2023 Indiana Deer Hunt (Part 2) - Moonlighting

After a very rainy and blowing Tuesday at work, I had Wednesday off.  I opted to not go out in the morning allowing me a chance to have a quiet morning and walk the dogs.  I also watched some TV as I've been working through rewatching Moonlighting.  It is shocking how quickly this show went from pretty good (even ~35+ years later) to very bad.  Fonzie is all lined up on that shark.

Early afternoon I packed up everything and got changed into heavy camo clothes.  After telling the dogs they are awesome, I headed out to Mike's.  While driving, 7-8 deer ran through a field with one going right in front of the trucklette.  I saw this as a good sign?  Maybe not for hunting this year, but with the population low, seeing healthy does makes me glad the EHD outbreak wasn't worse.

Once at Mike's I got all my gear and hoofed it down to my 2-tree.  In the daylight I was able to set up easily and get comfortable.  Temperatures were a bit cool but with quite a bit of wind - at least the direction of the wind was almost perfect.

Not much was moving however - not even the squirrels.  But I was really enjoying the time in the stand ... outdoors ... in my element.  At one point I noticed a healthy-looking coyote behind me walking off to the west.  Even with minimal shooting, no doubt it's had a fill of offal over the last few days.

I let my mind wander where it wanted to.  I couldn't help but think how much more I like morning hunts than evening hunts.  Not only does stand fatigue set in during the end of the hunt, but the world is an intensely noisy place - both literally and figuratively.  Mornings are usually blessedly quiet.  Somewhere not too far away someone was chain sawing with a vengeance.  It was annoying, but at least far enough away that I could mostly tune it out.  Much more annoying was a really, really loud dog barking all afternoon.  No doubt the deer are used to it, and barking dogs living in rural areas are kind of a thing.  But every time it started up again I grumbled.  I was looking forward to the quiet of the following day's Thanksgiving morning hunt.

Shadows started to get long as the afternoon approached evening and I noticed movement ahead of me to my left.  A small deer was very carefully working its way towards me on the ridge in front of me.  I told myself that it could be a spike, although I knew it definitely wasn't.  I carefully got my gun up and looked through the scope - doe confirmed.  I put my gun down but kept it in my hands only to avoid more movement.  I sat watching the doe.

I noticed more movement directly in front of me on the ridge.  I'm not 100% sure where its path was from, but saw the hard antler of a buck; without looking closely I knew it was a shooter.  I had only seconds to act so brought my gun up, the deer paused, I fired.  I was a bit worried I missed as it quickly took 3 running steps, then 2 slow steps, and it dropped.  I reloaded my .243 and watched for a few minutes.

I got out of my stand and walked the short distance to it.  I may be am the luckiest person in the world with every deer over the last fours years a 10-point or better.

It was getting dark so I quickly packed out my stuff and returned with my knives and sled.  Field-dressing was a messy issue since the Hornady SSTs have a tendency to turn the insides into deer soup - but they do work.  The deer was much larger than the sled, so I had to wrap the antlers in my pull chord to lift his head when I pulled.  But all things considered, it wasn't too bad getting the deer out.  I paused for several minutes after crossing the creek at the bottom of the ridge.  There was just enough water for a small, clear pool to exist.  The moonlight reflected in the water creating visual poetry.

The drag is about a quarter-mile, but a difficult one - especially the last hill.  Many deadfalls and evil honeysuckle make this much worse.  I was drenched in sweat by the time I made it to my truck but was still able to slide the sled into the Maverick bed.  Mike came out around this time, "Mike, you need to grow smaller deer."  Mike graciously let me wash up my hands and I talked with him and his wife for a bit before heading home.  

Right near home, four more does ran across the road in front of me.  I slowed down to let them pass.  Out the passenger window, they almost glowed in the moonlight.  The next day is Thanksgiving and I have much to be thankful for.

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Post Mortem

SO suggested we hold off on our Thanksgiving feast to be able to take care of my deer.  She is wonderful...  And Thanksgiving day was a day of cutting, grinding and freezing followed by deer nachos for dinner.  The turkey will wait.

My shot was a few inches farther back than I would have liked, but I can't argue with the buck only taking five steps.

I noticed two things while processing my deer.  First, there was some kind of damage in the neck of the deer that wasn't from my bullet.  I couldn't see much external damage, but a thin area in the lower neck might have been from something healing; I'm really not sure what was going on.  I ended up cutting through the skin in this area so my back and forth on what to do with the deer is going towards a skull mount.

Second, I was able to recover the bullet on the offside right under the hide (48% weight retention).  This is nearly perfect performance since it means that little bullet dumped every bit of energy inside the animal.  Two holes may bleed more for tracking purposes, but I'll take five steps over tracking any day.

2023 Indiana Deer Hunt - The Great Skunk Hunt (Part 3)

I generally like how the Indiana DNR manages deer.  While it would be a change likely to cause revolt, I think more states should adopt the one-antlered-deer-per-year rule.  There are some years I see as many bucks as does. It can be frustrating some years, but it can make people think before breaking the trigger on a small buck. 

The county where I hunt must be ground zero for 2022 EHD outbreak as the state said "NO!" to shooting any does.  I am glad the state is taking action, but I also see a few years of tough hunting ahead until the population rebounds from the 2022 outbreak.  Estimates are that the deer heard is around 30% of what it normally is.  That is brutal.  This makes it start to look more like the deer hunting I did when I first started hunting about a million years ago.  I may at times look at the past with rose-colored glasses, but not when it comes to those kinds of deer numbers.  The "DNR expects the population will recover in about five years."  So it goes...

I always internally debate putting my stand up the day before the gun opener.  It makes opening morning much easier, but it is extra human intrusion right before hunting.  Friday was very rainy, but it was lessoning after work.  After going back and forth several times, I made the quick trip to put of the stand; this was the right decision since the remaining rain broke up overhead, leaving my stand dry.  It also got me more excited about deer hunting seeing "my" woods all ready for me.

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I woke up opening morning at my usual too-early.  My usual angst and love-hate relationship with deer hunting had given me a low-grade migraine.  By getting up early I was able to nap with the dogs; this also made them very happy.  Soon enough it was time to get ready and head out to Mike's.

Once at Mike's, I made my way to where my stand was set up and easily got it up the tree.  Temperatures were cool with clear skies and almost no wind.  The love-hate relationship was leaning heavily back into love.

