British Columbia Bear Hunt with Sheep Creek Outfitters
Spring 2008
Guide Joe Conroy / www.sheepcreek.com / jconroy@sheepcreek.com / 250-489-2192

My wife, Maggie and I were at the Tampa Bay Safari Club Convention along with our very good friends and neighbors, Rod and Laura Zarasky, on May 11, 2007. When the live auction came up for the 7 day Black Bear Hunt with Sheep Creek outfitters, Maggie leaned over and said to bid and bid aggressively on. She had spied a beautiful Black Bear rug about twelve years earlier and had desired one ever since. It had always been me, the hunter in the family, who had been hesitant in regards to booking a Bear hunt. The bidding opened up and there was only one other bidder who dropped out rather quickly…I WON!

During the next year I kept a dialogue going with Joe Conroy, the owner and primary guide of Sheep Creek Outfitters, first by bombarding him with email questions and eventually by phone as the date grew closer. I went on line the talk forum AccurateReloading.com and received advice from other guides and hunters in the Canadian forum. The recommendation was that in early May, Bears may not be moving due to a late spring and then late June they will be rubbing their coats off, so I selected dates right in the middle of May 29 – June 5, 2008. I do not believe the weather and timing could have been any better. There was only a slight drizzle for a short time daily and the temperature ranged from 38 degrees as a low to 66 degrees Fahrenheit as a high. Joe Conroy had prepared me very well with his packing list and my dressing preparations were spot on.

May 28, 2008

Everything was packed and repacked over the previous week three times, removing gear on each occasion. Maggie and I awoke at 4:00 AM to a well prepared trip that was anticipated to be stress free. We had given ourselves plenty of time making it an easy go for getting ready this morning. Maggie drove to the airport, parked in short term and came into the terminal to assist me with luggage and to provide assistance in case any difficulties arose. There were not any issues with customs, passports, airlines, or getting the Tika .338 WinMag checked in and onboard the plane. At the other end of the tram I met up with Dave Maney, who was to be my compatriot, traveling partner, and hunting companion for the next seven days.

Ah – Oh, the number two engine would not start after the plane was completely boarded. The Pilot announced it would be a five minute delay for repairs and fortuitously he was right – Surprise! The connecting flight from Denver to Calgary took off on time for another smooth flight crossing out nation’s border into Canada. I had thought Tampa was easy for getting checked in, but Calgary was even more enjoyable. The customs lines moved quickly, the officers were very pleasant and courteous, plus they were training three new young ladies. Dave’s and my paperwork was in order and as the senior officer’s were trying to explain to the trainees what information is required from the weapon and where to find it, I volunteered myself and the rifle to assist in the training. Once in a safe area I explained to the trainees about having the bolt open for inspection and showed them physically were to find the serial numbers and manufacturer of the weapon. Being that they were nice looking young ladies probably provoked my volunteerism. Upon getting our rental car, we were still 45 minutes ahead of our travel plans for the day.

The drive out of Calgary was flat as a prairie for 2.5 to 3 hours with the snow covered Rockies to our right the entire time. I was impressed with NO billboards, NO road kill, and NO trash alongside the motorway. Every 10-15 miles is a pullout with a trash receptacle. On the automobile trip from Calgary to Cranbrook, British Columbia we probably only passed 4-6 gas stations so planning ahead is imperative when transiting within Canada. I had received great sight-seeing directions from the crew on AccurateReloading, but we determined for this day to stay on Route 2 to Route 3 and to make the scenic travels on the return. We watched what were probably 200 windmills for a stretch of approximately 10 miles while heading into the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Once in the mountains and evening was upon us, we started passing a lot of whitetails in fields, on rock faces and sometimes along the motorway. We arrived in Cranbrook, still ahead of our plan by 30-45 minutes, checked into the Heritage Inn, and went to dinner at Mr. Mike’s Steakhouse. I had always been told, if at a steakhouse order steak. We did and the food was excellent, but the big surprise was upon ordering the local wines. They were first class.

