Professor
Senior Member
Nitecore P10IX USB-C Rechargeable. It has a variable setting and the highest is 4000 lumen. They make great hand warmers too.
Welcome Guest!
What did you do mountain related today?
- Thread starter Whit90
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ddd-shooter
Senior Member
4000? Good grief Id say handwarmer! You could fry an egg with that thing! Lol
Hows battery life? Weight?
Professor
Senior Member
At 4000 it lasts about 30 min, but it gets too hot to keep it at that power for that long. I usually keep it set at 1700 lumen. It will last 2+ hours like that.
splatek
UAEC
I want to preface this post by saying we do know a few guys that knocked bears down, but not our little triad (@jbogg , @FMBear , and myself) that is now in our second year of bear camp. Those other fellas have been hunting bears WAY longer than I have been, in fact, they both have been hunting bears longer than I have been hunting. HA!
Anyhow, if you want to see dead bears this is not the post.
We got to the mountains on Friday night and we each did a little walking. Saturday morning it all started and for me was confusing. I started creeping up this ridge about grey light, not seeing anything for sign. I also wasn't seeing the acorns on the ground. I took a detour around a short bench and when I reached a laurel thicket that dropped off the side of a bluff a big 6 point buck stood up, as if he was just going to stand up and stretch his legs. But, he saw me and took off. Over the bluff. Into the laurel abyss. I tried to follow, or track to see where he might have gone, but as you all know once you are down in those thickets you can barely see 3-5 feet. And it was steep. So, I turned back to bears and this ridge. About 11, maybe 11:30, I thought I heard something. Crack, snap. And I was ready for a late morning snack anyhow, so I put down my pack, stopped and listened. What I heard was no louder than someone breaking a pretzel. When I heard bears would break branches I was thinking it would sound like... well, breaking branches! I was shocked at how quiet this was. I was also shocked to see a good sized bear about middle of this tree, a good distance from me. Looked like a mountain oak, and I later confirmed this. I was at about 60-65 yards. The wind was in my favor. I had my ghillie suit on, which is really just a ghillie top. I creeped down the side of this ridge using the ever so slight wind gusts, bushes and deadfall as my cover. I got to about 15 yards and thought to myself you probably aren't going to get any closer. I heard her get shuffling down the tree. I knocked an arrow on my longbow and I got ready. And then I saw to two chihuahua sized cubs come off the backside of the tree. Dang! Obviously I couldn't shoot, so I sat and I watched. She went back up the tree and the cubs tried to follow. I am not sure what she was doing, but it seemed like she was either knocking acorns down for the cubs or teaching them to climb, or a little of both. I remained undetected for about 15 minutes, after which when she was up in the tree, I slowly backed out, undetected. I kept on that ridge for the rest of the day and didn't find squat for fresh sign.
Sunday I went to a different spot. It was a few miles before I found the almighty, holy grail of sign: red hot fresh steaming pile of gray peanut butter colored acorn eating bear scat. Rather than push on and risk leaving my scent everywhere I set up right there on the ground. There were white oaks as far as I could see and I had good cover. I sat most of the day and didn't see or hear a thing. This got me thinking about something @Sautee Ridgerunner mentioned to me: there are a lot of white oaks producing at a lot of different elevations. This means concentrating the bears might be a challenge.
Monday I went in completely the opposite direction of where I'd been hunting to check a knob that has a nice stand of white oaks. I got up there and found no dropping oaks, no feeding sign, no scat, nothing. I kept pushing and I hear a deer blow, like a high pitched whistle blow, and take off out of his bed. It was a spike antlered deer. I went and investigated the bed and it had hair and very fresh droppings in it. Backed up to a fallen log; I mean it was text book high elevation deer bed from what little I understand. After finding no sign up on that knob, I pushed on to another saddle and knob area. One area showed promise but it also confirmed the idea that there were oaks producing/dropping everywhere. I would eventually come back to sit here for the night and see nothing, but first I couldn't help myself but to check another area on the map that just looked "inviting." Along the way, I stopped in a clearing and noticed what looked like deer browse. Averaging 10+ off trail miles a day, I didn't want to crest this hill if there wasn't anything good up there so I looked for oaks. Suddenly I notice a brown square sit down. If he hadn't moved I would never have seen him. I was about 75± yards away, I would guess. I sat there and contemplated what I should do. And, while it's obvious that the money spent on THP was not spent putting sourghum in any of the plots (joke), I took a book from the THP videos I'd been watching and I got on all fours. I held the end of my brown colored longbow up out of the mulberry, like maybe it was a spike antler, and I crept along as quietly and slowly as I could. It took forever. Occasionally I would look up to see if I could see him, but I couldn't. I hadn't heard him make a noise and I assumed he was still bedded down. Well after about a half hour, maybe more of crawling along, I pop-up to get a better look, thinking he was 25-30 yards from me. Well he was 12 yards from me and took off like a bat out of ..... That was exciting, but no kill.
Tuesday had me looking for more sign and finding nothing. Home I went Tuesday evening. Empty handed.
