DAY 1 AUGUST 13, 2011:  It dawned like any other mid-summer Saturday but there was anticipation in the air!  Johnny was boarding a plane in Myrtle Beach, Brian was loading his gear for a ride across the state, and Dave was double checking lists and itineraries. This Saturday would mark the beginning of a long-anticipated adventure in the black bear bush of far northern Ontario! Dave and Brian greeted Johnny at Detroit Metro Airport, loaded the gear into the truck and headed north. The first night came to an end at the foot of the International Bridge to Canada in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.

Day 2 August 14, 2011:  Another blue bird day with a touch of that up-north crispness; over the bridge and into Canada.  We were greeted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, who briefed us on the bear hunting regulations and gave our gear a look. With a hearty “good hunting,” we headed north to Hillsport. Six and a half hours and plenty of breathtaking views later, we arrived at the Hillsport Hillton Resort!  Hosts Gary and Maggie Dorian made us feel at home immediately. Dan Wallace, Paul Payne, Hobert Baker and Keith Gregory were there with smiles and stories of the past two days of preparation.  Tomorrow would be opening day and, after a great steak dinner and an evening of storytelling, we prepared for what was in store!

Day 3 August 15, 2011:  The day began with a hearty Hillsport breakfast and some target practice. The Excalibur crossbows were “on the money” … We double checked our gear, grabbed our bag lunches from Maggie, split up and headed down the trail for our opening day hunt!  With much anticipation we climbed into the stands.  Paul and Johnny paired up in a spot notorious for big bruins but came up empty! Dan and Brian headed south to one of Dan’s favorite areas, and were treated with a visit from a young boar. Brian’s first bear sighting! Although opening day did not present our team with an opportunity, we were still confident. Trail cameras and bait site activity indicated it would only be a matter of time.

Day 5 August 17, 2011:  There is nothing like a bear in camp to lift everyone’s spirits and enthusiasm.  Rob Dykeman from Excalibur Crossbow made the trip across Canada to be a part of WGBI week, Excalibur was a big contributor to the sweepstakes, and he wasn’t going to let us Exmark boys have all the fun! Paul and Johnny decided to move to a more active area, Dan and Rob went to a favorite ground stand called “Hawk” to get up close and personal, and Brian and I went to the stand Brian had his first encounter in, simply named “#1” (you see, it takes an event at a stand before it is given an appropriate name). The action definitely picked up this night. Brian and I were treated to two visits: a 125-lb. boar and a 250-lb. sow. Plenty of heart-pounding action for two lesser experienced bear hunters, but not what we came there for. Meanwhile, down the road, Dan and Rob were sitting right square in the middle of black bear central, with bears as close as five feet! That’s nerve racking when your 20 feet in the air … These guys were in a brush blind on the ground! Just before dusk, a large mature bear made his presence known and Rob, with his Excalibur, made his known as well. You can guess who won that battle! A beautiful 325-lb. black bear found his way to the Hillsport Hillton trophy pole that night!   But what about Johnny? He and Paul were working hard, but to no avail. It was time to for Dan to go to work, as our sweepstakes winner couldn’t go home to South Carolina empty handed! What would his family and friends think?

Day 6 August 18, 2011:  Camp was abuzz as bears were beginning to roll in at steady pace and everyone that had filled their tags had plenty of advice and encouragement for those who had not. Team Backwoods was up to the challenge and was determined that the WGBI participants would be successful! Brian and I had to go back to where the action was, so off to #1 we went. Dan asked Johnny if he was up to getting close and personal on the ground with these critters. Johnny, in his pleasant South Carolina drawl, answered, “You just tell me where you want me Dan; this ‘redneck’ isn’t scared of nothing.” So off to the famous “Ground & Pound” stand they headed. Ground & Pound had been made famous during Rob Dykeman’s hunt in 2010.; you have to see the video on Backwoodstv.com to believe it! It was a sunny and breezy afternoon and Brian and I didn’t have to wait long for our first visitor … The 125-lb. boar was back and treated us to a 45-minute show—twice! At around 7:15 p.m., movement to our left and a quick glance of a muzzle made us believe at first that the third show was about to begin.  We were comfortable and settled in for the show when Kong stepped out! It was a big bear! Bears are notorious for being difficult to field judge, but when a truly big bear arrives, you know it. We calmed our nerves, got in position and, just like in practice, the Excalibur delivered the goods, fast and on target. The big bruin crashed off into the bush directly behind the bait site. Brian and I decided to get out of the stand and quietly leave the area until dark. Our walk to the truck would take us near Johnny and Dan’s location, so we took extra care not to disturb their area. We had just reached the truck when Johnny and Dan appeared on the road. Brian and I were sure that Johnny had connected and greeted him and Dan with big smiles. Dan looked at us with a very serious expression and said, “Johnny was just preparing to get a shot off at a bear when he heard you and Brian walk by … The bear buggered off.” Johnny said, “Hey guys, that’s OK, we see that you even walked in the grass so as to be as quiet as possible. I’m disappointed, but that’s huntin’.” Brian and I were devastated! Johnny and Dan just grinned; they had gotten us good! Johnny had connected just a few minutes before I had! Dan and Johnny were in the middle of a quiet conversation when Dan abruptly said “BEAR.” To which Johnny thought he was playing with him (Dan doesn’t play when it comes to the moment of truth in hunting), and he turned to see that he was eye level with an Ontario black bear at less than 20 yards. Dan said that Johnny was “stone cold” as he put that bear in his Excalibur scope, centered the crosshairs, and released the firebolt that found its mark perfectly!  