MAY 29, 2008

We had received word the evening before from the front desk of the Heritage Inn that Joe Conroy and his wife Candace would be arriving at 9:00 AM to pick us up. We were delighted for the extra chance to sleep and repack our gear down to one travel bag and one day pack. Joe and Candace showed up as promised along with a couple of our guides. The other two hunters, who were quite delightful, excellent camp mates, and good hunting companions, had flown in from Kansas City. They would turn out to be Andy Andreas and Kurt Kaiser. The guide’s names for the week turned out to be Joe, Jim, Jason, Jess, Jessie and the cook John. Six J’s. The convoy is arranged and we are heading to camp with four pickup trucks. Two trucks with dock boxes and 3 dogs each, one truck pulling a horse trailer and three horses, and one truck pulling a trailer of which both were loaded down with a total of three quads (ATV’s). The convoy stopped enroute to Copper Lake Camp to fuel the vehicles and to get fishing licenses.



Copper Lake Camp is well into the mountains and is not a disappointment. It is located on Copper Lake which held trout for the catching and eating. Our quarters consisted of large high-wall tents which included a wood heating stove, Coleman lantern, new army cot with a foam mattress, plenty of firewood, and it was arranged for hanging clothing, if required. The cookhouse was log with Plexiglas windows which had all been pushed out by a Grizzly Bear at one time or another (prints and scratches still apparent), a wood stove for heating or cooking, a generator to be used for lights and stove at dinner time, and an attached outside shower. All the comforts of home, only different.



5:00 PM and it is time to hunt. Hunting light presently lasts until approximately 10:00 PM. Dave and I boarded a hi-tech redneck pick up truck, as affectionately called by one of the guides, Jim (aka Jimmy) Bowie – “no relation to the famous knife maker who perished at the Alamoâ€. Jim is half Indian and half German. The trucks were all outfitted with an XM radio (this is about all you can receive in the mountains), CB radio as primary communication during the hunt, cell phone, GPS, and lastly electronic dog trackers with antennae. Dave and I soon came to realize that not only Joe, and now Jimmy but “all†of the guides loved their craft, had a passion for it, were very knowledgeable of bears, and there wasn’t a weak link among them.

My first bear seen was on the other side of the valley and the trucks piled up with the spotting scopes out in order to take a look at this brute. There wasn’t enough time to drive around to where he was, as it would be a 1.5 hour drive and nobody would guarantee he would still be out and roaming on arrival. Plans were made and set in place to include this bear the next evening and this night’s hunt continued on this side of the mountain. We rode with Jimmy down to and then along the Skookumchuck (Strong water/rapids) River. Along the Skookumchuck is one of only two places in British Columbia where the bears strip bark from the pines to get knots of sap. We saw a small yearling Black Bear upon Jim stopped the vehicle, jumped out of the truck, and chased him up a tree for pictures.



Further down was a young Bull Moose on the road which ran 30 yards up into the timber and then watched as we drove on by. Coming back up from the Skookumchuck we saw a Black Bear up high on the mountain. With Jason’s assistance on the Quad (ATV) we figured on how to get around in order to size him. Once in a good scouting position he walked into the woods but while we were there and with continued glassing of the valley we saw a sow with two tiny cubs come up the mountain and into the timber about 100 yards beyond where the larger bear had already entered.

Following that a Black Bear was spotted at the end of the valley over ½ mile away eating alongside Copper Creek. Driving down closer we then parked ¼ mile away and stalked in as silently as three men can to see if it would be a shooter. We arrived on a ridge about 225 yards above him, sat down and watched him feed in the grass for about 30 minutes while Jimmy was trying to decide if this was a “shooterâ€. The bear was estimated to be about 5.5 feet and young due to the appearance of long legs and big ears. Otherwise the bulk had not grown as quickly as the height and this young bear needed to fill out some more. After watching, scoping, and some hesitancy it was decided this bear would be passed up, however I told Jim to make sure he remembered where it was come our last night if we were still empty handed. 1ST OPPORTUNITY LOST.

