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 Thanks for joining me as I share my
personal journey and adventures in hunting. I, as we hopefully all do, learn each and every time I travel into the field and experience the wonders of the sport I dearly love. Hunting for me is not
the killing of an animal but the shared experience of nature and man. The opportunity to find out more of the wonderful World in
which I live, challenge my senses and experience new thrills. Reflect upon my place here in this universe and what part I chose to take, how it effects others, what I can do to make this a
better place for all to live. Man and Beast alike.
Time spent in the field is special, almost spiritual to me and most true hunters. The actual
hunt in many instances, often becomes second place when the trip begins. Such is the way I wish to begin my recent adventure to Nova Scotia. I trip/hunt of a LIFETIME....... The
culmination of hard work, life long dreams and dedication. I hope those that read will take a moment and ponder upon their true reasons they travel after the adventure they seek and what
"hunting" really means. Hunting.... I ask you? Why do you hunt? Can you tell me what is is you find so fascinating about this sport that attracts so many men, women and youngster in the
outdoors each year? I contemplate this question and think I have really recently explored my personal inner reasons during a trip to Nova Scotia, Canada hunting for black bear.
I departed Salt Lake City, Utah with Dave Parker, (Owner of the Archery Information Service and Partner in Rec-Outdoors Marketing Group), on September 12th 1998 at
around 8:30 AM. Heading to a country I have always dreamed of as a child and a trip, that only until recently had been just a fantasy, I explored reading magazines as a young man.
Ready... or so I had thought... to face a creature large enough to tear me limb from limb and known for it's unpredictability. Nova Scotia isn't known for it's great black bear hunting but I
learned first hand that they have some near record bears sneaking around for those that are brave/crazy enough to tackle the task of out smarting one of these forest smart and hungry animals.
Our trip out went without a glitch. Flights plan went smooth and we meet some very  interesting folks along the way that began to prepare us for the feelings we might be ready to find when we arrived at our final airport destination of Halifax, Nova
Scotia. I landed in medium rain at 8:55 PM local time. After clearing security we meet our host for the next 14 days, Victor Morrell of Morrell's Big Paws Guide Post. I seasoned looking man that at first glance gives the appearance of someone that know
his way around in the worst of situations and usually walks out grinning. 155 lb. or pure spirit and dang hard working man. Baggage and weapons where claimed and packed to the van, hellos exchanged and
introductions made. Ross, Victors' Brother had come along to meet us.
 I meet Vic Morrell around three years ago when
he joined his web site into my old "WebRing.org based" Hunting Ring" but other than the basic relationship that I share will each of the members, we only became better aquatinted after twice
shafted by other web design companies, he contacted me in a bad situation. Vic was faced with a basically non existent booking season from the other web sites we had paid to have
created and promoted and had been nothing but a shame. I hear many folks that have been down this route and most, understandably so, are very skittish of trying my programs, but Vic was
faced with offer me all he had left to offer and hoping I would lend a hand.
The Hunting Trail got started with a lot of help from good folks and do my best to give back to
those that honestly work for the good off our special sport. Vic invited me up for a trip in exchange for putting up a web site for him. It was one of those things that a person is hoping
might someday happen but never in my dreams did I understand that when I accepted his offer I would receive the gift that came along with the trade. Dave Parker comes into the picture
after diving in as a partner with me last November and Vic liking the new site design and support so much that he threw in 2 more sponsorship hunts after the site was created and
on-line. I invited Dave to come along and give us both the chance to find out who each of us where as we had also mainly had an on-line working partnership up until this trip.
Ron Tippton, of Fishing-World.net, soon to be a major partner around these parts... Was also
invited to go for some great Nova Scotia fishing but unfortunately due to the Canadian Air strike and personal difficulties the trip became out of the question after he had book tickets and made
plans to join Dave and I. We sure missed him dearly and hope that someday we will get the chance to make a trip together with him. They have some great fishing out there and I'd still
love to drowned a worm or two with you my dear friend.