Shortly after it got light, I saw a decent(ish) buck working generally toward me after wheezing a few times.  He was moving and through some thick brush, making getting him in the scope difficult.  Additionally with no wind my scope was fogging up from my breath.  Adding to all this, the lighting was weird since I was looking toward the sun while the deer was in deep shadows.  I finally got a grainy bead on him in the scope, but knew better than to try to shoot.  I let him continue on.  Had I known how the next few days were to go, I might have tried harder, but there is no question I made the right decision.  A short time later I heard shooting off toward the southwest where he was headed; unlikely I'll ever see that deer again.

The morning continued on and I heard much ruckus across the ravine - seeing turkeys on the ridge.  With turkey populations struggling in much of the East, it is nice to be able to see them.

If it weren't for my headache, it would have been a nearly perfect day.  Temperatures rose from just below freezing to around 50F with bright sun and no wind.  It was so sunny, it was actually annoying at times since I was generally facing south.  It was also a very long time to sit without seeing anything else.  I was glad for the rambunctious squirrels since they at least gave me something to watch.  As it got darker, I started seeing bears in all the shadows; I must be mentally ill - or deer hunting was bringing me back to Manitoba.  Eventually it got dark and I was done for the day after seeing only the one deer.  I couldn't help but think back to several years previous when I would routinely see double-digits of deer most times I went out.  It wasn't only me though as I heard unbelievably little shooting for opening day.

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Sunday came and I felt a lot better, but the energy level was a bit low after seeing so few deer on opening day.  But after spending a bit of quality time with the dogs, I was out the door again.  I was in the stand well before light.  It was once again just below freezing with a crystal clear sky and no wind.  I sat comfortably in my stand and let my vigilance rise.

As it started to get light, I saw one deer on the ridge across the ravine.  It was too far away to see whether it was a buck or doe and was too far to shoot anyway.  I could just see it milling around before working its way off to the west.  

I like hunting in the ravine, and for the last two years it has worked well for me.  But I was seeing deer go back to the pattern which would put them past my "favorite" stand.  And as much as I know the ravine can be a deer highway, my untested belief is that it tends to be used more during the pitch black of nocturnal behavior.  Around 11:00 I decided to head up to my favorite stand.  It took a few minutes to get down and pack up my stand and I was sweating when I made it to my two-tree.  But it was worth it.  Once settled in, I instantly felt at peace.  I'm not sure if this was because I like the openness a bit more, or because I was away from all that heinous honeysuckle, or if the stand just has better feng shui (can deer stands have feng shui?  I say, "YES!").  This was supported by hearing something behind me just as I was finishing a snack and seeing four does go bounding toward me and off to the south.  It seemed like the universe was briefly aligned.

But that alignment was short-lived or I was imaging it.  Other than one more (maybe?) deer in the ravine, the rest of the day passed without seeing anything.  It was still a great hunting day - if a bit (a lot) slow.

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Monday came as a vacation day from work and I was once again headed to Indiana.  It was a bit warmer, but felt colder since there was a stiff breeze.  I got set up in the stand and once again waited for daylight.  I was wearing my windproof fleece - so I wasn't cold, but it wasn't like the first two days.

I was hopeful as it got light and kept a vigilant watch.  With the wind, it was hard to hear anything.  The most interesting thing I saw was a cute little raccoon working its way to the south.  It was young and struggled to climb a large tree, only to give up and work its way back down.  Trash panda...

By around 10:30 I was clock watching.  The forecast was for a good chance of PM rain and lots of rain on Tuesday.  I wasn't seeing enough deer to justify sitting in blowing rain.  I called it a morning.

2023 SC Deer Hunt Day 6 - Mental Reconnaissance

I was up early and out the door before 4:00.  Despite the early hour, there were quite a few cars on the road, but it was still a work day for most.  

I finished the last half hour of Quiet; it was mostly about raising introverted kids so I let my mind wander.

I've already replayed that shot on the hog over and over at least 1000 times and I'm sure I'll do it much more in the next few days and weeks.  I think a lot about what I could have done differently.  I could have waited a few more seconds to possibly steady myself just a bit more.  I could have gone for a body shot instead of a head shot and hoped there wasn't swamp or impenetrable jungle around.  I could have gone for a shoulder shot since I probably would not have been able to eat a large boar (big hogs that come in alone are usually boars).  I could have paused and not taken a shot in the dark at that distance.

It is pretty incredible.  Under range conditions, it isn't a difficult shot.  I calculated I was probably off by 0.03 degrees (1.78 minutes/MOA if one prefers that kind of thing).  That is an incredibly small margin of error.  I know I'm not the greatest shot, and I do wish I had more time to practice.  

I'm not sure if there was a car show or what, but there were several stanced (stupid!!!!) cars with fart-can exhausts driving like ass hats near Spartanburg.  I felt like I was in a sophomoric version of Fast and Furious.  They all got off at the same exit so I suspect it wasn't a coincidence.  I was happy to see them go.

After finishing Quiet, I moved on to Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner.  There is quite a bit of controversy around this book, but I'm not sure why.  I didn't find many of the conclusions that far fetched.  I enjoyed the way they talked statistics and the book was quite funny in places as well.  There may be some confirmation bias since I do believe much of history can be better understood not as the result of historical planned actions but as the result of unintended consequences.

The fog was once again intense and pretty through the mountains.  My coffee stop was also better than my drive south.

Given the number of deer I've seen while hunting hogs, I wasn't expecting the deer hunting to be quite as challenging as it was.  I think I'm going to go back to give it another go next year.  Most of the guys I met on this trip were fun to hang out with and I did enjoy hunting deer with Rick more than at home.  Longer term I need to figure out where deer hunting fits in with everything else (and finances).

I'll have more time to do mental reconnaissance over the coming weeks and days.  The last time I missed a big game animal was back in 2013.  I was due for a miss and it does come with an appropriate level of humility.  But not everything needs to be a lesson - sometimes I just fail...

2023 SC Deer Hunt Day 5 - The Great Skunk Hunt (Part 2)

Having turned in shortly after the new guys got in the previous evening, we talked a bit in the morning.  It turned out Brian and I grew up just a short distance from each other and he went to college near where I now live.  It might be a small world...

At the agreed time, we all piled into Rick's truck to head out for the morning.  I was on the Lucy VanPelt stand.  It probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but I do know this area has hogs.

As I got situated, my mood started to sour; this was unusual for a morning hunt.  On my way in to the stand I couldn't find my flashlight so presumed it is lost in a previous morning's stand.  The wind wasn't the best for this stand either.  I knew my mood was irrational - the flashlight is at most a $10 flashlight and the wind wasn't terrible.  But sometimes it is just best to play things out.  It felt much like my bear hunt when I was coming to grips with not getting one.  Perspective was needed just like it was back in Manitoba.  And it is never over until it is over.

