Who: N.DaWoods & Hunter w/ Big Paw Outfitters
What: Black Bear Hunt
When: June 1-7th
Where: Renous New Brunswick
Why: To kill something new!!!
How: Bow for me, rifle for all other hunters in camp.
Sunday, May 31st – Travel day. Four hour drive from Burnet to Houston was fine. Flight to Boston delayed two hours. Drove all night through pouring rain from Boston to just inside the Canadian border, where the rain began to let up. We finally arrived around 2PM on Monday. But we made it.
Monday, June 1st- Since we had been delayed by air arrival and slowed because of the rain, we arrived well after the other hunters in our group. (3 guys from Ohio, and 1 guy from New Hampshire)
Upon arrival, Kevin, the camp owner, made us feel welcome. He showed us the place and we took care getting our licenses. He never rushed us or was pushy, but we were going to be heading to the stands in under two hours, so we didn’t delay, checking our weapons for accuracy and getting changed into hunting gear. Both my bow and Hunter’s gun shot just fine and we were ready for action. I grabbed a couple of leftover chicken legs from lunch and around 4PM we headed out, the mosquitoes and black flies were terrible, but once I got my thermocell going, I didn’t have any more problems. My bait was in a thick draw that headed down to water. It was very remote, and took about 20 minutes to drive to down old logging roads and primitively cut trails. I would guess at least 5 miles from any other human beings. I was in stand and set by about 4:50PM. My bait site had already been hit, but there was still a lot of bait left. I settled in and watched a ton of red squirrels, chipmunks, and birds early on. Then I heard what sounded like a machine gun going off across the valley. Then I heard it again closer. I could tell this time it was not gun fire, but something from nature….a huge woodpecker (Probably 18” tall). It was blue with a red head, just like Woody. I watched it hammer the trees for around 30 minutes, very cool. Around 8:50, I saw movement directly in front of me. Then I saw my first bear in the wild, a beautiful jet black sow. She moved cautiously towards my bait, but hung up about 45 yards out. She constantly watched something to my right. Then without warning the beautiful bear took off running back the way it came. I was able to catch a glimpse of what had made the bear run, it was another bear. This bear was not interested in food, however, and was actively looking for a female in heat. I couldn’t tell size or much else about it, other than it had scared away a bear that looked to be coming into my setup. It was a great first hunt, but from all the flights and driving, my camp bed sounded amazing. So after scarfing down some delicious hamburger and pasta soup, Hunter and I both headed to our bunks and crashed until the next morning.
Tuesday, Jun 2nd- We woke up about 9AM to a huge breakfast of pancakes and sausage. Then we lounged around that morning, talked to the other hunters. I shot my bow a little. We drove our rent car into the little village about 10 miles away and picked up a few snacks and beverages. It was a beautiful drive and having time to relax and enjoy Canada was one of my favorite parts of our bear hunt. We returned and got a little history lesson from Gerald one of Kevin’s guides. He was telling us all about the area, the rivers, etc. It was great because his stories were hilarious and he got really wound up telling them. He is one of those characters that you never forget. About 2PM we ate lunch, Sheppard’s Pies, butter bread, then blueberry or apple pie and ice cream. I then took about an hour nap before heading getting ready for our hunt. Kevin took me to my bait site after dropping off John another hunter in camp. It was near 5PM when I got to my stand. My bait had not yet been hit, and I was ready for action. It was slow for the first two hours, but about 7:40, I saw movement from behind the bait and the jet black female made her way to about 50 yards out. She would move about ten yards at a time then sit, watch, and wait. She finally made it to my bait site about 8:00. Even though she was not the biggest bear in Canada, I really liked her coat and I she provided me with a perfect opportunity. Even though it was only the second night, I decided to take the shot. Unfortunately , my shot hit high, spining the bear and leaving her back two legs paralyzed. I was lucky enough to be able to get a follow up shot into her before she had to suffer for very long. We took a few pics, gutted the bear, and headed back to camp. We hung the bear on the meat pole over night as it was in the upper thirties. Then we celebrated with some chili and a Moosehead lager.
