From early to late November the majority of the does should be in estrus, and the bucks should be cruising, chasing and breeding does, which causes scraping and rubbing to tail off.

By early November scraping by whitetail bucks may have already peaked. From early to late November the majority of the does should be in estrus, and the bucks should be cruising, chasing and breeding does, which causes scraping and rubbing to tail off. But, the bucks may still be scraping and checking scrapes near nighttime food sources, and in travel corridors.

Scout to locate buck rub routes and feeding areas, backtrack rub routes to locate buck core areas and bedding sites. By mid to late November many of the older does have been bred, and some of the older bucks may return to their core areas to rest, where you can hunt them during the day. Some older does may still be in estrus and some doe fawns may come into estrus. Some of the older bucks may continue scraping and some of the younger bucks may start scraping as they look for does. Hunt all day.

Population Objectives, Balancing Social Structure and Carrying Capacity

When we are talking about ideal social conditions in deer management the buck to doe ratio should be close to one buck to one doe (1:1). However, in areas where this type of management has not been practiced the buck to doe ratio may be as low as one buck to three does (1:3). Keeping the buck to doe ratio in balance helps increase the number of older bucks. It can also improve the social ranking, health and reproductive rate of the herd.

A herd of 100 deer with a makeup of 50 percent bucks and does will not increase by 100 percent per year, because some of the does will be too young to breed and some too old to conceive. Even if each doe produces twins the natural mortality rate would keep the increase below 100 animals.

If you are trying to increase the number of older bucks in the area you must remember that the habitat can only carry so many deer, it makes no difference if they are bucks or does. The herd must also be kept in balance with the carrying capacity of the habitat, in order to keep both the habitat and the animals healthy.

Let’s assume that there are 100 animals with a 50:50 male to female ratio, and the total property area has a carrying capacity of 150 animals. If every doe produces twins, and ¾; of the young survive, the herd is now above carrying capacity of the land with 175 animals. Up to 25 animals should be removed through natural mortality, predation or hunting to prevent habitat destruction and starvation. If half the young are bucks and half does, and no natural mortality or predation occurs, the buck to doe ratio must be kept in balance by removing 12 males and 12 females the next year. This will keep the herd at carrying capacity. But, the herd should be kept below carrying capacity. By keeping the herd below capacity you insure that if a severe winter, drought or habitat destruction occurs the animals may still survive.

In many cases hunters only remove the males from the herd, which can be disastrous. If 25 males are removed from the herd there will be 37 males and 62 females, leaving 99 animals. Some of the bucks shot will be 1 ½; to 3 ½; years old, and they will never have a chance to become dominant breeding bucks. But, the real problem is that there are now 62 does that can conceivably produce 124 young, with a 75 percent survival rate, increasing the herd by 93 the next year for a total of 192 deer, with 83 bucks and 109 does.

Because the herd is above carrying capacity habitat destruction is likely to occur. If the hunters again remove only males, by taking 42 bucks, there are still 109 does instead of the original 50. If the practice of taking only bucks continues there will not be enough mature males left to ensure that all the does will be bred during the peak of the rut; some late born fawns will starve or die of exposure, and the population may crash. Even if the population doesn’t suffer the number of older bucks will decline.

In order to produce more older bucks some of the does must be taken each year. If the habitat is at carrying capacity and the is herd balanced, as many females as males must be taken each year in order to keep the herd in balance with the carrying capacity of the habitat. If the herd is kept below carrying capacity there may be enough forage even if the harvest quotas are not met; production is higher than normal; or forage production is reduced by unforeseen circumstances.

The best strategy for responsible deer management is to keep the herd below carrying capacity, and the male to female ratio as balanced as possible.

During the rut does move shorter distances per day and concentrate their activities to a smaller portion of their range. But there is lots more…

It’s often been said that if you want to find whitetail bucks you should look for the does. I’ve said it often myself, but so have many of the seminar speakers and writers I talk to at the shows, where we often see each other every year or two. So, it’s probably good advice. One of the ways to find the any animal is to know what to expect it to be doing during the different times of the year. When it comes to whitetails that means you should know what to expect the does to be doing during their pre-breeding phase, their breeding phase, and their post breeding phase. Fortunately whitetail biologist John Ozoga and Lou Verme have done some research on doe activity, and I have been studying whitetails for 7 years.

During the pre-rut both bucks and does need to bulk up on protein and fat, enough of both to get them through the strenuous activities of the rut and the rigors of winter. So we can expect to find does at or near food sources. But, at what time can we expect them.

Time Of Day

During my studies I found that in October, which is during the pre-breeding phase in my area, most of my morning doe sightings occurred at or near food sources from ½; hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunrise, with sightings from 1 hour before to 3 ½; hours after sunrise. Most of my evening sightings were at or near food sources from ½; hour before sunset to 1 hour after sunset, with sightings from 1 hour before to ½; hours after sunset. This is fairly typical fall deer movement. Generally speaking, in the fall, deer move farther distances per hour in the morning than they do in they evening. Which is to say that deer are often in a hurry to get back to the security of their core areas when they leave food sources as the sun comes up, and they are somewhat leisurely as they move from their core areas to food sources as the sun goes down.

However, the movement times of the does changed as they began to come into estrus in November, which is also when the gun season opens in my area. During the breeding phase most of my morning doe sightings still occurred from ½; hour before to 1 hour after sunrise, with sightings from 1 hour before to 3 ½; hours after. Most of my evening doe sightings occurred from ½; hour before to ½; hour after sunset, but I had sightings from 2 ½; hours before to ½; hour after. Since the sky is often cloudy during the fall in my area I suspect that the earlier movement times of the does in the evening were a result of low light conditions (which make deer feel secure) and temperatures that were warmer in the evening than they were in the morning (which make deer feel more comfortable).

