2022 - Issue 2 - March/ April

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Mar/Apr 2022 Volume 23 - Issue 2 Cover photo by @chelseahansler

by Chelsea Hansler

The Year of 174 Bears

by John Schneider

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Stalking Boreal Bruins

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By John Hayes

Hide Care & Repair

24

Use of Leashed Tracking Dogs

By Jake Horton

Spring Bear Hunting Mistakes

By Johnny Mack

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by Tim Fowler

Black Bear Jaeger Schnizel

You Can’t Out Give Good

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Bears & Wildfires

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Mountain Bear Challenge

by Tim Fowler

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By Seth Watts

By Brian Strickland

Legendary Bear Hounds: Jet

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Columns

Cuddeback Trail Camera Contest Winner Win a Cuddeback Camera!

58 Bowhunting Bears

“You about to catch these paws!”

Dustin Kunschke Shawano, Wisconsin

by Bernie Barringer - Bear Guru

60 Western Bear Hunting

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

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Bruin Desinations

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Fleshing it Out

by Al Raychard - Bear Hunting Veteran

by Timothy Fowler - Renaissance Man

66 In Hot Pursuit -

by Chris Powell - Houndsman XP

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Bear Grease The Editor’s Note Clay Newcomb

@clay_newcomb

Growing up in Arkansas, the spring brought with it two things: turkey hunting and good fishing. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized the spring had a bigger and hairier protagonist—the black bear. In 2013, I went on my first spring bear hunt in Alberta. I killed two bears with my longbow that week, the first in a tree stand, but the second while hunting off the ground. My life has never been the same. I’ve not missed a spring bear hunt since.

What other big game animal can you hunt in the spring? Their hides are beautiful, and their claws are long and sharp after their long winter sleep. Their meat is lean and clean, lacking the fat of fall bears, which is my only complaint about spring bears; there’s not much fat for rendering. Fresh green shoots of grass, the songs of newly arriving songbirds, and the warmer temperatures of the spring have now become embedded in my psyche and point to one thing—bears.

The Canadian borders are now open, and the bear outfitters are ready to roll. The hunting should be incredible this spring as the bear harvest has been low the last two years. I’ll be heading to Saskatchewan in June and can’t wait. Of all the hunts I do, it’s one of my favorites. I hope you’ll be able to get out and find some adventure in wild places this spring.

Have a great spring and don’t take for granted the opportunity we have to hunt bears. In Washington state, they’re trying to take the spring bear hunt away. We can’t let this happen. There are some great groups like Sportsmen’s Alliance and a new group called Howl for Wildlife that are fighting to keep our science-based hunting traditions alive, among many, many others. It’s important we utilize these groups and support them to help guard the gate.

Thanks for subscribing to Bear Hunting Magazine. Kolby and Joleen Morehead are doing a great job of managing the magazine and your support is valuable to us.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-Year (6 issues) subscription rate is $25.00 for U.S. address, $35.00* for Canadian address (in U.S. funds). 2-Year (12 issues) subscription rate is $45.00 for U.S. address, Bear Hunting (ISSN 1553-2488 and USPS 019451) is published bi-monthly by Bear Tracks $70.00* for Canadian address (in U.S. funds). (*rate is higher to cover extra postage) For more information, call us at: 479-839-4335, write to us at: Bear Hunting Magazine, P.O. Media, LLC, 4052 N Abington Ct., FAyetteville,AR 72703. Periodicals Postage Paid at Box 168, West Fork, Arkansas or E-mail us at: CustomerService@bear-hunting.com

West Fork, AR and additional mailing offices.

Copyright © 2015 Bear Hunting. All rights reserved. Articles, news items, advertisements or other print media do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Bear Hunting Media, POSTMASTER: Send address changes (form 3579) LLC is not responsible for injury/loss during the implementation of content. Bear hunting is a to Bear Hunting, P.O. Box 168, West Fork, AR 72774. potentially hazardous activity and people should take extreme caution when hunting.

