2026 Bear Hunt Day 7 - Memory Bear

"These stories are ours, not nature’s. The natural world does not organise itself into parables." - William Cronon

I got up when the coffee maker started calling my name.  The future is getting short, but at least the weather was forecast to be splendid.

After another round of coffee in my cabin and breakfast in the lodge, Carter and I went upriver a ways to fish for big pike.  The original plan was to go to near Kendall Point, but it was raining up there, so we started just a bit downriver.  We were using Carter's huge reels and baits to push a bit harder on big pike.  This was fun, but it did start to hurt my wrist throughout the morning.  

We hooked into a decent number of fish.  I tried an assortment of Carter's lures.  Carter hooked into the biggest fish of the day and we had a team effort to bring it in - another very fat 34" pike.  So big, but not ginormous (I still need a picture of it).

There were also a few very ambitious small pike.  It never ceases to amaze me how aggressive these alligator fish can be.

Rick and Theresa had left and Pat had gone upriver to bait, but those remaining (and most of us bearless) had lunch before heading out for bears.  Carter took Kelly and I out to the Rice Lake area, dropping me off at the Gate Bait.  When we walked in, I noted the roll barrel had not been touched; this caused a bit of unease at the amounts of bears likely in this area, even if I know better.  Trust the guides...

The stand was comfortable, but everything felt backwards since I had to sit at the far left of the stand to see around a tree (on all previous sits, I was on the right).  I adjusted quickly enough.  

Temperatures were near perfect in the mid-70s with a light breeze.  It was time to sit.  The mosquitoes were quickly making their presence felt so my Thermacell was a requirement.

It felt like a long sit, even after all the time already spent on the bear stand, I do still enjoy it (maybe my butt does not quite as much).  As I often do, I spent a lot of time thinking about hunting and why I do it.  I'm not always sure why.  I don't particularly like killing - I sometimes dislike it.  But (most) people are complex.  We spring from a thicket of tangents.  I don't think being complex and contradictory is necessarily bad; it means I am able to spend at least some time thinking deliberately.

As the afternoon wore on, the wind calmed down and essentially stopped altogether.  This is preferrable to the crazy wind on two of the previous nights, but it means staying still is absolutely essential.  Every movement felt like a thunderstorm of noise in an otherwise hushed world.  It was so still, I didn't even dare eat my late-afternoon snack since opening the zipper bag would have been too loud.

I heard a shot in the far distance - was that Kelly who was also on a Rice Lake stand?

I saw movement on the right as a bear came out onto a small trail.  He took his time going the last few steps to the bait but came in on his own time.  He flopped down to eat popcorn.

Now what?  I knew he was not a monster, but he looked to be a decent bear.  Bears in this middling range are so incredibly difficult to judge.  And it is the fifth day of a six-day bear hunt.

I watched and waited and thought.  The bear just ate popcorn.  Time ticked by.  Fifteen minutes, a half an hour.  I put the crosshairs on the bear a few times, but they always shrink a bit in the scope.  At least 45 minutes were spent just watching.

My Thermacell pad stopped working at some point.  The mosquitoes came in quickly and with a vengeance.  I could not do anything about this and just had to let the little buggers eat me alive.  It was painful.

The bear stood up and took a few steps to the left.  Much like the previous year's bear, I decided I may regret letting him walk.  I shot.  The bear ran off to the left, but I was almost sure I heard him crash and make some final noise.  I waited a couple minutes and texted Carter.  After waiting a few more minutes (all I could stand), I got out of the treestand to look for him.  It took a few minutes, but I found him relatively quickly.  Shooting was the right thing to do - he was a good bear, a nice boar.

Then I looked up ... where was I?  Where is the stand?  Uh oh...  I was slightly disoriented and the brush was incredibly thick.  After a couple false starts, I found my way back to the stand with a bit of relief.  Shortly after, Carter, Chris and Carla came in.  It took a few minutes to find my bear again, but we did and got some pictures.  Carla had also got a bear as had Kelly (the shot I heard was him).

With my bear in Carter's truck, we went down the 2-track to Kelly.  Kelly had taken the head shot, which would not be my first choice, but no doubt effective.  All three of our bears were about the same size - very nice Manitoba bears.

Back in camp, the guides broke down Kelly's bear, then mine.  My shot was a near-perfect boiler room shot with almost no meat damage.  I couldn't argue with that.

I ate my pork chops quickly as they were still working on my bear.  It was in the freezer when I took my  dessert back to my cabin.

I cleaned up a bit before going to bed.  I ended the day with the same conflict that I often end hunts with:  gratitude, reverence for the animal, appreciation for the people in camp, appreciation for S/O.  And I was so glad for the ability to spend time in outdoors - allowing, however briefly, for my time to be restrained by something other than just a clock.

"Man's life cannot 'be lived' by repeating the pattern of his species; he must live. Man is the only animal that can be bored, that can be discontented, that can feel evicted from paradise. Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve and from which he cannot escape." - Erich Fromm

2026 Bear Hunt Day 6 - Batteries and Bogs

I woke up to an even more ferocious headache than the previous day.  Ugh.  Coffee and a bit of reflection did help quite a bit.

And in a world where troubling things like to compound by happening at the worst time, S/O's car started to have issues.  At least we've had good service from the dealership.  It might be more expensive, but being over 1000 miles away makes me between helpless and useless.  The dealership will almost certainly cost more, but in this situation, it is likely the option which makes the most sense.

The situation ended up (probably) not being the battery, so hopefully no more issues.  This isn't as gratifying as it would have been if I hadn't been so far away.

After breakfast, Chris took Pat and I out for fishing once again.  Numbers of fish were good.  There were a few periods where we seemed to drift into schools of small pike.  I also brought in one decent smalley as it took a few fantastic jumps out of the water on the way into the boat.