May 30, 2008

The morning hunt began. Again Dave and I were with Jim. Joe was guiding Andy, who by then was affectionately referred to as Jerry Seinfeld and every bit as entertaining. Andy had a Grizzly tag and since Joe had taken over this lease they had not taken a Grizzly on the ground and wanted to get this accomplished. Jeff was guiding Andy’s hunting partner Kurt Kaiser. Jimmy had warned David and me early on not to expect much action in the mornings, as Bear sleep in like a lazy teenager. Any movement is usually in the timber and they are infrequently found in a clear cut. We saw numerous Elk, White tail, and the same little yearling Black Bear as the previous evening and with the same results – chased up a tree for pictures. Andy harvested a very nice 6 foot Brown Bear behind camp while hunting for a Grizzly.



North of “The River†(nobody could name it) that is somewhere between Canada and Alaska a Brown Bear is a Grizzly. South of the river a Brown bear is a color phase of the species Black Bear. The color phases for the Black Bear are obviously Black, and then Brown, Cinnamon, and Blond.

The evening hunt is on and we are after the brute seen across the valley from the night before. Jason joined Jim along with David and me; we made our way around the mountain. After an hour and 20 minute drive we then parked 1.25 miles away (later calculated by GPS) and waited, and waited, and waited. Joe and Andy stayed high on the other side of the valley spotting for us. After 2.5 hours the Big Bear and a smaller Bear came out in approximately the same location. Joe talked the four of us in by radio. After the 1.25 hike at a rapid pace we then were being guided up the mountain by Joe’s radio commands when Jimmy spotted it 200 yards off. Normally a comfortable shot. Jason and I had to slightly backtrack and I quickly tried to set up on my Monopod. After the rapid hike and mountain climb my heartbeat (not Buck fever) in combination with a monopod I had not practiced with, did not allow me a shot I was confident of. I discarded the monopod and sat down. The big Brown Bear had made us by now and was watching intentfully. As my heartbeat slowed and I became more comfortable with the shot the bear turned and moved quickly into the woods. 2ND OPPORTUNITY LOST.

Walking over to the mountain location and when returning again there were numerous Elk and White tail with occasional Mule Deer. Assume for the balance of the hunt, these three species are regularly seen but with the Elk most prevalent. (Side note: Daylight is around 4:30 AM with breakfast served at 6:30 AM. The second hunt of the day starts between 5:30 – 6:00 PM and can run as late as 10:00 PM with good shooting light depending on shadows and cover.

May 31, 2008

We are going to run dogs this morning, which will be an entirely new experience for me. Jeff, Joe, and Jessie have dogs in camp and Eric along with Don arrived this morning with their dogs, wanting to give them more hunting experience. I believe there are now close to 18 dogs available. They put their best “STRIKER†– that is the dog who strikes Bear scent best on top of the dog box in back of the truck. It is amazing as this sturdy dog will brace himself on top of the box, looking pleased to have been picked, and then his or her head swings continually left and right, back and forth seeking Bear scent. The intent is to pick up scent still in the air, not closer to the ground, as that scent in the air is a good indication a Bear crossed recently or is nearby. From my witness of several “strikes†it may not always be necessary to have a striker outside the dog box as every time we crossed scent, even when a striker was not present on top, it was pure pandemonium in the box. Now, why, you might ask, would you not stop when a strike occurs? The guide can determine if it was too weak a strike, it is not the area planned on hunting in order to keep pressure off, or another guide with his dogs already has a good strike and all focus may be on getting in that race (the local terminology for when the dogs are onto a bear). Once a good strike occurs, the guides will look for good signs to determine type and size, if possible, prior to loosing the dogs into the race. This always isn’t possible to determine and the race is on.



