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Utah with hounds
July/Aug 2021 Volume 22 - Issue 4
Magazine
Cover photo by Jason Loftus Untamed Images
by Jana Waller
Pistols and Hounds in Utah
by John Baugus
10
In-Season Keys to Hunting Appalachia
18
By James Jurban
The Mountain Laughed
24
Use of Leashed Tracking Dogs
By Wade Nolan
By Jake Horton
Video Research on Bear Predation
30
by Tim Fowler
Culinary Metamorphasis
Overlooked Western Bear Hunting
32
by Kolby Morehead
38
Don’t Boil. Macerate
By John Murphy
Bear Hunting on Ebikes
By Steve Fielder
42
Cascade Big Timber
36
46
Columns
Cuddeback Trail Camera Contest Winner Win a Cuddeback Camera!
58 Bowhunting Bears by Bernie Barringer - Bear Guru
60 Western Bear Hunting
“Big Bear. Little Tree.” Stanley Edwards
To enter, submit a unique Cuddeback photo to editor@bear-hunting.com or post to our Facebook page Bear Hunting Magazine
by Brian Strickland - Western Hunter
62
Bruin Desinations -
64
Fleshing it Out -
by Al Raychard - Bear Hunting Veteran by Timothy Fowler - Renaissance Man
66 In Hot Pursuit - Guest
• Black Bear spot and stalk or over bait • Option to shoot 2 Moose and 2 Black Bear • Full Service Lodge • Full kitchen, running water, hot showers • Lodge sits on a 7.5 mile long lake • Fishing includes Trout and landlocked Salmon • All inclusive hunts
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Biggest Spring Bears in
Maine 603-860-8804
penobscothunter@hotmail.com March&Millco Outfitters Gavinsapp12@yahoo.com Trophy Caribou
• • PY and BC Bears taken every year in Newfoundland Outfitters rate on Caribou • 100% success March&Millco • 100% shot opportunity on Moose Caribou • Trophy • Potential at 50+ inch Moose and BC year in Newfo • PY Bear spotBears and stalktaken or overevery bait • Black to shootGuide 2 Moose and 2 Service Black Bear • Optionsuccess rate on Caribou • 100% Service Lodge • FullSpring *Offeringon black bear, shotrunning opportunity Moose • 100% 2019 water, hot showers • Full kitchen, moose and whitetail 7.5 mile longMoose lake • Lodge sits on ata50+ inch • Potential hunting in Maine • Fishing includes Trout and landlocked Salmon Bear spot and stalk or over bait • Black • All inclusive hunts
Penobscot
• Option to shoot 2 Moose and 2 Black Bear • Full Service Lodge Silent auction for moose water, hot showers • Full kitchen, running tags on tribal land Lodge sits on a 7.5 mile long lake 2018 Bear • 20 8/16” • Fishing includes Trout and landlocked Salmo 410 pounds *Spring bear• All inclusive hunts
www.penobscotguideservice.com www.bear-hunting.com
Bear Hunting
5
Pistols & Hounds in utah by Jana Waller @skullboundtv
The author hunted in Utah with her friend CJ, a houndsman, for a spring bear hunt. She’s taken bears by all different methods, but this was her first hound hunt.
10 Bear Hunting
July/Aug 2021
S tanding on a ridgeline at the very top of the mountain, we paused to look at the GPS. Not only could we see the hounds were hot on a trail, but we could still hear the unceasing chase echoing below us in the timbered canyon. Music to the ears of any houndsman. The pack was heading in a straight line and moving fast down the drainage. I stood soaking in the beauty of the Wasatch Mountain range of Utah, one of the prettiest places I’ve had the pleasure of hunting bears. Its thick oak brush and deep pockets of pines make it ideal terrain not only for bears but other big game including elk, muleys, moose, wild sheep, and mountain goats. The surrounding snow-capped peaks, from Mount Timpanogos to Nebo, make for a backdrop that’s hard to beat in the lower 48. After thirty minutes or so TJ, my friend and fellow houndsman, looked up from his GPS with a big grin. “Looks like they’re treed!” This was a first for me. I’ve hunted bears in almost every terrain and with multiple weapons. From spot and stalk in my home state of Montana to running my own baits just over the border in
www.bear-hunting.com
Idaho. I typically spend more time hunting black bears than any other big game species throughout the course of a year. But despite notching over a dozen bear tags, I have never had the opportunity to hunt bears with hounds. Like most predator hunting, it is widely misunderstood, that I knew. Nothing brings out the keyboard warriors on social media like a bear or cat hunt and when you add hounds to the mix; the lack of true firsthand knowledge seems to increase tenfold. If it was anything like the numerous mountain lion hunts, I’ve been on, I knew we’d work hard, cover a lot of strenuous miles and God willing have sore quads and shoulders with a heavy pack out. It’s safe to say that most critics of hound hunting have never actually been on one. For many years I’ve gone up into Alberta or Saskatchewan for spring bear hunting, but with the border being closed thanks to Covid I decided to put in for a Utah bear tag. My boyfriend John lives near the Wasatch unit and his co-worker TJ Pace is an avid houndsman. John is always sharing hunting stories of TJ and his crew, comprised mostly of Plott hounds,
Bear Hunting 11
The mountain
laughed The author’s first trip to Montana proved to be a big challenge with a color-phased reward. by James Jurban
The author ended up on plan “D” on this hunt after a quota closing the season in their zone and heavy snow pack in an area they assumed would be green.
