Jon's Diary

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Daily Bowhunting Diary

June 9th, 2005

This is the first day of workouts for my elk hunt. I define workouts as any type of exercise. I really am pretty lazy and I don’t look forward to it much. But if it gets me closer to elk than I am willing to sacrifice for the better good!

I got on my rickety 10-speed bicycle. Actually it is an old bike at least 25 years old. I figure if the bike doesn’t kill me the mountains will. Yes it is a girly bike but it is all I have right now!

I went on a 10-mile trek around Rice Creek Chain of Lakes. I try to go as fast as I can to get the lungs working. I found the ride to work my cardiovascular, legs and back. I use others along the path to encourage me along the way. I had one rider in front of me that I desperately wanted to catch (for boyish reasons). Unfortunately for me I was unable to catch her. So ends my first day of exercising for my elk trip.

I also mailed in my Minnesota Elk license application. It is a long shot but I thought I might as well try.

June 11, 2005

Today I received my pack frame in the mail. This pack will be used to get me a few miles off the beaten path and hopefully pack my elk out of the timber as well. It is made by bulpac. You can learn more about them at www.bulpacs.com. I am really impressed with this product so far. I took 10 pounds of weight adding it to the pack. I walked 1.5 miles with it while taking my dog for a walk. I am amazed with the comfort and sturdiness the bullpac has. I was pleased that I could walk so far and not feel tired at all in 80-degree weather. So far so good!

My good friend Todd Thiesse came to town. He is from Casper, Wyoming. He wants me to come to Wyoming instead of Colorado to bow hunt elk. My partner Butch Hunter because of health reasons is unable to join me on this hunt. I am disappointed and brings up a dilemma. Should I attempt this hunt alone or should I hook up with someone? There isn’t an easy solution to this problem at this point in time. The dates work out better for me to go to Colorado and it might be a long shot to get a left-over license in Wyoming to match the area Todd has put in for. I am confused! Lucky for me I don’t have to make a decision yet.

Todd and I did spend time looking over maps in both Colorado and Wyoming. The good thing is I have options!

I am still evaluating the Minnesota moose hunting zones. I popped an email the DNR asking why a certain zone doesn’t have very many moose harvested yet other zones around it does. The reason I am curious is that zone is increasing its licenses and I have a 50% chance of drawing if the same amount of people applying last year apply this year. We will see what the DNR says. I don’t really want to shoot another moose this year but I won’t pass up a moose license if it falls in my lap. I got two days left to apply!

June 12, 2005

I went to the same park today with my dog again. I thought I would add 5 pounds to my weight since the day before seemed so easy. I went into my basement to retrieve two more weights. I was disappointed because I realized instantly that I had made a mistake the day before in selecting the weights. I had grabbed the 2.5 pound weights instead of the 5 pound weights so instead of have 10 pounds yesterday I had only 5 pounds. No wonder it was so easy. I wasn’t carrying any weight! I added another 5 pounds to finally get to a total of 10 pounds. After walking the mile and a half in 80-degree weather I did start to feel the weight a little. Not anything to worry about at this point in time. I could have walked another several miles if needed. Lucky for me the dog can’t go that far!!!

June 13, 2005

I saw a url today of some potential bear bait in Cambridge, Minnesota yesterday so I game the guy a call. I like to use cookies. They can last for years in a barrel if needed. I mix malasses, grease and other things to it. Our recipe has worked pretty good over the years. Unfortunately he doesn’t have any cookies. That means a road trip to Wisconsin. I am not even sure I will have time to bear hunt this year with the planned elk hunt. That is up to the wife!!!!!

It was raining when I got home. I put my pack frame on, adjusted the treadmill to the highest incline and walked for 1.8 miles. I walked 1.5 miles at work today too.

June 14, 2005

Raining again. I put an elk hunting video on for inspiration. Made it 2 miles on the treadmill with the bullpac and 10 pounds. I am really working up a sweat! Add 1.5 miles at work and looking good.

June 15, 2005

I didn't have alot of time today. I stopped by Bwana's archery. I put in for a once in a life time Moose hunt. I picked a unit that increased permits by 100%. You have to apply in parties of 2-4. We have three of us. Our odds are 48% to be picked if the same number of hunters apply that applied last year. I don't have the time or vacation for this hunt. I am already going on a muley and elk hunt. It is once in a life time so I will have to find the vacation some where. I have never been to lucky at drawing licenses.

I am still trying to get in touch with a guy I know in Ashland, WI. He feeds the bears all summer. I would like to get some video. Wish me luck!

I walked 4.5 miles today without any weight! Summer is finally here. The walking will get harder now that the temperatures are reaching th 80's.

June 17, 2005

Walked alot today. Can't say how long. Sometimes I feel like I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. This exercising gets old sometimes. Scott and Dave both put in my group for the once in a life time Minnesota moose hunt. My research shows we should have a 48% chance to draw a license. Me win something? That would be something!

June 18, 2005

7 mile bike ride and it seems to be getting easier. A float plane crashed in a pothole along my route. I hope everyone is alright. Walked another 2 miles with my 10 pound weighted bullpac. I hope all of this is worth it! My wife just found out that my hunting partner isn't going on the elk hunt. She doesn't want me to go alone. Some of you out there may understand the concerns of worried wife. You have to take that into account. I now am looking for someone to join me on an elk hunt this fall. It has to be the right person. That person has to have the same abilities as I do to make it an enjoyable hunt for the both of us. This may cancel the entire trip!

