My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

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Graps
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Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:39 pm

My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#1 Post by Graps »

My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec was quite an experience . The drive out there took me two days of hard driving . The worst of which was going past Toronto . That traffic was five lanes and barely moving . But enough of that .

I had been in contact with a guy from Black River NY. ( Rick ) for a few months before the hunt . He had gotten my phone number from the guy that was putting on the hunt . We hit it off right away and we were the only two that were going to drive alone .

We met up in LaTuque and the next morning we had a wonderful breakfast before the rest of the group joined up with us .We followed the caravan for more than fifty miles further north on a very dusty road to the cabin that we were going to stay in . The driveway into the cabin was fore miles of rocks and washouts with up hill and down hill that my two wheel truck almost couldn't clime .

So all settled in at the cabin and the first morning Tom the guy heading up the whole thing told Rick and I that we were going to go with him because we were first timers . Now I have a bad back and sciatica and I told Tom that I couldn't handle rough terrain and he sais it was no problem .

So off we went to fill baits and check if they were hit .

The second place we stopped , I stepped in some soft mud with my bad leg , it got stuck and I was still moving forward . The pain shot down my leg and up my back taking my breath away . I Just stood there and Tom and Rick proceeded back to the bait site .

When they got back I had made it to the truck and they did a few more sites while I sat in the truck .

Then Tom said " This is where you will be hunting , do you think you can make it back there ? "

Well I didn't come this far to miss out so I grabbed my walking stick while Tom and Rick carried my ground blind , bait and my hunting seat . They got me all setup while I cut a few branches so the ground blind would fit between a couple of trees .

That evening all I saw was birds and squirrels .

When I got back to the cabin Rick Had arrowed a bear . I was so happy for him and in the morning Tom went with him to retrieve it . It wasn't the biggest bear of the week but it wasn't the smallest .

Now Tom asked me if I would take this guy that shall remain nameless to check his stand because he was acting very disoriented , and I had no problem with it . I had to take some things out of the back of my truck and that guy just started unloading my truck and putting things on the porch . I just kept quiet about it and loaded the bait into a plastic sled in my truck .

Off we go......... he cant remember where his stand is ..... I drove over fifty miles and told him I was getting hungry so why don't we just go back to camp for lunch .

One of the other fellows offered to take him to his stand that afternoon and after lunch I grabbed my bow and drove the half hour drive to my stand .

I parked a quarter mile from the trail head so as to not draw attention to it , got out of my truck , put my high top boots on and........... I have no glove or arm guard and ONE arrow that was in my single arrow quiver on my bow .

Now what ? I'm not going to loose an hour and a half of hunting time , besides I can shoot without a glove and the shirt I was wearing wasn't to loose at the sleeves . So off I walk with my pack that had everything else that I need .

Made my way the 150 yards back the trail and got settled in .

Probably wont see anything anyway . The small critters are fun to watch and the thermocell had the bugs at bay .

Now in those swamps it gets dark about a half hour before it does in the open . It was starting to get so I couldn't see very good and I was thinking of packing it in . When all of a sudden I caught a glimpse of black moving . It's a bear ; oh there's two of them ; I'm thinking they could be shooters . Then I saw another one and it was enormous !

Turns out it was a mama with cubs . The cubs came right to the bait and started eating and mama stayed about forty yards from me and slowly circled me . I would occasionally hear a small twig snap but that was all . I did get a little concerned when she got behind me because of being between her and the cubs .

Those cubs were slapping each other and they would run op a tree chasing each other and the go back to eating . All the while mama was still slowly circling me . Buy the time she got back to the cubs I could hardly see , just a big black blob . So I decided I would pack up and that would spook them off .

I zipped up one window fast and noisy ....... the cubs turned to look at me and sat down .

I zipped up the second window and I decided to put my pen light away and grabbed my tactical light . I figured if I had to I could strobe her .

