2024 Hunting Season
- Thread starter Gremcat
- Start date
Solitario Lupo
Moderator
Ya you should get a lot of chestnut but good luck cleaning them spikey shells out of the yard and even getting the nut out.
Blackcat Outdoors
Well-known member
truecrimson
Well-known member
Planting them along property line lol
So I sent this to A-5 as it sorta went down. Long story short, I focused on a nuisance bear the entire archery season instead of bucks. I had a 3 year history with this one. Even had some close calls this season but never came together during those encounters. Second to last night wind was howling at 25 mph+. I went out anyway thinking it would die near dark. Had the bear come by and at the shot(28 yards broadside) the wind howled again. Only heard a growl. Hunted the entire area for sign and spent days covering the thick steep. Cam went up first night also. Metal detector found no arrow but cams showed Fat Albert, 6-700 lbs known bear that’s been around here longer than me. He isn’t the ear tag bear but good he showed after a year MIA. Sunday night ear tag bear showed.
Only it wasn’t my ear tag bear. It ended up being a new unknown ear tag bear. That’s 4 bears under one stand in a week! My neighbor wasn’t hunting one of my nearby stands. I was so hung up on bears I hadn’t hunt sticks yet. Last Sat he saw a bear “laying” under my stand. Snuck up on it and smelled it. I’d called the shot and never could accept I’d missed even seeing the bears on cam. Arrow went in behind shoulder and unclear on where it turned, it never exited.
Had DNR out and bear had been tagged the year I started seeing him. In Aug he’d ripped a shed door off and they relocated him 85 miles. Explains why my cams stopped seeing him until late Sept. They’d gotten calls about him again and told me someone had him bust the glass window on their garage. I saw that from my stand but he lingered there until dark and it was too late when he walked by.
I sat out long before first light and long after dark so I didn’t spook him. More focus on one animal than I’ve ever invested in a single animal. Even had a 140” buck running around. Was going to hunt a spot one night that I hadn’t prior but given the lack of usual rubs all over seeing a lot of deer there and a creek seemed likely. I couldn’t/wouldn’t abandon bear stand and a guy with a teen girl killed a 24” wide 12 pt + that likely pushed 300 lbs. the next morning early am from that spot.
So DNR was unsure on how to proceed since we found bear 8 days after season ended roughly. One said tag it but older officer training him said we couldn’t given the season closure. Their system wouldn’t let me use my tag after. I offered to pay the fee they use for roadkill and both agreed that was a great idea. They could’ve hit me for the usual $300 but they felt bad and I saved them from killing this bear. They’d just gotten ready to trap for a 3rd and final time. They said when trapped in Aug he was 400-450 lbs. Given Fall bulk up he would be 550 or likely more. I just say 450-550 est. Good animals I don’t feel the need to exaggerate
.
So I’ve skull stinking up a tote I need to get to beetle person. I kept skull, ear tags, and claws/paws. I was hoping I could get at least the head/shoulder for a mount but no dice way to late and was already shedding when I rolled bear.
I put a cam on it a new ear tag bear showed immediately. Explains my confusion but still heartbreaking.
He was literally 55-60 yards from impact site in a straight line, visible somewhat from trail. I’d gone by him a dozen times probably looking. Neighbor noticed not even a drop of blood at death site. Wind, dusk, zero sign, not setting up stand for neighbor, cams showing ear tag bear, half dozen other things made a perfect storm.
I never ever ever grid search. It makes a mess of sign and I’ve never had luck with it. I track a lot and my ego needed to be stepped on a bit. Learned a lot this year and humility was a big part.
Still have a tag but my 13 yo wants to hunt. Putting a double stand out today for him. Given Fat Albert still roaming I’m letting him run low recoil 308. 243 low recoil is just too light for an oppty at a 6-700 lbs bear in thick steep terrain.
Only it wasn’t my ear tag bear. It ended up being a new unknown ear tag bear. That’s 4 bears under one stand in a week! My neighbor wasn’t hunting one of my nearby stands. I was so hung up on bears I hadn’t hunt sticks yet. Last Sat he saw a bear “laying” under my stand. Snuck up on it and smelled it. I’d called the shot and never could accept I’d missed even seeing the bears on cam. Arrow went in behind shoulder and unclear on where it turned, it never exited.
Had DNR out and bear had been tagged the year I started seeing him. In Aug he’d ripped a shed door off and they relocated him 85 miles. Explains why my cams stopped seeing him until late Sept. They’d gotten calls about him again and told me someone had him bust the glass window on their garage. I saw that from my stand but he lingered there until dark and it was too late when he walked by.
I sat out long before first light and long after dark so I didn’t spook him. More focus on one animal than I’ve ever invested in a single animal. Even had a 140” buck running around. Was going to hunt a spot one night that I hadn’t prior but given the lack of usual rubs all over seeing a lot of deer there and a creek seemed likely. I couldn’t/wouldn’t abandon bear stand and a guy with a teen girl killed a 24” wide 12 pt + that likely pushed 300 lbs. the next morning early am from that spot.
So DNR was unsure on how to proceed since we found bear 8 days after season ended roughly. One said tag it but older officer training him said we couldn’t given the season closure. Their system wouldn’t let me use my tag after. I offered to pay the fee they use for roadkill and both agreed that was a great idea. They could’ve hit me for the usual $300 but they felt bad and I saved them from killing this bear. They’d just gotten ready to trap for a 3rd and final time. They said when trapped in Aug he was 400-450 lbs. Given Fall bulk up he would be 550 or likely more. I just say 450-550 est. Good animals I don’t feel the need to exaggerate
. So I’ve skull stinking up a tote I need to get to beetle person. I kept skull, ear tags, and claws/paws. I was hoping I could get at least the head/shoulder for a mount but no dice way to late and was already shedding when I rolled bear.
I put a cam on it a new ear tag bear showed immediately. Explains my confusion but still heartbreaking.
He was literally 55-60 yards from impact site in a straight line, visible somewhat from trail. I’d gone by him a dozen times probably looking. Neighbor noticed not even a drop of blood at death site. Wind, dusk, zero sign, not setting up stand for neighbor, cams showing ear tag bear, half dozen other things made a perfect storm.
I never ever ever grid search. It makes a mess of sign and I’ve never had luck with it. I track a lot and my ego needed to be stepped on a bit. Learned a lot this year and humility was a big part.
Still have a tag but my 13 yo wants to hunt. Putting a double stand out today for him. Given Fat Albert still roaming I’m letting him run low recoil 308. 243 low recoil is just too light for an oppty at a 6-700 lbs bear in thick steep terrain.
Fat Albert, years ago when he came under me after I tagged a small one and on the car I threw out by the trail the nuisance bear came by on. It’s a crummy pic but that outline is unmistakable. No idea where he’s been hiding the last year or so. This is only 300 yards from my house or so. Neighbors run half dozen cams in their yards too. No one had him that I talk to. 
