NEITHER TIME NOR WEATHER HAD PERMITTED A SIGHTER IN 'ER WITH MY FA 454 MNP STALKER UNTIL JUST A WHILE AGO. I CANNOT RECALL PROBLEMS BEFORE WITH MY REVOLVER SCOPES NEEDING RE-SIGHTING IN AFTER LONG FLIGHTS WITH SEVERAL PLANE CHANGES, PLUS THE SHOOTING DISTANCES WOULD BE SHORT, SO I WAS NOT TOO CONCERNED, BUT "YOU NEVER KNOW". I SET UP AN IMPROVISED REST OF A ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS WRAPPED IN A PLASTIC BAG RESTED ON A PORCH LEDGE, PUT ON THE WOOL GLOVES I WILL HAVE ON AND SHOOT WITH IN THE BEAR STAND, AND LET ONE GO @ 50 YARDS. CLOSE ENUFF TO DEAD CENTER TO PUT MY MIND AT EASE - SEE PICTURE.

TUESDAY, DAY 4: WENT TO RIVER#1, THE PLACE WHERE I PASSED ON A BEAR ON DAY 1. WERE SET UP BY 7:15 P.M. AND SAT UNTIL MIDNIGHT. DRY AND COLD, BUT NOT TOO COLD, I NEED TO ADD A LAYER. REPLENISHED THE BAIT. NOTHING CAME IN. 3 DAYS TO GO.

WEDNESDAY, DAY 5: JIM CHECKED GATES CREEK TODAY, IT HAS NOT BEEN HIT SINCE BEFORE WE SAT THERE ON DAY 3. JIM AND I CHECKED RIVER#2 TODAY AND IT HAS BEEN HIT (GEORGE AND I CHECKED IT ON DAY 2 AND IT HAD NOT BEEN HIT YET). WE WILL DO A SIT AT RIVER#2 THIS EVENING, SHOT TO THE MAIN BAIT IS ONLY ABOUT 25 YARDS. GEORGE'S 4 WHEELER AND 4 WHEELER TRAILER (THE ONE WE PULL BEHIND THE 4 WHEELER) ARE FIXED SO WE ARE AT FULL STRENGTH EQUIPMENT WISE.

WEDNESDAY, DAY 5, 2 TO GO: GOT TO RIVER#2 ABOUT 6:15 P.M. AND SPOOKED A BEAR ON BAIT. I DID NOT GET A REAL GOOD LUCK AT IT BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS NOT VERY BIG. PUT OUT MORE BAIT AND WERE SET UP BY 6:45 P.M., WE SAT UNTIL MIDNIGHT. AT 8:15 A YOUNG SOW CAME IN AND HUNG AROUND AND ATE UNTIL 9:35 (1 HOUR AND 20 MINUTES). AT FIRST IT WAS NEAT BUT AFTER A WHILE IT WAS LIKE WATCHING JAVELINAS EAT YOUR DEER CORN (SOME OF YOU TEXAS GUYS WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN). THAT WAS ALL WE SAW. DRY AND COLD, BUJT NOT TOO COLD, AND I HAD PUT ON AN XTRA LAYER, SO I WAS OK.

LOL. Yep, I know exactly that feeling. It's right up there with a family of racoons...

Good luck Rey - Hope you see one to your liking.

How much longer you have there?

VANCE: I CAN HUINT TODAY (THURSDAY) AND TOMORROW, LEAVE FROM ANCHORAGE LATE SAYURDAY.

Stay with it and you will get one.

Wow. Good luck rey. I hope you get one!!

Praying it comes together for you Rey!

