2025 Public Land Bear and Deer Camp

Annual fall camp on public land in Western Maryland.  

This year I was camping from Tuesday through Saturday, and my brother Chris had drawn a bear tag and added my friend Evan and myself as co-hunters on the tag.  I would have preferred to camp at a more western WMA we frequent, but I had some obligations back home that necessitated a closer camp with good cellular access. 

The camp this year would consist of my brother's camper, fresh from our Idaho elk trip, and my 12x14 foot wall tent nestled against the backdrop of changing fall foliage. 

Attendance this year was light.  Camp attendees included my brother, Dan, and I.  That is all that could come.  Needless to say, I had plenty of food during the week!

The hunting pressure during the week was heavy.  I was constantly running into rifle toting bear hunters.  I walked up 3 feet from one fellow before I got his attention.  One morning I headed a mile in before light to get to the end of this road to hunt.  My bother talked to two older bear hunters that arrived later and they stated they were going to head down that same road.  My brother warned them I was set up all the way at the end.  Well, the one guy went ahead and set up there anyway.  Unbeknownst to me for most of the morning he was on the ridge about 80 yards behind me!  He would have quickly shot a bear out from under me and probably didn't see me.  I spotted orange when I was repositioning later and move smartly away.  Maddening, but that is public land.  

Despite the hunting challenges, it was still a fun camp.  I did have a nice doe pass within 50 yards of me one evening, but that is still a good poke with a traditional bow.  Dan and I enjoyed the campfire and thought about maybe moving to another area next year to escape the pressure. 

2025 Idaho Panhandle Elk Hunt

Three of us attempted to draw Idaho tags this year, my brother and I got our 3rd choice and were able to hunt together.  Our other friend Dave got the first choice and had to hunt alone.  We missed him.  

We had a little more luxury this year, as my brother decided to drive out his camper.  

Here a spatchcocked Cornish hen is nestled in a dutch oven with potatoes.

We had a few areas scout via maps and hoped to get into elk.  We were hunting the unit we had hunted numerous times before in the early 2015-2017 time period with the same scenario.  Elk were there but there were not many and there was lots of pressure. 

Some fresh sign finally after the first (and last) move of camp.

Here is a large shed I found one morning hiking up the mountain.

My only chance to fill a tag was on a pair of black bears I walked up on.  I was worried they were cubs with mom, so I only took photos, but looking back they were full grown and on their own.

My brother had an opportunity on a spike bull, but missed at approximately 45 yards.  I only see ears in the photo, but he says it had a velvet ball on one side and spike on the other.

I never saw elk until the last full day of the hunt.  I was climbing the mountain and glanced over to see two cows feeding near the top meadow.  I went after them and got above them, but not knowing how close I was to them, one caught me sneaking at around 20 yards and crashed away.  The thick brush prevented me from even seeing them close.

At the same time my brother was into a mature bull.  He was within 60-70 yards, but could not get close enough.  He tried some calling but the bull paid them no heed and wandered away. I tried to close and did some bugling but it was not meant to be. 

The clip below shows the fine bull my brother could only close to 60 yards from.

Oh so close!

It was another fine trip and try at elk.  Maybe next year will be lucky as it will be my 15th try for them.