Hunting The Hunter 101

Spring black bear hunting offers a medley of reasons to participate.

- Mark Kayser

It provides you with a spring big game species to hunt months before the opening of fall big game seasons. It provides a reason to be in the mountains enjoying the blossoming of spring. It also could end with a magnificent trophy destined for your décor.

Of course the real adventure comes from the adrenaline rush of being within spitting distance of a large predator able to eat you. This is particularly true if you tackle this mission with archery gear. My favorite black bear hunting memories include my Mathews bow and staring face to face with a spring bruin. As docile as black bears look you have to treat them with great respect and prepare for the worst. If you do any amount of research and read about past black bear attacks you might be surprised. Experts are beginning to shed some startling new findings on the behavior and character of this predator found coast to coast.

One of the most astonishing revelations is that many of the attacks were not due to surprise encounters like those that occur in grizzly country. In fact, many bear experts now believe black bears to be the more aggressive of the two species when it comes to hunting and they believe black bears are actually more inclined to hunt you than a grizzly.