Spring Black Bear Hunt

I just got back from my first black bear hunt in Canada. It was a hunting trip that will stay with me for the rest for my life. This trip was the most intense, and unnerving experiences I have ever had. I arrived at camp in Brunswick Canada on a Sunday night and was in the tree stand early the next morning. My open tree stand was only 7 feet off the ground, and the bears bait can only 14 yards away. This is what we call "nerve hunting" up close and personal! I saw no bears on the first and second day of hunting this zone. I was completely alone about 10 miles from camp in the deep woods. But my wait was worth it. On the 3rd day, in the early evening at about 4:30 PM, a black bear came out of no were silently from my right hand side. The bear started to eat some of the bait for what seemed like 5 minuets. I thought the bear looked a little small and wanted to bag a bigger one so I decided to let it go. After about 10 minuets of watching the bear eat, it stopped, got up on its hinder legs and started to sniff around. Then the bear started to walk right towards me! Next thing I know, the bear was sitting directly underneath me!  At this point I was thinking about all the bear hunting magazines and books I read and remembered that it is not unusual for bears to clime into tree stands with hunters. I started to get nervous. I did not know if the bear knew I was their or not. I nervously watched the bear sitting and sniffing right underneath me for about 5 minuets, then out of no were it ran off. I knew what that meant, a bigger bear was on the way. Sure enough about 2 minuets latter, the biggest bear I have EVER seen came out of the same direction the bear started to eat the bait, I shouldered my Ruger 300 Win Mag and BLAM! The bear went right down. Shortly after I shot him, he let out a load roar that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! The bear weighed in at 600 lbs, the largest taken in that zone in 5 years! 

Article From Tracker Outdoors
www.tracker-outdoors.com