For seven months of the year, St. Joseph residents Carl and Susan Seek live their lives as normally as possible.

Once summer hits, however, the couple transitions into the rugged, remarkable roles of Canadian lodge owners. From May through September, the Seeks passionately pursue their love of running Bear Paw Landing in Ontario, where they specialize in archery, bear hunting and fishing.

The pair have owned and operated the lodge for more than 13 years, although Carl’s hunting experience in the area dates back to 1983. He first found out about the lodge through a magazine article and doing some research to find that the area offered some of the region’s best chances for taking big Pope and Young size bears.

Now, 26 years after his first appearance at the lodge, Carl seems just as enthusiastic about bear hunting and his love of the area as he was when he started.

“The only thing people don’t realize is how much work is involved in not only bear hunting but running the fishing and other parts of the lodge,” Carl Seek said. “You have to really love this lifestyle and what you’re doing and not just the hunting itself to do it.”

Such enthusiasm is one of the core requirements for the Seek’s daily developments at the lodge, as the lifestyle has its challenges.

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Carl vividly recalls a particularly taxing occasion that comes with the wilderness territory in which the Seeks operate their summer endeavor.

On a routine trip to bait some of their many bear traps, Seek’s traveling partner received a shock when his all-terrain vehicle plunged into a pond while attempting to cross a beaver dam. Seek scrambled into the mud and water to keep the vehicle from tumbling in completely and narrowly managed to rescue the ATV from becoming submerged.

Safely back on dry land with both vehicles, Seek and his companion faced an even more dangerous prospect — finding an alternate route back to the lodge with the day quickly slipping away.

The duo, completely soaked and covered in mud, forged a plan to blaze a trail through the dense Canadian forest and find their way onto a nearby gravel road. Shortly after finding the road, the sun plunged over the horizon and with it, so did the temperatures.

During the 16-mile journey back, the two men closely hugged their ATVs and tried to absorb every ounce of heat from the warm engines. Upon returning to the vehicle, they were met by a relieved Susan, who initiated her own search party.

While the incident sounds a little extreme, it’s simply another day in the life of the Seeks.

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The job has plenty of rewards for Carl and Susan, though.

One of the highlights at the start of bear season is making “stink bags,” burlap bags stuffed full of filleted fish scraps that have fermented in 55 gallon drums. The bags put off an aroma which would quickly turn the stomachs of most humans yet attract curious bears from up to two miles away.

The task of blending the stink bag contents requires more than a kitchen blender, however. Instead, Carl relies on a large cement mixer to prepare the bait he uses at nearly 140 stand sites, which are restocked every two to three days.

The amount of raw materials is staggering. To bait all his stands the first time, Carl uses 300 pounds of concentrated milk, 500 pounds of oats and nearly five gallons of grease. This lovely mix will be used up in just three days of baiting, and they’ll start the process all over again.

The first trips to bait the traps are always the worst, Carl Seek said, as the trails going in must be cleared of branches, trees and anything — even beaver dams. All the stands also must be checked for safety concerns and repaired before hunters arrive.

On average, the Seeks trek between 50 and 60 miles per day on their ATVs. To bait all the traps, they must leave the lodge at 7 a.m. in order to cover the trails, which spread over thousands of acres.

The Seeks host between 45 and 50 hunters during the short, four-week season and have hosted as many as 72. They even get to hit the hunting trails themselves most Fridays in search of prized bears.

While many dream of living such a lifestyle, it takes a real passion to do it as long as the Seeks have. It makes for a month of long days and nights but keeps the couple coming back every year.

For more information on Bear Paw Landing, log onto www.bearpawlanding.net or call (807) 938-6452.

Sports correspondent Jeff Leonard can be reached

at outdoors@npgco.com