Contributors to this thread:
I’m in Manitoba at the moment with 2 days left on a 6 day hunt. On the first evening I passed a beautiful red… and Damm good black. 19 plus possibly even 20” Why? I’m a moron that plus it was the first day as well as he was missing a big rectangular patch of hair/hide and meat not t sure how it happened..
The outfitter got a pic of Great bear and pulled me off my original bait to move me to that bait. 2 days later a rifle hunter shot a 21 1/2” bear in the 400 pound range. I guess I should have stayed at the original bait eh?
I can’t be too upset though… the bear I’m on now looks like he could easily eclipse that rifle kill…problem is 4 days and I haven’t had a glimpse… he’s been to the bait in daylight in the morning which is why I’m in the stand as I type this…
I guess the point of my rant/question is would you would ya stay at a site where odds seem low to get a truly world class bear or move to a stand where you’ll have better odds at a great last day or two bear?
Cinnamon from first day
Cinnamon from first day
Big head and body I probably should have shot
Big head and body I probably should have shot
Horrible gash on his back
Horrible gash on his back
Here’s the booner 400# we
Pics don’t do justice
Here’s the booner 400# we
Pics don’t do justice
Truly a world class bear
Truly a world class bear
The consensus at camp is this bear could threaten the 22” mark
The consensus at camp is this bear could threaten the 22” mark
The one I’m hoping will show
Depends on how hungry for bear meat I am and/or whether I've killed a bear before.
Stay after the big guy, enjoy the pursuit....best of luck, Mark!
Good luck Shug, what ever you decide. I’m inclined to go with the guide.
Don’t know. Just hoping you kill the bear you want. Good luck!!!
if youve killed a bear before and can live with going home without I'd stay. From your pics you clearly could have shot a bear already, so why not swing for the fence?
I would say you have had a successful hunt regardless. I wouldnt have made it to this point in the hunt, because one of the first 2 bears would already have my tag on them.
Dont pass the first night what you would shoot on the last, and you cant shoot a giant if you shoot a damm good one.
Im glad I dont have to decide, but that is one giant bear you are waiting for.
Good luck with your decision, and kill a giant bear;)
You gotta sit it out now, you are last the point of no return.
That said I’m not a big time bear hunter, I would have shot one of those first night bears probably, but I also would have been jealous when you hauled in the giant on the last night! ;)
Hope you get him brother, sit it out and don’t miss when he shows!
—jim
It's June 8th. That big fella more than likely is thinking Love. If you or the outfitter suspects a hot sow on that bait I'd stay put and go for the bragging rights. It's great you can hunt a.m. as well as p.m. Good luck Shug, aim small miss small!!
You can’t kill a 200”er when he’s a170s”………or something to that effect.
I’m betting you’ve killed several really good bears over the years, so holding out for that monster is a little less difficult. Hopefully, he shows up for you today, Shug! Good luck!
You've got bigger bears in NJ Shug......................................what you doing in Manitoba?! ;-)
But seriously...............................................SWING FOR THE FENCES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : )
Well, either way, if you don’t connect, you’re gonna be second guessing yourself from here on out. I’ve made those decisions, been wrong, and will probably do it again. Flip a coin ! ;-)
Easy. If you’ve killed bears before, you hunt the monster. You can go back next year and hunt a good bear again. But maybe not a monster
What you should do is based on what your definition of success is not mine or anyone else’s.
Stay put! Enjoy the woods, scenery, the hunt and the big guy is a bonus! Good luck.
I just hope you have fun Shug! Ha! He's a great bear and personally I would wait him out if I've killed a couple bears. That said, I'm trigger happy and that cinnamon on day 1 would have gotten the heat! :)
Good luck. I’m ok now on just about any trip coming back with nothing but memories. You are never going to shoot THE bear if you shoot A bear waiting for him.
I shot a 20 inch skull 400 pound spring bear one year on the first night. I am happy I killed that bear but felt a little cheated out of the full weeks hunt. The year before shot a small bear on the last day but had a blast hunting 6 days in a row and seeing all the bears. I say swing for the fences, but if a nice respectable bear show up in the last hour of the last night I would fill my tag.
Bring a dog along for good luck
Since you live in NJ and can hunt in PA I’d have shot the cinnamon bear who cares about a larger black colored bear. I’d go with the nicer rug over a larger skull. Honestly all you’re doing is sitting at a bait a guide put out so not really a trophy in my book shooting a big one.
Spike good thing your book doesn’t count for me
:) I think things like this, that for most people are not "once in a lifetime" hunts, if you got the chance to hunt a tremendous trophy, you have to do it, even if you end up going home empty handed. You can always save up and go back and hunt average or slightly above average trophies in the future. But a tremendous trophy doesn't come along all that often.
Now, if you've scrimped and saved all your life to go on one hunt for a hugely expensive species. . . . you hunt the average trophy and hope you get him.
I may be a bad one to ask though. I hunt a fair amount and shoot very little and eat a lot of tags holding out for something above-average. But always on hunts that I can do again and again
I'm far from a "trophy hunter" but if you have a chance for a truly world class animal, you have to do your best and try for it IMO. We all have plenty of hunts where realistically there is zero chance for a world class animal. There simply isn't one in that unit, or state, or whatever. If this were up to me I'd go for it!
Good luck Shug, hope you get a crack at him!!
You know what they say about getting one at closing time Mark?!? It's always bigger in the morning! Good luck!
