Home was broken into while elk hunting
Elk
I have always tried to keep my plans off of the internet when I leave for a trip. No announcements on social media. I also don’t post live pics from the field (Letting folks know I am not home!) Call me old school.
Well I stuck to my normal planning again this year. I took off from home around 3 PM and hit the road. I drive until I cannot drive anymore. Stop at a wayside rest or two (to nap) along the way. Once the sun rises, I am re-energized and get to my hunting area around mid afternoon.
Call you smart. Sorry for the break in.
I finish loading my pack, grab my bow and begin the hike in. This is a new access point, for me into an area that I hunted in 2016. The country is steep and the altitude kicks my butt. My progress is tempered as I continue the climb. I get to the area where I plan on setting up my spike camp. Google Earth shows this immediate area is not quite as steep, increasing my odds of finding a spot flat enough to pitch my tent. Not easy, but I find a spot to set up camp.
Home away from home!
I have a couple of hours after setting up camp. Do I relax or hike in? I didn’t come here to relax! I came here to kill an elk! I grab my bow, pack, glass and hike up the ridge. I pick out a glassing spot and sneak up to a tree on the ridgeline (to break up my outline). I ease my pack off of my back and take in the view. I am in elk country!
As I take it in, I am looking the basin over with the naked eye. There looks to be some objects that look unusual and out of place. I grab my binocs to look closer. ELK! These elk are within 50 yards of an ambush spot I found 3 years ago. First spot I check, within 2 minutes I find elk. I love it when a plan comes together!
The thermals are going downhill and the hillside is I am on is mostly open. The elk are in the bottom ~ 500 yards below me and there is no way to descend without being seen. I have not even begun day one so I opt for a conservative approach. Glass for the evening and see if I can identify any patterns. The herd has about 14 cows and a bull, but I cannot see him. He bugles about every 15 minutes or so. Eventually he shows himself and he is a nice 6 point. Turns out there are several more cows further up in the basin and the herd below me has a satellite also. The herd bull and satellite look at each other but nothing serious. Eventually the satellite moseys up the hill to the other cows. (Looks to be 3 cows in the group up the hill).
With ~ 14 days to hunt, definitely a good start! I know where I will be going in the morning!
Well, plans change. I wake up to rain. Not just sprinkles. Constant rain. (Per forecast, this was going to last most of the day) I shut off the alarm. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Soaking wet is no way to start off a hunt. Winds are squirrely when it rains also as the thermals never really set up. I got some extra sleep. Since, I had also forgotten several items in the truck, I hiked back to truck and decided to drive around the country and check things out. Rain finally let up around 5PM. I hiked back into camp.
Next day I am ready to rock and roll. Leave camp at O dark 30. Hunt hard all day. No elk were spotted, but I got a couple of bulls to answer in the evening. Not enough time to get to them. Hike back to camp via headlamp.
I get to camp and I see a couple of tent stakes pulled up and my socks outside of my tent. Who in the flock was messing with my camp? There is a hunt code. Don’t ever mess with anyone’s camp! If I come across a backcountry camp, I steer clear.
I shake it off. I am not going to let someone ruin my hunt. But as I look closer, I find my pee bottle outside of the tent also. And they smashed it. WTF!
My elk hunting home has been violated.
I am tired and hungry. I unzip the rainfly to open up my tent to grab my stove. Holy cr@p! It wasn’t someone who messed with my camp, it was some THING! There is a giant hole punched through the bug screen, Esbit stove is chewed on and my toiletries bag is chewed on. Everything has slobber on it. The twig snapping as I entered camp at dusk now makes sense. It wasn’t a deer. @#$&*!&! A bear!
I back out of the tent and catch something orange in my headlamp, ~ 15 yards downhill from my tent. That wasn’t there before. I walk down the hill. It is my sleeping pad! Deflated and dirty. I don’t know what unspeakable things went on with my pad. I think he had something against an Elmer Fudd type.
I go to my food bag. It isn’t very high in a tree. (Basically a bear piñata) But food bag is untouched. Small miracle. I work my way over to bathroom/garbage spot. Garbage is chewed up.