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The Year of 174 Bears

by Chelsea Hansler @chelseahansler www.chelseahanslerart.com

With the onset of spring, the an-

ticipation was high as we loaded the dog box for the start of another bear season.

This is the familiar routine we execute the same way as most days and seasons prior on a variety of games. Despite the familiarity with a day that we have seen countless times, this season felt a little different.

The kids were alongside us since school was canceled once again, six-month-old puppies were loaded into the dog box for the first time, and there was a sense of contentment in our newfound adventure at our cabin.

It’s a strange thing to most people to live your life around the hounds and one that we don’t take for granted. We have shaped our world into one that prioritizes hunting and being in the great outdoors.

So much so, that we impulsively sold our home the summer of 2019 and moved to our hunt camp—smack dab in the middle of where we bear hunt. We are surrounded by thousands of acres of crown land—not a neighbor for miles—completely off the grid.

What was once our hunt camp, where we would gather after a day’s hunt for a few cold ones, has become our home. Not much has changed in that regard, but living here full-time has not been without its challenges. “Off the grid” can mean something different to everyone, but for us it has meant keeping things simple. All of our meals are enjoyed atop of our old timer wood stove or the barbeque and “indoor plumbing” consists of hauling buckets of water from the river.

Despite the outhouse runs in the deep cold of winter, we have all grown to love and appreciate this slow paced way of living: hounds on the couch, kids at play, and a www.bear-hunting.com

hot meal on the stove—what more could you ask for?

We were fortunate that the most impactful change for us with the ongoing mandates was that school was all completed remotely. With minimal internet access, our kids spent most of their “school days’’ learning through nature, hunting, and by experiencing life at a slower pace. Math was taught by counting the hounds as they lept from the tailgate, English by reading books while we were bouncing down bush roads, and Geology by exploring the various terrain we would cover in a day. A day of bear hunting turned into a world of learning possibilities and endless lessons that I won’t soon forget.

My daughter, the eldest of the two, astounded me with her ambition and drive to participate in every single outing. It is no small feat that she was able to keep pace with my husband all spring, both in days hunting and miles walked. Every bear tree, every bay up, she was there and she wouldn’t let you tell her otherwise. Even days that I suggested she needed some rest, she would refuse—lacing up her boots through her argumentative tears as she dashed for the truck.

My son, a year younger, hasn’t quite found the same desire as his older sibling yet, but through some imagination we managed to go on many “expeditions” and see many bears in a tree. We searched for the illusive prehistoric moose antlers on our treks, we walked through the mossy swamps looking for giant ground sloths, and even found a cave where the cave bear had likely slept. Despite not always being enthusiastic about the walk, I managed to step into his world and create a day of adventure fueling both of our interests—hunting and prehistoric mammals.

I realized years ago that if you can fuel their minds, their little feet are far more capaBear Hunting

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ble than we give them credit for. One hundred and seventy-four bears treed is proof of that truth (the kids and I being there for about half). When my husband set out with his goal of 100 bears by the year’s end, I knew that there were going to be many days where he would not be home. What no one expected was that we could hit that mark as a family only halfway through the year.

Of course, he then carried on through to the fall, treeing the remaining seventy-four bears by season’s end. By nearly doubling his goal and documenting each and every day to share amongst friends and family, it will surely be a year that won’t soon, if ever, be exceeded.

One hundred bears seemed like a far-fetched dream at the beginning of the season, but as the days went on, we crept closer and closer—treeing multiple bears a day. Before we knew it, the goal of 100 was fast approaching. We had countless adventures and made even more memories,

providing us with stories to tell for years. There were numerous bay ups, sows with many healthy cubs, and even some more disturbing instances where a boar had skinned a cub inside out during breeding season. We explored and found new places with the kids. There were laughs, an abundance of snacks, and, of course, there were tears. You would assume that these multiple bears in a tree would be tallied separately, but being the stubborn man that he is, counted one tree as such despite how many bears were above. To think that the kids and I only saw a fraction of the year’s events is astounding.

