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Sorry so long…but it was a week long hunt.
Finally. After a year of planning, scheming, and day dreaming; it was time to head up into the mountains for Virginia’s archery bear season. My first hunt for this fall. Yes sir, hunting season was here.
We had made this trek several times in the past, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling of peace that this trip was to be different. I didn’t know if it was anticipation, hope, or intuition…but I just knew, this trip was going to be special.
We had decided last October to head up the mountain this year for a week of archery season. We’d planned the trip so that bear, deer, and turkey seasons were all open while we were in camp. Throw in one of our favorite trout streams and a lake we love; it wasn’t hard to realize it was on. Now as life would dictate, with complicated work schedules and unforeseen family obligations, not everyone made the trip. But it was still a gathering of the brothers.
My brothers and I get together throughout the year for family canoe trips, fishing, or other hunting opportunities; so even though some were missed, we do spend time together and the focus is placed on family and fellowship.
Our annual fall trip has in the past been just the brothers; however, the reality of our children beginning to reach the age of inclusion has become more apparent to us all. In fact, one of our young men joined us later in the week for this trip.
Now we aren’t brothers in the sense of having the same parents…Wow, I couldn’t image the emotional trauma we collectively could have caused any one mother. Seriously, that could have institutionalize the poor dear….but we are all brothers in Christ, and attend and serve in the same church.
The actual start of this trip came in the form of a youth bear hunt a week prior to our leaving. My “little brother” and I wanted to do a trip for his youngest daughter and my son. I mentioned the youth bear hunt weekend and we loaded up and were off. Even with all the care in planning and talking through the scenarios that could play out, we could not have planned for Matthew. Matthew of course was the massive hurricane that devastated portions of the east coast the first week of October.
“Little brother” and I kept watching the weather and storm forecasts the whole week leading up to the youth hunt. The weather folks kept posting that for the area we would be in, we should be good. Light to minimal rain, cool temps, and not a lot of wind. With that we canned the idea of camping on the mountain and grabbed a hotel room, for the kid’s sake.
Even though the weather wasn’t what we had hoped, it was conducive for us to begin the hunt.
Well, they missed it. As is typical of the eastern mountains weather and of hurricanes, things can change fast.
Matthew didn’t turn as everyone hoped. As the morning progressed and the distance from our truck increased, the weather got worse. The rain picked up to a steady drizzle, the wind got stronger, and the clouds dropped enough to close visibility to within 50 yards at times.
“Little brother, let’s get the kids out of here.” “Lead on big brother.”
Now it wasn’t a total lose. My son and I did find where a bear had clawed a tree (at about eye level) next to a little watering hole. Later we had one vocalizing at us from a laurel thicket at about sixty yards away. I had to explain the sounds to my son, “he knows we’re here, but thinks we’re another bear.” “You are dad.”, he snickered. In spite of a swirling wind ending that encounter, He left the mountain tickled with what he’d experienced. On the way back down the four mile hike back to the truck, he admitted he may not quite be ready for a week of hunting in the mountains. And that he was ok with just deer hunting back home in the piedmont. You know – flatter ground.
Our, “little brother” and I, biggest concern was putting a sour taste of mountain hunting in the kid’s mouth. Even though they were happy with dry clothes, a warm seat, and later fast food; they both asked, “When are we coming back?” Yes sir…our future is bright.
Fast forward a week.
Three of us went up to set up camp the day before we would start hunting. Others would join us the next day, and some hoped to be in and out throughout the week.
After finishing camp set up in the dark and eating a burger and fries that were cold hours ago, we settled into our bed rolls. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to unplug from the world and just be.
The three of us were in no hurry to get up the next morning. In fact it was the first time I could remember getting up after six in a long while. After a bit of breakfast and a cup of coffee, we grabbed bows and started shooting. It wasn’t long when “little brother” pulled into camp. After reviewing maps and several wise cracks about my coffee, we planned the hunt for the remainder of the day. JJ (little brother) paddled a canoe to the back of the lake and planned to set a stand for when his son got to camp later in the week.
Because of seeing seven bears in three day last season, Allan and Daniel headed up to a group of apple trees on the mountain top south of camp. I headed across the mountain where we had taken the kids the week prior. It ended up being a good call. I went about a mile and half across the mountain and hit a power line access and turned up the mountain. I was just about to the top on a slight flat and spotted my first bear. I could tell it was a large boar and he had no idea I was there. The problem came in trying to close the fifty yard distance on a forest floor of what sounded like you were walking on potato chips. The bear never figured out he wasn’t alone, and continued his evening stroll. I got to the top of the mountain stopped to make use of the only cell phone reception and checked in with my wife.
I had the idea of quickly making my way back to pass at the top of a gap I had come through where several trails crossed and the bears used heavily. I did taken a few minutes to marvel in my surroundings and looked across and wondered how Allan and Daniel were doing. I could see where they would have crossed the power line on the next mountain over.
