Why I Love Bear Baiting

Over the years I have witnessed some truly amazing things during spring bear season. And what happened to me yesterday wasn't much different. But the fact that it was my first trip into my baits since putting them out only four days ago made it that much more exciting. I was heading in to this particular site to hang a tree stand for the up coming season. And as I made the final turn into the bait I could see the barrel was hit. Images of eight foot blonde bears rolling around in front of the camera instantly raised through my mind. I didn't even get the bike stopped before jumping off and racing to the tree and seeing what surprise awaited me. 44 pictures in total and the first was me arriving at 6:24 pm. As I scrolled back at 6:21 pm there stood a big black in front of the barrel. And as I scrolled back even further to two days prior a beautiful cinnamon boar was the first on the scene and spent the next two days feeding until this black more than likely chased it away. I was very pleased with the first pics of the year and as I walk walked back to the trailer with a big grin on my face I discovered my big bottle of bacon grease tipped over, lid came off, and everything in the trailer was covered. No more grin anymore but deep feelings of frustration. As I pulled the ladder and stand out and looked up, there was the cinnamon at seventy five yards staring straight at me. I'm pretty sure I knew how this was going to turn out and quickly reached for my phone. But it was stone dead, wonderful! Oh well, might as well get to work. My knees were knocking pretty good as I marched past the bear to get to my tree. And as I hung my first section of ladder he had already made his way to the trailer, gave a few sniffs, and was on his hind legs licking away. By the time I got the second section up he had one hind leg in there as well, and It didn't take long before he was sitting in my trailer looking back at me with his ass hanging over the edge. I'm surprised he didn't get whiplash the way his head reefed back and forth licking of the contents of the trailer. I climbed back down, grabbed the stand, secured it to the tree, and got in to enjoy the show. Well I almost fell out of the tree laughing so hard because that bear was laying right down between my chainsaw and the gas can going to town, not a care in the world. I almost felt bad as I climbed down and walked back to the bike. He jumped out and ran into the bush maybe twenty yards. I put the SD card back into the camera and as I positioned it back on the tree he sat less than ten feet away licking his paws off. After I finished with the camera I went back to the bike to put my gear away and my new buddy was trying to get back in the trailer. And this wasn't a small bear! Probably a little over six feet and quite possibly Pope and Young! He stood there on the other side of the bike less than 8 feet and stared at me with those little brown eyes. I waved to my new friend and kindly asked him not to eat my tree stand as I drove away. My heart pounded all the way home and It made me realize again how much I enjoy bear baiting and the great people we get to enjoy the outdoors with. If yesterday was any indication of how the rest of the year will go. We are in for one heck of a spring bear season here at SaskAdrenaline Outfitters!