June 24, 2005

The last couple of days I have been walking alot and occasionally getting on the treadmill at a elevated height with my bullpac on. I got to looking at maps again. I am now interested in Colorado units 371 and 471. If anyone has any information about these areas I would appreciate an email. I have given up being stuck on the idea that I have to find a place that has alot of elk. The truth is there are elk everywhere in Colorado. Everyone I have talked to says there are elk in every unit I ask about. I am now concentrating on units that might be a little more difficult to hunt, the number of hunters is low and sucess rate is high. I will give it another month and then I will have to make a decision on a unit so I can order some detailed maps of the area. I also had an idea that I might look for someone who would like to go on an elk hunt that also has access to lammas or goats. Even horses would be nice yet they tend to require a little more care. I thought I would mention it incase any of you have some animals that need some excercise!

JUNE 25, 2005

For my exercise today I thought I might do a test. I loaded my pack with 40 pounds. I wanted to see how I could do with that much weight. I set the treadmill to the highest incline about 6 inches. I walked for a mile and it took me 30 minutes. Now this doesn't take into consideration the altitude and I know that there is know way a treadmill can imitate the moutain terrain that I am likely to encounter yet it does give me something to measure by. The best case scenario is that I could walk 4 miles in 2.5 hours giving 30 minutes for rests along the way. Add in the altitude and I am thinking I could walk 1 mile per hour. If I backpack 4 hours I think putting me 4 miles away from the rest of the hunters will increase my chances. I also have to take into consideration that based on those numbers it might take two of us a day to pack out an elk if we should be fortunate enough to harvest one.

JUNE 26,2005

Today Dwayne Nelson took me to the archery range. I just received my HHASPORTS Pur and Tension release. This release is a back tension release. I have to worn you if you don't want to correct your shooting form then don't use the release. It is a wonderful invention that helped me in just one session clear up some of my bad shooting habits. Not all of my flaws are corrected and I shouldn't believe that they would be after one session. Still there is promise that I can become a more consistent shooter before this fall with practice. Watching Dwayne shoot those small tight groups at 30 yards was impressive.

JULY 16,2005

Yes I have missed a few posts. I went on vacation for a long weekend. I went through email withdraws! I went to a archery 3d shoot on the 4th in Northern Wisconsin. I did okay. I was really pleased I hit a bulleye on the elk target at 26 yards without knowing the distance.

My exercising continues with riding bikes and carrying my bullpac. I increased the weight for the month of July. I keep wondering why I can pass all the girls on the bike trail but the guys just blow by me! I am getting old!

I am still researching different areas to elk hunt in Colorado this fall. I am having many highs and lows about it. To many options and not enough information. Still, I am making progress and hoping to make a selection soon. Then I will need to order some maps.

Last week I shot my bow ever day after work at the Lexington archery targets. My shooting is getting in good form for this fall. Sure is hard to shoot in the 90 degree heat! 9 days straight of above 90 degree's. Wow!

JULY 25, 2005

Where has the time gone! I am so busy walking, scouring topo maps, buying gear I keep forgetting to update this. My elk hunting plans are coming together. We are hunting in unit 471 in Colorado. There are some that would hide that fact. I like sharing information and I hope someone shoots an animal because of it. I ordered a sleeping bag and Primos Terminator kit online yesterday. I also order 4 maps. If I get lost it will be because I can't read a map! I cranked my bow up another 5 pounds to 59. I know that to some that may seem light but us old timers can't shoot 70 pounds anymore. I might even lower it if I can't work up to 60 pounds by mid August.

2004 starts Here!

August 3, 2004 Tuesday While on vacation this week I had a chance to go to help a friend get a couple of bait sites ready for bear season. The day started out great seeing a deer with her shiny red coat crossing into a field of corn. Once off the freeway I spotted a big "Tom" off the side of the road. We worked hard creating cribs for both bait sites. If you don't know what a crib is, it is backing put behind the bait. The hole that the bait goes in is surrounded by heavy logs. Lastly 6 foot logs are laid aside for the August 13 which is the first day that you can bait.

On our way out around 150 yards away from the new bait station and in our truck I noticed a black head of a bear along side a large tree. I couldn't believe it but I said to my partner Butch that I think I just saw a bear. In a flash we turned around and drove by the spot again. There the small bear was, walking parallel to the road just in the woods. We turned the truck off and watch the young bear. The bear climbed a tree and then came out to the road. Without hesitation the bear walked right in front of our truck. I was say over and over, where is my camera!

I attended a Minnesota bear clinic for fun. While driving along 35e south towards 694 my jaw dropped in sight of a huge buck in velvet along side the highway. Boy where those tines high! I would say it was a pretty good day and a great start to a season just around the corner.