Near the end of our fishing morning, we came across a couple eagles.  We wanted to lure one of them in close for some pictures, but fishing slowed down a bit and we couldn't even seem to be able to catch small pike by that point.  

After lunch, Lockler took Carla and me out for bears.  I was dropped off at Wall-E Bay.  Forecast for the evening was rain, but as I got settled it was quite pleasant with a light warm breeze, mostly away from the bait.  As the afternoon progressed, wind picked up and clouds thickened.

I was wearing my rain gear, which felt like the right decision even if it was claustrophobic and sticky.  I'm not sure why, but I had a very difficult time getting comfortable on the stand.  Was that the slight angle it sat at?  Or is it just me after 18+ hours in tree stands?  Maybe I'm just getting older?

It was still a nice afternoon, but I started to get a bit apprehensive as I could hear thunder in the distance.  The wind increased to where, at one point, I heard a large tree nearby crack and fall to the ground.  I grabbed my phone and dropped off Airplane Mode to get a look at the short term forecast and radar.  Rain was definitely approaching the area.

I looked up to see a bear walk into the bait.  It looked at least reasonably sized so I dropped my phone and slowly brought my gun up.  The bear was very skittish; he stuck his nose into the air and sniffed, took two steps, looked right through me and left.  I kept my gun on my shooting sticks for the next 30 minutes hoping he would come back.

It felt worse that I was looking at my phone when the bear came in, although the rational me knows that the situation would not have been any different regardless of what I was doing.  Unless I had had my gun up right when he came in, any shot would have been impossible.  But I still mercilessly beat myself up over it; I'm very good at this.  The time the bear was there wasn't even enough time to adequately size up the bear.  In my memory, it was taller but rather thin.  I'm not sure I should trust that claude-glass perception though.

It started raining around 7:00.  I had made a plan for this eventuality and was dressed for it, so it wasn't terrible.  I'm not sure what happened to the big blob of rain I saw on the radar, but after 15 minutes, the rain tapered to just intermittent spits.  With the heavy clouds it got dark early; I was more than ready to be out of the stand.  The (open) boat ride back to camp was quite unfun as rain decided to pick up again at that point.

Back in camp, Pat had got a bear.  Dinner that night started with one of Rick's donated backstraps which Carter had cooked exceedingly well.  People were going to start leaving in the morning, with four of us yet without bears.

2026 Bear Hunt Day 5 - The Brain Is A Horrible Master

I woke up with a phenomenal headache.  I knew the screwy hours were going to get me.  I fought the good fight of sleep or coffee for a while.  Eventually coffee won.  This gave me a nice couple hours in the cabin before breakfast and then fishing.

Carter took Pat and I out for pike.  Weather was great with little wind and cooler, drier air.  I brought in one decent pike and had a few other hits, but fishing was a bit slow.

Back in camp we had shore lunch for lunch.  It was exceedingly good, even if the amount of food was more appropriate for about 30 people.  Since it takes a bit of extra time for that, the guides made the decision to push back bears a bit; this allowed me to get a real nap in which was absolutely splendid.  By the time we left for bears, I felt like a million bucks.

Chris took Pat and I up in a boat overfilled with bags of bait popcorn.  I was dropped off at the Holiday Rapids stand.  I was sure I had sat at the stand previously, but I can't find when that might have been.  The stand was comfortable with my cushion and tucked back into the trees, which I like.

The mosquitoes were absolutely arrogant.  I was glad I had my Thermacell; I don't remember the last time I used it, so I was equally glad that it still worked.  It only took a few seconds before the annoying buzzing was gone.  I've already gotten a lot of bites on my hands, so I do not need anymore.

The weather was almost perfect with pleasent temperatures for sitting and a mix of sun and cloud.  The little wind there was calmed down to almost nothing early in the afternoon.  It was one of the quietest and most serene afternoons of hunting I can recall.  With no wind and in an area where there were probably less than five people within five miles of me, it was almost too quiet.  Every movement felt like it was making as much noise as a firecracker.

It was also quiet on the bear front.  It was mildly amusing watching an industrious squirrel spend most of the afternoon, taking popcorn pieces one-by-one to its midden and other hiding places behind me.

I went in to the afternoon nearly sure this was going to be the afternoon with a bear on the ground for me, but there was little movement.

One bear did come in late.  It came out by the roll barrel and flopped down next to it to eat.  In my zeal to get a bear on such an amazing afternoon, I tried to make the bear bigger, but I also had to heed the principle:  Never shoot a bear lying down.  I lost light before there was any chance to get a good clear look at it.

I was glad I paid attention, on looking at the pictures after, while it looks smaller than it is lying on the ground eating, I can't see how I didn't see it as anything but a very small bear.

After dark, some combination of me moving (it was still very calm), the boat coming in and another bear the in area scared away the small bear.  I positive I saw another black blob in the bait for a few minutes before I heard the boat actually beach, but by that point it was just too dark to be sure of anything.

The boat ride home was as pleasant as it was going on ... at least with respect to temperature.  I was feeling a bit bummed that Day 3 of hunting wasn't the day.

Back in camp Allie had taken a really nice bear.  Carla had shot a bear, but in the dark it wasn't found immediately, and Carter said they would look for it the following morning.

Dinner was ribs and wild rice; the ribs were quite good, but after oral surgery a few months ago, I'm still paranoid so they were hard to eat.  I made it work, even if it was a bit messy.

As dinner wound down, I felt myself mentally sinking.  I had such high hopes going into the afternoon, that the inevitable crash when reality triumphs over anticipation is brutal.  I was glad I had my own cabin to go to and let what little remained of the day quietly fragment into sleep.