24 Bear Hunting
July/Aug 2021
The mountains seemed to reject me as
COVID-19 swept in and Montana canceled non-resident hunting. A month later the ban was lifted,
and luckily I was still able to make time to go. I loaded the truck and headed north with the company of my good friend, Ben Vanklombenberg. Two days later, as we drove into southwest Montana, I purchased an over-the-counter bear tag, only to find out that I had to wait 24 hours to hunt after I purchased it. We were forced to spend our first day scouting. I heard a subtle laugh come from the mountains. We made it to camp and started up the trail, immediately switch backing a very steep incline. Things were looking good: dandelions were popping up along with other green grasses. This was exactly the kind of food source we were hoping to find on these south-facing slopes. It was the last week of May, and my research and advice from some acquaintances said we would hit the mountains at just the right time to intersect the bigger boars as they came down from the high country. High temperatures had been in the 60’s leading up to the hunt, but again the mountains pushed back, and temperatures were forecast to be in the mid 80’s all week long. Hot, just the kind of weather that reduces bear activity. Our hike took us through patches of cool, dark timber surrounded by hills of green grass. There was fresh sign everywhere. Ben and I pointed out piles of scat and fresh tracks every couple of minutes; we were elated. We stood among several large piles of fresh scat and took in the view as a large blonde boar stepped onto the trail 45 yards ahead. He stood broadside, having no clue we were there. The image of that beautiful mature bear sizzled itself into my mind as he left a fresh pile of scat before slowly waddling his way down into the timber below us. With plenty of food, fresh sign, and now a gorgeous bruin sighted, we decided to head down the mountain to enjoy some elk lasagna for dinner. After dinner, we drove down the mountain to get cell
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Bear Hunting 25
Overlooke Western fall bear hunting by Jake Horton
If you start discussing bear hunting with a
western hunter, especially one that lives or hunts in the northern part of the country, they love talking about spring bear hunting. Though
spring bear season gets a lot of attention, most western states also have a fall bear season that hunters shouldn’t overlook. In fact, there are only a handful of western states that have a spring bear season; however, nearly all western states have some sort of fall season. In the fall bears have great meat, lots of fat for rendering, their hides are in excellent condition, and they’re active while storing up reserves for winter denning. If you do not have plans this fall, consider heading west and buying a fall bear tag. Hunters can purchase many fall bear tags over-the-counter and they can be a great reason to get into the mountains this fall. If you already hold a western tag, a bear tag might be a good addon to your current tag. Bears can also be a good excuse to get into the mountains to scout for other species. It also can be an excellent way to tag along with your hunting buddies if they drew an elk or deer tag that you didn’t draw. Here are some tips to finding bears this time of year that will be better than just relying on good old fashion luck.
Where to start Success in hunting is all about preparation. Aside from financial costs and time off from work, the biggest question is where to hunt bears. Since nearly all western states have a bear season, you need to look at which one is right for you. However, if you are heading out west solely to hunt bears, you can pick whatever state suits you and gives you the best chance at a punched tag. The first thing you need to determine is tag availability. Most western states have an over-the-counter season, but some are drawn or have specific drawn units. If you are looking to go hunting this year, ignore those 32 Bear Hunting
July/Aug 2021
ed In the fall, most hunters in the West are chasing horns, but chasing bears might be your next best option. Over-the-counter tags, low pressure, and the opportunity for learning new country for other types of game in future years make fall bear hunting appealing.
www.bear-hunting.com
photo by Jason Loftus of Untamed Images
Bear Hunting 33
B
ear hunting can be grueling. You have to cover a lot of ground, haul bait and fill the drums in various spots along the outskirts of a strip of forest. 55-gallon drums are ideal for storing the bait but also great for field judging the size of the bear. But you can’t carry all that gear on foot. A truck or ATV is common practice for making those trips around the hunt line as long as you can access those lands by vehicle. However, the smell of exhaust and the noise of the motor will spook anything remotely close by. In recent years the popularity of fat tire electric bikes has increased a lot, and there are many benefits to using one. Ebikes are classed differently from state to state and depending on the power of the motor, can even be considered the same as a traditional bicycle. Hunters are using these ebikes because they can cover a lot of ground quickly. The motors are whisper quiet, so they don’t spook anything nearby and hunters get to their spots without sweating or leaving their scent.
