Remote Bear Hunt

Bowhunting.net

Doug Crabtree
Remote Bear Hunt - Day 4
By Doug Crabtree
Feb 18, 2006, 08:00

Russ and Dave woke me up early on day 4, they were fixing their lunch. They were doing exactly what Russ had said, hunt their baits all day. After they left around 7:00 am I got up and started preparing my equipment.

Something just told me I needed to hunt tonight and I had some last minute arrow preparation to finish before I could hunt. Around 10:00 Ray and I left to bait all the lake baits. Every bait on the lake except for the river bait had been hit and the barrels all tipped over. Two of the river baits, (North River Bait & Dumbbell Lake Bait) had not been hunted at all.

Ray decided that he wanted to hunt the (Dumbbell Bait) so I told him I would drop him of and hunt the (Spring Bait) since it was only 1 mile past his bait. Kendal and Greg were returning to the (River Bait) again.

On are way from the spring bait, we had to pass the boat dock where we tied or boats up to get on the four wheelers every day. On our way to bait the south spring bait I noticed Russ's boat was still there. When we returned around 12:00 and his his four-wheeler was sitting there. I told Ray that Russ was in from hunting and had probably shot a bear.

Our 4-Wheeler parking lot.

As we approached the camp boat dock Russ, Justin and Jimmy were leaving. We pulled up beside them and Russ told us that he had shot one around 11:00 am and he heard it go down. We wished them good luck and tied up to the boat dock at camp. Around 1:45 pm they were back.

Russ Grimes Morning Hunt
I got to the bait around 7:30 am and re-baited the barrel and Climbed into the Double Bull Blind. Around 10:30 I heard something moving through the brush. I picked up my bow and got ready. Finally, I saw black moving through the brush coming towards me.

It was taking its time but continued to move towards the bait. As the bear came into the bait site he would slowly take one step and look around before taking another. Each step he took was careful placed as though he was stalking the bait.

Finally he reached the barrel and started to lick the icing off the top. The Bear was broadside and presented me with a good shot. I drew the bow and released the arrow. It hit exactly where I was looking. The bear blasted out of the opening and crashed though the thick brush -- 20 seconds later I heard him crash and start death moaning. It didn’t take long till the bush was quite again.

I got Justin and Jimmy and we returned to the spot where I shot the bear. There was blood right on the Barrel and a good trail leading into the brush. It was an easy and short blood trail, which ended with my first bear lying there motionless.

Russ Grimes

My bear weighed around 200 pounds and I was on cloud nine. Thanks to the Double Bull Blind and Missinaibi Outfitters for providing a great hunt and helping me harvest my first black bear.

Afternoon Hunt

Greg and Kendal had hunted the river bait for 3 straight nights now with no luck. Dave Holdren hunted his bait the entire day but had no action. The bait he hunted had been hit every time we checked it but not during daylight hours.

Doug Crabtree and Ray Burkhart
At 2:00 pm Ray and I loaded our gear in the boat and headed to Dumbbell Lake, which lies on the south end of the waterway. After a ½ hour boat ride, we arrived at the (Dumbbell Lake) Bait where Ray would be hunting.

I quickly helped him put his Double bull blind up and headed towards the (Spring Bait). I pulled a canoe behind the 14-foot johnboat so I could go in quietly for the last 600 yards. I tied the boat off in a little cove and finished the trip canoeing my way to the bait site.

I arrived around 2:40 pm and quickly put the Double Bull Blind up 5 yards from the Barrel. I re-baited and got into the blind. It was only 2:45 and I figured I wouldn’t have any action until later so I decided to lie down and take a little nap.

At 3:05 I was woke by the sound of something, which sound like someone sucking an empty milk shake cup. I was still lying in the blind as I listened to the noise when I heard claws scrape the barrel. I slowly rose up to my knees and glanced out the Shooting window.

My eyes must have been as big as golf balls when I saw the bear standing there with his back even with the top of the barrel. I attempted to turn and get my bow without making any noise. Then with my bow in hand and arrow nocked I turned back around to find that the bear had turned away from the barrel and was looking straight at the blind. He must have heard me.

His eyes were like two red laser beams burning right through me. After a 20 second stare down he turned back towards the barrel and gave me a perfect quartering away shot. I drew the 76-pound BowTech Allegiance and placed the pin 5 inches behind his shoulder and released the arrow.

It was like a flash of lightning as the arrow passed completely through him. The bear crashed through the brush running over anything and everything in his path. I heard him stop at the top of the hill and crash. I listened for 10 min but never heard anything else. But I was very confident that he was down.

I decided to get out and head back to video for Ray the rest of the evening. When I arrived at Ray’s blind and climbed in he asked me what had happened. I told him I had shot a really nice bear. He said. "you lucky dog, you haven’t been gone 40 min." After whispering the story to him I again decided to lie down for a little nap.

A 1½-hour nap later I was ready for some more action. At 7:00 pm Ray and I heard some sticks cracking from the south. Then we heard something take off running back through the brush. I told Ray that it was a bear and he would be back.

About 15 min later, while I was lying down listening, Ray said, "Doug there he is." I slowly rose up and got the video camera ready.

The bear still wasn’t happy about something and bolted off. Ray said, "how could you possibly lay down and take a nap after seeing a bear that close." I replied, A had to just to get my heart rate back down. As we both watched out of the windows of the blind I saw a black ear come from behind a tree. The bear paused for 30 seconds and then walked into the opening, presenting Ray with a seven yard broad side shot. Ray drew his bow and released the arrow.

The arrow made a funny sound upon release and was flying sporadic in the air. The arrow went right underneath the bear and stuck in the ground. After a quick examination of the blind window, Ray had nicked the bottom causing his arrow to deflect and miss the bear. We stayed until dark hoping the bear might come back but that didn’t happen.

We broke the blind down and loaded his stuff in the boat and headed back to track my bear. The blood trail was easy to follow -- the Interlock EXP expandable had done its job. There were trees broke down and bent over from the bear running through the brush. As we neared the top of the hill Ray asked if we should go get help. I answered no and continued to the top following the blood. we reached the top and I looked down the other side and saw the bear lying motionless.

I walked down and tried to turn him over but had to have Ray give me a hand. Man was he big.

Doug Crabtree

Ray and I attempted to drag him but quickly realized that we needed some help. We marked the trail out and went for help.

Greg, Kendal, Justin, Russ, Jimmy, Ray and I returned and tied the bear to a 12 foot pole. With two people in the front and two in the back we managed to get him out. Thanks guys for all your help. We guessed the bears weight around 370 lbs. He measured 6 foot from the tip of his nose to his tail. His front foot pad measured 6 inches across. Greg said he was sure this was a P/Y bear. Either way I’m proud of him. It was an alarm clock I never forget.