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     Well the fourth week of bear season was a bit different for me.  I had not booked any hunters for this week, so I had elected to install my new Bergey Excel wind turbine at my home that week.   Pieter Huebner from Norman,  Oklahoma had flown out to assist me in stacking my tower and erecting the turbine without the use of a crane.  For those of you unfamilier with my background I was schooled as an electrical engineer prior to beginning my guiding carreer.  I have recently started a new business, Maine Guide Wind Power LLC which sells, installs and maintains residential wind turbines.  In researching the various turbine manufacturers I was drawn towards the Bergey Windpower Company turbine due to their excellent reputation.  In May when I attended dealer training in Oklahoma I had met Pieter and learned he was an avid hunter.  When I contacted him to get on his calendar I had suggested the fourth week of bear season to him to have some fun on a bear hunt while helping me to erect my turbine.

     Pieter flew into Bangor, ME on Monday.  After a meal at Captain Nick's restaurant, we headed to a couple of stores to pick up a few loose ends to aid in the erecting of my 120 foot tall tower and the 10kw Excel turbine.  We headed to Millinocket, and I gave Pieter a tour of my tower site.  We had some dinner and settled in to rest as we had some work ahead of us.

     Tuesday found us gathered at the work site and meeting a friend of mine Bob Lacombe who had agreed to lend a hand in the process.  Over the course of the day we got most of the tower erected.  We ended the day with a good meal hoping that the next day would be as smooth.

     Wednesday found us at the job site stacking the remaining tower sections, and then lifting the turbine to the top of the tower in two separate lifts.  The first lift hoisted the tail section up, and the second hoisted the alternator and blades up, which was then bolted to the tail section.  Once those sections were in place the tower wiring was hoisted up and attached to the turbine.  When the sun set on this day the turbine was nearly completed.

     Thursday Pieter and I finished the turbine wiring, and miscellaneous clean up around the site.  We then had time to gather our hunting gear and head out to hunt bears that afternoon.  I put Pieter out at a really active site and I selected a different one to hunt.  I did not see anything, Pieter heard a bear circle him, but was unable to see it.  We headed back for some great food and story telling.  We had about half a day of cleanup left on the tower to finish on Friday, so some rest was definitely in order as well.

     Friday found us hanging at the top of the tower, working our way down torquing each and every fastener on the tower.  Once we had that accomplished we ate some lunch and gathered our gear to go bear hunting.  My first stop was the stand I had hunted the day before.  We quickly checked it, and determined that no bear had visited since I was there.  I then headed to the stand that I had thought about putting Pieter.  This was the stand that Eric Nagy had seen a real large bear during the second week.  Pieter and I headed into the site. I was in the lead.  I have seen bears on the bait several times over the years, and had a feeling. As I rounded the corner in the trail I saw a LARGE bear on the bait.  I dropped down out of site and motioned to Pieter to get down as well, and whispered "load your gun".  I instructed Pieter to move slowly forward so he could see a bit , and look for cubs to be sure it was a male shooter bear.  I watched from the side lines as he raised the rifle and looked through the scope.  In what seemed an eternity he settled the rifle and squeezed the trigger, the 400 pound bear dropped in seconds after the shot.  We made sure the bear was dead then admired it and took some photos at the location.  We then had to get this large bear out of the woods.  I opted to go get a sled at the lodge, and gather another person for some help if we could find someone.  Luckily Bob Lacombe was at home and agreed to lend a hand retrieving this great bear. 

     Pieter is having a life sized mount of this great battle scarred bruin made to grace his lake house back in Oklahoma.  He has already had the skull cleaned and scored and if memory serves me correctly it scored 19 1/2", which is very good for a Maine bear.  What a way to end the 2008 season with a truly magnificent bear.