2026 Bear Hunt Day 4 - Seagull What Island

I really wanted to sleep in, but my brain had other ideas and the coffee maker was screaming at me.  So I got up and started my day.  It was getting light by the time the coffee was gone, so I chucked the lure a little bit and caught one pike off the dock.  I've caught quite a few pike off the docks by camp this year...

After breakfast, Locklar (sp?) took Pat and I upriver a ways to go after pike.  The water was rough from the wind, but most of the bays were sheltered enough to allow better conditions.  We fished mostly around and just above the rapids.  Numbers of fish caught were pretty good.  Most were small, but the activity was fun; this included catching a walleye on a chatterbait - in three feet of water.  That was quite unusual.  I did have a very ambitious small pike break my steel leader - losing my yellow chatterbait.  I was more than a bit bummed by this since it had been doing surprisingly well for me.

After lunch Chris took Rick and I way upriver.  Rick was dropped off at Ranger, and I went to the last bait at Seagull Shit Island.  I was glad to be going upriver; there is nothing wrong with the road baits, but hunting bears from boats is special.  As we cross some mythical plane on our way, it really starts to feel like I'm leaving civilization behind.  

I had to wear Vance's boots since the low water level meant wading in quite a ways in the shallow water.  I felt a little like Frankenstein, but it was better than wet feet.

I got situated and comfortable for the afternoon.  The weather was a comfortable cool and breezy.  It felt like a very beary day.  Not much was moving at first, and it struck me how much of bear hunting - how much of hunting - is just being comfortable in my own skin ... being in touch with nature and myself.  

Around 6:30 I caught something out of the corner of my eye and looked down/behind-me and saw a bear.  It was small - bigger than a cub, but not by much.  It must have smelled me and bolted off.  About 15 minutes later a bear came out to the bait.  I think it was the same bear, but it is really hard to tell.  It was a smaller bear and stayed in the area for quite a while.  As I watched it, I was pretty sure this was the same stand where I had major ground shrinkage after shooting a small bear; the log behind the bait looked suspiciously familiar.

A second bear came in which was definitely a bit bigger.  I still didn't think it was a shooter (or at least not a day 2 shooter).  But it was great to see a couple bears back to back.

The rest of the afternoon passed with lots of activity.  I'm not really sure how many bears I saw, and some of them didn't hang around very long.  But it was a fun night.  I didn't think any bears that I saw would break six feet and I'd like to stay above that in size.  We'll see what happens later in the week.

As dusk settled in I heard something to my right and glimpsed a wolf coming in.  It was only within sight for less than 10 seconds.  It didn't hang around long enough to have to make any kind of a decision.  It was neat to see, if only briefly.

As it got dark, one final bear came in.  It was too dark to see if it was three feet or 8 feet (it was somewhere between there).  It did look quite a bit bigger, but if it is too dark to adequately size it, it is too dark to shoot.  After a few minutes the bear crashed away as the boat came in to get me.

Rick had shot a pretty nice boar.  They tend to look smaller in the bottom of the sled, but it was a nice bear.  The wind had completely dissipated over the afternoon and the ride back to camp was wonderful.

It was a late night, but was able to turn in after a too-late dinner feeling fairly confident I had made the right choice in not shooting.  I was also fairly confident that it had been a really nice day and there are still several days to see more bears.

2025 Bear Hunt Day 7 - 10 Years Later

I woke up definitely feeling like I could have slept in.  The late nights and early mornings can be challenging.  But there is absolutely nothing, zero, nada to complain about.

After breakfast Thomas took Waylon and me out for fishing.  We went upriver above the rapids (not sure the term is correct since there are no "rapids" this year), and hit several bays.  It was a phenomenal day of fishing.  We hooked into pods of pike through the morning with enough slow sections to keep us slightly humble.

I think Waylon caught about three fish to my one, but I remained stubborn to my spinnerbait when I probably should have switched to a spoon like Waylon was using.  I did not really like the movie A River Runs Through It, but I find myself overthinking that pike are supposed to be caught on spinnerbaits, much like how one fly-fishes plays a role in the movie - probably a symptom of getting older...

I did hook into the largest pike I've caught in a few years, bringing in a fat 37" pike.  Watching it hit right near the boat was quite exciting.

Dave had taken tagged-out hunters upriver, so there were only a few of us for lunch.  Then a nap and it was out for bears.

Weather was cool and cloudy.  Forecast was for some rain, but it looked like we would be just outside of it as it drifted south.  I loved the cool weather and decided to chance it and not bring rain gear.

I felt oddly optimistic as Drew took Rebecca and I upriver.  The scenery was stunning.  The cool temperatures got my blood going.  Wind was non-existent.  Even the cloudiness seemed right.

Rebecca was dropped off at Greer Lake.  I was sitting in the boat waiting; the loons were wailing and laughing in the distance.  It was a rare, beautiful, magical moment.

With low water we had a longish walk to Gas Can from where Drew beached the boat.  The bait had been hit since being filled previously in the morning.  I got easily situated as Drew left me alone for the afternoon.  A grouse was loudly drumming and this continued through the early afternoon; I had not previously heard this in the fall.

I was dozing a little bit when I was brought back to alertness by movement to my left.  A bear was nosing through the woods, headed into the bait.  It got to the small clearing, looked in my direction and did a 180, turning back into the trees.

I watched it for several minutes as it wandered a bit, then lost sight for a short time.  It returned, and made its way once again to the bait.  After walking it, it took a quick bit of spilled popcorn before nervously high-tailing it out to the right.

For the short time I had a good view of it, my impression was of a good bear, but still thin and young.  I didn't want to overthink at this point.

About an hour passed before another bear came in from the right.  This bear was not the same bear as the first one, and was confidently bold.  It scrambled around the barrel before making short work of the logs and started eating.

