1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Rieves 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 2: I want you to stay a. 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 1: While as I share my stories and the country skills 5 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: that will help you beat the system. This Country Life 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: is proudly presented as part of Meat Eaters Podcast Network, 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: bringing you the best outdoor podcast. 8 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 2: The airways have to offer. 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: All right, friends, pull you up a chair or drop 10 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: that tailgate. I think I got a thing or two 11 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: the teacher Canadian chocolate. I love it when a plan 12 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: comes together. It's even better when it comes together early. 13 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,639 Speaker 1: We're leaving the pressure and allowing the opportunity to relax 14 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: and just enjoy the time allotted with new friends. We're 15 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: in the land of bears, perogis and the kindest folks 16 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: you'll ever meet, and I'm going to tell you all 17 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: about them. But first I'm going to tell you a story. 18 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 1: This story was sent in by Ryan Prochs, who rambles 19 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: around in Nelson County, Virginia. It's about three generations and 20 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: shows how even the youngest hunter in the group can 21 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: sometimes add the most. In Ryan's words, in my voice, 22 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 1: here we go. On May twenty twenty my dad Fredday, 23 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: and I decided to take my three year old son 24 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: land In Turkey him. Now, we were heading to a 25 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: place I had permission to hunt that was beautiful in 26 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: Nelson County, Virginia. So we pulled up to a little 27 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: meadow just through the gate at the bottom of the property. 28 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: It was such a pretty place, with a nice little cabin, 29 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: a pond, and a couple acre field at the base 30 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: of a steep mountain. Now we ended up getting there 31 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: an hour or so after daylight because my wife says 32 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: it's never good to wake asleep, and Toddler and I 33 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: tend to agree with her. Now Landing at the time 34 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: is completely obsessed with four wheelers, so the first thing 35 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: he does when we get out of the truck is 36 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: run back to the trailer and climb up on the 37 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: back of the ATV. I figured if the turkeys weren't 38 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: doing much, we could always spend a morning in the mouths, 39 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: just riding around, maybe a little fishing or another one 40 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: of his favorite hobbies, which was catching lizards and snakes. 41 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: Now I'd given him a box call that I'd gotten 42 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: from a National Wild Turkey Federation bank with a couple 43 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: of weeks ago prior to the hunt, just to let 44 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 1: him play with He was actually pretty good with it. 45 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: As soon as we got there, he was sitting on 46 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: that four wheeler messing with that box call and not 47 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: doing bad with it. While me and my dad were 48 00:02:55,360 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: putting on all our gear. Suddenly, way off in the distance, 49 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: I thought I heard a gobble. I froze, and I 50 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: told Landon do that again. He did, and sure enough, 51 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: several hundred yards away one hammer. I quickly realized we 52 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: were a pickle. We were on the edge of a 53 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: medal with a truck, a trailer, a four wheeler, and 54 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,679 Speaker 1: three people that looked nothing like a flock of hens. 55 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,399 Speaker 1: I knew I had best get to the other edge 56 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: of that field before that turkey did, where he would 57 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: see what was going down. And as I was thinking that, 58 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: my dad said, boy, you better get to the edge 59 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: before he does. And with that I told them to 60 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: stay there and for Landing to keep doing what he 61 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: was doing. I quickly made my way across the field 62 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: while putting my mask and my gloves on. The Whole 63 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: time he was gobbling and getting closer. I was in 64 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: a race. I made it to an old lapidated fence 65 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: row fifteen yards from the edge of the tree line 66 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: and hopped into what I soon found out was a 67 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: big old briar patch. 68 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 2: I loaded my shotgun, set. 69 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: It up on my knee, and within twenty seconds here 70 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: he came, stretching his neck up. 71 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 2: Over that ridge. 72 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: I settled a beat on his head and hit him 73 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: with some remedy to nitrol number fours, and he hit 74 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: the ground. 75 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 2: I stood up in a state. 76 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: Of disbelief, not believing what had just happened, and I 77 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: turned around to see my son and my dad walking 78 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: through that field headed my way. What a beautiful sight. 79 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: We all walked up to that old gobbler together, which 80 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: was and still is my biggest to date, a twenty 81 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: five pounds stud and my dad and I were speechless 82 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: and overcome with joy. We were high fiving and hugging 83 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: and telling Landing what a huge deal this was, and 84 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: that he had called him in all by hisself. Neither 85 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: my dad nor I ever touched a call. 86 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 2: That morning. 