The morning brightened and it was a very nice morning.  Cooler temperatures and some wind made it feel like an early fall day.  I like hunting overcast days since it gets rid of harsh shadows.  The stand was more comfortable than I remember.

Around 7:30 I was looking at my phone and looked up to see some movement.  Grabbing my binoculars, I saw a small 6-point buck on the corn pile.  He didn't stay long, but after eating for 5-10 minutes he ran off.  I was hoping this meant that a more dominant buck was coming in, but that was the only deer I saw all morning.

Rick picked me up a bit later than usual.  We had all seen deer, but nobody had seen anything impressive.  It was a slow morning all around.  Rick suggested it was a combination of acorns and the full moon.  No doubt that may play a role.  But I suspect animal movements are very, very complicated.

We all had down time before heading out for my final evening in camp.  I was back on the Day 3 Evening stand.  I was happy about this - I liked the stand.  I wasn't in the stand long before a group of seven turkeys came out into the field.  They kept me entertained for about 45 minutes while I watched them roaming around, scratching and picking bugs out of the dirt.  It is good to have friends.

After that first group of turkeys left, a second group of three came out.  They meandered around as well.  Then the first group of seven came back and they ran toward the group of three and started chasing them all over.  It was like watching a real turkey rumble.  Gang warfare!  Eventually they split up and went their separate ways.  I guess flocks of turkeys don't mix.

A bit later in the evening I caught a glimpse of a couple deer behind the pines to my left.  I could only get little pieces of them, but they both appeared to be small bucks sparring.  The smaller of the two popped out at the far end of the field a bit later and I got a good look at him.  He was a really small four-point.  But deer were moving.  Near sunset, another deer followed the same path as the four-point.  I strongly suspect it was a button buck.

As it started to get dark, the other small buck from earlier made its way to the corn - the first deer to do so in that evening.  It only stayed for a few minutes, but it was long enough to see that it was a basket-racked eight-point - definitely not a shooter.  Had I been home, that might have been different.

It got darker and I was deciding when I was going to pack it up when I caught more movement near the corn.  Looking through the binoculars, I saw a very familiar black shape of a really big hog.  My gun was already on the rail, so I brought it up and had enough light to clearly see its head.  I hedged my shot back just a bit, steadied myself as good as I could and squeezed the trigger.  The muzzle flash blinded me for a second.  I could see the grass moving, then heard squealing as it ran away.  Then it suddenly got quiet.  I could think of two possibilities...  1-Hit, ran and dead. 2-Not hit very well, ran and shut up.  Both cases could make recovery difficult.  I texted Rick and he said to meet up and we'll decide what to do.

Back at the truck, we talked a bit before heading down to the corn.  I asked to borrow a flashlight since I had lost mine in a stand and Will said he found one - it was mine.  Given my obsession about the lost cheap flashlight, this was funny.  Rick and I looked for a few minutes and found a few pieces of hide with hair on them.  There was no blood or bone found. despite looking quite a bit.  I was quickly convinced that it was a (probably) low nick only.  I suspect I put the great fear into him and he would be just fine - if a little wiser.  This is especially the case given what I've seen hogs take before.

Still, I was really bummed.  This was not the way I wanted this hunt to end.

Back in camp Carlton (I think?) was there.  We all had another great dinner before Rick cut my shirt tail.  I packed up most of my stuff, ready to head home in the morning.

2023 SC Deer Hunt Day 4 - Frog Stand

After a morning cup of coffee Rick dropped me off at the same stand I was on the previous night.  I had to ninja in since animals being on the corn was a real possibility.  This was made easier since the wind had picked up overnight.  The plowed white, sandy field also made it easy to see without using any flashlight.

Since I had just been in the stand, it was easy to set up very quietly.  I sat and watched the world wake up.

Right as it started to get light I was able to see one deer on the pile.  It was there long enough to see that it didn't have any headgear of note.  As it got light, the deer quietly left.

Not much else was moving, but I still really enjoyed sitting for the morning.  It was between windy and breezy and the direction was perfect.  Temperatures had cooled significantly.

After sitting for a while, two turkeys came in.  That was the only animals I saw.  They were still fun to watch - starting on the corn, then they meandered around the field.  They fled the field when Rick came to get me.

After feeding a few stands, we picked up Will who hadn't shot anything either.  After breakfast at the lodge, Rick and I went out to feed up another bear stand for Tammy.  We cut some lanes and set up the area for bear.  It did look very beary (but much different than Manitoba).

Then we had to get a bail of hay for the donkeys.  This seemed simple, but it took far too many steps to get a round bail on Rick's trailer.  Nothing is ever easy in South Carolina.

This left a few hours of down time back in the lodge before we went out for the evening.  Rick dropped me off near my stand and I headed down to a large tripod stand.  There was a doe and two yearlings on the pile when I got there.  I once again ninjaed into the stand and did a good enough job that the deer didn't leave immediately.  I also noticed this little frog living inside one brace of the stand - it was too cute.

The three deer left and I was alone for a while.  The Air Force was running planes over the area and they were LOUD.  This wasn't the first time I had heard them while in South Carolina, but it never ceases to amaze me how brutal the noise is.  I can't imagine what it must be like in an actual combat situation with ordinance, etc.  Psychological warfare.

Around the time the jets stopped, someone nearby started recreational shooting.  Safe to say this wasn't a placid evening of hunting.

The doe and yearlings came back for a while, but they didn't stay around for long as turkeys came in and pushed them off.  As the evening got later, I saw several deer running around, mostly off to the lane to my left.  These deer were very nervous though - there was also deer wheezing as well.  I have no idea what had everyone nervous, but it wasn't me (I'm almost positive).

Darkness came and I quietly packed up and met Rick to leave.  The mosquitoes, which hadn't been bad all day were absolutely arrogant late in the evening.  Will had seen a few small bucks and does but hadn't shot.

Back in camp, we had another good dinner while Brian came in with one more person coming in late for hunting in the morning.

2023 SC Deer Hunt Day 3 - Banana Spider II

Dale and Kevin were up and headed out at the same time I got up.  The rest of us went out to hunt for the morning.  

I was dropped off at Nelson Green's farm.  I'm pretty sure I hunted this stand for hogs in the past.  Daylight came slowly on another warm and very humid morning.  Not too long after it started to get light, 2 does came out.  They didn't go into the corn pile, but for anyone who loves to hunt mornings even a little bit as much as I do, this is picture is probably full of feels.

