Some may be wondering what the heading on this thread would mean. Let me provide some background so that it will become clear. This trip had been planned since June 2014 when I returned from Ron's and my daughter informed me that she wanted to go in 2015. I made the necessary arrangements, and began planning for the hunt. She told me early on that she wanted to use a compound, and not her crossbow. I purchased her a new compound and we began to practice.
In January of 2015 what started as a cold, turned into something worse. My daughter lost her voice. We went to an ENT, and after a month of tests were told there was no explanation as to why she couldn't talk!! Not satisfied with that, we contacted Children's hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) who put us in touch with a vocal specialist. Thankfully she knew the neorological disorder that my daughter had, and recommended a speech pathologist. Of course none of these people can be easily seen, and we were now into June and my daughter still has no voice. I was concerned about having to cancel this hunt so that she may receive treatment. I explained my concerns to my daughter, she was upset. It understood. We had one meeting with the speech pathologist before I would need to cancel and reschedule til 2016. The woman was unbelievable, and had my daughter speaking about 10 words when we left the hospital. With vocal exercises, she regained enough voice that I felt comfortable, and the trip was on!!!
We unloaded the truck and trailer, and got the cabin organized. Darrell and I then proceeded to cut up bait for the next morning, and get the quads ready with treestands and climbing sticks. Our goal for the next day was to run all the baits, set cameras at all bait sites, and get up (2) treestands to hunt out of on Thursday nite.
With all our chores completed, we had dinner, relaxed and headed to bed. We knew the next day would be a long one.
First and foremost, Ron is a HUGE supporter of bowhunting. He donates hunts to numerous state organizations, and has been a supporter of the UBP for over 20 years. His bear camps are Archery only.
Most of Ron's camps are primitive. No running water or electricity. He has a generator the provides lights and power for freezers should you get a bear. Water is pumped from a creek into a barrel that sits on the porch. You bring your own food, drinking water and hunting gear. Ron provides you with a string of baits based on the size of your hunting party. The Black River Camp has over 70 baits. We had 7 baits. We use ATVs to run our bait string. He has baits that can be hunted by vehicle. It was a 44 mile ride to run our string of baits.
We were able to get cameras at all bait sites, bait those sites that had been hit, and get up 2 treestands. Arriving back at camp at 12:30, we had been gone for 6 hours. We ate, shot their bows, and got showers. Darrell and Ashley were excited to get out and hunt. I would sit with Ashley all week. If she got a bear early on, then I would hunt. Everything in order, we were off to our first nite in stand!!
Keep it coming Brian! X2
Thursday nite was uneventful. We hunted the tower 1 stand. Ashley and I had a serious discussion on the stand placement. It ended with me having to get down and re-position the stand. I learned a valuable lesson.....never assume that the way you like the stand will be liked by your 17 year old daughter. Put countless stands in for everyone else, and almost everyone comments on how nice they are. With the amount of commotion made, didn't think we would see anything. Since she couldn't comfortably draw her bow where the stand was, it left me no choice but to move it then.
Darrell hunted the tower 3 stand. This stand is 18.6 miles from camp, and is the farthest stand we hunt. If you remember Hank's account of the 2011 hunt, this is where Hank shot his bear. The last 1.1 miles to this stand has been named Hell's Highway, and for good reason.
The weather was nice, and the bugs were not bad. Thank you thermacell!! Back to camp for a hot meal, Barley Pop, and off to bed!
Trail cameras make Bear hunting like Christmas. Every morning you are excited about what you may find on the camera.
A stand that Darrell really likes was also hit, so we set a stand there for the hunt on Friday. Incidentally, the stands we hunted the prior evening were not hit.
Back to camp for breakfast.
Sleeping has been good as lows at night are high 40's to low 50's. Since there is no A/C, it makes for restful sleep.
No bears sighted on Friday nite. My new stand was satisfactory to Ashley. We were both comfortable.
The photo is of Ashley's bait.
Only one bait hit this morning. I actually didn't re-bait this stand. It is near the stand that Ashley and I hunting, and I felt that the same bear was hitting both baits. No food at that spot means he comes to our place for dinner. I have set the good silverware in hopes that he shows.
