They quickly established themselves in the deepest recesses of the dark forest.  Find out how our U.S. Navy Hunt Team handles the threat.

What do Best Friends do when it’s summer time?

• Giant Russian Boar
• Trophy Lake Trout
• A World Class Hunting Estate
• World’s Largest Wilderness Lake
• Your Choice of Hunt Styles and Weapons
• Light  Weight Spin Tackle Trout Fishing
• A Complete Guided Hunting Adventure
• An all Inclusive Trophy Charter Fishing Trip
• Magnificent 5 Star Wilderness Lodge
• Ultimate 18 Ton Blue Water Sportfishing Vessel
• First Class Gourmet Dinning
• And Much Much More…

 
 
Spring time in the North Country can be one of the most erratic yet thrilling seasons of the year.  One day you may step outside and experience 75 and sunny. The next day you may be shoveling 8 inches of snow. These large swings in temperature and weather are fun and all, but the most volatile actions come from the Boars.  This is the Spring Breeding Season, and getting between a hot sow and a hormone enraged Alpha Beast could very well be one of the most intense situations a hunter could find himself in.

Recently, good friend Steve Grabusky had just spent the better part of a year oversees on a job site. Unfortunately, where he was stationed there was no hunting and he missed out on all of the great fall and winter hunts over here in North America.

Upon returning, Steve contacted Bear Mountain and lined up a special “Birthday Hunt” for him and his good friend David Champion (Champ).  After being gone for nearly a year, he certainly deserved a special present to himself.  His custom package included Herd Boars for everyone hunting as well as a free “Party Pig” for the birthday boy. This special “Party Pig” was going to be for a weekend of Thrilling and Grilling.  A fifty five pound Russian Boar is a tough meal to beat. Fire up the SMOKER!

After picking up Steve and Champ from the airport (15 minutes away) we got them settled in and discussed the game plan for hunting the “Party Pig”.  Steve had decided to let Champ hunt for the tasty porker. Being that this was his third trip up and Champ’s first, Steve was going to let Champ get his feet wet before going after the Alpha Beast.

As you can see, Champ laid the smack down, and we were in business for cooking up fresh wild boar for the whole weekend.

David vs. Goliath
Through out the weekend Champ and Steve hunted everywhere in search of the Biggest Boars possible. During this time of the year, the low ground tends to be very saturated and sometimes is impassable. Of course, this is where the biggest and meanest boars typically lurk.  The high ground is dry and it is natural for the Boars to move up high in the evenings to chase sows and battle with other boars.

Champ was able to connect on one hell of a boar when the beast was coming off of the high ground in the morning heading to the thick wet timber below.

It took three well placed shots from a 45-70 to anchor him to the ground. As you can see from the picture, he is a real brute. The long face, massive shoulders and hump, surgically sharp cutters, and the stamina to withstand almost a 1000 grains of lead and copper makes him a great trophy.

That evening Steve and Champ dined over grilled boar back strap stuffed with garlic and rubbed down with a bourbon dry rub. Glasses were held high as we toasted the great hunt and hunters.

Death from Above
The next day Steve and I worked a high ridge searching for any fresh beds. With no leaves on the trees yet, visibility was ideal. We could perch up high and see deep into the recess of the cedar forest. Recent warm weather had produced a lot fresh chutes of grass in the mineral rich soft black dirt. Glassing down into these fresh growth areas could produce the beast we were search for.

As we worked the ridge stopping from time to time to glass, Steve heard a grunt and snort. Just over the cliff face were four dandy Herd Boars. Feeding in the open, there was one Boar that certainly stood out from the rest. He had a superb coat and all of 50 lbs. over the rest of the Boars. His cutters shinned bright white in the peeking sunlight.

Steve made the decision that he wanted this Boar. We crept tenderly across the dry leaves and twigs to a point on the cliff that provided cover. The wind was in our face, and the Boars were 40 yards down in front of us.

Steve settled in with his 45-70 and waited for the perfect broad side shot. Slowly the Boar turned and presented himself just right. The Boar stayed broadside for some time, and I began to wonder if Steve was waiting for it to pop out of birthday cake for him. At the thunder of the rifle, the Beast slammed to the ground. After one kick and a quarter spin in the dirt, he was finished.