But I wasn't going to shoot a doe early.  So I waited, and much later in the morning four does came out into the corn.  They stayed bunched up so I wasn't able to shoot.  A bigger issue was my head - I was developing a full-on migraine headache.  It really sucked.  When the deer left they walked diagonally toward me.  I should have shot one of them, but it was still early.  Had I felt better, I may have done it anyway.

Around 9:30 Rick came to get me.  Rather than feed stands I headed back to the lodge to rest, hoping that would help my head.  Thankfully an hour of pseudo-sleep did help quite a bit.  I had some leftover food and felt even better.  By late morning, I was almost back to normal.  I was bummed that I couldn't go with Rick since he was baiting his bear site.  But not going was the right thing to do.

Will from Georgia showed up as the only other hunter in camp for day.  We talked a bit before I dozed a bit more.  I was a bit worried that with all the sleep, I may not be able to sleep at night.

Around 3:00 we headed out.  Rick dropped Will off and then gave me instructions on how to get back to my box blind.  I made my way back to it and easily got into it.  It was a huge box blind so there was lots of room for my crap.  With my cushion, it was really comfortable.  Much like the previous evening, I had a big banana spider to keep me company.

It is a good thing it was comfortable and I had company because just about nothing was moving.  Very late in the afternoon one doe went running left to right immediately in front of me.  

Late evening either tree frogs or cicadas started to get REALLY loud in unison.  It was almost eerie how quickly they started and how coordinated the sound was.

Just as it was getting dark, a single doe came out onto the corn pile.  Clouds had been rolling in thick all evening.  It started to sprinkle on and off.  Darkness came very early.  
I quietly made my way out of the stand and back to the meeting point.  I kept going since Rick wasn't there and ran into Will - at first I thought he was some guy walking his dog and he scared me a little bit.

Rick came a few minutes later and we headed back to camp for taco pie.  Will hadn't seen anything so it was a slow night all around.  

2023 SC Deer Hunt Day 2 - Devil's Outhouse

We were out the door shortly after 5:00 and I was dropped off on the same stand I had been on the previous evening.  As it started to get light, I could just make out a deer on the corn pile.  As it got lighter, I could see antlers, but by the time it got light enough I could size them adequately, it sauntered out of my life forever.  I'm quite sure it was tall but narrow - so not a shooter.  Once it was gone though, it didn't matter.

Rick came and got me a bit early which I was fine with since nothing else was moving at all for the rest of the morning.  It was still a nice morning though watching South Carolina wake up.

We picked up everyone else.  Jet had shot his first deer - a big fat doe.  He was happy.

Back at the lodge we all ate breakfast before Rick and I went to drop off the doe and feed a few stands.  We met Kevin and Dale at Food Lion, then fed some more stands while making plans for the afternoon.

Back at the lodge I wanted to take a nap, but couldn't make it happen.  That is what the first bit on the stand is for...

It was another very hot afternoon so I left again in shorts and a t-shirt.  Rick dropped us off at a farm I'd never been to before.  It was a short walk, but when I walked up to the stand it was almost surreal.

The sun was shining on me and it was even hotter - I called the stand The Devil's Outhouse.  It was made even more odd when a gecko ran across my hand and there was a huge "banana spider" in the main window.  Its web interfered with several my afternoon picture.  Watching it, I sort of saw it doing the same thing I was - waiting patiently for the right thing to come by to eat.

Once settled inside, I enjoyed the afternoon.  A deer wheezed off to my right - no doubt it winded me but with as hot as it was, it wasn't surprising.

The first deer I saw (a doe) came out at 5:00.  Much of the afternoon had spike bucks walking around.  There was even some light sparring which was fun to see.  

But as it got later, nothing shootable showed up.  I was hoping to take a doe late, but with the odd angle of the corn making shooting through grass a possibility, I wasn't too upset when darkness came with no deer around.  As I was packing up, I took a final look at the corn pile with my binoculars and saw a deer, but I have no idea what it was or how big it was.  So my day ended the same way it started.

Back at the lodge, no one had shot anything.  Dinner was rice and sausage with beans and biscuits.  No deer taken yet, but it was still a good start for me on my official first day of deer hunting.

2023 SC Deer Hunt Day 1 - Dark Matter

I didn't start hunting until I was in my 20's which is unusual.  Generally if someone isn't born into that tradition, it doesn't take hold.  This does allow me to look back on those first few years - even those first few hunts - in a more lucid way.  The anticipation, the frustration, the mistakes - oh the mistakes...  One of the biggest struggles then - and now - is where to hunt.  Hunting magazines always talk about the accessibility of public lands in the US, and this is both unique and amazing.  But the reality is finding places to hunt continues to be a challenge.  Public lands near where I live can be "busy" during the hunting seasons.  And I won't say they don't know what they are doing, but I've run into too many people in these places who have a very "unconventional" hunting style.  I no longer hunt public land.

I've been privileged to have access to private land and am so grateful for this, but this can also be complicated (for many reasons).  So when 30 acres went for sale early this year I saw it as a chance to own my own destiny - until I saw the price.  Reality took over and the price decreased over the year until it became more tantalizing.  Then it dropped again; SO and I talked it, and looked at the property and put an offer on it.  The reasons why we were outbid are numerous and hopelessly complicated.  There was enough deer sign to make it interesting.  We could have afforded to pay more.  I wasn't afraid of the phenomenal amount of work it would take to make it into my playground.  But ultimately I realize the reasons boiled down to simply:  I didn't fall in love with it when we looked at it.  Our bid was, and is, open-ended.  And if the current sale falls apart, I would still buy it.  But I did - and do - have to admit that on a rational level, buying it doesn't make sense when the annual property taxes alone would pay for a good chunk of out-of-state guided deer hunting.  But I'm not always sure the rational and feral circles in the Venn diagram that is my brain ever really intersect.

Which does get to an even bigger-picture issue: Why do I hunt?  Quite frankly, I don't like killing.  The grocery store is cheaper.  Hunting is time-consuming, difficult and can (at times) be mentally excruciating.  There are a million reasons to never fire a gun again, but there is a visceral gravitational pull - even if I can feel it without knowing its origins.  Dark matter.  I don't have an answer for this yet.  Maybe I never will.  And maybe someday I'll wake up and gravity will cease to exist overnight and I'll be done hunting forever.

With these internal Guantanamo Bay routines in my head, I headed out the door early to head south and hunt deer in South Carolina. This was planned well before ever thinking about buying my own property, and generally the deer around home are larger than in South Carolina.  But EHD has hit the local deer herd very hard, so it was a good opportunity to try it.  Rifle hunting in September though?  When in Rome...  At least it was the first full day of fall.

