CANADA: First Hunt In Canada

[ActionBob]

I was up there in ‘87 hunting grizzly and black bear on the Simonette River and Smoky River.
Bob, where did you hunt?

If memory serves, around Fort St John.

 

[CAustin]

Yup, I do. Something to do with i-pad? I have wondered if it’s just me.

Yes I have tried to use my IPad and it will not work

 

[CAustin]

Folks the flight to Denver and then on to Edmonton was uneventful and that’s just how I like it. Can’t say much for the lunch United served but the flight was early and the cabin crew was nice.
Upon arrival in Canada the passport control area folks were very nice and they kindly directed me where to go for my firearms declaration. All the luggage came down but no bags for me. I stood around waiting and then another hunter pointed out that there was an oversized luggage belt around the corner. Sure enough there was my Pelican case and the Americase with rifle. So I saw a booth where one would pay fees and went there. Nice lady on that side commented on my fine white beard and then directed me around the corner. She needed paperwork from a customs agent first. Well I followed her directions and when I turned the corner I thought maybe I had landed in Zimbabwe again. There sat or stood about 30 people waiting to see a customs officer…..of which there was one! I quickly noticed that about 25 of these folks did not have firearms. It took awhile to find out that these people were fire fighters come from the states to help with wildfires in Alberta. Found out that there were some 65 fires burning. More on that issue later. After about ten minutes three more agents appeared and the process started to move a bit but the fire fighters were getting a lot of does and don’ts because of their limited employment time in Canada. I was next to last in line for a long time then another flight arrived an more people came in behind me, This took about one hour to get through but the lady who helped me was friendly and efficient. I went back to the booth and paid my $25 fee and the temporary permit was issued. Then it was off to the hotel for the first night.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Best of luck Charlie! Can’t wait to see a couple of nice bears and especially a WOLF! That would be awesome!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Best of luck, glad your new KC airport is open now. Can't possibly not be an improvement over the old one.

 

[CAustin]

Best of luck, glad your new KC airport is open now. Can't possibly not be an improvement over the old one.

The new one is pretty slick

 

[CAustin]

Arrival at camp took about a five hour drive after stopping for fuel, Walmart stuff and of course bourbon. My company on the ride were two hunters from Oklahoma. Their friend was in another vehicle. We would have 9 hunters in camp all together. Myself, the three guys from Oklahoma, three from Wisconsin and two from Palmer Alaska. Sherwood outfitters had set up a comfortable camp on the shore of lake Goodwin in which they placed a nice fishing boat.

Our sleeping arrangements were great with wood floored and sided tents. Sturdy but comfortable cots with an added foam pad to help insulate from the cold. No heaters as there was a fire ban in the entire Provence so having a borrowed high performance sleeping bag good down to 0 was a blessing. I still got cold so the camp loaned me an old fashioned twenty pound bag that I stuffed the other one inside and I was snug as a bug. Plenty of room in the tent as I had it all to myself. Outhouses were the order of the day but hot showers were available until the water tower collapsed and the outfitter had to go get a new tank, so no showers for a couple of days. They pumped water from the lake for showers and cleaning equipment of which there was a plenty. There was a central camp kitchen with a big table inside that would seat 14. Breakfast was at 8-9 and the main meal of the day was served at 2. Hot soups were served each night when hunters got back to camp which was often after midnight. We had electricity from generators and really wanted for nothing. Phone service was also available in the kitchen, aided by a booster. I counted three tractor trailer rigs that had hauled out everything including a 600 gallon fuel tank and another 200 gallon one for gasoline. Several propane tanks were next to the kitchen for the stove and oven as well as that wonderful hot water tank. One truck pulled in a refrigerated trailer where they had the food supplies. All in all a solid set up.

 

[lwaters]

Looks like a neat place Charlie.

 

[JimP]

There is something about a place where you can hunt until midnight under natural light

 

[CAustin]

So the main meal of the day was served at 2pm. All nine hunters in camp enjoyed the the meal and then our hosts described the general lay of the land. The camp is on lake Goodwin in an area referred to as Crown Land. Baiting areas which have been used for some 40 years stretch over 50 miles. So the camp was in approximately the center of the two zones the outfitter had use of….one south and one north. Loraine, camp administrator and cook, issued all of us our two bear tags which we were to keep with us. Then the lead guide explained what to shoot and not to shoot. Obviously females with small cubs were off limits so we were to make sure no cubs were about when shooting a suspected female. The description of a good male was as follows….1) big head with ears way out to the sides and not on top of the head like most females 2) short wide snout 3) crease running up the middle of the forehead 4) walks with a waddle side to side 5) standing next to 55 gallon drum if the back was above the second crease…good bear. If above the barrel even better bear.