Bear Hunting on an Ebike by John Murphy www.ebikegeneration.com
The Benefits of Bear Hunting on an Ebike These fat tire ebikes have motors that put out 160Nm of torque so climbing to elevation or pulling heavy weight on a trailer behind the ebike is no issue. Whether you need to pull behind a large drum or sacks of oats, the motor does all the work. Ebikes are powered by a rechargeable lithium battery, and depending on the size of the battery, the bike can power the motor for as much as a 60-mile range before needing to be charged. The top speed of ebikes can vary depending on the model, but the slowest is 20mph on throttle power alone. The more powerful motors can reach 35mph. While you won’t outrun a bear most of the time, it can get you out of a dangerous encounter in seconds.
Ebikes also have a nice feature called ‘walk-assist’. Let’s say you have a very heavy load on the trailer and you’re not confident you can tackle a difficult patch of terrain. You can walk behind the bike and engage the motor in walk-assist mode and the motor will run at a walking pace and still put out the full amount of torque. So, you don’t have to push the bike or even feel the weight of the load you’re pulling. You can hook on the trailer and carry up to 200lbs on the trailer and up to 300lbs on the bike. You can drop off the drums and bait and be back to your spot without any nearby game knowing you were even there. While an ebike won’t replace a truck, it can be an excellent addition. Pull it
Bears live in tough places, an ebike can make it easier to get to them. Check out www.ebikegeneration.com
36 Bear Hunting
July/Aug 2021
Ebikes have come a long ways in recent years and can be a good backcountry option for transportation where legal.
Riverside Lodge Manitoba, Canada
off the back of the truck and do the ‘last mile’ activities in silence. Some other general benefits of using an ebike include getting as much or as little exercise as you like. You can ride it like a regular bicycle, you can use pedal assist mode so you pedal and the motor helps so you feel like you have very powerful legs, and lastly, you can just engage the throttle and cruise along without exerting any energy at all. Ebikes are a huge help for guys with mobility issues like knee or other joint pain. It takes the pressure off and avoids undue stress on the body. Not to mention you can get out of dodge quicker than on foot!
Scouting For Bears on an Ebike Ebikes are a great tool for scouting. You get into locations that a larger vehicle either cannot fit or is not allowed access. You can cover a lot of ground and scout large areas of land in under an hour and be back at your camp or truck in a fraction of the time it normally takes on foot. If you set up trail cameras around a large perimeter you can get it done fast and stealthily. Whether you’re hunting for bear, elk, pig or turkey, an ebike is an excellent addition to a hunter’s gear. The rules for the correct use of electric bikes on state and federal land is getting more and more relaxed and the types of power allowances vary from state to state, so if you plan to take an ebike on your next trip, just check with the state beforehand. Whether you hunt on an ebike or not, stay safe out there. www.bear-hunting.com
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Bear Hunting 37
If you’re looking for the easiest & best way to clean your skull - this is it. 42 Bear Hunting
July/Aug 2021
Don’t Boil.
Macerate Article & Photos by Kolby Morehead
There are things in our lives that hold deep and
personal meaning to us. Most of the time it reminds us of an experience we hold close. A European
mount is a great way to preserve a memory. It takes up less space than regular taxidermy and the white skull has a sort of elegance that lightens up a room and produces some good contrast, complementing any decor. You would be surprised how many people that don’t like skin on taxidermy that enjoy this type of mount. There are different ways of doing a European mount, such as boiling and pressure washing the skull or using dermestid beetles. Boiling is bad for the skulls causing them to crack and deteriorate. Beetles are great, but are a hassle to keep alive. I believe these method are both inferior to a technique called mac-
eration. Maceration uses naturally occurring anaerobic bacteria in water that breaks down everything except the hard bone. Basically, you leave the skull in warm water (heated by an aquarium heater) for two to four weeks. The more often you change the water the quicker the process goes. I changed the water twice in a four-week period. When it’s done, all the tissue is easily removed from the skull. Then you’ll use some hydrogen peroxide to whiten the skull. There are consequences to using bacteria to do work for you. There is a nasty smell, but the beauty of the end product and how easy it is will make it worth it. You’ll want to wear gloves and a mask. A vapor rub will help manage the smell (I didn’t need it). Editor’s note: you can do this without the aquarium heater in warmer weather.
Boiling skulls is a thing of the past. It easily damages skulls and is labor intensive. Maceration is basically letting the flesh from the skull decompose in water. It works amazingly well. www.bear-hunting.com
Bear Hunting 43