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 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: my stories and the country skills that will help you 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: beat the system. This Country Life is proudly presented as 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: part of Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: outdoor podcast the airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:40,639 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two. The teacher old Canada. 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: I've been to Canada three times in my life. Each 11 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: trip was the trip of a lifetime, all of them 12 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: hunting trips, but each unique in its adventure and the 13 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: lessons learned. We're taking a trip north of the border 14 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: this week, but no need for the Rosetta stone. I'm 15 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,959 Speaker 1: semi fluent in Canadian. I'm going to tell you all 16 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: about them, but first I'm going to tell you a story. Plans, suburbans, 17 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: and boats. Five of us with bear tags and one 18 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: with a camera waited at a predesignated spot on an 19 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: unnamed river that bled off the eight hundred square mile 20 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 1: Wallaston Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. We were one hundred and 21 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: sixty three miles south of the Arctic Circle and over 22 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 1: two thousand miles away from Arkansas. We'd rented a suburban 23 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: when we landed in Saskatoon, and if that wasn't far enough, 24 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: we were still a thirteen hour drive from the airport 25 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: to where we now sat. I was there filming them 26 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: from my good friend Klay Knuckleman. It was back in 27 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: the days before he or I worked for me Dieter, 28 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: and even before the original Bear Grind East podcast. This 29 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: film was in support of Bear Hunt magazine and we 30 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: were on an adventure, an adventure that began the day 31 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: before when I showed up at Clay's house three hours 32 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: before we were supposed to leave for the airport, and 33 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: he said, Man, I've been so busy getting the magazine 34 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: ready to go out that I haven't even packed yet. 35 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: I laughed, but he didn't. Then I knew he was serious. 36 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: Hold a cow, let's get to pack it. Thirty minutes 37 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: later we were on our way to the airport with 38 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: seven days worth a gear. He never broke a sweat, 39 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: while I felt like I was having kittens the whole 40 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,839 Speaker 1: time until we were checked in and waiting at the gate. 41 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: I hate flying, not the actual physicality of flying. But 42 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: the process of flying it used to be a relatively 43 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: simple process, as those amongst us who have traveled by 44 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: air prior to the tragedy of nine to eleven can 45 00:02:56,240 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: fully attest. And I know the reason for all the changes, 46 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: and I appreciate the redundancy of ID checks and screening. 47 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: I get it. I'm all for it. But that's the 48 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: process that makes me anxious. There's too much responsibility on 49 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: my end to have everything I'm supposed to have to 50 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: prove to someone who doesn't know me that I am 51 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: who I say I am. Plus I lose things often. 52 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: Alexis is constantly saying, in her condescending mom voice, if 53 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: you just put things back where they go instead of 54 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: laying them down in random spots, you wouldn't lose them. 55 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: She usually follows that up with have you seen my phone? 56 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: I can't find my phone. Me and that gal were 57 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: made for each other anyway. There the five of us 58 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: were standing in the middle of Saskatchewan, having survived the 59 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: first two legs of our journey into the North. James Lawrence, 60 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: Ryan Greb Carney Easter, and Clay Bold Nukem and yours. 61 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: Truly it was June and we were all wearing jackets 62 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: to cut the cold wind that blew off Wallaston Lake. 63 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: We were waiting for the last mode of travel to arrive. 64 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: In the last twenty four hours. We had been kept 65 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: from walking by the engineers at Boeing Chevrolet and whatever 66 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: water vessel was that we now waited. That was forty 67 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: five minutes overdue to our agreed upon meeting spot that 68 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: was supposed to keep us dry on our ride to 69 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: the Bear camp. It must be a big boat to 70 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: carry us and all our gear. We had a ton 71 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 1: of stuff. Hard cases with camera gear, bows, drones, and 72 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 1: Duffel bags of clothing and hunting gear were stacked at 73 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: the edge of a dock that looked like it had 74 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: been built by the students of a beginner carpenter class 75 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: in the dark. The boats we were expecting to ferry 76 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: us the last part of the trip had to be big, 77 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: so we were wondering how in the world they were 78 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,600 Speaker 1: going to fit into this small area and this homemade dock. 79 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: I also wondered where the boat was. There was no 80 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: way other than using a SAT phone to contact the outfitter, 81 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: since he was the one coming to pick us up 82 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: and we doubted he'd be able to answer, so we 83 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: just waited. Another thirty minutes ticked by with us entertaining ourselves, 84 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: before we heard the sound of an outboard motor getting closer. 