And so it begins...

Well yesterday was the first day of baiting season and we got 10 sites done. The guys just left to take care of 7 sites, and will be coming back to reload and head out to Webster Plantation to set up 15 new sites, which I will be accompanying as I'm the navigator and we haven't been back over there since we first looked at the grounds. However when we did, the bear sign was awesome!!!! We have so much going on, trying to set up our new game hanging apparatus, all steel with electric hoists and chain falls. I used to do a lot of sign painting and lettering on trucks and such, so I got the top beam measured, blocked and started to paint, but was interrupted and gave up for the time being. I will try to finish one side later today. We have started building the new third camp and was in great hopes of having it completed before season, but it is not looking good, so we will still have in use our 28 foot camper.

Last night the coyotes were having a time. We heard them howling and yodeling in the neighboring fields well into the wee hours of the morning. No bears in the bait shed, which I thought with all the fresh bait we have been working up they would be visiting. Last year they were here right up until we started baiting and then were gone. However a few of our local sites are just a couple miles away and they moved onto them quite quickly. Our established bait sites have been being worked well even though there was no fresh bait. Bears are habitual creatures and continued to visit the sites on a regular basis. Folks have been seeing lots of bears and sign has been excellent, so I predict a fantastic season. We will be competing with a lot of natural food sources and some folks think that they (bear)  are opportunists, however bears are wild animals and will actually feed on natural sources before the pastries and such put out by guides and hunters. We have to pull out all our tricks in these situations. Apples look to be a bumper crop this year and the oak are loaded heavy with acorns. I haven't yet noticed whether the hazelnuts and beechnuts are heavy as well, but I'm sure most likely they are and they cycle with the acorns. Therefore we will have a challenge, but if the hunters are good listeners, sit very still and quietly, they should be successful. Well must get ready to go to the forest!!!