May 12, 2004 Friday - My wild boar hunt has come and gone. Todd and I had a great time. We both were successful in harvesting hogs. Mine was a sow at 150 pounds. Todd’s hog was a whopping 200 pounds. The altitude didn’t bother us but the steep hilly terrain did. Todd and I both flatlanders struggled with the climbs. We hunted hard, covering a lot of ground scouring the hillsides for hogs. You would be surprised how difficult they are to spot. Once you spot them you can see why. They don’t stand in one place always moving, feeding and darting in and out of the trees.

I declined the opportunity to hunt turkeys. I saw a lot of them I just couldn’t part with the $400 per day price tag to hunt them. They were beautiful to see and some of them were huge.

The weather was perfect, cool mornings with a warm up during the day and then cooling down fast as sunset approached. It was some of the most beautiful country I have been in. Todd and I had a day to kill while waiting for our hogs to be processed so we decided to hit a few wineries. That was a huge mistake. I ended up spending way too much on wine. Todd and I ended our weekend with a huge steak in King City, CA. If you ever are going south to Texas or west to California I would recommend an off season hunt of them hogs. You won’t regret it!

My first turkey hunt arrived mid April in Minnesota. I didn’t have a clue about how to do it. Luckily I had a friend that could get away and spend a few days with me. I learned a lot from this expert. How to setup with the blind. Where to put the decoys and when and how often to call. The early mornings set me back a little at first until the sun actually started coming up. It is quite sensational watching the sunrise with TOMS gobbling all around you. I think I through my neck out more than once swinging my head back and forth as the TOMS sang their love song to the hens.

I didn’t shoot a turkey but I definitely am hooked. We called several TOMS to within 60 yards but they always seemed to hang up. The last day was quite an adventure. With winds blowing just short of 35 miles an hour we sat in the blind. At mid-day a turkey appeared across the stubble field. It had to be 300 yards away. A couple of calls and that hen took a belign across the field to our location. Minutes later a jake appeared and came within 30 yards but still not close enough. Then a TOM appeared and with a few calls he came as well. I came to full draw in the blind but not fast enough. They left my shooting lane at 22 yards and never came closer. Still, it was a great adventure. I can’t wait until next year!

March 15, 2004 Monday - It is March now and the last couple of months have been a nice break. Things are picking up though, with a California wild boar hunt planned for the last week of March. If there is time I might be able to fit in a Rio Grande turkey hunt as well. That would be a great start to the 2004 hunting season. I don't usually do any hunting in the spring but this opportunity was there so I decided to take it. I also have drawn a 2004 Minnesota turkey license. In April I hope to arrow my first Minnesota turkey and first turkey ever assuming I don't hunt them in California first.

I have found it is harder to practice in the winter. I have spent a few days shooting in my back yard but it has been cold. The snow is finally melting but here in Minnesota we are still waiting for warmer weather or the other shoe to fall and get a big spring snowstorm. It is hard to get motivated to shoot under these conditions. Still my broadheads are flying
true at 20 yards. I hope to get that close to a wild boar. I can't believe some hunters actually use a knife when hunting these hardy animals.

I spent some time at the MBRB boot last Friday night at the deer classic. MBRB hadn't done this for the last couple of years. It was a great experience and I got to share a lot of stories with other local bowhunters. It looks like MBRB is going to have a banner year. They have 17 hunts at the preliminary stages of approval.

I also had a chance to spend some time with Jason Guthmueller of Wildlife Buffet. He again wants to be a part of our food plot project up in Northern Wisconsin. Last year was a great success with 14-year-old Jaron shooting 6 deer off of this food plot. This year Jason is a year older. I don't know how he can do better than last year. We are going to surround the Wildlife Buffet with a product Plot Saver. Plot save is a tape you run around your food plot to keep the deer out. The spray on the tape will be reapplied once a month to until September at which time we will remove the tape. This way the Wildlife Buffet products will have time to reach maturity. Last year there were so many deer eating the food plot it never got established. Our hope is to provide pictures of deer eating outside the tape but not inside.

Some discussions are going on over to our east in Wisconsin about requiring a doe before a buck. I don't know if that will fly or not. Wisconsin hunters are pretty finicky about those things.

Don't forget to put in for your bear license. The deadline is the end of April. Even if you don't want to bear hunt this year you will still get a preference point. That pretty much assures you of a license the following year in almost all units.

Check out the calendar to see the shoots in the Twin Cities Metro area this summer. Support your local archery organizations.

August 15, 2003 Friday - Baiting started finally. I am on my way up north to do some fishing. I have it made this year. I have an experienced retired fellow named Butch and his grandson Jason baiting for me. Last weekend we found a good spot along the St. Croix river. A blown over tree with the roots exposed. We dug out a spot into the trunk of the tree roots. The spot looks excellent. Today 5 gallons of cookies and some grease were placed in the hole. Hopefully it will attract the bear.

Jason is going to hunt as well. He has put bait out along the river in 3 different places. Hopefully one or two of them will get hit.

August 16, 2003 Saturday – Butch checked my bait. Logs were thrown everywhere. Wow one night and the bait was hit. Can’t ask for a better beginning. Mixed 5 gallons of cookies with some molasses and brought more grease in. We will see what happens with this.

Jason’s spots weren’t hit but tracks indicate a bear or two are in the area.

Side note: Butch and Jason accidentally left the door open to the shed where the bait is being kept. Dog was barking all night. They kept telling the dog to be quiet. They didn’t realize a bear got into the shed. The bear picked up a 5 gallon of grease and carried it to the woods. He licked the pail clean.

