Goldtip
New member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2009
- Messages
- 1,142
Can't wait to read the story and see the pics. Good luck.
On the way.... (Archery Grizzly)
- Thread starter Elkwhisper
- Start date
Layin_It_Down
New member
Pack some extra undies. Can't wait to see the life size in the livingroom.
arffdog875
New member
Good Luck! Can't wait to see photos and story!
Wyodeerhunter
Banned
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- Feb 18, 2002
- Messages
- 2,150
ok your back....details!!!!
Elkwhisper
Well-known member
Got back last night...... And some fur did hit the ground! Gotta tend to the family this weekend but will post a full day by day report on Monday!
Sorry for the tease.......
Sorry for the tease.......
WV Hunter
Active member
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- Oct 6, 2009
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- 1,761
Tag for the details 
Dinkshooter
Well-known member
That is BS.
Missoulaz28
Active member
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- May 6, 2009
- Messages
- 411
:hump: I'll agree with that
Wyodeerhunter
Banned
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- Feb 18, 2002
- Messages
- 2,150
Elkwisper,
Give us at least ONE picture to help us through the weekend. dang man.
Give us at least ONE picture to help us through the weekend. dang man.
arffdog875
New member
Good Luck! Bring back lots of photos!
Moosie
Grand poopa
Fur hit the ground ?!?!?! Hope is wifes OK with that !!!
Come on, Teasing like that ?!?! UnAmerican and UnHuntalk like
Come on, Teasing like that ?!?! UnAmerican and UnHuntalk like
Elkwhisper
Well-known member
Ok...... Ok...... I'll do my best to post a day by day account with a few pics.
Day 1- Left Billings bright and early and flew to Seattle, where I met up with Tyler Johnerson, who was along to film an episode of Leupold's Big Game Profiles. Tyler and I then flew into Vancouver, where we cleared customs and met up with Tom Freuchtel the president of Leupold. From there we were onto Smithers, where our outfitter Derek Drinnan picked us up and took us to the hotel. We had a nice dinner, got to know each other and hit the sack.
Day 2 - Up at the crack of dawn and headed north on the Cassiar highway for 5 hours to Tattoga lake. Derek had his Beaver there and flew us into Tumeka Lake lodge, which was to serve as our base camp for the hunt. For as far out in the bush as we were, the lodge was very comfortable, with electricity provided by solar panels and hot runnig water for showers.
Day 1- Left Billings bright and early and flew to Seattle, where I met up with Tyler Johnerson, who was along to film an episode of Leupold's Big Game Profiles. Tyler and I then flew into Vancouver, where we cleared customs and met up with Tom Freuchtel the president of Leupold. From there we were onto Smithers, where our outfitter Derek Drinnan picked us up and took us to the hotel. We had a nice dinner, got to know each other and hit the sack.
Day 2 - Up at the crack of dawn and headed north on the Cassiar highway for 5 hours to Tattoga lake. Derek had his Beaver there and flew us into Tumeka Lake lodge, which was to serve as our base camp for the hunt. For as far out in the bush as we were, the lodge was very comfortable, with electricity provided by solar panels and hot runnig water for showers.
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Elkwhisper
Well-known member
Day 2 continued.... We arrived at Tumeka Lake at about 12:30, which meant legally we could hunt anytime after 6:30. Because it stays light until nearly midnight up there, we were hopeful that we might squeeze in an evening hunt. Upon arriving at the lodge we met my guide Thomas (Derek was to guide Tom), and our cook Rene. Thomas had spent the previou three days in a lawn chair out in front of the lodge, glassing the large open south face opposite the lake. The day prior to our arrival they had actually taken the boat across to build a ground blind along a well used trail at the base of the mountain, with hopes of getting me withing archery range. While they were over there, they ran into a very nice boar tending a sow. The boar was a very stout bear that was light brown with a very blond patch on each shoulder. They named the couple Brad and Angelina and were able to get some pics from the boat at under a hundred yards.
Here is a photo of the view acroos the lake from the lodge.
Here is a photo of the view acroos the lake from the lodge.
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Elkwhisper
Well-known member
Day 2- continued- I forgot to mention, that as we were making our approach in the beaver, to land on Tumeka lake, I looked out the window as we were swinging very near the face in the picture above, and saw a pig of a bear stand up on his hind legs to check us out...... I would later find out that it was in fact "Brad"/
Anyway, after getting our gear settled in the lodge and a nice lunch, we all settled in to glass across the lake. My guide Thomas filled us in on some of the drama that had taken place, while Derek was gone to town to pick us up. Apparently the morning of our arrival, Thomas spotted a huge dark boar strolling in from right over top of the mountain, trailing what appeared to be Angelina. Thomas was pretty sure that during the night this new bear, which he and the cook dubbed "Arnold" after the beefy govener of Califorina... had opened up a can of whoop ass on "Brad" and stolen his girl. When I told him of seeing "Brad" on our approach and where I had seen him, he figured "Brad" was leaving the country to go find another sow.
