icequeen
08-27-2005, 02:10 PM
As I got to my stand last night at 5:30pm I was about 100 yards out and I heard a bear take off from just south of the bait. Crappy! :(
Oh well, there are two hitting the bait and ya never know that one may come back. So I got into my stand and got all set up for a long sit. By the time I got all settled in it was 5:40 and it was hot. I was sure thankful for the nice breeze comin in off the pond behind the bait.
I knew it could be a while for anything to show up since I disturbed one coming in so I played around with my camera for a bit. This is my view of the bait from my stand, and you can just see my trusty Vixen keepin watch. ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/OnHuntress/2005%20Bear/karenbear_2005-4.jpg
About 15 minutes later a squirrel to the south of me starts a ruckus. I'm thinkin "No way, that bear can't be comin back in already." :eek: I put the camera away and start actually paying attention but everything went quiet again, except for the chickadee that decided to land about a foot behind me.
Not five minutes later I heard a rustling to the northwest, now that IS a bear for sure and he's moving in but from the wrong direction! He came around the hill and up the ridge about 25 yards away and headed right for me. As soon as he topped the rise his nose was up and I was thinkin I was gonna be busted for sure. He kept coming directly toward me, but there was no way I could turn and get a shot from that angle without him seeing me. I was positive he was gonna wind me, and my heart started thumpin, and I was hoping beyond all hope that he wouldn't come right to my tree. But he kept coming. I knew there was no way he wouldn't wind me if he went right under my tree.
About 10 yards in front of me he turned and stopped broadside toward the bait and up went his head again. It was a perfect shot but there was no moving a muscle without him seeing me. If the wind took the wrong little swirl then I was busted. I'm amazed he didn't here my heart thumpin, absolutely amazed.
After standing there broadside for an eternity he headed for the bait. He stood at the edge of the brush with his back to me and I must have moved and made a slight noise cause his left hear spun around, OH NO! :(
He started moving again and once he was at the bait he was content to chow down. I knew this was the 'little' guy that had been hitting the bait for over a month and when he got to the bait he looked up at the bag hanging over his head, like up around the 9 foot mark for them 300+ pounders. The look he gave it was priceless, as if to say "Yeah right! As if I can reach that!" lol
But, because we knew the little guy was having a hard time getting the bag we'd put some goodies in a pail and he was more than happy with that. He grabbed the pail and gave it a good sniff to check out the contents. Then he proceeded to try and get the lid off and turned to give me a view of his side, slightly quartering away.
My bow was up and he was in my sites. Take a deep breath, another deep breath, let the pounding slow down, and Wham! I swear he jumped about two feet! He curled up in a ball and did a little break-dance, then off he went around the bait and along the edge of the brush to the south.
40 minutes on site and 60 yards from the bait he laid down and it was all over. :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/OnHuntress/2005%20Bear/karenbear_2005.jpg
Oh well, there are two hitting the bait and ya never know that one may come back. So I got into my stand and got all set up for a long sit. By the time I got all settled in it was 5:40 and it was hot. I was sure thankful for the nice breeze comin in off the pond behind the bait.
I knew it could be a while for anything to show up since I disturbed one coming in so I played around with my camera for a bit. This is my view of the bait from my stand, and you can just see my trusty Vixen keepin watch. ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/OnHuntress/2005%20Bear/karenbear_2005-4.jpg
About 15 minutes later a squirrel to the south of me starts a ruckus. I'm thinkin "No way, that bear can't be comin back in already." :eek: I put the camera away and start actually paying attention but everything went quiet again, except for the chickadee that decided to land about a foot behind me.
Not five minutes later I heard a rustling to the northwest, now that IS a bear for sure and he's moving in but from the wrong direction! He came around the hill and up the ridge about 25 yards away and headed right for me. As soon as he topped the rise his nose was up and I was thinkin I was gonna be busted for sure. He kept coming directly toward me, but there was no way I could turn and get a shot from that angle without him seeing me. I was positive he was gonna wind me, and my heart started thumpin, and I was hoping beyond all hope that he wouldn't come right to my tree. But he kept coming. I knew there was no way he wouldn't wind me if he went right under my tree.
About 10 yards in front of me he turned and stopped broadside toward the bait and up went his head again. It was a perfect shot but there was no moving a muscle without him seeing me. If the wind took the wrong little swirl then I was busted. I'm amazed he didn't here my heart thumpin, absolutely amazed.
After standing there broadside for an eternity he headed for the bait. He stood at the edge of the brush with his back to me and I must have moved and made a slight noise cause his left hear spun around, OH NO! :(
He started moving again and once he was at the bait he was content to chow down. I knew this was the 'little' guy that had been hitting the bait for over a month and when he got to the bait he looked up at the bag hanging over his head, like up around the 9 foot mark for them 300+ pounders. The look he gave it was priceless, as if to say "Yeah right! As if I can reach that!" lol
But, because we knew the little guy was having a hard time getting the bag we'd put some goodies in a pail and he was more than happy with that. He grabbed the pail and gave it a good sniff to check out the contents. Then he proceeded to try and get the lid off and turned to give me a view of his side, slightly quartering away.
My bow was up and he was in my sites. Take a deep breath, another deep breath, let the pounding slow down, and Wham! I swear he jumped about two feet! He curled up in a ball and did a little break-dance, then off he went around the bait and along the edge of the brush to the south.
40 minutes on site and 60 yards from the bait he laid down and it was all over. :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/OnHuntress/2005%20Bear/karenbear_2005.jpg