August 17, 2003 Sunday – Butch returned to the bait. Logs were thrown everywhere. The bear really went crazy over those cookies with the molasses. I had my doubts about this new philosophy. Use small amounts of bait and bait every day. Usually I put out over 100 pounds of bait and come back every 3rd or 4th day. So far this is working really good and we aren’t using much bait. I was nervous that we won’t have enough bait so I picked up two barrels of taco shells to supplement our cookies, donuts and corn.

Jason’s spots still haven’t been hit. Butch says the winds have been following the river. An east/west wind is needed to carry the bait scent into the timber. The hot weather hasn’t helped.

September 1, 2003 Opening morning bear season found me on a bait in Embarrass, Minnesota. Hunting with guide Mike Bissonette. I thought I was hunting bear until a cow moose walked into my bait. I searched frantically but I couldn't find a moose tag in my possession. Bummer!

September 1, 2003 That afternoon on the same bait my first bear was a cub. Then her brother and sister showed up. I could tell that one was male because he was a little bigger but not big enough to be a second year cub. Mom came in and she was huge. Even though it is legal to shoot a sow with cubs in Minnesota I couldn't do it. She picked me out right away and didn't like me very much. She never took her eyes off of me. Finally she circle my tree and ripped one of my rapid rails from it. She dragged the rapid rail into the brush and then came back, stood on her hind legs and started climbing. I am glad she didn't climb very high. I was looking up my tree to see if I could go any higher! She then went to the bait and gathered her cubs popping her teeth the whole time. She left in a hurry. As they were leaving another sow and cub were coming in. The cub went up a tree scared out of its mind from all the bears leaving. Another small bear snuck in for a snack and left just as fast. He was too small to shoot. Probably 90 pounds or so. The second sow and cub finally came in. I saw 7 different bears total. Not a bad first night. I could have shot 3 bear.

September 2, 2003 In the same tree I waited with much anticipation. If I saw 7 bears last night maybe tonight will be the night. 7:00 pm a 110 pound bear came in. Still too small. After that nothing came in the rest of the night.

September 3, 2003 My last night of hunting. I didn't see a bear but it was a great hunt. I don't have to shoot something for a hunt to be successful. In all I saw 8 bears and one moose while sitting 5 times. Not to bad. After two nights 9 bears were harvested. Two were in the 350-pound range. Half were harvested with a bow. Mike is a good guide and works hard. I can't believe his fee is only $500.

November 2002

Hunted Poplar Lake (Minnesota) through MBRB. Weather was cold. Saw 7 deer all weekend. Pretty disappointed.

My trip to Northern Wisconsin was successful in that I saw and passed up many deer including several small bucks. I did see a couple big bucks but was unable to harvest either of them. I am already looking forward to next year. Hopefully I will get another chance to harvest a big buck.

November 3, 2002

Got up late this morning. The weather was perfect. Since you can't see any deer unless your in the woods I thought better late than never. Got to my treestand, put out some acorn scent from wildlife buffet. Heard something behind me walking in the leaves. A fork horn appeared 40 yards out. Grunted 4 or 5 times. He acknowledged but wouldn't come in. Looked to my right just in time to see a monster buck sneaking in. Came right up to me tree but didn't provide a shot.

The fork horn seeing the big buck came walking right in hitting branches with his small horns. The 8 pointer just watched him almost smiling. The 8 pointer was looking passed me trying to figure out where the grunting was coming from. Then just like that he turned and trotted off. Another great opportunity missed. Even if you see them that close the hunt was successful.

Several hours later while walking out I jumped an even bigger buck than the 8 pointer. He passed me at 15 yards and I couldn't believe my fortune. His beams were so thick a man could not put his hands around the base of the beams. Seeing not one but two Pope and Young bucks in one morning is more than any bowhunter can ask for.

Hunted the same treeand watched a doe for over an hour. Saw another monstor buck on the way out. Had him and a doe standing 5 yards away in the dark. He was huge. Why can't I see them when in my treestand? That's hunting!

November 2, 2002

It was colder than I could bear this morning. Still I went out. Got really sweated up while putting up my treestand. That didn't help matters at all. In the next couple of hours the wind blew so cold I was forced to give up for the day.

October 1, 2002

Worked hard all day trying to find a moose. I was really looking forward to seeing moose today. Lonnie had said the run starts October 1st so I thought I should see moose running around everywhere. To bad it doesn't work that way. We did see a couple of nice bull elk and nice whitetail so the day wasn't a total lose.

September 31, 2002

Saw my first moose today. A bull standing in a pond around 60 yards off the road. My guide said if I was a gun hunter I would be done hunting now. I told him I wasn't one of those sissy gun hunters so lets stalk him and see if we can get a shot. So we did and we didn't get a shot. The bull vanished into thin air. How can something that big just disappears?

Caught a glimpse of a moose down a pipe line several hundred yards away. Started a stalk to within 80 yards. I was taller than my guide and it was hilly where we were. Lonnie started calling and the moose came running. I dropped to my knees to get an arrow ready. Lonnie told me it was a cow. That cow came to within 35 yards before taking off into the trees knocking everyone down as if she was mad.

