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Grin and Bear it: The wait

19 Sep

Each season we spend several hundred hours planning, baiting and preparing our hunters for the prospect of harvesting a bear.  Each season we meet new hunters that are ready and eager to harvest that said bear and every season we meet some that are in for a wait.

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Understanding that bear are as individual as people will give a hunter more perspective into what to expect.  I have commonly met new hunters that assume that just because there has been food placed daily for a couple of weeks ahead of time daily, that predicting when a large sow or boar will come in to take and they will go and sit for that time……WRONG!

Being that our baits generally carry multiples, the pattern of ‘hits’ (baits being opened and emptied) can vary.  Smaller bear can come in and hijack a small mouthful in an attempt to get a treat before the larger, more dominant animal appears.  The larger bear may feed less than daily and come every second or third day and yet another wrench can be thrown in with a travelling sow and cub or cubs.  That sow and cub(s) can travel the distance of several baits and interrupt many which in turn will throw off any marked pattern that may have been occurring up until this point and leave a hunter scratching his or her head.

Natural bait stand

Weather is another factor that can throw off the pattern of hit times and during the latter part of August and into September, the wind is prone to several directional changes per day and variations of warm, cool and wet days that can play havoc with a bear’s daily movements.

Pair all of this together and now add the moon phases.  As the moon fills, the night time light becomes more prevalent and allows for easier visibility in those later hours and no hunters in the trees.  With all of these factors stacked against a hunter, it soon becomes apparent that this is still a hunt and outsmarting your prey and putting in your time may be necessary.

moonphase

Don’t get me wrong, we have had bears taken from baits while stands were still being set in the trees but on the flip side we also get those hunters that take their bear on the last day, last hour and last minute of the hunt.  All factors are variables that play into the outcome of an overall hunt.

The moral is be prepared to sit your stand from as legally early to as legally late as possible.  You are dealing with animals that don’t rely on stats or patterns the way we put weight on them.  These animals need to fill their basic instincts when the time suits them and not when it suits us.

You need to ask yourself before taking on such a challenging hunt….is this bear worth the wait?

bearstand

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Posted by on September 19, 2013 in black bear, hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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On Target: How to make your own arrows

17 Sep

While doing some of my own research, I came across a fantastic article for all of you archers out there that have wondered about manufacturing your own arrows.

This article is reproduced from Edersbows.com, take some time to check them out 🙂 

arrows

Building your own arrows allows you to save about 5 to 1 0 dollars per dozen, but there’s an even better reason for building your own. You can experiment with all the components, with the various fletching styles and shaft sizes until you find the perfect arrow for your bow and your hunting or 3-D shooting requirements.

Building arrows is easy and fun, not to mention the satisfaction you’ll gain from taking game with arrows you’ve crafted yourself. Anyone can do it – and do it well. Armed with only a few basic tools and the information offered here, you’ll have no problem turning raw shafts into top-quality hunting arrows.

Nock Installation

nock
Year’s ago nocks were all glued on, now most arrows offer pressure-fit nocks that fit snugly but are turnable. Tunable nocks are definitely the way to go. These systems will make tuning a lot easier, and they hold up to more hard shooting than will glue-on nocks.

Assuming you aren’t going to paint (crest) your arrows, nock installation is the first step in the arrow building process. Use hot melt glue or epoxy when installing bushings into aluminum. When installing them in (or over) carbon shafts, use a rubber-based epoxy such as that available from Beman or Arizona Archery Enterprises (AAE).

Regular glue-on nocks should be pressed firmly into place (without glue) until after the fletching has been attached. When the arrow is finished you can rotate the nocks to the proper orientation so the fletching clears your rest and then glue them in place. Bohning Fletch- Tite works fine for this.

Apply The Fletching

fletching
You need a fletching jig, but it doesn’t have to be fancy. I’ve had good luck with the $20 plastic Martin jig I bought more than 10 years ago. Other good ones are made by Bohning, Bitzenburger and Grayling. You have three clamp options: left helical, right helical and straight

(no helical). For hunting and 3-D shooting, right helical is the most popular choice. If you’ll be using feathers, make sure to order feathers from the same wing as the clamp (right helical takes right wing). Vanes are manufactured straight and can be used with any clamp, so you don’t have to specify left or right when ordering.