85 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: Then we saw the boats, two of them. One was 86 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: what i'd call a ski boat. It had a console 87 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 1: steering and a walk through windshield and a fifty horse 88 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: power outboard motor. The second boat was a fourteen foot 89 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: aluminum vehu with a forty horse power motor and a 90 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: tiller hand. Now, either those weren't our boats, or we 91 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: weren't going very far, I figured, But they were our boats, 92 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: and we were a long way from the end of 93 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: the boat riding. Were fixing the tape I had figured wrong. 94 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: The boat's coasted to a stop along the edge of 95 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: Canada's version of a Beverly hillbilly's boat dock, each pile 96 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: by a pair of strapping lads who ended each question 97 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: or mildly facetious statement with a like been waiting long 98 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: a or pretty long trip ah. After all the introductions, 99 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: we started bringing our gear down to the boats, and 100 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: the outfitter suggested putting all the gear in one person 101 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: in the bigger boat. He was driving that one, and 102 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: the rest of us would load up in the smaller 103 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: boat for the ride across the lake to the camp. James, Carney, 104 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: Ryan and I opted for the lighter boat after packing 105 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: the bigger one to the absolute gills with bags and cases, 106 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: then covering it up as best as we could with 107 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 1: tart to try to keep it all dry. I asked 108 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: that hockey loving cat who was minding the tiller how 109 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: far we were going, and he said, oh, it's a ways, 110 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 1: and he wasn't kidding. In Arkansas, you could hop in 111 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: any conveyance available from attractor to a bicycle, heading any 112 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: random direc direction, and in two hours you're going to 113 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 1: be somewhere, somewhere where there was something something other than water, 114 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: moss and trees and seemingly endless wilderness. Now, don't get 115 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: me wrong, I was digging it. I loved being in 116 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: remote places, and getting there is usually a big part 117 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: of the adventure. But for the past two hours I 118 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: felt like my teeth were getting loose from the constant 119 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: battering that the boat was taken and transferring to me. 120 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: I hooked my legs underneath the seat as best as 121 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: I could, and I had a gi Joe kung fu 122 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: grip on the gun and the seat. My behind was 123 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: hitting about every other wave. The waves that didn't take 124 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: me a foot off the bench washed over the bow 125 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: and sides, and the strong wind was soaking me in 126 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: my fellow Arkansas with the cleanest water I'd never wanted 127 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: to drink. At this point, I looked out of the 128 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: rain hood i'd pulled down tight around my face in 129 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: a feeble attempt to keep the lake out of my clothes, 130 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,119 Speaker 1: and the bank to the Arbard's side of the boat 131 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: was invisible, nothing but water, and it looked as big 132 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: as the ocean. I looked to the port side and 133 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: caught it an occasional glimpse of Earth between the solo 134 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: cups of water. Old Mother Wallerston was spitting in my eyes. 135 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: I started using naval terminology in my thinking, as the 136 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: voyage to the end of the Earth drug on past eternity. 137 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: I figured, since we had all obviously been shanghaied by 138 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: sailors posing his bear hunting outfitters, that I might as 139 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: well learn the lingo. I looked back at our pilot. 140 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: He was wrapped up tight in his rein gear with 141 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: nothing other than a small peepole where his eyes should 142 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: have been. Occasionally a black tuft of hair would flip out, 143 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: before getting soaked and seeking refuge back inside his parker. 144 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: I caught him checking the GPS he had in his 145 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: pocket and mouth of the words how long eh? That 146 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: was in my best Canadian accident. He yelled above the 147 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: din of the outboard, in the crashing of the hull 148 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,439 Speaker 1: of the boat on the waves, that we were almost halfway, 149 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: Almost halfway, for the love of humanity, was where we 150 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 1: were going going to look any different than where we 151 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: were it? It all looked the same as far as 152 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: what I could see now from the boat, and the 153 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: same I'd seen for the past one hundred and fifty 154 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: miles the road before we pulled up to that dock, 155 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: big round rocks, jack pines, and moss. I caught a 156 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: glimpse of Claybow's boat as it launched in the air 157 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: between the waves, the foot being the only thing that 158 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: stayed in contact with the water. My fund meter had 159 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: pegged out. I was ready to hit the bank. Gordon Lightfoot, 160 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: Ontario borne balladeer and President of Canada. His greatest song ever, 161 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: one of the personal favorites of mine was on repeat 162 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: in my head, over and over it played in Three 163 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: and a half hours later, we pulled up to a 164 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: dock that looked suspiciously like the first one I'd seen 165 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: fifty five miles earlier, when that whole ordeal started. Clay 166 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: and the boss outfitter had pulled a head as we 167 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: rolled into calmer waters and were waiting for us on 168 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: the bank. Clay was smiling, happy to be there, happy 169 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: to be bear hunting, but mostly I think, happy to 170 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: be alive. He walked out onto that unsteady dock. He 171 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: reached his hand out to me to help me up, smiling, 172 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: then he said, what do you think about that? When 173 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: my second foot hit the top of that dock? I said, 174 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 1: does anyone know where the love of God goes? When 175 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: the waves turned the minutes to ours, Clay's eyes got 176 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: white and a surprised look came across his face. He 177 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: squeezed my hand and said, Wow, did you just make 178 00:10:55,520 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: that up? No, Clay Bow, Gordon Lightfoot died and that's 179 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: just how that happened Old Canada. On my third trip 180 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: to Canada, me and Clay Bow found ourselves in British Columbia. 