BEAR TRACK - semi live
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: GhostBird
25-May-16
I am planning on doing a semi-live hunt report from Manitoba. Our group of four are black bear hunting next week with Bear Track Outfitters. Two of us have hunted with Ron Dare before and we are pumped to be back. I will be posting from my mobile, so please excuse typos & sucb.Traveling to Winnipeg Sunday & the hunt starts Memorial Day. I'll try my best to keep you updated. Been reading my hunt journal from my previous hunts with Bear Track to stoke the fire.
From: GhostBird
25-May-16
... oh boy. This is starting good. I warned you.
From: GhostBird
25-May-16
From: Brotsky
25-May-16
Keep it comin GhostBird! Looking forward to following along. Safe travels and good luck!
From: Carnage2011
25-May-16
My wife and I will be there as well! Should be an awesome week with some fellow bowsiters!
From: GhostBird
25-May-16
Look forward to meeting you & your wife Carnage. We will have us a time.
From: HUNT MAN
25-May-16
Best of luck guys. Can't wait for the updates. Just getting started here. Aim small miss small. Hunt
From: Reflex
25-May-16
Good luck Andy! From the looks of things, you should just do a semi-live pictorial instead!
From: GhostBird
26-May-16
Shot my bow a little late yesterday afternoon. Had to wait for it to cool off a little, 90 degrees here yesterday. Broadheads are shooting good.
From: Bear Track
26-May-16
We're ready for you here Andy. One of our Bowsiters and his daughter last night both shot their first bears from the same stand then the rains came. I was at Frenchman Rapids the other day, and it's primed ready for you and if we get the right wind.
From: GhostBird
26-May-16
Sounds like a plan Ron. Look forward to seeing you, Jeannine, & Pat.
From: GhostBird
26-May-16
I am really looking forward to some time away from work. It has been crazy busy lately. A little time bear hunting will be just what the doctor ordered.
From: midwest
26-May-16
Looking forward to the updates....good luck!
From: SteveB
26-May-16
Having been at Bear Track with you on your first hunt, I am anxious to follow this! Wish I was there! Have a blast my friend!
From: Mt. man
26-May-16
Good luck. Those are some sweet looking broadheads your throwing down range!
From: GhostBird
26-May-16
150 grain three blade VPA's baby... ready to rock!
From: GhostBird
26-May-16
I wish you were going too Steve. I enjoyed my time in bear camp with you and the mayor.
From: drycreek
26-May-16
Good luck !
From: GhostBird
26-May-16
Thanks guys for the well wishes.
Like all good archery nerds, I obsess and fret over my equipment. Here is the set up I'm using for this hunt:
Hoyt Nitrum 34, 31 inch draw, 70 pounds
QAD dropaway rest
Black Gold custom sight, three pin, all green, .029/.019/.010, on a dovetail mount
B-Stinger sport hunter stabilizer with B-Stinger quick disconnect
Archery Zone wrist sling, these guys make great paracord slings
Tight Spot five arrow quiver
Black Eagle Spartan arrows, 30 inches, 250 spine, steel insert with 30 grain brass weight, Blazer vanes, tipped with a 150 grain VPA three blade unvented broadhead - total arrow weight 543 grains, FOC=12.3
From: Brotsky
26-May-16
Beautiful bow Andy, very nice set-up! If you find yourself getting bored practicing on Ron's bear I can tell you it's right around 70 yards from the jam barrel to the end of the drive way, and you can get 80 if you go back to the granary! Ha! Enjoy your hunt!
From: Ocmulgee Ogre
26-May-16
Looking forward to sharing another bear camp with you, Ron and Jeanine.
From: GhostBird
26-May-16
Same here Tim. Trying to get my gear organized.
From: carcus
26-May-16
shouldn't have an issue with penetration!
From: GhostBird
26-May-16
No problem for sure. I do pretty good even at my age.
From: Bou'bound
26-May-16
neat kickstand for the bow.
From: Skippy
26-May-16
Looking forward to this thread, I'll be there the week after you along with my son. Good luck!
From: GhostBird
27-May-16
Getting my stuff together. Although my wife says that is not even possible.
Good luck to you and your son Skippy.
From: laniermax
27-May-16
Thanks for starting this thread Andy - looking forward to participating in the bear hunting fun next week! See you at ATL on Sunday!
From: TexMax
27-May-16
Good luck to you and Tim. Looking forward to the posts.
