WEBVTT - Ep. 503: Render - Bears All Around 0:00:14.740 --> 0:00:17.220 My name is Clay Newcomb, and this is a production 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:20.520 of the Bear Grease podcast called the Bear Grease Render, 0:00:20.739 --> 0:00:24.060 where we render down, dive deeper, and look behind the 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:27.730 scenes of the actual Bear Grease podcast, brought to you 0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:31.610 by Tacoba's Boots. I'm a cowboy boot man, and I've 0:00:31.630 --> 0:00:34.870 been wearing Tacoba's for years. They're the most comfortable boot 0:00:35.030 --> 0:00:38.010 I've ever put on. Good boots for good times. 0:00:45.340 --> 0:00:45.680 Action. 0:00:47.080 --> 0:00:53.830 Well, welcome to the Bear Grease Podcast. My name is 0:00:53.990 --> 0:00:58.410 Josh Landbridge Spielmaker. My name is not Clay Newcomb, as 0:00:58.430 --> 0:01:02.590 you can tell. Much better looking, more engaging, more friendly, 0:01:02.850 --> 0:01:06.810 you know, just like Clay Newcomb, only better. So I 0:01:06.850 --> 0:01:09.380 just want to welcome everybody to the show. We have 0:01:10.280 --> 0:01:15.119 an illustrious group of people here. Um, that we're going 0:01:15.140 --> 0:01:17.520 to be visiting with today. So I'm really excited about it. 0:01:17.580 --> 0:01:20.660 I'm going to introduce them. First of all, on my 0:01:20.700 --> 0:01:24.470 left here, who I affectionately refer to as my niece, River. 0:01:25.420 --> 0:01:26.530 River Newcomb. Welcome. 0:01:26.610 --> 0:01:27.430 Hello. Thank you. 0:01:28.010 --> 0:01:29.209 River, how long have you known Clay? 0:01:29.550 --> 0:01:31.870 How long have I known Clay? 23 years. 0:01:32.150 --> 0:01:33.509 Really? That's a long time. 0:01:33.530 --> 0:01:34.390 Long time. Yeah. 0:01:34.690 --> 0:01:35.330 Yeah. I'll say. 0:01:35.650 --> 0:01:37.289 What about Misty? Do you know her as well? Have 0:01:37.310 --> 0:01:38.090 you spent much time with her? 0:01:38.110 --> 0:01:40.750 A little bit. Okay. Yeah. Since she's your mom. 0:01:41.209 --> 0:01:41.870 Since she's my mom. 0:01:41.930 --> 0:01:42.190 Yeah. 0:01:42.209 --> 0:01:44.600 So you've known her So that same 23 years plus 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:45.760 an extra nine months. 0:01:45.819 --> 0:01:46.940 Yep, a little longer. 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:47.500 Great. 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:51.060 Well, glad you're here, River. You've been on the render 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:52.660 a number of times. 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:54.920 A number of times, maybe. I'm trying to remember. I 0:01:54.940 --> 0:01:56.240 was on once. 0:01:56.980 --> 0:01:57.640 Once? Yeah. 0:01:58.700 --> 0:02:01.170 I think you were on when your dad was gone 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:02.890 again one other time, I think. 0:02:04.060 --> 0:02:05.970 I remember coming and talking about land. 0:02:07.070 --> 0:02:09.840 About land? Mm-hmm. Okay. Well, I'll take your word for it. 0:02:09.850 --> 0:02:10.430 But I think it was just once. 0:02:11.000 --> 0:02:12.640 We'll have to dip back in the archives to find out. 0:02:12.700 --> 0:02:13.300 I could be wrong. 0:02:14.320 --> 0:02:17.380 Then as we go around the circle here, we have Mr. 0:02:17.490 --> 0:02:20.169 Matt Gagnon. Matt, welcome. 