I watched the bear while my mind fought for what to do.  I knew it was not a monster, but everything about the bear screamed 'pretty good.'  It was not real long, but it was very fat for its size.  It was tall enough to see over the barrel, even  when it was in the depression the barrel was in.  It had to struggle to get its head into the barrel.

But every time I looked at it through the scope, it shrunk...

And then there were the rationalizations - both positive and negative.  I'm 100% good with a good bear.  I'm not sure the freezer has room for a whopper?  But with good weather, no reason not to hunt more?  I think I really do want to go home with a bear?  My mind went back and forth at least 87 times.

I went on my first bear hunt in 2009.  That hunt ended on the exact stand I was on.  I thought about how excited I was then ... how excited the 2009 me would have been to see a bear like this ... of the infinite lessons since that 2009 kid was sitting on this spot in Manitoba, one of the best lessons is cooling down while hunting; one of the worst curses is overthinking.

After about an hour the bear turned to leave toward the right.  I saw the bear fully in broadside.  Decision made.  Good enough won out.

After the shot, the bear ran a few steps and I heard it crash.  I knew it was over.  I waited as long as I could and got down out of the treestand.  I easily found my bear.  It was a beautiful, stout black bear; I was happy.

After grabbing a couple pictures, I put out my orange on a tree and got back in the treestand.  I knew it would be a long wait.  But temperatures were nice and there was a bear on the ground, so even if it was a bit tiresome, it was also almost spiritual.

I spent quite a bit more time thinking about 2009 vs. the current day.  I was so fortunate to be able to go on a bear hunt in 2009, and that is still true today.  I found it serendipitous that my first and 10th bear were taken from the same stand; that may have been a very small reason (of many) in my decision to shoot.  I'm not the same person I was in 2009 ... at all.  But I still am me.

Right around sunset I heard a boat come in.  Chris and Drew came in to get me.  We took some pictures before loading my bear into the sled and making our way to the boat.

Coming around that last bend before camp, the moon was peering eerily through the clouds as the lights of the dam glinted in the distance; I let myself have one more bit of nostalgia as I thought back to the same journey in the freezing cold temperatures in 2009.

Back at camp Rebecca had taken a near carbon copy of my bear with a beautiful white tie.  Waylon had taken a pretty good bear as well.  As my bear was almost done and in the freezer, Bill came in with a whopper of a boar.  Everyone had tagged out.  The guides were happy so many bears were taken with light left, and very little tracking was needed overall.

Everyone else had eaten so Bill and I ate dinner while talking with Chad.

We all still had two full days to fish.

I went to bed filled with memories ... and much gratitude.

2025 Bear Hunt Day 6 - But Not For Us

"There is hope.  Hope enough.  Infinite hope.  But not for us." - Franz Kafka

After an egg bake breakfast, Bill, Sam and I went out fishing with Dave.  We all casted for pike, trying a few bays up and around the rapids.  Fish numbers were pretty good.  And both Bill (33 inch) and Sam (30 inch) caught pretty decent pike.

Bear camp is falling into a rhythm, and it is an easy rhythm to get used to.

After a shore lunch (at camp), Lockler took myself and Neil out for the afternoon.  I was dropped off at the Perdushney (I've given up trying to learn how to spell that) bay stand.

After the single stand the previous afternoon, it was really easy to get comfortable.  Once alone on the hillside, something just felt right.

I've previously wondered whether a deer stand can have good feng shui, and came to the conclusion that it can.  I think this is also true for bear stands - or bear situations.  I was on the river, instead of a road bait.  I was back in a double ladder stand.  I was using my rifle again, instead of my shotgun.  Weather was cool and temperate - if a bit windy with a hint of a few sprinkles.  Things just felt right.

At least they felt right until I looked back and saw that as best my ability to search, I've never seen a bear while in this stand.  There is hope...

But not for us.  It was a quiet sit all afternoon.

Back in camp after getting picked up, five bears were down.  I won't remember them all (there are still a few people who I really haven't met), but Faith shot a decent one and Neil shot a bear while heading into the stand.  This leaves four of us (I think) with tags, including Bill and Rebecca.

Pork pot roast ended the night before turning in to hope for the second half of the week.

2025 Bear Hunt Day 5 - Four Well-Behaved Cubs

I woke up to steely, grey, cool morning.  I thought about trying to sleep more, but coffee was calling my name.

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.

2025 Bear Hunt Day 4 - Reservoir Bears

Coffee calling my name got me out of bed.  And while it was still dark then, when the sun came up I was treated to an amazing sunrise while throwing the lure off the dock.

After a larger breakfast than I normally eat, Drew took Bill, Sam and myself out for fishing.  The day was temperate with a bit of wind - good for fishing.

We started by jigging for walleye which I don't find a very engaging way to fish.  Drew knew this (my reputation for wanting pike is well known here), but I made a serious go of it.  It wasn't productive, so Drew suggested I cast for pike as we got closer to some island weed beds.  I brought in a bunch of pike.  They were all small(ish), but it was still fun to bring them in.

We moved to another spot and again tried a mix of jigging and casting.  At one point I had a fish on the line which felt oddly non-pike-ish.  Bringing it in, I had caught a decent walleye ... on a spinnerbait.

We fished that area for a while longer; jigging brought in a few more walleye while I caught a couple more pike.  Overall a decent morning for fishing.

After a nice lunch, it was time to go out for bears.  Vance took Sam and me to the road baits.  Sam was dropped off first while I waited.  It was hot with some humidity.  I was wearing my rain suit since rain and thunderstorms were expected.  I was not very comfortable.

Then it was on to Joyce Trail where I saw the meanest sow in the woods the previous year.  I got situated while Vance baited both the normal barrel and a roll barrel.  As Vance left, I dropped a shotgun slug.  I briefly thought about just ignoring it, but I knew I would overthink it, so I got down and did quickly find it.  Once back in the stand, I was uncomfortably hot and felt drenched in sweat.  Ugh.

