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2001 Fall Black Bear Bowhunt With Fred Lutger
by Robert Hoague

| Getting Ready | 1st Day's Hunt | 2nd Day's Hunt | 3rd Day's Hunt | 4th Day's Hunt |
| 5th Day's Hunt | 6th Day's Hunt | 7th Day's Hunt | 8th Day's Hunt | 9th Day's Hunt |
| 9th Day's Hunt - Continued | Last Day - Fred's Bear | Last Day - Mike's Bear |

10th and Last Day Of The Hunt - Good news ... and bad news.

Yesterday Afternoon Fred Lutger & Don Beckwith went to their video stand on Chicken Road. A bear came into the area. As time passed they heard it in different areas. Twice there was woofing, growling and thrashing in the brush. The second time one of the bears ran away. 

A bear showed up around 8:15. There was plenty of visible light because sundown was 20 minutes away but in the dense foliage the video camera did not have enough light for a clear, colorful picture. The video was darker than they could use for video footage. Today was the last day of the hunt and if Fred was going to harvest a bear it was now or never.

The bear yanked the logs off the bait. Fred drew when the bear was broadside. His arrow was right in the boiler room and the bear leaped over the bait and ran straight into a tree. But it kept running. They heard it breaking brush and limbs, and then there was silence. There was no audible death moan.

They waited in the stand for 20 minutes and got down. Because they didn't hear the death moan they decided to track it in the morning.

10th Day - Tracking Fred's Bear (The good news first.)

At first light we were eating breakfast. We were optimistic that the chore in front of us would be an easy one. But that was not the case.

Heavy fog was on the pond on Chicken Road. The morning thermals and temperature change were at work and it was very cool.. Mike stopped his SUVA and I took a picture of it. The scene was really neat, one of those moments that only last a minute or two and we were fortunate enough to see it. (I thought maybe some of you might like it for your computer wallpaper. Here it is in 1024x768, 800x600, or 640x480. If not, you will definitely enjoy the view.)

Fred Lutger's Bear
Tracking Fred's bear was the tracking job you always hope for. The bear didn't go far and the blood trail went straight to it. We took several pictures that are my favorite type, right on the spot where we find the animal.

A short but heavy pull to the truck and this was a wrap.

Once the bear was loaded in Don's pickup we drove to the road where Mike's stand was. We parked and went to the stand site. The Search for Mike's Bear.