0:02:20.470 --> 0:02:23.630 Good friend of ours, me and Clay. Lives close to 0:02:23.690 --> 0:02:28.109 us here and just an all-around fantastic guy. He's like 0:02:28.150 --> 0:02:31.490 the guy that comes in clutch. Like when you need 0:02:31.530 --> 0:02:35.280 a guy there, you call Matt Gagnon. Because not only 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:36.900 will he be there, he's going to have all the 0:02:36.980 --> 0:02:39.239 resources that you need to get you out of whatever 0:02:39.300 --> 0:02:39.900 pickle you're in. 0:02:39.919 --> 0:02:41.339 So, man, glad you're here. 0:02:41.620 --> 0:02:42.880 Thank you, Josh. Really good to be here. 0:02:42.900 --> 0:02:43.600 Yeah, man. 0:02:44.160 --> 0:02:47.300 And what's been going on with you? What's new and 0:02:47.340 --> 0:02:51.300 exciting these days? Tell me what it is that you 0:02:51.320 --> 0:02:51.780 kind of do. 0:02:51.930 --> 0:02:52.430 Yeah, of course. 0:02:52.470 --> 0:02:55.590 So I know all of you guys through outdoor media. 0:02:56.250 --> 0:02:57.630 You know, I used to work with Clay at Meat Eater. 0:02:58.430 --> 0:03:00.269 I run a production company. I film a lot of 0:03:00.310 --> 0:03:03.150 hunting content. everything like that. So that's kind of the 0:03:03.190 --> 0:03:07.920 connection to here. And then relocated to Arkansas from Wyoming 0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:10.560 at the end of last year, which has definitely been 0:03:10.580 --> 0:03:12.720 a big adjustment, but I'm loving it down here. And 0:03:13.560 --> 0:03:15.560 I've kind of started in the real estate world down 0:03:15.620 --> 0:03:19.619 here in Arkansas, selling land and hunting property. So very 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:21.720 blessed to just be out on the land constantly. 0:03:21.800 --> 0:03:23.040 Some pretty amazing properties. 0:03:23.180 --> 0:03:26.220 Pretty incredible, man. So, you know, coming from Wyoming, we're 0:03:26.250 --> 0:03:27.989 known for a beautiful state. I mean, it's one of 0:03:28.010 --> 0:03:30.510 the prettiest places, in my opinion, on earth. But you 0:03:30.550 --> 0:03:32.350 come down here and you spend time around kind of 0:03:32.389 --> 0:03:35.470 northwest Arkansas. I mean, it's truly a beautiful place here. 0:03:35.910 --> 0:03:38.720 And there's a lot of just undiscovered gems. So I'm 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:41.080 just really, really fortunate to be able to travel around here, 0:03:41.220 --> 0:03:44.320 show some places to people, and just discover it for myself. 0:03:44.380 --> 0:03:47.620 So, yeah. Well, awesome, man. Well, we're glad you're here. 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:48.150 Thank you. 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:49.950 Glad to be here. And then last but not least, 0:03:51.430 --> 0:03:52.590 we have last. 0:03:53.890 --> 0:03:58.900 We're going to go with the misses first. So we 0:03:58.940 --> 0:04:00.410 have Crystal Lyles with us here. 0:04:00.430 --> 0:04:00.490 Hi. 0:04:01.330 --> 0:04:02.110 And Joe Lyles. 0:04:02.790 --> 0:04:05.410 Now, Joe's been on the podcast one other time? 0:04:05.430 --> 0:04:07.370 Yeah, one other time. Yeah. 0:04:07.490 --> 0:04:09.510 So y'all are Mr. 0:04:09.530 --> 0:04:11.150 And Mrs. Joe Lyles. That's correct. 0:04:11.170 --> 0:04:13.760 And y'all are from the glorious town of Mena. 0:04:13.980 --> 0:04:18.419 Yes. The big town of Mena. The fabled town of Mena. 0:04:18.820 --> 0:04:22.440 You bet. Yeah. Have you been there a long time? Lifetime. 0:04:22.839 --> 0:04:23.039 Really? 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:23.500 That's home. 0:04:24.020 --> 0:04:24.180 Really? 0:04:24.200 --> 0:04:25.140 You too, Crystal? Yes. 0:04:25.350 --> 0:04:25.850 Born and raised. 0:04:26.250 --> 0:04:29.520 Wow. Mm-hmm. Y'all are true locals. We are, yes. Yep, 0:04:29.620 --> 0:04:30.480 we're local people. 0:04:30.580 --> 0:04:32.170 Y'all have seen all the stuff. Do you know where 0:04:32.190 --> 0:04:33.080 all the bodies are buried? 0:04:33.110 --> 0:04:33.589 Yes, we do. 0:04:34.170 --> 0:04:34.290 Oh. 0:04:35.110 --> 0:04:37.870 Especially from my last career, so yeah. 0:04:38.010 --> 0:04:39.670 We may have even buried a few ourselves. 