With the countless high points of the season also came some disastrous lows. The moment my phone rings and I see “Matt is calling” displayed across the screen, my heart stops.

From past patterns I know that generally a phone call when he’s hunting means one of two things: a dog is injured or he is broken down and needs me to come find him. On this particular fall day, it was the first. I could tell by his voice, which is usually calm even in the most hectic situations,

Bear hunting is a family affair for the author’s family. These trips often serve as learning opportunities for her children.

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that it was critical. The day following the my relief, he offered to help. Knowing the approxphone call was a blur of emotions and imate location from Matt’s description and decievents while everyone, including Matt and phering the rest from the track history on the GPS, two separate vet offices, fought to keep our we made our way to where we believed the bear lead dog and family pet alive. He sustained would be. To our dismay, after vigorous searching, a shattered shoulder, broken ribs, torn musit was nowhere to be found. cles, and severe blood loss, so our boy was The kids were getting cold, darkness was fighting for his life. This was the outcome looming, and the pressure in the air hinted at the from an injured bear that should have died weather shifting to rain. I felt defeated. Not wantfrom a typically fatal shot, yet managed ing to give up, I decided to search the same area to slide down the tree and take off once once more. This time I inspected every nook and again—a day that, for once, I am thankful to cranny knowing all too well how a black bear can have not been there for. disappear into the shadows of the forest. I peakThe bear, after running another few ed over some deadfall into a small gap between hundred yards, turned to stand its ground. two fallen logs and— to my disbelief—not ten But Hooch, not realizing it through the thick yards from where I walked twenty minutes prior, brush, ran directly into his grasp. Matt was was the bear—all 300+ pounds of it. running behind on foot, rifle in hand, and The work began as we instantly started could hear the struggle as well as the other skinning, working methodically with my brother on two walkers who just caught up, baying. one end and I on the other. The light was fading He readied his rifle to kill the bear on sight quickly and darkness began to fall. With the kids before it was too late. Still running to the tending to the flashlight and the hide removed, I sound through the thick alders, he could see carefully disconnected the large head from the the agitated bear and poor Hooch was sespine, leaving the skull removal for a later date. I verely bleeding. He took multiple shots—to rolled it up and threw it into my pack, moving on be safe—and the beast fell. to removing the quarters and any other meat we Barely alive, he threw Hooch over his could salvage. shoulders and dashed to the truck where Darkness enveloped us long before we our friend and daughter waited, without were done and to our dismay any indication at what had just unfoldwe could hear thunder in the ed. With the vet over an hour away, Matt distance. We strapped on performs first aid, keeping him conscious the packs with everything and stopping the bleeding while our friend loaded and began the drives. Not long after he arrives at the first heavy walk out. Within office, he is sent on to the next clinic over our first few steps four hours away so that he could receive it began to violently the blood transfusions he desperately need- rain, making it even ed for any chance of surviving. more difficult to see While waiting for updates, I welour way through the comed the task of retrieving the bear that thick swamp and entanwas still where he fell a few hours prior. My glement of alders. mind turned, calculating the timeline for the Thunder roared next few hours and if the kids and I could through the get the job done. It would take us over an woods, yet hour to get to the closest access point in the lightning addition to the hour-long walk ahead of us. was still far in If I could skin and quarter the bear within an the distance. hour, we could make it out just before dark- Sensing ness fell. My pack was already stocked with the my everyday supplies, including my knife and snacks, so I told the kids to get ready to go. On route, I called my brother to let him Time for an anatomy lesson. The know where I would author’s son is learning about be as a safety cardioligy. precaution and, to www.bear-hunting.

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kids’ uneasiness, I took the time while we trudged forward to teach them how to judge the distance of the lightning.

Realizing they were in no danger, we carried on. Step by step, we carefully made our way back to the truck. I stripped the kids from their cold, wet outer layers and wrapped them in what dry clothes I had. I cranked the heat and headed home. Back to cell service, I called Matt for an update and to notify him of our progress as well.