I grab a Mtn House meal and grab the stove. It is at this time I find the tear in the side wall of the tent. This is where he must have pushed his way through to pull out my socks and pee bottle. The stinky shirt inside my tent wasn’t much of a deterrent.
As I heat water, I try and do repairs. I find a good sized hole in mattress pad. I dig out glue and repair material. I start trying to tape of tear in tent side wall, but there is no way I have enough Tenacious Tape. The bug screen tear is a lost cause. I also find a tear at one of the anchor points. (It must have torn when the bear pulled the pad through the hole in bug screen)
It is late. I chow down supper and inflate my mattress and hit the hay. I am sure the bear is near, but he is a black bear (No grizzlies here). He likely isn’t interested in chewing on me.
After a couple of hours, my mattress is flat. I re-inflate. This process is repeated several times during the night. Who knows how many leaks the mattress has?
I suspect the bear either randomly came across my camp, or was drawn to it via the toothpaste spit or Mtn House bags 50 yards from my camp? Maybe I could have hoisted my garbage and toiletries? I have never gone to those extremes. I didn’t have any food in the tent. I was a little careless, but I think the bear just wanted to be a d!ck.
I have invested significantly to get a good night sleep. The bear didn’t touch my sleeping bag, but my pad is useless. I am over 50 and I know without a good night sleep, this hunt will deteriorate. I have no doubt the bear is in the neighborhood. I envision coming back from a long day and finding my WM bag with the feathers everywhere. I still have food near camp. He is coming back. Along with the damage, reality sets in. I need to pull up stakes. I won’t let this stop me, but I will now sleep in my truck the rest of the trip. It will mean I have to wake up earlier, get back later, and climb a whole lot more every day.
I wish I could tell you about a dead bull, but that isn’t how this hunt ended. I had my chances, but no elk were harmed on this adventure. It took me about a week of recovery and I was on Google Earth taking lessons learned from this year’s hunt and developing a game plan for next time!
OK. I am trying to add pics and I am getting an error. (Someone else had this problem also)
Home during happier times!
Home during happier times!
So much for the idea Jacquomo!
So much for the idea Jacquomo!
I shake it off. I am not going to let someone ruin my hunt. But as I look closer, I find my pee bottle outside of the tent also. And they smashed it. WTF!
I go to my food bag. It isn’t very high in a tree. (Basically a bear piñata) But food bag is untouched. Small miracle. I work my way over to bathroom/garbage spot. Garbage is chewed up.
The bag was zipped, but you can see the teeth marks.
The bag was zipped, but you can see the teeth marks.
The toothpaste was inside the toiletries bag. Smashed the cap.
The toothpaste was inside the toiletries bag. Smashed the cap.
Here is my stove. The Esbit fuel tablets were crushed like chewable vitamins.
Here is my stove. The Esbit fuel tablets were crushed like chewable vitamins.
I am tired and hungry. I unzip the rainfly to open up my tent to grab my stove. Holy cr@p! It wasn’t someone who messed with my camp, it was some THING! There is a giant hole punched through the bug screen, Esbit stove is chewed on and my toiletries bag is chewed on. Everything has slobber on it. The twig snapping as I entered camp at dusk now makes sense. It wasn’t a deer. @#$&*!&! A bear!
Stupid hairy bass-turd!!!
Obviously a "problem bear" that needs to be eradicated!!!
Can't believe he messed with your pee bottle, Brian :^/
I know Jeff. I suspect that is why he went after my toothpaste. I hope the b@sta@rd was gagging.
This was after I tried repairing bite hole/tear.
This was after I tried repairing bite hole/tear.
Side wall rip. This is likely where he dug out my socks and bottle.
Side wall rip. This is likely where he dug out my socks and bottle.
Here is where he pushed his fat head to grab my mattress. The tent has some smaller bite holes in it also.
Here is where he pushed his fat head to grab my mattress. The tent has some smaller bite holes in it also.
I start trying to tape of tear in tent side wall, but there is no way I have enough Tenacious Tape. The bug screen tear is a lost cause. I also find a tear at one of the anchor points. (It must have torn when the bear pulled the pad through the hole in bug screen)
Sorry I can't rotate 2nd pic.