0:04:39.870 --> 0:04:42.010 So you had a career in banking. I did, yes. Okay, 0:04:42.350 --> 0:04:45.110 but Joe, your career was? I was with the Forest Service. 0:04:45.589 --> 0:04:48.910 I retired from the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement. Okay. 0:04:49.750 --> 0:04:51.380 I bet you've got some stories, don't you? 0:04:51.940 --> 0:04:52.839 I've got a lot of stories. 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:53.420 It's got to be. 0:04:53.540 --> 0:04:53.640 Yeah. 0:04:54.320 --> 0:04:57.080 Now, that's why you were on the last time when 0:04:57.140 --> 0:04:59.720 we had done a story on some game wardens. 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:02.120 Yes, I believe the Outlaws. And you came on as 0:05:02.140 --> 0:05:03.670 a subject matter expert. 0:05:04.250 --> 0:05:08.650 So some of our most popular episodes were the Louis 0:05:08.670 --> 0:05:09.850 Dale and Charlie Edwards. 0:05:09.930 --> 0:05:14.330 I know them well. I do. Yeah. And Russ Arthur, 0:05:14.589 --> 0:05:17.940 you know. Yeah, yeah. Now, did you work direct? 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:19.860 I think we talked about this last time, but you 0:05:19.920 --> 0:05:21.760 worked kind of directly with Russ, right? 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:25.779 Russ was, you know, he was a special agent, you know, 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:28.480 in the eastern part of Tennessee and that part of 0:05:28.500 --> 0:05:30.620 the world whenever I was in law enforcement. So we 0:05:30.660 --> 0:05:33.200 were in different areas, but I've worked with Russ, you know, 0:05:33.220 --> 0:05:36.440 different times. Russ also is a fantastic guy. Russ is 0:05:36.500 --> 0:05:39.070 a great guy. He is. Just a good quality man. Well, 0:05:39.089 --> 0:05:40.530 we're sure glad you're here. 0:05:41.270 --> 0:05:44.690 I want to mention at the top of the show here, 0:05:44.710 --> 0:05:46.529 I want to thank our sponsor. 0:05:46.550 --> 0:05:50.470 If I can do this. Takova's Boots. 0:05:51.500 --> 0:05:53.260 And, Joe, I don't know if you noticed, but you 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:56.720 are sitting in the Tecovas hot seat here. And we've 0:05:56.760 --> 0:05:58.240 got some boots here at Tecovas Boots. 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:00.659 And I'm not even wearing Tecovas. 0:06:01.260 --> 0:06:04.350 Well, you'll have the opportunity now because you are going 0:06:04.370 --> 0:06:06.090 to get a pair of boots from Tecovas. 0:06:06.730 --> 0:06:10.089 Oh, well, that would be great. Yeah, congratulations. We appreciate 0:06:10.110 --> 0:06:12.290 you coming up to be on the show. Absolutely. Well, 0:06:12.310 --> 0:06:13.250 thank you. Yeah. 0:06:13.730 --> 0:06:16.170 A couple of things before we get too deep in 0:06:16.210 --> 0:06:16.950 the conversation. 0:06:16.970 --> 0:06:17.850 Okay. 0:06:18.510 --> 0:06:21.240 We have a new podcast coming out on the Meat 0:06:21.260 --> 0:06:23.880 Eater Network that I think probably everybody in this room 0:06:23.900 --> 0:06:29.200 would enjoy. It's called The Gunfighters. Author Brian, as he 0:06:29.240 --> 0:06:34.039 says it, Brian Burrow. The regular folks call him Brian Burrow, 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:38.200 but he says Brian Burrow. He's doing a series on 0:06:38.370 --> 0:06:42.190 some historical gunfighters. And there's a trailer out right now, 0:06:42.210 --> 0:06:45.909 but it actually, when this podcast is released, it will 0:06:45.930 --> 0:06:49.070 have come out the day before, so... For us, it 0:06:49.110 --> 0:06:52.590 comes out tomorrow. But for you listening, it came out yesterday. 