2010 Bear Hunt Equipment Used by Fred Lutger
Fred Lutger gets his gear out for bearhunting.
Therma Cell: Don’t come to Canada without one. Each year the mosquito and black fly populations vary. The good news this year is the lack of black flies. The bad news was the swarm of mosquitoes. The first order of the day is turning on the Therma Cell as soon as we got to the bait sight. After a couple minutes in the blind we were mosquito free.
Barnett Predator Crossbow: This is my first time hunting with a crossbow. I sell a lot of crossbows in my store Freddie Bear Sports. I have shot them on my range but this year is my first time in the woods with one. I choose Barnett’s top-of-the-line crossbow, their Predator. I got the package with multi-crosshair scope, quiver, bolts and rope cocker. It was an easy assembly right out the box. This crossbow has an adjustable comb and butt plate. I needed the max distance on both. This crossbow shoots 375 feet per second. It shot the bolt through my bear so fast I didn’t see the hit. I would definitely suggest using lighted nocks. In the instruction manual Barnett insist you check the tightness of all screws after every 75 shots. Both screws in my scope mount came loose. I took off the scope and tightened them, remounted the scope and my first shot was to the left. I made a couple adjustments and was dead center. I checked and tightened the rest of the screws. When I get back to the States I am going to remove the scope mount and Loc-Tite those two screws. One feature I really like about this crossbow is it’s integral foot cocking stirrup. It is solid and makes cocking a breeze.
Grim Reaper Broadheads: One of the best broadheads I have ever used. I have killed turkeys, deer, wild boar and now a bear with this expandable broadhead. For this hunt I chose the Razorcut 125 grain 3-blade. This head uses Grim Reaper’s BulletRazor tip and .035 stainless steel blades that produce a 1 3/8 inch cut. I had a complete pass through on my bear. That is what I want. I want the most damage on the initial hit. And a pass through gives me two blood trails.
Primos Double Bull blinds: I used the Dark Horse model, my favorite. I rely on these blinds on more of my bait locations than tree stands. They are more versatile. I can set up on any site location in minuets. I do this often. I run a lot of baits and when I get one that is really hot I can put a hunter there with little or no commotion and hunt it immediately.
Plano Bow-Max Crossbow Case: Crossbows are a little more bulky than a compound bow. With the scope on top I want it really protected. Lots of equipment goes into the truck and trailer for the 14 hour trip up to camp. This hard case is airline approved and offers the protection I want. It has enough room for the crossbow with scope, bolts, cocker and comes with a small tackle box that holds broadheads, allen wrenches, rail lube and wax.
Vanguard B49 Camo Bi-Pod: This made shooting the crossbow much easier. I extended the legs to the perfect height of the blind opening. Resting the front of the crossbow on the “V” cradle on top gave me a rock steady hold. It also kept the crossbow at the ready. I set the front end of the crossbow on the stick and put the butt end on the ground in front of me.
Atsko Sent Free Soap: I am a big believer in keeping my body and clothes scent free when I hunt. I washed all my hunting clothes in Atsko’s Sport-Wash laundry detergent and used their body and hair soap every day of the hunt. Sitting on the ground 10 yards from a bear, I don’t want him to know I’m there.