87 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: Landing walked up to Turkey, you've been down and he 88 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: studied it for a few seconds, and then he stood 89 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: up and said, can we. 90 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 2: Ride the four wheeler now? I told him we sure can. 91 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: Buddy, that was the day I'll never forget and one 92 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: I'll always be thankful for. 93 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 2: What a blessing to share that moment with my son 94 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 2: and my dad. 95 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: Well, we appreciate you sharing that story with us. And 96 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: according to Ryan, that's just how that happened. If you 97 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: haven't noticed that, I was blessed to bring home a 98 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: big color phace black bear from Canada recently, I applaud 99 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: your ability to stay off your phone and sparse out 100 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: your time on social media. Now, if you did catch 101 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: one of the six million pictures I and others posted 102 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: about it, Here's the story of that hunt and some 103 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: context on that grand adventure I recently participated in. Better yet, 104 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 1: the grand and benture in which I recently participated thanks 105 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: to missus Mary Cupp, my twelfth grade English teacher. She 106 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: taught both my older brothers too. She was diminutive in stature, 107 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: but an absolute giant in teaching me the correct way 108 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: to write a story. She'd be looking at me over 109 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: her glasses right now by ending a sentence with a preposition. 110 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: I owe her a lot, and I find myself seeking 111 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: her approval even now when I sat down to write 112 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: these stories. Even though she's long passed away. Thanks miss Cupp, 113 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: you're still teaching me. Also, hang on because you know 114 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: I write like I talk, So I hope you're grading 115 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: on the curve up there. Anyway, last week, my buddy 116 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: David McDaniels and my new friend Logan Ingram and yours 117 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 1: truly let out for the Riding Mountains of Central Manitoba 118 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: to hunt with Craig and Melanie McCarthy at their outfit 119 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 1: and concern called North Mountains. Twenty one hours of driving later, 120 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: I was introduced to Hayden and Kirsten, the MacArthur youngins, 121 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: both of which were eager to meet and talk to us. 122 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: And now I was impressed with their manners, how they 123 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: conducted themselves and around adults and people they'd only just met. 124 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: I'll tell you more about them in a later episode. 125 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: Suffice it to say these kids were an accurate barometer 126 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: of how the week would play out and how this 127 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: family lives their lives close to the Canadian wilderness. The 128 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: respectful reverend and with humility, and I felt at home immediately. 129 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: I also felt excited because I loved to hunt bears, 130 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: I love to talk about bears. I loved to eat bears. 131 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: I love everything about bears, and these folks are in 132 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: the bear business. And this wasn't my first trip to 133 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: the land of maple leaves and hockey pucks. It was 134 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: my fourth trip north of the border, but my first 135 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: to Manitoba. That place looked like home to me, Saskatchewan 136 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: in British Columbia. They're beautiful in there in their own way. 137 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: But I was drawn to this land with a subtle familiarness. 138 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: It was big country that was for the most part 139 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: flat as a flitter and broken up by wooded streams, 140 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: rivers and roe crop farms. It reminded me of the 141 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: Arkansas delta dirt that looked like PLoud dark chocolate, and 142 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: you just knew it would be cool to the touch, 143 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: even on the hottest days. Cattail ringed potholes dotted the landscape, 144 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: and mallard ducks and Canada geese, blue winged teal sand 145 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: hill cranes were a daily attraction as we made our 146 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:42,599 Speaker 1: way to and from Camp. Kyots, turkeys, coons, big coons 147 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: like forty plus pound coons lived there. How I'd love 148 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: to cut old waving and loosen them bottles and see 149 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 1: how quick he could put one of those fat rascals 150 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: up a tree. They've got swamps too, big beaver ponds, 151 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: and absolute trappers paradise. More on that in a later 152 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: episode two. Right now, my focus was bears. Might as 153 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 1: well get this part over with. There'll be some folks 154 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: who don't like a baited bear hunt, and that's one 155 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 1: hundred percent fine with me, But I have no interest 156 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: in hearing these opinions. Send them to somebody else. Baiting 157 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: bears is a tool that allows the hunter to confirm 158 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 1: the maturity and sex of the bears, so the young 159 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: ones or the sows with cubs aren't targeted. There are 160 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: a million more folks more articulate than I am that 161 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: have presented that argument from day one. I'm not going 162 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: to repeat it here. It's legal, it's ethical, and it's 163 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: nowhere near automatic. Also, my primary reason for hunting a 164 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 1: bear is to kill him and take him home to 165 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 1: eat and render his fat for cooking healthier organic meals 166 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: than I provide for my family. Any advantage I can 167 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: give myself an accomplishing that task as well. 168 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 2: Now it's enough of that. 169 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:08,959 Speaker 1: Bears hit baits around the clock, but the best time 170 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: to get set up for them is in the early afternoon. 