 

[CAustin]

Looks like a neat place Charlie.

Yep it really is Lenny.

 

[CAustin]

There is something about a place where you can hunt until midnight under natural light

Sunset was at 9:30 and it was still light as late as say 10:30 unless you were deep in the woods. The sun was up at 5:30 but it was breaking light by 5 am.

 

[CAustin]

So that first day which was Sunday my guide takes me some 20 kilometers north of camp and we walk into a bait site which had been baited two days before. The barrel was down on its side and pushed down the hill a ways. So we open up a pop up blind and set a folding chair inside. Unfortunately this set up is in and incline which made for a difficult sit ….always have to shift weight up hill. My guide moved the barrel back up towards the blind and stopped about 15 yards away putting its rope around the base of a small tree. He went back to the truck retrieved two burlap sacks. The first one containing oats, hard candy, cookies and pork trimmings from a processing plant. This was placed inside the barrel and the lid was secured with a chain. The second bag contained the carcass of a skinned beaver which was tied to a tree just beyond the barrel at about eight feet.
Ok at this point I am all set for the evening and it is about 4 pm. Sitting there in the middle of nowhere I am now looking from side to side hoping to see movement. Four hours pass and it’s starting to cool down so I lean over to get my jacket…..remember the incline…..well my big butt goes sprawling over knocking the blind and chair over. I hear my rifle clank against the metal leg of the chair. I think at this point the hunt is over with all that noise. I set the blind and chair back up and sat down and got as comfortable as I could. I really didn’t think I would see anything for the rest of the day and my guide was to be back at 10pm. So I started making notes in my journal for the day. Occasionally I looked up in hopes of seeing a bear at the bait barrel or the tree with the beaver. Not a whole lot moving I thought. At 9:40 I looked up and down the trail to my right and got my first look at HIM! I knew from the moment I saw this rascal I was going to shoot him. He checked all the boxes the guides had given as characteristics of a big male.When he came along side the barrel his back was above the top. He quickly stood up with front paws on the barrel lid. I thought about shooting him then but was not positive about the vitals location in that position. But that problem was solved at once when he pulled the barrel over and got down behind it. There was also a fallen tree between the bear and my sitting position so a good clear shot would be difficult. It’s 9:50 now and I know my guide will be bake for me at about 10. The bear knows I am there but couldn’t care less as he is munching on a big hunk of rotten pork. I am not going to let this big fellow run away when he hears the truck so I decide to take the best shot given which is going to be in the neck. I point the trusty Ruger #1 in 375 H&H in his direction. It’s loaded with Federal 300 grain Swift AFrames. His head comes up and turns slightly to one side and BOOM. Bear flops flat on the ground. Against advice I get out of the blind to go check the bear. He is jerking a bit so I give him another 300 grain dose of AFram. Dead bear….Right there.

 

[JimP]

Sunset was at 9:30 and it was still light as late as say 10:30 unless you were deep in the woods. The sun was up at 5:30 but it was breaking light by 5 am.

I was hunting a Grizzly up in BC In 2012 at this time of year, sadly I didn't get one but I did get a black bear

 

[BRICKBURN]

Nice bear. Good call on the trophy judging.

 

[Fatback]

That’s an old pumpkin head for sure. Congrats on a fine bear. Looks like his hide was in real good shape as well.

 

[CAustin]

Nice bear. Good call on the trophy judging.

Thank you sir. This bear measured 7 feet 7 inches with a head of 19 and 13/16 inches. Those that helped move him said 400 pounds but the lead guide said over 350

 

[Shootist43]

Charlie, you had a fantastic hunt. Out of curiosity, how did the rest of the guys in camp make out?

 

[CAustin]

That’s an old pumpkin head for sure. Congrats on a fine bear. Looks like his hide was in real good shape as well.

Hide in excellent shape no rub marks.

 

[CAustin]

Charlie, you had a fantastic hunt. Out of curiosity, how did the rest of the guys in camp make out?

Of the 9 hunters five of us got two bears, three hunters got one and the final guy missed a couple of shots.