Sit it out Mark. The cinnamon looks like a huge sow to me. A taxidermist could easily patch up Patches’ ass, but you let him walk already. Doesn’t matter if you have to sit for six days to kill that monster, it all comes down to about a minute. When that minute happens in the hunt will just be part of pleasure.
I’m rooting for you to kill the Giant!!
Lol got that right Shug. That black is a stud!!! However, my arrow would have been zipped thru that cinnamon first shot he gave me..
Sit him out and stick him man! Good luck!
The boars r on the move any bait with bears on is good right now ,the boars r checking for hot sows good luck.
Easy choice - go big or go home! Good luck!!
You will make the right decision bud! You’ve killed more bears than anyone I know. No regrets if you wait for the giant and he doesn’t show…..
Shug you asked for opinions and I gave you one lol. Good luck with whatever you choose.
The obvious answer is to go after the giant ! My insiders tip is apricots. Lots of dried apricots. At least 3-4 hands full before you go to bed and then one every 15-20 minutes through the day.
About 15 years ago I was cruising timber in Katadin Iornworks in the big woods of Maine. I enjoy dried apricots alot ....... but only when I have no company. So I was enjoying a pound bag of them as I worked that day. Late in the afternoon I had a plot on steep ground with over 20 trees to measure. I was there for a good half hour. I am half done with the plot and looking down the steep slope. I see a black bear a little over 100 feet away standing up on 2 legs looking up the hill trying to figure out where the "music" was coming from. It was kind of comical. My dog was asleep and I was trying to talk loudly to the dog to get rid of the bear with rousting my dog up. My dog would have chased that bear in an instant and I didn't want a rodeo late in the day a long way from the road. So eat up and call in a giant !
Mark at this time of the year a Big Bear can show up any time.This Bear has been to your bait not the other baits.About 20 yrs. ago i dinged a big Bear the Guide moved me and 2 nights later My Buddy sat that and shot a B2C Bear.Set your happy ass down and kill him.Good luck Stan.
Hmm, hunt big bears or hunt a giant bear? Looks like your odds making a great choice are about 100%!
Glunt is right. Win/Win......I'm going to work today so........ENJOY your time up north. Great pics and great bears. Hope you get a chance to drop the string.
Thanks for input guys…. I sat that bait 5 days saw lots of bear the first 2 days just not that one. The last 3 sits 2 evening 1 morning saw 0 bear . I’m gonna sit a different stand tonight and if the right bear comes in I’ll shoot if not I had a great trip and will be back next year…
On a side note the temps have been almost 90 each day that slowed movement.
All but 2 have taken bear But we both could have…
Tonight’s the night!!
Good luck tonight. From my perspective you have had a successful hunt. Setting your sights on an exceptional bear is admirable.
Tonight sure is the night! Good luck man.
Great attitude! No pressure, if it happens great, if not it looks like you’ve had a good time. Good luck!
Ty GM and I agree… All set for this evening…. Its actually a rifle spot and the blind is 50 yards away. I’m sure I could just sit on the ground and wait but I thought this would be way cooler….a tree stand that when the bear stands he can sniff my butt from an inch away…
Pic won’t load… the platform is literally waist /belly high
Should be fun
Good luck and post a pic or two afterwards!
Sounds awesome. Hopefully a biggen comes to visit
Do you suppose he’s busy dragging out a bear?
Or maybe just holding out to the last minute. It’s dark here now, bit I don’t recall seeing where he is…..
First post said Manitoba. Safe assumption he’s in Manitoba still. Lol
The end… coming home empty handed yet still fulfilled.
So… shoot or don’t shoot ?
I personally am not a bear trophy hunter. Don’t want to shoot a dink, but my standards are probably lower than yours. That bear is definitely a “shoot” for me.
—Jim
Don’t shoot. That’s a poor shot angle…..
I’m like Bake….I shoot very little and eat a lot of tags holding out for something plus size. Doesn't work out most of the time, but at this stage of my life I’m 100% ok with it. You said you’re fulfilled already, so you’re good either way! Good luck!
Great big sow
Great big sow
Hey young man you had a good hunt I knew that as soon as you stated I’ll be back next year Good luck Lewis
Now you have to hold out for a big one in Kansas Sugar.
You had a good hunt Shug!
Who were you hunting with in Manitoba?
Who were you hunting with in Manitoba?
Thanks guys…
Skippy I hunted with a very small outfit … Rob Karpiak /Target species outfitter only does one week a year for bear that’s all
Apparently he knows where the big ones are, that one you were after was a giant!
Didn’t see the cub in that last photo at first glance. Sounds like a fulfilling hunt. Thanks for taking us along Shug
David he has a sprinkler fitter company for a living… he does this for fun… he and all his guides have full time jobs and just do this one week a year.. Actually Ron Dare who owned Bear Track outfitters is one of them
Just got a text from outfitter…. He sat a stand 9 miles from where I was hunting the big one with the square blaze I was chasing… and he showed up there but never offered the shot he wanted ( longbow)
I work with one of his childhood friends, it's a great concept. It sure is a nice way to pursue mature bears.
IF he only does one week a year I'm curious could you not add days to your hunt?
Pop r I never thought to ask… I’d think it’s possible but unlike me they have jobs to get back to
What a neat concept only operating one week a year. Very specialized. How many guys in camp.
Grant normally 6 people but last 2 years were 9 due to Covid… Starting next year it will be back to 6
What a bear!! Shame he didnt show, but sure makes it exciting! Looks like he's hunting a great area as well!
