hunting the opener heat

[Boar]

congrate port! but i have totell ya that is awsome you got a bear, way cool dude great job!!! but to tell how good it taste is just mean.  LOL ! congrats buddy!!

[icehole10]

It was a tough week for us, between the heat, humidity, acorns dropping, clear night skies, with a nearly full moon, and the list goes on!! By Wednesday, most of our baits went from getting cleaned up, to either not getting touched at all, or just opened, with very little bait taken.  We did manage to take two bear, so It could have been worse I guess. I can only hope this cooler weather coming in will get things moving back in the right direction. Off to lake of the woods for a couple of days of fishing this week and then back to the tree stand for the weekend!

[charliepete]

We went three for three in our group.  We took one bear a day starting on Wednesday.  It worked out pretty good because we put them whole into a chest freezer that night, and skin and butcher them the next day when they are stiffened up.  We wouldn't have enough room for three bear in there and would have been up half the night skinning and quartering instead of having cocktails and telling stories over a late dinner.  Despite the heat all 7 of our baits had active daytime bears.  Some of the stands shutdown after they were hunted, but they were active up until then.  That has been typical for the last 20 years.  Some bears are smart enough to hang around for a free meal and have no intention of coming in when a hunter is on stand.  Most of our stands had multiple bears on them this year.  I can really see the difference in the quality of the hunt with permits reduced.  The competition has the bears coming in earlier than I am used to .  We had bear coming in at 2:00 pm in 85 degree heat.  Not little dogs either, respectable 175-250 pound bears.  I finally have accumulated enough cameras to leave them on all the baits instead of putting them on the ones I am not sitting on that night.  It was fun to have the pictures/video of the actual bears that were harvested coming in on the bait at the time they were taken.  The only thing that bum's me out is that I will probably have to sit on my hands another three years before I can get back to what was a yearly occurrence for me for the last 20 years.  On the upside the boys are old enough to have a supervised hunt so and should draw next year.  At least we will be able to scout, bait, and run the cameras.|
 

Here is the bear I took about a 30 seconds before I let an arrow fly.

[rkhinrichs]

man i miss bear hunting! last year was a blast baiting!

[Coldtrack]

Congrats Charlie

[Boar]

Nice Job Charlie!!! Congrates!! good to see some bears down!!

[jerkbait]

Congrats Charlie!!!! Nice to hear some good luck stories.

[Coldtrack]

Had a couple bear come in last night, both before 7pm!!!

[Boar]

and.....

ohhhhh u wernt there, i was waiting for the happy ending! good luck!!

[certified jumbo]

Congrats Charlie!   Nice bear.