During the breeding phase Ozoga and Verme found that during the rut does move shorter distances per day and concentrate their activities to smaller portion of their range during the rut. They also found that during peak rut the does became more active, but they tended to stay in a small area. They concluded that during peak rut does walk a lot in small areas in an effort to attract bucks, this behavior ceased after the rut.

The researchers found that does became about 28 times more active than normal one to two nights before they came into estrus. They concluded that this increased activity in small area by does, prior to and during the time they are in estrus, makes it easier for the bucks to locate the does. It might also explain why bucks tend to cluster their scrapes in particular areas (such as doe core areas and staging areas near nighttime food sources). The researchers also concluded that if a doe is not locate by a buck by the time she is in estrous, she might begin to wander a lot in order to find a buck.

I can attest to the fact that does often hang out in a small area. In 1997 I watched a doe with two fawns hang out near what I called the “Big Scrape” under a red oak tree for three days. I often saw her at sunset, urinating within 30 yards of the scrape, until a big 8 point buck found her one evening. He chased off her fawns and then went after the doe.

During my studies I found that in December, which is after the breeding phase in my area, most of my morning doe sightings occurred from ½; hour before to ½; hour after sunrise, but with sightings as late as 4 hours after sunrise. I suspect that this late morning movement was again due to cloud cover, and temperatures that were warmer later in the morning than earlier. Some of this late morning movement was also probably a result of less forage, which caused the deer to spend more time looking for food. Most of my evening doe sightings occurred from ½; hours before to ½; hours after sunset, with sightings from as early as 1:30 in the afternoon (3 hours before sunset). These early evening doe sighting were correlated with cloud cover and warmer daily temperatures, suggesting the does moved when they felt secure in low light conditions and when they felt comfortable in warmer afternoon/evening temperatures.

The Weather

What you see in your area may differ from what I have seen. As you may have noticed, the weather has a lot to do with daily deer activity. If you hunt deer north of the Iowa/Minnesota State line the deer may be accustomed to warmer temperatures than the deer in my area are. If you hunt deer south of the Iowa/Minnesota State line the deer maybe accustomed to warmer weather. Depending on where you live they may also be accustomed to more or less precipitation or snow, cloud cover, humidity, wind, windchill or heat index. Generally speaking deer often move later in the evening when it is hot, or when there is a clear sky. They often move earlier in the evening when there are cloudy skies or fog, when there is light precipitation or snow, or when it is cold.

What you need to do is figure out what the deer in your hunting area will do under the weather conditions in that area, by keeping a daily log of dates, times of deer sightings, sex of deer, and weather conditions. An easy way to figure out what the deer where you hunt will do is to use my Daily Deer Movement Indicator. To use the Indicator you check the local weather conditions 1-4 hours before you plan to hunt, then mark the scores of the several different conditions on the chart, and add them up. The chart then tells you weather or not it is a good day to hunt, and where to hunt, depending on what kind of a day it is.

The Rut

Obviously when the rut occurs affects how does act in the fall. If you want to know when the peak of the rut in your area occurs, call your state deer researcher or state deer specialist, not the local conservation officer. They should know when peak breeding occurs. If they don’t know you can get my Rut dates Chart, it gives the timing of the rut, and peak rut dates for most states and provinces. Remember that the pre-breeding phase usually starts 2-3 weeks before peak breeding.

From the 44th to the 48th parallel the deer may begin to breed as early as the first week of September (with peak breeding anytime in November, depending on where you are. Form the 40th to the 44th parallel the deer may begin to breed as early as mid-September; in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa October 15, with peak breeding around the second week of November). From the 36th to the 40th parallel the deer generally begin breeding earlier and earlier, but peak breeding may occur later and late, because of the long summer weather.

Hunting Pressure

Hunting pressure also affects when and where deer (including does) move. Early gun seasons (like Minnesota’s) tend to take out many of the bucks, which results in a lower buck to doe ratio of the deer herd, which results in later, less intense, and longer breeding seasons. Wisconsin and Iowa may have an earlier, more intense and shorter breeding season than Minnesota, because their gun seasons are traditionally held after peak breeding.

Age

Young bucks often come in to breeding condition late than older bucks, which results in the does often coming into estrus later. Any doe that is stressed, whether from old age, or by having several fawns (2-3) to provide milk for may come into estrus later than younger does or does with 0-1 fawn. One study in Minnesota shows that 1 ½; year old and older does come into estrus from mid-October to late November; fawns come into their first estrus about the first week of November, peak during the third week of November, with breeding continuing until late January.

Nutrition

Nutrition affects when all deer come into breeding condition. When deer herds are too large for the carrying capacity of the habitat (like some areas of Minnesota and Wisconsin) they deer may be nutritionally stressed, which can also result in a later, less intense, longer breeding period. If agricultural crops or acorn production is down in area, or if it has been too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry, the deer maybe nutritionally stressed. In one study, when acorn production was low, it resulted in less rubbing/scraping behavior by bucks, which could result in does coming into estrus later, with a less intense and longer breeding phase than normal.

Conclusions
When you are trying to find the bucks by finding the does you need to take into account the habitat conditions for that year. Consider how the habitat conditions will affect the timing of the rut, when the pre-breeding phase and breeding phase may occur. Next, figure out where the does will feed, rest and water. Then look for abundant and preferred food sources to find the does. Then figure out what time the does should be active based on the weather conditions each day.