September 30, 2002

First morning of my moose hunt and things were not going well. I had mix up with the license so I didn't get into the timber until that afternoon. Weather was unseasonably warm and there wasn't a moose to be found anywhere. We did see tons of whitetail and some muley's. To bad I didn't have a whitetail license.

September 29, 2002 Evening

I arrived in Edmonton, Canada today. After meeting my outiftter, guide and others some scouting was in order. We cruzed the bush as the Canandians call it and boy did we see the whitetail. We were looking for moose but didn't see any. Not a bad start though, we probable saw 40 whitetail in an hour and a half.

September 22 2002 Evening

I decided to stop by Poplar Lake to check out the hunters coming out of the woods. Since I couldn't hunt that day I put another hunter onto my tree. He came out of the woods with the biggest smile on his face. "Man did I have a good hunt tonight!" he proclaimed. He saw the whole package. He saw bucks sparring. He saw bucks chasing does. He didn't get any shots but he was real close. Sometimes getting close is as good as the kill. It is for me. I can't wait to get out again. My next update will be in a couple of weeks. I am leaving for a moose hunt in Canada. Wish me luck!

September 21, 2002 Morning

I could just start to see through the early dawn as I got comfortable in my treestand. Looking south I saw a deer immediately. She was feeding 40 yards out. She vanished into the swamp. An hour later a spike sneaked by behind me around 30 yards away. Still know shot.

September 20, 2002 Evening

Climbing into the same tree, I saw deer before I even reached my treestand. The deer were far enough away so I didn't get spotted. I saw 11 deer all does and fawns. I had one fawn come by and walk right under my treestand. Fortunate for him and me he didn't provide a clear shot. These special hunts require you to shoot every deer you can. I was glad this deer didn't come into my shooting lane. He was so small!

September 20, 2002 Morning

I found myself starting the whitetail bow season off by hooking up with MBRB (Metro Bowhunters Resource Base). This group helps Twin Cities suburbs control their deer herds. If you are lucky enough to draw you can expect to see lots of deer and some eye popping bucks. This morning I sat in a patch of oaks ducking for dear life from all the acorns falling to the grown. The acorns are a favorite food of the deer and it was only a matter of time before I saw a couple. One was a nice 8 pointer. The first two weekends it is does only so for now the buck walked.

September 4, 2002

I decided to spend a couple of days helping a friend with his bear hunting group in Northern Wisconsin. In 3 days 8 out of 10 hunters got there bear. One bear made book. I am always impressed with Bill Schutte's outfit. If you are a bow hunter and lucky enough to draw a tag in Wisconsin you should give Bill a call. He is the best Wisconsin guide you can get. He only takes 10 hunters so call him as soon as you get your license.

September 2, 2002 Evening

Still raining, but the weather man says it will clear up. I was so thankful I bought rain gear the weekend before. I bought it for a moose hunt in October and I said to the salesman that it was a waste of money since I will only use it for a week. He responded "You never know when you will need rain gear!" I thought it was a sales pitch. He really knew what he was talking about. This rain gear saved my hunt or at least made it bearable. The clouds gave way to the sun and it got hot! I moved to different bait. This bait wasn't hot either. I didn't see anything again. After all the talk I have heard how good the bear hunting was in Northern Minnesota, I was disappointed to say the least. Everyone was having problems getting the bears to come to bait. There is always next year.

September 2, 2002 Evening

September 2, 2002 Morning

Rain had started in the middle of the night. There isn't anything worse than camping in the rain and having to get up and go hunting. I made it into the woods though only to get wet. This was not an enjoyable hunt. Sitting in my tent I waited and prayed the rain would stop. It didn't.

September 1, 2002 Evening

I found myself opening day of bear season swatting some big time mosquitoes. I am sure glad I had my mosquito net on or I would have been a sitting duck. The weather was warm. The bait I am sitting on isn't what I would call a hot bait. The weather has been warm and there is an abundance of natural food. I heard what I thought was a bear popping his teeth but I never saw him. So goes the first night of bear season.

August 29, 2002

Another year of my diary updates is starting again. I will update this page every chance I get. Today, I am gathering my equipment together for a couple of bear hunts. Saturday I will have quite a load. My truck will be tested. I am loading my chest freezer in the back of my truck in the event that I am successful in harvesting a black bear. I don't want to be caught in warm weather without a place to put my game to cool it down. I believe in skinning the bear as soon as possible and then be able to cool the carcass down pronto. I put a timer on the freezer so the meat stays cool but doesn't freeze.

I am also loading three 55-gallon drums of donuts in the back of my truck. Did I mention that the freezer is full of donuts and pies as well? How in the world am I going to lift this stuff? A few cold ones passed to the neighbors should take care of that problem.

Then while pulling my trailer loaded with an atv and trees-stands I will be ready to go. Wait a minute! I forgot my clothes, camo, bow and lots of other stuff. I will need to cram all that in the back cab of my truck. I don't have to worry about blocking the window. I can't see anyway with the freezer and barrels back there. I will have to rely on my rear view windows.

Lastly, I need a map. Northern Minnesota can be a desolate place and I don't want to get lost. I need to get there by noon Saturday if I want to hunt opening morning for bear. I better get packin!