0:06:52.650 --> 0:06:56.550 So get on the Meat Eater Network, a podcast, and 0:06:56.870 --> 0:06:59.310 listen to the new Gunfighters podcast. 0:06:59.330 --> 0:07:02.370 It's going to be really good. That'll be good. Yeah, 0:07:02.570 --> 0:07:03.230 a lot of. 0:07:03.510 --> 0:07:08.050 Cool stories and some voice acting and all kinds of 0:07:08.070 --> 0:07:10.550 cool stuff. So it's going to be good. So check 0:07:10.590 --> 0:07:13.510 that out for sure. We've got Whitetail Week coming up 0:07:13.540 --> 0:07:16.080 at the end of this month. Whitetail season is right 0:07:16.100 --> 0:07:19.960 around the corner. Did you velvet hunt? 0:07:20.710 --> 0:07:25.030 I did. I did for one day. Actually, one morning, actually. And? 0:07:25.430 --> 0:07:29.310 Didn't see anything? Nothing. It's so hot that it just wasn't. 0:07:29.370 --> 0:07:35.130 We are in day, I think, 1,862 of near or 0:07:35.210 --> 0:07:37.260 above 100 degree temperatures here in Arkansas. 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:42.360 It's been absolutely miserable hot. It's hot. 0:07:43.270 --> 0:07:46.750 Bear season started a week ago, and it's like it 0:07:46.790 --> 0:07:49.590 feels weird to hunt when it's 100 degrees. 0:07:50.410 --> 0:07:53.550 That first morning was hot. It was. Miserable, miserable. 0:07:53.950 --> 0:08:01.370 But anyway, we've got the reason that River's here and 0:08:01.450 --> 0:08:05.630 Joe and Crystal are here and Matt too, honestly, is 0:08:05.690 --> 0:08:08.420 because we've got some bear killers in the room. Arkansas 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:13.920 bear season started last Wednesday, so Wednesday the 9th. And 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:17.560 we've got three bear killers in the room from this season. 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:19.160 One of them's yours. 0:08:19.540 --> 0:08:22.240 One of them's mine. And I have to say that 0:08:22.820 --> 0:08:25.800 you may be able to see the glow. You know, 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:27.780 when Moses went up on the mountain, he was in 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:29.600 the presence of the Lord, and he came down. The 0:08:29.620 --> 0:08:32.120 people couldn't even look at him because his face glowed. 0:08:32.540 --> 0:08:34.470 I kind of feel like Moses right now. 0:08:34.490 --> 0:08:35.030 That's how I feel, too. 0:08:35.040 --> 0:08:38.929 You know, glowing after my first bear kill. It's my 0:08:38.990 --> 0:08:41.040 first bear kill, so I was pretty excited about it. 0:08:41.050 --> 0:08:41.469 Congratulations. 0:08:41.510 --> 0:08:43.150 But anyway, yeah. 0:08:43.910 --> 0:08:45.690 I want to, I want to kind of jump in 0:08:45.750 --> 0:08:49.869 and talk about, um, about your bear hunts. And I 0:08:49.890 --> 0:08:55.240 want to talk about mine because mine was pretty, pretty eventful. So, well, 0:08:55.320 --> 0:09:01.060 I can start out. So, um, I, I got access 0:09:01.100 --> 0:09:03.900 to a piece of property, pretty prime piece of property. 0:09:03.960 --> 0:09:07.140 I have to say pretty prime, um, because it's, it's, 0:09:07.420 --> 0:09:10.250 it's nice because it, it butts right up against the 0:09:10.300 --> 0:09:11.120 wilderness area. 0:09:11.950 --> 0:09:15.210 And, uh, The problem with that is it's. 0:09:15.190 --> 0:09:24.060 Landlocked, and I can't drive anything up there. So my 0:09:24.120 --> 0:09:28.540 good friend Bear Newcomb, which folks may have heard of before, 0:09:29.090 --> 0:09:32.910 he's got a little mule named Slow Trap. For a 0:09:32.950 --> 0:09:36.429 young mule, he's pretty trusty. He's pretty dependable. And then 0:09:36.790 --> 0:09:40.199 I borrowed a mule from another buddy of ours named 0:09:40.220 --> 0:09:43.760 Justin House. Shout out to Justin House, cuz. He's the 0:09:43.850 --> 0:09:45.510 other guy you want to call when you need something. 