In a comprehensive three year study by researchers from the University of Georgia and Texas A&M-Kingsville, deer responded in 65 percent of 171 rattling sessions. In 73 percent of the responses bucks came to loud, long rattling. Loud, long rattling worked best in the pre-rut; loud, short rattling worked best during the peak rut; long quiet rattling worked best in post rut, when slightly more mature (3.5+ year old) bucks responded.

Prior to and during the rut bucks rub on trees, thrash brush and participate in sparring to establish dominance. Dominant bucks encountering each other, especially if an estrus doe is nearby, may fight for breeding rights. The sounds of any of these activities (rubbing, thrashing, sparring, fighting) may attract other bucks in the area, particularly dominants. Subdominants that have previously been beaten in a fight may immediately leave the area.

I have rattled bucks from as far away as a half mile using loud, long sequences. It took the bucks an average of twenty minutes to come in from downwind. I have also had bucks forty yards away run all the way to my stand, and I brought the bucks back when they began to leave. However, I found that if a buck doesn’t find a deer when it responds to rattling it may not respond to rattling in the same location more than twice. Don’t rattle the same buck from the same stand twice on successive days. If he comes in but you didn’t get him wait three to four days before trying again.

In a comprehensive three year study by researchers from the University of Georgia and Texas A&M-Kingsville, deer responded in 65 percent of 171 rattling sessions. In 73 percent of the responses bucks came to loud, long rattling. Loud, long rattling worked best in the pre-rut; loud, short rattling worked best during the peak rut; long quiet rattling worked best in post rut, when slightly more mature (3.5+ year old) bucks responded.

The highest number of responses occurred during peak rut, when most bucks were active. Middle aged 3.5-4.5 year old bucks responded best for the entire rut. During the prerut 1.5-2.5 year old bucks responded best. Older bucks responded equally well during the pre-rut and post-rut, but, less during peak rut (probably because they were with or searching for does). Bucks responded more deliberately and slowly during post-rut. Bucks usually responded during the first of three 10 minute rattling sessions.

The best responses occurred when wind speed was lowest; responses decreased as wind speed increased. The highest response rates also occurred when cloud cover was about 75 percent; lowest rates occurred when skies were clear. Two thirds of the bucks were first spotted downwind. Morning sessions produced the highest number of responses, but older bucks responded more in the afternoon. Obviously the Security Factors of wind speed and available amount of light have a lot to with buck movement and response to rattling, calling and scents. My own studies show that throughout the rut more dominant bucks were seen in the evening than in the morning. This suggests that the best time to rattle for any age buck may be in the morning, but older bucks may respond best in the evening.

The researchers determined that the best time to rattle for mature bucks was during the post-rut. The researchers believed that young bucks were bunched up at that time and were more interested in feeding than fighting. Mature bucks remain aggressive well after the primary breeding period has ended. The researchers believed that the second best time to rattle mature bucks was during the pre-rut. Even though bucks may be bunched up at this time, it is usually the dominant buck that responds.

Because the test deer were radio collared the rattler was able to set up within 200-300 yards of the bucks location to be sure the deer could hear the rattling. Twenty-five percent of the bucks during this study responded after the third 1-3 minute rattling sequence, a full 20 minutes into the session. As a result of this it was recommended that hunters who rattle wait 30 minutes before giving up or moving to a new location. During the study trophy bucks responded 75 percent of the time, while 50 percent of the smaller bucks responded to rattling. When responding to rattling 65 percent of the bucks made their final approach from downwind. However, the study showed that the rattler saw only about half the bucks that responded.

T.R.’s Tips: Rattling

• Rattling is most effective in areas with high buck to doe ratios. It is also effective in areas with high numbers of dominant bucks with limited habitat in urban areas; in the marginal habitat of prairie river bottoms; and on property managed for trophy quality.
• Bucks respond to rattling out of curiosity and dominance, they want to find out which bucks are fighting and if there is an estrus doe with them. Rattle near areas bucks regularly use; buck feeding/sparring areas, buck bedrooms, doe feeding and staging areas, and dominance areas of rubs and scrapes.
• Rattling works any time during the rut, but works best during the peak of the rut, when bucks are most aggressive.
• Rattling works best in the morning when bucks are still searching for does or heading for bedding areas, and is less effective during midday when bucks are bedded. Older dominant bucks may respond in the evening.
• Rattling, like calling and using scents, works best when Security Factors are low. Deer prefer to move during low light conditions and low wind speeds, and when few hunters are afield.
• Bucks that respond to rattling are intent on discovering the source, which leaves you vulnerable to discovery. Take precautions to conceal or disguise unnatural sights, scents, sounds and yourself from deer.
• Rattling is most effective where you have a chance of seeing the buck before it discovers you. Use treestands in dense or brushy habitat. Natural cover or blinds can be used in open country to conceal you and your movements.
• Hang a second set of antlers from your treestand. When bucks get close these antlers can be jerked and rattled, keeping movement to a minimum and away from you.
• Thrashing brush and rubbing trees near buck high use areas also attracts bucks, especially mule deer that express dominance by thrashing.
• Rustling leaves and pounding the ground with a stick or rattling racks, and grunting and blowing add realism to the sound of rattling and thrashing.
• Wary bucks responding to rattling or calls generally approach from downwind. Use buck in rut, tarsal, forehead, doe urine or estrus scents to add realism and bring bucks into range after being attracted by rattling and calls. Use products to eliminate/suppress human and unnatural odors.
• A buck or doe decoy added to rattling, calls and scents provides the final visual stimulus to bring in reluctant bucks and distract their attention from your position.
• Patience is an asset in rattling. Bucks may respond from as far as ½; mile in calm weather in open country, and may take up to a half hour to come in. Rattle every 10-15 minutes to keep the buck interested.
• If bucks are not nearby the initial contact of the antlers should be loud to get their attention. When bucks are nearby rattle softer.
• Larger antlers and some imitation racks work best because their sound carries farther. Be sure to use racks with a neutral color so they aren’t noticed by the deer.
• During the pre-rut use long, loud rattling sequences to attract wide ranging bucks.
• During peak rut, when the bucks are active, use short, loud rattling sequences. Long rattling sequences make you prone to discovery.
• During post-rut use quiet, long rattling sequences. Bucks are not as aggressive after the rut and don’t travel as much, give them time to respond.
• After bringing the racks together roll your wrists and grind them together, simulating two bucks pushing and shoving each other for 1-3 minutes. Then stop and listen for a buck’s approach for 3-5 minutes before beginning again.
• If a buck shows up but won’t come into range rattle softly while it can’t see you, or use a grunt call to coax it into range.
• If the buck starts to leave before you get a shot, or won’t hold, still use a grunt call to stop it.
• If you don’t get a response when you rattle, wait a half hour and try again, then move a ¼-½; mile away and try.
• Before leaving the stand site check the area thoroughly, especially if you have been watching a deer. More than one buck may have responded and be nearby.
• Don’t try to rattle the same buck from the same site on successive days. If the buck comes in and you don’t get a shot wait a couple of days before rattling from that site gain.
• Try not to rattle to the same buck more than three times if it doesn’t see a decoy or a deer when it comes in. If bucks don’t see a deer when they respond to rattling they learn that something is wrong.

