- June 15, 2007
- Hunter:Kyle Lamore
- Location:New Brunswick
- Weapon:Rifle
- Animal:200# Black Bear
Story as told by: Kyle Lamore
Finally summer vacation arrived for both JJ and myself! With three months off and not a lot to do, we decided to try our luck on a spring bear hunt.
After a little searching on the Internet, we came across Lindsay Sporting Camps in Millville, New Brunswick. I called Charles Lindsay and just by luck, he had one opening left for this year. JJ and I packed up the car and headed 1700 miles north to New Brunswick. Twenty-five hours later we arrived and couldn’t wait to get in the stand.
I had only been bear hunting once before, and this was JJ’s first bear trip ever. During the first few days, we saw several bears, however, they were either too small or out of bow range. We decided to put our wildlife eye on daytime only and were pleasantly surprised to find a mature bear hitting another bait site during legal shooting time. The bad news was that evening would be the last night of the hunt, and this particular set was too far for a bow shot.
We switched to a rifle, and at around six o’clock, I caught movement to my right. The bear quickly ran across an old logging trail, and JJ was unable to get him on film. I started to think, “Great…that was probably my chance,” when about a half hour later, the bear reappeared. I was able to make a clean shot on the 200 # black bear, and JJ captured it all on film! We were pumped; the entire trip had been outstanding. The lodge was very nice, had great food, and the great people there just rounded out the whole hunt.
- June 4, 2007
- Hunter:Rick Malik
- Location:Alberta
- Weapon:Hoyt Trykon
- Animal:Bear
Story as told by Rick Malik:
I couldn't believe it but after 9 long years, I was heading back up to northern Alberta to hunt monster black bears with good friend and outfitter Dale McKinnon (www.albertabear.com). One minute Dale was telling me he had a cancellation and wondered if I could make it the last week in May. The next second I was running downstairs and packing my Hoyt Trykon and gear for the long trip north. After an agonizing couple of travel days and lost baggage, I walked off the plane in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Dale was waiting for me and had some great news. I was going to be hunting a very remote area that had two monster bears regularly visiting the bait.
"There is a monster bear on that bait. It's a long way in, but if you hunt hard, I think you have a great chance at a bear that's as big as they come. I also guarantee you will see a wolf back in there."
Huge bears and a wolf? How was I ever going to get to sleep tonight? My guide, Dan Adair, had found a track that spanned 6 3/4 inches a few hundred yards from the stand! I had arrived a day early at Dale's incredible wilderness tent camp complete with wall tents, wood stoves, cook tent and a hot shower! After organizing my gear and shooting the Trykon, I was all set for tomorrow. After an incredible lunch prepared by Dale's wife Debra, Dan and I loaded all our gear and headed out to my stand. To say I was hunting a remote area was an understatement. After a 35 minutes ride by pickup, we loaded all my gear on 4-wheelers and started out on a 20 mile ride through some nasty terrain. It took nearly 2-hours to get to the stand. When we rode into the bait site at 5:00PM, there was already a bear on the bait. Dan hung some fresh beavers while I got all of my gear up in the tree. He wished me luck and drove off as the bear stood a few yards from the bait watching the whole show. Finally, after 9 years I was back in a bear stand in my favorite hunting destination.
There were bear trails everywhere. One major trail came right under the stand from behind me. I was prepared for a long 6 days of hunting, but after only 45 minutes in the stand, I heard that tell tale "crack" behind me in the bush. I looked back and saw two bears coming right down the trail to the stand. I knew what this meant. The first bear was a nice sow, and the second was a huge boar. I was concerned because the wind was blowing right to that trail. The sow walked right to the bait and started feeding immediately. The big boar followed her and passed right under me. When he was only a few yards away, he looked right up at me. I thought the show was over. After a few seconds, he simply walked away and left the bait. This was an old bear. He sat just out of range waiting for the sow to finish. I kicked myself for not shooting him sooner, but I really wanted to get more footage. The key with bear hunting is patience. After what seemed like hours, he started back to the stand. Just when I thought he was going to commit to the bait, he turned again and walked away. Just then, the sow decided she was going to leave too. As she walked away, I thought "its over, I blew it". But just as quick as she was walking away, she turned and came right back and this time "Big Boy" came with her. As the sow tried desperately to get one of the prized beavers, the big boar sauntered in and laid down 18 short yards away, facing me. After 5 long minutes, I knew my opportunity was about to happen. Just then, he stood and turned to his right, perfectly broadside. The Trykon was already at full draw. I buried the pin behind his shoulder and watched the lighted nock slam right where I wanted it. He tore out of there and I heard him crash less than 50 yards away. I couldn't believe it. Only 45-minutes into the hunt and I had a monster of a black bear!
But the evening was not over. The next thing I knew, I had 4 more bears at the bait, one a coveted blond color phase. All were too small to shoot, so I simply enjoyed the show. Just then, the second part of Dale's promise came true. As I was filming the bears, I caught a glimpse of movement ghosting through the trees behind the bait. A huge wolf! I tried desperately to get a shot, but it was not meant to be. It was a long sit until dark. I saw a total of 9-bears and 3-wolves that night. Clearly one of the most awesome days of hunting in my life. As Dan drove in, he knew from the grin on my face that it was going to be a long night. After a short tracking job, I heard Dan say "what a monster". There was no way the two of us could get this bear out on our own. We came back the next day and had to flip the 4-wheeler on it's rear end, strap the bear to the bike, then flip it back on all fours. We hauled him a couple miles away for pictures and skinning. There was no way we could haul this bear the 20 miles back to camp. We estimated his weight well over 400-pounds and he measured over 7 feet! A true Alberta monster. I hunted the rest of the week and saw a total of 22-bears and 7-wolves. I never pulled the trigger again, but I didn't care. I had a bear of a lifetime and an experience I will never forget. I promise you will not have to wait another 9 years to see me back in a tree in Alberta. There is a bear out there with a 6 3/4" pad just waiting to be a movie star!