The guys from Pa who were also in camp left today. Great guys. They left us some mini marshmallows, pop tarts, and a bucket of cut up meat scraps. Thanks Guys!
Darrell saw nothing while in stand this morning, but enjoyed the time. Bears can show up at any time, so sitting in the mornings is not a bad idea.
Incidentally, flo orange is required while bear hunting in Quebec. As you may have noticed in the prior photo. The fines are pretty steep, and you pay the Warden. He will show up at your camp to collect. I know first hand as I was there when he showed up to collect from a hunter on a prior hunt. They don't joke around!!!!
I explained to Darrell that as soon as tower three is hit, he needs to move there.
Guess what we find on the tower 3 camera Sunday morning.....
One thing I would like to say. Hunters in general, and Bowhunters soecifically are a great bunch of people. It's great having friends. When people knew I was taking this trip, they offered items. Thanks to BillV, MRW hunter, and blue feather for lending me items.
Also people who were close to me and knew the situation with my daughter, would contact me to see how she was doing. It was greatly appreciated. We are at CHOP as I post this and thankfully my daughter's voice has come back. The vocal clinic helps strengthen the vocal cords that hadn't been used in nearly 6 months.
As parents I'm sure we have all said " I wish they would just be quiet". Trust me, the sweetest sound I heard was when she spoke that first time after 5 1/2 months of reading lips and text messages to communicate.
Make it a great day!!!
Glad to hear the good news about your daughter! The human body is amazing- as is the way the vocal chords work to make sound(our voice). You tend to take things like this for granted, until something does not work quite right. Glad to hear everything worked out!
Looking forward to the updates!
We saw these photos when we cleared the camera on Sunday morning. I promptly informed Darrell that he should hunt here Sunday nite. He had thought he would go to another bait, but I persuaded him that this bait needed to be hunted. He agreed.
Meanwhile on Ashley's bait........
We arrived at our bait to find that it had been visited by a bear since we baited it in the morning. This can be disappointing sometimes, but I knew eventually a bear would make a mistake at this bait. I promptly informed my daughter that the rice crispy treats we brought as snacks would be used as bait. I tossed the rice crispy treats and a couple granola bars in, reset the logs and climbed into the stand.
This is a photo of the bear. He came back for brunch!
I have hunted a few times when the conditions were like this. Almost always bears are seen by hunters. Many times bears a shot when it's like this. We all have theories. Mine is that they don't like the bugs any more than we do, and they get up and move to keep them at bay. Oh and while they are up walking, might as well get something to eat.
I had gotten Darrell into bowhunting about 12 years ago when he was in Seminary studying to become a priest. The Francescan's at the seminary love all living creatures, however they like their gardens more. They were looking for a solution to the deer problem. He provided it. His first bow was a Diamond Undertaker, fitting for a Priest. He used this bow up until last year when he had 3 Vertabrae fused in his neck. He tried everything he could, but the pain in his neck while practicing became too much. I suggested that he get a crossbow. He was reluctant at first, but realized that if he wanted to enjoy the Archery season it was his only choice. He purchased an Excalibur crossbow, with the self cocking unit. That's what he was using our trip.
He saw the black moving threw the trees. He was motionless. He knew the bear was coming to the bait. As Hank could tell you, there is really know way the can see you on this stand. The Tower 3 stand may be one of the best we ever put in for concealment. The black shadow appeared, then disappeared. Only to appear again.
His heart was racing as the bear slowly approached the bait. Perfectly broadside, he never gave the bear the chance to break the bait. He picked a spot, and shot.
30 seconds after he shot, a bear was standing on the bait. His mind was racing as he replayed the shot over and over. "Is it possible that I missed" he said to himself. Confident that the had hit the bear, he made some noise to move the bear off the bait.
As he told the story to me, I told him we would go back in the morning. If you aren't 100% of your shot, and that the animal is dead, I'm not crawling around on my hands and knees with a flashlight. We went back in the morning. The bear had traveled 100 yards. Darrell's 4 trip quest for a black bear was over.
Here we are at the ATV, unloading the bear off the pole.
Here is another photo of Darrell. He needs to smile!
As for Ashley and I, Sunday night was uneventful. The bear did like the Rice crispy treats and Granola bars, as he returned at 2:00 am for dessert. Monday mornings trail camera photos showed him gleefully scarfing them down.