From late December into January the does that did not conceive earlier may come into a late estrus. Older unhealthy does and does fawns may come into estrus at this time. Both the dominant and subdominant bucks may start cruising, scraping and chasing does again.

By late December in the North and as late as February in the South once the breeding is done the bucks return to their core areas to rest up after the rut, and feed to put on the weight they lost rutting, so they can make it through the winter.

Depending on the severity of the weather, the snow depth, and the availability of food sources, the deer may shift from fall home ranges to winter home ranges. In some areas they may migrate from less than one mile, to several miles.

• Rattling is most effective in areas with high buck to doe ratios. It is also effective in areas with high numbers of dominant bucks; in areas with limited habitat, such as urban areas; in the marginal habitat of prairie river bottoms; and on property managed for trophy quality.
• Bucks respond to rattling out of curiosity and dominance; they want to find out which bucks are fighting, and if there is an estrus doe with them. Rattle near areas bucks regularly use; buck feeding/sparring areas, buck bedrooms, doe feeding and staging areas, and dominance areas of rubs and scrapes.
• Rattling works any time during the rut, but works best during the peak of the rut, when bucks are most aggressive.
• Rattling works best in the morning when bucks are still searching for does or heading for core areas, and is less effective during midday when bucks are bedded. Older dominant bucks may respond best in the evening.
• Rattling, like calling and using scents, works best when Security Factors are high. Deer prefer to move during low light conditions, when there are low wind speeds, and when few hunters are afield.
• Bucks that respond to rattling are intent on discovering the source, which leaves you vulnerable to discovery. Take precautions to conceal or disguise unnatural sights, scents, sounds and yourself from deer.
• Rattling is most effective where you have a chance of seeing the buck before it discovers you. Use treestands in dense or brushy habitat. Natural cover or blinds can be used to conceal you and your movements in open country.
• Wary bucks responding to rattling or calls generally approach from downwind. Use buck in rut, tarsal, forehead, doe urine or estrus scents to add realism and bring bucks into range after being attracted by rattling and calls.
• Hang a second set of antlers from your treestand. When bucks get close these antlers can be jerked and rattled, keeping movement to a minimum and away from you.
• Thrashing brush and rubbing trees near buck high use areas also attracts bucks, especially mule deer that express dominance by thrashing.
• 11. Rustling leaves and pounding the ground with a stick or rattling racks, and grunting and blowing add realism to the sound of rattling and thrashing.
• Larger antlers and some imitation racks work best because their sound carries farther. Be sure to use racks with a neutral color so they aren’t seen by the deer.
• If bucks are not nearby the initial contact of the antlers should be loud to get their attention. When bucks are nearby rattle softer.
• When you rattle loudly bring the racks together with a crash, then roll your wrists and grind the racks together, simulating two bucks pushing and shoving each other for 1-3 minutes. Then stop and listen for a buck’s approach for 3-5 minutes before beginning again.
• If a buck shows up, but won’t come into range, rattle softly while it can’t see you, or use a grunt call to coax it into range.
• If the buck starts to leave before you get a shot, or won’t hold still, use a grunt call to stop it.
• If you don’t get a response when you rattle, wait a half hour and try again, then move a ¼-½; mile away and try again.
• Before leaving the stand site check the area thoroughly, especially if you have been watching a deer. More than one buck may have responded and be nearby.
• A buck or doe decoy added to rattling, calls and scents provides the final visual stimulus to bring in reluctant bucks and distract their attention from your position.
• Patience is an asset in rattling. Bucks may respond from as far as ½; mile in calm weather in open country, and may take up to a half hour to come in. Rattle every 10-15 minutes to keep the buck interested.
• During the pre-rut use long, loud rattling sequences to attract wide ranging bucks.
• During peak rut, when the bucks are most active, use short, loud rattling sequences. Long rattling sequences make you prone to discovery.
• During post-rut use quiet, long rattling sequences. Bucks are not as aggressive after the rut and don’t travel as much, give them time to respond.
• Don’t try to rattle the same buck from the same site on successive days. If the buck comes in and you don’t get a shot wait a couple of days before rattling from that site gain.
• Try not to rattle to the same buck more than three times if it doesn’t see a decoy or a deer when it comes in. If bucks don’t see a deer when they respond to rattling they learn that something is wrong.