December 9, 2001

This is probably my last hunt of the year. I desparately need to shoot a deer for the freezer. I shot three deer this year but they were small. I think they taste better the smaller they are. The problem is we go through so much venison that you have to harvest six or seven of them. I passed up to many deer this year. I do this every year thinking I still have time. Well I am out of time. I know sooner got into a new tree and a doe and two fawns walked by out of range. That is the last deer I saw. Maybe I can do a couple extra chores in the next week or two so I can get in the woods one more time. Lets see "Can I paint the house in December?"

December 9, 2001

I am not really a morning person but somehow I get my butt out of bed to go bowhunting. It amazing me when I find myself in my tree before the dawn. Once I get into the woods is when I am glad I made the effort. Before then I am a big baby. Especially when I go to all that trouble and I don't see any deer. I know it is all about the hunt and not the harvest. Still it is nice to see deer. Got skunked again!

December 8, 2001

Once again I am sitting in my favorite treestand. At least it used to be my favorite treestand. I don't know what happened to all the deer. I checked under the leaves and there still are plenty of acorns left. Where are all the deer!

December 8, 2001

The morning was cold but not as cold as it can be for this time of year in Central Minnesota. A doe and two fawns passed by my tree at 100 mph. I couldn't get them to stop long enough for a good shot. One fawn was right underneath my tree. They hung around for a while out of shooting range and then walked away. It was still a good hunt

December 7, 2001

This is the start of the last weekend of the Poplar lake hunt in the special Ramsey County North hunt for those of you in the Twin Cites area. This first evening hunt produced one lone deer at dusk. To far away and much to dark.

November 09, 2001

My last morning of this hunt in Northern Wisconsin and I am still hoping to get another chance at a Pope & Young buck. It is just not to be. I saw 7 does and a fork horn again. I had a great hunt. I saw 62 deer, 8 which were bucks, most within twelve yards, all from the same treestand and a chance at a Pope & Young buck. You couldn't ask for a better hunt.

November 08, 2001

Seven does and a six pointer again within 10 yards and the buck chasing the does like crazy. What a hunt.

November 08, 2001

This morning hunt brought another eight does to my treestand. Hunting is so much fun when you have so many deer around you.

November 07, 2001

The evening hunt provided some good entertainment with 10 does under my treestand. I also saw a spike and an eight pointer. I would have taken the eight pointer but it didn't give me the opportunity since it was chasing all the does around. He would stand still long enough. He was fun to watch and will be fun to reminis about during the off season.

November 07, 2001

The experts say that each time you hunt a spot it gets worse since you leave scent and the deer are aware of your coming and goings. This treestand isn't showing any signs of that. It is as hot as the first day I started hunting it. This morning I saw 8 does and 1 fork horn.

November 06, 2001

The evening hunt gave me an opportunity to harvest a Pope & Young buck. To my dismay I couldn't draw back on him. It was so quite in the woods you could hear a pin drop. As soon as I tried to draw back he heard me and bolted. That was tuff to take since he was 10 yards away. My mistake but it was a great hunt seeing him and the other 8 does and spike buck.

November 06, 2001

This same stand as the night before is 2 miles back in the forest and only accessibly by ATV. I found myself driving to my stand at 4:45 am when I hit a deep mud hole. To my dismay I found that my 4-wheel drive wasn't working. One front tire wasn't spinning. Needless to say I got stuck, in the dark, in bear country and a mile from my truck. I had to walk out and get my Uncle to come and pull me out. I missed out on the morning hunt!

November 05, 2001

I am in Northern Wisconsin around the Ashland area for all of you bowhunters that are from cheesehead country. My expectations are high since this is basically a guided hunt. Not that I paid anything for it but my Uncle puts me on some pretty good spots. Since he has harvested several Pope & Young bucks and has been written about in several bowhunting magazines I feel I will get opportunites that can be provided by guides. The evening hunt started out with 7 does and 1 fork horn. All deer were within 10 yards.

November 04, 2001

For the last evening of this 3 day hunt I moved back to the west side of the property close to where I had originally started. I saw one flag at the end of the night. This hunt was a total disappointment for me but others had seen lots of deer and some nice bucks.

November 04, 2001

In the same treestand for the morning hunt a six pointer came within 15 yards but I was after bigger bucks so I let him pass. He walked passed me and a doe appeared. He didn't seem to interested in her which is odd since the pre-rut was going full tilt.

November 03, 2001

For the evening hunt I moved my treestand to the east end of the property where all the other bowhunters were seeing the bucks. I saw one doe early and that was it.

November 03, 2001

Still in the same treestand as the day before hoping to get an opportunity to get another chance at the monster buck I got on Nature Visions Game-Vu Camera. I got skunked again!

November 02, 2001

I am in the same treestand expecting to see tons of deer for the evening hunt. To my dismay I didn't see anything!

November 02 ,2001

I found myself in my treestand a half hour before sunrise at the Poplar Lake special hunt in the Twin Cities area. The weather is abnormally warm but my expectations were high. The morning started with a doe that came within 25 yards but then winded me and took off. Later that morning I rattled in a twelve pointer but to my dismay I was looking the other way when he came within 25 yards. He was looking at me when I eventually saw him. He stuck around long enough to rub it in that I wasn't going to have an opportunity to harvest him.

