Bearpaw Season - Fall 2021

[bearpaw]

It's been a crazy summer, we are making lots of improvements throughout our business that will yield many benefits over the long term. At the same time mother nature has provided some challenges, this photo is only three days ago, this forest fire barely missed one of our main base camps and home in Idaho, it was a close call. Fire is still burning on two sides of us within a couple hundred yards of our place, so we are hoping the winds do not get bad again because the fire could run again and get across the new fire line. On a lucky note there are several homes located right in the burning path where the fire went through, sprinkler systems saved every home.

[bearpaw]

Brian has a pig named Wilbur, someday the plan is that Wilbur will be ham & bacon, but he told the fire fighters if the fire gets the pig but they save the house, he'll share the pig with them! 

[bearpaw]

We started our fall bear hunts last week, we were after a bear for three days with our first hunter, we think it was the same bear in about the exact same spot every day, we spotted him three different times but he never gave us a clear shot, unfortunately our first hunter went home without a bear.

This week has been better, our next two hunters have done well, Ronnie nailed a boar the first day, Aaron passed a little bear on the first day, and this morning Aaron put the hammer down on an older sow. Congrats guys, I love it when a PLAN COMES TOGETHER!

Ronnie with the First Bear

[bearpaw]

Aaron with the second bear

[Machias]

WAAAAY too close!!

So looking forward to your fall thread.  Good luck!!

[bearpaw]

Thanks Fred, hope you have a great fall season!

[bearpaw]

This dark chocolate quietly appeared about 15 yards behind Adam, he turned and dropped it, well done Adam!

[bearpaw]

Last week the hunters saw three bear but didn’t get any shots off and unfortunately went home empty handed.

This week on the first morning the hunter hit a large Bear hard that we had located and were watching for. We spent the rest of the day looking for that Bear but could not find him. Every now and then that unfortunately happens, all you can do is try your best to find the animal. We hunted bear again yesterday with no luck.

Today Mike wanted to hunt turkey, he took a shotgun, so far this morning he missed a tom but nailed a hen. Congrats Mike! Now the hunt continues!

[pianoman9701]

Nice to see all of your happy hunters, Dale. You're really making memories for these guys. 

[bearpaw]

Unfortunately I think we are starting to see impacts of blue tongue. We found a dead deer in a waterhole and saw another very sick doe that could barely walk. Obviously we don’t know for sure it’s blue tongue but deer are being found dead in many locations now. At least 8 deer were found dead within the city limits of Colville this week.

First photo dead deer in pond
Second photo sick doe

[bearpaw]

Guide Zach found a covered up buck this morning. It’s mostly eaten, we don’t know if a cougar or bear found a dead deer and is eating it or if a cougar made a kill, both seasons are open and both predators will cover their cache, so Mike is going to watch that kill this evening, it might provide a great cougar or bear opportunity and snce it’s a natural kill it’s legal to shoot a bear at it too. Hopefully it gets visited before dark.

[pianoman9701]

Unfortunately I think we are starting to see impacts of blue tongue. We found a dead deer in a waterhole and saw another very sick doe that could barely walk. Obviously we don’t know for sure it’s blue tongue but deer are being found dead in many locations now. At least 8 deer were found dead within the city limits of Colville this week.

First photo dead deer in pond
Second photo sick doe

Well, that's tough. I hope the cooler weather will bring some relief and some RAIN. Maybe that'll help. 

[bearpaw]

A nice moose spotted a few days ago…

[bearpaw]

Nice to see all of your happy hunters, Dale. You're really making memories for these guys. 

Thanks John, it's one of the benefits, being a part of those memories.

I'm hoping we get a good frost soon to slow this blue tongue down before it gets really bad. They say frost kills it.

[bearpaw]

Got a good bunch of bucks I’m hoping make it through September! The photos don’t show them all but there’s 12 bucks in this one group Zach saw yesterday.