La Pampa is one of the two best areas in Argentina for Stag and Wild Boar, in his native forest mainly of calden, a native tree only found in the zone, there the Stag and the Boar found a peaceful place to live and breed.

The rutting season starts in the first days of March and longs till the ends of April that depend the area, climate, etc. Like his north cousin, the Elk (Wapiti), the stag, in this season fallows the does trying to make a harem as big as possible. During the last hours of the day, (in the period of fervour), it is when the red deers begin to roar. He is really unforgettable, in the form that sounds inside of the woods. During the night, is the moment at which they roar with greater intensity.

The Pampas, have a dry climate, and they are always few, the probabilities that rain, during the period of hunting. The hunt is made in two different ways, in a blind waiting for the stag and stalking in the bush, where normally, you see the Stag close, and many times you have to do a snap shot. For Wild Boar always is in the blind or with trained dogs. That’s the different with the other zone (the Patagonia in the foot hills of the Andes) where you see the Stag from one thousands yards away or more, and making the final approach carefully to obtain the trophy.

Five days are enough to obtain a good Stag in La Pampa. You may get too, a Wild Boar. For Cougar (Mountain Lion), you need two o three days more. For the Stag, the season run, from March 15, to May 15, for Wild Boar all year round, and Cougar, January 1 to July 31. We have exclusive areas, to make your Red stag hunting , a great and unforgettable adventure.

Dan Bird is the typical successful Texas businessman. Recognizing instantly a superb opportunity and acting upon it without hesitation comes natural for him. Strange enough this is also a transferable skill for fair chase hunting where making an quick decision to take a difficult shot can mean the success or failure of an entire hunting expedition. That fact was clearly evident when Dan booked this trophy grizzly hunt with Karl Prinz, Owner of Rocky Mountain Outfitter Ltd. in British Columbia, Canada. The two of us were total strangers before, but after one short phone call by Dan and an even shorter letter which sealed a deal, his adventure could begin.

Ice Mountain towering over salmon running Herrick Creek has since time immemorable been the birthplace of untold numbers of a special strain of grizzly bear. The inaccessibility of this grizzly, beaver and moose infested hinterland has since the dawn of time to the very present allowed grizzlies to mature and grow to sometimes frightening sizes, some hides equaling and exceeding the very largest bears the world has ever recorded.

An area which produces many grizzlies means exceptionably good habitat and will, given time ultimately boosts some very large bears. Alexander Mackenzie, the eminent Canadian explorer, wrote 130 years ago “while stopped at nighttime to repair the canoe we listened into the dark where the grizzly bears roared most disagreeable”. Yes, this is the very area where our hunt was taking place guided by Karl Prinz, originally from the Bavarian Alps and known to some as the “Barbarian”. Karl has owned the rights to this superb guide outfitting area since the late 70’s, and is a veteran of countless successful grizzly hunts and real adventures that are hard to imagine in this day of virtual reality.

Preparations for this hunting expedition needed to be commenced weeks before the first day of hunt. The uninitiated outsider can hardly comprehend what it takes to gather specialized equipment, the right mind set, determination, and cold hard cash to outfit a fair chase hunt in roadless wilderness, while fighting ice strewn rivers, icejams, logjams, and all the other minor logistical nightmares involved. However, it had to be done, and as always preparations were complete when Dan the hunter arrived and was greeted by Karl with a big smile and firm handshake at the new renovated and expanded Prince George International Airport on a sunny afternoon in the spring.

First it was confirmed that Dan had warm clothes and a sleeping bag suitable for this hunting expedition. Then Dan received the non-resident hunting licence and grizzly tag.

When one is booked with a British Columbia outfitter that has his own guide outfitting territories, then the hunter is assured of receiving a game tag and not having to participate in a cumbersome and unsure lottery system. After the formalities were concluded, Dan checked in for a night at a local hotel to get a good nights rest before the adventure would kick into high gear.

The following morning in the twilight, Dan, Karl Wolf (our driver), and Hunting Terrier “Bodo” climbed into a 4×4 and headed out towards the Rocky Mountains. Where the drivable portion of the road ended we switched into a riverboat taking us another 8 hours upriver into incredible scenic wilderness completely void of Man and settlement counting numerous moose, elk and of course some grizzlies before reaching the camp which was selected to be the base for this adventure. It has been said there is no law beyond the Fraser River, but surely there is no good beyond the McGreger and believe it or not the Herrick is truly up the creek. Wherever you ever hunted before, this is no doubt the most scenic and wild mountainous country one can imagine. To warm up halfway during the breathtaking river run, a 30 minute break allowed enough time to build a small campfire, enjoying coffee and sandwiches as well as taking a few test shots with Dans 300 Weatherby Magnum with 180 grain spitzers to confirm that the rifle could shoot straight and the hunter’s aim was ready for dangerous game.

Every year many game animals are wounded in North America, which is sad and mostly preventable by itself. The ethical hunter will search his quarry out and put them out of their misery. However, just the thought of searching a wounded grizzly bear can run shivers down the back of the most experienced guides and hunters. Some flatly refuse to do it, thinking this is utter insanity as they turn home immediately trying to convince themselves with thoughts like “Maybe he just got creased and will heal it out”, or “He got what he had coming for his murderous moose killing ways”, or “Why should I risk ending up as bear shit? After all, I paid for the tag, and have a wife with credit cards and six kids who depend on me to supply the dough.”

To be sure, such a search could easily turn into tragedy, but it must be done by the ethical guide lest he not consider himself to be a expert grizzly guide.

