Fall bear hunt.

[Tailfeathers]

Anyone in Ohio interesting in joining our hunting club on a Ontario bear hunt the first week of September?
We’ve got the whole camp for the week.
I can get few more guys in for $800 each.
House keeping cabins, we prepare or own meals. So, plan on cooking one night.
Last year Rifle hunters where about 70% successful
All the bears taken with rifle where big (in my opinion) over 300#.
One was over 500# but ugly as sin. (He had very bad hide with lots of rub spots)
Archery was only about 40%.
All the bow bears were small.
My own was about 100# (he look a lot bigger coming towards me in the woods)
We are leaving Friday August 29th from Central Ohio (Just north of Columbus)
It’s about a 10 hour drive.
That’s about all I can think of right now.
Drop me a line if you’re interested.

[Thunderflight]

Man If I wasn't deploying overseas about that time I'd jump on the trip....

TF

[Beau Martin]

Not this year but keep me in mind for next year!

[jcdflint]

Where in Ontario, will you be hunting bear?

[{CBGB}BIGDOG3c]

I am one of the other Hunters already signed up for this!!

I can't wait, it sounds like a great spot.

It has also two lakes so we can do some fishing during down time!!!

[Thunderflight]

Are you all going with a gun or bow?

TF

[{CBGB}BIGDOG3c]

I will be hunting with gun.

I will also be hunting with a stick, an ugly stick that is. There are a couple of nice lakes on the property we will be able to take advantage of.:)

[Tailfeathers]

You can use about anything that is appropriate. But, No pistols in Canada.
I’m using a muzzleloader this year. My wife got me new TC encore last Christmas and I plan on taking that. I took one with a crossbow last year. This year we will have rifle and bow hunters in camp. I know some purest bow-hunters my have problems with that.

Lastly, here is my two cents:
If you have never been on a bear hunt, and plan to bow hunt. Bring along a rifle (slug gun) anyway. Lots of guys(or gals) get very nervous when it actually comes time to hunt. They either can’t sit still or come down out of the stand way to early. Or who knows what else could go wrong. Last year two guys had bows break. Fortunately, one guy had a back up.
They where able to get the other one back together by using two quads as a bow press.

[Thunderflight]

Can you take two weapons in the woods with you?

TF

[{CBGB}BIGDOG3c]

Originally posted by Thunderflight
Can you take two weapons in the woods with you?

TF

Good question, I will have to find that out. I will be hunting with a gun, so it would not affect me. But if I was out there with a bow, a shotgun would be a nice back up.

TailFeathers has a good story about one of the hunters coming out every night with a big spear he would make. He said the spear kept getting bigger and bigger every night. lol

There was a night when one of the hunters did not make it back to his tree stand due to loggers in the area, when he went back the following day, a bear had climbed up into his stand and tore it up.

Tailfeathers was also telling me it got pretty thick up there during that time of year, he could not get his GPS to work in some areas.

[Tailfeathers]

As far as I know it would be legal.

I don’t think I would mess around with it. If your up in your stand fidgeting around with a bow, and a gun. You’re going to get busted… Once a bear spots you they won’t be back. If your not comfortable with just the bow, and want a shot gun. I’d say just use the shot gun. You can set up set up at 40 to 50 yards instead of 15 to 20. Which will greatly increase your chance of getting a bear anyway. (It’s pretty thick up there. I don’t think there will many shots over 75 yards.)

[Thunderflight]

I was only thinking that it would be nice to have as a back up if your walking out at night and a bear decides to come after you instead of the bait pile.

How bad are the bugs up there?

TF

[Caribou Dreamer2]

Sounds like fun ,keep us posted on how you did

[Tailfeathers]

Come on a long and see for yourself.
Worst case you spend a week hunting and fishing in some beautiful county, and listen to a few lies (opps.. I mean hunting/fishing stories). Maybe play some cards and drink a beer or 2.
I seem to remember drinking 1 well maybe 2 the night I got my bear. ;-)

[Tailfeathers]

I just posted a picture of my bear to my gallery.
Yeah he’s small… But he’s mine.
My wife (the taxidermist) keeps threatening to mount him wearing a red shirt and holding a Honey pot.
Of course everyone else got their bears back months ago.
Funny how the paying customers come first.
I will try to get some pictures of the big bears and the camp uploaded soon.

[Thunderflight]

Nice bear, it's better than any bear I've ever killed.

TF

[Turkeyfoot]

Yes, you can take gun & bow to the stand. I hunted Quebec 2 yrs ago and had a big bear sneak in on me from behind! As I stood up ready for the shot, the 500plus #er turned and went back the way he had come and never offered a good shot with my recurve. If I had grabbed the scoped 1100 auto that was hanging next to me instead of my bow,I had a decent shot and my hunt might have ended differently. But, that's hunting! I'll be leaving in a couple weeks and hope to hunt the same stand this year:) ...TF

[Tailfeathers]

I just loaded up some more pictures
The camp (cabin/lake) and some the other bears taken in 2002.

