After pancakes for breakfast, Carter took Sam, Bill and I out for fishing. We spent the morning casting for pike. Fishing for me was a bit slower than the previous day, but I think the boat overall did better. Both Bill and Sam caught quite a few pike. I caught my first smally for the trip, even if it was rather small. In one of the most miraculous fishing saves I've seen, I watched Carter grab Bill's snapped fishing line and hand-bring in a decent size pike.
Weather stayed cool and misty. Forecasts were for the afternoon to get better, which was good since the mist was almost worse than rain.
After lunch, Carter took myself and Rebecca to road baits for bears. I was dropped off on Duck Pond, where I had sat the previous year. It is a single ladder stand, which I don't mind - although it does make the afternoon nap a near-impossibility.
Carter baited the barrel and also dumped a load of green apples. He had not even walked out of the area before I saw a flash of black to the right. Two cubs came in as Carter left.
One of the cubs was absolutely the smallest cub I had ever seen while hunting. It looked like a small house-cat compared to the other cub, which was still one of this year's.
The little guy was feisty and really, really wanted popcorn. Despite its size, it found a way to get the logs out of the barrel and munch away. A third cub showed up, but only for a few seconds before it left.
Weather stayed cool and the mist dissipated, but it was somewhat windy at times, making it hard to hear. I kept my eyes open for momma bear, but never saw her. I did hear a bear making the contented "ungd" sounds so I originally thought she may have been in the area.
In one of the cutest things I've seen cubs do, the little cub eventually just scrambled inside the barrel to eat popcorn.
What I was most surprised about is that the two cubs did not wrestle and fight at all. They seemed oddly patient for a couple animals which usually behave like unruly children.
After about 45 minutes the cubs left. It was quiet, leaving me alone with my thoughts until I saw a dark shadow out of the corner of my eye.
The cubs came back, and this time I saw there were four cubs walking in almost underneath me to my right. The cubs varied in demeaner, but they eventually made their way to the barrel.
Again, I was shocked at how the cubs behaved. There was no wrestling, growling for fighting. The cubs seemed to take turns at the barrel. Once the cubs figured out what the apples were, they seemed to enjoy those as well. One of the more timid cubs would grab an apple, run to the bush and eat it before coming back in to repeat. Smart girl...
The cubs stayed until around 5:00. That left a llloooonnnggg stretch where not much was happening.
Since I couldn't doze on the single stand, I let my mind run wild. The more I thought about the cubs, the more curious I was about the situation. Given that I never saw or heard mom (I'm 99% sure the "ungd" I previously heard was another cub since they were doing it when they showed up the second time), I wonder if these were a group of abandoned cubs? Or maybe mom was nearby, but that wouldn't explain the one very small one? Or??? If nothing else, I was rooting for that littlest guy to make it.
Whatever was going on, they would be easy prey for wolves if not in the protection of a big sow.
Weather stayed cool and windy. I was comfortable in my wind-proof fleece. It started to get darker and I was hopeful something big would pop out, but it wasn't to be. Carter picked up Rebecca first, so I had some time in the dark.
Back in camp, one bear had been taken (by Dave?). Several other bears were seen, but it was a bit slower overall than the first night. Temperatures were supposed to stay cool for the rest of the week, so hopefully that gets them moving again.
I was desperate for bed after a bit too much lasagna for dinner. I fell asleep, writing a story in my head about the cubs I had seen.
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