Grizzly bears of any size can swallow bullets and keep going with frightening speed, usually away from the place where they were ambushed. However, if you follow him and he is still alive, he will eventually travel with the wind so that he knows at all times how close and where his follower is. He may double back to watch his own blood trail, slide into the thickest underbrush he knows of and lay in wait for his tormentor there, and finally rush you with lightening speed when you are within a few yards. A wounded grizzly bear can finish easily what your hunting party had started. Some of the sportsmen no longer with us have met with an untimely horrible death doing what they where expected to do as ethical guides, hunters, or unlucky government men.

In the final split seconds one will have only one shot to stop the grizzly, but I trust one can not miss because the bear will be just about touching the tip of the barrel before the signal from your brain reaches the trigger finger. During this moment of horror all senses are incredibly focused only on this life taking, life saving event.

Needless to say your rifle can not malfunction. Years of use taught me to trust my beat up and, bluing less, repainted, stock reglued 338 Win Mag. bolt action rifle made in Belguim by Fabrique Nationale, and spitting 250 grain Hornady roundnose slugs which always save me from departing this world prematurely. This bullet will stop and sometimes flip over the 600 to 1000 lbs of aggravated moose eating menace hurtling towards you, but while the first shot will take this bear down you will still empty without thinking everything you have in your magazine, plus the 4 to 6 extra ones which you carry wisely on your belly belt before you convince yourself the Devil is truly dead. Then your nerves will shake you so violently for minutes before you be able to find more shells in you packsack, reload your rifle , and only then calm down a bit and finally holler for your hunter.

To be clear to anyone ever attempting tracking a wounded grizzly bear, you absolutely need a keen bear dog to signal you where the bear is. Myself, I have been using purebred German Hunting Terriers with great satisfaction and unfailing success for the past 25 years. Taking the hunter with me on the wounded grizzly search has long be a big NO NO for me. Firstly the dog could get distracted, secondly things can get so hectic the hunter could end up in the line of fire, and third, if something goes wrong it would be nice if someone is able to let the authorities know what happened to the guide and where to send a helicopter with a stretcher or worse.

Even before reaching the first camp we already observed several grizzly bears but none fitting what i call trophy category which is in my mind a male grizzly bear no less the 8 ft noose to tail. Many “guides” lack the experience and calmness to judge the size and sex of grizzly bears. In fact I believe it takes among other qualities like genuine passion, years of experience and countless misjudgements to become truly proficient. For example, it is very easy for an exited hunter to overestimate the size of a grizzly walking over a snowfield. There are some good instructional text and video material available however to be sure nothing beats years of field experience looking and judging hundreds of bears.

After days of working the river, snowshoeing and endless hours of glassing we finally decided on a very large male working the snow line on a south facing slope. Because the snow is still hard as concrete in the early mornings there was no need to wear the snowshoes which we strapped onto our packsacks instead. A four hour hike brought us within range before we got concerned with the wind. Another 2 hour passed before we came into shooting range. Now with intense glassing the spotting scope confirmed this bear was a true monster but as with most real old bears over the age of 20 years the hide was not perfect. Now it was up to Dan and as expected there was no hesitation in his decision, this was the bear he wanted.

A careful made rifle rest with Dans Packsack bedded the Weatherby nicely. Dan’s first shot hit the bear where it counted. 3 more rounds brought him down but not before rushing downhill for some 200 yards into the alders thrashing a evergreen with a 4 inch stem while I was following the action in detail with my 10*40 Zeiss binoculars. There was no need for follow up shots by myself but I would be a fool if I was not ready to do so if need be. My little hunting Terrier went nearly berserk because he wanted a part of the action but was instead locked in the dark of my packsack so he could not smell the bear on the final stalk and therefore could not mess up the hunt.

Sitting on the snowfield in the morning sun, we savored another beautiful spring day no word spoken, the silence broken only by the occasional song of the pee wee bird. After a halve hour had passed it was time to let the dog do his job, which immediately found the scent and followed straight to the by now expired and stiffening prize we had worked for so hard. This is the moment of anticlimax, the tension is leaving, the job is done. What’s left is the congratulating, canceling the tag, the picture taking, skinning another monster hide, and the backbreaking work of hauling the wet hide with scull to the boat below to the glistening river to be finish skinned in camp including fleshing and salting the hide, splitting the lips and nose, turning the ears, doing the claws, boiling the scull, and of course enjoying a hearty moose stew complimented by a glass of good red wine and pleasant conversation.

By the following morning even the guide outfitter return form was completed, it was time now to head out of the Wilderness back to Prince George Airport where Dan had his plane waiting to take my newest friend home to Texas.

A “once in a lifetime” bear hunt became a reality in 2004 for a seasoned bear hunter from Greensburg P.A. As a returning client from the previous spring, Mr.Vince Rizzo was hoping to harvest a larger bear and possibly a colour phase also. On his previous hunt with us, he had seen and stalked several excellent bear but ended up taking an average black bear at the end of the hunt.

This time, a good first stalk and excellent shot produced a large honey colored boar in prime condition! What a way to start a black bear hunt with a “brown down” the third day. To say the least, this hunt was already a success! With the pressure off, we now were looking for an exceptional sized black bear to fill the second tag. We concentrated our efforts along a beach area where I we had seen a 7 foot plus bear previously. After several hours overlooking a small grassy estuary, no bear appeared. We decided to return to the location where the yacht was anchored and spotted a bear at the head of the inlet from a distance of 3 miles. By the time we boated close enough to judge the animal, he had wandered into the dense forest.

The evening hunt found us heading back to the estuary where we had spent the afternoon. Our cook was keeping an eye on the area
near the anchorage in case another bear appeared there. The wind had come up and changed direction making for unfavourable conditions.
We were getting wet, windblown, and cold quickly loosing confidence in our choice of hunting destinations.

