Bear Hunting near Similkameen River

I got away late from the office despite best intentions. I so wanted to miss the Friday rush hour traffic. Did enjoy an episode of CBC Kennedy Ideas.  I didn’t want to set up my tent in the dark.
It’s a new tent though.  Murphy’s Law insists I set up a new tent in the pitch dark.  Thank God for head lights.  
I really did enjoy the drive through Manning Park.  Dusk is very beautiful there.  I was thankful too to fuel up at the Princeton station.  Motels were calling my name.  But I stuck to plan. Almost went over a cliff when I took the wrong logging road turn off.  It had rained and I was on this wet muddy trail in the dark of night, slipping about with my Ford F350 diesel carrying the Yamaha Kodiac 450 ATV on the back.  What I wanted was the clearing by Willis Creek.  I’d seen guys camping there in the fall.  After I got turned around in the tight mud with an overhanging cliff to focus my attention I got to the right logging road.  Sure enough there was the Willis Creek clearing.  Even the game poles were still there.  I could hear frogs so there must have been water near by.  Gilbert probably knew. Once he was out of the truck he was casing the whole area.  I don’t think a branch or leaf wasn’t peed on.
My Mountain Equipment Coop “Fury” is a 4 season tent.  It’s colour coded to help set up.  I couldn’t tell the red from the orange or the light grey from dark.  Thankfully I had a picture.  With the picture as a guide I got it set up in no time.  Air mattresses, Sleeping bag and blanket for Gilbert. He decided when we were in the tent he preferred to sleep on me.
Because I’d drunk too much coffee and had an energy drink on the way up,  I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned all the rest of the night, the few hours of it.  Dawn comes early and Gilbert was sitting by my head wanting out.  I let him.  Then followed. The mosquitoes were bad.  The water the frogs were in was a swamp.  A big male moose was waist deep in this pond swamp merrily eating.  Gilbert growled low and stayed near me.  I packed up the tent.  It was starting to rain. The mosquitos were bad. I had difficulty finding the mosquito spray.  I wasn’t going to boil coffee in the rain with mosquitos.  Fresca would have to do.
I loaded up.  Gilbert finally got up the courage to bark when the moose exited the water and headed into the forest. I think my closing the door startled the moose but Gilbert thinks it was his very very low growling and the piece de resistance was the bark.
I drove through the woods in the rain on the logging road.  I saw a coyote.  But no bear.
9 am I found my way to the great little restaurant in the gas station in the Gold Mine town of Hedley.  Coffee was fabulous.  Indoor toilet too!  Then Sausage, eggs and pancakes. More coffee.  The waitress was terrific. I told her about Gilberts’ encounter with the moose.  She laughed.  She gave me the burger paddy I’d ordered for Gilbert on the way out. I headed out to Stem winder Provincial Park. I had the ATV off the truck, a life threatening experience every time, and all set up when the pleasant park lady told me ATV’s weren’t allowed in the provincial park.  So I loaded up the ATV, another life threatening experience, and headed out to the back woods where I unloaded the ATV.
Gilbert and I headed on the ATV back into the mountains.  We got so high the temperature dropped seriously.  I got some nice pictures of the value and river way below.  A herd of cattle were interested in us.  I had cell connection on the top of the mountain so uploaded a selfie to Facebook then headed down into the valley looking for warm.  I found a clearing and killed a can and bottle with the Winchester Model 70 Coyote Light 300 Winmag.  Dead accurate.  If I saw a bear anywhere out to 400 meters I was going to get him. Lots of scat around. Lots of elk scat too. But no actual bear.
I saw an owl and lots of gophers and marmots.  Then on the way back in the evening I saw grouse. I let Gilbert chase one and he was in heaven, doing instinctual high speed circles looking for more after the one had flown.
Now I’m beside the Similkameen River in a pretty casual campground.  I’ve got the tent set up. Took only minutes in the light.  Great tent.  Then I got the Biolite Stove and fried up some pan frying steaks.  These I just put in a fire starter and twigs and could see that if I wanted to tend the stove I could completely charge the phone in time.  Right now I’m in the truck enjoying the diesel generator which is charging the phone and this computer.  I’ve no wifi connection but it’s warm in here and no mosquitos.
Time to go to bed though. Great night and day.  Love the outdoors and wilderness.
Addendum: Didn’t get a bear. Maybe I should call trips I don’t shoot something, “camping’. “Getting something” is the icing on the cake of hunting. Everything is an adventure.  Expeditionary. Wilderness.  Had a great time.  Haven’t tented since motorcycle trip to Sturges last summer.  Hunting again in fall but will be having the luxury of the Energy Toyhauler then.  Looking forward to the fall moose hunt with this new Winchester Coyote Light 300 swm rifle and the Yamaha Kodiac 450 ATV.