Updates - www.thornebaylodge.com

Season Updates Bear Hunting

June 12th, 2008

The last few weeks have been great. The group that was here during the last update ended up getting
4 bears. They booked several units and had a good time hunting with all their friends. The best bear
was shot late in the week and barely had enough time to freeze for the flight home. I believe it was
spotted while two trucks from the same group stopped to talk to each other. It goes to show that you
should take advantage of each day you are here. You never know when that big bear will walk out.

After that group left we had one group of four hunters and another group with Scott Haugen. You may
have seen Scott's articles about fishing or hunting in the western states or one of his outdoors shows
like Outdoor America. Scott was up here filming a bear hunting show. They got two nice bear hunts
on film. One of the bears came in to a fawn bleat call, it should be some great footage. They also did
a great spot and stalk hunt with a crossbow which proved to be very effective. The show may air as
early as later this summer. Sign up to the newsletter and I will keep you updated on when it will air.

Update: The footage will air July 21st, 2008 on Trijicon's Outdoor America which is on the Outdoor
Channel.

The deer have been dropping their fawns. We see several fawns everyday. They are running around
and the bears are looking for them. Fawn bleats or predators calls are working very well this spring.
Be prepared to have deer running at you from every direction when you call. I called in a nice bear
just a few days ago. I called it in from 100+ yards away and took the shot at 12 yards with my bow. I
will post a longer story about that hunt on the bear hunting page soon. Calling is a fun way to hunt in
the spring. It is getting later in the season and we are seeing more bears with rubbed spots. If you are
wanting to have you bear hide done up as a rug or full mount keep that in mind when you book your
trip. My bear is big but he has a big rubbed spot on his head. He was too big to pass up though.
When I went to have my bear sealed the sealer told me that they had seen 3 bears over 22 inches so
far this spring. Those are some big bears and there's more out there like that. Mine measured out at
21 8/16.

Brent and I also got charged by a sow with cubs the other day. We were hiking down a thick trail
when all of a sudden we heard branches breaking. She started huffing and snapping her teeth. We
backed off but stopped to take a picture of one of her cubs in a tree. She backed off and climbed up a
tree herself. She was scared too. When you get confronted by a sow she is afraid you're going to hurt
her cubs so she'll try to make you leave. She isn't going to hurt you she just wants you to leave. This
time of year sows have to defend their cubs from male bears that will eat them. Talking to the sow
identifies you as a human and not a threat to her cubs.

Saltwater fishing is picking up. The Halibut have been biting good considering there aren't many
people fishing yet. The King Salmon fishing has also been good at times. It will only get better.

Below are a few pictures of some sandhill cranes, a cutthroat trout, a bear cub, bears, bear tracks, an
eagle, a steelhead, and a doe with twin fawns.

Thorne Bay Lodge is an equal opportunity provider on the Tongass National Forest, USDA.

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