If anyone cares to look.

[Thunderflight]

How many people does it take to drag out a 500 pound bear????

TF

[{CBGB}BIGDOG3c]

theres a secret to that.....

Get it to chase you close to camp, then shoot it!!:D :D

Just Joking...

I think the guide gets it back to camp for you, after HE cleans it!!

am I right there Tailfeathers?

[Tailfeathers]

The guide, and his crew will track the bear. They will use the guy that shot it to help.
But generally want to keep anyone else out of the way.

They use a quad (or two) to get it out of the woods.
They will bring it back to camp and skin it.
But when it comes to moving one of those big bruisers, anybody around will get recruited to lend a hand.

I think getting it into the back of a pick-up is the hardest.

[Tailfeathers]

Of course mine didn’t need to be tracked.
It tried to run up a tree, fell back out and died a few feet from where I shot it.
I could put it on my shoulders in a firemen’s carry.

Saw them bring one out lying across the whole quad.
Drove while sitting on the bears back.
It looked like he was riding on the back of a 4-wheeled bear

[Thunderflight]

I never really had any interest in bear hunting, but now I'm starting to think about it.

I may try to go next June or something. It really depends on where I get orders to and when I move.

Thunderflight

[Turkeyfoot]

Tailfeathers.....What's the name of the camp or outfitter where you go in Ontario? Saw the pictures and some nice looking and good sized bear there! Are they going to have a Spring season in the near future? Quebec did'nt have Spring season last year but have limited permits again this year. I'll be leaving this coming Fri with my son and his buddy!

TF.....I'm sure you'd enjoy a Canadian hunt and you could really drill one with the dreaded Xbow...he he he......TF

[Thunderflight]

You'll only see me hunting with a crossbow if I'm disabled....:)

TF

[Turkeyfoot]

Just kiddin TF.....Like I said, it is alotta fun doing these hunts. My only concern is not having a hand gun for protection purposes. It gets alittle erie at times while you're waitin on your buddies to pick you up:eek: You gotta pay an extra $35 just to take a rifle or slug gun across the border but I may do it again this year. This will make my 4th hunt and I hav'nt connected yet.....hopefully it'll be my turn this trip:D My son's buddy is taking his Horton Hunter as he's not yet confident with his new recurve. He's taken 3 bear and wanting to use sumthin different this time around.....TF

[Thunderflight]

$35 is a small price to pay for the comfort of having a gun in the dark in bear country.....:)

TF

[Tailfeathers]

Haliburton forest. (Near Algonquin)
That is a privately owned and managed forest. A few outfitters lease and control the hunting rights. Bear hunting pressure has been relatively light since Ontario ended spring bear season. Last year was the first fall bear hunt our guide has offered.
http://www.haliburtonforest.com
This is the group that the hunt will be with.
http://www.redstonehuntingclub.com

[Turkeyfoot]

Thanks for the info Tailfeathers! I'd like to see Ontario have Spring hunts again, then maybe I would'nt have to travel as far! Actually, the have a higher population than Quebec so I can't see their thinking on the matter. At least Quebec is alotting a few permits this Spring:D Hope we can get some good weather for next week, but nothings guaranteed that far North!.....TF

[Turkeyfoot]

You're right TF.....But being laid off at the present time, I'm trying to run this hunt on a shoestring! Wife's already on me bout spending the money this time around but I figure I'll never get an opportunity at the price the outfitter gave us. $650 for the week including cabin. You can't beat that in this day & age:D The normal rate is $850! .....TF

[Thunderflight]

Yelp I"m with ya brother, I'd still go too...:)

Thunderflight

[Tailfeathers]

Fall is great don’t knock it till you try it.
It is tougher, especially bow hunting. The bears are a lot more skittish.
But it’s got a major plus.
-NO BLACK FLIES.

[Turkeyfoot]

May get a round to a fall hunt one of these days just to compare the two. Really, the black flies were'nt bad in Quebec last trip maybe cause Camp Denis is so far North. Misquitoes were bad though but the 100% deet works wonders on em. I was able to get by without a headnet last time. Since I wear glasses, the head net bothers me somewhat drawing the ole recurve!....TF

[Thunderflight]

Bug Tamer.......

I will not go into the woods with out one during the first few months of deer season.

They skeeters are so bad down here that if your on the ground they will literaly drive you insane with their buzzing....

The pants aren't all that great, but the jacket is the bomb.

Thunderflight

http://www.outdoorsupply.com/bugtamer/bt_logo.jpg

http://www.outdoorsupply.com/bugtamer/bt_00.jpg

http://www.bugtamer.com/graphics/nobite.jpg

[Turkeyfoot]

Looks like the berries TF....Actually Cabelas just had a closeout on a similar suit and I should have bought one. But, I'll have to tuff it out and rely on the deepwoods, un-sented OFF this trip. The bait man sprays this around the baits to get the bears used to the smell and it dose'nt seem to bother them. He recommends all hunters use the same product which is a good idea:) ....TF