Spring 2024... Pine Acres
Bears
Lowell Makstad, me and my dad Rene on right. Mid 70's
Lowell Makstad, me and my dad Rene on right. Mid 70's
We are about to begin our 50th year of our family owning Pine Acres bear Camps. Bear hunts since 1974!! Dad bought camp off Kenny Null. I guided bears for my dad as soon as I was old enough. I got full run of the camp in 1998.
Photo 1974
Photo 1974
Dad 2nd left, bought the camp off Kenny Null of Ohio on the far right. Fishing was main source of revenue when dad bought the camp. Limit of Walleyes was 8, Northerns were 8. Very liberal limits.
This is Bruno, he had a real mouth on him. I trained him for tracking wounded Bears. He came in quite handy. He was brought to camp and given to me by Gene White of White Hollow Plotts.
Chris: That is amazing. 50 years. Congrats and best always.
Congrats Chris. Always look forward to this thread.
Congrats on 50 years! Looking forward to following this thread like always. Good luck to all the clients this year
Awesome and congrats on 50years. Looking forward 2024 success photos.
Thanks guys...My early years, like 60's and early 70's, I grew up in Winnipeg. My dad found me starting to get in trouble constantly. The best decision he ever made was moving us out of the City to NW Ontario. Previously to moving to Vermilion Bay, we would camp all summer at the provincial Park just North of VBay. Entertainment each evening was a ride to Park dump to watch the Bears. I was intrigued in Bears for some reason pre teen. While everyone in the area's past time was fishing, I was interested in Bears. Never really got into the sport of catching fish.
Moving was a HUGE change for me. In Winnipeg there was over 40 tv channels to watch as a kid... Vermilion Bay was a BIG 1 Channel. Had to be CBC. Moved in March and Hockey playoffs only on TV. Which turned me off of Hockey. So needless to say I was always outside snowshoeing, running my 2 paper routes in the winter, playing with Bears in the summer.
There was alot of Alcohol abuse along with pot here in the area. But I was enjoying hunting too much to ever get into that crap. Thank god!! Besides my dad was too strict.
I hung out with every hunter that rented our cabins. As a side note: a cabin rental at that time was $17.00 a nite. Americans kinda taught me all aspects of hunting. My dad was very busy running camp and working at the local saw mill called Colenso to pay the mortgage.
You'll get a laugh out of this. Notice toy rifle.
When a pre teen... living in Winnipeg, I had an Aunt and Ucle who were producers for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. My Aunt produced segments for Sesame Street.... Just so happened that she needed young actors to star in her segments. She asked me to be in many skits which I jumped at. She picked me and asked me to bring a few friends. Pick us up on Saturdays by Taxi and go down on Portage Avenue for the taping. I did skits with all the characters. Was a blast to be on TV.
My career in acting lasted about 18 months. Toward the end, were doing skits in a sound room for the Christmas season. Alot of singing Christmas songs. One time the sound producer came in and said one of us sounded off. It was me. I hit puberty and it was the end of my acting career LOL. Was fun while it lasted!!
After today, we will have 43 Bear Baits set across 5 of 10 of our Bear Management Area's. Spring is early and have some good hits. We have 2 guys w/o May 5th and 2 w/o May 12th.... Most hunters will arrive May 19th to June 15th.
Good stuff, Chris! Too bad the acting career didn’t pan out ;-)
Good luck to your hunters this season!
I might have to book with you next spring. Good luck!
Mosquito Bait...
Mosquito Bait...
Thanks Guys...
Pictures are starting to come in
Mile 5 Bait...
Mile 5 Bait...
Left this camera out over the winter....
Mutrie Rock Bait
Mutrie Rock Bait
Got a Rabbit... Mile #5 Bait.
Got a Rabbit... Mile #5 Bait.
Spike, that bear at the mosquito bait has a real long neck on it. I have one around my house like that. What does that tell you about the bears age, sex, or anything? Seems odd but I don't know much about bears. Thanks.
xtroutx, has features of a mature female.
Truck bait...
Truck bait...
Not sure where this pic came from
Not sure where this pic came from
First Coyote I have ever had on a camera... 2nd pic not mine
Old Truck Bait... was a logging company mechanics truck
Old Truck Bait... was a logging company mechanics truck
The area around this old Truck was logged over back during the mid 60's. In 1982 I put a bear bait in by the truck. Now have generations of Bears visiting the site. Well, they are getting ready to log the area over again in 2024. Was an awfull feeling to lose the site after 42 year of hunting the site.