I was headed south by 4:00AM, having the road to myself.  The drive went fast and I got off the interstate near Corbin, KY, just as it was getting light.  I made my way southeast stopping at my "usual" gas station for fuel.  I risked getting coffee and regretted it.  It did help me stay alert, but it was absolutely terrible coffee.  The fog as I started through the mountains was intense in a few places, but also a very dramatic view.

I was listening to Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking through the whole day.  I was worried it was going to be too self-helpy, but it ended up being pretty good - a solid four stars.  It was a bit redundant and it did get me thinking about work a bit too much, but I was glad I listened to it.  I was able to relate to a lot of the book and even to the property we didn't buy.  The only part I hated was her bit about Tony Robbins - that guy is pure snake-oil salesman and he is so LOUD.

Traffic was far heavier than I'm used to seeing in January from around Asheville.  I was itching to get off the interstate and so took a new way once out of Columbia.  I was glad I did since the two-lane roads were almost empty, and much prettier.

I got to camp about 2:00.  I met the other guys in camp and talked for a bit.  Since it was still fairly early, I decided to go out.  It was crazy hot and humid - it felt like home in July.  So I put on a camo t-shirt and hunted in shorts.  I think I've only done this once or twice before.

I was dropped off at a box blind where one of the other guys had sat the previous day and seen a hog.  It took a bit to get situated, but once I did, it was comfortable enough.  It wasn't too long before deer started to pop out.  Deer filtered in and out through most of the afternoon.  A few times they ran off and I was hoping that the hog would pop out, but it never did.  At one point I had a mess of turkeys come in behind me right by the blind.  It startled me a bit when I first saw them - not as much as they were startled.

The only mildly interesting deer I saw was a crab-claw spike.  All the rest were does.  But it did give me quite a bit to watch through the afternoon.

It got dark quickly after sunset in the heavy pine trees.  I worked my way out and Rick was waiting for me.  We picked up everyone else and headed back to the lodge.  No one had shot anything, but everyone had seen deer.

Dinner was pork chops and taters.  After a long drive and hunting, I was ready to turn in.

2023 Bear Hunt Days 9 & 10 - Perspective

After a very late night (for me), I woke up and packed everything up as quietly as I could.  I met Vance and Dave by the boat house and got my bear loaded up.  It definitely wasn't frozen yet, but it was between cool and cold.  Since it was fully boned out, it easily fit into my two better coolers - including the hide and head.

Once settled up, I was sadly on the road.  Normally I like to be on the road crazy early, but the late night made that impossible - plus a couple extra hours of time in the freezer would help.  Leaving always comes with the somber reality that weeks like this past one must come to an end.

It was getting light soon after I left but I still saw one last hazy Manitoba sunrise.

I again took the 30 miles of gravel a bit to fast, but the Maverick handled it like a champion.  Traction control may be nanny-state, but it is probably a good thing sometimes.  At one point I saw an enormous feline in the road which I am still wondering what that could have been.  Maybe a lynx?

The border crossing was the easiest one I've ever had getting back into the US.  I think the border guard was more concerned that I didn't have a front license plate than anything else (this is no longer a requirement as of ~2020).  He asked if I had a license for my bear and walleye and said, "Have a nice day."  

I was listening to Ann Patchett's These Precious Days - I don't remember when I got this.  I had read her essay on getting rid of things and found it very good.  This was repeated in this book and unfortunately was one of the only good parts of the book.  Too much of Precious comes across as poorly attempted introspection, but falls into being self-centered instead.  As the book droned on, I was desperate for it to end and glad when it finally did.

Temperatures through the day rose steadily.  At one point I looked down and saw a temperature of over 100F and thought that my temp gauge must have been malfunctioning.  Nope...

This had me worried about the not-frozen meat in my cooler.  I talked with Little Sis a bit back and forth and she was able to find a grocery store that had dry ice - and! - went and got some for me.  She is absolutely the hero for the day.

Soon enough I was at her house and we moved my coolers out of the broiling outside.  Meat was cool, so it will be OK.  Even with the late start, we had a chance to visit for a while before letting the day end.

_______

After a couple cups of coffee with my sister, it was time to make the final leg home.  I packed everything up and hit the road.

The final drive home was uneventful.  There were only a few spots with moderate traffic, but being a holiday and relatively early, the roads were mostly clear.

There must have been some kind of Jeep gathering at a vacation area near home.  I realize jeeps handle like crap on the road, but live a little and use the right pedal a bit more...

I spent some time while driving reliving some of what was a very memorable bear hunt.  I've never been down to the wire like that.  While I never saw anything, I did like hunting the two mornings, although I don't think I'll immediately volunteer for this in the future.

I think for me, the short bit of time between when the sow with cubs had left and my bear came in really defines the hunt for me - as well as me as someone who hunts.  After the sow and cubs left, I said to myself that seeing them was a good way for the hunt to end.  And I meant it.  I'm still glad I was able to take a very large bear, but perspective is something which is helped by occasional reminders.

Once home it was a mad scramble to take care of all the bear meat, clean and pack thing away.  The next adventure is only a few weeks away.

2023 Bear Hunt Day 8 - The Great Skunk Hunt

After waking up I checked the weather to plan for bear hunting.  My thoughts were not fit to print.

Cool days are perfect for bear movement.  This was rubbing vinegar into an open wound.  But there was no use complaining.  Vance met me early in the morning and we headed out to a road stand.  It was a short walk from where he parked to a short single ladder stand looking over the bait.

I was close enough to the road that I could just hear the morning power-company traffic on the road.  It reminded me of the church stand when I've hunting hogs in South Carolina, or maybe even the skinny property I hunted right along the road when I first started hunting deer so many years ago.  A lot has changed since then - A LOT!

Once settled in I enjoyed the morning.  Temperatures were cool and there was initially little breeze.  It was so quiet and still that I could hear the collective hum of thousands of insects in the woods - I don't think I've ever experienced that before.  Beautiful.

The wind started to pick up early and it also got warm and muggy.  At one point I figured it had to be near noon, but looking at my watch it was only around 10:00.  At least the stand was quite comfortable (especially for a single ladder stand).

Noon rolled around and I heard a slight whistle as Vance came and got me.  Nothing was moving and I was girding my psyche to go home without a bear.  I was fine with being skunked; it has been a great week regardless.