After a brief celebration at the truck, we were off to begin our work! The four of us started at Johnny’s site and, after what seemed like a long tracking job through some tight bear country, recovered Johnny’s trophy: a nice 250+ lb. mature boar. We alternated between clearing a trail and dragging and found ourselves back at the truck 45 minutes later. We were happy and tired, but our job was only half done. We reached the site of my shot after dark to find the firebolt stuck in the ground behind where the bear had been standing. With confidence and a good blood trail, we began following the route the bear had taken. The cover became thicker and thicker as we tracked the bear downhill towards a running stream we could hear in the distance. The blood became scarce, the cover thick and eerie when Dan turned to say, “Does anyone have a knife?” It was a unanimous “NO” … Here we were, in the dark, in extremely thick cover, tracking a potentially wounded “big” bear! Dan tracked him to the stream bank where he entered the water, just downstream and over the bank. There he was— a fully mature 400-lb. Ontario black bear, and fortunately expired!. After clearing a trail along the stream out to the road, we regrouped at the truck, collected our gear, and then went back for the big drag. A lot grunting and groaning later, we had him in the truck along with Johnny’s and headed back to Hillsport with wide grins and tired bodies.

Upon reaching camp, we were pleased to find that Keith had connected on a 200 pounder that evening.  What a great day!

Day 7, August 19, 2011: After a long morning of photographs, filming, skinning, processing and telling stories, Paul and Dan decided that Hobert deserved a crack at one of the bears Rob and Dan had encountered at Hawk earlier in the week. The rest of us went on a combination sightseeing/scouting tour of the beautiful Bear Management Area operated by Gary Dorian and the Hillsport Hillton crew.  As evening began to set in, we headed down the road Paul and Hobart were hunting on. As we made the turn in, there was Paul and Hobert with big smiles on their faces. Everyone cheered and felt great for Hobert. After recovery and another challenging drag, we ended the week’s hunt happy, successful and, most of all, thankful for the opportunity. 

Day 8, August 20, 2011: After packing and reminiscing about the week’s events, it was time to say goodbye. The end of camp is bittersweet because what you had waited for 18 months to happen was over, but what you were leaving with are things that people who love the outdoor experience relish.  Memories, friendships, trophies, experiences, and stories to tell for a lifetime! 

Special thanks to:

-Team Backwoods members Dan Wallace and Paul Payne for their hard work, filming skills, bear hunting expertise and pure friendship.

-Gary and Maggie Dorian, owners and hosts of Hillsport Hillton Resort, for providing excellent accommodations, fantastic meals, great bear hunting and that “at-home” feeling.

-Excalibur Crossbows for providing the world’s most accurate crossbows and accessories, and

Rob Dykeman of Excalibur for his tuning expertise of the crossbows, along with his humor, enthusiasm and friendship.

-Johnny McLaughlin, our WGBI winner, who’s appreciative and easy going nature made him welcome in any camp, anywhere!

-Brian Steensma, who found joy and excitement in every situation, and was there for everyone no matter how daunting the task!

-Keith and Hobert for digging in and pulling for us all. You guys were great.

-Exmark and Power Equipment Distributors, for coordinating the WGBI Sweepstakes, and making this special time possible.

WGBI product contributors included Buck Bomb, Woods Wise Gamecalls, Rocky, Outdoor Edge Knives, Bear Hunting Magazine, Excalibur and Exmark.

CLICK HERE to view a photo gallery from the trip.