From: GhostBird
27-May-16
Here is a photo of the crew from when we hunting South Africa a few years ago. Left to right, Ocmulgee Ogre (Tim), myself, and laniermax (Jack).
Looking forward to sharing a hunting camp with you again Jack. It's going to be fun!
From: GhostBird
27-May-16
Sharpening the VPA's. The turkey calls will have to wait.
From: Bowhntn
27-May-16
Ghost bird I am here at bear track now and u should be hitting it great! Here are two bears from last night and my daughters first bear! Great people and operation as u know!
From: Bowhntn
27-May-16
Daughters bear!
From: MichaelArnette
28-May-16
Awesomeness! Love the smile in the pic!
From: Brotsky
28-May-16
Awesome Brian! Congrats to your daughter and to you! What a great memory you guys have made!
From: GhostBird
28-May-16
Congratulations to you and your daughter. Beautiful bears.
From: GhostBird
29-May-16
We made it to camp. Stay tuned for update s. Hunt starts tomorrow.
From: Rayzor
29-May-16
Nice. Sweet set up. No penetration issues there. Similiar to my arrow set up as mine. I only shoot 54/27.5 compound and never have issues since I started running it. Looks like you're timing it right. Nice lookin' bears Bowhtn and daughter took! I like to see the ladies getting into it.
From: GhostBird
29-May-16
Three lady hunters in camp this week.
From: stjs45
30-May-16
Was out there this past week, and had a blast. Got lucky and met great guys at camp. Also met Pat, my guide, probably the best tracker I have hunted with. Can't say enough of the operation and the accommodations. Great hunt!
From: stjs45
30-May-16
From: stjs45
30-May-16
From: Brotsky
30-May-16
Beautiful bear Henry! Congrats!
Good luck today Andy!
From: Skippy
30-May-16
stjs45 nice bear, congrats. What bait did you hunt?
From: GhostBird
30-May-16
Fantastic bear! Congratulations.
From: GhostBird
30-May-16
Jeannine prepared a great dinner last night. Turkey, dressing, mash potatoes, and lemon merange pie.yum. Breakfast in a little while then out to check baits.
From: T Mac
30-May-16
Good luck!
From: stjs45
30-May-16
Thanx man. I hunted the Trap Line baits.
What I learned is that the hottest baits one week may be cold the next as they have moved to the next one following a sow or pushed by a protective nursing sow. Best recommendation I can give is trust your guide and outfitter as they are constantly checking bait sites and trail cam pics.
From: Rayzor
30-May-16
Awesome animals. I'm looking forward to when I can go after bears again. Originally planned on this year and blocked off this week. Waited too long to see what was going to happen in Ontario. I hunted there the last year of the spring season and wanted to hunt the first year back open then missed out altogether.
From: GhostBird
30-May-16
Tim, Jack, & I checked the lake baits with Ron. We baited Rick's bait, The Channel, Vampire, Bear Creek, and Feather baits.
From: GhostBird
30-May-16
From: GhostBird
30-May-16
From: GhostBird
30-May-16
Sorry about the upside down photos. Can't figure out how to rotate on my mobile.
From: Bear Track
30-May-16
I'm sitting here licking my chops knowing there's a good chance I'm coming off the lake with a bear or more. Though I have not bothered the bears on the lake at all this year, we have a north wind and breezy, I'm still confident my boat will be heavy coming home tonight. Please don't let me be jinxing their hunt tonight by typing that!
News at 11:00
From: Skippy
30-May-16
Hope they have a good hunt also, which baits did they hunt?
From: Reflex
30-May-16
Oh man, can't wait!
From: SteveB
30-May-16
I'm still having nightmares over the giant I lost at Channel Bait!
From: GhostBird
31-May-16
No bears killed tonight. The wind was howling. I hunted Feather bait and had a shooter black coming in at 7:40, but he caught my wind before making it to the bait. Tim hunted Bear Creek & Jack was at the Channel bait. Ron didn't jinx us, the wind just didn't cooperate.
From: Skippy
31-May-16
Thanks for the update. The wind will always make or break a hunt. Good luck tonight!
From: Zebrakiller
31-May-16
this is so fun after just getting home
From: ilandhunter
31-May-16
I recognize the camp in your African photo. Is that Herman and Annette's place remember the ostrich over the fire. thanks for the reports have a great hunt
From: Rocking R
31-May-16
Thanks for posting this thread Andy. Good luck to you guys and thanks for letting us follow along.
