Chase Curtis
Well-Known Member
It was that time of year again... PA bear season. So I headed up for a weekend of bear hunting with with my business partner, the one and the only Joel Russo.
I arrive on Wednesday night of last week... We took care of some business on Thursday and our plan was to leave for camp EARLY Saturday morning... Well, Joel calls me Friday afternoon with the news that he took care of some personal stuff and wanted to leave that night... Ok, no problem... We pack up and hit the road for our 3 hour drive up to north PA at 10:30pm....
Around midnight we get off the blacktop and begin the trek up the mountain... By 1:30 (with only one wrong turn and some punchy passengers) we reach the cabin. The cabin we are staying at is Joel's friend (retired high ranking military) "Rowdy" Roblee's.
Now, after being in the car and excited to be up at the cabin, we had a drink or two or three once we settled in...
It's now 3:30 am and we decided "hey, maybe we should get at least an hour of sleep."
Morning rolls around.... Pop some Advil as I'm awakened to Roblee and Russo making breakfast and yelling "Curtis... WAKE UP!"
We get up on the mountain and get all set up and have a wonderful cold day not spotting one single bear. I did kill at rock at 1025 yds with Joel's 338-408. But in the end, that's not what the trip was about that day... Good friends, hot coffee and a camp fire while glassing... Makes for any long range hunter a good day!
We return to the cabin and are back asleep my 6:30pm.. Wake up at 10:30pm to head out for some night thermal coyote hunting... Only problem is while we were sleeping it rained... We got about halfway into our hunt and realized that the temps are well below freezing... we are now sliding all over the very narrow roads that are all iced over and are now focusing on just getting back to camp and no longer hunting. It's now 12:30pm laying in the ice putting on snow chains.. That was fun!!! If you ever get the chance to do that... Try it! Especially being from TX.. Snow chains?? What's that??? As we creep back to the cabin at 3-5 mph over cliffs and passes hearing the chains crunch the ice as we drive... I'm reminded that it's not always about the hunt.... It's about spending quality time yet again with good friends... Snow chains, ice, near death driving experiences... All great!
Sunday after sleeping in... We go out for some daytime coyote calling... After driving around (without snow chains..that was nice) we call and call.... And call.... And literally do not call in one yote... Although I did read a book and it said they do in fact have coyotes in PA.. BUT not where we were... So after sitting in melting snow trying to kill a yote for a couple hours we head back in and then head home... On the drive home I realized.. ....It's not always about the hunt..... No bears, no yotes, lots of ice.... BUT ...It's always about ...Good friends, beautiful scenery and lots of laughs! Will we be back next year... OF COURSE! Cause it's not always about the hunt...
I arrive on Wednesday night of last week... We took care of some business on Thursday and our plan was to leave for camp EARLY Saturday morning... Well, Joel calls me Friday afternoon with the news that he took care of some personal stuff and wanted to leave that night... Ok, no problem... We pack up and hit the road for our 3 hour drive up to north PA at 10:30pm....
Around midnight we get off the blacktop and begin the trek up the mountain... By 1:30 (with only one wrong turn and some punchy passengers) we reach the cabin. The cabin we are staying at is Joel's friend (retired high ranking military) "Rowdy" Roblee's.
Now, after being in the car and excited to be up at the cabin, we had a drink or two or three once we settled in...
It's now 3:30 am and we decided "hey, maybe we should get at least an hour of sleep."
Morning rolls around.... Pop some Advil as I'm awakened to Roblee and Russo making breakfast and yelling "Curtis... WAKE UP!"
We get up on the mountain and get all set up and have a wonderful cold day not spotting one single bear. I did kill at rock at 1025 yds with Joel's 338-408. But in the end, that's not what the trip was about that day... Good friends, hot coffee and a camp fire while glassing... Makes for any long range hunter a good day!
We return to the cabin and are back asleep my 6:30pm.. Wake up at 10:30pm to head out for some night thermal coyote hunting... Only problem is while we were sleeping it rained... We got about halfway into our hunt and realized that the temps are well below freezing... we are now sliding all over the very narrow roads that are all iced over and are now focusing on just getting back to camp and no longer hunting. It's now 12:30pm laying in the ice putting on snow chains.. That was fun!!! If you ever get the chance to do that... Try it! Especially being from TX.. Snow chains?? What's that??? As we creep back to the cabin at 3-5 mph over cliffs and passes hearing the chains crunch the ice as we drive... I'm reminded that it's not always about the hunt.... It's about spending quality time yet again with good friends... Snow chains, ice, near death driving experiences... All great!
Sunday after sleeping in... We go out for some daytime coyote calling... After driving around (without snow chains..that was nice) we call and call.... And call.... And literally do not call in one yote... Although I did read a book and it said they do in fact have coyotes in PA.. BUT not where we were... So after sitting in melting snow trying to kill a yote for a couple hours we head back in and then head home... On the drive home I realized.. ....It's not always about the hunt..... No bears, no yotes, lots of ice.... BUT ...It's always about ...Good friends, beautiful scenery and lots of laughs! Will we be back next year... OF COURSE! Cause it's not always about the hunt...
