Visit our "True Stories" page to read about the adventures, mishaps, and humor of guiding in Maine! 

Updated when we are able to "get out of the woods" for a few...We will also post stories from your experiences with Orion Outfitters!

 Send to wolftrax@earthlink.net    Enjoy!!!

Mark Temprine Sr. joined us for the 2009 Bear hunting season. There were 8 hunters in camp during our second week and we began on Sunday with our typical family style dinner and a chance to get to know each other around the campfire. We swapped stories, and basically talked "Bear Hunting 101" Questions were answered, hunters realaxed, and friendships began...

Monday was very busy for everyone getting ready for their first hunt in the Maine woods. The adrenaline was starting to flow even before they took to their stands. We have a routine that works well to put hunters in the right place at the right time and to give them the best chance for success!

Once everyone was in their stands, we return to camp to prepare for meals, run other bait sites, and generally keep camp running smooth. As the hours pass we await for the calls to come in....."Bear Down!" Our first evening we had several nice bears taken by Jake and Dennis and all before the "Witching Hour" usually the last hour of the day. We had both bears and hunters back at camp with a great start to the week. After dark I returned to pick up the other hunters to return to camp to enjoy a hearty dinner, and to swap stories of their hunts. We had bears on the game pole and spirits were high! Jake and Dennis had the smiles to prove their satisfaction of a great hunt in the Maine woods!

Tuesday a.m. our successful hunters left for some trout fishing, and the bear hunters relaxed at camp or took to a morning hunt. Later that evening Tim took a beautiful bear and we were again back at camp with another addition to the game pole before dark. That evening of picking up the balance of the hunters will go down in infamy! Read the next story for the exciting details of a hunters "Ground Blind" experience!

The rest of the week was spent in the same manner, hunting hard, fishing, relaxing, and enjoying each others company. Although we had 3 different hunting parties at camp, everyone seemed like family and everyone participated in dragging bears out, and helping to pack heads and hides for their return home to their taxidermists.

Thursday evening was a long night with tracking into the early morning hours with 3 bears shot that day. Tracking after dark for a jet black bear cannot be described, it must be experienced! This is what we live for and what we hope to provide for our guests...We are not content to provide a "canned hunt" or a mediocre experience.

As the week continued, we had very good success, yet did have 2 hunters that had bears coming in, but still after dark. Mike had passed on a smaller bear earlier and was waiting for the brute that was destroying the bait each night. Mark had still not seen his bear, even though he had put the time in both morning and evening, and "did everything right." On Saturday afternoon he and his son packed for their long trip back to PA as they had planned on leaving after they left the woods that evening. I doubted that this would happen though, because I was still confident in what was to hopefully take place that evening.

On our way in to Mark's bait I stopped the truck and turned to Mark and told him "This is your night! I have 100% confidence in you and tonight is your night. This bait is being hit by a monster as well as several other bears, and tonight you are going to become the Comeback Kid and become a legend!" I also told him that as his guide I was not nervous that he would not tag out, and would not be...until about 7:15! During this conversation I told him to sit tight and watch behind the bait because there is a dark hole in the swampy cedar bog and that is where that bear will enter from. Mark looked back with a positive and eager smile and after my traditional "Pound It!" hand shake he walked into the stand with a renewed confidence.

The afternoon was spent processing bears and saying farewell to a few of our successful hunters as they departed. The day wore on and as the light slowly faded....the call came in. "Ron, I just shot a monster! It was just like you said...." "Sit tight and listen to the woods....we'll be out there in a bit....Good job Mark!" I said.

After picking up a hunter we loaded up the drag sled and headed out, arriving about 45 minutes after dark. On our way in we startled a bear on his way into the bait. Minutes later as we approached the stand, Mark whispered "watch out...another bear on the bait!" I flicked on the spot and the bear moved off.{only to return minutes after we began tracking.}

Mark described his shot including placement and the reaction of the bear. He motioned where the bear ran towards, and the "death moan" heard. After a few minutes crawling through the swamp we were on a solid blood trail...ending at a large oak tree where the huge bear was lying right behind against a log. After we regrouped around the bear it became very apparent of what Mark had accomplished. He had earned this bear, and it was a true Trophy Bear! It was built like a grizzly and had the head of an angry boar-the king of the forest! It took 5 of us to get this trophy back to the truck and on the game pole. The bear weighed in at a whopping 400 lbs. even! Not 398...not 402, but 400 lbs. even!

The adrenaline rush and the feeling of a job well done continued late into the evening. The following morning in the daylight we truely realized the size of this bear. Although there are certainly larger bears out there, the state average is 120-150 lbs. and anything over 200 lbs. is considered a true trophy. This is the equivalent of that 12 point buck with the double drop tines you've been chasing!