Steve could not have made any better of a shot on the Beast. He took out both shoulders, and as there was no exit hole, the Boar took the full brunt of energy from the Hornady bullet. I don’t think Steve could have had a better Birthday Present.

After pictures and recovery we enjoyed a pleasant sunny day on the patio. The hams from the “Party Pig” were on the smoker and slowly cooking to perfection. Greg the “Moose Man” had pulled out a couple of Lake Trout fillets from last years catch, and we were in for a Birthday Feast.

Spring Hunting at Bear Mountain Lodge runs mid March through the end of May. At the time of this writing we are in the peak of the Spring Hunts and May will certainly be a great month for hunting. Bear Mountain typically doesn’t experience the leaf out until Memorial Day or after so you still have great visibility. The Boars are still chasing down any sows that aren’t bred, and the meat is sweetened by the fresh growth in the rich soil.

Birthday Hunts are available all year. One of the great things about hunting at Bear Mountain Lodge is that any day you hunt, it doesn’t count against your life. I think Steve has had three 50th Birthday party’s by now! If you would like to host a special Birthday Party for you or someone you know, contact Bear Mountain directly.

 What would you do if the tables-were-turned and these Savage Beast Hunted You?

 

What started out as an ordinary hunt with traditional muzzle loaders for ”Party” Pigs - Transformed into Mortal Combat with the “Alpha” Beast

Would you Hold the Line?

It was Wednesday December 30th, 2009 and the decade was rolling to an end. It was high time to harvest a couple of Picnic Pigs for the New Years Eve Party…

But this Prehistoric ”Pork Chop” Jumped Out of the Snow & Charged Us Lightning Fast with Slashing Tusks!

Trust me, this is not Your typical everyday Picnic Pig -  This is a Genuine Russian Boar

You Know a Real Russian When You See One 

Herd Boars are the “Alpha” Beast and they Rule Supreme

Same Old Story – Hunting  a Nice Plump Party Pig and Pow! this Bad Boy Charges 

 These Hunters are Both Graduates of Bear Mountain’s Annual  Big Game Hunting Camp 

(Info on 2010 Summer Camp Click Here Now)

When Hunting Russian Boar – No matter how skilled you are there is always an unknown Element of Danger

Remember it’s recommended to Bring  Back-Up Rifles & Your Trusted Friends and Allies

Who is having the most FUN?

“Hunting Teams” are  Great

Oh Yes, Bring Your Blood Brothers – You will be Glad You Did

Okay Now, Who is Having the Most Fun?

Well, that Wraps-up the Last Hunt for 2009

Welcome to “Twenty-Ten”

I am back at the lodge and arranging additional Hunts for 2010.

If you are even remotely considering Hunting Russian Boar…

 Contact me directly Gaj@up.net or Toll Free (800) 676-9821 and we can start the planing process.

Special Note: These were not the Biggest Boars in the Hunting Grounds – I figure these Primordial Beast of Prey were just having a “Bad Day”

Just One More thought for the New Year

 

PS 2 Oh Yes, Lloyd was successful at hunting down a Nice Plump Picnic Pig,  Happy New Years and I will See You on the Mountain!

Siberian Snow Hunts start in December!

  

Eric is now over in Afghanistan serving his country – this was his personal reward for himself prior to shipping out. He did a nice job on smoking this boar in the fresh powder.

Another February Russian Boar Hunt in the Snow – Robert is from Utah and has been here in the summer as well as this February Hunt. Conditions as you can

see are excellent.

Wild Russian Boar Hunting in Northern Michigan

The cold crisp air coming down from the arctic north brings on the call of the wild. The ancient ritual of the fall breeding season begins. The boars are at their heaviest, having gorged themselves all summer long they are physically ready for the demands of the Autumn Rut.

When You make it to Bear Mtn. you will exeperience Dangerous Game Hunting

The breeding sows have weaned their little ones and annual cycle of life calls forth the “Alpha” Beast to carry on the next generation. The Herd Boars – those who are the dominate beast in the hunting grounds will start their annual courtship of the receiptive sows and the gilts (females that are of age and that have not been breed before). Danger in the dark forest.

Bring Your Dad You Will Be Glad You Did!

You may find your self hunting in Fresh Snow in the Autumn Rut

It is nice to get in before O'Dark Thirty as you will find the Beast become Unruly

There is a First time for Everthing - Better Do it BIG!