One of the best fletching adhesive I’ve used for vanes is Fast-Set Gel made by AAE. This is a super-glue product that sets up in only 10 seconds allowing you to use a single-clamp jig and still fletch a dozen arrows in mere minutes. Fast-Set Gel will work on all shaft styles except AFC’s film-dipped carbon arrows, which require a traditional cement such as Bohning’s Fletch-Tite. Of course, Fletch-Tite will also work on aluminum arrows but takes about 10 minutes per fletching to set-up before you can remove the clamp. Fletch-Tite is still the best choice for feather fletching, however.

Place your fletching in the clamp so that its back edge will be about 3/4 inch ahead of the nock taper or nock bushing on your arrow. Adjust the back of the magnet on your jig (the magnet holds the clamp in place while the glue dries) inward or outward until the tail of the fletching sits squarely on top of the arrow. Next, adjust the forward end of the magnet to achieve the desired amount of helical. Easton’s technical representatives recommend four to five degrees of helical. I use a bit more myself – probably closer to seven degrees – but this is only on large diameter aluminum arrows. On smaller diameter carbon arrows I stay closer to Easton’s standard.

When using a straight clamp, (as opposed to a helical clamp) you don’t have as much lee-way and must either install your fletching perfectly straight or with a very slight off-set.

After your fletching is installed, apply a small dab of adhesive to both ends of each for a little added insurance against tearing loose.

You have more freedom to experiment with your fletching style and degree of helical than with any other aspect of arrow building, but it’s still best to observe a few general ground-rules. When making aluminum arrows for hunting, stick with four to five inch fletching. Five inch is a bit better because (in theory at least) it offers a small amount of added stability which can make a difference when shooting broadheads.

Carbon arrows, because of their smaller diameter, work best with shorter fletching (four inch is a good starting point) or you can run into a contact problem when trying to pass long helical fletching through the narrow gap in your rest. You can also experiment with various fletching orientations, such as 70/110 degree four-fletch, (you make this change by inserting a different indexing template into your fletching jig). But the basic 120 degree, three-fletch will do just fine under almost every shooting situation.

Cutting Arrows To Length
Draw an arrow and have someone mark it about a half to 3/4 inch in front of the rest. Cutting arrows is easy with the right equipment, but with the wrong equipment it can be a real headache. For limited quantities of aluminum arrows you can get by with a small rotating pipe cutter. I’ve done it a few times, but I’ve also made some pretty rough cuts, and basically ruined some arrows, in the process. You’re far better off pooling your money with a couple of buddies and getting an electric cut-off tool. You can also take your arrows to a pro shop (that’s equipped with an electric cut-off tool) to have them sized – usually for a price.

Installing Inserts and Outserts
Inserts and outserts (outserts are used with some types of carbon arrows) shouldn’t be taken for granted. Consistent accuracy with broadheads can be difficult to achieve when these components fit loosely. Inserts and outserts should install without any free-play. Usually you don’t have too many options with outserts – you get what the arrow maker offers – but you do have options with inserts. I’ve had good luck with aluminum inserts from Easton and Saunders and composite inserts from AAE. Inserts should have a light press-fit with the inside of the shaft so that each broadhead you screw in will line up perfectly with the shaft.

Aluminum inserts used in aluminum or ACC carbon arrows should be installed with hot-melt glue. Composite inserts in aluminum work best with a rubber-based epoxy, and the same applies for aluminum into carbon (Beman ICS or Gold Tip Graphite XT arrows) or when installing metal outserts on conventional all-carbon shafts. When you’re finished you can install a broadhead and spin test your arrows to make sure the inserts are properly aligned.

Take some time to visit http://www.eders.com/ to view their catalogue of parts and equiptment to assist you in your build.

lead_materials

Armed with the information above, you could now have a weekend hobby 🙂

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Posted by on September 17, 2013 in bow hunting, hunting equipment, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Bear Down! Down in 4 hours…time for a dish to celebrate!

15 Sep

bearroastHibernating Bear with Black Magic Sauce
2 – 3 # bear roast (depending on the size of your crock-pot)
Brown well on all sides. Place in crock-pot with a cup or so of water and salt & pepper. Cook on Hi for 3-4 hours.