After lunch with Mark and Tammy, they left for home and Kevin took me down river to hunt at Slave Falls again.  It was Hot.  And Windy.  And Hot.  And Really Hot.  It was brutally hot.  This was not Canada.  But again, no use to complain.  I could feel myself slipping into go-home mode, but I put that out of my brain as I settled in to the stand.

The stand had been hit since it was baited and popcorn was scattered all over.  This did give me just a twinge of hope.

Once settled in it wasn't too bad tucked back into the woods.  It was between uncomfortable and unpleasant - the sort of sticky heat that usually only happens once in a while in the dog days of summer.  I wasn't sure any bear would want to wander in this heat.

Shortly after 7:00 I heard the distinctive cracking of twigs in the distance to the left of the bait barrel.  A huge bear came in followed almost immediately by three smaller ones.  A sow and cubs.  I sat back to watch the show.  Even if I didn't get a bear, this was not a bad way to end the week.

The bears were in the area for just under an hour.  It was fun watching the bears eat popcorn.  They would fight with each other and scream once in a while - basically being unruly teenagers.  Once mom became comfortable she hung around as well.

The situation did get a bit tense for a bit.  Something scared the cubs and they ran over near me.  One of them climbed a tree right next to me.  Then all the bears split up in a way I would not anticipate cubs would.  It looked like the sow was trying corral the cubs, but they were all off in their own area so the sow just sat down and kept eating.  I won't say I was nervous, but I didn't like the situation since there was little doubt the sow knew I was there.

Eventually the last cub walked off.  No doubt nature has a way of making things work and they all regrouped at some point.  I settled back to finish out my week ... until about a half hour later when I heard more twigs cracking. 

Looking down right next to the stand I saw a bear walking right by me.  Initially I thought it was a small bear and had decided I was not going to shoot a small one just to use my tag.  When it walked up the barrel - I knew this was a shooter since it easily looked over the barrel.  I also was 100% sure it wasn't the sow with the cubs since it looked distinctly different (I was worried that this could happen).  It was quartering away from me and I didn't waste time.  Squeezing the trigger, it dropped instantly at the shot.

I texted Vance and a few minutes later I heard the boat coming in.  At the late hour I assumed the guides were waiting to pick me up.  Derek and Kevin came in shortly.  The bear was a huge old sow which Derek described as an "absolute unit."  They commented on the lack of a need to track it.

We struggled to get it into the sled and then moved down the trail to get some pictures.  The pics in the brush are always the best.  It took lots of work to figure out how to get her into the boat, up the walk to the truck, etc.  Soon enough we rolled into camp.  Given how much time was put into this bear, everyone left in camp was very congratulatory.  We all had a great time while the guides get her skinned and into small bags to hopefully freeze.  She had lost many of her teeth and what was left estimated her age as well above 25 years old.  I always have a bit of cognitive dissonance at shooting a grand animal, but shooting a mature sow who is probably unlikely to ever reproduce again lessens this some.  Nature has given us so many gifts; it is not irresponsible to use them.

I didn't really want the week to end, but after a late night, I had quite the trip home to get ready for after an amazing end to a great week.

2023 Bear Hunt Day 7 - Odd Man Out

As I walked out of my cabin the loons were wailing.  It felt like a magical morning.  I know bear hunting is generally more productive in the afternoon, but I was excited to try a morning hunt.  Part of me was also a bit bummed about losing a morning of fishing.  We all have choices and priorities.  Being such a morning person, I've always thought morning hunts are special.

I walked down to the dock and Dave was already waiting for me, "Let's go Big Guy."  I guess that was me.  Dave took me to Petrushney Bay again.  I was happy about this.  It felt a little bit late since it was just getting light when we left, but mid-morning is better and no sense tripping over stuff getting in before dark.  Dave fill the bait barrel and I was in the stand.

Time passed quickly enough.  Temperatures were cool making me hopeful bears would be moving.  Several times I saw black things moving in the brush behind the barrel only to see it was 20-pound crows hopping around on the ground.  

While it was a very nice morning, it wasn't a very nice bear hunting morning since I didn't see anything.  Vance picked me up after getting Rebecca and we headed back in for lunch.  She hadn't seen anything either.

We only had a bit of time in camp before it was time to head out for the afternoon.  Carter had fed all the stands and said Reef, Holiday and Kendall Right were best so that is where the three of us went with me on Reef Bay.  The walk to the shore was through foot-sucking mud so I borrowed a pair of boots just to get on terra firma.  Unfortunately they had holes in them so I probably would have been better with my existing boots.  At least it wasn't cold or the wet foot may have been painful.

I'm not sure if it was because I sat all morning or due to the stand itself, but it was incredibly difficult to get comfortable at first.  This was made a bit more awkward since there was no front rail to lean stuff against.  The floor was also a very open grate making it hard to position my shooting sticks.  But soon enough I found the right way to sit to stay comfortable ... enough.  

The weather was warm to hot and it was once again very windy.  Unlike the previous night, there was no hiding from the wind since the stand is almost right on the water.  The wind blew in from the west; it wasn't too annoying, and it did keep the mosquitoes away.  The view out across the water was pretty.

I was hopeful as it got dark that the cooling temperatures would bring on bear movement.  Sadly, there was none and as it got dark I heard the boat come in to get me.  Cole had shot a nice bear very early in the evening - it was already skinned and in the freezer.  Rebecca had shot one a bit before sunset and it was in the boat.

I was a bit upset about being the last person in camp without a bear.  Or maybe I was just beating myself up about passing on those bears on the first hunting day in camp.  Don't pass on a bear on Monday that you would shoot on Friday.  I've never believed this before, but was seeing some wisdom in this.

2023 Bear Hunt Day 6 - An Imperfect World

I keep an eye on the real estate market at home roughly weekly.  When I quickly did this in the AM, I saw that the 30 acres just around the corner from home had a price drop that puts it into the almost-realistic range.  This sent my brain into overdrive and with time to kill in the morning I went for a walk.  Is it worth it to work for a couple more years to have my own place to hunt deer?  Does it make sense to spend that much money on what is probably (operative word) an OK investment if it also means not spending as much money on stuff like bear hunting in Canada?  Ultimately my walk only led to deepening questions - no answers.

After breakfast, Derek took me up river to fish for pike after dropping a contractor off at Kendall.  Weather was warm with considerable winds and they were forecast to increase even more.  This made casting challenging in some directions, but fishing was quite good with several pike brought in and even one oddball walleye on a spinnerbait.  The area around Kendall is usually dynamite for smalley, but I "only" brought in a few pike there.

