The guides reported the bait was getting hit every day. I was ready to go but they only hunted bear in the evening, so we until 3:15 to leave camp for the 45 minute truck ride to the top of Dry Fork. From the top of Dry Fork we rode ATV about 3 miles down the gulch and then we walked up the mountain side about 1.5 miles to the bait site. Needless to say with the thin air the uphill hike I thought my lungs were going to explode.

Monday night one of Al's guides, who went by the name Bing took me to the bait site. Bing checked the bait, it had been hit all the donuts were gone. This bear never touched the meat. The guides could tell it was a good bear by his paw print and the imprint of his butt were he sat to eat his donuts. We were set up by 4:30, we watched the bait till it was too dark to see, around 7:45.

I talked with the guides that night I found out they put the bait out around noon everyday. Instead of sitting in camp all day I decided to go out by myself on Tuesday right after they put out the baits around noon. Tuesday I found the bait site and got up the mountain right at 12 noon.

I settled in behind a couple of deadfalls with a good view, 75yds from the bait. I expected to be there all day so I settled in. I was day dreaming, laying down behind the logs checking the bait once in a while. At 1:10 I glanced at the bait when I thought I was seeing things, this large pure black bear came tearing out of the woods focused on those donuts in the bait barrel. He stood on the log batting at the logs covering the barrel when I shot hitting him behind the front shoulder. He shuddered and ran in the woods. I waited 15 minutes and went to the bait to follow the blood trail. There was no blood around the bait site, I started a search patteren out from the bait, no blood. I was pretty sure I hit him? I finnaly found one patch of blood on a deadfall and there lay a pure black Boar around 225-250 lbs. It was a great hunt.

more pics at :

http://www.deadwoodunderground.com/hunting.html