I opened the door and stepped out and mama started to make a sound much like an owl . And she was snapping her teeth and walking towards me . At that point I shined the light full 5000 lux right in her face , she took a step back , turned her head and continued with the sound and the teeth snapping . All the time the cubs were still eating .

So I slowly start walking out the 150 yard trail with her right behind me . Every few feet I would turn around and shine her in the face . This kept up all the way to the road .

After I reached the road I couldn't hear her anymore and I kept shining the tree line to see if I could see her . Didn't see any more of her .

On my drive back to the cabin , I saw a cow moose cross the road in front of me . That was kind of neat to see .

That was the only bears that I saw all week and Rick every day would drive me to my bait site and carry the heavy bags of bait and one time he even moved my hunting spot by about twenty miles . I was very humbled and grateful about that . It's not very often when you can find a person like that .

The last day I told Rick to send me an antler from one of the deer that he had and I would make him an antler handle knife just to say thank you for the help .

After several weeks I got in touch with him and asked him if he was going to take me up on my offer . He didn't seem to think I was serious , but I assured him I was .

The next day he sent me a picture of a rack and asked if it would work . I told him it looked perfect .

The neat thing for rick was , I sent him pictures of the entire build including the heat treat . He is going to put together a picture album from the deer to the knife .

I have made a new friend , Its too bad that he lives over eight hours away from me .

It was very nice to have a friend to hunt with again ..........

maybe again someday my friend .........
"Maybe the truly handicapped people are the ones that don't need God as much." ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

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eidsvolling
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Re: My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#2 Post by eidsvolling »

Great account of your hunt – thanks for sharing!

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Shadowhntr
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Re: My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#3 Post by Shadowhntr »

Great write up Graps. It's as if I were there on scene the whole time! Thanks for posting this.
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

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Graps
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Re: My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#4 Post by Graps »

There was a gentleman there that stepped right out of the pages of Sports Afield .

He is a somewhat famous traditional bow hunter that has been wrote up on several occasions in sports magazines .

He told several stories at the cabin at night and one of them I'll share with you .

A friend of his hand forged a broadhead and had it engraved " 300th Trad Kill "

He was about to go caribou hunting and his next kill would be number 300 .

So fast forward to the hunt , a nice bull was standing broadside at about twenty yards from him . There was a cow just behind him and a little closer .

Now in case you didn't know , cow caribou have antlers too and he got to full draw and ......

That cow started to run just as he let fly with the shot ........ hit her at the base of her antler and stuck tight :shock: .......

So much for the special broadhead . :?

He didn't get a second shot at the bull either .
"Maybe the truly handicapped people are the ones that don't need God as much." ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

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Shadowhntr
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Re: My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#5 Post by Shadowhntr »

HaHaHa! Counted the chickens before the eggs hatched! Poor fella!
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

Carpdaddy
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Re: My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#6 Post by Carpdaddy »

Thanks for sharing about your hunt Graps. I think I would have ruined a good pair of bloomers and britches out there with momma bear!

Captainkirk
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Re: My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#7 Post by Captainkirk »

Nice story, great detail Graps! Sounds like the hunt of a lifetime to me! Hunting is more than the kill, and you have a lifetime of memories here!
Aim small, miss small!

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Graps
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Re: My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#8 Post by Graps »

The camp cook told me that I should have shot one of the little ones and he would have made me an omelet .
"Maybe the truly handicapped people are the ones that don't need God as much." ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

Captainkirk
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Re: My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#9 Post by Captainkirk »

graps wrote:The camp cook told me that I should have shot one of the little ones and he would have made me an omelet .
Yeah, and the momma woulda done made you into sausage to go with it! :shock:
Aim small, miss small!

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Graps
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Re: My bear hunt in LaTuque Quebec

#10 Post by Graps »

Sad news , Rick just told me the camp cook known as Bow Doc passed away .
It's always something .
I seem to loose friends faster than I find new ones ........ :(
"Maybe the truly handicapped people are the ones that don't need God as much." ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

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