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...
