I just got back from one of the most enjoyable hunts I've ever had. This was also my first guided hunt. I am traditionally a pretty hardcore DIY guy but with it being my first bow and bear hunt I decided the responsible thing to do was go out with someone who knew what they were doing and learn everything I could from them. Also, I live right in Vancouver and don't have a lot of hunting buddies close by to hang out with so I was looking forward to being in camp with other hunters for both the fellowship and the learning opportunities.
My hunt took place about an hour and a half east of Prince George. The outfit I went with is owned by Jeff Lander and called Primitive Outfitting. He also does Muley hunts in Alberta and has a great Moose hunt in the fall in his BC camp. I specifically wanted to find an outfitter that focused on bow hunters and Jeff's name kept popping up. I was not disappointed. Jeff and all his guides are great guys and his wife Lana is an amazing cook. The camp is on the rustic end of the spectrum but I'm a BC boy who spent 15 years working in forestry and lots of summers tree planting so I felt right at home and slept like a log every night. The other hunters were all great guys from a variety of places so we had a very diverse crew.
They focus on late afternoon/evening hunts for the most part. After years of doing this, they have decided its the strategy that gives them the highest likelihood of success. After spending some time with them I would have to agree. It does feel like half a vacation and half a hunt trip though. I am used to being up at the crack of dawn and hunting the backcountry all day so I had to force myself to slow down a little. I think that's a great part of this hunt. I am learning not all hunts have to be brutal to be memorable.
Most days we'd have our big meal at 3:30 pm and head out around 4:30. We did a lot of driving with short hikes to check out railroad tracks, lower fields by the Fraser and some of the high country glassing spots. It's still a bit early in the year up there so we focused on the greened-up areas. There is definitely no shortage of bears up there, both Grizzly and Black. After the number of Grizzly, we saw I can't help but be convinced that this ban on hunting Griz will have to be reversed at some point. They are very plentiful and absolutely huge up there. On an average day, we'd see 4-6 black bears with at least one being a shooter. Some days were better than others but I had a stalking opportunity every day.
I have to give some credit to my guide Gary, he was fantastic. Not only does he know his craft inside and out he was a super fun guy to hang out with. I had a blast and I give a lot of that credit to Gary. I would hunt with him again, any chance I get.
On the third evening, we decided to go sit the tracks for a while. After about an hour and a half with no action, we had decided to give it 15 more mins and then head to another spot. Just as we were getting up to leave we heard a sharp crack in the woods about 50 yards on the other side of the tracks. We all locked eyes and froze. We instantly knew that was a bear. We hunkered down on our side of the tracks trying to get out of view as quietly as possible, The next 20 mins felt like an eternity. This bear was old and crafty, there was no doubt about it. He took a full 20 mins to move through 25 yards of cover. He only ever took 3 or 4 steps at one time and then reassessed the situation. My heart was slamming in my chest the whole time. Finally, we could see a black silhouette forming behind the saplings on the edge of the tracks. He was going to break cover. Gary whispered "Draw! Draw!" I was on my knees and came to full draw. My calves were on fire from hunkering down for 20 mins and the rocks were digging into my shins and I did not care one bit. Just then he pushed his head through the saplings. Damn, what a big head! He was looking right at us. I could only see his head and maybe about 12 inches of the top of his chest. I was considering a frontal but at 25 yards with all that vegetation still in my way, I just didn't feel confident. I needed him to take just one more step. Right then he lifted his head took a big sniff. That was it. He winded us and with a big huffing noise, he was gone. Gary tried huffing back at him to call him out and we went in the bush after him for a few mins but it was futile. He did not get that big and old by accident. He knew what time it was and it was time to get out of dodge.
Hands still shaking we gathered on the tracks to debrief. We all agreed it had been the highlight of the trip thus far. There were smiles all around but a slight feeling of disappointment. Just then Gary hushed us all and said "Bear!". Looking up the tracks about 100m I could see a second bear make his way up on the tracks. Oh, it was game on again! We got back down on the side of the tracks. The bear saw us briefly but did not appear to care one bit. He looked like a decent mature bore. Not the toad that we had just lost but a respectable bear nonetheless. As I ranged him at 80 yards he slipped down off the tracks onto our side and made his way into the trees to feed. Gary turned to me and said "You want to go after that bear?", I replied "hell yeah!".
We slipped up to the tracks and gingerly moved from track to track, slowly closing that 80 yards. I was in the lead and I couldn't see the bear but knew where he went in. As we reached the last spot the bear had been visible Gary said "There he is!", I still couldn't see him, but then I realized I was looking too deep into the woods. Instead, right on the track embankment was a big bear head staring up at me no more than 6-7 yards away. I slowly lifted my bow and came to full draw. As we locked eyes he darted to the left with two quick steps back into the ditch. At this point, he was perfectly broadside 7-8 yards away. Following Gary's advice from earlier on, I put my pin dead centre on the bear and then came forward just a bit. Took one deep breath, let out a sigh and slowly started to pull back with my elbow. I could feel my index finger squeezing the trigger for what felt like forever. Then that unforgettable sound of my string slapping the stopper and my arrow slamming into his side. He exploded in a frenzy and flew up a tree 2 yards away. I knew I hit him good. I could see it was a pass through. As we looked at him in the tree we could hear blood dripping onto the ground below him and some raspy breathing. I'd hit lungs for sure. maybe a bit too high and forward but definitely lungs.
Gary said, "Put another one in him!". Unfortunately from where I was standing the bear had the tree between him and me and all I could see were his four paws. At this point, I walked 5 yards further up the tracks to see around the side of the tree. Now the bear and I were almost eye to eye as I was up on the tracks. He was likely 8-9 yards away. He was looking around the side of the tree and I had a good line on his chest. Lifting my bow I came to full draw again. Placing my pin on his face, I then let it drift down about 8 inches to the middle of his chest. Again, the smack of string followed by the smack of arrow into bear. Another clean pass through. The bear instantly fell backwards out of the tree. He stumbled 5 yards, let out a single death moan and fell over dead.
At this point, I became acutely aware of just how much I was shaking. A big grin spread across my face and Gary turned to me and said "nice work man!". The next few mins were a blur of hugs, pats on the back and astonished faces as we could not believe what had just taken place in the last hour. The disappointment of losing the first bear followed by the rejuvenation brought by the second bear was hard to describe. We went up the bear and laid him out respectfully. I spent a few moments sharing my appreciation with him and feeling his dense, luxurious coat. He was a beautiful bear. I knew in that moment I would hunt bears with my bow for the rest of my life. I can not explain that sensation. How close and visceral it all was. I've shot my fair share of animals with a rifle and none of them ever felt like that. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity I had, the new friends I got to share it with and most of all for the bear that gave his life. Not only did I have an amazing hunt but I also have a freezer full of some of the most organic meat on the planet for my family.
I hope you enjoyed the tale and with some amazing hunts still on the calendar for 2018 I hope I have the opportunity to write another one for you.
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