0:09:45.610 --> 0:09:50.310 So Justin loaned me a mule that's not. 0:09:50.210 --> 0:09:52.410 New to him, but he hasn't had it a long time. 0:09:52.450 --> 0:09:55.469 But I have ridden this mule quite a bit, and 0:09:55.690 --> 0:09:59.250 uh it's a great mule i mean just calm easy 0:09:59.290 --> 0:10:02.210 to handle good natured you know what i mean it's 0:10:02.429 --> 0:10:05.290 it's he's easy to catch he you know just does 0:10:05.340 --> 0:10:08.580 what you ask him to do and uh i've been 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.640 using him to bait bait these bears so where i'm 0:10:11.700 --> 0:10:20.930 baiting is it's about two a But it is 1,100 0:10:20.929 --> 0:10:24.430 feet of climb. And so it's a trek up there. 0:10:25.130 --> 0:10:27.609 And it's a good drive from where I live, too. 0:10:27.730 --> 0:10:31.910 So baiting is more or less a 12-hour job. So 0:10:32.130 --> 0:10:34.530 by the time you come and get the mules and 0:10:34.550 --> 0:10:37.670 get your bait all ready and get it all loaded up, 0:10:37.950 --> 0:10:40.130 go out there, pack it in the panniers, and get 0:10:40.170 --> 0:10:43.069 to the spot and make it home, it's leave at 0:10:43.070 --> 0:10:44.670 6 o'clock and get home at 7 o'clock. 0:10:45.620 --> 0:10:48.030 So... I did that, I think, six times. 0:10:48.230 --> 0:10:53.630 And I was having to bait every three, four days 0:10:53.710 --> 0:10:55.940 because the bait was getting eaten up. 0:10:56.220 --> 0:10:57.480 I mean, they were just hammering. 0:10:58.050 --> 0:11:00.420 And I think, looking at my camera, and sometimes it's 0:11:00.440 --> 0:11:03.619 hard to tell, but I think I probably had at 0:11:03.740 --> 0:11:07.380 least a dozen bears coming into my bait, maybe more. 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:10.100 I mean, I feel like that's pretty conservative to say 0:11:10.140 --> 0:11:12.420 that I had a dozen coming in there. And, you know, 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:16.339 anywhere from cubs to a pretty decent-sized boar. But I 0:11:16.420 --> 0:11:21.350 did have a good-sized boar coming in pretty regularly. And 0:11:21.690 --> 0:11:29.870 I'm guessing 375, pretty decent, solid, big boar. Not old, old, 0:11:29.990 --> 0:11:31.860 but old enough, you know what I mean, that he's 0:11:32.170 --> 0:11:34.520 pretty solid. He's the kind of boar that when he walks, 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:37.080 he jiggles, you know what I mean? 0:11:37.100 --> 0:11:39.540 So that's what you want. 0:11:40.140 --> 0:11:42.900 I had baited in Clay, and I put a video 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:47.600 up on Instagram of... I think the third time, and 0:11:47.620 --> 0:11:49.200 the first two times I went up there to bait, 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:55.420 my lovely wife, Christy, affectionately known as Kiki, went with me. 0:11:55.580 --> 0:11:57.580 I mean, she was a trooper to hike up that 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:00.750 mountain with me and help me load and unload all 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:03.910 that bait. So I'm glad this didn't happen when she 0:12:03.929 --> 0:12:05.949 was there. I think she would have panicked a little bit. 0:12:06.030 --> 0:12:08.530 But the third time and the fourth time I went 0:12:08.570 --> 0:12:12.429 out there, I had a sow on the bait who 0:12:12.530 --> 0:12:17.040 wouldn't leave. I mean, I was having to I was 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:20.160 having to, I parked the mules not far from the bait. 