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Steve
Hearne on left, Ken Albinder on right
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Our group of bowhunters, Chip Taylor
from Alabama, Steve Hearne, Greg Koontz, Win Brown and Ken Albinder
from Virginia booked a bear hunt through Mark Buehrer of Bowhunting
Safaris with McKenzie Brothers Outfitting of Alberta, Canada. We
decided the third week of May 2004 would be the ideal time for the
weather is warming up, the bugs start becoming active (not good
for the hunters but the bears seem to like it) and the grasses are
starting to green up.
We flew into Ft. McMurray from
Edmonton, Canada where Bruce McKenzie picked us up and ferried
us up the Clearwater River for a one-and-a-half -hour ride to
our hunting lodge and cabins for the week. This was a real classy
setup with a main lodge where we had fabulous meals and log cabins
with bunk beds. Shower facilities in another cabin with a washer
and drier was another added perk.
After settling in and getting our
gear ready we decided to loosen our muscles up and practice on
a couple of 3-D bear targets. The routine for the days were as
follows: Great breakfast at 9 a.m. by our Australian cook Leanne,
horseshoe playing, stump shooting and reading until 3pm when our
main supper was served. Left camp by boat at 5 pm and the group
would hunt the north and south side of the river. Most of the
stands were 100 - 200 yards off the river. The stands were ladder
or lock-on stands ten feet high. The baits which consisted of
cookies, meat scraps or fresh beaver were around 15-20 yards out
from the stands.
The first night out was a Saturday
and I was taken to a nice looking stand called Echo. The first
hour on the stand I was a little nervous for this was my first
bear hunt and I did not know what to expect. I settled down after
reading a book and constantly glancing around for bear. After
five and a half hours all I saw the first evening were squirrels
and birds eating the cookies. Steve Hearne had the excitement
for the first evening on the Graveyard stand. He arrowed a nice
sow and had to finish the bear with a center shot when the bear
climbed into a tree. The rest of the crew saw some bear but no
shots were taken.
The second day Cliff, my guide,
took Albinder on a long boat ride to a stand called McBride. This
was a strategic looking stand situated within stands of poplar
trees. Many game trails were funneling into the bait area. This
particular stand was used only twice this season and the guides
were predicting that I would see bears that evening. That prediction
came true as the black shadow appeared 25 yards from a trail in
back of my stand. My nerves registered a 7.5 on the Richter scale
as I watched the bear make its way towards the bait. The boar
was a bit spooky, moving in then turning back, looking, sniffing
and being very cautious. I cam to full draw but the bear heard
me draw back and spooked. I held at full draw and the boar gave
me another opportunity. I released my arrow and thought I made
a perfect hit. The long hairs on a bear can fool you and I believe
I shot too low. What a disappointment, but quite and adrenaline
rush.
Greg had action the same evening
with a hit on a nice boar. Was he ever excited!!
Monday, Cliff decided to take me back to the Echo stand. He said
that the beaver bait was hit pretty hard the prior night. He dragged
a beaver bait along the trail as we approached the stand. He tied
it up the tree and wished me luck. The time was noted be 5:30
p.m. I hung up my bow with an arrow knocked and began reading
my book. After ten minutes I scanned the area and was reading
my book. After ten minutes I scanned the area and was quite surprised
that a black shadow was heading towards the bait without making
a sound that was audible to the human ear. I believe the beaver
bait acted as a drag rag similar to deer hunting tactics. Quickly
I took off my glasses, put the book down and grabbed my bow. The
boar was now 15 yards away and becoming a little wary. Just as
he was about to head back from the same direction from where he
came from I released my arrow and watched a complete pass through.
I knew I made a fatal hit as the boar ran off. I called Cliff
on the 2-way radio and he could not believe that I had shot a
bear that quickly. He came back by boat and helped me track the
bear which ran only 50 yards. My first bear hunt and my first
boar bear. The boar missed Pope and young by one inch.
The next evening Bob, one of the
head guides, escorted me to the Hamburger Hill stand on the North
side of the river. The stand was a comfortable ladder stand with
a swivel seat. There was no activity on the stand until 10 p.m.
A dark shadow appeared off to my right up the hill. The bear came
into the bait and grabbed a scrap of meat and took off. The bear
looked a little on the small side because he just made the height
to the second ring of the 55 gallon barrel, a gauge used to size
the bears. Another bear was circling the bait and I started to
get prepared for another shot. This boar came in from my left
and passed just below my stand as he was heading towards the bait.
His back end was facing me so I had to wait for quite awhile before
I got a good quartering away shot. I centered my green fiber optic
pin behind the shoulder, taking into consideration of going bit
back to allow for the angle. I got another complete pass through
and the boar ran only 40 yards before he expired. That was the
end of my bear hunting for a week.
I shall forever remember the thrills
that the black shadows of the Clearwater River provided me. Our
group harvested five bears for the week.
Fax:
780-987-0106