Black bear

[Buckmaster]

From PA camp this weekend. I found an active den with 3 in it Saturday morning. We eventually caught one outside the den

Saturday after a lunch break.

I was the flusher...not the shooter. Back at it next weekend for my turn.

 

[nathan.luthman]

We started out hunt on Thursday. The wind was howling when we woke up. I'm talking 30-40mph constant winds with gusts over 50. Most of us sat down in protected valleys except me. Where I saw was on a ridge overlooking a creek bed in between row fields. On the first day nothing was moving very much. Only saw a couple does and one squirrel.
Friday
I moved to a different stand on a 700acre section of private property. I looked on my maps and I was sitting in a giant valley in between two ridges. This was the most recent place that they had been seeing bears so I was happy to sit there. The wind was still blowing pretty decent but had backed off to gusts around 30mph. I sat there until 1130am and had only seen a few grey squirrels. So I got down for lunch and headed back out at 2. The evening hunt was slow again to say the least. I had a coyote come into 30 yds. Our guide asked us to shoot them on sight so I fling an arrow at it. I didnt put a good shot on it and hit it in the guts. The coyote went off and not another thing was seen.
On friday morning my one buddy saw a coyote and a bobcat both within 30 yds. And another buddy saw several nice bucks but no bears.
Saturday
On Saturday I we all sat in the same stands. At 745 I heard some noise in the thicket off to my right( downhill side). So I got my bow ready. Out popped a small doe with a yearling. They fed around in front of me on acorns for a couple minutes until a small 4pt came grunting out of the thicket. The doe and yearling took off with that little buck in tow grunting up a storm. The rest of the morning was nothing but squirrels again. That was the last we hunted.
Overall we all had a good time and are some great food. The guides were helpful and annoyed that we couldn't get on any bears but like I told them that is why it is called hunting and not killing. That afternoon they all came up to our cabin and sat around a fire and drank beer with us. We had some good laughs back and forth telling stories.

Unfortunately my camera is broke on my phone so I couldn't get any pictures but I will always have the memories of that trip.

 

[Fletch]

Sounds like a fun trip that created many memories for you to remember down the road... Don't give up on bear hunting, you'll be hooked after you see your first one while hunting, esp. if it's a large one... I'm already itching to get back after a big one when our season resumes in Dec....

 

[Dannmann801]

From PA camp this weekend. I found an active den with 3 in it Saturday morning. We eventually caught one outside the den View attachment 88264View attachment 88265Saturday after a lunch break.View attachment 88264View attachment 88265 I was the flusher...not the shooter. Back at it next weekend for my turn.

Flusher? You mean bait? LOL

 

[PA Bandit]

From PA camp this weekend. I found an active den with 3 in it Saturday morning. We eventually caught one outside the den View attachment 88264View attachment 88265Saturday after a lunch break.View attachment 88264View attachment 88265 I was the flusher...not the shooter. Back at it next weekend for my turn.

Nice looking bear and cool story. What did it weigh in at and if you don't mind my asking what county. Wish I would have got an inline to participate this year but cant wait for rifle season and doing some drives

 

[bountyhunter]

interesing that eastern NC has the biggest black bear in US. Several killed just over 800 lbs. Many in 500-700 range each year. Hunts range from $2500 to 10K. Watch some charge a $10 lb trophy fee for over 400 lbs.