The shot placement was perfect, and Mark did a great job given the low light and the size of the bear. Knew you could do it Mark!

Dee and I want to again thank all of our 2009 hunters for your patronage and your friendship. You have made 2009 an unbelievable season...one that will be hard to beat. But be forewarned...there are larger bears to come and again we will need your help....

RF

As the above story alludes to, our 2009 Bear Hunting season was full of excitement! It is a common misconception that a bear over bait hunt is easy, and that black bears are bumbling balls of fur, that wander in to feed only to be shot at. This couldn't be further from the truth, and anyone that has hunted them will attest to this. They are the most cunning and intelligent creatures in the forest and are not easily fooled. They hold the upper hand and if you approach this hunt with the mindset that you must outsmart the predator, then and only then will you become successful in taking a trophy bruin.

Monday evening Tim hunted a stand we call Moose Alley. The first evening was uneventful other than a bull moose making his presence, and I removed the ground blind upon walking in to get Tim out that evening  because we were going to set up at "Bruiser" where a huge boar had taken charge of the bait.{We walk our hunters into their stand, bait and scent it up, and then return after dark to walk them out without them disturbing any incoming bears.}

Tuesday, Tim was my last hunter in that evening. He assisted  me in getting them out, and then he and I set up his blind at his new bait site. He wanted a 17-20 yard shot as he was using his bow so we set him up at 17 yds. Before leaving I offered him my pistol as a "backup" but Tim declined. I baited the site and sprayed his blind with scent killer before walking out.

The afternoon was busy with an early bear down at 4:45 pm. The bear was added to the game pole and I returned after dark for the other hunters. Tim was to be last again this evening. Upon walking in I made a mental note at how quiet the woods were that evening. I usually have to "push" bears off the bait after dark, or other critters that tend to come in to feed in the shadows of night. I gently try to push bears off so as not to alarm them and prevent them from returning to the bait.

As I approached the bait site and ground blind I heard a limb snap. Then another, followed by an angry growl. The GGGRRRR! GGGRRRR! GGGRRR! continued and seem to be circling the blind. With headlamp off, I fixed my attention on where the bear was and tried to locate the ground blind. I carry a 12 GA. and spot light for this occassion and worked my way closer to the blind quietly. When I was within 30-40 yards I whistled to Tim 3 times.....no response. I yelled his name once and again no response.I didn't want to spook the bear, but needed to move it away from the blind. I decided to call Tim's cell that should have been on vibrate to signal him to put his red light to the side of the tent so I could pinpoint his location in the camoflagued blind.

Unfortunately his home number came up first...and after a fruitless call that resulted in Tim's wife answering and becoming confused with the fact that I was whispering "I need Tim's cell number please..." I had to hang up...and felt very uneasy with the previous phone conversation! {You never want to panic a hunter's wife!}

That was it-Time to move in. I throttled up the spot and quickly approached the blind. The bear held tight and started swaying it's large head back and forth and circled the blind one last time...and finally wandered up onto a knoll above the bait. Bears are reluctant to leave an easy meal and will often bluff charge to claim their stake.

As I approached the blind I immediately unzipped the back door and Tim, with his gray beard and knit hat stuck his head out and said "That was the most exciting experience in my entire life!!! That bear just about stuck his head into the blind! That was awesome!" I haven't lost a client yet...and don't intent to...ever, but that was about as close to the excitement as I want a client to get! Tim made a good call by not giving his position away by making noise or turning his light on.

We quickly snuck out to the truck and returned to camp, and EVERYONE heard the story.....more than once! The fact of the matter is that we returned the following day and Tim hunted from dawn to dusk. Upon arriving I found that a 4" tree that the blind was tied to was bitten in half right above the guy line, and the other tree was snapped off also above the line. All of the brush that was used to conceal the blind wasn't just removed...it was gone! Thrown all about and broken up into kindling!

Wednesday was a quiet day for all of our hunters, but the following day was busy as we had 2 bears shot and one shot at with a bow, and missed. Tim took a beautiful and quite hefty old bear. Not the "Bruiser" that had tormented him on Tuesday, but a very respectable bear indeed. In fact he shot this bear and called it in to camp just at last legal shooting light, and 20 minutes after the shot a second bear came into the bait, tugged at the barrel for a bit, and then decided to pay Tim a visit in the blind! He heard the bear approach and this time he snapped on his flashlight and "barked" at the bear-causing it to scoot off.

When we arrived we tracked his bear for about 75 yards into a swamp and found his trophy! It was truely a great hunt, and I think I enjoyed it as much as he did! The best thing is...he's returning in 2010, and I have no doubt that we'll get him on that big boar, and that the stories of 2009 will be told again and again!

Thanks for a great week!

RF