Hooch was stable—barely—but he was alive and the bear recovered.

The aftermath of the next few weeks resulted in heaps of bear meat, a dozen jars of bear fat, a beautiful hide, and likely many gray hairs on both of our heads. Miraculously, Hooch would come home weeks later, pieced back together by some very skilled surgeons. With a broken femur, a rib removed, pieces of his shoulder missing, muscles repaired, and infinite scars, he would undoubtedly rival Frankenstein. Despite the tribulations during those few weeks, everything became as it should with Hooch

still on our couch; he was healthy, eating all the pastries off the counter when our backs were turned and recovering to hopefully chase bears again come spring.

I realize that this past year was unique and extraordinary in more ways than one. As an eternal optimist, I will forever see the silver lining. The lockdowns have been no exception; it allowed us to spend day in and day out exploring the woods as a family following our hounds. We’ve lived through a season we will likely never encounter again.

With our obligations on hold, all that existed in a time where the country stood still was us.

For me, a wonderful addition to hunting has been painting. This took up almost all of my time and it brought me to the realization that this is where I belong—hunting by day, painting by night. A dream that five years ago wouldn’t have seemed possible because I had never picked up a paintbrush before. Through countless hours of practice and taking on commissions across the continent, I have arrived at a place where I can The author enjoys bear hunting and took this one with her bow.

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paint the subjects that my heart loves: hounds, wildlife, and the rugged, raw moments spent in the woods. It is my hope and my dream to paint these moments, providing a glimpse into these fractions of time that provoke a memory for houndsmen, for outdoorsmen, and for people like me. This year is full of possibilities in more ways than one, and you can expect many original paintings depicting the stories of our unforgettable bear season.

Right: The author and her family celebrate treeing their 100th bear of the season.

Below: The author creates art inspired by her hounds like the painting here. Check out her website at www.chelseahanslerart.com and find her on Instagram @chelseahansler

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Stalking Boreal Bruins

by John Schneider

@foodafieldpodcast www.foodafieldpodcast.com

Bear camp at 1am after a long and successful day of hunting.

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He was the most significant black bear I had seen in 10 years, and he was only 100 yards across the legume-rich meadow from where I lay. I was surprisingly calm, however, as I could only see the top of his back in the high foliage.

His female companion was even less visible. I was downwind of the bears and a stalk to get closer was unthinkable in the dry, late-May weather. The stalky clover, dead from last season, was crunchy; it was like walking on a large packing bubble sheet. My mind was busy trying to figure out what to do, which I think helped with the nerves. I didn’t know it at the time, but my adrenaline would be flowing hard within minutes of this particular moment.

Bear hunting in Alberta is especially enjoyable. There are giant bears here and we have options: We are allowed to bait in the province, but not in all jurisdictions and not where this particular hunt takes place. I could, if I wanted, go to more eastern boreal forest environments and throw out some barrels of meat scraps and oats. I have done just that in years past and it is an entirely successful way to hunt bears. It is also a lot of work, time, and commitment. Frankly, I am just not too excited about sitting in a tree on long late-spring evenings waiting for bears to come to me. I’ll do the same thing every fall when I bow hunt whitetails. Bear hunting is different for me, though. I prefer the spot and stalk hunting style necessary for the wildlife management units where Grizzlies are present and baiting is not permitted. Alberta has such varied terrain, and black bears are everywhere!

I’ve

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stalked them in the towering river bluffs of the Peace River, the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and here in the relatively flat expanse of boreal forest, crisscrossed with oil and lumber leases, and unmaintained roads and cutlines.

This region is the most difficult to hunt, for it is challenging to see the bears in the flat, heavily forested terrain. I should qualify that statement: it is easy to drive the roads and spot bears in the ditches as they feed on clover. But that is just not how I want to spend my hunting trips. Riding in the vehicle for hours is effective, but hardly satisfying. So on this particular trip, we had decided to put the miles on our boots instead of our tires.

