Spring 2018 Black Bear Hunt
2018 bear season
Before your arrival, much work has to be done.
Trail and shooting ranges have to be cut out of overgrown forest.
The bait barrels have to be set up.
Bridges have to be built to cross the wetlands.
As a guide, you have to love what you do, and they do!
Here is Walker wearing a vintage Makwa River Outfitters bear hat!
We gave our bears a six-year "rest," and what a good move it was!
The spring 2018 bear hunt was awesome!
Monday, May 14, 2018 - Day 1 of Week #1
Jeff, who also hunts deer with us, and his wife Lori are our only two hunters this week, and what fun they are!
They weren't in their blinds for very long today and Jeff shot an awesome bear. Immediately he saw a text come in from his wife. He thought it was very sweet of her to text him a congratulations, but she was texting him to tell him that she had shot a bear! They shot their bears at the same time! Ha ha, that is too funny!
May 14/18 Jeff
This is a great bear, Jeff! It weighed in at 455 pounds. For a spring bear, that is a big bear!
May 14/18 Lori
Barry, Walker and Che skinning out the bear
Monday, May 21, 2018 - Day 1 of Week #2
Jason hunts deer with us, and this is his first-ever bear hunt. Within 10 minutes of getting into his stand a black bear came in. Jason sized it up compared to the bait barrel and knew that this was not the bear that he wanted. The bear sat down to eat but a few minutes later he looked into the woods and took off running and then this chocolate color phase bear came in and the rest is history! It was a good, clean shot. While Jason waited for the guide to come in, another two bears came in! What a great experience at Makwa River Outfitters in Saskatchewan.
May 21/18 Jason
At 8:40 pm a sudden big wind came up. John and Wayne are going to be swinging in those tree stands. Hang on, guys! Tom and Frank will be snug in their ground blinds.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - Day 2 of Week #2
Unseasonably hot temperatures here, which is not good if you are looking to take one of those big bruins home. Those big bears are content to stay deep in the woods where it is cool. No bears taken today.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - Day 3 of Week #2
Dang, another hot day! Still no bears coming into camp!
Check out the big bear claw marks in the tree above Che's head, and Che is a tall man!
Thursday, May 24, 2018 - Day 4 of Week #2
The last few days have been crazy hot here. The big boars, with their thick, hot fur, simply have not been moving!
But those "big boys" have to venture out eventually...
Ah, finally some good news! Wayne shot a bear this evening but it was the end of the day. For safety, the guides will look for it in the morning. Our guides are excellent trackers and there is no doubt that the bear will be found in the morning.
Friday, May 25, 2018 - Day 5 of Week #2
As predicted, the guides found Wayne's bear early this morning. It was only a few yards away from where they stopped looking last night! Isn't that the way it usually is?
This is Wayne's first bear hunt and his very first bear. Way to go, Wayne!
May 24/18 Wayne
This bear's face was pretty chewed up. It looked like another bear had virtually put this one's head in its mouth! That means there is one "helluva" big bear still out there.
Tom & Frank both took bear today! Frank drove from Texas to Colorado to meet up with Tom, and the two friends drove all the way from Colorado to our camp. How cool that these friends took their bears on the same day!
May 25/18 Frank
Frank is looking forward to his delicious bear meat when he gets home. I have not perfected the skill of cooking bear meat, and try as I might, Frank just wouldn't give up his secret recipe! It's like trying to squeeze the recipe for his "shine" out of our guide Larry: it just ain't gonna happen!
May 25/18 Tom
Tom is a very avid bear hunter and has taken many, many bears. His patience and skill in the blind is second to none!
John unfortunately went home empty handed but he very much enjoyed watching the bear that came by his stand. He just chose not to take any of them. This is John's first bear hunt, and he wants his name first on the list for our next bear hunt.
Wayne and John were our source of entertainment this week and they had us all laughing long and hard with their sarcastic (and hilarious) one-liners and tall stories about each other! Jason was a target of the antics too, and Tom and Frank joined in with a comment or two (when they could get a word in!). Ha ha, what a fun week!
It's hard to see friends like this leave after a week of fun!
Monday, May 28, 2018 - Day 1 of Week #3
The crazy Arkansas boys are back!
The first day of Steve, Rod, Mike and JL's week started with a tiny rain shower, some wind, a bit of thunder, along with hot, hot weather! This evening it has cooled off to 73 degrees, and it's very still. I'm thinking this might be the perfect recipe for success! Those big boars start coming in just before dark...
Yep! Steve has a bear!
What a gorgeous color phase bear!
May 28/18 Steve
Mike, Kenny, Rod and J.L. all saw bears. J.L. is this week's "bear hunt virgin"!
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - Day 2 of Week #3
Holy Moly!
Rod was barely in his stand for an hour and he was on the radio saying he had a bear!
And then, while they were loading up Rod's bear, Kenny was calling on the radio saying he had a bear too!
Two really nice bears!
May 29/18 Rod
May 29/18 Kenny
The guides were skinning and caping these two big bears until 5:00 am. We don't leave our bears overnight; we get to them as soon as they arrive in camp. We do everything we can to ensure the integrity of the hides and the meat. Skinning until 5 am shows just how hard our guides work to do the best job for our clients.
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 - Day 3 of Week #3
A very wet and rainy day. The good news is that J.L. is no longer a "bear hunt virgin"! J.L. has a bear. Way to go!
May 30, 2018 J.L.
Thursday to Friday May 31 to June 1, 2018 - Days 4 to end of Week #3
Dang, Mike went home without a bear this year. Sometimes that's the way it works!
It was a great season! See you all next time!