Then a call from the cook. “I got a bear out here on the grass and he looks big! We were about halfway to our destination, turned and headed back with about 1 ½; hours of daylight left and not knowing if the bear would keep feeding. Twenty minutes later, we were stalking toward the bear by boat trying to get to the beach at low tide. There was only one place where we could get to without being seen or winded. We judged the bear as a shooter from 100 yard distance and thought he had some brown coloration on his back and scruff area.

We made it to the shore without detection. Vince bailed off the bow and shot using his “sticks”. The bear was down in the high grass. We secured the boat and waited for five minutes to collect ourselves. The cook radioed saying the bear had not run and was partly visible.

We slowly walked to the downed bear getting directions from the cook. First sight was unbelievable to us both. A huge, dark chocolate colored boar with exceptional hide! There’s a first time for everything but a “double brown down” hunt will be hard to duplicate!

Hanging the bear in the towering oak tree overnight after the hunt was as much practical as tradition. The carcass has to drain and the meat needs to “season.” The clients welcome the “Kodak moment” after awaking late on the morning after the hunt. And, I suspect, there’s something primeval in a hunter that finds satisfaction in displaying the body — “hung from the highest tree” using the old west terminology.

But there we were in Minitonas, Manitoba — some 300 miles north of Winipeg — in the Swan River Valley north of the Duck Mountains on a spring black bear hunt. Pedro and I had traveled two days by air and rent-a-wreck to reach this outpost called Northern Outfitters run by John Eisner — father of seven daughters, no sons.

While the accommodations were spartan, we would soon learn the bear — indeed, record bears — were plentiful. “Don’t shoot the first bear you see. Learn to size them up”, John preached. “They’re all a little lean coming out of hibernation. So look for breadth in their skull and fullness of neck and limbs.” A juvenile bear has many of the same characteristics of a human juvenile: gangly, awkward, and impulsive. “On the other hand,” John relented, “if you want to stay in camp the rest of the week, play cards, fish or drink a bit, shoot the first one you see.” John had only one rule if you stay in camp: “leave the girls alone!”

Unlike a normal early morning departure, hunting within a fifty-mile radius of camp didn’t start until late afternoon and ended around 11pm. I figured out the first evening why Eisner calls his organization “Northern Outfitters.” That far north, it never gets dark in May. Supper takes place at about midnight. There are two desserts: one you eat. The other you see — the northern lights that is — the aurora borealis.

We hunted out of tree stands placed near the edge of openings in the thick Manitoba forests. A fifty gallon metal barrel was tethered to a substantial tree at each site. The barrel was filled with oats that had been soaked in grease from local restaurants pleased to dispose of accumulations from their grease pits. A half dozen one inch diameter holes had been drilled in the sides of the barrel. Hungry bears would slap the barrel around for their meal presenting the clients with opportunity for a trophy.

Excellent vision is not a bear virtue. Excellent smell is a bear virtue. So the process of getting to the bear’s dining grounds was a bit convoluted. Leaving in mid-afternoon, each hunter and his individual guide would take a lunch (to be eaten before the hike to the tree stand), two rifles, and one of the outfitter’s Yamaha four-wheelers. The drive would take us past many mile-square sections before reaching the end of the alleged road — several miles from our ultimate destination. Doubling on the four-wheeler, we would ride to within a few miles of the hunting venue. The guide would then escort the hunter part of the way to the site. How close depended on his read on whether or not you could find the stand. The guide then retreated to a distance within hearing range of a rifle shot.

It was snowing on our first hunting day. Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence” ran through my head over and over. I’ve never before or since experienced such quiet. There was no wind. The leaves hadn’t come out yet so there was no noise from the forest. There were no small animals moving about. There were no bugs humming. There were no civilization noises in the far distance. There was nothing. Literally, if you sit still long enough under those conditions you actually hear yourself breathe. When the sound of silence was finally broken by a big hungry black bear, his noises seemed far more menacing to me.

I followed John’s directions and let the first bear walk. Over the next two days, each bear I saw was smaller than the first. I saw no bear on the fourth day. My obedience to the outfitter’s admonition was going to bite me. Finally, in the last hour of the last day of the hunt I did take a bear although it was on the small side. At camp, Pedro inspected my bear. Even though he had no bear, what he did say was most critical: “What’d ya name him: ‘BooBoo’?” At least I wasn’t going home empty-handed and I had followed directions.

Pedro had not followed directions. He evaluates hunting success by dividing his harvest by the effort put into taking the animal to arrive at his satisfaction quotient. He wasn’t interested in hiking the last few miles to the tree stand. He ordered his guide to drive him up to the tree and leave the four-wheeler. The guide could walk back to the truck. If Pedro did kill a bear, he would field dress it, load it on the four-wheeler, and pack it out, “thank you very much.”

Using the Pedro method, his guide, Vic, age 78, drove him to the base of the tree and shut the engine down. As the two were unloading gear, Vic noticed an approaching bear and ordered Pedro to “get down.” The startled pair hunkered down — Pedro behind the four-wheeler and Vic behind the tree.

Pedro quietly chambered a round into the Ruger 7mm and removed the scope cover. He was too far behind the machine and too far from the tree to rest the rifle on anything stable. Kneeling on one knee he carefully raised the weapon, released the safety, fixed the cross hairs, and took the mandatory deep breath. In his peripheral vision he noticed Vic signaling him with a “stop sign.” As he cast his attention toward Vic, the signal changed. The guide was telling him to move back.

This made no sense to Pedro. There was a huge record-sized bear in range. It had not yet spotted them. Movement would surely ruin this shot. So, in his best “I’ll show you, old Vic” attitude, Pedro re-sighted, held his breathe and fired.