After glassing for just a short time, we spotted what appeared to be a young boar crossing the hillside. A pretty bear for sure.... but nothing we were going to chase on the first day. After glassing for several more hours, we ended up calling it quits for the evening at about 10 pm. We were sitting in the lodge visiting and getting ready to head to bed, when I glanced out the window, and with my naked eye could see something moving accross a slide. I quickly stepped out on the porch and threw up the binos in time to see Angelina, diving into the thick stuff. I set up the spotter quickly and spotted what I assumed was Arnold coming down the mountain, away from his lady friend. Not sure why they decided to split up, but it was too late to do anything about it that night. We turned in, with the hopes that we would be able to find the big guy in the morning.
Anyway, after getting our gear settled in the lodge and a nice lunch, we all settled in to glass across the lake. My guide Thomas filled us in on some of the drama that had taken place, while Derek was gone to town to pick us up. Apparently the morning of our arrival, Thomas spotted a huge dark boar strolling in from right over top of the mountain, trailing what appeared to be Angelina. Thomas was pretty sure that during the night this new bear, which he and the cook dubbed "Arnold" after the beefy govener of Califorina... had opened up a can of whoop ass on "Brad" and stolen his girl. When I told him of seeing "Brad" on our approach and where I had seen him, he figured "Brad" was leaving the country to go find another sow.
After glassing for just a short time, we spotted what appeared to be a young boar crossing the hillside. A pretty bear for sure.... but nothing we were going to chase on the first day. After glassing for several more hours, we ended up calling it quits for the evening at about 10 pm. We were sitting in the lodge visiting and getting ready to head to bed, when I glanced out the window, and with my naked eye could see something moving accross a slide. I quickly stepped out on the porch and threw up the binos in time to see Angelina, diving into the thick stuff. I set up the spotter quickly and spotted what I assumed was Arnold coming down the mountain, away from his lady friend. Not sure why they decided to split up, but it was too late to do anything about it that night. We turned in, with the hopes that we would be able to find the big guy in the morning.
Oooou, this is getting good. Bears, romance, paparazzi, squarin'g off, cool pics, and much more.
Come on Dan, you have left us in suspense long enough. Get on with it!
Come on Dan, you have left us in suspense long enough. Get on with it!
Elkwhisper
Well-known member
Day 3-
We woke up early, which wasn't hard, since it is light at about 3 am...... After a nice breakfast, we all settled in again to glass across the lake. Since ther had been so much bear activity over there the last several days, it made sense for us to focus our efforst there. This face has historically drawn bears every spring, and they told us of one, spring where they were actualy able to see 15 different bears at one time on that face.
After about a couple hours of glassing and turning up nothing, I wondered about a hundred yards down the shore to get a different angle, and almost immediately spotted Angelina coming arround the corner, high on the mountain. I ran back to the rest of the crew, and they had spotted her to, and Arnold was hot on her tail. We decided to just keep an eye on them to see what they would do. The hope was that they would drop in elevation and come down closer to the lake, where the boat could be used to get out in front of them and intercept them.
We watched them for about 45 minutes as they ziggged and zagged all over the mountain. Angenlina would stop to feed briefly and then Arnold would catch up and make his move on her. She would take a swat at him and then lead him on another chase arround the mountain. As we watched Arnold, we all agreed that he was an exceptional bear, and it appeare as if he was really favoring his left front leg.
Unfortunately rather than coming down closer to the lake, they ended up climing the mountain and bedding down on a snow patch. We watched them for about 15 minutes while Tom, Derek and Tyler got their stuff ready to make a run at them. The bears hadn't moved, so it was decided that my guide and I would stay put and give signals using brightly colored lawn chairs, while the boys scaled the mountain and tried to get Tom in range for a shot.
The photo of the face definitely looks steep, but it really can't do justice to just how bad it really was. Watching the guys through the spotting scope, you could tell by the way that they had to use all fours to make any headway up the slope, that they had their work cut out for them,
Here is a photo of the face..... the red trail shows where the bears showed up on the left side of the frame and where they ultimately bedded down. The yellow trail shows the route the boys took to try and get in range.
We woke up early, which wasn't hard, since it is light at about 3 am...... After a nice breakfast, we all settled in again to glass across the lake. Since ther had been so much bear activity over there the last several days, it made sense for us to focus our efforst there. This face has historically drawn bears every spring, and they told us of one, spring where they were actualy able to see 15 different bears at one time on that face.