I did what I could to settle down and get situated.  The first bit of time passed slowly.  It always takes me some time to settle into the rhythm of bear hunting.  Around the time I was cooling down I saw a bear nosing towards the bait from far trees.  It meandered around and finally came in to the roll barrel first.  It was a smaller young bear, but nice to see so early (4:40).

It stayed around nervously for quite some time.  When it left another slightly bigger bear started to come in.  I was starting to wonder if these could be the bear cubs I had seen the previous year - one year older and bigger?  Unlikely, but at least remotely possible.  It never came all the way in, but just sat down and watched from a short distance away.

This bear hung around for a while and a third bear came in.  This was definitely a new bear and was much bolder than the first two.  It almost scared me how fast it came in.  It stayed for quite some time, munching on popcorn.  There was enough wind that it was hard to hear much, but I was, once in a while, clearly hearing some of that very characteristic light walking sounds that suggests other bears were nearby.

Around this time, bears were definitely working the area while I sat there trying to keep track of what was going on.  One bear was a decent size bear - maybe six feet?  But that might be optimistic due to most of the other bears being smaller.

While I could tell some of the bears apart based on demeaner, I had a hard time keeping track of all the bears.  The bears were charging each other from areas I could not see - sometimes almost right next to me, sometimes farther away.  

At one point there was a bear directly to my right and bear at the barrel when I heard a big ruckus to my left.  It reminded me of the movie Reservoir Dogs, where all the criminals are trying to be one-up each other in how tough they are, more so since they don't know each other.  And also like the movie, I think there were a total of 7-8 reservoir bears total for the afternoon.

The thunderstorms that were predicted had materialized through the afternoon.  I had gotten out my waterproof cloth to keep my stuff dry, but most of the rain dissipated and went north and south of where I was.  I was glad about this, but the extra layer on my lap made the hot afternoon even less comfortable.  When one of the bolder bears was at the barrel, I was able to at least set things aside (and even stood up at one point since my leg was cramping).  

As it got dark, there were at least three bears near me.  One of the bears had scrambled up the tree to my right.  I was worried about a repeat of the previous year where I had to get out of the stand with bears in that same tree, but it got down - yet remained in the area.

Eventually Vance came to get me.  I'm quite sure not all the bears left as we made our exit.  It was a very exciting night, even if I didn't shoot.  

Sam had shot a decent bear - his first, so he was happy.

Back in camp as people rolled and boated in, lots of people had seen bears, and a few had almost-opportunities on big bears.  But Sam's was the only shot.

After a salmon dinner I headed to bed.  It was late by my standards. Stealers Wheel song Stuck in the Middle with you played in my head as I thought of those reservoir bears.   I, of course, started overthinking the afternoon.  Maybe that bigger one was even bigger than I thought?  Maybe they were all bigger than I thought?  Maybe I won't see any more bears this week?  Maybe...

2024 Bear Hunt Days 9&10 - Home

I had partially packed up the evening before so I was able to have a quick cup of coffee while I finished getting ready to leave.  Dave had said to text him before I left and he would help me load up by bear.  I felt a bit bad about this - these guides seem to work 24/7.  But he met me near the freezer and I loaded up before a quick goodbye.  I pulled out onto the road at almost exactly 5:00.

I decided to avoid the gravel road on the way home.  This added about 20 miles, but no time and lessoned aggravation.  It might have been partially negated by some construction, but it made the dark morning a bit easier.

I was listening to Congratulations, Who Are You Again?: A Memoir by Harrison Scott Key.  It was pretty good.  I got a bit annoyed by how he kept talking about how funny he was.  There were some funny bits, but much of it felt a little bit forced.

As I motored through south Manitoba, I got one more sunrise, no doubt it would have been better if viewed through something other than a windshield; I did feel like I was one of the only people on the road.

I breezed through the border.  "Have any alcohol or tobacco?"

"Nope and nope."

"Have a nice day."

I finished Congratulations and overall it was good.  I liked the way his narrative told the story about how dreams change as he discovered he was already living his dream.

I find it frustrating how Ford allows me to sort of search for what I want on my USB stick, but then only teases and disables the ability to scroll.  This is more dangerous than letting me quickly find what I want since I try and fail ... and try and fail ... and try and fail...  

I may have to move up a few years and put my books and podcasts on my phone before I leave on my adventures.  Or, heaven forbid, stream them...

US2 was surprisingly tolerable before I worked my way down to the interstate which was annoying, especially when I neared Madison.  My sister texted me to suggest I go an alternate route since there was some kind of bike/marathon thing near where she lived.  I got to her house with time to get caught up.  

In the morning I was once again on the road for the last leg toward home.  The final part of the drive went smooth enough.  Indy sucked, but what else is new.

At home, SO had mowed the lawn.  She is wonderful.  This made the final work of unpacking, taking care of a bear and cleaning up much easier.  

The next adventure is only a few weeks away.

2024 Bear Hunt Day 8 - Binary Decisions

I woke up to a headache, but thankfully coffee magically helped.

I met Chris and Dave down by the dock at 6:00.  We piled into the boat and motored out of the bay.

I was dropped off at "Earl's Stand" which was a newer stand and so one I had never sat in before.  I really liked it.  It was comfortable and a good distance from the bait with a blocking ridge behind.  

I know mornings are less likely to be productive, but it was an absolutely beautiful morning.  Temperatures were cool with just a light breeze.  I love watching all the animals wake up; it even seems sometimes like the trees wake up in the morning.  Loons were wailing in this distance - I live for these placid moments.

But no bears showed up.  The most interesting thing that I saw was a weasel and it only stayed for about 30 seconds.