Sorry for the long post. If there is one thing I have learned from this past bear camp is I need better boots. I like to hold fast to my el cheapo gear, but averaging 10± miles a day in those hills in crappy boots left me hurting in a new way. I'm in no way comparing myself to a high-end sports car, but the only example I could think of would that it would be like buying a ferrari and putting old used junky tires on them and expecting the same performance. I need better boots.
I'm no good at this mountain hunting and have a LOT to learn. But, it sure is fun and seeing three bucks in the hills and a sow with a few cubs was cool. I have a lot to learn before I get the chance to take a mountain critter, particularly with my longbow, but (with new boots) I am eager to learn all I can.
Anyhow, if you want to see dead bears this is not the post.
We got to the mountains on Friday night and we each did a little walking. Saturday morning it all started and for me was confusing. I started creeping up this ridge about grey light, not seeing anything for sign. I also wasn't seeing the acorns on the ground. I took a detour around a short bench and when I reached a laurel thicket that dropped off the side of a bluff a big 6 point buck stood up, as if he was just going to stand up and stretch his legs. But, he saw me and took off. Over the bluff. Into the laurel abyss. I tried to follow, or track to see where he might have gone, but as you all know once you are down in those thickets you can barely see 3-5 feet. And it was steep. So, I turned back to bears and this ridge. About 11, maybe 11:30, I thought I heard something. Crack, snap. And I was ready for a late morning snack anyhow, so I put down my pack, stopped and listened. What I heard was no louder than someone breaking a pretzel. When I heard bears would break branches I was thinking it would sound like... well, breaking branches! I was shocked at how quiet this was. I was also shocked to see a good sized bear about middle of this tree, a good distance from me. Looked like a mountain oak, and I later confirmed this. I was at about 60-65 yards. The wind was in my favor. I had my ghillie suit on, which is really just a ghillie top. I creeped down the side of this ridge using the ever so slight wind gusts, bushes and deadfall as my cover. I got to about 15 yards and thought to myself you probably aren't going to get any closer. I heard her get shuffling down the tree. I knocked an arrow on my longbow and I got ready. And then I saw to two chihuahua sized cubs come off the backside of the tree. Dang! Obviously I couldn't shoot, so I sat and I watched. She went back up the tree and the cubs tried to follow. I am not sure what she was doing, but it seemed like she was either knocking acorns down for the cubs or teaching them to climb, or a little of both. I remained undetected for about 15 minutes, after which when she was up in the tree, I slowly backed out, undetected. I kept on that ridge for the rest of the day and didn't find squat for fresh sign.
Sunday I went to a different spot. It was a few miles before I found the almighty, holy grail of sign: red hot fresh steaming pile of gray peanut butter colored acorn eating bear scat. Rather than push on and risk leaving my scent everywhere I set up right there on the ground. There were white oaks as far as I could see and I had good cover. I sat most of the day and didn't see or hear a thing. This got me thinking about something @Sautee Ridgerunner mentioned to me: there are a lot of white oaks producing at a lot of different elevations. This means concentrating the bears might be a challenge.
Monday I went in completely the opposite direction of where I'd been hunting to check a knob that has a nice stand of white oaks. I got up there and found no dropping oaks, no feeding sign, no scat, nothing. I kept pushing and I hear a deer blow, like a high pitched whistle blow, and take off out of his bed. It was a spike antlered deer. I went and investigated the bed and it had hair and very fresh droppings in it. Backed up to a fallen log; I mean it was text book high elevation deer bed from what little I understand. After finding no sign up on that knob, I pushed on to another saddle and knob area. One area showed promise but it also confirmed the idea that there were oaks producing/dropping everywhere. I would eventually come back to sit here for the night and see nothing, but first I couldn't help myself but to check another area on the map that just looked "inviting." Along the way, I stopped in a clearing and noticed what looked like deer browse. Averaging 10+ off trail miles a day, I didn't want to crest this hill if there wasn't anything good up there so I looked for oaks. Suddenly I notice a brown square sit down. If he hadn't moved I would never have seen him. I was about 75± yards away, I would guess. I sat there and contemplated what I should do. And, while it's obvious that the money spent on THP was not spent putting sourghum in any of the plots (joke), I took a book from the THP videos I'd been watching and I got on all fours. I held the end of my brown colored longbow up out of the mulberry, like maybe it was a spike antler, and I crept along as quietly and slowly as I could. It took forever. Occasionally I would look up to see if I could see him, but I couldn't. I hadn't heard him make a noise and I assumed he was still bedded down. Well after about a half hour, maybe more of crawling along, I pop-up to get a better look, thinking he was 25-30 yards from me. Well he was 12 yards from me and took off like a bat out of ..... That was exciting, but no kill.
Tuesday had me looking for more sign and finding nothing. Home I went Tuesday evening. Empty handed.
Sorry for the long post. If there is one thing I have learned from this past bear camp is I need better boots. I like to hold fast to my el cheapo gear, but averaging 10± miles a day in those hills in crappy boots left me hurting in a new way. I'm in no way comparing myself to a high-end sports car, but the only example I could think of would that it would be like buying a ferrari and putting old used junky tires on them and expecting the same performance. I need better boots.
