An Outdoorsman’s Journal

By: Mark Walters

Ten Sunsets on a Bear Stand

Hello friends: I started running bear baits with my girlfriend Michelle Chiaro on April 15th in northern Juneau County, as I have for the last 13-years. It seems like a lifetime of situations has happened since we started, including the unexpected death of Michelle, who was my mate and outdoor everything partner. This week’s column is a short summary of the first ten days of my bear hunting situation in which I did not miss a day sitting in a tree.

Saturday, September 3 High 74, low 53

It has been eight days since I have had a daytime picture of a black bear at one of my baits, and so yesterday, with 5 days to go before the season opens, I created two new baits, with both being about a mile from my existing baits. My hope was to maybe intercept a bear earlier in its day, before it arrived at one of my existing baits. Today, I was checking one of them and walking in a forest with waist-high ferns when I had the misfortune of walking directly into a nest of hornets. This would be the worst insect experience of my life so far and I was stung at least 25 times in the head, arm, stomach, and legs. At first, I thought I was going to be okay. The following day I became very ill, swollen, disoriented, arthritic, itchy, and in pain. This situation would last 8-full days and really sucked.

Friday, September 9 High 83, low 54 Today was my 3rd day of hunting and no matter what, I never give up hope. The trail cameras tell me that within 20-minutes of climbing down from my tree the last two nights, bear have been at the bait. There is a debate among bear hunters about whether we are being watched while in the stand. I firmly believe it happens. It has now been over two weeks since I had a daytime hit and I know I just have to keep running my baits, be observant when I am in the tree and believe that I may have a chance.

So, I have spent hundreds of hours in the forests since April, and on one of my baits I have a baby porcupine that greets me each day, or should I say, is not scared of me. Now I am hunting, and I watch this porcupine for hours, as I also am able at times to watch skunks and other porcupine as they try to get at the bait. Before I get in my tree, I talk real nice to it and I think it listens. Tonight, while I was in my stand and watching the baby, another porcupine showed up, which obviously was an adult. When these two saw each other, it was apparent that it was mama, and for the next hour I listened to them talk to each other, watched the baby crawl on top of mama and both of them licked each other a lot.

Friday, September 16

High 84, low 55

Yesterday I did the 23-mile drive from my home to hunt and bait, and realized that I had forgot my 300 BAR. I was not giving up. I drove fast and did some speed walking to my baits.

Today would be my 10th day in a row of hunting, and I am a “nothing is going to stop me kind of machine”. When I am sitting in my tree, I do thank you cards. So far, I have heard from over 500 people since Michelle passed, and I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you. I never get bummed when I do not have daytime pics, and I really enjoy every aspect of the hunt.

Today I had great news. One of the baits that I did not hunt last night had two “shooter” bear at it before dark. This good news completely got me in the game and though I really am “long term” tired I can rest when I join Michelle. I did not have a bear come in on hunt number 10, but I will not give up till the season closes on October 11th. I have to go on the trips that give me material for each week’s column, but I bait when I leave for the trip and hunt on the way home.

Live a full day today, it may be your last! Sunset

This is the young of the year porcupine that Mark Walters got to know quite well at one of his bear baits this summer.

It had been 21 days since Mark Walters had a day time hit at his baits when these two bears showed up.