October 30, 2001

The morning hunt was canceled due to rain. I went out that afternoon and got to my treestand at 3:00pm. I started my first rattling session and I barely got started when a nice buck came running in. He stayed out of range, circled down wind and got my scent. As I watched him run across the picked bean field I could only count myself blessed to see such a magnificent animal. The night ended seeing a doe blasting across the shallow part of the ravine. So ends my 4 day hunt in Southeastern Minnesota. I saw a total of 18 deer including one dandy buck.

October 29, 2001

At dusk I found myself hunting at the high end of a steep ravine by a old homestead. I saw two does.

October 29, 2001

At dawn I found myself in the same deep ravine as the night before. I saw two deer running down the side of the ravine. I don't know if something had scared them or the momentum of the ravines steep decline made them run so fast. I couldn't stop them with a grunt.

October 28, 2001

I found a spot in the bottom of a deep ravine on a rub line with a good scrape. This is the spot where I saw a Pope & Young buck the year before. Unfortunately I only saw on deer high on the top of the ravine. I grunted at the deer and as usual the deer waved its tail in acknowledgment and proceeded on its way.

October 27, 2001

This week finds me in the bluff country of Southeastern Minnesota. This farm has deep ravines supported by corn and picked soy bean fields. The weather is warm but I am hoping that the deer will still move before dark. Up in my treestand two hours before dark. I started my first rattling sequence and a small buck appeared. I started to grunt and I spotted movement to my right. Another buck had appeared. He sported six points. He wasn't a shooter but still fun to watch. Later that evening an eight point buck appeared and was within twenty yards when I heard deer crashing behind me. With the buck in front of me and still not a shooter I decided to check the other deer out. Six does stopped under my treestand and then everything went nuts. The buck charged in and scattered the does. The bucks are rutting!

October 20, 2001

The morning hunt produced 3 does and another button buck. One deer was so close to the front of the blind I could have reached out the front of the blind and touched her.

The evening hunt produced another 4 does. Even though I didn't see but one good buck it was a successful hunt. I saw a total of 19 deer. For early October that is pretty good. I hunted in warm and cold weather, rain and 40 mile an hour gusts of wind. This hunt had it all. I had a Game-Vu camera out and during the four day hunt I got close to a 150 pictures. The November issue will have details about the camera and some pictures too.

October 19, 2001

Hunting the morning I moved to another spot. I saw four doe. At 10 yards away I arrowed a doe to fill the freezer. That makes three does for the season so far. I only shoot the small ones. I do this for several reasons. The small deer taste fantastic. The vitals are smaller so I have to make a good shot. The other reason is I don't like to leave fawns unattended if I were to shoot a doe when it has fawns.

The evening hunt found me in the ground blind again. I saw four deer including a nice wall hanger. Unfortunately the buck was behind me and didn't offer a shot. He made a scrape five yards behind me and did a lip curl so loud that it made my blood boil because he was so close!

October 18, 2001

Hunting the am. I didn't see anything. I am really surprised.

Hunting the evening I saw three deer. Still know sign of the bucks!

October 17, 2001

I find myself hunting the first evening of a four day hunt in a ground blind near Ashland Wisconsin. This is my first time using a ground blind and it is pretty cool. I saw four deer, two does, one fawn and a button buck. All within 10 yards of the blind. I am having a hard time seeing my sight pin towards the end of the hunt. I will have to look into one of those glow in the dark pins if I want to be successful using this blind.

September 23, 2001

I am really excited about this hunt. I am back in my treestand out at Poplar Lake in the same MBRB doe only hunt. I didn't have to wait long. Two deer came walking right in where I thought they would. At five yards away I arrowed a small button buck. After tracking him for 80 yards I got back into my treestand with a hour of shooting time left. At dusk I arrowed another button buck. I normally wouldn't shoot these deer but that is what MBRB is all about. If we don't produce and shoot any deer we won't have these places to hunt in the future. Several big bucks were seen during this hunt. I didn't see any but I did see another 13 deer this night. I have written a story about this hunt for the November issue and I hope to have some pictures if they turn out. This story has some interesting twists to it so stay tuned!

We ended up seeing 63 deer during this 3 day hunt. I saw 30 of them while only hunting twice. Four deer were harvested. Good job guys!

September 22, 2001

I usually don't hunt whitetail this early but since MBRB was offering a doe only hunt I couldn't refuse. I got there at sunrise. I didn't have but a minute or two after I was in my treestand before two deer ran up behind me. I didn't get a chance to harvest either doe since I wasn't ready. Those buggers ran up on me so fast. One was 5 yards away. I saw 17 deer that morning; all does and fawns. I suppose I will have to share this spot with other MBRB hunters in this hunt! I didn't get the shot I wanted on any of these deer. I will have to move my stand 30 yards and come back another time.

August 30, 2001

I saw three bears tonight. The first two were too small. The third bear wasn't large but big enough. I took the shot at eight yards. I hit him a little farther back that I would have liked. The bear ran approximately 40 yards and expired with a gurgle. You can read the details of the story in the October issue of this web site.