Well, I asked the logging company if they could save my historic sites, including the old truck. For half a day today I took the Forester for a walk around Truck Bait and Meadow Bait. They decided to save the truck bait with a huge buffer zone along with a protection of trees around the old truck. Also, they will not log during the denning period, so as not to run over the dens.
After the truck, we toured the timber around meadow bait. He decided to save that site also. It was a great day today!!
Wow Chris! Stuff like that doesn’t happen very often. Congratulations. Can’t wait to get up there this fall!
See you in Fall WV.
Junction Bait... This bear has a prominent nose. Good chance its a boar.
Chris- Great to see pictures of the old truck bait. Spent a number of days there on multiple occasions back in the early '90's. Good for you for spending time with the company to build up some trust with them. That goes a long way! Alan
Alan, i remember when a bunch of us went into Truck Bait to retrieve your Bear. Good times for sure!!
Bridge Bait...
Bridge Bait...
Junction Bait...
Junction Bait...
Good luck this year Chris stay safe. Blessings
Best of luck this spring Chris! Stay safe and I hope the boys shoot straight!
Thx Justin and Alex Look like Bears will cooperate just the way we need them to.
Wow....spike ....put your life into book form....I'd buy it...sounds like you've had a great life so far.
Southern Nevada...
Southern Nevada...
10 days before I started baiting for Spring 2024, wife and I decided to take a quick trip to Nevada. Rented a jeep and traveled the parks. Thought would be a great way to relax before a busy bear season. Got pretty clos to these goats.
50 lb bags of bait go's to each bait every couple of days till hunters get here.
50 lb bags of bait go's to each bait every couple of days till hunters get here.
Thanks Greg...
We now have about 55 baits out, scattered amongst 6 of 10 Bear management areas. Checked a bait run today and most were hit. We have 2 hunters in camp right now. Most hunters start arriving after the 19th of May till June 15th. Baits are hitting hard. Got lots of mouths to feed till then LOL. But it sure is great to have an early Spring to enjoy the baiting!! Only 2 baits you can drive right to, all others about 150 meters walk from rd. Cameras take alot of time so not checking them as often.
Clay Lake Bait...
Clay Lake Bait...
Mile #5 Bait...
Mile #5 Bait...
Swamp Bait...
Swamp Bait...
Mosquitoe Bait...
Mosquitoe Bait...
17 Point Bait...
17 Point Bait...
Ed Bowden
Ed Bowden
Best of luck this spring, Chris! Thanks for giving us the updates and back story!
Great thread good luck this season!
Hope you have a great season.
Good luck! Really cool to see the logger being nice and respectful like that. Love the warm fuzzy stories.
Thx Guys... Apauls, go troll somewhere else and maybe take some of the fuzzy your getting from my posts and put it on your "OLD" Bald head lol.
Man does that bear at the “ Junction Bait” even have eyes? He’s got quite a noggin!
Good luck up there!!
Mutrie Cabin Bait...
Mutrie Cabin Bait...
Mutrie Rock Bait....
Mutrie Rock Bait....
Jacob on his first bear hunt...
Jacob on his first bear hunt...
Lots of action at the Baits... My trail cameras are set up to focus on each bear. We have 2 hunters who both tagged out the 2nd day. They are now fishing the River Bank.
Lake View Bait...
Lake View Bait...
Checked 17 baits in 4 Bear Management areas today.... Every Bait was hit HARD.
Trespass Bait...
Trespass Bait...
Mutrie Rock Bait..
Mutrie Rock Bait..
Mutrie Cabin Bait... can see the Outpost cabin off in the distance from the treestand at Mutrie cabin bait.
Mutrie Cabin Bait... can see the Outpost cabin off in the distance from the treestand at Mutrie cabin bait.
Mosquito bait..
Mosquito bait..
Boer Bait....
Boer Bait....
55 baits holy moly…that some serious effort. Hope you have a great season, thanks for posting.
Thanks ND, its a blast running baits. Every single one is hit.
I bring the computer in to each camera to download pics.
I bring the computer in to each camera to download pics.
We have the truck drive down the road full of 50 pound bags of bait... driver of truck does the road baits as the ATV Baiter grabs out of the truck and does the ATV sites. Was on the ATV for over 3 hours. I download from trail cams and go through the pics at camp. Get rid of hundreds of pictures of squirrel and save the Bear pics.
Deer Lake Rd Bull...
Deer Lake Rd Bull...
Boer Bait...
Boer Bait...
Mosquito Bait...
Mosquito Bait...
Main hunt starts Sunday... Looks to be a great hunt. We did have 3 so far. 2 bears downed. Still have 1 hunter who has seen bears every afternoon. Bears eating the clover, fresh leaf buds and grass.
Also......A nice Dam picture
Dan and his boar.