From: Toby
31-May-16
Good luck and great thread. Keep them coming
From: Habitat for Wildlife
31-May-16
We were there last week. Went to the lake baits to refresh them and there was good sign. Also windy and could not hunt them.
Our first night, two of us had wind blowing right to the bait and we did not see anything either. Wind is your enemy.
Following this with interest. Good luck!
From: GhostBird
31-May-16
Going to gain weight on this trip. Jeannine's cooking is great. Blueberry pancakes this morning.
From: GhostBird
31-May-16
Checked the baits on the Dauphin River this morning.
From: GhostBird
31-May-16
Raining here now. Looks like a wet hunt this afternoon.
From: Brotsky
31-May-16
Good luck tonight GB! I'm sure you're just sitting down to lunch right now based on the time of day. That Jeannine is an angel!
From: Bear Track
31-May-16
Brotsky, you have here blushing right now! Guests are getting ready now and if I was hunting, I'd be wearing everything I brought up here. Cold and rain falling horizontal. Warm cabin sounds like more fun.
From: laniermax
01-Jun-16
GhostBird busy updating this thread - semi-live. Hah!!!
From: Brotsky
01-Jun-16
LOL Jack! I'm still waiting for his post!
From: GhostBird
01-Jun-16
Still pretty windy, but the rain is moving out. We checked a few baits along the road this morning, Bridge,Tire, Jeannine's, and a new experimental bait, Doofus. Ron and Jack also went across the river and check Pork chop we will probably hunt the lake or the river depending on what the wind is doing at time to go out
From: Reflex
01-Jun-16
Good luck guys! I only hope that someday a bait station named Doofus will be appropriately named after me.
From: Skippy
01-Jun-16
Good luck tonight guys! Ron who is the doofus bait named after? Tell them the story about Ricks bait It's hilarious.
From: Bear Track
01-Jun-16
Finally blue sky breaking though for the boys and girls here this week. Thinking we're skinning bears in the morning..... Ghostbird is sitting on a bait with a dandy black and a nice cinnamon.
From: Medicinemann
01-Jun-16
looking forward to the next update....
From: laniermax
02-Jun-16
The weather finally broke and we had a decent afternoon. Here's the first bear of the week! More pictures tomorrow!!
From: laniermax
02-Jun-16
The weather finally broke and we had a decent afternoon. Here's the first bear of the week! More pictures tomorrow!!
From: Reflex
02-Jun-16
Awesome! Congrats. Looking forward to hearing all about it.
From: Skippy
02-Jun-16
Good looking Bear, Congrats!
From: T Mac
02-Jun-16
It's always nice to get that first bear in camp congrats!
From: Brotsky
02-Jun-16
Great bear! Congrats! Hopefully this evening brings a couple more!
From: HUNT MAN
02-Jun-16
Way to break the ice . Best of luck to the rest of the guys . Hunt
From: GhostBird
02-Jun-16
That is Jack's bear, his first, a solid seven footer. Way to go Jack!
From: GhostBird
02-Jun-16
Tim and I are hunting the lake this evening. Tim at Bear Creek and me at The Channel. Hot baits and good wind with sunny skies.
From: GhostBird
02-Jun-16
From: GhostBird
02-Jun-16
Hopefully I won't fall asleep after a wonderful dinner and cheesecake. YUMMY.
From: Bear Track
02-Jun-16
No, he did not put ketchup on his cheese cake........
From 'Bama, he may have thought about it though.
I'm sitting here looking at the flag now hanging straight down. My boat is loaded and ready for my evening check on the boys. Now that we have normal weather, the rest of the week should be productive.
From: SteveB
02-Jun-16
One more night left!!
From: Brotsky
03-Jun-16
Hopefully no update means a late night of bear skinning and celebration!
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
Yep. Late night. I killed a bear at The Channel at 9:15 last night. I had lots of bear activity starting at 7:45. I saw a stud, but could not get a broadside shot in the short time he was at the bait.
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
From: Reflex
03-Jun-16
Congrats Andy! Way to get it done. I had a feeling last night was going to be a good night.
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
I took a broadside shot with a pass thru and buried the VPA 20 inches in the ground. The broadhead is no worse for the wear and will be back in the quiver come deer season.