Jon's Diary Of Fall 2001 Bear Hunting

By Jon Nystrom

This diary as crude as it is, may help you when planning your bear hunt. The problems that occur while planning, scouting, baiting, harvesting and processing a black bear can be overcome with perseverance.

Early summer: I have been collecting donuts all winter. Last count was 40 barrels. I used bags last year so I am not sure how many barrels I will need for two people and 5 spots. I am tired of collecting donuts every night. I gave my uncle 30 of the barrels for his guide service. It is a small price to pay for all of the fishing and hunting trips he takes me on.

July 2, 2001 David and I drove to Pine City to do some scouting. We asked a farmer for directions provide us with some valuable information. Or at least we thought he did. He volunteered to help us find some spots to bear hunt. He said he would contact farmers on our behalf and that he thought we would have several spots to choose from.

July 16, 2001 I finally got a hold of the farmer after many attempts. He contacted all the farmers he knew and none would let us hunt on their land. We had wasted two weeks because we thought this farmer could help us out. I appreciated his help. It wasn't his fault that all of the farmers said no! Most landowners have been contacted by now. Hunting season in Minnesota starts in August.

July 17, 2001 I spoke with several landowners and I got more contacts. I still have nothing to show for my time except a big goose egg. Most people aren't home in the summer. I am diligently combing the plat book for any place to hunt.

July 19, 2001 I am giving up on the thought of hunting on private land. I do have two more remote chances. I will have to wait on other people to ask for me. They seem like long shots. I have picked a spot in the chewatana state forest. There are a lot of hunters in that no-quota area. I will have to be better at baiting and hunting to be successful. It was 92 degrees today and the fly's and mosquitoes are really bad this year. My head net barely does the job. I still had numerous bites. I found a tree that I will be able to get up 16 feet. There aren't a lot of trees to choose from. Most are young samplings but it is really thick. I am around 100 yards off of two roads. There are several houses around me. I walked off my 12 yards from my tree to the east so the sun would be at my back. I created my backing around a group of trees so the bear would have to come broadside for the shot. I am glad I bought this bow saw. It really helped me cut my logs that I use to cover the bait. This keeps the raccoons out of my expensive donuts and assorted baits.

July 20, 2001 Good news! I got permission to hunt some land in Wisconsin not far from my spot I just created in Minnesota. Maybe my dream of harvesting a bear in Minnesota and Wisconsin will come true after all. Today I am going to Wisconsin to buy a plat book and check out the land. I am really excited. I am still picking up donuts daily. I don't think I could ever eat a donut!

July 22, 2001 I picked up two more empty barrels up north today. That will be the last of the donuts for me. I just worked out a deal with the baker so I can get his donuts exclusively during bear season. I also picked up 300 pounds of a grain mix that I add to the donuts. I will probable pour some grease over all of it to make it more appealing. I went fishing for sunfish yesterday. I put them in the freezer to keep until day one of baiting. I hang them from the trees to get the bears interested.
Do you think I will have enough bait!!!!

July 23, 2001 The farmer I met July 16 never contacted me. After several phone calls I got a hold of him. He said he tried but couldn't find a spot for me. I am really bummed out. Back to the plat book.

July 24, 2001 I stopped on the road in my area to talk to a woman walking down the dirt road. She didn't have any land to hunt but she suggested I talk with a neighbor of hers. She has some land and might let me hunt. I drove up the driveway and a big German shepherd came running out. I am a big chicken so I didn't get out of the van. I honked the horn a few times without any results.

July 25, 2001 Back to the house I go. No dog this time. I went to the door and here comes the dog. I yell at him to stop. That big dog was a sissy. He ran the other way. I knocked on the door without results. Finally I saw someone go by the door. I knocked again and this time she heard me. An elderly woman came to the door. She was hard of hearing I think. At first she thought I wanted to buy her land. Finally she gave me permission to hunt her 200 acres. Hurray!!!!!! I also met some adjacent landowners on my way out. They have one guy baiting their land but he isn't serious about it. That's good for me. The bad news came when they said that the landowners adjacent to their property took eight bears last year. This means there are lots of bears but then again, there are lots of hunters. That is what you have to deal with in the non-quota area.

July 26, 2001 My neighbor came over and asked if I would show him how to bait bear so he could shoot one with a bow. Have I ever said no!!!! His brother has 80 acres around 15 miles from my two spots. We checked out one and asked for permission on some other land. Nothing yet!

July 27, 2001 Scouting again with my neighbor near his brothers land. We found another landowner to allow us to hunt. He has bears in his yard. That is a good sign!!!!

July 28, 2001 I went to a family reunion. I met some relatives from Cumberland, WI. They have so many bears their they are getting electrocuted to death in their fields. They begged me to come and shoot them. I declined reluctantly. They even offered to bait for me!

July 29, 2001 I now have four spots to hunt. I am going to branch off here so we can keep track of how each spot is doing. Baiting in Minnesota starts August 10 so I will be updating those regularly. The Wisconsin spot won't be updated until later in August.

Minnesota spot #1 Minnesota spot #2
East of Pine City (private) East of Pine City (park)

Minnesota spot #3 Minnesota spot #4
West of Pine City (private) West of Pine City(private) (new spot as of 8/5)

Wisconsin spot
Siren area (public)

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