I'm no good at this mountain hunting and have a LOT to learn. But, it sure is fun and seeing three bucks in the hills and a sow with a few cubs was cool. I have a lot to learn before I get the chance to take a mountain critter, particularly with my longbow, but (with new boots) I am eager to learn all I can.
Professor
Senior Member
Dude, you were on top of the bear and her cubs. You got out undetected. You got close enough to a bedded buck to see him stand for a stretch, and you stalked another one to 12 yards. I would say all that takes some serious skill.
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Thunder Head
Gone but not forgotten
Dont throw your old boots away. Take them with you.
Theres a good chance you wont be able to cover that much ground with out new boots hurting your feet.
Theres a good chance you wont be able to cover that much ground with out new boots hurting your feet.
Thunder Head
Gone but not forgotten
By the way,
I used to pride myself in not needing a flashlight. Until i stepped on a snake in the dark. It turned out to be harmless. Still. Cured me
Not to mention i dont want some moron to shoot me during twilight.
I used to pride myself in not needing a flashlight. Until i stepped on a snake in the dark. It turned out to be harmless. Still. Cured me
Not to mention i dont want some moron to shoot me during twilight.
Professor
Senior Member
This is true, and besides, I usually take two pairs with me anyway. I will say this though. My Crispi guide boots wore better out of the box than any boot I had ever put on my feet. Which is good because they are so stiff they did not change much after wearing them in.
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Whit90
Senior Member
Oh yea, I forgot... I put a camera on a heavy trail a few weeks ago in the area I hunted opening weekend... Went to check it Saturday morning and as I was approaching the tree I didn't see the camera. I was wondering who else is crazy enough to come all the way back here, and why wouldn't they just let my camera be... Well I found the strap on the ground and the plastic buckle had been chewed up. So I am assuming that was first camera donation to the bears. I looked around for a while as I went up the trail, but never found it.
1eyefishing
...just joking, seriously.
I learn a lot from these threads.
Observations:
There is a 4000 lumen flashlight available is that may be able to microwave my beanie weanies while on the mountain...
It may be a good idea to paint my trailcam with castor oil if I leave it in the bear woods...
New boots are good for pooting on my feet...
Just joking, yall! Seriously though, keep it coming.
I hope this thread lasts all year!
Observations:
There is a 4000 lumen flashlight available is that may be able to microwave my beanie weanies while on the mountain...
It may be a good idea to paint my trailcam with castor oil if I leave it in the bear woods...
New boots are good for pooting on my feet...
Just joking, yall! Seriously though, keep it coming.
I hope this thread lasts all year!
ddd-shooter
Senior Member
Watching a bear in a tree is a sight to behold in itself. Hope you got some video.
Sounds like a successful weekend to me!
KentuckyHeadhunter
Senior Member
Great story splatek and great adventure. I'm another one here who's not got a bear under my belt. I've always been a turkey and deer and hog hunter. I've busted so many bears while hunting different species that I decided it's time to try to harvest one. Had too many encounters with black bears but never targeted them. I'm no expert on them either but I know mountain solo hunting and the endeavors it requires.
splatek
UAEC
This’ll be my third season hunting and I’d like to say I have time but I’m an old fellar. you’ll get one
pak
Member
Spent the last few days walking the hills and found some good sign but never laid eyes on a bear. Had a great time and got to see some amazing sights. It was work but getting on top and running the ridges was a lot of fun, can’t wait to get back up and try it again.
This may be a dumb question but can someone tell me what’s going on with the pine tree, why/what’s the bear doing? I’m assuming it’s a bear but I also know what assuming can do…It was about 6’ up and looked like there was old and fresh marks on it along with hair stuck in the sap.
This may be a dumb question but can someone tell me what’s going on with the pine tree, why/what’s the bear doing? I’m assuming it’s a bear but I also know what assuming can do…It was about 6’ up and looked like there was old and fresh marks on it along with hair stuck in the sap.
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KentuckyHeadhunter
Senior Member
Hi I'm Allen. Wanna go hunting? ?
ddd-shooter
Senior Member
Sign posts. They scratch and bite them to leave scent, especially during the rut in summer.
chrislibby88
Senior Member
No kidding. If you weren’t hamstringing yourself with a self righteous trad bow you could have killed more critters than Daniel Boone by now lol. Legit sounds like a pretty successful hunt. I honestly try to count successful stalks like that as wins whether I kill something or not. Every time you do this you hone your hunting razor a little bit sharper.
chrislibby88
Senior Member
Yea I broke my Crispis in last year on the Sept and December rifle hunt. I probably put 15-20 miles on them on flat ground, and they still weren’t quite right until I put another 20 mountain miles on them. You have to tension your laces a bit different in the hills too. Crispis are dope because you can tighten the foot and ankle sections independently. @splatek you should look into some, not cheap, but they have a wide array of options, some being less expensive than you think, they seem to hold up pretty **** well, and once broken in are extremely comfortable.
splatek
UAEC
Thanks for the kind words fellas. Means a lot coming from seasoned hunters like yourselves.
@chrislibby88 nice comment on the TRAD bow. lol. I know you’re just messing around, but honestly I just love the simplicity of it
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