2002 started off both good and bad. I contracted Yersinia Enterocolitica, which is a Kissing Cousin to the Bubonic Plague. By the time the Doctors had decided I was going to live, Spring bear season had nearly arrived. Nick, the only Spring bear hunter we had booked, cancelled his hunt due to an elbow operation. So, when I asked Janet what she wanted for our anniversary, she said, "Take me bear hunting!"

I thought we would combine scouting a new area with our spring bear hunting. We saw several nice Black bears but were unable to get to them, so we went to a glade that I named Bear Glade years ago when I killed a big, brown phase bear. We were glassing it from an upper road when a large, brown color phase walked out about two hours before dark. Our best bet was for Janet to hustle down a steep, timbered face to the glade. I was going to drive to the bottom and unload the four wheeler, then drive to the glade over the snow drifts. By the time I got there, the bear was down. It was a real nice 6ft-6inchbrown color phase.

Janet had killed her first bear. She could have killed other bear, but she had never really seemed interested. Now, she is hooked on bear hunting, and in the fall killed a nice black color phase.

The day after Janet killed her Spring bear, I killed a mature Black bear we had been trying to get to. I also took two other black color phase fall bear.

Oregon has so many bear now since we can't bait or run them with hounds that you can legally kill four bear per year in Oregon. That was the good news. The Bad news was it was extremely dry and hot from the beginning of August to the end of December, with the exception of about five days of rain. At the Mule Deer lease in Central Oregon, the draught was so bad that Trout Creek was dry. We had three hunters and everyone got shots at medium size deer, with Skip killing a 5x5. We ran into a bunch of nine Aoudad; the first time ever on this ranch. Skippy decided he didn't want to shoot one, so I shot a 28" out of the bunch.

Blacktail rifle season was hot and dusty, and bookings were down due to the economy. But everybody had an opportunity except Dan from Colorado. Muzzleloader season, which is our rut hunt in late November, we did manage to fill all of our tags again. This makes 100% ten out of the last twelve years on this hunt.

Bob Robb, the outdoor writer, was out for another bow hunt, even after being skunked in 2001. Bob's persistence paid off in 2002. Bob will plant his butt in a treestand before daylight and climb down after dark. This persistence enabled Bob to arrow a 140 plus buck, just before dark. In case any of you are wondering, this guy is the real deal. He will hunt as hard as it takes, anyway you need to hunt in any type of weather, while only occassionally reminding us on days we are not successful, that "We Suck." And he is including himself in the "We" part. Bookings are looking up for 2003. As long as El Nino doesn't mess us up with more drought, the hunting should be easier.

Look for an update after Spring bear. Nick's elbow is all healed up and he is bringing a friend to hunt Spring bear and turkey.

check out our 2002 Pictures by clicking the 2002 Review Photos below.