Dave came and picked me up late morning.  Chris had seen the big bear right after he was dropped off, but wasn't situated yet.  Likely that bear can be colored ... gone.

After lunch, I had a quick walk and then a nap before a final sit for bears.  I was down to the witching hour.  I met Dave, Chris and Lockler again down at the dock.  We motored out.

We initially checked Chris' morning bait (Holiday), but it hadn't been touched.  So we continued to go up river and I was dropped off at Ranger Station.  I likely have sat on the stand before, but not for a very long time.

The bait is very near the shore.  The wind had picked up and between the wind and the waves crashing against the shore it was impossible to hear anything.  But after approaching 40 hours on the bear stand, having noise and wind to cover was not a bad situation.

Not much happened for a few hours.  I replayed the past week's events over in my head.  I found myself thinking about home, and regrettably work.

Movement beyond the bait caught my attention.  I saw a bear at the edges milling around.  I watched it for about 15 minutes.  It finally came into the bait.

I watched the bear for a while longer.  I was having a very hard time judging the bear's size; this can be difficult on the best of days, but with the pressure of the hunt winding down, it was even more challenging.  I thought the bear might make six feet, but I was also realistic enough that thinking that could just be unrealistic wishfulness.  But shooting a bear is a binary decision; either the bullet leaves the barrel or it does not.  And what this also meant is that I may either go home with this bear or go home with a tag.  I'm not sure I felt great about any of the choices, but ultimately one choice would allow me to smoke bear shoulders once at home.
I waited for the bear to turn broadside and fired.

It ran out of where I could see and I heard it moan.  I knew it was over in seconds.  After things quieted down I got out of the stand and easily found it.  It was smaller than I thought, but one big lesson I've learned is that once the bullet leaves the chamber, I'm happy as long as what I am after is recovered.  I knelt down next to the bear.  It was a beautiful Manitoba bear with a gorgeous thick coat.

I know I'm unbelievably fortunate to have gone on nine successful bear hunts.

It was late, but I got back into the stand to wait to be picked up.  A little after dark Carter, Lockler and Chris came to get me.  Chris had seen a similar sized bear, but the stand creaked when he drew his bow.  He was going home with a tag, but he had a very realistic view of the situation.  As we left the bay, I sort of laughed at myself; by passing up on the larger bears Tuesday, I guess I had held out for a smaller bear.  But I was peacefully content with where this binary decision ended up, even if it was a "last day" bear.

On the way back to camp, I felt the "Lucky Penny" in my pocket.  As we boated through the rapids on the way back to camp, I threw the penny into the rapids.  The talisman had become a distraction; I sacrificed it to the gods of the river.

Back at camp, the guides made quick work of my bear.  We talked about the week as we all prepared to depart.  I'm somewhat amused how quickly we get to know each other in bear camp.  This was an exceptionally good group to hang out with.  The people at camp are almost like family at this point.

I booked again for next year.

2024 Bear Hunt Day 7 - One Little Guy

Overnight rain meant finding any blood trail from the wolf went from unlikely to nearly-impossible.  Carter and I talked in the morning and decided not to look for the wolf, but they would look next time that stand is baited.  Given the overall picture, the chance of a hit was quite unlikely.

So that meant another morning of fishing after breakfast.  Carter took me out fishing a few bays.  Numbers of pike were pretty decent through the morning, but size remained stubbornly small.  It was still fun and the weather was near perfect with cool temperatures an just a light breeze.

After lunch, we headed to the road stands for the afternoon.  We were both on stands near Rice Lake with me being put at Duck Pond.  It was a single ladder stand, nicely tucked into some trees.  It was surprisingly easy to get comfortable even being a single since there was a hook for my bag and it creeked a bit less than some of the taller stands.  It felt like I was very close to the bait.

Not long after I had been in the stand, I heard something pounding away from me that sounded a lot like a bear running.  I couldn't help but wonder if a bear had snuck up behind me.  About 15 minutes later, just after 4:00, I caught a glimpse of a bear on the ridge beyond the bait.  A small bear had likely circled around, intent on eating popcorn.

It took its time coming in.  It was a very small bear.  I may be getting desperate at this point, but not four feet desperate.

But it was encouraging to see the bear so early.  It was quite nervous and only stayed for a short time before running away.  

The afternoon was glorious bear hunting conditions.  Temperatures were cool but not cold.  Much of the time there was breathlessly no wind.  The only negative to these conditions was that every movement felt like banging gongs.

Around 6:00 I saw movement again.  The same bear came into the stand; it was easily identified by a thin blaze on its chest.  It again came in for a few bites before running away.  I saw it again near 7:00; this time it did not come into the bait.

Sadly, that was the only bear that I saw that evening.  Darkness came with Carter and Lockler coming in to get me.

Dave had picked up Chris.  He had seen a sow with cubs and another bear that he couldn't get a shot at.  

We were both down to the witching hour.  As we ate our late dinner, we made plans with Dave for a morning hunt.

2024 Bear Hunt Day 6 - Say Goodnight Raquel

I ran into Matt as I was walking to the lodge.  With bear in hand, he decided to head home due to family obligations.  

So after a breakfast of ham and French toast, I headed out with Carter for fishing.  

Temperatures had cooled significantly overnight to the point that it was almost cold in the wind of the boat ride.  We stayed below the rapids and tried several bays.  I caught a few pike, all of them small and one smallmouth bass.  Fishing has been challenging this year; some years I can't even throw a lure without something jumping into the boat.  The largest pike I've caught to this point is less than 30 inches.

After lunch, Lockler and Carter took Chris and me upriver for bears.  Chris was dropped off again at Holiday - hoping to see the previous night's bear just a smidge earlier.  I went to Bass Island which was quite a bit farther upriver.  As we boated away, it felt more than ever like I was leaving civilization.