Over the years of “trunting” this area and filming episodes for the web series “From The Wild”, we had discovered several different bear hot spots. I found myself in one of these areas on this particular spring evening, May 24th. The dry Spring meant that I could indeed drive the Suzuki down the overgrown cutline for a few miles and then hike in the rest of the way, perhaps another mile or so to the meadow. Oil and gas lease sites, once abandoned, are seeded in legumes by the businesses that have leased the public land. Of course, this makes prime habitat for both spring and fall hunting of bears and ungulates.

The meadow was perhaps four acres, surrounded by mixed woods of dark spruce and aspen parkland. A drained beaver marsh, lush with dark green grass, sits immediately adjacent to the meadow. Each Spring, frogs call excitedly along the stream and moist soil of the beaver flats and fields. The spot I overlooked was immediately identified as a prime location to spend more than one evening looking for bears.

I had already spent a few nights at the meadow and had seen nothing before the fateful night in late May. I was disappointed in the results, but hunting bears in this manner is difficult. It was simply a matter of putting in the time before an encounter would happen. Walking past the meadow earlier in the evening and seeing nothing, I continued to the cutline crossing and turned to sneak along its length towards the beaver flats. I couldn’t accept previous failures and had to retry. I spent several hours glassing the flats. The breeze was gentle and the bugs were few—a glorious way to spend an evening. With the sun setting, I decided to work my way back towards the meadow. It would take me an hour or so if I went slowly, so that was the plan.

On my way back across the green flats and up the steep slope towards the cutline path that would take me where I wanted to be, I suddenly felt an unusual sensation and looked up. A brown muzzle, black ears, and small, glassy eyes stared back at me through the sparse undergrowth of the spruce thicket. The bear was perhaps 10 yards from me, and I am reasonably sure that neither of us was more startled than the other. We stared at each other for a few seconds. Then, with a swing of its head, the bear disappeared back towards the direction of the meadow. Game on.

The bear was spooked but wouldn’t feel that way forever. I suspected that a

Skinning the big bear was easy with the help of Jeff Senger.

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calm approach would be better than running towards where I had just seen it. The stalk began, and I crept up the hill towards the cutline. In the distance, the bear left the trail and went into the forest, perhaps 100 yards away when I reached that vantage point. I noticed no panic in the bruin. If I didn’t chase it, I might have another chance. I slowly stalked through the tall grass and saplings, all the while staying vigilant and wanting to avoid another surprise encounter. I was confident that I would see the bear for our subsequent meeting first, and the advantage would be mine.

For the following hour, slowly, methodically, I moved along. My eyes were constantly scanning the undergrowth for movement or black fur. Eventually, though, I found myself at the crossroads of the two cutlines.

Turning left, I would very quickly be back within view of the meadow: that was the direction the bear meandered, so the decision was simple. Within seconds of scanning the large field, there was a bear! The dark blob in the distance was unmistakably alive, even without moving.

The snap to attention was immediate and startling. And now, I did indeed have the advantage.

Skinning the big bear was easy with the help of Jeff Senger.

An exhastive evening of adreneline and hard work.

www.bear-hunting.com

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The wind now became my main concern. I angle across my view. Suddenly, the grass was knew where the bear was. I knew it felt unpursued. shorter, and at fifty yards, I had my scope filled All I had to do was slowly walk the lease road to with black fur and the crosshairs centered in a the upwind edge of the meadow. A small berm spot just behind his massive shoulder. made a perfect rest to lay prone and steady the The shot echoed across the meadow. The 7mm mag for a shot. Then I suddenly realized there sound reverberated off the trees and hills, and were two bears in the meadow. The bear I pursued the bear hunched and ran. Years of experience became a non-concern as her companion, a giant told me to get another shot as bears are notoriboar, dwarfed her. Nothing was visible but the top ously rugged animals. Now freehand with the old third of his body. As the big bear buried his head Remington and the bear running, I squeezed the in the green lushness of clover, there was nothing trigger, and the butt of the rifle slammed into my I could do but wait. I was in a good spot. Trying shoulder. The bear fell and slid across the wet to force a better encounter would most certainly grass. And then he was still. backfire, I convinced myself. I needed patience.