181 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: It was a stark contrast to the terrain of northern Saskatchewan. 182 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 1: This was mountainous, thick wooded terrain and clearcuts. We were 183 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: hunting black bears in the same woods where grizzlies lived. 184 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: I'd always wanted to see a grizzly. I've always wanted 185 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,320 Speaker 1: to go on an archery hunt for one, and like 186 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: a lot of folks, I'm intrigued by I also have 187 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: a lot of respect for him, which is a manly 188 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: way of saying they scare the soup out of me. 189 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: I'm not scared of much, and I have been in 190 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: places and situations in my law enforcement job when I 191 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: probably should have been scared at that time, but I 192 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: was also focused on the mission hand and fear was 193 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: never a real factor. All that went straight out the 194 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: window when we got to Jeff Lander's primitive outfit and 195 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 1: bear camp. Jeff is a bow hunter. He and his wife, 196 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: Lanta have become good friends of mine. They're good people 197 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 1: and she's from Arkansas. Good job, Jeffrey. Anyway, glad I 198 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 1: got to camp earlier than anticipated, and he said we 199 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: could go out that afternoon. Since we had plenty of 200 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: light left to hunt. They decided not to use the 201 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: electric bikes that they had out forced to travel down 202 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 1: the gravel in the dirt roads for fear of rounding 203 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:43,199 Speaker 1: a curve and surprising Old Gribbs. Stories that include surprise 204 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: and grizzly don't usually end well for either party. I 205 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: liked his thinking. The last thing I wanted to do 206 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: was surprise anything that had claws, teeth and was grumpy 207 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: to start with and could run thirty five miles an hour. 208 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 1: That's like fifty six in Canada. They're even faster up there. 209 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 1: I didn't want a surprise one, but I did want 210 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: to see one. Jeff hooked us up with our guide Gary. 211 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: That's a good dude, and old Gary knows his way 212 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: around the wilderness, and those bears both kinds playing. I 213 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: got our stuff ready in short ordering. Before we knew it, 214 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: we were heading down a one lane dirt road that 215 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: was about twenty minutes away from the camp. I was 216 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 1: quizzing Gary on his exploits and grizzly bears and wondering 217 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:33,719 Speaker 1: if we'd see one before the week was up. He 218 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: said it was a good possibility, but there was no guarantees. 219 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: They're as scared of us as we are them, he said. 220 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: The road we were easing down in Gary's truck wasn't 221 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:47,559 Speaker 1: much wider than a one lane of a two lane highway. 222 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: Alder maple and pine trees that were thick on each side, 223 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: thick enough that you couldn't see but a few feet 224 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: past the edge of the road. But up ahead, about 225 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: three hundred yards that's two hundred and seventy four into 226 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: Canadian the road opened up on each side. The sun 227 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:06,680 Speaker 1: was shining and lighting up what looked like a big 228 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: hay pasture, quite a contrast to the darkness that stood 229 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: on each side of the road. I'd learned two things 230 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: about Gary in the short twenty minutes i'd known him. 231 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: He was a religious man. I liked that. And he 232 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: also toted it a a three point thirty eight la 233 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: poor rifle that was secured in a spot beside me 234 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 1: in the back seat. I like that too. Used correctly, 235 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: both of those can get you out of a tight spot, 236 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: one quicker than the other and one for longer than 237 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: the other. Gary said, we'd walk the last one hundred 238 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: yards down the road and slip up to the edge 239 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: and peek down the woodline to see if we could 240 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: catch a black bear feeding on the ankle high grass 241 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: that they loved this time of year. Good plan, he said, 242 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: he'd done this many times. Found a bear, initiated a 243 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 1: stalk and got within bow range. That's what we wanted. 