After about a couple hours of glassing and turning up nothing, I wondered about a hundred yards down the shore to get a different angle, and almost immediately spotted Angelina coming arround the corner, high on the mountain. I ran back to the rest of the crew, and they had spotted her to, and Arnold was hot on her tail. We decided to just keep an eye on them to see what they would do. The hope was that they would drop in elevation and come down closer to the lake, where the boat could be used to get out in front of them and intercept them.
We watched them for about 45 minutes as they ziggged and zagged all over the mountain. Angenlina would stop to feed briefly and then Arnold would catch up and make his move on her. She would take a swat at him and then lead him on another chase arround the mountain. As we watched Arnold, we all agreed that he was an exceptional bear, and it appeare as if he was really favoring his left front leg.
Unfortunately rather than coming down closer to the lake, they ended up climing the mountain and bedding down on a snow patch. We watched them for about 15 minutes while Tom, Derek and Tyler got their stuff ready to make a run at them. The bears hadn't moved, so it was decided that my guide and I would stay put and give signals using brightly colored lawn chairs, while the boys scaled the mountain and tried to get Tom in range for a shot.
The photo of the face definitely looks steep, but it really can't do justice to just how bad it really was. Watching the guys through the spotting scope, you could tell by the way that they had to use all fours to make any headway up the slope, that they had their work cut out for them,
Here is a photo of the face..... the red trail shows where the bears showed up on the left side of the frame and where they ultimately bedded down. The yellow trail shows the route the boys took to try and get in range.
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Elkwhisper
Well-known member
It took the guys a little over two hours to scale the mountain. During that time, Thomas and I kept an eye on the bears. The sow did jump up a couple of times, and it seemed like she was ready to bolt at any second, but each time she would just readjust positions and bed back down. The guys tried to approach the bears once, but couldn't get closer that 450 yards. They backed out and went straight over the top of the mountain and circled above the dozing pair. They were able to sneek to about 200 yards, and get set up for a shot. Now I wasn't right there, and you will be able to check it all out when it airs on Big Game Profiles, but you can imagine how exciting it must have been.
Tom's first shot took the bear through the front shoulders, and it buckled him pretty good. But it didn't keep him down. The sow shot up the hill from the snow patch and the boar started lumbering down the kill, obviously in bad shape. He fell several times and eventually hunkered in on the edge of a very thick balsam patch. At one point the sow came over to check on him, and he swatted at her and sent her running. Apparently he was in a bad mood. He got up again and started heading further down the hill, and the guys were able to get eyes on him again. After another volley of shots the bear was down in another thick patch of brush.
It took the guys a couple of hours to get him skinned, down the mountain and back to the boat. Not sure how they talked him into it, but Tyler ended up loading the whole hide and skull into his MR Crew Cab, and halled the 140lb load to teh bottom. They pulled back into camp at about 7 pm. We took a bunch more pictures and toasted their succsess.
I don't have any hero shots with the whole bear on my camera, but will post one as soon as I get one from the other guys. Here are a couple of shots of the hide. Note the pic of the paw.... the old boy broke a nail.
The bear ended up squaring just over 8 feet and the skull looks like it might make the book.
Tom's first shot took the bear through the front shoulders, and it buckled him pretty good. But it didn't keep him down. The sow shot up the hill from the snow patch and the boar started lumbering down the kill, obviously in bad shape. He fell several times and eventually hunkered in on the edge of a very thick balsam patch. At one point the sow came over to check on him, and he swatted at her and sent her running. Apparently he was in a bad mood. He got up again and started heading further down the hill, and the guys were able to get eyes on him again. After another volley of shots the bear was down in another thick patch of brush.
It took the guys a couple of hours to get him skinned, down the mountain and back to the boat. Not sure how they talked him into it, but Tyler ended up loading the whole hide and skull into his MR Crew Cab, and halled the 140lb load to teh bottom. They pulled back into camp at about 7 pm. We took a bunch more pictures and toasted their succsess.
I don't have any hero shots with the whole bear on my camera, but will post one as soon as I get one from the other guys. Here are a couple of shots of the hide. Note the pic of the paw.... the old boy broke a nail.
The bear ended up squaring just over 8 feet and the skull looks like it might make the book.
Attachments
Elkwhisper
Well-known member
Not bad for our first full day of hunting...... I was pretty stoked, and was optimistic that my hunt would have such luck.
Hopefully this little installment will tide you over for now...... I have been gone for two weeks and have to get some work done. I'll post the rest later.
Elkwhisper
Hopefully this little installment will tide you over for now...... I have been gone for two weeks and have to get some work done. I'll post the rest later.
Elkwhisper
