When I was sixteen and earned my freedom in the form of a driver’s license, I spent that summer exploring the mountains, forest and rivers. One summer day while fishing a local creek, I stumbled across a cinnamon color phase bear that was tearing up a stump and eating ants. Standing still so the bear wouldn’t run away, the afternoon was spent watching that bear instead of casting for trout. After that encounter, I became intrigued by black bears, reading everything I could about them and studying each one I came across in the mountains. The next fall I was able to tag my first bear, and like other bear hunters it fueled my passion for them. After packing a few other bears out of the backcountry, either my wisdom or aching body caught up to me and I began enjoying watching the bears more than harvesting them. But my respect and admiration kept me hunting bears each fall even if I chose to pass instead of pack another one off of the mountain.
Several years later on a fall day, while my youngest son and I were driving down a logging road to look for deer, we noticed an object in the middle of the road. Ryan asked what it was and at first I thought a logger had rolled a stump into the road. Then the stump slowly strolled to the edge of the ditch and Ryan shouted, “bear!” It was the first time he had seen a bear in the wild and the young six-year old was very excited. The cinnamon colored boar ambled away as we watched. Like me, he became fascinated with bears and this sighting began Ryan’s quest for his first black bear.
Denne historien er fra September - October 2020-utgaven av Bear Hunting Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra September - October 2020-utgaven av Bear Hunting Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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THE END OF 2020, CHALLENGES COMING IN 2021
SOMETHINGS EVERY SPORTSMAN OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT. STAY ENGAGED!
SPRING HUNTING IN MAINE
In 1982 Maine closed its spring season, but you can still spring hunt with an outfitter on some tribal lands.
Bears & Gobblers
SPRING BEAR & TURKEY IN MONTANA
Western Bear Hunting
Picking the right outfitter - Picking the right outfitter can make or break your experience.
Three Phases of the Spring
Understanding the Pros & Cons in the Timing of Spring Bear Hunting
Extreme Utility
Jeff Senger kills for a living.
Canning - Bear Meat
The last six months my non-hunting friends asking increasingly specific questions about how to turn animals into meat.
Bear Dogs - East vs West
The term “bear dog” means something different to every houndsman.
Alaska - One Last Grizzly (DIY)
NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, BUT THE AUTHOR HAS HAD A HECK OF A RUN ON ARCTIC GRIZZLY
Understanding Skull Size in Evaluating Trophy Black Bear
Black bears can be one of the most difficult big game animals to judge before the shot.