Turn down to Lo. Add potatoes and carrots in large cubes. Add more water if necessary. Cook another 3-4 hours. Don’t lift the lid any oftener than necessary. Remember, he’s sleeping!

Serve the following on the side or skip the veggies and add to the roast when you turn down the heat. If you decide to add to the roast, don’t add more water to it as you might if you are going to add veggies.

Black Magic Sauce
Sauté:
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 T butter
Add and simmer 4 minutes
1/2 C cabernet
Add and simmer 5 minutes
1 tsp salt
1 – 2 tsp pepper
1/1/2 tsp dry mustard
3 packed T brown sugar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
11/2 T lemon juice
1 C prepared brown gravy

potatoes

 
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Posted by on September 15, 2013 in black bear, recipe, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Bears down! The bear highway

11 Sep

So as promised, we figured we would share the details of both Dave and Tim’s hunts!

I cant go without saying that this year’s batch of hunters fortitude has been tested over and over.  With weather that seems to be taunting them by cold raining one day and jumping to 80+ degrees and sunny the next, these guys have been putting in the hours and time after time have in most cases been rewarded.

On Saturday, Dave, Tim and Jason made the long drive up from Iowa to try their best to outsmart a couple bruin and get a day or two of fishing in.  Optimism high and clouds beginning to hang low, the stands began to be assembled for the drive to the baits.

Each man had a different weapon but all agreed that failure was not an option.  The first day was a shorter than normal sit of only 4 hours and all were thankful that it was a restful sit as they had a long drive before and had sat long enough 🙂

The men arrived back in camp late after a dark trip through the woods.  Dave was ecstatic to let me know that his bait had proven effective and he had spotted an average sized bear that he had decided to pass on and Tim and Jason both had heard but not spotted activity.

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The next day, the three went out, excitement and weapons in hand.  The weather had cooled down and was determined to hold that mercury low for the day.  The boys had layered and knew it would be a good, long, cool day.  The day wore on for us here at the lodge as we completed one task after another waiting for the telltale early truck arrival signalling a downed bear.  As we waited and watched, the clock ticked on.  The sun had already set and the boys were already 30 minutes passed the expected arrival.  We would give them 30 more minutes before setting out to ‘track’ our hunters.  As the minutes dragged on, I had begun to assemble my gear, ready for the drive out with Terry.

At 11:20 pm, a set of headlights pulled through the trees and the truck slowed to a stop in front of my door.  I emerged to a truck full of smiles, not only had Dave taken his boar of 368lb glory, but Tim had taken his as well!!

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As we iced the bears down for the night, I had the chance to go over the hunt with both hunters, as a returning hunter to Wawang, Dave was so excited to tell me about all the bears he saw on ‘the bear highway’ today.  He couldn’t help but beam when he told me about the sow and cubs that came for two visits that day as well as the mid sizer that came in between.  He said that with all the action on the bait, it was very simple to decipher the size of his boar.  He was clear that it had trumped everything else that had come for a visit and was so proud to share the pictures.  “There were just bear everywhere I looked!” he repeated.

Natural bait stand

 

Smiles all around, Tim spoke up about his hunt and was proud of his harvest, though it wasn’t as big a bear as Dave’s, the tell white half chevron of white on the chest that made a winking emoticon made it very simple for me to dub this boy ‘Winky’ .  Both had prime hides and will make for not only fantastic stories but beautiful mounts to be enjoyed for year after year.

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Jason was so proud of both of his hunting buddies and is determined to add to the celebration list so stay tuned!!!

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2013 in black bear, hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Bear Down! Just saw him for a Smidge

07 Sep

There once was a man named Randy
who had harvested some bears that were dandy

He came to Wawang to keep up the trend
but Mother Nature had bested him in the end.

Three days in his stand, weapon in hand steady
he knew he was more than ready

He had one day spotted a monster and and waited
The bear sensed him too and hesitated.

As he ambled on, Randy knew that chance had gone
but soon the hunt would be done.

The next day he spotted a wee bear on the road ridge
who Randy himself knew was just a smidge

As he climbed his stand that final day
All reservations had melted away

A bear was now in his site
looked like it put up no fight.

But as the shot rang out from the ridge,
it caused him to twinge
As he soon came to realize he had taken Smidge!

Sense of humour in hand
we all knew you would be his fan
Smidge and Randy smiled for pictures as only they can!

