Predator Called Spring Bear - The Anomaly

[kidso]

Here is my story...affectionately called "The Anomaly."

 

Well, let me begin by stating that I love to call in bears using hand predator calls. It is my passion, and I have enjoyed this form of hunting for the past two decades. I have called in some 20 plus bears during this haul, but had NEVER called in an early season spring bear before…until yesterday. I had always assumed that these bears emerging from hibernation were more interested in consuming grasses than chasing down wounded mammals, as my calling experiences had repeatedly attested. However, yesterday’s actions destroyed this predictable pattern.

 

The odyssey began on Friday after work as I raced up to unit 3C to set up a trail camera on a water hole that I had located on Google Earth. I wanted to gather data to determine if this would be a suitable spot to sit water for bears in June after my school let out and the air temperatures rose above 100 degrees in the area.

 

Saturday, before sunrise, I met up with a new hunting buddy to select a location for another trail camera and to cold-call some of the numerous shallow canyons in the unit for bear. Stand one started at sunrise and went longer than an hour with no favorable response. Stand two, was a repeat of stand one, and I began to sense the disappointment in my buddy’s disposition. I explained that calling for bear is a lot like fishing. If your cast your line in the water and don’t receive a strike, you reel in your line, move to another spot, and cast again. It’s a numbers game. The more stands you call, the more likely you are to call in a bear.

 

So we moved again and started stand three, which also was a big zero. Stand four brought in a grey fox who began cursing us with its eerie bark after circling behind us and picking up our human scent. Although this event got us excited, I had to provide a reality check and explained that these canyons had little to no feed for bears and most bears in the area were probably still denned up, due to the freezing night temperatures in the area. Nonetheless, I explained my belief that if a bear hears the call, it will come, at least in the fall, and at least until it smells you or loses interest in the wailing chorus that initially enticed it.

 

Stand five was made around noon. Most predator callers quit around this time and hold off calling again until later on in the afternoon or early evening. But, I’ve never really embraced that afternoon tradition, so we continued to move from canyon to canyon casting our proverbial fishing lines into the waters.

 

Stand six was a goose egg. Stand seven proved no better. Stand eight began around 3:00 in the afternoon. Did I mention that this was probably the hottest time of the day? Stand eight, had little to nothing in its favor, other than the fact that it’s canyon actually had a few oak trees in it which could prove useful later on in a fall bear hunt. Stand eight was also that late-in-the-afternoon-hunt when you question if exercising in an air conditioned gym would be more rewarding than sweating and losing weight on a steep remote hillside. It tries your faith and dedication as a caller.

Stand eight found me propped up against a long burned out tree trunk, a left over remnant from the largest wildfire that ever plagued Arizona and even threatened the town of Show Low for a while. I was so nonchalant at this point in the day, that I didn’t even secure my mechanical release to the D-loop on my bowstring before settling in to call. In addition, for the first time in the day, I separated myself from my buddy to the point that we actually had no eye contact with one another. And I began to call. No different than before, just a symphony of sadness that truly is music to the accustomed ears.

 

About 15 minutes into the stand, I looked up to my left and saw this this black bear at 15 yards slinking directly towards me. I didn’t have time to wonder why my buddy hadn’t alerted me to the presence of this bear, since he had been watching it approach for the past 100 yards. Wait a second!! He couldn’t alert me because I had set myself up in a position where it was impossible for him to see me or communicate with me!! (Note to self: read Chapter 6 in Predator Calling for Dummies: Safety Concerns).

 

Time slowed down to a trickle. I tried to secure my release to my bowstring at least four times before it finally grabbed on. During those precious moments, I never looked up towards the bear but continued to blow on my call which was now hanging loosely from my mouth like an over-ripened fruit about to fall from a tree branch. I lifted my bow and drew back to my anchor point in one fluid motion and looked straight at the bear through my peep sight. A blind bear could have seen that movement with nothing between him and I other than a now-meager 10 yards of forest soil. But, that is exactly what I was counting on. The bear saw the movement, which caused him to turn broadside as he prepared to flee the trap. And that is when I softly touched my release, which sent an arrow passing completing through the bear just behind the front leg in he the sweet spot.

