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Thread: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Burnaby
    Posts
    325

    When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    Went out for my first hunting season last fall and was instantly hooked. I'm generally a DIY kind of guy so no mentor, no partner, just picked a spot on Google maps, packed up the car and went out solo for 5 days in September. Didn't manage to bring anything home to fill the freezer for the winter but gained a ton of knowledge, managed to get some grouse with my bow for camp meat and set the goal of getting a black bear with it as well. Hunted weekends and day trips throughout the rest of the fall and found some good spots for the future, lots of sign but never connected with any bears. Spent the winter practicing archery as much as possible and increased my comfortable distance shooting with broadheads to 50 yards. Invested in a proper frame pack, boots and upgraded other gear that I had found to be a hindrance. Access had been an issue so I saved up and purchased a 4x4 with decent ground clearance to get me into the terrain my citymobile wouldn't take me the year prior. Experimented with different trail camera locations and found a fairly active predator travel corridor. Spent my evenings and weekends scouring bear threads, desk scouting via Google maps/earth and sending countless messages and texts back and forth with some of the generous members of this forum asking all the dumb questions I couldn't find the answers to on Google. South slopes, skunk cabbage, follow the green, play the wind, stalk in when they're preoccupied feeding, got it! My 8 year old son is excited to tag along and has his own goals, he's hopeful he'll get to see a cub this spring. April is quickly approaching but I feel ready and confident.

    Fast forward a few months. I wake up to a beautiful morning and what do you know, finally enough daylight to go shoot some arrows before work! No better way to start the day. Leaving the range I felt confident, my truck would take me where I needed to be this time, my bow is shooting accurately, I can almost smell the cheese smokies...next thing I know all I can smell is smoke and pennies, some hoser had tried to blow a red light and totalled my truck. Wellllll shit, timing doesn't get much worse than this.

    Time to call it quits? Give up until fall? Sit around watching the spring bear photos roll in from my couch while wishing I could enjoy the adventure and soak up the smell of the campfire myself? Or be thankful that I can still walk and post a thread in the off chance someone from the lower mainland had a partner cancel on them this season or has room in the truck to haul along a new hunter and his bow & possibly pass on some valuable knowledge...by no means looking for a guided hunt or anything, mostly just want to get away from the city and hit the reset button although I'll gladly try and punch my tag on any meat bear someone might decide to pass up. Certainly not looking for any sympathy or pity but thought some of you can probably relate and am interested to hear how many of you guys have stories of last minute wrenches thrown in your plans, hunts where nothing seemed to go right etc.

    Good luck to everyone heading out over the next few weeks, hope to see some bruisers hitting the dirt soon!

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Port Alberni
    Posts
    14,218

    Arrow Re: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    KeRist Man!
    Sounds like you have put in your dues, and literally ran into a show-stopper not of your own making!

    I'm too far away to offer any help, or I would.

    Good possibility someone here will take mercy upon your situation and get you out for your first.
    Best of Luck & fling that sharp stick straight eh!

    Cheers,
    Nog
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNNhzkJ-UU&feature=related

    Egotistical, Self Centered, Son of a Bitch Killer that Doesn't Play Well With Others.

    Guess he got to Know me

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    sadly, for now, the LM. Soon, Horsefly!!
    Posts
    4,486

    Re: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    There are two things I know about hunting....

    One (and most importantly) is to never call it quits!

    Two, there will almost always be a wrench thrown into your plans.


    You went out hunting last year and didn't connect. Don't worry about that one bit! It's hunting, not shopping. Keep doing what you are doing, and you will be "successful"!

    Keep in mind that "successful" doesn't necessarily mean you will fill your tag.

    Send me a PM if you like. I'm in the LM unfortunately but have hunted in, and travelled around BC a fair bit. If I can offer up any "advice" I'd be happy to do so. I'm all good with meeting up for a hunt to shoot the sh*t about where to go and when etc....

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Burnaby
    Posts
    325

    Re: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    Thanks nogz, I appreciate it! ScoutIt1 learned those same lessons last year and won't forget them any time soon, pm sent

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    region 9
    Posts
    11,531

    Re: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    Keep up the good work, don't sweat it too much when a wrench is thrown in your gears, keep your head up....still lots of bear season left, and if you come to the interior spring is at least 3 weeks late, so bear season should be good right til the end of spring season.....hit areas of dandelion and clover too..

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    kamloops
    Posts
    3,851

    Re: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    whats the timeframe on replacment?


    still early for bears up here.. clover is just starting in my yard just below alpine..

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Burnaby
    Posts
    325

    Re: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    Quote Originally Posted by walks with deer View Post
    whats the timeframe on replacment?


    still early for bears up here.. clover is just starting in my yard just below alpine..
    Still waiting to hear back on that, hopefully sooner than later but I know they like to take their time with things whenever they can so just trying to plan for the worst case scenario. Maybe I'll be back in action for may long but we'll see how it goes, fingers crossed! Just have to keep reminding myself the rest of the province takes it's time waking up, all this green in the city + sunny days just has me feeling like it's prime time to at least get out and see what's starting to green up in the hills.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    2,482

    Re: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    Im in the same boat. wrecked my truck feb 8 and it took them 1.5months to decide that it was written off. Trying to find a replacement truck before sledding is done.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Burnaby
    Posts
    325

    Re: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    Quote Originally Posted by j270wsm View Post
    Im in the same boat. wrecked my truck feb 8 and it took them 1.5months to decide that it was written off. Trying to find a replacement truck before sledding is done.
    Man, hope everything works out for you...finding a suitable replacement can almost be more of a headache than the accident itself

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    kamloops
    Posts
    3,851

    Re: When nothing goes right, g̶o̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ go bear hunting

    payout took two weeks for my wifes car last november..

    if it doesnt come through by may long weekend you and your son can come up to kamloops and i will take you in my truck....
    if you dont get one in the mountains we can just shoot one out of the neighbours alfalfa feild with the rifle.

    dead serious.

    pm your phone number...

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