Pedro had a clear shot on the bear — or at least that’s the way it looked through his scope. He did not, however, take into consideration this rather crucial fact: he was so close to the four-wheeler that the scope view was clear but the rifle muzzle was pointed directly at the seat of the soon-to-be deceased Yamaha Big Bear. Usually an exit wound is larger than the entry wound; but that’s not true when the muzzle blast begins less than a foot from the ultimate victim. You should have heard the adjectives and expletives used by Vic that night at supper. There are so very many words to describe “explosion” and “stupid.”

In a way, I dreaded the trip home. Pedro was going to be in a foul mood since news of his secret kill was public knowledge. He always takes the approach that the best defense is a good offense. I knew I would hear about “BooBoo” for the next two days. I even decided against having my picture made the next morning with the bear hanging from that oak tree for fear that it would look so small.

Following directions has its rewards. Not following directions has its consequences, too. The photo session went so much better than I could ever have imagined. There were three bears in the oak tree the next morning. BooBoo and a much larger bear killed by one of the other hunters hung on the outsides. And there, hanging in the middle was the biggest bear ever hung in that old oak tree — the Yamaha Big Bear four-wheeler killed by Pedro.

The moral to this story is: listen to your guide. My Canadian spring black bear hunt was booked with an outfitter in Minitonas, Manitoba — a small town a few hundred miles north of Winnipeg in the Swan River Valley north of the Duck Mountains.

The outpost called Northern Outfitters is run by John Eisner. I figured out the first evening why Eisner calls his organization “Northern Outfitters.” That far north, it never gets fully dark in May. And, the long hours of daylight tend to modify traditional meal times.

Bear were plentiful. “Don’t shoot the first bear you see. Learn to size them up”, John preached. “They’re all lean coming out of hibernation. So look for breadth in their skull and fullness of neck and limbs.” A juvenile bear has many of the same characteristics of a human juvenile: gangly, awkward, and impulsive. “On the other hand,” John relented, “if you want to stay in camp the rest of the week, play cards, and drink a bit, shoot the first bear you see.”

Unlike a normal early morning departure, hunting within a fifty-mile radius of camp didn’t start until well after noon and ended around 11pm. The day’s last meal took place after midnight. Eisner suggested eating lunch before leaving the truck on the way into the hunting area.

We hunted from tree stands placed near the edge of openings in the dense Manitoba forest. A fifty gallon metal barrel was tethered to a substantial tree at each site. The barrel was filled with oats that had been soaked in grease from local restaurants pleased to dispose of accumulations from their grease pits. A half dozen one inch diameter holes had been drilled in the barrel. Hungry bears would slap the barrel around to free the soaked oats.

The process of getting to the bear’s dining ground was a bit convoluted. Leaving in mid-afternoon, each hunter and his individual guide would take lunch, two rifles, and one of the outfitter’s four-wheelers. The drive would take us past many mile-square sections before reaching the end of the road — a couple of miles from our ultimate destination. Doubling on the four-wheeler, we would ride to within a mile of the hunting venue. The guide would then escort the hunter part of the way to the site. How close depended on his read on whether or not you could find the stand. The guide then retreated to a distance within hearing range of a rifle shot.

Shortly after settling down in my designated tree stand, I observed a black blur in the very edge of my right peripheral vision. As my pulse and respirations quickened, my anticipation grew that the bear would emerge into a clear field of sight between me and the oat barrel. The 30-30 was loaded, properly gripped, and ready to be shouldered. Remember what John Steinbeck says about the best laid plans of mice and men: they go awry.

The bear did not come into clear sight. Instead, the bear took a path that kept it exactly in the edge of my vision. The black blur was coming toward my tree. And then, it disappeared! I could hear it directly below me. The noise coming from the bear sure sounded to me like salivation.

Then the noise changed to the sound of claws on tree bark. My heart-rate was steadily increasing. My palms were moist even that far north in May. My composure was waning but I did cock the hammer.

A twin-forked eight inch ash tree hadn’t budged when I climbed it only an hour before. But when it rocked as if hit by gale force winds, the fork on which the tree stand was mounted swayed so vigorously that I could now see the four hundred pound black bear headed up the tree. His steam-like breath billowed. His nose was moist and twitching. He was a better climber than I was. Somehow, instinctively I imagine, maybe involuntarily, the muzzle of the rifle dropped downward toward the bear’s head.

In that instant of abject fear, just before pulling the trigger, the image before me brought my situation into a different perspective. Maybe it wasn’t my flesh and bones on the menu. There between my feet was the paper bag filled with sandwiches, crackers and fruits packed by John’s wife. He was coming for my lunch — maybe!

It wasn’t much more than an instant that I considered that alternate scenario. What if I’m wrong? “Shoot” my mind ordered.

That second of hesitation is all it took for the impending crisis to resolve itself. As the bear reached for the other branch of the ash tree, the gap between the two prongs was ever widening. He missed the outward branch and fell to the ground. It’s a good thing he did. At that point, I was in no condition to shoot — let alone hit the bear. My legs were rubbery. My heart was trying to escape from my chest. Sweat had broken out across my forehead. Some would call my condition “buck fever.” You may call it “fright”. I choose to call it “disabling horror”.

Just as suddenly as the bear’s ascent had placed me in the throes of fear, his descent brought comic relief. Recovering from his fall, the bear stood on its hind legs doing a one hundred eight degree survey of the forest around us. I may simply be personifying the bear’s actions, but I’m convinced he looked around to make sure there were no witnesses to his fall! He returned to all four legs and slinked out of the clearing without a taste of me or my lunch. I learned this lesson: don’t take your lunch to the tree stand.