October 16, 2008Only a matter of time: Moe with a trophy black bear
The Cubs will no longer be playing. Check. A heat wave will hit in early to mid-October. Check. Allen "Moe" Lazenby will send me a picture of a nice buck. Check. OK. This isn't a buck. It's a black bear. But it weighed 312 pounds, according to Moe, who said he had hunted every day of the season until Wednesday. So even though Moe also sent me a picture of a nice buck killed at the same spot, this one is going up first. Details on the kill? About as many as you'd expect: Roanoke County on the evening of Oct. 14. I probably wouldn't be talking much about a spot like that, either! I just got a follow-up e-mail from Moe and he said this is the third year in a row he's killed a bear. He said he got a 280-pounder with a rifle, a 500-pounder last year with a muzzleloader, and now this one. Considering that there are about 300,000 big game hunters in Virginia and the annual bear kill is only about 1,500 a year, you don't have to be a statistics whiz to know just what a rare accomplishment that is. The streak will end now, as Moe says he's done with bears unless it's in self-defense. I got out yesterday evening after work for a quick hunt in Bedford County. It was 82 degrees when I parked. I was actually prepared to hunt from a ground blind but the wind wasn't what I expected so I was able to get in my treestand next to the big white oak. The mosquitoes were brutal, just like they were the first time I hunted the spot. This time, at least, I had a head net. But they were still getting me around the eyes. I'm about ready to give one of those Thermacells a try. With the heat and full moon I didn't have high hopes, but then I heard something coming. Clearly it was too loud to be a deer. It turned out to be a big cow, which parked under the tree and started eating acorns. This was only slightly less annoying than the first hunt here, where I actually had to get out of the tree to chase away a baying beagle. About 6:30 I heard blowing behind me, downwind. Deer should not have been coming from that direction (across a wide open field) but no one told the deer. The bummer was it was four does, including a couple of nice ones. My scent-control approach is not working too well this year, clearly. As the light was fading I spotted movement where I expected it. Two bucks were coming in. One was a three- or four-pointer and clearly not a shooter. The other was better, an eight-pointer I think, but still not a shooter. I shot some grainly low-light video. They actually just skirted the area, which by then was occupied by about four or five cows. I thought maybe he was this deer , but I could tell when I reviewed the tape that he was a different buck. On the way home I got a call from the landowner and I momentarily panicked, fearing I might have left a gate open. (I never have, but I'm totally paranoid about that.) It turned out another of the property's hunters had found a stand and he wanted to know if it was mine. It wasn't, so it appears that a trespasser had been in there. When he returns he won't be finding his stand. Good luck, be safe and send hunting reports and photos when you've got them.
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About this blog
While growing up in rural Southern Oregon, Mark Taylor developed a passion for the outdoors while he and his younger brother tagged along with their father on fishing, hunting and camping adventures. Graduating from Northwestern University in 1988, Taylor spent four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy based in Norfolk before moving into journalism. After five years writing about the military for a Norfolk-based publishing company, he became the outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times in 1998. He lives in Roanoke with his wife and twin daughters. .....Advertisement.....
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Comments
[October 16, 2008 7:29 PM]
JoeyWay to go Moe, that is an awesome feat you have accoplished there,btw, good to see your picture since we all been reading your posts forever
Hey Mark, dont ya love it when you hear a deer "blow" and you didnt even know it was there, isnt no mistaken that sound, is it, lol
[October 16, 2008 11:30 PM]
JR MitchellYep.....Thats my buddy "Moe"! Way to go dude, nice bear. Help me kill something or rub some luck on my arrows?
[October 17, 2008 9:34 AM]
Sonny HodgesMoe - Congrats on a beautiful bear .JR - Mark Hang in there you will get something soon . You just have to put the time in and be patient .
[October 17, 2008 12:09 PM]
MoeThanks Joey for the kind words I am very blessed with luck I guess when it comes to hunting not to mention Im blessed with a very understanding wife and family for putting up with my addictions of the outdoors.
J.R keep doin what your doin it will pay off I promise. You have the ambition keep it up an good luck ol buddy.
Thank you Sonny............Moe
[October 17, 2008 4:44 PM]
JoanneThats my little bro, I am very proud of you, keep up the good work, and I still want my meat (Deer)LOL
your Sis
[October 18, 2008 3:18 AM]
kledheadWow! What a brave and cuoregeous man. Too bad the bear did'nt get him first. Black bears are more afraid of you than you are of them and everybody knows it! Moe, if you really want to impress somebody go after a Grizzly with a knife.Im more disgusted than impressed slick!
[October 18, 2008 3:18 AM]
kledheadWow! What a brave and cuoregeous man. Too bad the bear did'nt get him first. Black bears are more afraid of you than you are of them and everybody knows it! Moe, if you really want to impress somebody go after a Grizzly with a knife.Im more disgusted than impressed slick!
[October 18, 2008 3:46 PM]
michael allenYEAH PRETTY SURE I HELPED DRAG THAT PIG OUT!! GOOD JOB MAN YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING!!!
[October 18, 2008 3:46 PM]
michael allenYEAH PRETTY SURE I HELPED DRAG THAT PIG OUT!! GOOD JOB MAN YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING!!!