My good friend, Heath Helgert, of H2O Film Productions recently made good on his time in the treestand with his wife, Nikki, chasing black bears in Idaho. Bear hunting is a labor of love for Helgert each spring as the snow finally comes off the hills in Idaho. Heath shares the story of this year’s bear with us here…
This season started out slow. I think with all the snow we had this winter, the bears slept in a little longer. Everything seemed to be about a week later than normal before the bears began to hit. I don’t like to make a sit until I know a big boar is comfortable at the bait and has been there in the daylight a couple days.
It wasn’t long until I finally saw some big tracks around my site. But of course, only a little BooBoo showed up on the trail camera. Two days later I discovered a big pile of poo that couldn’t have been from the little bear. The big bear was being savvy, smacking the trail camera and walking around it to avoid it. He finally showed up in daylight on the trail camera, so we made plans to make a sit.
It was one of the coolest nights Nikki and I have ever had in the stand. Two young bears played in front of us rolling around and nipping at each others heels.
A couple young bears scrap it out in front of the trail camera one evening at Heath’s bait site.
Then with about an hour and a half left of daylight, the elusive boar made himself visible and took his sweet time coming to the bait.
Heath’s bear approaches the bait site.
I patiently waited for him to turn broadside so I could give him the shaft, tipped with the new 100-grain replaceable blade Simmons broadhead. My chance came and I dropped the string. The bear didn’t go far at all, and we had him back to the truck before dark. It was an awesome night. Our patience payed off in waiting until the right time to go after him.
Nikki and Heath with his big Idaho black bear.