171 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: Time is most dependent on where you are as far 172 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 1: as the latitude goes on the spinning orb of ores 173 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: and three thirty PM seem to work for me for 174 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: leaving the cabin, I'd be sitting and ready to roll 175 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: with a fresh dose of beaver meat and grain at 176 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: the bait by four fifteen on the first afternoon shooting 177 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 1: light would be over a little after ten pm. That 178 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: still makes for quite a long sit. Six hours in 179 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: a tree is a pretty good pull. And if you're 180 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: hunting bears, the big ones normally don't get there to 181 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 1: the last fifteen or twenty minutes of light. They're like 182 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: big bucks and a gold nocturnal. The reason the last 183 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 1: hour of daylight hunting is usually known as the golden ire. 184 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 1: Now when you're bear hunting, you could narrow it down 185 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: even further to the golden twenty minutes or less. The 186 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: name Riding Mountain is believed to be derived from a 187 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: Cree Indian name meaning hill of the buffalo chase. How 188 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: cool is that? I love learning about the history of 189 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,319 Speaker 1: any place I'm fortunate enough to be able to hunt. 190 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,719 Speaker 1: My mind wanders to earlier times and I try to 191 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:21,839 Speaker 1: imagine what it must have looked like to those folks 192 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: who called this place home and how important hunting and 193 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: trapping was to their survival. Connection to the land is 194 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: important to me, and I don't take any place for granted. 195 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: We owe it to those who roam there first to 196 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: keep their memories alive by being good stewards of the land, 197 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: especially when we're only visiting. Like my friend Doug Darren says, 198 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: it's not ours, it's just our turn. 199 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 2: Now. 200 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: The bears started in early that evening six point fifteen, 201 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: two hours after I'd settled in. I was looking at 202 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: some prime examples of Ursus americ common. They were in 203 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: just about every direction, and I look sitting on the 204 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: bait is also a great way to observe bear behavior. 205 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:07,200 Speaker 2: And how they interact to each other. 206 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: The sounds emitted by them are incredible, varied, and somewhat 207 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: intimidating at times. Now. I didn't witness any show enough 208 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:18,679 Speaker 1: knockdown dragouts, but the boys did get a little grumpy 209 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: about sharing at times, and contrary to what you might think, 210 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: the biggest bear ain't always in charge. All through the 211 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: afternoon and evening, I watched one particular color faced bear, 212 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: chocolate colored bear run others away from the barrel with 213 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: bluff charges, popping his jaws and woofing. That reminded me 214 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: of the fellow with a Napoleon complex. He was making 215 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 1: up for his lack of size by being the toughest kid. 216 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 2: On the block and work most of the time. 217 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: Occasionally, a larger bear would stroll in and the class 218 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: bully would retreat without making a sound or offering any resistance. 219 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 1: This let me know that they'd already established who was 220 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: a boss between the two of them, long before they 221 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: met in front of me that evening. I've witnessed barfights before, 222 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: real ones. They escalate quickly and are extremely violent. Those 223 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 1: played out in front of me and another part of 224 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: Canada on multiple occasions, and I was sitting on the 225 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: ground with them as it happened, hoping they just ignored 226 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: me when it was all over. You know how it is, 227 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: the guy that loses is embarrassed and mad and looks 228 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 1: around at the gauking crowd yelling what are you looking at? 229 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: At the first guy he knows he can walk. I 230 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: didn't want to be that guy he picked out and challenged. 231 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 1: Admittedly the crowd. I was sitting in watching the pugilistic 232 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: endeavor was pretty thin, consistent only of me and Clay 233 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 1: Ichi the turkey calling contest nukem. But then as abruptly 234 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: as they start, they're usually over. They know who won, 235 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: and each goes about their business as if nothing really happened, 236 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: kind of like a Major League base ball when a 237 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: good hitter hits homer off a good picture, the hitter 238 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: runs the bases, goes back to the dug out without 239 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: show bolting, or he can rest assured if he does. 240 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: Next time he steps in the box, the posing picture 241 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: is going to put a heater in his ear. Sometimes 242 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you. I 243 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: can't remember where I heard that, but it was probably 244 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: at a bear bait said by bear, probably the same 245 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: bear that said if attacked by a bear, you should 246 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: lay down and play dead. That's just so you'll have 247 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: some practice when it happens for real a few minutes later. 