This big boar was the largest bear that The bears fed side by side on any of us had seen in our ten years of hunting the far edge of the meadin this area of Alberta. The choice to hunt ow for perhaps with a more enjoyable process had paid thirty minutes. off. Even if the story had ended difDuring ferently and I hadn’t that killed a monstrous bear, the lesson was the same: hunt

the most enjoytime, I was conable way and keep stantly scanning for pride in the process. Pursuing alternative options to bears on foot led me to more inaccesget closer. Unfortunately, the stalky, dried clover sible areas, which no doubt impacted how this wouldn’t allow it. And then suddenly, the pair split story unfolded. and the boar started across the meadow on a slow walk. He had lost interest in the sow and had evidently come up with a better plan in his mind.

The crunchy grass that was a disadvantage only a few seconds ago now became my greatest asset. His noise would allow me to get ahead of him towards a pipe stub sticking up out of the ground, a leftover from past gas extraction practices. He would be walking directly towards me, closing the gap and hopefully emerging from the tall foliage to expose himself for a shot. I would also be able to use the pipe as a rest.

The plan worked to perfection. As the bear walked, so did I. When he stopped, I stopped. I got to the capped-off stub of the pipe and readied for the impending encounter. By now, the boar was about seventy yards away and moving at an The skull measured 19.8” just shy of the Boone & Crockett minimum.

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The author, John Schneider, is the host of the foodafield podcast. Check out all of his content on his website.

- www.foodafieldpodcast.com -

Nothing from this bear will go to waste. The author utilizes the whole bear.

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It’s not a vacation.

foxford, Sk

It’s a hunting trip.

They’re waiting for you deep in the remote wilderness of Saskatchewan.

Huge trophy bruins in a variety of color phases weighing as much as 500 pounds and every ounce of it full of challenge.

Incredible trophy bears live here. Go after them.

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Hide Care & Repair

HOW TO CARE FOR HIDES AND WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS GO WRONG!

by John Hayes

@hayestaxidermy

Clay Newcomb reached out to me with a picture of his bear that he had just gotten back from another artist with questions about some spots on the bear. He sent me a few pictures and from there I realized his bear had been severely damaged during the skinning and shaving process, leaving it with bald spots all over its head and body. Clay wanted to turn his trophy bear into a rug, so he asked if there was anything we could do to repair it. He brought us his bear, and once we received it I saw there was an immense amount of damage done. From there, the repair process started.

Once we repaired it, we posted before and after pictures on our Instagram page. We received lots of comments on these pictures like “I didn’t think that was possible” and “I thought it was ruined”. We also received a great deal of questions from people on how to avoid this from happening to them.

How to avoid damage to your trophy?

So the question is, how can you avoid anything bad happening to your trophy animal?

We strongly encourage that before you even go on that bear hunt, you do your research on the taxidermist you choose—look at their work, ask questions, and get referrals. If you are using a guide or an outfitter, don’t be afraid to use your chosen taxidermist over someone they recommend or provide if you know they do quality work.

Start to picture what you would like done with your bear before the hunt begins—

see? Know what you want when discussing options with your taxidermist, and make sure they have the ability and the time to bring your bear to life using quality products and processes that will insure your mount will last.

If the taxidermist you choose is not local to you, talk with them about the best way to transport the bear to their location. Find out what cuts they prefer in the field, such as dorsal cut or abdominal cut. If you are not experienced in the cuts they prefer, do your research and watch some videos. The cuts you make in the field are very important, especially with a rug because you want them to be symmetrical cuts. If the taxidermist you choose is local, talk with them to find out what cuts they prefer. If you are not experienced or do not feel comfortable doing it in the field, ask them if they would take the animal whole but gutted so they can cape it themselves to reduce the risk of error. No matter if your taxidermist is local or not, ask them for tips on field preparation and care for your bear to help ensure a good mount is produced.

options usually include rugs, flat tans, shoulder mount, half-life size, and lifesize. If you want a life-size done, will your bear be This hide was damaged standing or walking? What habitat do you wish to through the tanning process and needed repairs.