From: Zebrakiller
03-Jun-16
nice reports and bear Ghostbird thanks really helps after being home the withdrawals suck
From: Brotsky
03-Jun-16
Beautiful bear Andy! Congrats!
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
Carnage2011, Heath, killed a great brown colored bear last night as well. I'll see if we can post some pics later.
From: Scar Finga
03-Jun-16
Awesome Bear! Congratulations!
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
My bear.
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
Ron skinning my bear.
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
Heath & his wife with Heath's bear.
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
Heath's wife with the "Captain Morgan" pose.
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
From: Habitat for Wildlife
03-Jun-16
Congrats guys, beautiful animals!
From: Bou'bound
03-Jun-16
well done all.
From: laniermax
03-Jun-16
Finally pulled the card from Ron's camera to get his pictures. Here's my bear - measured 7 ft square with roughly a 19" skull. Couldn't be happier with the hunt and the accommodations at Bear Track.
From: Skippy
03-Jun-16
Congrats on some fine looking bears! Truck is loaded and heading to bear track
From: Bigpizzaman
03-Jun-16
Cajun Invasion up next! Congrats and see you guys Sunday!!!
From: Ibow
03-Jun-16
Congrats! Beautiful bears!
From: Buffalo1
03-Jun-16
A great adventure and some really nice trophies.
Awaiting the "Cajun Invasion" updates. Best of luck to you fellas.
Safe travels to all !!
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
Tim is hunting Frenchman's Rapids this evening. There are two nice bears on camera, a big black and a nice cinnamon. Jack & I are doing a little fishing.
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
From: Charlie Rehor
03-Jun-16
Great thread! Congrats and enjoy! C
From: Rayzor
03-Jun-16
Congrats on a nice bear!
From: SteveB
03-Jun-16
Well done Andy! Love that stand. Now....make sure and do some bow fishing! It's a blast there!
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
Steve, the water level is two feet lower than normal and not much carp action. Too bad, I brought my recurve bowfishing rig and was wanting to stick some suckers.
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
Good luck to you Tim and the rest of the cajun crew.
From: GhostBird
03-Jun-16
Ray, the VPA did a number on that bear.
From: Rayzor
03-Jun-16
Nice! Its been a few years since I took one but hopefully I'll get a repeat performance at some point. As many are showing up where I hunt here in VA, I may just get lucky at home. Thanks to them cutting large blocks of timber in our area our encounter are getting more and more frequent. Always seem to be just before season opens or just after it closes when they come into bow range though. Sooner or later the stars will align for one of us at the farm. They seem to really like the clover of our plts and we have some sort of berry bushes on the edge of our field they always tear up.
From: midwest
03-Jun-16
Congrats, Andy and all!
From: JohnB
03-Jun-16
Great thread Ghostbird congrats to all you bear killers! How many pounds did you acquire with Jeannine's cooking?
From: GhostBird
04-Jun-16
Definitely gained weight. Might have to stay away from the scales for a while after I get home. After losing 25 pounds this past year, it was nice to eat like a king for a change.
From: GhostBird
04-Jun-16
Heading back to Winnipeg shortly. Another great hunt with Bear Track Outfitters. A big thanks to Ron & Jeannine Dare. Enjoyed sharing with Bowsite.
From: Jacqueline
04-Jun-16
Headed to Idaho from Manitoba today. What a great week at bear track. This was my first guided hunt and I can't imagine a better week. Ron and Jeannine are such great people. It was a pleasure to meet the other hunters. I was able to come away with this guy! Thanks for a great week Bear Track! Special thanks to my guide, Pat. He definitely made the week that much better!
From: Jacqueline
04-Jun-16
Andy I should have taken notes from you on posting side ways pictures! Haha
From: Brotsky
04-Jun-16
Great hunt guys and gals! Thanks for sharing it with us. Beautiful bears across the board!
Jacqueline, way to go! You lucked out getting Pat as your guide! I told my wife when I got home he's the original bear whisperer! Ha! I too had an awesome time with Pat as our guide this spring!
From: GhostBird
04-Jun-16
Check out the heart shaped blaze on Jaqueline's bear. How cool is that?