248 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: But from where I sat, the bait was less than 249 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: twenty yards away in an opening no bigger than a 250 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 1: fifteen by fifteen room. The aspen and maple trees, along 251 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: with the bushes that grow there, thick and lush with 252 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: new spring leaves. It's pretty close quarters, and for good reason. 253 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: Big bears feel more secure in tight spaces. They have 254 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: avenues of escape and they can slip in undetected by 255 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: other bears that may be bigger than them. There's always 256 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: someone bigger and batter. The big ones know this, and 257 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 1: they get to be old bears because of it. Bears 258 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: don't like to fight, and they only do it when threatening, 259 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: when it's absolutely necessary. They know that injury is weakness, 260 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: and weakness is hunger and death in nature. If they 261 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 1: can posture well enough to get their bluff in on 262 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: whatever is causing the problem, they'll they'll let it go 263 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: with that. The trails coming into the bait were virtually 264 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: indistinguishable from the rest of the woods. They were more 265 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: like open top tunnels and passageways with only opening to 266 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: fully see in size of the bears being at the 267 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: barrel itself. Now you could get glimpses of them through 268 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: holes in the bushes as they approached, but take them 269 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 1: a shot anywhere other than at the bait was out 270 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: of the question. With the boat, and that's what I 271 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: like to hunt with. I'd already determined that none of 272 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: the bears that were hitting. The bait were bigger than 273 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: the bears I had at home. They were all getting 274 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: to pass. On opening day, I pictured in my mind 275 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 1: having a slingshot and drilling that chocolate in his ham 276 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: with a rock, just to let some of the others 277 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: have a bite. When through an opening up the hill, 278 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: I saw two bears. First, I thought they were fighting. 279 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 1: Turns out that fighting was the last thing they had 280 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: on their mind. That couples out on the date, which 281 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: coincides with this time of year when sal's come in heat. 282 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: The receptive sal can be better than bait any day. 283 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: The dominant bore in the area will check her out 284 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: if he's close. And I had two things going for me. 285 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: There salth coming in season and the bear bait of 286 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: six or seven different bears that had been using it 287 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 1: on and off all evening. I started calling the color 288 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: bear Choco Taco. Now, I'm not a wild animal namer. 289 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: I've never given a bucket name that I was after. 290 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: I think it's dumb. I think deers should be called 291 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: deer because that's that's what they are. I only care 292 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: about knowing the name of someone if I'm going to 293 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 1: hold a conversation with him. Or avoid here's an example. 294 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 1: I'd like to meet Frank. He seems like someone i'd 295 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: like to know. Or Oh Lord, here comes Frank, let's 296 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: get out here. He is not someone i'd like to know. 297 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:23,199 Speaker 1: But this bear was a regular at the bait and 298 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: comical in his defense of what he thought was his. 299 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: He'd been there all evening. He was the first in 300 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 1: and would grab a chunk of frozen beaver and walk 301 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: out in the woods to gnaw on it. Or, as 302 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: Miss Coope would say, out into the woods he'd walk 303 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: with a frozen beaver on which to naw. Oh my gosh, 304 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 1: I wish I could hear her say that I love you, 305 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: Miss Cope. Chako Taco had ventured out from the bait 306 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,720 Speaker 1: for the upteenth time and had been replaced by a 307 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 1: bigger bear who fancied himself a snackerl of beaver and 308 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: a dip of grease soaked oats. Still not what I 309 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: was after, though. My eyes drifted back up the hill 310 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: toward where I had last seen the happy couple. It 311 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: was getting darker now and was actually prime time for 312 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: the big boys to show up. Then the barrier the 313 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 1: bait got up and left like he'd been caught with 314 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 1: his hand in the cookie jar. Movement straight out in 315 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:18,639 Speaker 1: front of me had me looking over the top and 316 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,919 Speaker 1: past the bait barrel to a trail that Barris had 317 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: been using earlier in the day. My good friend and 318 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: cameraman David McDaniels was positioned behind me filming the hunt. 319 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 1: In the video, you can see me motion to David 320 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: that I'd seen something there, and I picked up my 321 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 1: bow and attached my release to the stream. I was 322 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: training to see through the woods forty yards away, and 323 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: I was alerted to the presence of a different barrier 324 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: the bait when I heard David whisper, that's a big 325 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 1: chocolate bear right in front of you. 326 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 2: Grin Now. 327 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 1: I didn't have to do anything other than the lower 328 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: my gaze, and magically, there he was. How in the 329 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: world did that joker get there with that eat, seeing 330 