Jim and I were riding this particular morning with Eric and Don. There were a few mild strikes, but Jessie not only had a good strike, but he and David saw the Bear and it was a Grizzly. The intent is to now try and get Eric and Don’s dogs into the race. With antennae out the window, electronic frequency collars of different frequencies on all dogs, it is not trying pinpoint the location and get other dogs close enough to enter the race and in the correct direction. Otherwise the new dogs to the race may cross the scent and go backwards on it.

We spent the day chasing dog signals while the dogs chased the Grizzly. We were never successful in getting Eric and Don’s dogs into the race. This is suspected due to the race dipping down in some small valleys, losing the signal and getting false readings bouncing back off other mountains. Joe was notified we had a Grizzly on the ground as Andy had the only “Long Claw†permit. Joe showed with Andy and after much ado in regards to the chase, the dogs were eventually picked up in the flats as they were starting to work down too close the highway. During the race Dave and Jessie came across a small Blonde “Black†Bear which they both agreed was a beautiful coat but Dave turned down due to being five foot in size. Jessie was somewhat surprised, knowing first that Dave desired a color phase bear and secondly Jessie, himself, thought it a coat hard to pass up. The truck I was in with Eric, Don, and Jim chase two cinnamon bears off the road, both too small to shoot.

Kurt (soon to become Cyclops) had made a shot on a nice big Brown that afternoon from a very cumbersome position. He had to quickly lie on his side in soft ground or mud. He came back with his temple cut and bleeding in two places right at the nose ridge where his rifle scope decided to affect revenge on him for any former mistreatments that may have taken place. He and his guide, Jeff, came back to camp to clean Kurt up and then would follow the bear in the morning with a dog. Both were confident it was going to be meat on the ground. Not much to report from Dave and myself. The yearling Black Bear is still around and fun to chase and photograph. However, we do try to make sure it isn’t to the point of harassment.

JUNE 01, 2008

It is a morning hunt with dogs again as that is what allows the highest success rate at that time of the day. I am riding with Joe, Andy, and Jason. Jessie, Dave, and Jeff get a good strike early on and the race is off to an early start. Our dogs get a good strike soon there after and the first thought is they may be on the same bear. Shortly into the race and down the mountain one road below us, another group sees a Grizzly cross the road with only Joe’s two dogs at its heels. When the inquiry was made how far behind the dogs were in comparison, the reply was, “do you want that in centimeters or millimeters.†There are two races on simultaneously.

Joe manages to position himself and get two more of his dogs into the race. We can physically hear the dogs in pursuit 30 yards below us, however these two get backwards on the trail with one joining the main pack that was after Jessie’s bear and the younger dog was picked up wandering in from a logging operation that was taking place. Craig and his son joined the hunt this morning in order to allow his dogs some additional experience. So with all the dogs on the ground and five trucks running triangulation on the electronic collars is was much easier than the previous day on keeping track of the race. Joe was able to get right on the dogs after the Grizzly and Andy made a 30 yard shot. It was a beautiful coated 6 foot 275 pound sow which David recognized as the same Grizzly he had seen the previous day and we had pursued.



It turned out the large pack of dogs had a Cinnamon treed deep in a ravine. It was either Dave’s or my turn and David had left his license back at camp. Dave and I had earlier agreed if it was Black the shot would be mine and if a color phase Bear the shot would be David’s but it turned out having to be mine due to the lack of license. A lot of pictures were taken while Joe assessed the situation. I had sympathy for the bear with 18 dogs baying at it and 10 men below the tree while it clanged on for life at 40 feet up the tree. And then it became apparent why I had felt the compassion as it turned out to be a very young scared bear. Joe made a quick and proper decision that it was too small. The dogs were reigned in and the Bear soon after came down and ran off. OPPORTUNITY 3 Gone.