Wednesday, Jun 3rd
Got up around 9AM and enjoyed toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Then took a million pictures and helped Gerald skin out my bear for a rug. After we finished, I quartered the bear and got it into the freezer. I took a great nap between skinning and lunch. We had turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, and carrots for lunch, another great meal. We hung out and, Kevin, Shane, and Gerald, talked strategy on where each of the hunters should go. Since I was the only hunter who had tagged out, I held down the fort, while the guides and hunters did there thing. Since my meat had been in the freezer for a good 6 hours, I went ahead and muscled it out and got it placed into bags and ready to be frozen. It took about an hour or so. Then I watched some hunting shows and read part of a book until the guys came in from there hunts. There were no bears taken this night. I took about a pound of cubed bear and cooked it up as a snack for the guys and myself, as none of us had ever eaten it before. I used butter to cook it and garlic, salt, and pepper for seasoning. It tasted great, all agreed.
Thursday, Jun 4th
Got up earlier than the other days and had breakfast. Hunter and I decided to ride with Gerald into Miramichi to the fisherman’s wharf where we were going to pick up lobster for lunch. We watched the boats come in, unload, then we loaded up 40 lobster. Big Paws always has an all you can eat lobster Thursday meal. Boy was I glad I had already taken my bear, that way I could really gorge myself with one of my favorite delicacies. Gerald told us tons of hilarious stories along the way and gave us a little of the history of the region. Once we returned, I helped him boil the lobster and get them ready to be served, a very cool experience. We grubbed out (I ate 6 whole lobster), then I napped for a long time. Everyone else headed to the stands, but I again stayed back. One of the neighbors from down the road, Duncan, who I had meat earlier in the morning, came by and hung out at camp for about an hour. He was a really interesting fellow and had a lot of funny stories about him and Gerald as youngsters. 10:30PM rolled around and here came the first truck, it headed for the meat pole so I knew someone had been successful. It was Hunter. He had killed his second ever animal, a nice male black bear. One of the guys from Ohio also bagged a bear that night as well. Hunter and I decided that night that we would cut up his bear the next day, then head out a day early Saturday morning instead of Sunday, so we could see Boston and make our drive less stressful.
Friday, Jun 5th
We got up and ate some bacon and toast. We got some pictures of Hunters bear and then started skinning as it was getting warm quick. Once we had quartered down again we stuck it into the freezer to harden up a little before we butchered it. We washed all our hunting stuff, packed all our gear, and then enjoyed a delicious lunch of ham, potatoes, corn, bread, and brownies. It was ridiculous good. We said our goodbyes to Wilma the cook, who was heading out after lunch. Then we butchered Hunters bear. We were only going to be able to bring back about 35lbs of meat with us, so we only took the best cuts of the backstraps, hams, and shoulder roasts. It all looked pretty good. We got it packaged and into the freezer. We hung out with Keith, one of the guys from Ohio who had already bagged his bear, until the other hunters came in. No bears. We took a group picture after we ate some pizza, then Hunter and I said our goodbyes to all in the camp. We were leaving at 5AM the next morning. All the hunters in camp were friendly guys and we were hopeful that they would get their bears the next day. Early to bed we went.
Saturday, June 6th
We left camp at 5AM. We drove straight through to Boston. Once we got into the city, we checked into the Hotel and then decided to park at the Wellington station rail platform. We rode the train to the Faneuil Hall area. We drank a beer at the oldest tavern in the US, the Bell in Hand. We completed the Patriot Walk tour, including Paul Reveres grave, the site of the Boston Massacre, and the old State house. We ate a great dinner at a little Italian sandwich shop called Dino’s in a Little Italy type area of Boston. It was great. We rode the subway back to our car, then to hotel. We called to check and see how the other hunters had done, and sure enough they all got shots at bear. Two bears were down and one wounded to be looked for the next morning.
Sunday, June 7th
We got up early and headed back into the city. We parked a few blocks away from Boston Harbor and did some more sight-seeing. We ended up seeing a lot more of the city and grabbed a few souvenirs while we were there. After seeing a huge collection of modern art, including a giant net hanging from three separate buildings, we decided on something to eat. We headed down the piers toward Yankee Lobster. I was looking for some lobster bisque and a lobster roll. Some research on the internet showed this place to have the best lobster roll in Boston, so we gave it a whirl. Both the bisque and lobster roll were legit. We walked back to the car and headed for the airport. Landed in Houston at 9:30PM and we arrived back in Burnet just before 2AM.
I would recommend Big Paw Outfitters to anyone interested in: having a great chance at a black bear, enjoying great food, listening to awesome stories, and making countless memories. Kevin, Gerald, Shane, and Wilma did a great job to make my black bear experience an amazing one. Of our group of six everyone that was hunting had shot opportunities. We bagged 5 bears, with two others missed, and one wounded. What a week!!!