Dan and his boar.
3 hunters so far for Spring, 3 Boars taken....
Good stuff, Chris! From the looks of his nose, that last one looks like he must’ve tangled with another bear.
Troy, was a fresh wound. Most likely messed up his sense of smell.
Great thread Chris, thanks for sharing, especially the early days. Good luck to all your hunters.
Looks like it’s shaping up to be a good year Chris. Can’t wait till August.
Bear Factory Bait...
Bear Factory Bait...
Last week gave us torrential rains... Had to fix washouts, got things back to normal now.
Bear Factory Bait...
Bear Factory Bait...
Bowhunter passed this Bear for a Cinnamon Bear... Cinnamon comes in before 2:00 pm. Bowsite Screwballs nephew is hunting this site.
Danger Bait...
Danger Bait...
Wow!! I’d love to shoot a color phase bear, but don’t think I could have passed up on that guy! Hopefully, his self control pays off for him.
The Larger Black Bear watched hunter take many pictures and videos, eventually walked away staring at hunter. Never to show up during the day again. Now that he'd shoot him, Larger Black Bear wont cooperate. Rut will be here soon bringing him back in during the daylight.
Shot the big Black Boar. Death moan. Lots of blood. Also shot a good one on Segise #1. Death moan also
Eric Phelps... Arrowed the lungs. Ran 30 Yards. 24 KM by ATV. Back by 3:30 in morning.
Eric Phelps...
Eric Phelps...
Took 5 Bear this afternoon... Pics tomorrow.
You guys are having a heck of a spring Chris! Congrats to you and the hunters!
3 Days of Hunting...
3 Days of Hunting...
Wow! I’ll bet you guys were busy all night! Congrats!
Thx Steve... You got a couple of nice ones too!!
I'll update next week after Bear season ends.
Booking for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 are all booked up.
Dean takes his Bear last day of the season 2024.
Dean takes his Bear last day of the season 2024.
Congrats on another fine season.
Another great year for you, congrats
Great camp keep up the great job
Preston and his Spring 2024 bear...
Preston and his Spring 2024 bear...
Thanks Guys.... I will try to finish posting my spring hunt this next week. I start Baiting for Fall in 3 weeks. We are hunting our North Baits for the first time in a few years. Busy retrieving stands and barrels in prep of setting up new sites in our Northern BMA's.
Fitz... May 2024
Fitz... May 2024
Deer Lake Rd... Almost had some Moose Meat!!
Deer Lake Rd... Almost had some Moose Meat!!
Moose are on the come back in WMU #5
May 21rst.... All Beaver dams were overflowing!!
May 21rst.... All Beaver dams were overflowing!!
What Trudope predicted was major droughts and massive unrelenting Forest Fires.... Well we got the opposite of what was predicted!!
May 23rd...
May 23rd...
We had 9 inches of rain over night of 21rst into the morning of the 22nd.... We had the South end of Deer Lake Rd baited and ready to go for the weekend of the 26th. A bait run of very active baits. Well over night the whole run washed out.
Before we could see what damage was done to access we had to wait for the water to go down. We had another bait run ready to go in place.
Saxon is checking best place to cross. Made it across May 25th... Got baits going again.
Saxon is checking best place to cross. Made it across May 25th... Got baits going again.
Got atvs across and got baits going again on the 25th.
Got atvs across and got baits going again on the 25th.
The 25th water went down enough to cross and rebait the sites. Thought was get them active for the 2nd week of June again... We checked them again on the 27th and all were hit hard again. We were back on track, so we thought.
Well the weather forecast was not good for over night June 3rd... System out of Mn. was bringing us Tornados and heavy rain again for the Afternoon into the overnight. Hunters went on stand hoping for the best. But all hunters left stands early, their phones were blaring the tornado warning with alarms going off through the bait sites they were hunting. All got out and back to camp safely. They left the phones on for this reason.
Tornadoes just missed the hunting area and dropped 3 more inches of heavy down pour in 3 hours.
Deer Lake Rd washed out again and after assessing the washout we gave up the run for the rest of the spring season. Also had to deal with other washouts that we were able to cross after some work. By the following weekend we had things somewhat back to normal!!
On June 4th, we left camp to go set hunters on stand and one of our "NEW" Canadian semi drivers jacknifed in the middle of the highway and we had to take an extra 30-40 minute detour around to get to afternoons sites.
This Spring created many challenge's, but after 50 years of Pine Acres, I was ready!!
Birch and his Bear...
Birch and his Bear...
Eric and his Bear...
Eric and his Bear...
Jesse
Jesse
Spring 2024...
Spring 2024...
Kevin...
Kevin...
