September 24th, 2010 is a day that will be etched in this hunter's memory for the rest of his time! It took me 5 long years to draw a bear tag and even if I did draw a tag I didn't know if I would have a place to hunt a bear or someone to bait for me.. Last fall I saw a picture of my buddy I knew through wrestling with his bear kill, I quickly sent him an email and asked if he could help me out, he didn't even hesitate to say you can count on us; I started planning for the hunt by making a scouting trip up to Medford, WI in August and talking on the phone with his Dad (Mike) from time to time to see how the baits were doing. Through the summer the baits were being hit by nice bears consistently, but the opening week of season the baits really slowed down and were not being visited consistently anymore due to the corn and acorns being so plentiful for the bears; the only thing I saw the first couple weeks was a big bear way off in the distance and triplet cubs, which was still pretty good considering with my work schedule I was only hunting the weekends. I got the call from Mike early in the third week that 2 baits were turning on again and being hit everyday by at least a couple different bears in each location, I could not wait to get up there on that friday and sit over the baits. We chose a bait site for that Friday that I had put many hours in the tree previously with no sightings, but our camera's showed this bear was less nocturnal than the bears at the other bait. It was rainy and windy and something about that weather must have made this big bear hungry early: 6:45 while in the tree stand I received a text from Mike that this bear was on the camera at 10:45 pm last night, needless to say that was not going to help me get him; I put the phone in my pocket looked up and ten yards away sat a 240lb black bear on its butt like a dog just looking around! My heart rate sky rocketed and I went into auto pilot the bear waited a few minutes and eventually got up and walked around behind the bait presenting a nice 15 yard broadside shot. After the hit the bear ran 5 yards started to climb a tree changed its mind and ran off into the brush; A flood of emotions came over me at this point it was an emotional roller-coaster only a hunter knows, from thinking dream come true to wanting to jump out of the tree-stand worrying that I might have missed the bear and will never get another chance. I quickly climbed down and much to my relief found lots of blood immediately, I turned and jogged/sprinted a half mile out of the woods on a pure adrenaline rush down the road to my buddy's friends house to call Mike and excitedly let him know it was time to gather the troops for a tracking job and that's where the excitement of hunting bears really begins, tracking! Lets just say you have to be mentally prepared to follow one of these beasts in the middle of the night right into its bedroom during a rainstorm, it was gut-check for me and added to the memories and made me think twice about ever wanting to bear hunt again, but when the bear was retrieved it was all worth it and then some. I felt like I did when I was 13 years old and had just killed my first deer which happened to be a nice 8pt with a bow, just pure excitement, it's like the experience took me back in time as hunting always does and made me realize why I do this and what I am thankful for: I first thought about how thankful I was to my buddy Lee Storck for so graciously offering up all of his Dad's free time since July to bait bear and hang stands and strategize a successful bear hunt for some guy whom he had never met before mid August; the Storck's invited me into their home cooked for me, gave me my own room and put me on bears and I sometimes questioned if they wanted me to get a bear worse than I wanted to, they cared that much! Mike's best friend Mel who is also in my bear kill pic deserves a thanks for helping bait, track and butchering duties and even more importantly all of his years of bear hunting wisdom he shared this guy is a bear hunting guru, when he talks you listen, bottom line. When Mel found out our baits were slow he walked corn fields until he found one that had bears ruining it and gained permission from the farmer for me to hunt and him and Mike quickly fired up another bait for me, these guys just went the extra mile with a failure is not an option attitude! I am excited to meet such selfless people like these folks and make more great lifelong friends, that's definitely what hunting should be about not competition,resentment and lying between fellow hunters.
This hunt gave me time to reflect (when the mosquitoes were not feasting on me) and I thought about how thankful I am for my brother and my uncle Dennis for getting me started on hunting and kindling my unhealthy obsession and love for the sport and my entire family that supports me in my singled minded pursuit of whatever trophy animal I set my sights on and pursue religiously. And for my friends who all offered up the congrats and the "I know how hard you worked and wanted this man you deserved it" Without these people being there for me hunting is pointless. And lastly I have to give a shout out to all of our veterans past and present of the greatest country in the world, they make it possible for me to live the good life due to their sacrifices, God Bless them!