Once at Bass Island, we walked in and I got situated.  I was in fantastic spirits - I loved the stand and easily got comfortable.  The stand had the right mix of open area and cover.  Temperatures were almost perfectly cool.  Wind was light and right in my face.  There was a chance of rain so I wore my rain suit and I was very comfortable; I was falling into the groove of bear hunting.

Compared to the road stand with ATVs and vehicles in the distance, or even the previous night's stand where there was more boat traffic, Bass Island was unbelievably quiet ... at least at first.  As the afternoon stretched into evening, I think every goose in Manitoba decided to hang out behind me in the bay somewhere.  They were mercilessly noisy - flying in and out and doing all kinds of goose things.  I could at times tune it out, but then I would hear it again and it overwhelmed the area.

I was sure I was going to see bears so I got a little excited when I heard footsteps behind me.  But I knew it wasn't a bear; it just did not sound like it could be a bear.  Looking to my right, I caught a glimpse of something blonde through the small trees, then I briefly saw a head.  For the first time in nine bear hunts I was seeing a wolf.  I always wondered what I would do if I saw one, since they are so dog-like and I'm quite the dog person.  But I swung my gun in that direction.  I also briefly noodled how much a shot might bugger-up my bear hunt.  I know for many animals a single gunshot often doesn't elicit a reaction, but wasn't sure about bears?

The wolf crossed into a clear spot and looked up at me, then looked forward again.  I had no time to overthink.  I dropped the crosshairs and fired.  At about 30 yards it was a gimme ... right?  The reaction of the wolf was not what I expected if it was hit or if it was not.  If hit, I figured it was drop instantly or if poorly hit run like the devil had just spoke to it.  If I missed, I figured it was also do the skedaddle.  What I heard sounded like it just walked away.  I was ... confused.

I had about an hour and a half to overthink what happened.  I so desperately wanted to go look for it or evidence of a hit.  But I knew that while a gunshot wouldn't screw things up, me tromping around absolutely 100% would.  I stayed put.  I kept looking over where the wolf had been hoping for a miracle.  At one point, I saw the butt of something dark with a long tail - I can only believe this was a much smaller dark wolf since I couldn't think of what else lived in the Manitoba brush that size and shape.  I suppose it was also possible that I was hallucinating.  The brain is the one organ of the body which does not tell us when it is malfunctioning.

Darkness came quietly.

Carter and Lockler came to get me.  We looked for around 15 minutes, but on the ground everything looked different from the height of the stand.  And with darkness, it was much more challenging to find any kind of sign.  We piled into the boat and headed downriver to get Chris.

Chris had seen a few bears, but didn't get the clean broadside shot he wanted.  Phyllis (his SO), was giving advice based on his trail camera - which was quite humorous.  Everyone else had eaten dinner, so it was just Chris and I having a very late steak dinner.  It was great, even if a bit much so late.

In the movie Pulp Fiction "The Wolf" comes to fix things caused by Vincent's ... um ... careless gun handling.  I went to bed mercilessly beating myself up about the evening's situation.

Before 2023, my last miss on a big game animal would have been 2013.  This wolf would be my second miss in less than a year; I did not want to believe I could miss at that range.  Self-loathing can be a full time occupation.

Whenever I find myself beating myself up this much, I try to pull out any lessons to salvage my sanity.  What are the lessons from this blonde wolf?  First - don't rush the shot.  I've had to learn this lesson many times and sadly will likely need to do so again.  Second - stay focused on the task at hand.  Bears are what I was after.  Seeing the wolf was cool enough.  Living this lesson in the split second I had to make a decision is easier said than done; the soul-crushing reality is that I don't really think I'll have learned this sufficiently either.

I went to bed hoping that Harvey Keitel would come and fix the evening's situation.

"Goodnight Raquel."

2024 Bear Hunt Day 5 - And Then There Were Two

After the previous day's activity, I was surprisingly able to sleep well, but still up early.

We all grouped for breakfast before starting a new day on the water.  Dave took a group of tag-outs up river, I went with Carter to cast for pike while two other boats went for walleye.

Fishing was a little slow.  I did hook into a few pike, none of them big; although there was one follower which looked decent.  I also got another decent smallmouth.

We once again ended the morning right near Kendall, but oddly the bay didn't produce nearly as well as it often did.

Back in camp we had shore lunch.  It was good, but there was probably enough food for 30 people.  Then it was a quick nap before heading out for bears.

But first, a story...

Before heading out on the last night of my 2023 Bear Hunt, Faith gave me a "lucky penny" that Maureen had given her before she shot her bear.  That day was successful for me, and I kept that penny with my bear hunting stuff.  I gave that penny to Matt since he had not seen any bears yet.

Kevin and Lockler (sp?) took Matt, Chris and I upriver to hunt.  Carla and Sawyer were on road baits.

I was dropped off at Reef Bay.  It was a new stand since I had sat there previously which I was glad about since it wasn't that comfortable before.  While still challenging to sit for so long, it was a bit better.

I was able to get relatively comfortable.  The view to the actual bay was pretty and I could see the few boats that went by through the day.

I let my mind wander.  So much of hunting is mental.  Days like the previous one are exciting with bears running around fighting.  But days like this Day 5 are placid and almost spiritual.  It is amazing to be able to sit in a place so peaceful.  I wouldn't have been surprised if there were less than five people within five miles of me.

At one point a buzzard landed in a dead tree directly opposite me.  It felt ominous; I wasn't sure if it was ominous for me or the bears.  Probably both.  We are all temporary.

I thought a little bit about my dad.  I don't come from a family with an outdoor tradition, but he seemed to get a kick out of my hunting when he was still alive.  This year marks a full decade since we lost him.

