After 10 years of hunting black bears Matt Alwine finally got his color phase bear!  Way to go Matt!
Be sure to check out Matt's hunting adventures on the Trophy State of Mind TV show on the Sportsman Channel and at www.trophystateofmind.com.

Heath Helgert checks in with the story of Nikki's Idaho black bear.  Nikki just moved to Montana last year and is just getting started in the world of bowhunting.  This was her first bear hunt and first bowkill.  A big congrats to Nikki! 

Heath tells the story...

After three sits in warm 80-degree weather and no action, the weather finally cooled and the bear activity picked up. After two hours of sitting, Nikki spotted her first bear in the wild. Of course, she saw it first! It was a little small but she still had the heart pounding feeling. Moments later a second bear came in which was a little smaller. He put on a show and she was tempted to shoot, but knew she would regret shooting a "little" bear. With darkness approaching I looked up on the hill and there he was. The big bear we named Scarface.  We've had him on trail camera for 3 years but have yet to see him in live action until now. He slowly made his way down to the bait and I was praying that he would hurry so Nikki could get a shot off before dark. He stood on the hill at eye level checking out the scene, while Nikki starred straight forward, not moving an inch. She stayed focused as Scarface made his way to the bait barrel. Nikki stood up  as the bear reached into the barrel. She drew her bow without him ever knowing we were there and made a perfect shot, tucked right behind the shoulder! I can't explain the excitement she had. She
basically jumped out of the tree stand and was looking for her arrow.  "Did I get him...did i get him???" was all she could say.  The bear didn't go far. She had just taken a bigger bear than most experienced Idaho hunters! It was an evening we'll never forget!!    H2O
Nikki's Gear
Mathews Jewel Bow - www.mathewsinc.com
BoarMasters - www.boarmasters.com
Simmons Shark Broadhead - www.simmonsharks.com

Ian Robbins is quickly becoming addicted to shooting gophers with a bow!  It's a fairly common addiction for anyone that loves flingin' arrows at live targets. Keep it up Ian!

The preacher killed a pig the other day on a hot afternoon in Georgia.  Efton and son, Tommy, were working on the local pig population when the shot opportunities began poppin' up all around their stand site.  Efton got to drop the string on his Mathews Z7 and killed a nice pig as Tommy ran the camera.  Way to go Efton!

The Bible says, "Feed the hungry, help those in need..." (Isaiah 58:10)  That applies to Idaho black bears too, right???  Just doing our part to help feed the hungry!  

Heath Helgert got it done on a big Montana gobbler!  It's been a crazy season for a lot of guys with turkeys playing hardball, but Heath got this longbeard into range and did the deal.  Congrats Heath! 

It's that time once again!  In addition to trying to kill a Montana bear this spring, we'll be running bear baits in Idaho as well.  The first run will be this week as the temps warm up and snow comes off. 
In addition to my own goods,  I'll be using BoarMasters products again this year to draw bears like nothing else I've yet to find.  BoarMasters Bear-Ly Legal Bear Attractants...the stuff is crazy on bears!  Sweetest smelling bait on earth!  It's like Kool-Aid on steroids!  Really good stuff.  Be sure to check 'em out at www.boarmasters.com

Branden VanDyken checks in from the spring turkey woods...

2013 is going to be a fun one!  It is my nephew, Kade's, first year of hunting here in Montana.  He just turned 12 and my brother, Kyle, has decided to try and get him started right.  Filling his turkey tag was first on the list.  To do this, he was taken on our annual turkey hunt.  Not having any turkey hunting around our area, except for draw tags, we headed east.  We put in just 3 days for this annual turkey hunt, so this would be his only chance at filling the turkey tag. We got out of town late after work on Friday so there was no chance of roosting any birds.  After a long night of hanging with our aunt and uncle, we were up early to locate some birds.  After one close call, we moved on to locate other birds...and it didn't take long. We hiked up a hill trying to get above where we had spotted some birds.  We let out a few calls and had multiple birds gobbling back. We worked in a bit closer and then set up Kade.  I was next to Kade with the camera and Kyle dropped back to call behind us. It took less than a minute for the birds to be in sight.  They came fast and loud, gobbling on every call Kyle made. The timber was thick, more like something we'd elk hunt in.  After numerous times of asking if he could shoot, I finally gave Kade the go ahead. With one bark from my Dad's old 12-gauge, Kade took his very first game animal. I have been able to take many new hunters to the field over the years, including my wife.  This hunt ranks right up there with it. I still have 6 years until my son gets to join us and on this hunt I got a small sample of what it will feel like. None of the rest of us took a bird on this trip, but that didn't matter. It was one of the most successful trips in a long time!
Now, on to Kade's spring bear.....

Mike Lloyd checks in from a recent 3D shoot...

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of shooting with some great people. Good friend Dave Barnett, my daughter Jalyssa, her friend Claire, and myself shot in the Spring Fling held by Five Valleys Archery Club. I didn't have to drive
far to this shoot which was nice for a change. The Spring Fling was a marked yardage shoot and setup a lot like the National 3-D shoot in Redding California. It was the first time I have ever shot a marked yardage course and I am not sure if I really liked it. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time but I also like the challenge of trying to guess the distance of targets. As a group I think we all shot well, including Jalyssa who got first place in her age group. There is
another shoot next weekend and I am not sure if I should shoot or go turkey hunting. Maybe I will do both!!