Part 3 DAY THREE: “Relief comes in different ways.”

After the near-death experience the night before, sleep was hard to come by, and gathering for breakfast with the other hunters and guides could not come soon enough. Everyone’s curiosity was satisfied as I related my story of the hunt and near-tragedy with my guide, Travis, but there was no update on him since his trip to the hospital. I couldn’t help but recall how he was bleeding so badly yet was more concerned about my safety and not wanting to leave me behind on the trip back to camp.

He certainly did not deserve what had happened to him, and we were all anxious to get some news as to how he was doing.

Word came later that morning that the surgery at the emergency room had gone well and that after a blood transfusion, he was resting and doing better than expected. In fact, even though he was using crutches to get around, he was planning on returning to camp that very day!

During lunch, the guides related a plan to head out on horseback in midday for the evening hunt, but I declined to join them, choosing instead to wait for Travis’ return and see for myself just how he was doing. The other hunters and the guides had already left before he and his wife arrived. It was certainly a welcome sight to see him emerge from the vehicle, even though he was on crutches and still wearing his hospital clothing! After a short visit, he and his wife gathered his belongings, got into his truck, and were headed off to their home in Minot, North Dakota, where he would rest and recuperate for two weeks — and then head back to bear camp to guide for the remainder of the season. What a relief!

Shortly after 3 o’clock, Nick, one of the guides, returned from dropping off the other hunters and suggested that he had a place he could take me for an evening hunt. Quite frankly, I was relieved when he said that it would not require a trip on a horse but instead would be a short drive and then a hike up into a canyon to the site. This was steep terrain, and after a short hike, the climb up the side of the canyon was a bit tricky. Once I was settled in, Nick dropped back into the canyon bottom, then climbed up the other side, set out the bait, and went out of sight as he hiked back to the main highway.

I was to stay in place until dark, then drop to the creek below and hike out to the road, where the cook’s husband would pick me up. My shot opportunity, if it came, would be across the canyon at a distance of about 80 yards. It was a comfortable setup with good visibility through the trees all around the bait site to catch movement of any approaching bear. As the evening slowly slipped away, my mind continued to wander in and out of the previous evening’s events and, with little sleep the night before, I had trouble staying focused and keeping my eyes open. The only entertainment was the activity of a couple of tree squirrels that passed by in search of food. The smoke from the bait site drifted up the canyon to my left, but no bear came to the scent.

As darkness fell, I gathered my backpack and rifle, slowly slid down my side of the canyon to the creek below, and then began the hike to the road for my pickup. Throughout the afternoon and on the hike out, my mind stayed filled with recollections of the previous day’s events. It had truly been a life-altering experience in so many ways. There had been plenty of time while sitting there in the dark to do some rather deep soul searching, to reflect on the past and wonder about what the future might bring. Things that happened that night would forever change my life, and especially since Travis was recovering from his mishap, I couldn’t help but believe that it was actually a good thing to have experienced. With so much that had already happened in the first three days of this hunt, I could not even imagine what the final two days would bring!

To be continued.