What: Black Bear Hunt
When: June 1-7th
Where: Renous New Brunswick
Why: To kill something new!!!
How: Bow for me, rifle for all other hunters in camp.
Sunday, May 31st – Travel day. Four hour drive from Burnet to Houston was fine. Flight to Boston delayed two hours. Drove all night through pouring rain from Boston to just inside the Canadian border, where the rain began to let up. We finally arrived around 2PM on Monday. But we made it.
Monday, June 1st- Since we had been delayed by air arrival and slowed because of the rain, we arrived well after the other hunters in our group. (3 guys from Ohio, and 1 guy from New Hampshire)
Upon arrival, Kevin, the camp owner, made us feel welcome. He showed us the place and we took care getting our licenses. He never rushed us or was pushy, but we were going to be heading to the stands in under two hours, so we didn’t delay, checking our weapons for accuracy and getting changed into hunting gear. Both my bow and Hunter’s gun shot just fine and we were ready for action. I grabbed a couple of leftover chicken legs from lunch and around 4PM we headed out, the mosquitoes and black flies were terrible, but once I got my thermocell going, I didn’t have any more problems. My bait was in a thick draw that headed down to water. It was very remote, and took about 20 minutes to drive to down old logging roads and primitively cut trails. I would guess at least 5 miles from any other human beings. I was in stand and set by about 4:50PM. My bait site had already been hit, but there was still a lot of bait left. I settled in and watched a ton of red squirrels, chipmunks, and birds early on. Then I heard what sounded like a machine gun going off across the valley. Then I heard it again closer. I could tell this time it was not gun fire, but something from nature….a huge woodpecker (Probably 18” tall). It was blue with a red head, just like Woody. I watched it hammer the trees for around 30 minutes, very cool. Around 8:50, I saw movement directly in front of me. Then I saw my first bear in the wild, a beautiful jet black sow. She moved cautiously towards my bait, but hung up about 45 yards out. She constantly watched something to my right. Then without warning the beautiful bear took off running back the way it came. I was able to catch a glimpse of what had made the bear run, it was another bear. This bear was not interested in food, however, and was actively looking for a female in heat. I couldn’t tell size or much else about it, other than it had scared away a bear that looked to be coming into my setup. It was a great first hunt, but from all the flights and driving, my camp bed sounded amazing. So after scarfing down some delicious hamburger and pasta soup, Hunter and I both headed to our bunks and crashed until the next morning.
Tuesday, Jun 2nd- We woke up about 9AM to a huge breakfast of pancakes and sausage. Then we lounged around that morning, talked to the other hunters. I shot my bow a little. We drove our rent car into the little village about 10 miles away and picked up a few snacks and beverages. It was a beautiful drive and having time to relax and enjoy Canada was one of my favorite parts of our bear hunt. We returned and got a little history lesson from Gerald one of Kevin’s guides. He was telling us all about the area, the rivers, etc. It was great because his stories were hilarious and he got really wound up telling them. He is one of those characters that you never forget. About 2PM we ate lunch, Sheppard’s Pies, butter bread, then blueberry or apple pie and ice cream. I then took about an hour nap before heading getting ready for our hunt. Kevin took me to my bait site after dropping off John another hunter in camp. It was near 5PM when I got to my stand. My bait had not yet been hit, and I was ready for action. It was slow for the first two hours, but about 7:40, I saw movement from behind the bait and the jet black female made her way to about 50 yards out. She would move about ten yards at a time then sit, watch, and wait. She finally made it to my bait site about 8:00. Even though she was not the biggest bear in Canada, I really liked her coat and I she provided me with a perfect opportunity. Even though it was only the second night, I decided to take the shot. Unfortunately , my shot hit high, spining the bear and leaving her back two legs paralyzed. I was lucky enough to be able to get a follow up shot into her before she had to suffer for very long. We took a few pics, gutted the bear, and headed back to camp. We hung the bear on the meat pole over night as it was in the upper thirties. Then we celebrated with some chili and a Moosehead lager.