As I made my way back to the gap I crossed back under the powerline. Just as I cleared the access and stepped into the woods again…there stood a second bear. It was a bit darker in the thick woods than I had anticipated it being. I guess I took too long marveling up top. The bear took a few steps towards me before spotting me. The bear turned broadside at twenty yards but gave me enough time to nock and arrow. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time or light to see the only twig hanging from a branch I was shooting under. I know that I’m not the only bowhunter out there that still can’t handle the sight of an arrow in midflight make an abrupt upward right turn before getting to its intended destination. At that point I stood there catching flies with my mouth and watched the bear disappear into the wood below the trail. I just stood there and laughed at it all for a few minutes shaking my head at myself.
With enough moon light now to see, I began making my way back to camp. After walking about a quarter mile or so I realized where I was exactly….the pass at the head of gap. “I need to turn a light on.”, I told myself. I get my headlamp out of my pack, get it on my head, and turn it on. To my surprise when I looked up the trail, at less than thirty yards, there were three sets of eyes shining back at me ahead of black shadows. “HEY BEAR” “HEY BEAR” All I could do is make my self known. So I proceeded to walk over and hope they moved off. When they did bolt off, I heard in the dark crashing right below me moving in my direction that changed into clawing of a tree. I could also hear a single animal moving away across to the next ridge. I found myself standing at the base of a tree looking up at two sixty to seventy pound cubs that were more shook-p about what just happened than I was.
I got back to camp and told the others about my evening as I started supper. JJ had paddled back across the lake and took a picture of the last bit of sun light. He was pleased at not realizing he’d left the flash on.
Allan and Daniel found old sign and decided on a different game plan for the next day. After the second day of coming back to camp and listening to me having encounters with more bears, they gave up on the stand and began putting in the miles. Over the next few days it was about the same story. we’d locate bears but just couldn’t file a tag. We didn’t even get another opportunity to loose an arrow. Either they stay just out of range or they realize they don’t want to play this game.
Later in the week, Allan wanted to go with me. He and Daniel wanted to see some new areas so away we went. Daniel dropped off a ridge I had pointed out on the maps that had cherry tree groves on one side. Allan and I headed farther back across the mountain. We found two bears feeding in a draw. I was trying so hard to get him on the second bear, I lost the opportunity to take a shot at the closer bear he couldn’t see. The image of that pumpkin headed bear coming over the fallen logs and stepping just into range…it’s not meat, but that it is my trophy. That is the most beautify bear I ever seen. Well over four hundred pounds with the most brilliant tan muzzle. You couldn’t paint a prettier bear.
Allan was amazed that as the two bears left, they never made a sound.
Friday was a wash. The weather mimicked the Saturday JJ and I had the kids up. Cold, windy, and rain.
Low forties temps and thirty mile per hour winds aren’t great for bear hunting….BUT its fish able.
Remember the trout stream. Allan and Daniel left that morning, something about Daniel’s sister planning a wedding the same week of our hunting trip bothered him terribly. JJ had a thing to do on Wednesday and got back to camp Thursday morning with his son in toe. I almost hate to admit the boy outshot all of us at camp, but he deserves the pat on the back.
Another brother Chris got to camp Tuesday morning around two in the morning, and had had a couple bear sightings as well. He had setup a pop-up blind on a flat loaded with acorns and fresh deer sign. He hunted Friday as he had a means to get out of the weather. He still didn’t see anything though.
JJ, Jameson, and I slid into our waders and headed down the mountain in search of finned supper. We keep enough for a meal and put several back for the next trip.
That meal was the best of the trip. We still haven’t decided if it was the trout over the open fire, or sitting under a tarp around the fire as the wind drove the rain on our camp though the just above thirty degree air.
We were awakened by the drumming of sleet falling on the tent. We hesitated to force ourselves out of our warm bed rolls and put a start to the last day of the hunt. We agreed to break camp and hunt the area I had been seeing the most bears. We got up as I made breakfast the others began packing. JJ and Jameson went to the back of the lake to retrieve their stand. Chris and I loaded the last of the gear about the time they got back. Chris headed home and JJ and Jameson followed me for one last evening hunt.
JJ got Jameson in a stand between two main trails at the pass I had run into the sow and cubs. We had found more fresh sign there. JJ after getting the young man settled would go up top and follow a trail that lead back along the ridge above camp. He would circle back across country to get Jameson at dark.
I moved off to a long flat ridge I knew had acorns and cherries. I had the blessing of the rain the day and night before as it had transformed the leaf covered ground into a plush carpet of gold, yellow, orange, and red. The sky opened of and the sun warmed the air to just not needing a coat. The wind had not completely died down, but it was blew in a constant direction that provided a favorable cross wind for me to hunt the flat ridge. I slipped through the timber and with a couple of hours left in this hunt, I found myself almost at hand shaking distance from a nice young buck. I let one more arrow fly and thanked him and the Lord.
It wasn’t the finish to a bear hunt that I had planned, BUT…
After encountering ten different bears, two turkeys at 15 yards, a dozen or so deer, catching browns and rainbows, sleeping in one of my favorite places for a week, fellowshipping with my brother, and watching a the fall colors paint the mountain sides….I headed back down the mountain one more time, and gave thanks and sang to the Lord of all creation.
And yes…I was singing.
Oh, one more thing…
please over look JJ’s bow in the canoe, I’m still working on him. LOL
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