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.