What do you expect from an animal whose all time favourite snack is shitty Pampers!!
That sucks Z and your right in that once they find something they'll check every time they are close. At least your sleeping bag survived.
Sorry about you loss. But hey! Look at the bright side. You'll be buying a bunch of brand new equipment for next year.
Bad news indeed at least you were away. Agree that bear will be trouble for any camper along his path.
I’d head to Kijiji, Craigslist, local Buy&Sell and some of the camping/ hiking forums for a good used replacement. If you can find exactly the same tent, you have spare parts.
sorry Brian, sounds like an eventful trip
Suck deal Z !!! Glad you weren't hurt by spooking the bear coming back to your camp. Kevin
Been my experience best bear deterrent is to buy a bear tag........ =D
Sounded like an eventful hunt anyway...... fun even!
TD- My thoughts also. In the grand scheme, it is all part of the hunt. I understand a bear coming after my toiletries (w/toothpaste), but ripping my pad out if the tent and dragging it down hill to play with, well,,,,,,,, that was just a douche' move! (I suspect he was a younger bear) But I was still ready to give out lat/long to anyone with a bear tag!
I guess it is all part of the story I tell my grandkids. BTW. I didn't tell my wife what happened until I got home. (And she was still upset!)
Made me smile thinking back to 2010 and coming back to camp and getting more and confused as I approached camp with part of cow I shot in my pack and couldn't see my tent. As I approached a small black bear stood up and then ran off. He got my tent, frame pack, and managed to get my hanging food (including ibuprofen & Prilosec). At this point it is just a fun memory and good story. Still have the frame, but the pack part was trashed as was my tent.
Good story!
Guess it’s a good thing I had two bear tags this year! No bear problems:-)
Did get awfully close to a grizzly sow with three cubs in the timber in Wyoming though... Thank goodness she decided to leave rather than fight!
Had a tent and all our gear destroyed with my son up in Alaska once. Really a sinking feeling when you have been dropped off on a gravel bar in the middle of nowhere with a kid and you come back to a ravaged camp. Thank goodness we had a sat phone!
interesting situation. nice looking camp. I can see why the bear was attracted to it. Luckily I have not had the experience of a bear in camp. thanks for the story. I will watch my back more closely in the future. my best, Paul
Every. Single. Year. I lose gear to black bears. Doesn't matter where I camp. And not once have they found food, toiletries, trash, or anything edible or scented. They just like to play/investigate. Water filters and water jugs are their favorite item to destroy. And every single year I'm able to thin one out of the herd, so, not complaining as much as I could be...
The only elk hunt I’ve been on was in East central Montana. Had a wall tent set up and my cousin brought his four mules, which we would saddle up in the afternoon after going on foot before dawn.
Came back to camp late one morning to find a mess. Coolers knocked over, Mountain Dew cans smashed, water jug chewed up. Turns out it was one of our own mules; had come off the high line somehow and went looking for something to eat. Felt better once we figured that out. And that we were able to retrieve her before my other cousin who owned them came back from work.
I respect you guys who camp in grizzly country. No thanks.
I remember checking out an area and finding sign of a bear destroyed camp that appeared many years old. Torn up packs, all kinds of gear and clothes. It was downright spooky as it looked like either a) the campers just abandoned their stuff and walked away, or b) get et and were not in a position to take any of there stuff out.
Yikes.
This happened to me in the Bosque del Oso a few years back. Turns out the state was dumping out all the trash/problem bears there without telling the hunters. I, like you probably did, lost several hundred dollars of equipment and basically burned 12 PP.
Damn things even stalked me. I dropped a pack, walked 75yds uphill to hang a climbing stand, came back 15 minutes later, and my pack was gone. Found it about 75yds downhill with a hole eaten through it and a Cliff Bar wrapper beside it.
Maybe a great way to hunt bears where baiting is illegal. Just set up a stand next to your camp!
In my teenage years a friend and I were camping with his dad at a state park in central PA. We came back to our tent after a long day hunting and realized we’d left the tent open. Upon closer inspection our cooler had bite marks in it and there were brownies and cheez it’s scattered throughout the tent!