Wednesday, Jun 3rd
Got up around 9AM and enjoyed toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Then took a million pictures and helped Gerald skin out my bear for a rug. After we finished, I quartered the bear and got it into the freezer. I took a great nap between skinning and lunch. We had turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, and carrots for lunch, another great meal. We hung out and, Kevin, Shane, and Gerald, talked strategy on where each of the hunters should go. Since I was the only hunter who had tagged out, I held down the fort, while the guides and hunters did there thing. Since my meat had been in the freezer for a good 6 hours, I went ahead and muscled it out and got it placed into bags and ready to be frozen. It took about an hour or so. Then I watched some hunting shows and read part of a book until the guys came in from there hunts. There were no bears taken this night. I took about a pound of cubed bear and cooked it up as a snack for the guys and myself, as none of us had ever eaten it before. I used butter to cook it and garlic, salt, and pepper for seasoning. It tasted great, all agreed.
Thursday, Jun 4th
Got up earlier than the other days and had breakfast. Hunter and I decided to ride with Gerald into Miramichi to the fisherman’s wharf where we were going to pick up lobster for lunch. We watched the boats come in, unload, then we loaded up 40 lobster. Big Paws always has an all you can eat lobster Thursday meal. Boy was I glad I had already taken my bear, that way I could really gorge myself with one of my favorite delicacies. Gerald told us tons of hilarious stories along the way and gave us a little of the history of the region. Once we returned, I helped him boil the lobster and get them ready to be served, a very cool experience. We grubbed out (I ate 6 whole lobster), then I napped for a long time. Everyone else headed to the stands, but I again stayed back. One of the neighbors from down the road, Duncan, who I had meat earlier in the morning, came by and hung out at camp for about an hour. He was a really interesting fellow and had a lot of funny stories about him and Gerald as youngsters. 10:30PM rolled around and here came the first truck, it headed for the meat pole so I knew someone had been successful. It was Hunter. He had killed his second ever animal, a nice male black bear. One of the guys from Ohio also bagged a bear that night as well. Hunter and I decided that night that we would cut up his bear the next day, then head out a day early Saturday morning instead of Sunday, so we could see Boston and make our drive less stressful.
Friday, Jun 5th
We got up and ate some bacon and toast. We got some pictures of Hunters bear and then started skinning as it was getting warm quick. Once we had quartered down again we stuck it into the freezer to harden up a little before we butchered it. We washed all our hunting stuff, packed all our gear, and then enjoyed a delicious lunch of ham, potatoes, corn, bread, and brownies. It was ridiculous good. We said our goodbyes to Wilma the cook, who was heading out after lunch. Then we butchered Hunters bear. We were only going to be able to bring back about 35lbs of meat with us, so we only took the best cuts of the backstraps, hams, and shoulder roasts. It all looked pretty good. We got it packaged and into the freezer. We hung out with Keith, one of the guys from Ohio who had already bagged his bear, until the other hunters came in. No bears. We took a group picture after we ate some pizza, then Hunter and I said our goodbyes to all in the camp. We were leaving at 5AM the next morning. All the hunters in camp were friendly guys and we were hopeful that they would get their bears the next day. Early to bed we went.
Saturday, June 6th
We left camp at 5AM. We drove straight through to Boston. Once we got into the city, we checked into the Hotel and then decided to park at the Wellington station rail platform. We rode the train to the Faneuil Hall area. We drank a beer at the oldest tavern in the US, the Bell in Hand. We completed the Patriot Walk tour, including Paul Reveres grave, the site of the Boston Massacre, and the old State house. We ate a great dinner at a little Italian sandwich shop called Dino’s in a Little Italy type area of Boston. It was great. We rode the subway back to our car, then to hotel. We called to check and see how the other hunters had done, and sure enough they all got shots at bear. Two bears were down and one wounded to be looked for the next morning.
Sunday, June 7th
We got up early and headed back into the city. We parked a few blocks away from Boston Harbor and did some more sight-seeing. We ended up seeing a lot more of the city and grabbed a few souvenirs while we were there. After seeing a huge collection of modern art, including a giant net hanging from three separate buildings, we decided on something to eat. We headed down the piers toward Yankee Lobster. I was looking for some lobster bisque and a lobster roll. Some research on the internet showed this place to have the best lobster roll in Boston, so we gave it a whirl. Both the bisque and lobster roll were legit. We walked back to the car and headed for the airport. Landed in Houston at 9:30PM and we arrived back in Burnet just before 2AM.
I would recommend Big Paw Outfitters to anyone interested in: having a great chance at a black bear, enjoying great food, listening to awesome stories, and making countless memories. Kevin, Gerald, Shane, and Wilma did a great job to make my black bear experience an amazing one. Of our group of six everyone that was hunting had shot opportunities. We bagged 5 bears, with two others missed, and one wounded. What a week!!!
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