 So things had started off just a little off from what we originally planned but we made the best of it. After a 3 hour drive
and stop for coffee on the way to Morrell's lodge, we made the turn off Sissaboo Road to what I had always during the construction of the web site, thought was Vic's home. I was soon to
be surprised with the fact that this cozy little spot in the woods was home for Dave and I for the next two weeks. It was close to 1:30 AM when we arrived and still raining and we dove from the
van into the cabin without much looking around due to the rain and jet lag, preferring to retire into the warm cabin instead. We where
meet by a sight that totally set the stage for a relaxing and very conformable stay in this place that at sunrise I can never begin to fully describe in words. Awesome just doesn't begin to
convey the vision I awoke the next morning to. After a great snack prepared by Vic's wife Marie, we where politely informed that breakfast would be served around 8:30 AM and then everyone
started heading out for the door. Dave and I exchanged totally baffled expressions towards each other as we glanced around the cabin and realization set in that Vic did not in fact live
here, this was now our new home.....
Being very tired after the long trip we said our good-byes and headed for the beds. The cabin
comforts were fantastic and I quickly drifted off to sleep. I awoke the next morning to a phone call letting me know the cook was headed our way. I got out of bed, walked to the sliding glass
door and had my self a look around now the sun had started to rise. My eyes meet with a wondrous surprise The lake was covered with morning mist and a dense fog hung in the air
around the forest. I honestly had to rub my eyes and pinch myself to make sure I was not dreaming. I grabbed the camera and my pants and headed out on the deck  for a look around.
I have traveled a good many places in my lifetime but rarely does a place
leave such a lasting impression in my mind. The mist floated all around me and the smell of the fresh clean morning dew filled my nostrils. Dave stepped out to join me and we stood here soaking up
this incredible beauty while wondering what our first day had in store. After a very tasty breakfast Vic arrived to prepare us for our first trip into the thick woods of Nova Scotia. Our trip was not
the average guided hunt from this moment on. Vic informed us we would be spending the first few days just resting a little and
learning more about the adventure we were about to embark on. We grabbed our gear and jumped into Vic bear baiting truck. Off to the bait sites we went at a very fast pace.....
We traveled to around 16 sites that first day, stopping to learn and admire the animals that
had visited each site. Vic and his help, Eckie, are hard working and very knowledgeable men. They are very familiar with the woods and the animals in which inhabit their part of the World
and more than willing to share this knowledge to a listening ear. I think Dave and I both learned a few things that first day. Baiting bear is a dangerous and sweaty job. Black bears are
very protective of these free food sites and one must be on t heir toes at all times when a foot in the woods.
Day one ended with a meal fit for a king and another relaxing evening getting to know our host and more
stories of the black ghosts that inhabit the forests here. That second evening, I could not sleep for anything. I laid in the comfortable bed wondering what was the deal, all the comforts of home,
no computer, no worries, no phones...... Suddenly, it hit me..... no noise. I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah in a small town that was always considered, "end of the earth" to the folks in real SLC. It has
slowly become part of SLC over the last few years. With this change came the increasing city noise that I had never really paid much attention to. Here there is dead silence at night. An
occasional bull frog or cricket, maybe a hoot from an owl once in a while but that is it. No cars, no sirens nothing but pure nature. It took me two more nights before my mind could block out
this lack of noise and relax to the silence, deep in the forest here. These days passed much the same, time learning, picking a site to hunt and just relaxing and getting ready for my dream trip to begin.
Day three..... The first day of the hunt. Living in the Rocky Mountains, we hunt much different
than what is required in the thick cover of Nova Scotia. Most of my experience up to this point has been from high ridge tops and lot's of hiking involved to get there. I have hunted from the
notch of a tree before and been pretty successful but never have I sat the entire day in a tree stand. We hit the tree stands around 9 AM that morning, packed lunch in hand ready to hunt.
Dave elected not to hunt the first day but instead sit it out in the stand with me to video if we ran into any bears. Dave has been hunting in bear country for years and has experienced the
thrill of seeing that first bear. This is an experience I was really looking forward to after reading about black bear hunting all summer. Little did I know what I was about to feel, no book or story
could have prepared me for this.
End of Part One........ CLICK HERE FOR Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
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