Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

1516.0. "1995 MAINE BEAR HUNTING TRIP Story" by KYOSS1::LUIZZA () Thu Jun 27 1996 23:25

Thought that I had better put something in here as it has been a good year 
of hunting so far. 

Sept 16, 1995

Place   Crooked Tree Lodge   Portage, Maine
Game    North American Black Bear  150 lbs
Gun	Winchester Model 70, .270 caliber
Ammo	Winchester 150 grain power point sp

  I guess the story starts out like this. Some friends of mine from the
Hunterdon County Federation of Sportsmans Club one summer evening sat out on
the tail gates of a few pickups and swapped stories of different hunting
experiences. One of the guys painted such a picture of hunting bear in Maine
that I thought it was something that I would like to try one day. Little did I
know what was going to happen to me later that year. The boys had booked a trip
and tried to get me to come along. As normal $'s came into play and I has to
pass at the time they booked the trip. Sept 4 Labor day morning my buddy Moe
who had arranged the trip calls me at home and says " Irv I have a deal you
can not refuse. One of the guys on the trip has backed out and you can have 
his slot for 1/2 the cost". Needless to say for the next 4 days it was get
meetings covered, borrow some money, buy some new hunting stuff, and beg the
boss for a spur of the moment week off. Come Saturday morning it was up at 2 am
to head out to Maine for first and spur of the moment hunt.
    Many hours later we finally arrive in Portage, Maine at the Crooked Tree 
Lodge. The season was 2 weeks into the season and they had been having a great
season. Lots of big bears and full coats. In our group we had 9 hunters all
but one were from around New Jersey. Most had been bear hunting before and
knew  what to expect. Having had only a few days to get it all together I will
plan better next time and take a few additional things. First thing added will
be a sidearm. After having to help chase away a sow and 3 cubs from one of the 
bait sites 3 days in a row from the same hunters stand he was worried she would
come up the tree instead of popping her teeth at him one night. Being the only
bow hunter in the group he was prepared with his .357 just in case. More on
his experience later. 
	My biggest apprehension about the whole hunt was one thing. Hunting
over bait. I wasn't sure if it was going to be one of these " the bear comes
to the bait at three minutes to 5 and  you shoot it" types of hunt. It
turned out to be just like being on stand for deer waiting for them to come
into the deer run or to the apple tree ect. It was by no means a canned hunt
even if the bait barrel was turned over every day. I sat 4 days over an active
bait but never saw a bear. My guess is he was a wise old critter and waited me
out before coming in or was nocturnal.
 A bit on bait. I have a whole new
respect for Dunkin Donuts especially after seeing that they look like after
being stored for 1 year, the same way they looked when they were put in there 
the day they were made. Buckets full of donuts, donut fryer grease, honey,
sugar, and bacon grease make for an over dose of sweets. Took me weeks to eat
another donut from Dunkin Donuts after the trip and even the smell of walking
into one brings minds eyes pictures of the Maine woods today. Hell of a way to
get a flash back if I must say so.
	My site was active but I never caught a site of the critter even if I
did sense he was there and he knew I was there also. Saw lots of wildlife and
knew I was sitting too still when one of the trees resident squirrels thought
I was part of the tree and started to walk down the tree via my shoulder to my
arm. Scared the SHIP out of me to say the least.
 Day 4 the guide moved me to another active site. We had the opportunity to
help check sites for the camp and reset baits.All sites were very active.
Maybe due to the lack of food from the poor growing season due to lack of rain.
All I know is that I wanted to hunt the site that had the bite marks 8 ft up
on the tree in the worst way but never got the chance. The site I was put on
had been the watched for a few nights before and 3 different bears had been
into the bait.
 My first night I had one bear come into the bait 6 times. I was so charged up
to see one in the wild for that length of time I was totally content just to
take in the show. He was an average bear and I was hoping for one of the other
visitors to the bait to come and visit. Mostly I was hoping for the one that
had come into the 55 gallon drum and could look inside the drum without having
to go up on the side of the barrel. He had been seen at the site before, but
never showed when I was there.
 Day 2 on this site but last day of our weeks hunt. Spent the morning at the
site nothing doing. The after noon hunt my last shot at getting a Maine bear.
Half hour left to hunt, nothing.
 Time to call on a higher power. Saying to myself " Well Lord if I'm meant to
get a bear you had better put him out there now". Next thing I know here comes
the bear walking to the barrel. Line up my first available shot and the .270
Winchester cracks. He rolls but gets up and runs like hell. The guide was not
far from me as I was the first pick up person and came to see what was up.
Showed him where he was and had blood, lots of blood.

Now the fun begins here, now I know what it is like to track in Maine
blowdowns and scrub. You can barely walk and look 2 feet in front of you.
Never mind try and raise a rifle in case Mr. Bear decides to make you his meal
cause you chase him away from his supper. I felt naked without a hand gun. The
way we tracked was guide up front with drawn .44mag looking for movement me
on the blood trail.
A zig zag trail through some of the worst stuff I had been into ever 150 yards
later we found him piled up in a blow-down. Not a big bear but my first and 
in the last 1/2 hour of the last day. As always I took my moment to thank the
lord for letting me take one of his creatures. 
	The weeks hunt for me ended a great week for the group. All had seen
bear but one guy. Maybe it had something to do with the books he read on stand
or the nut he munched while on stand, what do you think? How someone could go
that far and do anything else but hunt and look is beyond me. My buddy Moe got
his 235lb on the first night. The.44 mag  handgun did it's thing. Day 4 the guy
who had the sow snapping her teeth at him from his bow stand scared off the mom
and sow from the site by throwing a stone at the critters when they were at the
bait. While watching them in the distance another daddy bear got into his
barrel and never came out. Too dark for bow peep site but good enough for the
.357 S&W to do the job. His bear the biggest 285lbs the biggest of our week.
The other bear taken from our group was a 100lb boar from one of the rifle
hunters. Everyone else had seen bear and could have taken one but sow's with
cubs were not taken by any of our group. 
	The total for the week was 4 bears. Deer, moose, coyote, fox,
grouse, and martin had been seen during the hunt by member of the party. Almost
forgot that we also saw one skunk. Do it again? Yes for sure. Now how do I
apply for one of those Maine Moose Permits?

P.S.
I had written this a while back but had not poster it ( forgot). Well one of my
hunting friends that I see once in a while comes up to me and says" isn't it
nice being in print". Well he shows me an issue of NORTH Eastern BEAR (NE BEAR)
 or was it Noth Americam Bear and someone had sent in my picture to the 
    magazine.Don''t know what month but must have been within the last few,so
     if you get the magazine let me know what
month and how to get back issues.

P.S.S
Will be back at the lodge Sept 9, 1996 will not wait this long to post story.

/Irv Luizza