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Preparing your bear for the taxidermist Here are some of our tips on the best way you can properly prepare your bear for your taxidermist: •

• •

•

• • •

•

•

•

If you do not know how to skin or cape the bear in the field, let someone who knows how do it (such as your guide/outfitter). Or your taxidermist could take the bear whole. If you are hunting by yourself or cannot get the bear out whole, we strongly encourage you to ask the taxidermist what cuts they prefer and learn how to make those cuts because the lack of skill can ruin a mount.

You want to skin the bear as soon as possible, leaving the head and paws attached.

Unless you are experienced or have someone with you who is experienced, do not remove the hide from the face. Cut the head off at the base of the neck once you have skinned it.

If you are planning for a shoulder mount, leave lots of cape behind the shoulders. Your taxidermist can always cut off excess, but if there is not enough hide to work with a shoulder mount cannot happen.

If you are rugging your bear, your cuts need to be symmetrical.

You want to remove as much fat and flesh from the hide as possible.

Once skinned, fold the hide flesh to flesh. If you can get to the taxidermist within a day or two, the cape and head can be put in the refrigerator. However if you cannot get to the taxidermist that fast or if you are shipping it, it needs to be frozen.

Talk with your taxidermist before your hunt about whether or not they would like you to salt the hide. Most taxidermists don’t recommend salting the hide unless you cannot get to a cooler/refrigerator or freezer for a few days.

Do not leave the cape and head laying around for too long before putting it in a cooler or freezer because the soil, blood, and moisture will grow bacteria. This will cause the hair to slip: if that happens, your cape is ruined.

If you are not using a local taxidermist in your hunting area but you need help preparing your bear cape, ask your guide/outfitter in advance for their assistance and request shipping instructions from your chosen taxidermist.

This hide was in rough shape when the taxidermist received it. After 20 years of experience the author had the skills needed to repair this bear hide.

Right: The repaired hide shows no signs that it was ever damaged. A night and day difference!

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Types of Cuts You Can Make Dorsal Cut This is mostly used for a standing bear looking at you (because the seam will be in the back). From the neck/shoulder area, you will need to insert your knife under the skin and with an upward motion cut down the spine toward the tail. Cut through the tailbone leaving the tail with the hide. Now start pulling up on the hide and cut between the meat and the hide, working each side. Cut off the neck at the shoulder area and continue down the legs. Go as far down as you can to the paw and cut it off (do not cut through the bottom of the pad).

Abdominal Cut This is mostly used for rugs, walking bears, or similar poses. Lay the bear on his back: start an incision between his front legs and the center of his chest and go toward the tail area, keeping your knife under the skin and pulling upwards so as not to cut any hair. Go to the right or left of the penis and down to the tail. Now from where you first started, go up the inside of each leg staying in the center to the paw (do not cut through the bottom of the pad). Do the same on the rear legs. Now start pulling up on the hide and cutting between the meat and hide. Cut off the neck and wrist leaving the head and paws with the hide. You will need to work one side, then the other.

Repairing a Cape If your trophy cape gets ruined somehow, we highly recommend doing research on the taxidermist who will repair it. No taxidermist is going to have the same answer; we all have different ways of doing things. My knowledge of repairs 20 years ago is much less advanced than the knowledge I have now. There are many things that cannot be fixed, but not everything is impossible: you just have to find the right taxidermist.

Damage to the hide was not only on the head.

The leg and the body of the bear hide had to be heavily repaired as well.

The taxidermist was able to save the hide and make a classy bear rug!