The Boars were close heightning the sense of danger. Only one Trophy Boar had to cross on the four foot wide trail in front of us. The snorts and grunts moved closer and closer, it felt as though they could bust out beneath our legs. Silence. Everything became dead silent. Randy was to the left and Damon to the right. Both directions were covered. Adrenalin pumped through our veins. We peered into the dense underbrush like that of Central Africa or some other exotic land.

“SFFFOOOW” A sow blew her alert call. Busted. The bush came alive and boars began stampeding through the forest. Mud was flying as saplings and bushes were bulldozed. It was one large black mass ripping and tearing through the woods. In thirty three seconds, it was silent again.

This wasn’t Randy and Damon’s first time hunting Russian Boar. They had both been here before, only then it was winter. Today, they were experiencing a whole different ball game.

Randy Mayes and Damon Mills had purchased the  “SCI Supreme Cast and Blast Package” at the Badgerland Chapter Banquet.  There package was for both for Hunting Russian Boar  and Fishing  Trophy Lake Trout at Stannard Rock in Lake Superior.   Neither of them had ever experienced a Summer Adventure at Bear Mountain.

Cape Buffalo in Mozambique was Randy’s next adventure. This was the perfect opportunity to fine tune his hunting gear before going on an African Dangerous Game bow hunt. That’s right, BOW HUNT! Randy had the new Mathews Monster and wanted to be sure everything was going to perform.

Damon on the other hand just got back from South Africa in May. And what is the first thing you do when you get back from Africa?  “Go Hunting”  There was no way Damon was going to wait until September or October to get his fix for adventure again. He had brought his new “toy,” the .450 Marlin XLR.

What better way to keep your skills sharp, equipment tuned, and passion alive than hunting Russian Boars during the Summer months.

The evening ended with the “Running of the Boars”. Randy and Damon both got a good taste of the great wall of green.

The Time is Now
Close encounters filled the first half of day three. A constant swirling breeze gave the Boars the upper hand. There were several busted stalks and by the time lunch rolled around, Randy’s quiver remained full and Damon’s gun hadn’t fired.

The pressure was on, but with the Boars being more active in the evening, everyone’s confindence was still high.

After an hour after lunch break, Kenny and Randy spotted a herd of Boars in a common feeding area. They circled around to get the wind in their favor. A Trophy Boar had been spotted and Randy began his final approach.

Monster Kill
Moving slow and steady inch by inch, Randy got to within 27 yards and drew his 75 lb Mathews Monster just as the Beast turned broadside. Randy released his arrow sending a 175 grain two blade broad head slicing through the lungs. Instantly the herd ran off with the hit boar heading dead away through the wet and muddy underbrush.

Waiting a full thirty minutes the four of us split up. Blood on the arrow was a radiant pink. Kenny and Randy followed the trail into the thicket while Damon and I moved up to another trail to inspect for clues of the Boar crossing. Though both Randy and Kenny were positive it was a great hit, there was little blood for them to follow. Without the blood, they resorted to tracking the mud splatter on the trees and bushes.

A nerve racking twenty minutes ticked by. There was no evidence that the Boar had crossed our trail and Kenny and Randy were still trailing through the thick brambles and mud. Just then, Kenny called on the radio, “Boar Down, Boar Down!”

Pulling the Boar out of the tangles of brush, Randy’s hit was a perfect double lung hit. He and his new Mathews Monster put the smack down.

With the beast on its way to the trophy poll for more pictures, Damon and I headed off to the stand of maples from the night before. The idea was to ambush the Boars as they came up out of the swamp and into the hardwoods. There was plenty of daylight this time around so we made ourselves comfortable.

A 450 Marlin Roars in the Northern Forest of Michigan
It didn’t take long after settling in and a half dozen Junior Boars (last years litter) began moving through at close range. Litter mates still together after a long harsh winter. One particular female was the leader of the group and she let the others know. Pushing and shoving the others, nipping them on their backsides. It was hard not to crack a smile as they were comical in trying to establish dominance amongst each other.

Looking up at the valley edge of the transition zone, I spotted a Boar and tapped Damon on the shoulder. He slowly raised his rifle. We had been watching and entertaining ourselves with the Juniors and had almost missed this Boar passing through.

