So it's taken me a few months to be able to write about my Spring bear hunt, still processing it a bit myself even now. A little background: this last fall my father and I went up to Ontario on a bear and wolf hunt. He got his bear, a beautiful wolf, and a partridge to boot! I had my bait surrounded by wolves, and while I got my wolf (gun) I never had a shot on a bear. It ended up being my father's last hint, as he died early this spring after a long battle with a rare leukemia. He was supposed to go with me this Spring and fish while I hunted. So in May a buddy of mine came with me and we headed back up. Had a perfect stand set for me, 17 yd shot to the bait. First night out had several bears came in, and finally a bruiser came in with about an hour and a half left of shooting light. He knew I was there, took him close to an hour to work his way in and finally go into bait. Waited til he was behind a tree, drew, he paused as he stepped back out and I took my shot. Looked freaking beautiful. Saw my lighted knock go right into his fur, looked right behind the front shoulder on a great quartering away shot with his back leg forward. He grunted and hunched and ambled off. Then it got weird. Got to the barrel, arrow is sticking lightly into a root, no blood. Snapped the arrow off just behind the broadhead, which I have not see happen. No blood on the arrow. Blood trail found about 20 yds from the barrel, tracked on our hands and knees for 150 yds, trail evaporates. At this point I'm just crushed, with our guides drawn blood is assumed a dead bear even if you don't recover, which I agree with. Shot just looked perfect. This was now what I had imagined, I had thought on this hint often in the days after my Dad passed, knowing he would be with me in spirit on this hunt. So as my emotions spiraled, I sought healing out on the water. And man did we have a week of fishing. Neither of us had fished Canada, and it took us a few days to really learn the ropes, but we hauled in some monster walleye, Northern, and Small mouth. Fresh fish for lunch and dinner can really soothe the soul. 4 days after my shot, another hunter from our camp killed my bear, putting my heart at rest knowing I didn't leave a brute out to die. My shot had gone low, not sure if my angle was bad or I underestimated the 6 inches of fur. I skimmed the chest, breaking 2 ribs and opening him up, but didnt get the lungs. 1/2 inch. 390 lb. Bear in the spring, would have been a very nice bear. The most amazing part of the week came the second to last day of fishing. We had run out of oil in the outboard of the camp boat (another fiasco) and had been trolling along. The camp had run out and fixed us up, we were in area we hadn't really fished though. My buddy was retying after a snag, and I lobbed a minnow out in 2 feet of water as we were coming around a small island. Immediately I thought I snagged, couldn't move my line. Suddenly I'm swung from one side of the boat to the other - FISH ON! Took 20 minutes, almost lost him several times. The first time he finally surfaced my heart was pounding in my chest. 40.5 inch Northern. Brought him in on 8 lb test, no wire leader, on an 1/8 ounce jig with a minnow. I never should have landed that fish. But the second I saw him surface, I could remember my father, after seeing another fisherman at our camp bring in a 40 inch Northern, that he thought that was pretty neat, and would love the opportunity to bring in a fish that big. I don't usually keep large fish, but that one came home with me. I didnt get my bear, but I will think of my father and, ironically, all of the great hunts we had over the years everytime I see that fish. Also note, I'm 6'7", for perspective on the fish. Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Awesome story brother, thanks for sharing! So sorry to hear of your father‘s passing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great story, and I`m so sorry for you losing your Dad. He's up there in heaven with all of the moms and dads we all lost having a grand ole time looking down on us keeping us safe!! Hang in there brother, it does get better day by day!!God Bless my friend.
Nice story. Thanks for sharing. I lost my dad about a year and a half ago. What a nice tribute to him with the fish.
