albertabowhunter
09-16-2010, 08:15 AM
So, Monday my brother and I headed out on our elk trip. After getting all set up, I head 2.5 miles down the road to where there is a couple farm fields. one is Oats, the other is Bearded wheat. I decided to sit in the Wheat field because it was at a higher elevation, giving me a better view of the whole area. After a couple hours and seeing only a few falcons, Grey Jays, and Chickadees, I work my way down the field edge to look at an area out of view in the oats. As Im walking closer I notice a black bear feeding out towards a small creek that flows through the property. Harmless enough I figure. After a few more minutes, A 4 x 5 Bull elk walks out into the corner of the field. I figure I have plenty of light left and decide to try and close the distance. I sneak up the edge, inside the bush line and get to about 500 yards. I start using the cow call, and let a few chirps out. The bull looks up, and eventually after a few minutes, and a few more chirps he slowly starts to get closer. Well as luck would have it, when he hit about 350 yards, a car came down the gravel road, and in turn the elk ran back into the corner and into the bush where he come from. Well, back to camp.
So, We woke up to frost on Tuesday morning. We went to an area , and over 6 hours we ended up working 2 bulls, but never got close. So back to camp around noon.
After a good lunch, and a nap, we decided to head out and sit on the edge of the oats. I would sit where the bull came out, and my brother near the creek. As I walk in, I find a few small trails, leading to/from the field. Once reaching the cornier, I find the trail i believed the bull to set up on and built my self a little area to hunt from. Trimming branches, clearing the ground of leaves and sticks. Basically building a groundblind with all natural ingredients. As the night progressed I was entertained by a Redtailed Hawk, a chipmunk, a mole, and somemore chickadees.
At around 6:30 a small blackbear, about 180-200lbs comes out into the field from about 35 yards to my left and is feeding away, he works his way out to about 80 yards, stands up, looks turns and runs back into the bush. On the other side of me about 15 yards away, out rolls another black bear, this one slightly bigger. possibly going about 220-250lbs. Eventually he feeds his way out into the field. When hes about 50 yards in front of me, the first bear reenters the field. After about 5 mins of watching the bears, all of a sudden i hear something crack behind me. I slowly turn my head and find a black bear in the 350lb range 8 yards and closing. When he got to about 6 feet away, I yelled at him, he stopped looked and then ran.... the two bears in the field bolted too... I gathered my nerves and decided enough was enough, i should get out of here, while thinking Im sitting right on the edge of a giant bear bait and Im on ground level. Well, as im grabbing my gear, another bear approaches the field edge. Now this was a big bear. I figured if this guy entered im going to stick him, he would have easily been 400 - 500lbs and made P&Y. Well all of a sudden something comes ripping through the trees, and this big boar bolts. I figured ok, time to leave, its gotta be a sow with cubs. The first 2 bears have reentered the field to my left once again. I gather my stuff as 3 black bear cubs enter the field 15 yards away with momma. I knew this was going to get ugly fast. I do my best to stay quiet, hoping they would feed out to the field. But as luck would have it, one of the cubs feeds towards me. As it closes the distance I try to get as close as I can to the pine tree covering me, but it hears something stands and looks. All of a sudden Momma bear runs staight at me, I yelled something, not sure exactly what i said but im sure it was loud and obscene, at her and threw my backpack squaring her right in the face at about 3 yards. She turns and runs back into the bush with her little ones. I got myself out of there and into the open field, leaving the backpack behind. I backed away as fast as I could, clipping on to my bow with my release. When i got out to 12 yards, out came the sow again, all i remember was she was big, black with silver trim, and moving very fast at me.... I yelled at her as I drew my bow in defence, and with one swift movement I released. The arrow went flying right over her back. Did I mention she was very fast. As the distanced swiftly closed I swung my bow at her and smacked her right in the side of the head. My bow went flying, I stumbled and fell backwards and somehow grabbed my knife before I hit the ground. I can remember thinking this was going to hurt as this bear was coming at me as I went down. Luckily for me, the bear turned at the last second and went back into the bush. I sat there shaking for a few seconds, then got up, gathered up what I could of myself and belongings and left the field. Knife was still in my hand in a death grip.
