Western Bear Hunting - There's Just Something Special About Heading West!

In this new column, the author explores the opportunity of heading West for bruins.

- Brian Strickland

He appeared just 12 steps to the right of the pine I was perched in, oozing towards the bait site like a ghost floating above the forest floor. His raven-black hide looked impressive through the screen of brush he was easing beside, and as he crept forward I knew my hunt was about to be over in a matter of seconds. With each step he inched towards the bait my heart rate increased, but when he paused and raised his nose to inhale the cool mountain air, he knew something wasn’t right. For 10 minutes he stood statue like, slowly turning his head from one side to the other surveying the area, and all I could do was wait.

I knew this Utah bruin couldn’t smell me because the mountain thermals were moving downhill at the time, and I hadn’t moved a twitch since he arrived. Like any wild animal with several seasons behind him, caution was a virtue that had brought him to this point, and I doubted the jelly-filled treats would cause him to completely throw that into the wind.

Other than the bear’s pumpkin-sized head that slowly scanned the area, he stood motionless, trying to locate any potential danger. For a moment I thought his cautious virtue was satisfied and he was going to move towards the bait, but when his coal-black eyes looked up and locked on mine, that all changed. If looks could kill, Search & Rescue would have found me dangling from the tree in my safety harness the following day. And as suddenly as the encounter began it came to a close as his bulky body lumbered back into the brushy mountainside from where he had come.