The breeze floated over our faces as we judged him. The Boar was solo making it harder to determine size, but the long face and hump on his shoulders are tell tale signs of a good mature Boar. He cautiously stepped into the clearing to cross into the hardwoods.

Giving Damon the green light, and from 60 yards away, he sent a 350 grain Hornady smashing through both shoulders. The Boar hit the ground snout first and gave one final kick.

Grinning at each other we shook hands on an impressive shot on a noble beast. Damon’s kill was a perfect ending to their SCI Cast and Blast.

Safari Club International is a great way to be a part of the hunting community. It is a first class organization and helps hunters like you find reputable outfitters from all over the world. Bear Mountain has had the honor of donating hunting packages to numerous SCI Chapters so that hunters can experience real Russian Boar Hunting without leaving North America.Click Here to see the Video

I am a believer that when hunting Russian Boar, there is no gun to big.  Many boars have been hunted and harvested using the classic 30-06 or even a 270.  These calibers will do the job, but if you have something bigger or heavier, why not put it to use.  How often do you get the chance to pull out the 375 H&H or your .416 Rigby? 

Maybe you are fortunate enough to be hunting dangerous game on other continents on a regular basis, which means you should be using your big stuff on the Raging Russians to keep that gun in perfect form.

Biggest Gun at Bear Mountain

But to put into perspective just how big and powerful these boars really are, Joe Seidel of Iowa came to Bear Mountain with a 600 Overkill.  This is by far the biggest gun anyone has ever hunted with at Bear Mountain.  And there aren’t many bigger guns out there. 

Joe’s rifle was a custom bolt action built by American Hunting Rifles (AHR) out of Hamilton, Montana.  This rifle was a beast in itself.  It weighed about 13 lbs. and had a break on it the size of a Red Bull can.  Joe could carry and shoulder it no problem as he is a big man, well over six foot and built like an offensive linemen.

Joe was able to take a monstrous Russian boar.  He had fired a 900 grain Woodleigh soft into the beast right behind the front shoulder.  Surely this would flatten a 400 lb. boar.  Not a chance.  The boar took the hit and was able to run a ways before collapsing.  Upon inspection, there was no exit hole.  A 900 grain bullet was not able to completely pass through this boar.

Weeks later I received a call from the taxidermist mounting the boar and he had found the bullet lodged in the opposite grizzle plate.

Russian boars have exceptional protective plates that protect the vitals perfectly.  On old mature Herd Boars, these plates can be as thick as two inches.  This cartilage like matter absorbs shock and energy from even the biggest calibers out there.

After Joe’s hunt he called up Ed Plummer, who at the time was the owner of AHR and told him about the hunt.  Ed decided he should see for himself what these Boars were made of.

Round 2 for the AHRs

Ed and his son-in-law Mike flew into Bear Mountain with a 585 AHR, 500 AHR, and 416 Taylor.  Needless to say, they were ready to do battle.

Mike was the first one to strike gold, bringing down a superb Herd Boar with one shot from his 500 AHR.  He took a high shoulder shot, severing the spine and dropping the boar flat in his tracks.  The gun had performed exactly how Ed had hoped.

Next up was Ed.  He was hunting with his custom 416 Taylor using a 400 grain monolithic copper bullet.  We hunted 2 hard days before Ed was able to squeeze the trigger on a dandy Herd Boar.  At the crack of the barrel the boar dropped, 65 yards from us.  I looked at Ed and high fived him only to look back and see the boar getting up and running off.

Walking up to where the boar was, there wasn’t any worry as there was blood all over the fresh snow.  No problem, probably ran off and died within 50 yards.  We decided to wait and give him time to expire, just to be on the safe side.  I inspected the blood and figured it to be a hair back, most likely liver and lung, but there was a lot of it.

The tracking began and lead us all through the thickest areas of the swamp.  Blood was easily spraying out both sides.  This boar had taken quite a wallop from a big caliber, but was still moving. 

After 50 yards I was surprised but not worried, and after 150 yards, I was getting concerned, just a little bit.

After much more time and many more yards, it was time for a break just to be sure we were giving him enough time to expire.  But daylight was fading, and we were going to be short on light in a matter of an hour.

We set up a perimeter around where we thought the boar might be.  There were a lot of dens in this area and manuevering through there was going to be difficult. 

