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Ricers 2013-2014 Hunting Haps and Mishaps

Ricer2231

Senior Member
Well I have never done one of these but after reading a few and kinda getting the gist of it I thought I would give it a try. The early part of mine is gonna try to cover both of my hunts this year. My Maine black bear hunt and my Ohio whitetail hunt.
July 20
Talked to my guide and he told me he had just gotten the bulk of his bait in for the year, 15,000 pounds! He also said he would get the rest of it in around the 27th, another 6,000 pounds to have a total of just over 20,000 pounds. That's crazy. He was getting everything ready to start baiting on the 25th and said the bear prospects were looking really good.
July 28
I emailed my guide to ask him what scent eliminating laundry soap and field spray he likes to use so I could use the same stuff. He told me he uses Dead Down Wind or Scent Killer so I bought a DDW kit at Wally World and I'm good to go now.
August 1
My guide emailed me and said everything is going good and he has just about all his baits out. He said the blueberries didn't do worth a crap, which is good, but the blackberries and wild strawberries did good, which is bad. He said he had his stands and bait sites setup accordingly and the berry crop wouldn't hurt us. He said to plan on the mosquitoes to be a little worse than normal but not to get too excited. He said its Maine not Northern Canada. He said the perfect defense is to be covered from head to toe with camo. That's exactly what I plan to do TOO.
August 2
Now on the whitetail side of things. My buddy and I went out and scouted a big clover field that's on the farm I got permission to hunt for the first time ever. It was nice to get out and do some looking around and the heart rate was just a little higher than normal with the anticipation of what is in that woods. My buddy informed me that he hadn't told me yet but he had seen a definite shooter a few nights back on the adjoining farm that he hunts. He said it would go close to 150 by the time he finished out. And just like on cue he popped out into the field about 1/2 hour before dark. He is a great buck,10 point, and I think he will go 150s for sure. His g4 on the left side is a little behind his right g4 but I think he will go 150 even if it doesn't catch up to the other side. I'm guessing he is close to 19-20" inside, he is a couple inches wider than his ears. I got home about 10:00 last night and needless to say there were still some thoughts of him racing through my head when my head hit the pillow.
August 3
Back to the bear stuff. I decided to wash all the lightweight camo that I will be taking to Maine with me today. I also washed my tree tie in ropes and my pull ropes. Fluteman helped me out with suggestions for pull ropes, knots, and little videos that show ya how to wrap up your pull ropes so they don't tangle on ya. Good stuff! Heres my pull rope and a knot i saw on YouTube.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1375584718.923776.jpg
I got all my Scent Lok stuff, tree and pull ropes, and Under Armour cold gear washed and dried in Dead Down Wind scent control stuff and bagged up in zip lock freezer bags for the trip. I got all that stuff, my boots, my binos, and my range finder packed in my carry on bag. The wife got me a very nice carry on camo bag for Christmas and its full! The days are winding down, 21 days from tomorrow!
 
Sounds like fun

One day I hope to hunt Bears

Even better if one day we can here in Ohio again
Not just watch them walk past me while I am in the treestand deer hunting


John
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Sounds like you're all set Don! Just gotta find a way to speed up time...lol

I could tell you were/are jacked for this bear hunt when talking to you in my truck while we waited on Ron's trip to get gas. I hope you bust a nice bear so's you can get that full body mount done. Good luck
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
I like hearing the anticipation in a hunters words, as he goes through his preparation. I can tell your excited and rightfully so! Good luck, buddy and take lots of pics of your trip.
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
Thanks guys! Your right, the anticipation is kicking my a$$. Every time I think about going I get goosebumps! Sorry if that sounds like a wuss, but I'm almost there after a countdown of 400+ days. :)
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Fluteman makes the best pull ropes and his method for wrapping them up is the cats ass!

Look forward to following this thread Don. These are among my favorite threads here on TOO!!!
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Nice start to your thread Don. They are what you make of them. Mine starts out facts such as wind direction, time hunted, and deer seen. By day two or three every hunt is a short story. lmao
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
Fluteman makes the best pull ropes and his method for wrapping them up is the cats ass!

Look forward to following this thread Don. These are among my favorite threads here on TOO!!!

I hear ya. Fluteman helped me a lot with suggestions for carabiners, knots and rope suggestions. You're also right about his pull rope wrap. I tried one like that and it is awesome. I hate that when ya snap your pull rope on your bow and head up the tree and feel the ripe get tight after the first step. Ya look down and it looks like ya just pulled a birds nest outta your pocket, FUGG!
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
Just got an email from my guide.

Hi Don,
Sounds awesome! I'd go with a black mesh or a dark green so you can easily see through it. It's suddenly been very cool, and the bugs are ok for now. Stay tuned on that....

The bears are looking good! The berries are definitely springing but all baits started strong. I have cameras out in rotation right now, and can send photos soon. Still have bears right at camp too!

More soon...
Ron

That's just great! Go ahead throw another cup of gas on the fire! :)

I am having mesh sewed into my Scent Lok headcover, that's what he is talking about in the beginning.
 
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Ricer2231

Senior Member
Just got another email from my guide and things are sounding better and better. I love the way he updates me and can't wait to get the videos. Here is the email.
Hi Don,
Just back from baiting. The cameras were all in video mode so the files are huge, (25-30 MB) I'll try and send a few in the morning from a better connection. There will also be a few on fb. Maine's weather can change rapidly, but I truly feel that we are in a steady pattern right now. Last night was in the 40's! Love it! Cooler weather gets them thinking about feeding more and they are much more active than when it's hot.

Stay tuned...
Ron

Oh boy, there goes the goosebumps again. Is it time to go yet?
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
If emails like those don't get you pumped up, then nothing will. Sounds like a guide very diligent in satisfying his clients. Can't wait to see your picture behind a bear!
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
I got a video from my guide last night but I don't know how to post it on here. I had to download a VLC player to my iPhone so I could watch it but I don't know how to get a link on here. If any of you computer gurus can help me out that would be great. If ya can't tell me how to post it myself I can email the attachment to somebody and maybe you could post it for me. One way or another I would like to get the video posted. It is an AVI video if that helps.
 
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finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Gotta love the diligence your guide is providing you Don! If that doesn't pump you up a fella would have to be comatose or dead...lol

Lets see, how many days left...................haha
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
When I began calling the references on the list he sent me the first words out of every single hunters mouth was "I can't believe how hard he worked for me to get my trophy". That meant a lot right there. I got that video last night and its got a nice bear on it but I don't know how to post it so everybody can see it. I am getting more and more anxious. I think the wife is gonna punch me at times and then she turns around and buys me something for my trip. Haha. I'm gonna figure out that video thing and get it posted up for y'all. I got 17 days bud, and they are counting down slower and slower.
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
Ok guys and gals I think I may have figured this video out. If not I got Beener to download it for me TOO if I got it screwed up. Its really no big deal but I just wnted to share the video with you so you could check this bear out.
http://youtu.be/cHLx1ESLdyY

16 days and counting!
 
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Ricer2231

Senior Member
Hey all just got another email from my guide. He does this just before bed time and then he expects me to sleep, SERIOUSLY!

Hi Don,
Yep he's a shooter alright. Looks about 250-275 or so. He'll go 5 1/2-6' nose to tail. Standing would put him at about 6' or so. I should get them up on YouTube! As I've said, I've always had a few folks see our photos or hear of our success, and try and target a site or two so I'm overprotective of what I share and where, but YouTube would certainly work. I'll get some up this week.

More coming tomorrow as I'm pulling two more cameras out. So far, each camera site has had no less than 4 different bears per evening, and each was only deployed for 2 days at a time.

Ron