That evening we scoped the mountain where the large Brown was located, trying to not put additional pressure on him but instead giving him a night off to relax. Instead of the Brown a decent Black came out that seemed nervous and kept looking over its shoulder while eating. While not as big as the Brown, this would have also been a keeper.

JUNE 02, 2008

Dave and I had expressed to Jim that dog hunting, although an exciting new adventure and experience for us, so far hadn’t been that appealing. We had spent two days chasing a Grizzly, of which neither of us had a tag and the small Cinnamon – but that is why they call it hunting. We had requested of Jimmy for a spot and stalk versus the dog hunt this morning realizing the probability of a bear sighting would be tremendously reduced.

John the cook and first class fly angler boated us across Copper Lake to where Jim, Dave and I would begin our walkabout up a steep hill and then down through a gorgeous valley with high steeples on each side. Wearing my loaded pack with water bladder and rifle scabbard, binoculars around my chest, the morning constitutional started in what appeared to the three of us as perfect bear country didn’t turn up any sign at all – none! All of the Elk and Mule Deer that were discovered this morning were still bedded down, which seemed curious until at 3:00 PM a cold wind starting blowing very strong and steady followed by a steady couple of hour downpour. The hike turned out to be 6 miles by GPS and we found a recent Elk kill, some older Wolf sign, and an extremely large Beaver dam along with a lodge. The top of the lodge had a great amount of digging around it where most likely a Grizzly had probably tried to retrieve some fresh meet for dinner.

The dogs did there job well this morning by treeing a 6’3†beautiful Brown Bear in the first 30-40 minutes. Kurt got to make the harvest as David and I were on our walkabout. It was another exciting hunt as this bear turned on the dogs at least twice scattering them only seconds on each occasion. That evening we tried to put a stalk on the big Brown Bear across the valley that I did not take the shot the evening before. Jason stayed on the mountain across the valley with Joe and me walking in quietly and slowly. The brute never showed.



JUNE 03, 2008

With the success of Kurt’s Brown Bear while running dogs and also that it was getting late into the hunt, David and I requested to hunt with dogs this morning and started out with Joe and Jeff with four dogs each. We proceeded to the Timber Road where 15 piles (Bear Poo) had been discovered by Joe with me as shotgun the prior evening. At the junction of the main road and the Wood Lot road was the largest pile Joe claims to have ever seen and we both agreed it had not been there the night before.

Even though there was interest from the dogs, it was not a hard strike. Joe went ahead and put his two best dogs on it (these were the same two that stayed right on the heels of the grizzly). Within two minutes Joe looked over at Dave and me to say, “The dogs are looking at a bear. They already see him!†The balance of Joe’s and Jeff’s dogs was loosed into the race. Five minutes after that and Joe says, “He’s treed!†Jeff and Andy (now referred to as Delta One) were sent ahead to reconnoiter the actual position and size of the bear. “Delta Two, this is Delta one and we have a 7 foot Bear in a tree. Please respond with the appropriate fire power! This is a BIG bear!â€

Dave and I both grabbed our rifles with the agreement if it were a black that I would shoot and if it were a color phase, Dave would be the shooter. In retrospect I wish we had made this arrangement earlier in the hunt. With Dave’s better shooting ability Opportunity number 2 would have been successful. As it turned out today, it was a very big black.

Unlike the smaller Cinnamon in the tree, this bear appeared content, unafraid of the pandemonium below, and even appeared to yawn. After securing the dogs, the first shot and most likely an eventual kill shot was taken. The 225 grain TBBC entered low behind the right side rib cage and was later found perfectly mushroomed high behind the left shoulder. As the black painstakingly tried to climb higher, one dog got loose and had to be secured prior to taking a second shot. The second shot was at a poor angle and hurried going through a foreleg and into the chest. A rapid third shot spined the Black dropping him on the spot – literally. He was perfectly draped over a branch 40-50 feet up in the tree.