THURSDAY DAY 6, ONLY 1 MORE DAY LEFT: VERY LONG DAY. WHILE GEORGE WENT TO CHECK GATES CREEK JIM AND I WENT TO CHECK RIVER#2, AND DO A MID-DAY SIT UNTIL GEORGE CALLED, AND THEN WE WOULD GO CHECK RIVER#1 TOGETHER. THERE HAD BEEN A LITTLE ACTIVITY AT RIVER#2 SINCE WE HAD SAT THERE WEDNESDAY EVENING. AT 10 TIL 2 IN THE AFTERNOON 2 YOUNG BEARS CAME IN, FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, BUT ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME. BEST WE CAN FIGURE THEY WERE 2 YEAR OLD TWINS THAT ARE NOW ON THEIR OWN. WAS COOL TO SEE THEM INTERACT. GEORGE CALLED, GATES CREEK HAD BEEN HIT BUT, FROM THE SCAT PILES, GEORGE WAS THINKING MAYBE A SOW WITH CUBS. WE THEN CHECKED RIVER#1 TOGETHER, AND IT HAD ACTIVITY SO WE DECIDED TO COME BACK TO RIVER#1 FOR THE EVENING HUNT. WE SETTLED IN AT 6:30 P.M. AND SAT UNTIL 1:30 A.M.. IN CASE YOU ARE NUMBERS CHALLENGED, THAT WAS 7 HOURS, A PRETTY LONG SIT. BY MIDNIGHT SHOOTING LIGHT IS GETTING BAD, BY 1:30 A.M. IT WAS PRETTY DARN DARK. NOTHING CAME IN.

I hope you get one today !!!!!

Good luck Rey. Really enjoy the daily updates.

FRIDAY, DAY 7, LAST DAY: GEORGE CHECKED GATES CREEK AND THE BEAR OR BEARS HAD NOT COME BACK. JIM WENT AND GOT THE CAMERA AT RIVER#2, BUT ONLY THE 2 JUVENILE BEARS THERE. SO, BACK TO RIVER#1 FOR THE LAST HUNT. GOT SET UP BY 7:15 P.M., AND SAT UNTIL 12:30 A.M., NOTHING SHOWED UP. I HEAD BACK HOME LATE SATURDAY (TODAY AS I TYPE THIS).

A GOOD HUNT, NO KILL, BUT NONETHELESS A GOOD HUNT, WITH GOOD FRIENDS, AND NO REGRETS ON PASSING ON "LUCKY" ON DAY 1. I WAS GEORGE'S GUEST, AND HE IS PROBABLY FAR MORE DISAPPOINTED THAN I ABOUT NO KILL.

Sorry to hear, but that?s hunting!! Sounds like a fun trip all around, safe travels back to 90% humidity and 100degrees.

Trapr

It happens. As I age, kills become less important.

You didn't score but it wasn't from a lack of preparation or effort. Good hunt. Thanks for sharing with us.

You are a first class hunter Rey, told it like it was & took it as we all should. We all like to tell our successful stories but they don't all work out, you put in the time, busted your butt to make it happen but sometimes it just doesn't come together. I tip my hat to you buddy!!

Dick

Glad you were able to make the trip! I really enjoyed the effort you put into sharing your adventure with us. Thanks for taking us along!

Rey. Thanks so much for taking us along with you on your adventure. I felt like I was there with you. Sorry you did not find your big bear but it sounds like it was an awesome trip. Safe travels home.

Rey, going any ace special for dinner in the big city tonight?

Rey, Don`t remember if you were on the site when I went to Idaho for black bear and camped for five days in the Targee National forest. . While walking a trail a very large and very golden black bear appeared alongside me behind large blowdown. By the time I unslung my 475 he disappeared behind that tree. Waited for him to show himself and to this day I have no idea where he went. No bear... but it was better then a week in work... Bottom photo is the [censored] a bear took outside my camp during the night..

Rey, even though you got no bear, I bet the excitement is still there. My last 7 day bear over bait hunt ended with not even a sighting of a bear, but I still had an awesome hunt! I?ve heard many times that hunting bear over bait is not sporting and like taking candy from a baby....oh well.

VANCE: GEORGE TOOK ME STRAIGHT TO THE AIRPORT, BUT ON THE WAY, IN WASILLA, WE STOPPED AT CHEPPOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT FOR A LATE LUNCH (I LOVE CHEPPOS).

It appears that he did not hold your status as a hunter in very high regard. You need to go back and educate him.

Aww man. Hate that you didn't get one. That's why we call it hunting, not killing, though.

If it makes Rey and James feel any better, I struck out in both AK and ID. I don't regret the trips, and will hopefully make it back to both spots. Both were very enjoyable hunts.