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Posted by on September 7, 2013 in black bear, hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Bear Down! The legend of Squeekules.

05 Sep

It often amazes me what people do in their stands while in wait.  Some nap, some eat, some even make shadow puppets….not Jamie, nope not Jamie.

Jamie’s hunt began just like everyone elses, with optimism and excitement.  He knew what he was waiting for and he was prepared for what to do when it got there…..boy did it take its time!!

As he sat scanning the forest around him for any sign of movement, he spotted something from the corner of his eye.  I little red squirrel was climbing down the tree that was just six inches from his left.  Slowly this little red fellow crept while keeping a watchful eye on Jamie.  He made his way slowly onto the branch directly by his face and looked him in the eye.  Jamie gave little notice at first until he realized that this critter wasn’t leaving…he was perfectly happy to size up this human that was hanging around one of ‘his’ trees!

squeek

There they both sat in silence for a minute or two looking eye to eye, sizing each other up.  Finally Squeekules retreated and carried on down his tree to visit the forest floor.  He scurried around the moss and even over to the bait to check out its bounty.  Jamie watched as the little red fellow ran from one log to another and halfway up one tree and down to the next.  It amazed him that his new buddy was always in view.  It was really nice to have a distraction while waiting for his prey.

As the day came to a close and not a bear had been spotted, Jamie retreated down his tree to the sound of Squeekules chattering him a good bye.

squeek2

The next day started much the same with that slow climb and area inspection.  It didn’t take long for his little buddy to return and fill him in on the mornings events.  There the unlikely pair sat, looking at the bait and scanning the horizon.  The clouds started to close over and the winds picked up.  As the cold rain began to fall, with one last look, Squeekules climbed his tree to find some dry cover.  Jamie wasn’t so lucky.  There he sat in the rain as the temperatures dropped faster and faster.  It was cold and dark but he sat vigilant.  By the end of the day, he was cold, wet and it had appeared that the bear had won again.  He climbed down his stand and made his way out thinking about the time that he had spent up in that tree and his optimism was beginning to wane.  Would it be just as cold tomorrow?

As the sun rose the third morning of the hunt, the temperature was still crisp and those mid forty chills were setting in.  As he dressed for his hopefully short day in the stand, Jamie decided that he would change his weapon of choice.  Retired was his bow and up next was his muzzle loader.  He wanted to ensure that he would have a longer range if so much as one black ear made an appearance.

He made his way to his familiar perch and was happy to see that little Squeekules had already arrived.  There they both sat for a couple of minutes scanning the horizon for any sign of interruption.  The bait had not been hit and the area seemed quiet to any noise other than the rattle of the leaves.  Squeekules gave one last look before heading out for his morning routines.  Jamie sat in wait, the day stretching on.  He could see the little critter bouncing from one tree to the next and back again.  He seemed to be circling the bait and climbing the trees only to come back down again.    As Jamie stood to stretch his legs, here came Squeek, right up his tree and right beside him.  He seemed to just be checking in and making sure Jamie wasnt leaving his post and as Jamie sat again, that little squirrel jumped right onto his leg and ran down back to the bark of the tree!  Boy this little buddy was getting bold.

squeek3

The day was dragging on and his friend had decided to take up space all over Jamie’s tree.  He would leave to take care of his tasks and return to keep Jamie company, at times right behind his head and even right behind his back and against the tree.  The company was welcomed and the stand was becoming more bearable.

As his attention began to wane from his bait, Jamie began to search for his camera.  He desperately was hoping to catch a picture of his new friend.  As he shuffled through his bag, Squeek had began to make his way back to his tree and climbed up halfway up only to be interrupted.  Something was there….it was close and the squirrel knew it.  As Jamie’s attention was focused on that camera, Squeekules had run to the east side of the bait.  He made his way halfway up the tree and sat firm on a branch watching the trail.  Suddenly his tail stood firm and Squeek gripped his tree as he let out a loud chattering war cry.  Jamie looked to his direction and there it was….

angry squeek

That bear ambled in slowly but determined directly below Squeek.  That squirrel stayed braced to the branch and looked to Jamie for acknowledgement.  The two friends knew that the time had come.  The bruin was within range of the bait and began to deviate directly toward Jamie’s tree!  With a knowing look to the branches, Jamie’s eyes met those of this boar, its massive head making those beady eyes look even more pointed.  His hands held steady on his gun as the bear slowly turned and began back to the bait.  He had decided that Jamie was not a threat and his need for a snack was much more pressing.

