Doug’s bear

Hello friends, This week's column is a bit different, but it is very much about life through an outdoorsman's eyes. As many of you know, I lost Michelle Chiaro on June 15, 2022. If there is a definition of a soulmate, Michelle and I hit the grand slam and found each other. Simply put, we rocked no matter what we did, our interests were the same and we were very attracted to each other.

Michelle's favorite outdoor sport was bear hunting and anything to do with it. In early March of 2022, Michelle and I went exploring the frozen marshes of the Meadow Valley Wildlife Area as I had an idea for an area where I had seen a lot of bear sign the fall before on a duck hunt. We struck gold and found a peaceful spot near a large marsh. When April came along we started baiting it and had bears almost on day one.

In late May Michelle and I even camped in the area for a night just to sleep in the woods and run the baits. Obviously neither of us had a clue that Michelle would pass away in less than three weeks.

Michelle was Native American and closer to the earth than anyone I have ever met. She was also a big believer in dragonflies and that they are messengers from deceased loved ones. I have to tell you, this is extremely hard for me to write this week's column.

Doug Cibulka has been a good friend of mine since we were young boys and has been a part of our deer camp since the 1980s. Doug and I have fished out of a canoe together on Lake Michigan, trapped with his son Derek for many years and have been bear hunting partners for about 10 years.

Doug recently retired from his job at the UW Hospital in Madison. Though he had a tag this year, he has made it clear that this would be his last year as a bear hunter. The drive from Portage for five months is just too timeconsuming and that is understandable.

This summer was our most active bear baiting season since I started the baits in 2010. Simply put, lots of large, daytime bears, so many big bears, so often that we just quit talking about them and took turns running the baits.

About seven days before bear season opened, at least for Doug and I, someone flipped the light switch and we had no more bears, except for one very hot bait that had two large bears, but always after dark.

Doug stayed at my house 'Bear Camp' for eight days when the season started and neither of us came close to any action. After that Doug went home. I hunted for three more days and went on a fishing trip and to my good friend Chuck Rieb's celebration of life.

I think I should say this. Doug and Michelle were very close and all baiting season Doug said he was going to kill a bear at 'Michelle’s Bait' as we call it. About the time that I was giving the final toast to Chuck Rieb at a very well attended event, Doug had a dragonfly land on a branch next to him and sit there with him for a long period of time. Moments later Doug heard something coming his way and there was a black bear.

Doug's aim was true and even though I was not there we had a bear. When Doug called me and told his story it hit me so hard I had to get off the phone.

I am sure that there are people who think I have gone loco but knowing the love that woman had for Doug, bears and bear hunting, I guarantee you that she was a part of that hunt.

She was the best! Sunset