Monday evening is interesting.....stay tuned!
My plan was to wake her at 4:00. Have the shower water ready and have her take her shower. Eat a quick meal, and be on the road by 4:30. We had been using a shower in another cabin. Our cabin had an outdoor shower box, which amounted to a frame with a blue tarp around it. Ashley informed that she would use that until a shower was available. Problem was, while we were looking for Darrell's bear, Ron had come to camp to clean up the other 2 cabins. He then locked the door with my shower bag, soap and shampoo in the shower!!
Plan B. No shower, wear the clothes that we wore retrieving Darrell's bear. We would put our bug suits over these clothes. I told her that this was "old school", since this is how Hank and I did it for years. Darrell thought I was crazy since he owns all scent control clothing, an entire set up for every day he planned to hunt. He wouldn't think of hunting without a shower, or his scent control clothing!!
We were on the road @ 4:30 and in the stand by 5:15. More to come when I get home!!
Once at the stand, Ashley would attach to the lifeline, and climb into stand. I would then help get the bow up to her, and onto the EZ hanger. I would then follow with the backpack. Attach myself to my safety strap. Then it was time for her to put on the armguard and release. I would get her bow, remove the quiver, and place the arrow in the whisker biscuit. Hang the bow back on the hanger. After we were settled, she would take the bow and draw it back. Picking a spot on the bait pile, she would then let the bow down, and hang it back on the hanger. At this point in the hunt, we could do it without talking. That was ironic since she hadn't spoken in so long.
We were in the stand at 5:15, and ready to hunt by 5:30. I told Ashley that tonite was the nite. It was into the 80's, the hottest day by far. There was virtually no wind, and the bugs were hungry. We were in the stand 15 minutes and I informed Ashley that it was a 2 Thermacell nite. I promptly got the spare out and got it going.
Times like these with your kids are priceless. I thought back about the first time we hunted together, and how excited she was when she got her first deer. I thought about my grandfather and how he got me into hunting. I was sure that he was looking down upon us saying "your hunting bears with what, a bow?" He was always amazed when I sent him photos of elk, moose or other big game taken with a bow.
Ashley and I had our routine talk about where to aim. That broadside or slightly quartering away was the only shot she would take. No exceptions. That bears have pretty bad eyesight so remain still, even when they are staring at you, and you feel as though you need to move. We had remained still til about 7:30 staring at the same logs and trees that we had for the last 3 nights. I informed her that I was going to read my book. I do this every year when I bear hunt. Passes the time and you can look up every now and then and scan the surroundings.
8:15 I heard the noise. Closed my book and scanned the surroundings. The noise had come from the road. It was fairly loud. Since bears are usually pretty quiet, and I didn't see anything, I played it off as a red squirrel. Back to the book. There is that noise again, and this time Ashley heard it too! We both saw it. Black as coal, and walking in from the road! We remained calm, and still as the bear stood at 8 yards looking right into the stand at us. The stand is a whopping 11 feet off the ground. Ashley is deathly afraid of heights, but overcame that as the week progressed. Thinking everything was ok, the bear headed towards the bait. I handed her the bow and told her to wait til I told her to draw.
The bear was not the biggest I have ever seen, but at that point it didn't matter. I knew the bear was not a cub, or a sow with cubs, so the green light was on. The bear walked around the bait and set on his haunches peering into the swamp to our south. He began to make some noises and headed to our west up the hill away from the bait. I looked over at Ashley and the bow was bouncing off her knee like a pogo stick. I promptly took the bow and hung it on the hook. She had been practicing her shooting while sitting down, and was resting the wheel of the bow on her knee. I was sure she would fatigue if she held it that way much longer.
I was wrong! He must have really liked the smell of the marshmallows and freshly cut beef that was now off gassing from the bait pile. He pulled the same stunt, came in looked at us for 10 seconds. This time he went straight to the bait. Laid down and reached in and started pulling pieces of meat out and eating them. I had handed Ashley her bow and she was on the ready. Problem was he was facing directly away from us. No Shot!! He got a piece of meat with a bone in it, and walked back into the woods. The bear laid down and started eating it like your dog eats a rawhide bone. Ashley was at wits end with excitement. I'm convinced had the hunt ended right there, it would have been a success.