On the way back to camp for lunch just after the rapids, Derek's boat decided to quit.  Luckily Chris was right in the area.  It turned out to be just a battery connection.  Chris said, "I'll be sure to follow you in case anything happens on the way back to camp."

"Of course you'll follow me - I'm fast as shit," was Derek's response.

This, of course, set off a good-natured exchange that we were going to have to paddle back.  But we made it back to camp just fine.

After lunch it was time for bears.  Weather was hot, humid and exceedingly windy.  Dave and Julia took me downriver and the chop in the water made for a painful boat ride to Moose Creek.  Moose Creek was not hit at all so we went over to Slave Falls.  The dam guard buoys were pushed into an atypical location from the heavy wind and it was difficult to get to the stand.  Dave made it work with only a little bit of risk to the motor lower end.  Slave Falls was barely hit, but Dave had kicked a big bear off of it recently when baiting.

The windy conditions made it possible to move a bit more with minimal worry about spooking the bears.  The humidity and temperature made it uncomfortable since I had to wear my rain gear as the threat of heavy rain loomed late.  Chad and Faith had sat on this stand the previous night and hadn't seen anything.  Once settled, the totality of the situation made me have exceedingly low confidence for the evening, but I made the best of it.  

Once settled, it was a nice stand even if the wind did made it sway - and at times significantly.  The hydroelectric dam just a short distance away made a high-pitched hum that constantly sounded like a boat coming in.  No doubt any animals in the area are used to this by now.

The afternoon passed relatively quickly.  At some point I looked at my phone and noticed the weather had deteriorated to a severe thunderstorm watch.  My connection was extremely spotty, so getting a radar image took a long time.  I did have the time though...

Given that I was the only person down river, it seemed like it took forever to get picked up.  And it was Carter who came and got me.  And in a different boat.

Screws fall out all the time. The world's an imperfect place. - Bender from The Movie Breakfast Club

"There were some issues," Carter said.

Apparently the plug in the downriver boat had worked its way out - almost sinking it in the middle of the river.  Dalton had gone with Dave to get me, so they had worked their way to the shore.  The fix wasn't hard, but it was late so the boat needed to be bailed out.  Making it worse, the motor had gotten wet enough that it no longer worked.

By the time we got to them, the boat was floating again.  Everyone climbed into Carter's boat and we towed the downriver boat back to the launch site.  Dave was embarrassed, but these things happen and no one got hurt.  We made our way back to camp.

The rest of the boat ride back was slow going.  Lightning lit the sky to the west giving an ominous feeling while once again the moon cast its eerie glow from the east.

Once in camp, Faith had taken a nice bear leaving three of us without bears.  While waiting for a very late dinner, we all laughed about the evening's situation.  Several people had seen it unfold from different views which made it even more humorous.

With only a few days of hunting left and bears not being terribly cooperative, Rebecca and I made plans to hunt in the morning the following day.  This isn't usually as productive, but when Plan A isn't working, it makes sense to move on to Plan B.

2023 Bear Hunt Day 5 - Turtle vs. Bear

I had a slower morning which allowed me to slowly start to feel human again.  A morning nap helped even more, to the point I was pretty sure I would be able to be fully functional.

After breakfast Kevin and I went up above the rapids to fish for pike - although there wasn't any rapids at all with the low water level.  We fished a bay for a while and brought in many pike.  None of them were very big, but it was the best fish action I had seen on this trip.  The river was calm, making it a truly spectacular morning.

Then Kevin brought in a nice Smallmouth and in taking is spoon off, he managed to brutally pierce his finger with the hook.  He tried to remedy the situation, but we had to end the morning of fishing early to get better attention to his impalement.  In the end, he went to the hospital which took most of the day.

Back in camp, Dalton, who was bow hunting the previous night, had recovered his bear - a nice boar.

Lunch was shore lunch which is always good, if not the healthiest thing to eat.  

Then it was upriver to hunt at Metros.  As soon as the mosquitoes came out I learned my lesson and got the Thermacell out.  I don't know if bears can smell it, but it sure does work to stop those blood suckers.

Feeling much better than the previous day, it was pretty easy to get settled.  I'd rather see bears, but watching the squirrels was entertaining.  I wish I spoke squirrel since I'm sure they announce when a bear is in the area.

The wind picked up considerably which made it very hard to hear anything.  This was made even worse since the stand is near the water and the waves also increased.  While the wind died down a bit later, the waves never did.

At some point I noticed movement near the barrel which was not a squirrel.  It took a few minutes to realize it was actually a turtle.  I can only assume that the turtle wanted some popcorn?

As it got dark I saw movement on the far side of the barrel and watched a bear slowly work toward the bait.  When I first saw it, it almost looked like it was waving at me - or I've been spending too much time on the bear stand.

The bear came in and knocked the wood out of the barrel.  If there was some ambiguity about the first night's bears, there was none that this was a small bear.  It only ate a little bit before heading off to the left, then coming back in for another mouthful.  I had to really think, but I just wasn't at the same point as the previous year when I shot a small bear.  Would I shoot something like this on the last night?  I'd say I'll have time to think, but when a bear comes in, sometimes there is little time to think.

It stayed on until dark when Carter (and Cassidy) came in to get me.  The full moon was absolutely mesmerizing.

Back in camp, Jody had shot a small bear.  A few other bears were seen, but we are still at four people with tags in their pockets.  Pork roast ended the day.  The bear hunting glass is either half full or half empty, but either way, there are three days left.

2023 Bear Hunt Day 4 - Blueberry Fields Never

I got up and looked through past bear adventures and reread some of them as well.  I realized that the previous night's scenario was as close to a replay of 2018 as would be possible; given how much can happen in bear hunting, having almost the same number and size of bears from the same stand seems improbable.  Maybe Vance is just trying to torture me and keep me ever second-guessing and beating myself up.

After breakfast I went fishing with Dave.  The morning was cool with just a bit of mist.  The previous night there was a storm which had gone through just north of the area, and parts of it lingered.

We fished a few bays looking for pike.  Top water baits were working quite well.  Most of the pike were small, but even small fish hitting buzz baits is exciting to see.

Dave did hook into an absolute tank of a pike.  I grabbed the net before Dave said the cradle net would be needed.  He asked me, "Have you used a cradle net before?"

"A few times a long time ago."

We switched jobs, me tiring the fish out and bringing it in while he netted it.  It was a big, slimy, awesome 41.5 inch pike.  Once caught and and measured, it was carefully released.  "I broke my rule, never fish for pike with clients."  I was fine with it.