A shot rang out and Squeek made a hasty retreat as that bear took its final breath.  That was it, the hunt was over and Jamie was proud of his 450lb harvest.  As Jamie brought his bear back and spoke of the hunt, it seemed that the hunt itself was a minor detail in the story of his unlikely friendship with a little red warrior that spent his days keeping him company and making that wait BEARable!

WOW what a paw!
446lb monster!

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Posted by on September 5, 2013 in black bear, hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Bull-In the Rut

03 Sep

Understanding the Moose Rut

Once you understand the moose rut, you will have a much better chance of finding moose. During the moose-rutting season moose are found in different areas than other parts of the seasons.

What Season Is the Rut?

Typically the peak of the rutting season for moose is the first two weeks of October. This is only an average though. The further north in the hemisphere you travel the earlier in the season the rut happens and the opposite is true for going south.

There are of course always exceptions to the rule, but for the most part early October will be the peak. Some have hunted in early September and been able to call bull moose in using and estrous cow moose calls in an area that I know the peak rut is October. There will always be some cow moose that will start ovulating early and of course a bull moose that hears the yearning calls of a cow moose in estrous will investigate, and may even vocalize his approach.

Where do the Moose Go During the Rut?

We have been asked many times where do the moose go during the rut? Hunters have been out pre-rut scouting and located the moose. Once the season has arrived they return to where they found the moose and cannot find any! Why?

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Before the bull moose go into rut, they are usually found in the higher elevation areas. They will seek out cooler and thicker areas of the forest, higher in elevation trying to escape insects and predators.

Cow moose and their calves on the other hand will stay in the lowlands near water. The cows seek out water for two main reasons… food and safety. Calves are vulnerable, especially to wolves and bears. A cow with calf will use the water as an escape when threatened by predators. Sure the insects will be more bother but the safety of water will outweigh this.

When the moose rut begins and likely for a few weeks before the beginning of the cow moose estrous the bulls will move down out of the higher elevations to seek out the cows. The bulls will stay in the lower and wetter areas within proximity of the cows with hope of getting the breeding done. As the rut winds down the bull moose will once again move back to the higher elevations.

This migration makes for a sometimes elusive hunt.  Scan the area and look for all sign and be prepared for one exhilarating experience!

Join us next time for what to do when you spot your moose!!

 
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Posted by on September 3, 2013 in hunting, moose, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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The season is inching closer!

12 Aug

Welcome to the first installment of On Target!  I am excited to share some great tips, tricks, tactics and products to take your hunting experience mentally and physically to the next level!

The purpose of this blog is not only to revisit age old information but introduce new up and coming trends, products and practices that will help you increase your chances of a fun, safe and effective harvest.

Times have changed and has ushered in a wider array of choices, weapons and products that can truly enhance your outdoor experience!

My information will mainly focus on tactics for trophy bear, moose, wolf and bagging limits of grouse but will expand its horizons to sharing new products and tactics that can be used across a much broader spectrum of species.

I reside at Wawang Lake Resort which is nestled deep in the North Western Ontario boreal forest.

I am an angler, trapper and hunter and living in this remote area and meeting so many people each year has enhanced not only my practices but my success as well!

I will do my best to not only acquaint you with knowledge passed on through various sources but I will also share the secrets of our little hunting corner of heaven.

This area is rich in lush habitat that effectively sustains a bumper crop of large bruin (bear), moose, wolves and various small animals such as grouse and rabbit which makes the hands on experience truly accessible and at my doorstep!

hunting

Wawang Country has long been renowned for the dense coverage while still having easily accessible road ways.  Having both promotes not only great cut overs for drawing in moose and roads for easily spotting grouse, it also boasts areas of gorgeous canopy cover for effective tree stands and natural bear baiting stations.  Yes, our area is the best of all possibilities!

Feel free to participate in this blog by asking questions, making suggestions and also sharing other tips that you may have as well!

Keep your eyes peeled and your gear ready to go….it’s going to get a little rustic around here!

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Posted by on August 12, 2013 in hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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