The fatal mistake for the bear was coming back to the bait from the south, broadside for us. He worked his was into the bait sucking up the Mini marshmallows like a Dyson Vacuum cleaner. He finally stopped at the main course, the beef scraps, and settled down. I gave Ashley the go ahead. She drew the bow back, he looked up, she froze. He went back to eating. She settled the pin, picked the spot that we had talked about, squeezed the release. The arrow was on its way. Then the loud crack. What was that? The bear was off the bait and headed to the swamp! I never saw the arrow, and neither did Ashley. I knew from her shooting, that she should have hit the bear. But with bear fever coursing through your veins, who knows. I scanned the bait site with my binocs, and could not see any arrow anywhere. She said the shot felt good, and confirmed where she was holding when the release went off. I said we will wait a few minutes, then I'll get down.
Here is the bear after the shot, leaving the bait!
Things will be interesting on Tuesday. Stay tuned!!
Here I am checking the bait for the arrow.
We arrived at the bait site, and in the clarity of the early morning sun's rays tne loud noise was answered. The arrow had passed through the bear and hit a log on the opposite side. Since the bow was only set at 41 lbs, the bear took the arrow the short distance before it fell out. The log had the perfect "x" in it to signify the broadhead impact.
After searching for a few minutes, we came across the blood trail. After looking at the amount of blood, and color of blood, I was certain of a liver hit. Fatal no doubt, and glad that we didn't look the night before. The blood trail was great for about 60 yards, and the bear had beaded down. Darrell and I searched for more blood while Ashley marked the last blood. Convinced that the bear had exited his bed and proceeded out the way he came in, we retraced our steps. Still no luck. I began to get this sickening feeling. With all that Ashley had been through the last 6 months, how on earth will she handle not finding this bear. I became more determined, crawling on my hands and knees trying to decipher the map the map that would lead me to her bear. No luck.
We then grid searched the entire swamp. Ashley was asking "Dad, do you think you will find my bear?" I kept telling her we not giving up hope, and would continue to look. I could see the excitement leave her face, and trepidation was setting in. After 3 hours of searching every log, hole, fern patch I said those words that I had been dreading all morning. "Ashley, honey I don't think we are going to find your bear" I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. Disappointed does not begin to express how she felt. This was the first animal she had ever hit and not recovered. As any of us know who have hunted long enough and not recovered an animal, that feeling never goes away.
I asked her if she wanted to hunt tonite. Emotionally she was in shock, and I wouldn't have blamed her if she said "no". To her credit, she said she would like to hunt. I informed her we would hunt another area, since we had marched through the would for over 4 1/2 hours. We took the stands down, and went to the quads. The site we were moving too was on oour way back tothe cabin. By now Ashley was crying. I was trying to comfort her as best as I could when drove down the road.
I could here Darrell yelling, and immediately figured a climbing stick or treestand was coming loose from the rear rack and pulled over. His words still give me goose bumps as I right this. "I found your bear" We turned around, and not twenty feet from where we had parked the ATV, the bear was laying just off the road. If I hadn't been consoling Ashley, I'm sure I would have seen it. We had just gone from striking out with the bases loaded and (2) outs, to hitting a Grand Slam to win the game. The look on her face is one I'll never forget.
Here is a photo of Ashley and I with her bear.
We got the bear loaded and down to the fish camp for skinning. It was a boar that dressed out at 134 lbs. The hide was in perfect condition, and is now at the taxidermist waiting to be made into a rug. I hope that years from now she looks at that rug and remembers that great week we had in Canada, and "the bear that made her talk."
While writing this thread, Ashley had a visit to the voice Clinic at CHOP. Good news is, her voice is back at 100% and no more visits to the doctor. Thanks for all the well wishes, it means a lot to me.
Incidentally, if anyone would like to experience this hunt, please contact me for Ron's info. Also, Langhorne is having a UBP 3d shoot on September 12th and 13th. It will be a fun weekend for everyone. Come shoot one or both days. Hank Barella is selling "Bear Squares" for Ron's hunt, you can contact him at 215-680-8612 to buy them in advance.
Make it a great summer
Congrats all!
Bill V
