"Hillbilly’s Bear"
This is the story of my first bear hunt --a Christmas gift from my husband, Chris.
By Kimberly Duncan McCormick
My hunt took place with the guide/owner from Alberta, Rod Laboucane of Bear Trap Outfitters. In Rod’s fifteen years of business he’d never had a female hunter before so he was as excited as I was about this hunt. Rod chose a stand on his property that had a lot of bear sign, and took me out each day and set me up in it. He made sure I had everything I needed and left me a two-way radio just in case. After a discouraging and quiet four days of hunting, Rod told me I could rename the stand if I got a bear which I was excited about.
On the fifth day, Rod had me set up in my stand twenty feet in the air and had barely left the area when a bear came in. I wasn’t quite ready yet, but the bear was already at the barrel pulling logs away to get at the bait. I quickly discovered the stand was set up for a gun hunter, not a bow hunter as I struggled with the limbs of my bow to get in shooting position. Finally,
I loosened up my safety belt just enough to slide off my seat and kneel on the platform. I pulled back to aim, but the bear was behind some limbs. Leaning out from the stand as far as I could to get a good shot, I aimed…I shot…I missed. My arrow had gone directly under the bear as he sat eating. The bear never moved, just continued to eat as he looked at my arrow. I said a few choice words, took a deep breath…took aim… shot… and missed! My second arrow was now next to my first arrow and the bear still hadn’t moved. At that point I am questioning my abilities as a bow hunter when Rod calls on the radio to tell me there is a bear headed in from the main road. Once again I’m hopeful; maybe this will be the “bearzilla’ I’m meant to get.
Quietly I watch for the other bear when suddenly bear #1 one charges my tree and starts climbing as he tries to get out of the way of the bear #2 running into the area. After bear #1 and I both have slight heart attacks, bear #1 figures out that bear #2 isn’t a threat and backs down the tree to resume his eating. Now I’ve got two bears and I’m pretty confident I can get one of them.
As I’m contemplating my situation, bear #3 wanders into the fray. Bear #3 is a pretty black with a chocolate tuff and my decision is made to go after that one. I attach my release, begin to pull back and discover my release is open. I’ve only pulled back my string a little bit, but my arrow falls to the ground beside bear number #3. Luckily he also ignores the arrow as he focuses on the food. I have one arrow left. I repeat my routine…attach the release…pull the arrow back…drop the arrow to the ground.
What! Now I have no arrows and three bears on the ground. With my head in my hands, I call Rod to request assistance. Rod tells me to stay in the safety of the tree as he makes his way into the area. As he motors in on his quad the bears scatter. Shaking his head and laughing, Rod gathers my arrows and sends them back up to me on a rope, gets back on his quad, (still laughing) and rides away. A short fifteen minutes bear number one makes his way back into the area. At this point I’m mad, embarrassed and determined! I give the bear time to settle into his meal and move into the perfect shot. He stood up and leaned on the barrel. I checked my release to make sure it’s closed, attach it, pull back and let my arrow fly. Hallelujah, I finally did it. I got a great hit and the bear ran a short twenty yards before falling over. My first bear! I call Rod on the radio and announce that from this day forward this stand will be referred to as “The Hillbilly Kim” stand in honor of my West Virginia roots. Rod is just as excited as I am and makes his way into the stand before I even make my way down the tree. Rod laughs and gives me a hug and says, “Maybe we’ll call this the 5th arrow stand instead, eh?
So now you know my first bear hunting story. If you make your way to Canada and meet up with Rod, ask him for the “Hillbilly Stand”, he’ll know which one you want.
Editors Note:
Chris took two gorgeous cinnamon-colored black bear on this hunt.
For additional information contact:
Mark Bueher
Bowhunting Safari Consultants
www.bowhuntingsafari.com
800-833-9777
Or
Rodney Laboucane
Bear Trap Outfitters
Box 6
Heinsburg, Alberta
Canada , T0A 1X0
(780) 943-2148
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