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:23.600 And as soon as I, soon as I stopped, this 0:12:23.700 --> 0:12:27.530 sow came in and she was, she wanted my bait 0:12:27.610 --> 0:12:29.929 real bad. And there, and there was still bait, a 0:12:29.970 --> 0:12:31.429 little bit of bait on the ground. So it wasn't 0:12:31.450 --> 0:12:34.330 like she was starving, but it's been so hot and 0:12:34.350 --> 0:12:36.730 there's not a lot of water right now, but she 0:12:36.770 --> 0:12:39.520 came in and she was salivating, literally dripping from her mouth, 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:42.699 wanting to get my bait. And so I was shooing 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:44.780 her away, you know what I mean? And I have 0:12:44.820 --> 0:12:46.740 to be honest, there were a couple of times where 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:50.100 it made me a little uncomfortable because how close, I mean, 0:12:50.140 --> 0:12:55.140 she was within seven feet of me. And a couple 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:57.610 of times I did draw on her. I had my 0:12:58.110 --> 0:13:00.270 sidearm with me. And I wouldn't have shot her, but 0:13:00.290 --> 0:13:02.690 I definitely would have shot in her direction to scare 0:13:02.750 --> 0:13:06.890 her off. But, you know, I ended up throwing a 0:13:07.210 --> 0:13:09.010 stick at her and hitting her in the face. But 0:13:09.070 --> 0:13:12.430 she never backed off more than about 30 yards. So 0:13:13.630 --> 0:13:20.490 I got it baited. The day before season opener, I 0:13:20.570 --> 0:13:23.950 looked at my cameras, and I had good bears coming in. 0:13:23.970 --> 0:13:25.429 I had my target bear that I was looking at. 0:13:25.429 --> 0:13:28.510 I also had a couple of sows with cubs, but 0:13:28.530 --> 0:13:30.880 I also had some other sows that didn't have cubs 0:13:30.900 --> 0:13:35.540 that were pretty good size. But I noticed that there 0:13:35.580 --> 0:13:39.719 wasn't hardly any bait left. So I thought, I had 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:43.240 originally just planned on taking Rudy, mule that I had 0:13:43.300 --> 0:13:46.620 borrowed and ride him up so I wouldn't get all 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:49.450 sweaty and just park him and get in the stand 0:13:50.470 --> 0:13:52.910 but I was having bears in there 24 hours a 0:13:52.929 --> 0:13:55.010 day I mean there was hardly a time when I 0:13:55.150 --> 0:13:58.490 didn't have at least one bear at the bait so 0:13:59.190 --> 0:14:02.630 I thought if by chance I don't get a bear 0:14:02.809 --> 0:14:04.790 on day one and I've got to hunt a second 0:14:04.830 --> 0:14:07.880 day there's not going to be any bait there so 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:11.020 I thought I better take both mules and I'll I'll 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:13.600 pack one in with bait, and then I'll ride the 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:17.480 other one. So I got there, unloaded the mules, put 0:14:17.500 --> 0:14:20.120 the saw bucks on slow trap, and loaded slow trap 0:14:20.140 --> 0:14:23.320 with bait because he's pretty little. I'm a fairly good-sized guy. 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:25.600 I know we had the men's health episode last, but 0:14:25.620 --> 0:14:26.240 I'm still. 0:14:26.060 --> 0:14:26.960 A fair-sized boy. 0:14:29.380 --> 0:14:33.510 And so I rode Rudy because he can handle a 0:14:34.040 --> 0:14:38.290 big man like me. So I rode Rudy up, had 0:14:38.330 --> 0:14:41.820 my bow and ponied. ponied slow trap up there and 0:14:41.860 --> 0:14:46.040 got there and there was a sow there and I 0:14:46.090 --> 0:14:49.910 think it was that same sow and and then there 0:14:49.950 --> 0:14:56.030 was a then she had two cubs and I had 0:14:56.370 --> 0:14:58.430 I had taken the bags of feed out of the 0:14:58.470 --> 0:15:01.050 panniers on the on the mule and set it over 0:15:01.130 --> 0:15:04.030 by the bait pile and I was trying to get 0:15:04.090 --> 0:15:08.160 my tree stand set up But while I was trying 0:15:08.180 --> 0:15:09.930 to get my tree stand set up, one of those 0:15:10.030 --> 0:15:11.610 cubs came in and started. 