Jeff took his .444 putting a shot high in the left shoulder, throwing his shoulder and arm back over the limb, changing the balance and turning the bear into a very effective tree trimmer. Upon hitting the ground the black was heavily covered with branches and twigs from above. Joe and Jeff was every bit as excited about the big Black as I was. This is probably the largest Black Bear taken by Sheep Creek Outfitters to date.







The big Black was affectionately nicknamed Fat Albert by John the cook, measured 6’ 8â€, was estimated to be between 10-15 years of age, and was between 350-400 pounds in weight. I believe that Joe was hoping he would score in the British Columbia record book which is by skull measurement alone. Unfortunately it missed the mark of 19†by fractions. All of the guides believe this is a bear of a life time and it really needs to be life-sized to do it justice. It will be Maggie’s decision as Fat Albert is for her.



That evening Joe and I set half way up a mountain scoping the lower elevations for bear. Andy stayed mid range watch and Jeff sat up high on a mountain. We were all concentrated on the area where Dave and Jimmy were on a spot and stalk hunt and a very large Black Bear was spotted the night before. The bear showed itself again, was seen from two locations and Dave and Jimmy were talked into the location by radio. The Bear scented them as they approached and moved about 20-25 yards into the timber. Dave and Jimmy were guided to the location the bear entered and they could here the brute barking, growling, and shaking trees. He knew the hunters were there, wasn’t running but also wasn’t very happy about the situation. Jimmy leaned over the Dave and said, “I think we should leave now.†Dave readily agreed as he had a close encounter with an angry black two years previously where he killed the bear at 10 yards with a shotgun. I also would have listened and taken Jimmy’s advice seriously.

June 04, 2008

Coming out of the mountains, I obtained cell phone service and greeted my Honey of a wife with, “WOO HOOâ€! She replied, “That must mean you got a bear.†I then presented her with the Reader’s Digest version.

It was hotel check in at the Heritage Inn and a shower and then dressing in relative clean clothes. This was followed by lunch and a short nap, after which Joe picked us up and we headed for the Maurer Taxidermy. I discussed rugs versus a full size mount, got his web sight address and took several pictures of bears in poses already in the studio. Mr. Maurer had a lot of beautiful mounts he had finished and others he was still working on for our viewing enjoyment.

June 05, 2008

6:30 AM departure out of Cranbrook. We came back to Calgary following a different route. We arrived at the airport in four hours. It took 50 minutes to clear Canadian customs, U.S. Customs, and to be fully checked in. The flight departed 45 minutes late, making our arrival in Chicago 45 minutes late but we still had and additional 50 minutes between flights. The flight from Chicago to Tampa was uneventful arriving on time at 1030 pm, I was met at the airport shuttle from the plane by my wonderful wife, luggage was relative prompt, and after arrival at the house was I so pumped we stayed up another hour while I continued sharing the adventure.

Months later and I am still admiring the pictures and sharing the story with anyone who will listen. I have been in contact with Dave, Kurt, and Andy frequently as we are sending pictures to one another. Joe has contacted me a couple of times, keeping me up to date on Sheep Creek Outfitters. Justin McBride (World Champion Bull Rider – PBR) was the hunter following us in camp and the hunt was filmed for “Hunting University†to be aired August 31, 2008 on Versus. Justin took the big Brown Bear we had tried for on several occasions. The bear had winded them similar to us but Joe was able to call it back in. It was a 6’ Brown.

Four men successfully hunted four Black Bears and one Grizzly on this 6 night, 7 day adventure in the beautiful mountains of British Columbia. I can and will highly recommend the services and accommodation of Joe Conroy and Sheep Creek Outfitters.

Excellent report and pictures!

Beautiful country, fine animals, excellent report. Congratulations.

quote:

Originally posted by SGraves155:
Beautiful country, fine animals, excellent report. Congratulations.

+1!!

Excellent report!!!!


Phil