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: or hearing it? I don't know how they move across 331 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 1: the landscape and sidly as they do, but they move 332 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: like poetry and perfect rhythm with the environment, and float 333 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: through the woods like dust dances in the rays of 334 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: sunshine through a window. I waited, and I watched for 335 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: what seemed like forever, and then he took the final 336 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: step I needed him to take to. 337 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 2: Stand clear in the open. 338 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,199 Speaker 1: I could only see two thirds of him, but it 339 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 1: was the part that held his vitals. And I leaned 340 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: over just a little bit, and I picked out a 341 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: small spot and was surprised when the air jumped off 342 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: my strain. I followed the air's path and saw it 343 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 1: disappear right where I was aiming. One months later, I 344 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:45,680 Speaker 1: heard him crash. Shortly after that, I heard his death moon. 345 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 1: Now I have to tell you, the death mon is 346 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: not something I enjoyed. Here half the bearers I've taken 347 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,879 Speaker 1: to done it to me. It's raw and emotional and 348 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,679 Speaker 1: maybe a little sad. I'm not ashamed to admit that 349 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,439 Speaker 1: the first time I heard it brought tears in my eyes. 350 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 1: I also think that that's a good thing. Hunting is 351 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: a raw emotional act, and we're driven instinctually to hunt 352 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 1: and gather for our families. Taking the life of an 353 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: animal that's not taking light and it shouldn't be quite 354 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,919 Speaker 1: quite the opposite that four hundred and forty pounds manitoble 355 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 1: BlackBerry will feed my family for months good healthy protein. 356 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 1: The grease rendered from his fat will be cooked with 357 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 1: for many months as well, and his hide and skull 358 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: were hanging my home with reverence, his memory to live 359 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 1: within me for as long as I did. The beast 360 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: as dead long lived. 361 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 2: The beast. 362 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: That would be remiss if not taking the opportunity to 363 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: talk about the outfitters. I'd heard about him ever since 364 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:55,880 Speaker 1: David came back from his hunt with him last year. 365 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: He went on and on about how gracious they were now, 366 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: just how rock solid of a family they are. David 367 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: brought home a nice bear from there last year, and 368 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: I didn't know, but I thought maybe his judgment was 369 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: biased by his successful trip, that dude wouldn't shut up 370 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: about him. But David was a pretty good judge of 371 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,479 Speaker 1: character if you take me out of the mix. So 372 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: I booked a hunt along with several other folks in 373 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: his circle, and from day one it was like rolling 374 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 1: into the family hunting camp and seeing folks you only 375 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 1: see that time of year. I knew from the moment 376 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:32,920 Speaker 1: I met him that he was right and they were 377 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: good folks. Craig and Mail treated us all like ken. 378 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: I tagged that on the first day and spent a 379 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: lot of time with all the McCarthy's from Craig and 380 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:46,120 Speaker 1: Mail to their son Hayden and daughter Kirsten, along with 381 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: Derek Lammy and ash Nor Shappoo also known as Ash 382 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: And If that ain't a classic Canadian bush name, I 383 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: don't know what is. They were good, honest, hard working 384 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: folks who are let by faith and are shining examples 385 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: of a family working together for a common gold. It 386 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:08,359 Speaker 1: could have been raising chickens and farming like I grew 387 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 1: up doing, or making cabinets in the family shop. It 388 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: could have been anything. The job didn't matter. What mattered 389 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 1: is that they all did it together and supported one 390 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:23,199 Speaker 1: another along the way. In this case, it just so 391 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: happened to be bear hunting, and they do it well. 392 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: Now that's something special and something I was proud to 393 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 1: witness for myself. Check them out at North Mountain Adventures 394 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 1: in Oaka River, Manitoba, Canada. That hunt will be on 395 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: their YouTube channel next year, but go subscribe to their 396 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: channel now to see some great content that's already up. Now, 397 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna leave you with this. It's the first stanza 398 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:51,160 Speaker 1: of a poem that reminds me of the McCarthy's, every 399 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 1: last one of them, including Derek and Ash as I 400 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: watched them going about their chores and require task of guiding, entertaining, 401 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: and caring for hervest game, reminding me of this poem. 402 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: And it was written by Robert W. Servis, and it's 403 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: titled A Busy Man. Here's the first stanza, this crowded 404 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: life of God's good giving, no man has relished more 405 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:19,440 Speaker 1: than I. I've been so gall darned busy living. I've 406 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 1: never had the time to die. So busy fishing, hunting, 407 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 1: roving up on my toes and fighting fit, so busy singing, laughing, loving, 408 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 1: I've never had the time to quit until next week. 409 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,679 Speaker 1: This is Brent Reeves signing off. Y'all be careful, AD