0:15:11.450 --> 0:15:12.610 Trying to get in the bag. 0:15:13.330 --> 0:15:15.610 So I had to get back down and shoo him off. 0:15:16.650 --> 0:15:17.750 And I unloaded it. 0:15:17.930 --> 0:15:20.130 So then I went and took the mules and parked 0:15:20.190 --> 0:15:22.550 them about 250 yards away. 0:15:23.510 --> 0:15:27.690 Came back and got up in the tree probably about 0:15:27.690 --> 0:15:32.250 1 o'clock, I think. And there was a bear. It 0:15:32.270 --> 0:15:32.850 was a sow. 0:15:35.620 --> 0:15:38.660 But there was a good size bear there that watched 0:15:38.740 --> 0:15:41.820 me get in the tree. I mean, just, you know, 0:15:41.860 --> 0:15:44.340 just stared at me while I climbed the tree, but 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:46.780 she didn't go anywhere. I mean, she just stayed right 0:15:46.820 --> 0:15:49.600 there and, and ate. So I got set up and, 0:15:49.820 --> 0:15:51.500 you know, I wanted to try to film it. So 0:15:51.560 --> 0:15:53.600 I set up a camera in the tree and I, 0:15:53.620 --> 0:15:55.930 you know, I got a little tree, you know, tripod thing. 0:15:56.030 --> 0:15:57.810 I guess it's not technically a tree. It's a tree pod, 0:15:58.290 --> 0:16:01.570 not a tripod. Would that be a tree pod for 0:16:01.610 --> 0:16:01.870 your arm? 0:16:02.270 --> 0:16:03.250 I like calling it a tree pod. 0:16:03.270 --> 0:16:08.100 Um, So I did all that. And, and this was 0:16:08.140 --> 0:16:10.260 a good size bear. And like, you know, the thought 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:12.640 comes through like, am I going to get another bear 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:15.280 coming in here? And so I was like, you know, 0:16:15.300 --> 0:16:19.040 it's always a consideration, but I didn't. And she was 0:16:19.060 --> 0:16:23.440 there for a bit. And then finally she left. And 0:16:23.460 --> 0:16:26.000 then a sow and two cubs came in. I assumed 0:16:26.020 --> 0:16:30.280 it was that same sow. And they were there for 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:30.720 a while. 0:16:31.300 --> 0:16:31.700 And then. 0:16:32.820 --> 0:16:39.810 I guess about 245. And the whole time, those cubs 0:16:39.850 --> 0:16:43.090 were just going to town on that bait. And it 0:16:43.130 --> 0:16:46.750 was pretty wild. I think this mama knew I was there. 0:16:47.370 --> 0:16:49.729 She didn't ever look up at me, but I think 0:16:49.810 --> 0:16:52.770 she winded me a little bit because she kept standing 0:16:52.910 --> 0:16:53.890 off and popping her jaw. 0:16:53.990 --> 0:16:55.410 Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. 0:16:55.670 --> 0:16:58.320 And those cubs would look up like, we know we're 0:16:58.340 --> 0:16:59.920 supposed to come, but we're. 0:16:59.800 --> 0:17:02.000 Having a great time here. We're hungry. Exactly. Exactly. 0:17:02.540 --> 0:17:05.100 And so she'd come in and take a bite and 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:07.840 then circle out and pop, pop, pop, pop. And then 0:17:07.859 --> 0:17:11.980 a couple minutes later, those cubs just ran up the 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:14.959 tree and that sow took off the opposite way that 0:17:15.020 --> 0:17:15.639 she had come in. 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:18.000 And then the cubs ran down and followed her. 