Weather through the morning started out cloudy, then it got sunny and almost hot, followed by a new bank of cold, breezy clouds rolling in.  As it started to quietly get dark, a few sprinkles began to fall.  I could see the boat out in the bay waiting to pick me up; about the time light and dissipated, Dave and Lockler came in to get me.  I was glad they took a covered boat since it started to rain harder.

We went to get Matt and Lockler came back, "We need the shotgun.  Matt got a bear."  We all got out of the boat and easily found Matt's bear about 50 yards from the bait.  It was still barely alive; Dave finished it quickly with a load of 00Buck.  Matt seemed both thrilled to get his first bear while also mentally processing the whole situation.  There were jokes about the truly "lucky penny."

After taking some pictures, we went to get Chris who had seen a decent bear.  Chris was bowhunting, and there was just not enough light to be able to see to shoot.

Somehow Dave maneuvered the boat through darkness so thick it could be felt.  How these guys do this is totally beyond me.

Both Sawyer and Carla and shot bears as well, leaving just Chris and I with unpunched tags.  Carla's bear had been at the stand I was on the previous night.  I suspect it may have been the bear I thought long and hard about.

After a pork pot roast dinner, I exited early to sleep.  It was very late and it didn't take me long to get to sleep, once again going over how much of hunting is mental.

2024 Bear Hunt Day 4 - The Meanest Sow In The Woods

After the first night of bear hunting, morning started a bit slower.  But I still got up early for coffee and rigged up my borrowed fishing pole.  I cast a few times; the pole worked better than my old crappy one, but the brace that held the reel hit my hand in an uncomfortable way.  Oh well - beggars can't be choosey.

Sunrise came to a beautiful Manitoba morning.  

After breakfast, Kevin once again took Matt and I out for fishing.  We went above the rapids.  Fishing was a little better than the previous day.  We hooked into several fish and the pike were on average a bit bigger.  We still didn't hook into any whoppers, but at least a bit better.  There was one keeper pike in the bunch that I didn't get a picture of (and regret that slightly).  Both Matt and I caught decent smallmouths too.  Matt's was much larger.

We ended the morning by Kendalls which is usually really good for smalleys, but I did quite well with the northern pike there while Kevin and Matt ended by jigging for walleye - catching a few keepers.

After lunch Vance took myself and Sawyer (sp?) out to one of the road baits.  I was on Construction which was a nice comfortable double.  When I first got situated, it felt a bit weird to not be near the river and there were no other animals running around.  I was worried it could be a long lonely afternoon.  I knew there were bears in the area since there was quite a bit of poop, including a pile near the base of the stand (which looked oddly human...).

Around 4:00 I saw a flash of black near the bait and three cubs came out.  I've seen cubs before so I knew I could be in for a good show.

Even in the relatively short time I watched these bears, I could see distinct personalities of the cubs.  The two larger cubs were aggressive and fought a lot.  The third smaller one bolted at the slightest risk.

These four bears were around for around two hours.  The sow was a very good-sized bear.  I noticed she had a large chomp taken out of the side of her face right near her right eye - almost certainly from a fight with another bear.  I took a look at it through the scope at one point and could see it was red and oozy; it looked painful.

The bears would wander around, eat, fight ... it seemed to be a normal bear day.  The more timid cub spent quite a bit of time in the tree next to me.

The sow spent quite a bit of time right next to me.  She knew I was there, but seemed content to sleep.  At one point all three cubs laid down at the base of another tree next to me while the sow went up to eat popcorn for a while.  There was some obvious food-coma going on as they had eaten quite a bit of popcorn by this point.

After about two hours of fun, the bears got nervous and started looking away.  Mom walked in that direction and while I couldn't see what happened, there was a knock-down fight which lasted a minute or so.  All the cubs were in trees, including one hanging out in the tree right next to me.

They made there way down and out of the area and shortly another bear came out.  It was smaller than the sow and not a shooter.

It stayed for a while until someone on an ATV came up somewhere behind me.  It was close enough that I could hear the cooling system cycle on and off.  It was really annoying and made the bear very nervous.  The bear tolerated the ATV until it turned around and went back the other way.  I thought I was going to be alone, but it only lasted a short time before another bear came out.  It was a much nicer bear and I really thought about shooting it.  But I could not get a good look at it since it immediately flopped down on the ground when it came in.  It was definitely a 6+ foot bear, but I couldn't tell how much "+" it was.  

It left and either came back or another similar bear came in with the same ambiguity for size.  It stayed for a while before I saw another bear lurking in the woods beyond the bait.  I could see cubs too, so I wasn't sure if it was a different sow, or the one I had already seen until I caught a glimpse of the chomp on her face.

She came into the bait and attacked the bear that was there.  It was intense?  Scary?  Disconcerting?  These two bears started tearing around the area in a skirmish that lasted several minutes.  They were snarling and screaming and knocking down trees.  At one point they tore, screaming their bear heads off right under the treestand.  I wish I could have gotten video, but I could only catch glimpses of them.  But seeing a knock-down, drag-out bear fight was wild.  It was ... exciting.

Eventually the sow convinced the other bear to stay away, although I could hear both of them chomping their jaws at each other.  The cubs came back out.

As it got dark, I heard Vance come in to get me.  All four bears (sow and cubs) climbed the tree next to me.  When Vance saw this he said, "Aww F*ck!"  This is not what I want to hear my bear guide say.  I ended up having to get out of the tree with the meanest sow in the woods about 6 feet off the ground and 10 feet away from it.  She was still snarling and snapping her jaws.

Quite frankly, it was one of the most exciting days of bear hunting ever - even without ever firing a shot.

Back in camp Curt and Reagan (sp?) had both shot bears very early.  Kelly and Glenn (sp?) also shot bears.  

I was exhausted after dinner and fell asleep reliving snarling bears.