 

The hunt was now on!! We heard the bear crashing down the hillside into the canyon bottom and then…it turned and headed south!! I crossed my fingers, hoping it wouldn’t go too far south. We waited a full 20 minutes before deciding that we had to start tracking the bear to see how far south it had traveled. We moved incredibly slow as we tracked the pitifully small blood sign that exuded out from each side of the bear. The bear’s fur was so thick, having recently awoken from its winter nap, that it effectively soaked up nearly all of its leaking blood better than a Super Brawny paper towel! Thus, we had an extremely scarce blood trail to follow. Nonetheless, we were able to track the bear into the canyon bottom and southward from that point. Southward, all the way to the barbed-wire fence marking the boundary of the White Mountain Apache Tribe Reservation. Southward, to safety. Southward, to freedom. Southward, to its final resting spot. Southward, rest in peace, my friend.

[Gr8 White Jr]

Kidso, that was an excellent write-up! I really enjoyed reading it and felt like I was right there with you in all the excitement. Congrats on successfully calling in a spring bear and getting an arrow in him. I really feel for you not being able to continue on the blood trail to recover your bear. I'm not sure what kind of cooperation you would have received but did you try to contact the tribal G&F to see if they would let you recover your bear?

 

-Tracy

[bonecollector]

I too enjoyed the story and felt as I was sitting next to you the whole time. That is too bad the bear couldnt go down before he reached that fence. Congrats on successfully calling in a spring bear.

[DesertBull]

Call the Rez. They might let you try to find it or even accompany you never hurts to ask. Maybe one of the tribal members could tag it for you and haul back to the fence line.

[Couzer]

Dane Keith that is my worst nightmare having your animal go over the fence. Great job on calling a Bear in, something I dream of doing some day.

[AZLance]

Kidso, your hard work and passion for bears is to be desired!

[kidso]

Call the Rez. They might let you try to find it or even accompany you never hurts to ask. Maybe one of the tribal members could tag it for you and haul back to the fence line.

 

 

Great story Keith... sorry about the circumstances. Question though... what would've been the harm/penalty in crossing the fence to retrieve the bear. I'm not familiar with this reservation and their rules but man... for a bear It would be tough to not just cross and keep searching. I cant imagine the tribe would object if you asked them... but again not familiar with them. Or maybe hiring one of their guys to go along if they feel the need to supervise.

 

Again, awesome write up and way to stay at it. Just curious on the outcome.

 

I thought about all these possibilites, and although it was a sweet hit, the blood sign on the ground was scarce as it was absorbed by the bear's thick hair. Thus, it would require bear dogs to finish the deal and I figured tribal G&F would not be open on Sunday, and all the meat and hide would be spoiled and slipping by Monday even if such a party could be organized with dogs and handlers. Without being able to save the meat and hide, I decided there was no point in pursuing the issue. However, I may ask, just to gain knowledge for future reference. By the way, a little bird did follow the bear onto the rez, just to make sure it hadn't expired "just around the bend."

[bowhuntaz1]

BIG CONGRATS on calling in the bear. Big Crap about not being able to go get it...

[sniper]

Awesome Kidso! Another great story. Terrible ending though. I wish it would have worked out better! Great job on the hand call.

[tjhunt2]

Keith, I know how passionate you are about bear hunting. I loved your story and also know you put your heart and soul into this hunt. It saddens me to hear the outcome just because I know how hurt you are feeling my friend. Those of us who have archery hunted for years all know exactly what you are going thru. Thanks for sharing your heart breaking experience with us. If that bear died I hope it's a boar and it's spirit not be dead but lives on in the bears it's bred.

 

TJ

[Santana Outdoors]

Go north young man, go north!! Wow that is a tragedy! But what an awesome story, and what a thrill to be able to do that, thank you for sharing with us. Thats incredible.

[kidso]

I called the WMAT Fish and Game today and explained the situation with my bear. They were total professionals and great ambassadors for their soverign nation. They have an agreement with the state to allow hunters to retrieve game legally struck on state lands that cross into their jurisdiction. However, call the tribe first and a game officer will meet you at the location where the event occurred so you can show that the game was hit on state land first. They will accompany you and help you retrieve your wounded game. Great information for future hunts!! Great tribe!!

[JLW]

great write!

you are the man for callin bears!

sorry he wasn't recovered!

 

James

[Mocha1545]

Great write up and follow up on the WMAT. Class acts on both sides of the fence.

[123456]

So..... Did you you go and claim your bear? Now that you know you are able too, I would fully expect you to take advantage of them allowing you to claim it.