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:24.310 And lo and behold, at 2.45, in walks my target bear. 0:17:26.050 --> 0:17:29.810 And I'm like, this bear is beautiful. And mind you... 0:17:31.680 --> 0:17:34.900 I've been shooting... I haven't consistently. 0:17:35.619 --> 0:17:39.420 My hunting until the last couple years has been sporadic. 0:17:39.460 --> 0:17:41.200 It's been hunt on a weekend here and there. 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:44.010 And most of the time it's rifle hunt because I 0:17:44.030 --> 0:17:47.810 didn't feel proficient with my bow enough to be bow hunting. 0:17:48.570 --> 0:17:51.129 With this kind of thing, it's been so much work baiting, 0:17:51.530 --> 0:17:54.850 so much cost baiting all the time. I'm like, the 0:17:54.910 --> 0:17:56.990 last thing I want to do is get in the 0:17:57.050 --> 0:18:00.570 tree and make a bad shot or completely miss. So 0:18:00.650 --> 0:18:04.119 I've been trying... to shoot 100 arrows a day, as 0:18:04.260 --> 0:18:06.400 often as I can. So when I go outside, just 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:09.219 shoot 100 arrows. And so I felt more confident with 0:18:09.240 --> 0:18:11.280 the bow than I ever have. 0:18:11.780 --> 0:18:12.540 And so. 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:18.359 This big boar comes in, and I'm like, I got it. 0:18:18.540 --> 0:18:23.450 Because I'm maybe 15 yards from my bait pile, and 0:18:23.570 --> 0:18:24.910 I'm like, I got this. 0:18:26.230 --> 0:18:27.190 All I need is a shot. 0:18:27.930 --> 0:18:32.150 Well, this bear walks in, And immediately once he gets 0:18:32.210 --> 0:18:34.520 past the tree, he turns his rump toward me. 0:18:35.300 --> 0:18:36.280 So I have no shot. 0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:39.540 Then when he gets over to the bait pile, he 0:18:39.640 --> 0:18:45.440 turns broadside and flops down into the bait pile, scrunched 0:18:45.600 --> 0:18:48.140 up with his arm right back over his vitals. 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:50.699 And I'm like, oh, dadgummit. 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:55.100 And so I'm looking at this bear, and I'm thinking, 0:18:57.460 --> 0:19:00.619 should I shoot? Should I not shoot? And my bear 0:19:00.660 --> 0:19:03.780 hunting mentor, Clay Newcomb, you know, he said, he said, 0:19:03.820 --> 0:19:06.220 it's really important. He's like, try to get a pass 0:19:06.240 --> 0:19:09.199 through shot if you can, because bears are notorious for 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:11.219 not bleeding. You know, you stick an arrow in them 0:19:11.720 --> 0:19:14.310 and they don't like to bleed. So try to get 0:19:14.350 --> 0:19:17.090 a pass through. And I'm thinking if I shoot, I've 0:19:17.130 --> 0:19:19.330 got a good chance of hitting that shoulder, which means 0:19:20.570 --> 0:19:22.850 it's too many variables. And I thought, surely he's going 0:19:22.869 --> 0:19:24.730 to stand up. And when he stands up, I'll have 0:19:24.750 --> 0:19:27.859 a shot. Well, he eats for about 10 minutes and 0:19:27.890 --> 0:19:32.379 then he, immediately turns his rump toward me again and 0:19:32.420 --> 0:19:35.980 walks straight away from me. And I'm just, I'm sick. 0:19:36.020 --> 0:19:40.689 And you know, you're sitting there double guessing yourself, you know, 0:19:40.730 --> 0:19:43.889 second guessing yourself, should I have taken the shot? 0:19:43.950 --> 0:19:44.950 Should I have taken the shot? 0:19:45.390 --> 0:19:48.090 And it's like, in the end, you know, you feel 0:19:48.390 --> 0:19:49.970 good because you feel like you made the right decision. 0:19:51.119 --> 0:19:53.419 but it's like, you made the right decision, but you 0:19:53.460 --> 0:19:57.730 still have regret, you know? So, um, but I'm like, 0:19:58.190 --> 0:20:00.649 you know, it's, it's two 45, you know what I mean? 0:20:00.850 --> 0:20:03.210