterwards, I realized I was quite tense and had high heart rate. This was my first animal in my scope. Ahh, not according to plan!!! I get confused at this point. Do i go hike and explore new areas? Sit on known areas with sign or with previous sightings? I'm definitely willing to put 'the work' in, but not knowing what is going to be useful is the issue for new hunters I think. Spent the day road sitting stretches, down wind of what looked like good potential spots. Since the downpour started yesterday the rain has been constant, heavy to sprinkling.
From 4:30pm the rain has been constantly heavy till ~8pm.
No sightings this eavening.
After this much rain if tomorrow is dry would the animals be anxious to get out and about? Hopefully.
It's been SNOWING/light hail since i started till ~ 9am
9:30 While sitting overlooking a cut 2 does feed through together for about 30minutes. They were both very skittish about me being there. One came out at first making sure things were ok, then looked at the other hidden doe, as if to say, 'are you comin or what?'
They helped sooth my bear sorrows~
At this point the roads are getting soupy! Making me nervous.
I think I'm going to make it my last day. The entire sky being one colour of grey for days is wearing on me.
With rain reduced to light, I decide I'm gonna go hike a new spot which is in behind one of the road areas with what seems to me, good sign. There's a pond back there too, according to goggle.
After starting quickly some bear sign, and bones.
Afterwards i see some broken trees, but more deer sign than anything.
How would you hunt a place like this for dear?
Water/pond seemed to be in the bottom of a thick deep dark hole, so decided not to venture all the way into there.
Rain has actually stopped...for now.
On way back, by the other bones, but 30m away, i noticed a spine half burried middle of the road; then to the side of that a jaw, with skull, and 10m from there another skull and hip bones (w saw marks). Then on the other side of the road another skeleton more intact than the others.
These heads are big, are they moose? But no antlers. Or just cows (there are some around)?
Jaw looks like an ungulate right?
Tried calling after this...to no avail.
Raining again~
But sky has turned a nice new shade of lighter grey
If you're concerned of bears when in the nature maybe you should take me, bc at this point I'm think I'm bear repellent. But, be forewarned, I'm also dear repellent. My repellent effects seem only tamed by the envelopment of a vehicle.
Something i think i learned:
You can determine, by what you do, that you will not see any game; in the end, even if you do everything right, the game determines if you see them.
Sound about right?
So i pack up camp, and stop at a cut on way back to main road wondering, should I give one more day? And I spot a doe on the far side grazing. (I was in my car you see, so the dear repellent was neutralized).
Note to self - stop moving for the game to notice and let the game move for you. Maybe they can't smell you in car either, pay more attention to the wind.
Overall, I had an amazing trip. Although I was really annoyed at points, I learned a lot. And now, it almost doesn't matter that much, but of course would like to be writing this eating bear stew instead of chicken. The whole time I did not see a single person or vehicle, which was awesome. Thanks a lot for the generous pro help I received by means of time to talk, knowledge, direction, tips, it made everything so much more enjoyable. Will let him reveal in case doesn't want his name mentioned. Thanks a lot. Can't wait to go do it again.
Well done, great write up, pictures and presentation, thoroughly enjoyed your post. You may not have harvested a bear, but It was still a successful adventure. Good on you.
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