From: Bear Track
04-Jun-16
Bear Track's Link
After a week of wind and unable to get out on the lake, I was rewarded with calm seas a couple days and got bears. Pat and I were on a blood trail at 6:00am this morning. I joke that with Pat and I as wing men for each other, that even a bear that's not been shot doesn't stand a chance. 2 drops of blood in 200 yards in spagnam, before the we found the arrow but that bear had other ideas than laying there all night. 400 yards down the trail after gridding the forest on the Paddle Trail, and I called it a day and not so much a lost bear, but one we'll see again one day. The very best of the search was the ride out and right there on my atv trail in the mud and stepping on my tire tracks on the way in, a 6 1/2" wide track. Just knowing a giant was standing there listening to us, was exciting.
We sure enjoyed each guest this week and the weather man says good weather to continue as it can this time of year. Lots of people re-booked for next year already too which isnice to get.
From: Reflex
04-Jun-16
Congrats all and thanks for doing this thread!
From: SteveB
04-Jun-16
Enjoyed this thread!
From: GhostBird
05-Jun-16
Heading home. Thanks again Ron.
From: onetohunt
05-Jun-16
Great thread, thanks for sharing!!
From: otcWill
05-Jun-16
Well done and thanks for taking us along!
From: Dennis Razza
05-Jun-16
Great job! Thanks for posting.
From: Bear Track
06-Jun-16
And the Cajun Invasion has begun. I'm thinking grandson Riley is having a blast with his father Greg about now. he's on a bait that had 6 bears on it yesterday.
From: GhostBird
06-Jun-16
Very cool. A three generation hunt. Keep use updated Ron.
From: GhostBird
07-Jun-16
Made it home. Catching up on chores & enjoying the farm. Good luck Tim & family.
From: Habitat for Wildlife
07-Jun-16
6 bears on it in one day? Wow! That is 6 times the number of bears I saw all week! And 6 times the number Stan saw all week as well. We were in the wrong location, LOL!
Which bait site was it Ron? Any pictures?
From: Brotsky
07-Jun-16
Nice bass GhostBird!
Hopefully the Cajun's are on the board tonight! Can't wait to see the smile on Riley's face with a bear!
From: Rocking R
08-Jun-16
Congratulations Andy. Sounds like a great hunt!
From: Bear Track
08-Jun-16
Andy, is this the one you saw at The Channel bait? I had Tim on him tonight and none of the bears showed. Drives me to drink wondering where were they, when Jeannine and I were looking at over 1,400 pictures of bears since you and I put that camera up.
From: Habitat for Wildlife
08-Jun-16
Ron, Would mature bears like mature whitetail know when human scent is present from prior baiting versus human scent being currently present from a hunter on stand? And be more cautious with the latter scenario? Especially if they have been "educated" by previous encounters from regular use of a site?
That is what I started to think given pictures of bear when hunters are not present but the failure to observe one on stand. Kills seem to happen at sites that are fresh, like what happened with the group after us with the lake baits. At least with more mature bears.
From: GhostBird
08-Jun-16
That's him Ron. That bear was 2 seconds away from dying. The first time he turned broadside I drew my bow and he stepped behind the barrel just as I came to full draw. He turned and tipped the barrel over which crashed on a plastic pail and he scooted off. Hope one of the boys get a shot at him.
From: Bear Track
08-Jun-16
My experience is hunting a stand once or maybe twice in a week, doesn't really affect bear movement unless a guy adds scent to himself as a cover sent. I you can smell it, imagine what a wild animal can smell. I'm thinking the approaching thunderstorm for tonight, has them slowed up a bit or they are chasing the last sows in heat.
From: Bear Track
09-Jun-16
I won't post any pictures of another man's family without asking, but there was a posing of bears (Yes plural)on the shore in front of Rick's bait last night. They got their 3 generation picture this morning also. BigPizza had Ghostbird's monster circling him and had a two toned sow in front of him for a long time, but no arrows where flung.
From: Reflex
09-Jun-16
That's awesome!
From: GhostBird
09-Jun-16
Love it. Look forward to the story that will be repeated for even more generations to come.
From: Bear Track
12-Jun-16
I was a good evening in camp the other night and an even busier morning on the skinning table with 4 bears taken by all the sons in camp and the fathers left out of the bragging rights for a day.
From: Bear Track
14-Jun-16
Well, the last night in camp and the end of the bear hunt, BigPizzaMan had a big bear in front of him but the wind was so strong, he chose not to try shooting form a tree waving the wind like a horse's tail. I did get to show him what it was like to ride back to camp in the dark on the lake in 4' waves though. All safe, just slow going. I bet the wind picked up to 40-45 mph.