After lunch I went downriver, sitting at the Blueberry stand.  The stand was comfortable but I had a terrible time not squirming.  All day I had the start of a headache and it continued to get worse.  I'm not sure what dude suddenly starts to get migraines after bouncing around the planet for several decades, but here we are.

I still enjoyed the time ... mostly.  At one point what sounded like a family in a canoe came into the channel where the stand sat.  I was annoyed, but in reality the effect was probably minimal since it was still early.

Sadly, I sat all afternoon without seeing anything.  That is a long time to sit with a headache to keep me company and no bears.

As I was waiting to get picked up an incredibly bright full moon rose behind me.  When I first saw it, I actually thought it was a light of someone walking through the bear-infested woods and even wondered if they were getting me from a different direction (had the boat sunk?).  The bright moon cast eerie shadows.  This was made even more disconcerting when I started to hear noises from the bait that were very odd, but I knew it wasn't a bear.  Eventually I couldn't stand it and hit the barrel with my flashlight.  Sitting on top of the barrel was a huge raccoon.  Bears and raccoons do share a lot of similar characteristics, so maybe for the evening racoons are just small, masked bears.

I probably would have enjoyed the 1.5 hours waiting to get picked up, but with my headache it was that much worse.  Eventually Dave made his way to me, "There better be a good story here."  Tad had shot a decent sized sow and Daniel had taken the very large bear he had seen the previous night.  We got the bears loaded in the truck and headed back to camp.  Once in camp, I skipped dinner and went straight to sleep hoping morning would bring relief.

2023 Bear Hunt Day 3 - Maybe ... But No

My mind started going 100MPH as soon as I woke up.  I don't have anything to prove to anyone but felt panic over shooting a small bear.  I knew I had to get up.  Coffee was also calling ... loudly.

Mosquito bites reminded me to put my Thermacell into my hunting pack.  Then I went through my hunting and fishing stuff to make sure everything was ready - or at least ready enough.  I'm sure I'll forget something.  At least the forecast weather for the first few days looks spectacular.  

It took me a while to get the TV to work on satellite allowing me to watch all the terrible things that were happening across Canada and the world.  Canada's reputation for being "nice" wasn't seeming very real.  I wished I had a book or some other distraction.

After a larger breakfast than I ever eat at home, Tyler took me out fishing.  Being alone in camp, I'm sometimes odd-man-out in a larger group, but this gave me lots of room to fish.  Temperatures were cool but definitely not cold.  We went up to Lamprey Right Bay and cast for pike.  I caught a few hammer handles, but that was it.

We looped around to Stump Bay and cast there for a while.  I tried a handful of lures but only had a few tepid hits.  There is a tendency to think that choosing the right lure will mean catching a lot of fish, but I'm quite sure fishing is more dictated by the fish than the tackle.  Still, changing locations and lures are about the only levers ... or just give up.

I did hook into a couple nice smallmouth bass.  These weren't from areas that looked very bassy, so I can only assume that these fish thought they were pike.

Fishing over and after lunch Kevin took Mark and I a short way up river, dropping me off at Petrushney Bay.  I've hunted this stand at least once before and didn't see anything from it.  It was now a nice double-ladder stand that was easy to get comfortable - or at least as comfortable as possible for the first night in a stand in many months.

Once settled, the crows were crazy noisy.  I know crows are considered really smart birds but do they have to talk about it so much?  The mosquitoes were right on the edge of being annoying.  They would come in by ones and twos.  There was just enough wind that I wasn't sure the Thermacell would would work well, so I didn't use it.  I was also assuming that they couldn't get through my heavier clothes I was wearing.  This ended up being a BIG mistake.  Once back at the lodge for the evening I had huge Manitoba welts all over.  Lesson learned ... or not.

The weather was breezy to almost windy at times, while at other times it would get scary calm.  I tried to keep still on the stand, but did end up squirming a bit more than I would like.  Around 7:00 I saw a distinctive shape in front of me.  Freezing, I saw a bear carefully moving through the brush toward me and the bait.  It looked right up at me, backed out, but then changed its mind and went back in to the bait.  The barrel was on its side and the bear next to it barely came up to the top (side) of it.  I just didn't think this was a big bear - maybe in the 5 foot range.  It stayed in the area for about 20 minutes, knocking the logs out of the way and happily eating popcorn.  Maybe it was hoping for a movie too.

About 10 minutes after that first left, a second one came out.  It was definitely a bit smaller than the first, and much more cautious.  It only stayed for about 5 minutes, following nearly the same path away as the first bear.

I realized through the bear encounters that the weather had turned breathlessly calm.  The mosquitoes had also amped up their aggression.  But it was too late for all the movement that firing up the Thermacell would require.

Around 8:25 a third bear came it after sounding like an elephant stomping through the grass - bears making this much noise is not very normal.  I guesstimated its size was maybe approaching six feet, but probably still under.  It hung around eating candy and popcorn until right near the end of shooting light.  

The path to get back to the boat landing was a bit of a twist and I didn't want to try to find it in the dark so I just sat quietly in ever darkening stand.  A fourth bear came in much later.  I never did see it - seeing just the black silhouette of a black bear against the black night.  I'm not sure what it was eating, but it was chomping very, very loudly.  Five minutes later I heard the boat come in.  The bear didn't run until Kevin was very close to the area. I carefully and quietly got out and we walked back to the boat.

Mark hadn't seen anything - which I know makes it a long time to sit on the stand.

Back in camp, Curt had shot a small bear - not the monster he was after.  About half the hunters had seen bears.  One of the Texas guys had passed on what looked like a brute.  Of course until one touches it it is Schrodinger's bear - both big and small, bears are so incredibly difficult to judge on the hoof.

I showed my pictures of the bears to a few of the guides.  General consensus was that they were decent but not monsters.  This didn't make me feel very good about not shooting - the previous year's two-bear sightings was fresh in my memory.  The other experienced hunter from Minnesota agreed it wasn't a day one shooter - at least making me feel a bit better.  After eight bear hunts, I still struggle with bear size and trying to reconcile that with what I know is out there, what I'll be content with and what kind of regret I might be setting myself up to live with.  So much of hunting is mental and an exercise in personal psychology.  I sometimes struggle with this since in the absence of any external influence, I'd probably be just fine with an average bear.  But between the cost of coming up here, guides and other others, and this being my eighth hunt - there is an illusion of pressure.  Yet I know the external is only an illusion.

Back in camp we had lasagna with enough garlic to kill Dracula.  This was good, but a bit much when dinner is after I'd prefer to be in bed.  Given the late hour - I think the Caesar salad - which had a really good spicy dressing - would have been enough.