Pennsylvania Game News -November 2008 - 29

ourselves on an elevated piece of dry land facing the treestand but, between us and the stand was another body of water, much deeper than our hip boots and 20 yards wide. Thielges was able to cross the water about 50 yards up from the stand, with about one inch of clearance from the top of his hip boots, and I stayed behind. Dale quickly found a gut pile from a bear. I had him take a sample from the liver and then go to the treestand and look for cartridge casings. Thielges found a single .300 WSM case directly under the stand and went to search for the bait piles that had been reported. I noticed that several trees had been cut recently to make shooting lanes for whoever was using the stand. After 10 minutes Thielges came back with a handful of fresh apples and sugar beets, he’d followed a trail from the treestand directly to the bait less than 50 yards away. We left the area and I made plans to come back on Sunday, and to find another way to the stand. We headed to the bear check station at Mt. Jewett to see who had checked in a bear from the vicinity of the treestand, only to discover that only four bears had been taken on SGL 301 this season. We took a blood sample from one that we suspected had been killed over the bait for possible DNA analysis if needed. I left to be with my family for Thanksgiving, and when I returned I had a message to call Deputy Anderson about the case. He told me that the story had spread like wildfire and that, in all probability, the bear gut pile had been from Cooper’s bear. I had my doubts, though, because it did not explain the case that was found under the stand. I told Jeff that all we could do was to see if the stand was still there and wait until Monday, the first day of deer season, to see if anyone was in it. On Sunday I spent four hours walking NOVEMBER 2008 through the swamps and woods of SGL 301. The stand was still there but I could not find another way to it. I resigned myself to the fact that come Monday morning I was going to get wet. It didn’t take long for the word to spread that there were more bears along the river flats. He made plans to drive the flats. Just after first light on Monday I had Deputy Mike Williams drop me off on SGL 301. It had rained all night and a heavy fog had settled in on the flats. I had my hip boots on and I walked to the area of the stand. I fought my way through the first swamp, breaking ice with each step. After 10 minutes I came up on the spit of land across from the stand and I looked up and saw a shadowy figure in the haze. He wore an orange hat and camouflage coveralls, his orange vest hung from a nearby tree. I identified myself as a state officer and ordered him to unload his firearm, lower it to the ground and to come out of the tree. He came out of the treestand and I asked, “Are you coming to me or am I coming to you? If I have to come over there, I’m not going to be happy.” There was four feet of water between us, and my boots were only 36 inches tall. I was relieved when he said he had chest waders and would be right over. I told him to bring his gun and ID and to leave the rest of his gear under the stand and he complied. I radioed Deputy Williams and told him that I was all right and that I was going to interview the hunter. The hunter 29

Pennsylvania Game News -November 2008

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