My brother heard me yelling at the bear and started running, but he was about half a mile away, and it was all over by the time he got close. It took me a while to get to sleep that night. We went back after looking for elk Wednesday morning to look for the arrow. I found it in the dirt about 2 yards from where i was sitting the night befor prior to all of this happening. No blood, no hair. Definate miss. Kinda glad, I really didnt want to kill a momma bear just for protecting her young, not that she needed too.
My brother saw a Cow and calf elk feeding along the creek edge, but he never got close enough for a shot. Well, Anyhow, no elk, no bears, just some shot nerves.
Did I mention she was fast?
So, We woke up to frost on Tuesday morning. We went to an area , and over 6 hours we ended up working 2 bulls, but never got close. So back to camp around noon.
After a good lunch, and a nap, we decided to head out and sit on the edge of the oats. I would sit where the bull came out, and my brother near the creek. As I walk in, I find a few small trails, leading to/from the field. Once reaching the cornier, I find the trail i believed the bull to set up on and built my self a little area to hunt from. Trimming branches, clearing the ground of leaves and sticks. Basically building a groundblind with all natural ingredients. As the night progressed I was entertained by a Redtailed Hawk, a chipmunk, a mole, and somemore chickadees.
At around 6:30 a small blackbear, about 180-200lbs comes out into the field from about 35 yards to my left and is feeding away, he works his way out to about 80 yards, stands up, looks turns and runs back into the bush. On the other side of me about 15 yards away, out rolls another black bear, this one slightly bigger. possibly going about 220-250lbs. Eventually he feeds his way out into the field. When hes about 50 yards in front of me, the first bear reenters the field. After about 5 mins of watching the bears, all of a sudden i hear something crack behind me. I slowly turn my head and find a black bear in the 350lb range 8 yards and closing. When he got to about 6 feet away, I yelled at him, he stopped looked and then ran.... the two bears in the field bolted too... I gathered my nerves and decided enough was enough, i should get out of here, while thinking Im sitting right on the edge of a giant bear bait and Im on ground level. Well, as im grabbing my gear, another bear approaches the field edge. Now this was a big bear. I figured if this guy entered im going to stick him, he would have easily been 400 - 500lbs and made P&Y. Well all of a sudden something comes ripping through the trees, and this big boar bolts. I figured ok, time to leave, its gotta be a sow with cubs. The first 2 bears have reentered the field to my left once again. I gather my stuff as 3 black bear cubs enter the field 15 yards away with momma. I knew this was going to get ugly fast. I do my best to stay quiet, hoping they would feed out to the field. But as luck would have it, one of the cubs feeds towards me. As it closes the distance I try to get as close as I can to the pine tree covering me, but it hears something stands and looks. All of a sudden Momma bear runs staight at me, I yelled something, not sure exactly what i said but im sure it was loud and obscene, at her and threw my backpack squaring her right in the face at about 3 yards. She turns and runs back into the bush with her little ones. I got myself out of there and into the open field, leaving the backpack behind. I backed away as fast as I could, clipping on to my bow with my release. When i got out to 12 yards, out came the sow again, all i remember was she was big, black with silver trim, and moving very fast at me.... I yelled at her as I drew my bow in defence, and with one swift movement I released. The arrow went flying right over her back. Did I mention she was very fast. As the distanced swiftly closed I swung my bow at her and smacked her right in the side of the head. My bow went flying, I stumbled and fell backwards and somehow grabbed my knife before I hit the ground. I can remember thinking this was going to hurt as this bear was coming at me as I went down. Luckily for me, the bear turned at the last second and went back into the bush. I sat there shaking for a few seconds, then got up, gathered up what I could of myself and belongings and left the field. Knife was still in my hand in a death grip.
My brother heard me yelling at the bear and started running, but he was about half a mile away, and it was all over by the time he got close. It took me a while to get to sleep that night. We went back after looking for elk Wednesday morning to look for the arrow. I found it in the dirt about 2 yards from where i was sitting the night befor prior to all of this happening. No blood, no hair. Definate miss. Kinda glad, I really didnt want to kill a momma bear just for protecting her young, not that she needed too.
My brother saw a Cow and calf elk feeding along the creek edge, but he never got close enough for a shot. Well, Anyhow, no elk, no bears, just some shot nerves.
Did I mention she was fast?