BEAR
The 2008 season started slow with some unusually cool weather that wasn't
normal for late April or early May. Our first bowhunters suffered on that but our twelve hunters from Sweden managed to all take bears home except for
"Willie" who returned in the Fall and shot a dandy in September. Well worth the return trip for him. Action improved and the Zoellners from Missouri had a
good hunt. Roger Olsen of Wisconsin returned for a second bear with us and was successful. He also brought a friend, Jeremy from Illinois, who enjoyed
success on a good bear. Jim Laarman and the Derrs of Pennsylvania all enjoyed multiple sightings and successes.
Team Backwoods, Dan Wallace and Karl Metzler got their TV shows complete with some great bears. Ken Essent and
Tom Gordman of Nebraska arrowed two good bears and rebooked for a full group of bowhunters for 2009.
The season ended with the group of bowhunters from Virginia all shooting some great bears. Dave Wendt shot a huge P/Y color
phase bear. Our Spring season was great and sure followed a superb 2007 season as well.
Our Fall hunts went very well with much action and multiple choices at the baits. The family of O'Dell of Wisconsin proved
that everything can go right with all of them taking bears with some really good ones. The next week the Zeigler group started with Craig shooting an unusually
colored bear with a blond strip and Mike, his brother, arrowing a good P/Y. With Mike on the camera now, Mike Eiler would have a great brown bear and
a few more at the bait the same day....a lot of excitement!
Jerry Craig, a return deer hunter of previous years, wanted to stalk a bear in the grain fields with a muzzleloader. Donavan
was able to do just that with Jerry, shooting a B/C on a field. This Fall, stalking hunts were very popular. Bears were on the grain fields with very little
activity on the acorns this year. The activity at the bait sites was exceptional so the oak ridge stalks weren't missed. The last Fall gang from New York were
once again return deer hunters. Tony, Jerry and Bruce all were successful on their bears.
Our '08 season was a great success and followed an exceptional '07 season. Our baiting program is paying dividends and '09 will see us
hunting areas that we have been baiting and not hunting for 5 years. I know some great trophies will be taken in '09 at these locations.
DEER
Our 2008 deer season started with muzzleloader hunters at the Peninsula outcamp, lodge and cabins being utilized November 2-9. Then the Shawn
Powell and Steven Lunsford group returned for another hunt with us and hunted the Peninsula outcamp and all harvested bucks. Dave Tidwell got a dandy....
congratulations! Their adventures will never be forgotten.
Return clients Richard Stauffer, Michael Esposito and Ed Fagg all booked in Biscut Harbor outcamp but were moved to the cabins because of our
wet Fall and cancellations. The move proved to be great for Michael Esposito who wanted to hunt wolves also. Michael got to see seven different wolves in
one day but had some bad luck. He harvested a buck with his muzzleloader and followed up with a great rifle kill in his first day of his rifle week. The buck had
great mass and was everyone's envy. Richard, on his eighth hunt with us, had a great opportunity at bucks and wolves. The cabin once again harvested some
great bucks this year.
Jim Rutledge of New Jersey, Jermiah Hulsant of New Jersey and Chris Johnson of North Carolina had me guide them from the lodge. I truly enjoyed
this grouping and they will be back. John Krebs saw something on Monday that he would have shot on Friday. John is talking about returning for 2 weeks in
'09 with a group to hunt our new camps, accessed only by helicopter. Our muzzleloader season saw us do very well and I again like this week personally, as
the bucks are moving and tending to their scrapes very aggressively.
The first week of rifle saw some return clients.....the Myers of Virginia, a father/son combo, and Dennis and Mike of New Mexico kept me busy at the
lodge. Gino Myers rattled up a good buck early in the week and Dad did his best to join him by hunting hard, but could only enjoy his son's success. Once
again, good bucks seen by Mike and Dennis early in the week that were passed on, and regretted later. Great guys to have in camp!
The McClure family of Pennsylvania hunted with Donavan at the Peninsula and had a good week with great memories. The helicopter trip in and out
only added to their adventure. Another group from Minnesota, including Scott and Conway Marvin enjoyed a helicopter trip in to their camp and shared early
success. Wade Boosa had some frustrating moments later in the week. Once again the efforts of Donovan were appreciated by them and I am sure we will see
them again. The group of Tony George and the Areillo brothers ended our season with activity down the last week but the area and our efforts have them
booking again in '09.
The season in all was average in success. Sightings and action during peak times were down with what I think was a result of a full moon during that
time and maybe the wet year we experienced here could have had these bucks change their plans a little. If I only knew!
Our '09 season will see us hunting some of our old areas that are still producing some great opportunities and returning to areas we have not yet
hunted in 5 years. We will add a new hunt to our program in '09. A very remote camp I have had my eye on, accessed only by helicopter during the last two
weeks of muzzleloader. This hunt will be sold for $4500 US for a week and because of the helicopter access, will offer a hunting experience to those wishing
for an expereince not offered anywhere else.
Our combo muzzleloader/rifle 2 week hunt was popular and will once again be offered at a special price. Our regular hunts at $3400, all inclusive from
the lodge, cabins and tent camps will see us move in to some camps not hunted in the last few years. Presently I am looking for a hovercraft to add to my
collection of "toys for the boys" so that we can continue accessing some of the hard to get areas.
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