Coop's Bear-Camp 2013

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 7, 2013

Back to the woods tomorrow night... Going to drop another couple thousand pounds of bait. No wonder some of these bears are so fat!

I'll do my best to drop a few updates here and there. My buddy has a Delorme Inreach setup that I may try to use to send text updates to somebody that can post on our behalf. Might have to get one of those myself - seems like a really cool tool. Unfortunately he won't be up this weekend so I'll have to make a trip or two out to tap into wifi or cell service.

robby denning · Jun 7, 2013

Just let me know if you need me to post updates. I'm liking this hunt.

Nick Muche · Jun 10, 2013

Darin,

I am not sure if you have ever used any scents at your baits but I used Sow in Heat, the stuff from Boarmasters twice this year and each time I used it we had bears come in looking for more than food!

Also, a buddy of mine used it and killed a bear he had been hunting for 5 years, a bear he has never had a day time picture of. That was his first time using it, ever.

May not hurt to try it out. I just sprayed it on cotton balls and then removed them at dark when leaving.

Will try it again tomorrow night when I take a young man out for his first bear.

Best of luck!

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 10, 2013

Bear Down! 12 Year old, Cameron Memmot took his first big game animal ever using his Hoyt Ruckus at bear camp! Congrats to Cameron on making an awesome 30 yard shot after stalking his bear on the ground. The bear was down within 10 yards thanks to a perfectly placed Easton Youth FMJ tipped with an 85 grain broadhead. His dad was proud as can be! I'll get some photos/video up shortly. The bear was a mature sow, approximately 6 - 8 years old by our guess. Estimated weight was 165-175 pounds.

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 10, 2013

I have used some Boarmasters products but haven't tried the sow in heat yet. Sounds like a winner though. My buddy was planning to bring some up next weekend so I'll let you know what I think. We have a few giant boars that are playing hard to get. One of the other kids passed a few shooting opportunities at 22-25 yards on a great color phased bear hoping he would come all the way in to the bait. Unfortunately there was a little too much human scent around from baiting earlier that day and the bear moved off.

My buddy MAJRFUN is up hunting tonight with his Delorme InReach so hopefully I can actually add some LIVE action to this thread over the next couple days.

Coop

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 11, 2013

Ryan Avery said:
Coop what size bear are you looking for? Is it 6' or bust?

6-Footer would be nice... Mainly I'm just looking to take a mature boar with a decent hide and head. I don't typically think about what a bear will square, I'm just looking for something that I don't have to question when I see it. Typically those bears always seem to make P&Y pretty easy and typically are 6 foot plus. There are at least a half a dozen on the cameras that meet those criteria and during the next two weeks there will be a lot of boars roaming looking for breeding sows so you just never know what's going to show up. This is the time to spend a lot of mornings and evenings on the stand.

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 11, 2013

Here's a few new photos of the action!

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 11, 2013

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 11, 2013

Just got an update from MAJRFUN... two bears came into Bait #4 tonight. I'm assuming he didn't get one, but waiting for more info.

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 11, 2013

Dave says the bigger of the two was about 180 pounder and just wasn't quite big enough to shoot.

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 11, 2013

I am heading up tomorrow night with my buddy Kurt to hunt wednesday evening and thursday morning. It's time for brown to go down!

I ordered a couple of camera arms last week - hoping they show up tomorrow before we head out so we can film our hunts with the big cameras. Keep your fingers crossed fellas.

Nick Muche · Jun 12, 2013

Best of luck!

We had a great encounter last night with a very nice bear, likely the biggest I have seen while hunting bears the past 3 years. The wind switched as he was coming in at 5 yards directly behind the blind and decided to RUNOFT. LOL

The youngster I was with about came unglued when he heard the bear take off through the brush, sounded like a heard of elephants!

Try again tonight!!

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 13, 2013

Fun night on the stand, had a gorgeous carmel colored bear come in and flirt with the bait. He offered a couple shooting opportunities but never committed. Wind was a little funky and he must have caught a little scent. He hung out for a while and stood up with his back to a tree sniffing and getting a little back scratch in. Pinning him to the tree would have been awesome! I had a small Christmas tree obstructing my shot at that point. As he was leaving he offered a nice quartering away shot at 25 yards, but I'd already decided he wasn't big enough to zap. Sending my buddy Aaron and his boy Dylan after him. He'll make a beautiful rug, just not enough square footage for my taste. He might go 200 pounds, probably a little under though.

Travis Bertrand · Jun 13, 2013

Keep up the updates coop! I need to make it up to Idaho next spring! This thread is sealing that deal!

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 17, 2013

I ran up Saturday for an evening hunt with my daughter. No bears for us but we did have a couple nice bucks come right underneath the stand. My daughter really enjoyed the experience. I hadn't hunted this particular stand this season, but it produced 3 bears last year and had a few nice ones on the cameras.

My buddy Aaron and his son drew the lucky number and got to hunt my favorite stand - he's been up for a few days and has been hunting that spot consistently. They've had a few close calls with a nice carmel/chocolate colored bear but hasn't got a shot. He passed a really nice black one that I was certain he would take if he got the chance. These kids are getting too picky!! No more special treatment after this year - little punks are trying to kill the big ones!!

Sure enough, Friday night the BIG boar came in for him but never offered a shot. I've been waiting for that bear all season!! His boy Dylan (15) is pretty fired up and wanting to nail one of the two. It would be cool to see him get it done. They're hunting through tonight and heading home.

Kurt hunted another stand with his daughter Saturday night. They passed a small color phased bear and had some elk around the stand to keep things interesting. We are all enjoying the hunt and we did a little mid-day fishing. We caught about 15 - 20 trout which was a nice break.

As far as bear killing this year we are doing terrible! Kind of a sad display, but it ain't over til it's over and nobody is giving up. The bears are there, it's just a matter of being in the right stand at the right time. We could shoot four bears in a night if things work out, but it's looking like we're going to have the least productive season in many, many years.

I need some good luck vibes!!

Like an idiot, I left my laptop in my trailer so I'll be making my 15th trip to bear camp tonight. Might as well hunt while I'm there so cross your fingers - XX

Coop

HUNTMAN · Jun 17, 2013

Good luck Coop! Hunt Man and I are headed out to try and fill both of our second tags this evening. Last night was slow.

Nick Muche

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 17, 2013

Best of luck man!

Rent Outdoor Gear · Jun 18, 2013

Spent last night watching a small bear rubbing gums with my bait! Man this is wearing me down. I feel my resolve to kill a big bear weakening... must shoot bow, blood must flow, bears must pay for my pain and suffering and fuel bill!

There's a BIG sow that I've been patterning on one of the baits.

I don't generally like to take sows out of the population since this is just our bear hunting area, but something's gotta give and she's a big o'l super mama girl that's running without a cub. She's got a little morning habit on the bait that might get her in trouble this weekend.