244 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: We might as well fill the tag on opening day. 245 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: We were in a single file line until the last 246 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: few steps. That's when Gary motioned for us to be 247 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 1: quiet and to stand beside him as we crept the 248 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: rest of the way to see down the edge of 249 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: the woods clay in the middle of me. On the 250 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: far right, he whispered, Now, you guys, look down to 251 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: the right. The woodline goes down a lot further than 252 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: it does on this side. I'll check over here on 253 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: the left. We eased along almost in cadence. Two more 254 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: steps and we'd be able to see all the way 255 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: down the field edge. I strained to see anything that 256 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: remotely looked like a bear. I was laser focused on 257 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: everything that was going on around me when Gary whispered, 258 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: don't anybody move. The tone in which he said it 259 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: made me hear look over here at the grizzly bear 260 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: that's about to kill us. All slowly and methodically, I 261 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: turned my head to see two grizzly bear cubs and 262 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: a south stand fifty yards away. The sow was chomping 263 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: down grass like they weren't making it anymore, and the 264 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: both cubs were staring at us. The one in front 265 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: and closest to us was standing on all fours, and 266 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: the one behind him and nearest to the south stood 267 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: up on his hind legs to see over his sibling 268 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: and so he could see what we were. They both 269 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: bolted at the same time and ran away from where 270 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: we were standing, and passing right in front of the 271 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: nose of Mama Bear. And looking back on it now, 272 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: she didn't pay them any attention at first. I'm sure 273 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: they did that, playing and chasing each other all the time. 274 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: It was when they hit the woods and didn't stop 275 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 1: that she looked at the way they'd left and realized 276 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: they were running away from something. Then she looked back 277 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: to see what they'd run away from, and there we stood, 278 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: all three of us, side by side, looking like a 279 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: big bear hunting oreo with the double stuff On the 280 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: right hand side. Mama Bear stood up on her hind 281 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: legs and stared at us for what seemed like a week. 282 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what that translates to, and time wise 283 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 1: in Canadian but in reality it was really only for 284 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: a few seconds. She woofed loud when she stumped her 285 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: front feet down on the ground, and it rattled the 286 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: stuff in my pockets. In my mind immediately calculating the 287 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: number of clean sets of drawers I had back at 288 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: the camp. Should I live through this, for I was 289 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:35,640 Speaker 1: going to need some. Then as quickly as I processed 290 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: all that, she was gone, disappearing through the same hole 291 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: in the woods her cubs had gone. It was absolutely magnificent. 292 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 1: She was beautiful, and so were her cubs. I felt 293 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: privileged to have seen them and to have lived through it. 294 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: Clay doesn't remember it being as significant an event that 295 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 1: I do, which proves my adage of if you want 296 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 1: want two different accounts of a singular event, get two 297 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: eyewitnesses to the same thing. To the individual perception is reality, 298 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: and mine may have been biased by my innate fear 299 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: of standing unarmed within the rock chunking distance of Asil 300 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 1: Grizzly and her cubs, my only defense being my inability 301 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: to look like I tasted bad. Clay barely remembers the event, 302 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 1: and Gary, the guide with whom I spent a week 303 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: spotting in stalking barriers all over British Columbia, probably doesn't 304 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 1: even remember us being there. Did I manufacture the events 305 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: and how they unfolded? Did I add some spice or 306 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: use poetic license and telling that story about my first 307 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 1: encounter with a grizzly bear? Absolutely not. Were my perceptions 308 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: of that close encounter romanticized or clouded by how I 309 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 1: interpreted her reactions to our surprise meeting. Absolutely I don't 310 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 1: know what was going on inside that bear's head. But 311 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,360 Speaker 1: while lie biologists tell us that for them it's fight 312 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: or flight, and I'm glad you chose the latter, perception 313 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:16,680 Speaker 1: is as individual as the cat doing the perceiving. That's 314 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:19,640 Speaker 1: something we can all learn from, and that's your challenge 315 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,880 Speaker 1: this week. Listen to folks tell their own bear stories 316 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: and try to see it from where they were standing. 317 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: You don't have to agree with them, and just as important, 318 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,399 Speaker 1: they don't have to agree with you. It's not a 319 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 1: new concept to be respectful of another's viewpoint, but it's 320 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 1: one we're all a little out of practice. Up. We're 321 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: all neighbors on this spinning rock, or, according to some folks, 322 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: this humongous flat thing we're surfing through space. On either way, 323 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: your neighbor is your neighbor. I'm leaving my second trip 324 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: out for now, and I'll talk about that on another day. 325 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: That was a special trip, and part of the reason 326 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: I'm able to talk to you now is a direct 327 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 1: benefit from that excursion. It's a good one and it 328 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,119 Speaker 1: literally changed the life path for both Clay and me. 329 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 1: We got some fun content coming out soon on the 330 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: med Eater YouTube channel. Be looking for that announcement in 331 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: This Country Life. We've got a few surprises there too. 332 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,640 Speaker 1: Until next week, this is Brent Reeves, sign it off. 333 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:28,400 Speaker 1: Y'all be careful.