With only 15 minutes left of light the boar was spotted with his silhouette against the snow.  One large snort and grunt and he was on top of us.  Gun shots pursued and he crashed to the ground. 

This boar had gone 3 1/2 hours on a lung/liver shot from a .416 Taylor.  Remarkable.

Favorite Big Bores 

Some of my favorite big bore rifles include the .375 H&H.  This is the classic Dangerous Game Rifle and is a perfect combination of bullet weight and velocity.  A 300 grain Barnes Triple Shock  is a great round.

AHR’s 550DGRs are availalbe in great calibers.  You can get those from the .375 all the way up to the 700 AHR, with the everything in between.  Of course many of these calibers you can find in standard safari grade rifles like Ruger, Remington, CZ, etc.

Lever action big bores are great as well.  Starting with the 45-70 and 450 Marlin, these lever actions have proven dozens upon dozens of times on Russian Boar.  An old Winchest Model 71 in the .348 is another classic round with plenty of punch and smacking power. 

One big bore lever action I have yet to see and prove itself against the Raging Russians is the 475 Turnbull.  Everything about this caliber and rifle has Russian Boar hunting written all over it.  Hopefully in the near future I’ll get a chance to see it in action.

Russian boar hunting is truly a fun and exciting sport.  These animals are some of the toughest beasts put on the planet.  I have seen them absorb lead like a sponge and still go for hours, only to end up charging and succumbing to a hail of gunfire.

Hunt Now

When all other hunting seasons and species are closed, you can hunt the Russian Boars of Bear Mountain.  Summer hunting keeps your senses and skills sharp and on target.  Opportunities to hone in your hunter instincts are endless.  Try your hand at spot and stalk, ambush, jump shooting and many more.

Unique Experience

Summer Jungle hunts at Bear Mountain offer the hunter a very unique adventure.  Thick cedars, large overbearing deadfalls, and pockets of mud holes, transports you to the great forests of Europe and Russia.  These are real Russian Boars in an authentic setting. Being located only 13 miles from the shores of Lake Superior, temperatures tend to be moderate.  Expect mornings to be cool in the 40s and 50s and day time temperatures to get up in the mid 70s sometimes hitting 80 degrees. Days are long and darkness doesn’t set in until 10:00 p.m.  A great way to hunt these long days is to lay up for a few hours in the heat of the day, and prepare yourself for a long evening of spotting and stalking, or waiting in ambush.

Friends and Family

This is a great time to go hunting with all of your friends and family.  Young hunters are out of school and need an activity to do with their family.  Father/Son hunts are very popular in the summer.  This is a great bonding experience and paves the path to manhood.  It is your chance to teach your children about life and death in the wild, respect for a noble beast, and the ancient urge for survival and success.

Bring the Right Gear

I highly recommend light clothes for summer hunting.  You will want a couple pairs of light pants and shirts (camouflage) with a warmer sweatshirt or jacket for early morning and late evening excursions.  A camo cap is also recommended.  Good boots are important and you should bring two pair.  One pair knee high rubber boots, the other a good pair of leather gortex pack boots. Weapons of the hunt are up to you the hunter.  As always, I recommend the biggest gun you have in your gun case.  Some popular and very successful calibers are the 30-06, 45-70, 450 Marlin, and the 375 H&H.  If you happen to be going after these boars with archery equipment, be sure you are pulling adequate poundage, no less than 60 lbs. and are pin point accurate with your equipment.  Shot distances in the summer will tend to be less than 25 yards.  You will find it very challenging to get the right shot in such thick and heavy timber.

Tasty Pork

When you slay the beast and become a successful hunter, you will find the meat from the summer time boars to be extra sweet.  The boars are building up a fat storage all summer long in order to prepare themselves for the long cold winters.  Taking down a boar in the summer means you are getting a “well rounded” beast.  You will find the meat to be a red meat, with more of a venison texture.  Perfect for grilling and entertaining your friends the remainder of summer.

Do You Have What it Takes?

Hunting the Russian Boar during the summer months is not for everyone.  It takes perseverance, patience, and a lot of energy.  However, the guides at Bear Mountain are fully trained and are capable of recognizing the hunter’s capabilities and will do whatever it takes to get you on a trophy of a lifetime.