06/13/2024
2024 Spring Bear Hunter Review-
THE NORTH IS CALLING MY NAME
There is something primordial in my genetic make-up that draws me to pursue this great predator. I view bears as a symbol of wilderness. Just seeing a black bear is a thrilling highlight. It wakes your senses, bringing one to full alert when a stick breaks nearby, as you walk out of the dense dark woods. Although black bears are big powerful animals and very capable of causing mischief, most encounters find a bear vacating the immediate area post haste. When you observe a big bear at a walk I would best describe its shuffling gait as lumbering. Don’t let that fool you as they are extremely agile. Then there is their legendary sense of smell. The experts claim their nose is 7 times better than a bloodhound, and 2100 times better than a human. This keen sense of smell allows them to detect food from great distances.
In most areas these bears are black in color, like their name implies. We were headed to Manitoba where black bears sometimes come in various colors such as chocolate, cinnamon, blonde or even a combination of these colors. After harvesting many black colored bears I liked the idea that I might get a chance at one of these off-colored bruins. Although it would be extraordinary to take one of these I would not pass on a black colored bear, if it was an exceptionally large mature male. My self imposed wish list certainly lowered my chance at giving a bear a ride home, but I decided this was to be my goal on this hunt.
We booked a hunt with Outland Outfitting, owned and operated by Tim and Brenna Sigfussen. Our main guide on this hunt was Scott with some help from Ken. After spending a week with these fellas I can truly say that they are some of the best people and bear guides I have ever associated with. I noticed what differentiates them is the dedication, passion and effort they put forth to make sure you have the best chance for success. They go out of their way to make sure you are completely satisfied.
On this foray I was accompanied by my good friend Michael Servais. So there we were in the Canadian province of Manitoba about to embark on a 6 day journey into bear country. After settling into the cabin, we secured our permits and were debriefed on what to expect. It got interesting when Tim ask “are you ready for a real adventure?” Of course our emphatic reply was “we sure are.” And what an adventure it was. We loaded our gear into Scott’s truck and we headed north for an hour, then climbed into his all-terrain buggy for another 1 1/2 hours on muddy trails that led through the dense forrest cover. Scott took us to what they refer to as “the end of the earth” deep into the Manitoba wilderness. A feeling of excitement overwhelmed me as we were led to our bear baits. It was easy to see the abundant bear spoor on the trails leading to the bait. It was obvious these fellas put in a lot of effort. As the buggy pulled away, the absence of noise engulfed the moment. There was no sound of civilization. You could call it the sound of silence.
The first evening my heart raced as I spied a cinnamon bear headed my way. Soon I noticed it was a large female with two half grown cubs in tow. I would not be harvesting this majestic female as hunter ethics dominated my thoughts. Over the next 30 minutes I watched as they put on a show. What a way to start my hunt! I am a hunter and once again I was living the dream.
The next evening my friend Michael managed to shoot a monster. Well maybe it wasn’t a real monster, but it was one of the largest bears taken in camp this year. This was a proper boar that was mature beyond his years. A spectacular black bear with a head I would describe as the size of a large pumpkin. I was very happy for him. That bear is gonna make a fine bear rug to remind him of the memory.
Scott showed me a trail camera photo of a beautiful cinnamon bear that had visited my stand. It was then that I decided to spend the remainder of my time targeting that bear. The rest of the hunt was spent watching and passing up several black colored bears as I stuck to my self-imposed goal. In the end the bear I wanted didn’t show up. This just increases my enthusiasm to give it a go again next year.
To me successful hunting is much more than just killing an animal. Of course that is the reason I am out there,but one must look at the the whole experience and gage success based on many factors. It was like I was living in a nature show on television. What a joy to watch the bears I passed. Then there was the day I watched an orange throated pine martin as she scampered up and down a tree. She only took notice of me when I lightly squeaked so I could capture her image on camera.
On another day I was sitting as still as possible in anticipation of the arrival of a bear when a group of four Canadian Gray Jays decided to visit me. These birds are also known by the names camp robber and whiskey jack as they are most friendly. Imagine my surprise when one landed on my head, one on my knee and two onto my crossbow. Not being able to see the one atop my head left me staring at the others. The two on the crossbow entertained me by swinging and pecking on the red part of my sling. Then one decided it liked my arrow as it rambunctiously tugged at the bright colored orange vane. I ended the encounter before it managed to damage my arrow. It was a highlight I will not soon forget.
Overall it was an amazing experience. I could not be happier with the outfitter and all the people. This I know, the north is gonna be calling my name again. I can’t seem to get enough bear hunting. I am hopelessly addicted and unable to stop bear hunting without adverse affects. Hope no one ever comes up with a cure.
- Mike Vande Ven
