Scored my second bear last Thursday with my Exomax. After 4 days of hunting during the first two weeks of the season and only seeing one small bear I was starting to wonder if I was going to have any luck this year. My bait station had been going great up until 1 week before the opener then it seemed like it just shut down. But some very good advise from a friend told me not to give up and give it another go.
Went up last Wednesday arriving at 1530. Tried to be as quiet as I could walking to my stand. My bow was ready to go just in case a bear was on the bait when I got there. As I creasted the ridge just before my stand I looked down toward the bait and saw two black eyes looking in my direction. Apparently I was not quiet enough and someone had decided to get to the bait earlier than me. I sat down at the top of the ridge and tried to find a clearing where I might be able to fling and arrow at this guy. He must have gotten nervous with me comming in because he did'nt stay long. I had him my cross hairs as he was walking out and he stopped behind a clump of trees just before an opening, paused, then ran through the opening. I almost cried. It sure is tough watching them casually disappear into the bush.
One hour later I hear what sounds like sniffing behind me to my right. I turn my head and to my surprise there's another smaller bear sitting at the top of the ridge where I had sat down when I saw the first bear. He does a complete 360 around me and the bait station about 40-50 yards out. He must have had an idea where I was because he kept looking up in my direction, nose in the air scent checking the area. I had decided this guy was too small to shoot unless he started to climb my tree so I let him do his thing. I had the pleasure of watching this guy for 1:45 minutes on my bait. WOW!! After he left nothing else came in that night.
On Thursday I got out to my bait again around 1530. Nothing was there this time. After a couple of hours I started to wonder if I should have shot the little guy the day before as this was probably going to be my last day that I would be able to get out. My luck changed at 1845. What I think was the bear that had been on the bait when I arrived the day before appeared out of the bush walking cautiously toward the bait. When he got to within 10 feet of the bait the wind swirled around and he stopped cold. He must have got a smell of me. Murphy's law says if you have a scent-lock suit wear it, don't hang the jacket in the tree. It had been 27 degrees c that day and I was sweating like a pig walking to the bait so I had taken the jacket off and hung it on a tree peg. As he walked out I had no shot opportunities. Needless to say I put my jacket on at that point.
30 minutes later the little guy came down the trial the bigger one had exited on. I was going to take this guy if I had a chance. He did not present any shots as he was always sitting or lying down, facing me or facing away from me. Suddenly while he was lying down facing me he threw up his head and was looking behind me. He stayed like this for a few minutes. I looked over my left shoulder and could see another bear comming to the bait. Was this the one that had come in earlier and left or was it a third bear that day. Now I had 2 bears on the bait. The little guy just went back to feeding but the bigger one was a bit nervous. He started to leave. I followed him the whole time through the scope and as he walked into the clearing to my left he stopped completely broad side. I let my arrow fly and watched the bear run off. I had complete pass- through with a lung liver hit. The bear ran about 150 yards. Now my freezer is going to be filled with chops, steaks and ground bear.
Thanks Excalibur.
jeff
Max and Me
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
What weight bolt was you shooting 
did not get to go out this opening weekend myself 
