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Marissa Oaks
Bear Hunt |
Successful!
I had just read the email from the Utah DNR which stated that I was successful
for the 2011 premium archery bear tag for South Slope Diamond Mountain, Banaza
area. Looking out the window at the mounds of snow still on every ridge top, I
didn't think the spring hunt was going to happen. I had many thoughts roll
through my head about how to hunt with this tag. If the weather permitted my
options were to hunt off of bait in the spring, water holes in Aug. and the
opportunity to go with my cousin Josh Horrocks, a very accomplished hounds man.
With my premium tag, I had plenty of time to do all of the above so I decided
to devote my entire spring to hunting off of a registered bait. I pin pointed my bait site and with
coordinates mapped and paper work done I was ready for the work to begin. My
husband Beau'de and I decided on meat scrapes, maple syrup, oats, and vanilla
spray as our concoction. With the four wheeler loaded to capacity, Beau and I
headed out to build the bait site. A couple of hours of hard work, the crib,
trail camera, and tree stands hung, my excitement was over whelming. We could
not wait to come back in a few days to start my hunt. The next day the big
decision of what to wear! Yep, I know your thinking that's a womanly thing to say
but when the spring can't make it's mind up and decide rather it was going to
show sun, rain, or snow clothing options are critical. Always better to be safe
then sorry so with woollies in the truck, rain gear in my pack, and layers of
everything else we headed out to sit for the first night. The bait had been
hit. I was completely shaking with excitement while scanning through the trail
cam pictures at a beautiful bright red bear which had started hitting the bait
30 minutes after we built the the site. We sat the next four long afternoons
with absolutely no action except the daily pictures on this un patterned bear.
Day five was looking the same. Silently
scanning hoping to catch any time of movement
we caught a glimpse of the bright red bear slipping through a small
opening of the timber above us. He was on his way. I stayed steady but as the
minutes of no sound passed, my body started to shake. "Just come in"
I thought. It's amazing how fast dark comes when you just need a few more
minutes. No further sign of him. Leaving out of there I had a new found hope
and there was a kick in my step. My only fear was coming to face how nocturnal
these bear are. We put our heads together trying to think of everything we
could do to out smart this bear. Beau'de decided we needed to get on the ground
and hunt out of a blind. I sweet talked my Uncle Brad into shuttling us up to
the tree line with the hopes of the sound of the rhino would wake him up. With
the blind 15 yards from the bait the site, the hunt was on. Five hours into the
sit, breaking branches broke the silence. Being surrounded by timber and on the
ground all we could do was listen. In the dark timber to the side of us, things
heated up with what sounded like a fight. Another bear had came in to check out
what we where cooking. Wishing we could see the action, our eyes were peeled. Minutes went by with no
sound until Beau whispered "Bear, big bear! Don't move he's 30 yards and
looking right threw us!" As I inched my head around to see it took my
breath away seeing him coming in. He was definitely a new bear. A new bigger
bear. Trying to hold the sun up with my breath I knew I had three to four
minutes of light to see my pins. He was coming, this was it! With the site
of his back coming onto the trail just behind
the crib. I calmed my breathing to get
ready to draw on him. Just then the famous "Jackson Draw wind"
swirled like it does so well, he caught our scent. He woofed and blew snot just
out of sight. The sound of him not being so happy seemed to really throw off my
calm breathing. Dark had set in. We assumed he backed out as the sound of the
rhino came to give us a ride out.
Thinking there was a kick in my step before now, it was a full out
shuffle skip step!
Now
with true worry of driving him even more nocturnal had set in. The next day
with the same game plan we double teamed the vanilla spray and skirted the
trail where we seen him checking things out. Finding his track put the smiles
on our face. Over spraying the sweet scent on the out skirts we left the bait
and the trail camera alone and jumped right into the blind. The hunt was on!
Hours of silence filled the air. About fifteen minutes before total darkness I
seen him and whispered "there he is and he is coming in fast." He
came around the back of the crib, this time showing himself. He showing how smart he was he tried to lean
over the crib to avoid coming out into the open. Slowly he comes around the
side and stops facing us. I'm ready to draw. He is very cautious and backs out
to spin and run up the trail. Mumbling under my breath thinking that was it for
the night, I spot him around the tree working the wind. He woofs and makes some
noise. I believe he was trying to be intimidating to get something to move. He
heads back in. By now not just my fingers were crossed but my toes also hoping
he gives me a shot within the last minutes of light. He comes in from the other
side of the crib and I draw. I knew he would not come to the front of the bait
so the first open shot I have is the only one I would have. He stops and stands
facing us at a slight turn. All I have is shoulder. UGHHHH! "Turn,
Turn!" I thought. I believe it was around two and a half minutes that I
was holding full draw. Arms starting to shake,
he takes one step and I let that arrow fly. He crashed threw the tree's.
We could hear him crashing around then silence. It was total darkness by now.
We decided not to push him and allow him to sit for the night. Feeling good
about the shot I could help feeling worried about that shoulder. Asking to look
at the video of the shot, we realized how important it is to find a good video
camera. It showed nothing coming from
inside that dark blind. That was the
longest, sleepless night of the week. Waking the next morning in the cabin the
beautiful spring mountains where covered with six inches of snow. We decided to
call up the family for some help in finding him. After an hour of stomping the
area my hopes of finding him were sinking. My cousin D.R. had headed up re
tracking some of our footsteps. He yelled out "Blood! Wait does someone
have a bloody nose? " My mind automatically thought wounded bear, he has
slipped by us. Beau'de found the trail "Here's more blood and some
hair." Holding my breath from the other side of the hill I hear him yell
"Here he is!" The smile which crossed my face would make anyones
cheeks hurt. Rolled up under a tree was
my trophy! As we looked things over we discovered that after walking over the
snow a few time the blood had finally made its way up threw the foot prints. He
was found about 80 yards from where I placed my shot. Everyone was just as
excited as I was. High fives all around.
My amazing tracking and dragging crew seem to disappear when it came
time to skin out, as the smell of my bear was fantastic. Beau and I measured
him out to be 6' 9" and waiting to see what his head will score. Thanks to
my amazing husband and family, this truley was an unbelievable hunt to say the
least! So thankful for the privilege to
fully enjoy this sport called hunting!