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Avoiding Four Common Spring Bear Hunting Mistakes

by Jake Horton

@wildernesspeak

Spring bear hunting has become a prevalent time to chase bruins on public land throughout different parts of the United States. At least nine states offer a variety of spring bear hunts, including Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, and Maine. This time of year can be some of the best opportunities to harvest a bear in these states, which are comprised of thick mountains and dense timber. During this time, you will find bears out and about during daylight hours more than any other time of year.

These bears are done with their winter den and will search for food and a mate at all costs: this makes them more susceptible to being hunted as they feed on grasses, forbs, insects, and any dead or alive animals they can get their paws on. With these favorable conditions, you would think that every Do It Yourself (DIY) hunter can go out and harvest a bear; however, this is not true. Below are four common mistakes that keep a lot of bear hunters, especially new public land spring bear hunters, from filling their tag. If you can avoid making these mistakes, your chances of harvesting a bear have already increased.

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This is a good glassing spot looking down into a few fields without snow in them.

WRONG ELEVATION FOR THE TIME YOU ARE THERE Many new hunters do not know that bears start denning at different times of the year, depending on various factors—weather, food scarcity, hormonal changes, and decreased daylight. Depending on these same factors, they also emerge from their dens every year at different times. Typically the higher up in elevation, the earlier a bear dens, and the later it will emerge from its den in the spring. Many new bear hunters find themselves honing in on a particular area in the spring only to find no bears, while another hunter in the same unit or area is onto bears every day. This is not always because one hunter picked a good spot and another did not; the bears might not be out of their den at that elevation or have been out for over a month already and are primarily nocturnal again. Understanding that bears living at different elevations have different schedules is crucial to planning and hunting.

It is always suggested that a prospective hunter hone in on different areas at different elevations to counter this problem. This will give a hunter multiple options if an area is still snowed in or not accessible, which may cause a hunter to chase bears at a lower elevation. On the contrary, a hunter may find a bear sign in an area that is weeks old and needs to move to higher elevation. An adaptable bear hunter is a successful bear hunter.

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PICKING POOR GLASSING/SHOOTING POINTS Bears live in some of the thickest and nastiest parts of the mountains, and finding glassing points can be difficult but is extremely crucial. No matter how many times you mark out a spot, tilt your 3D map to determine your vantage, and try to assess shooting lanes, it is always tricky. Many DIY hunters pick poor glassing or shooting points. When selecting glassing points, it is vital to think about what you will be able to see from that location: Is it enough terrain or too much? Can you shoot from that position, or will you have to move once you spot a bear?

It is also important to consider thermals (which carry wind up and down a mountain), as well as the prevailing wind since bears will spook very quickly if they smell your scent. Do not forget to consider the direction of the sunrise and sunsets.

Ensure you are not trying to glass directly into the east in the morning or west in the evening.

If you don’t consider this, you might not be able to see a bear that emerges at first or last light because of the The author stresses sun’s glare. Overall, knowing your shooting ability and your effective range with your weapon of choice.

Mar/Apr 2022

selecting a glassing or shooting point is super important, but it is something that many DIY hunters do not do or simply do incorrectly. Pay attention to the little details, and you will be better off for it.

OVER-ESTIMATING SHOOTING ABILITY Most hunters, especially non-mountain hunters, have a huge problem that keeps them from notching their tag: they overestimate their shooting ability when planning a hunt or when in the field. It is a widespread mistake for a hunter to pick a back basin that looks prime for spring bears, then arrive at their shooting point only to glass their bear up at over a mile away with no way to get closer.

This problem starts with planning. When you are e-scouting, you need to understand the distance between your shooting areas and your bear habitat. Most online hunting maps like goHUNT Maps, onX Maps, and others have a way to measure a straight line or shooting distance across a valley. This can be highly beneficial if you are trying to see if your gun can shoot across a valley before you get there.

Once you are at a shooting position, there is a second problem I know many DIY hunters struggle with often. They tend to have longrange rifles that can shoot a thousand yards, but they are not practiced or skilled enough to do so. Do not overestimate your ability when planning or hunting; instead, find a way to close the distance and make an ethical shot on your bear. As a rule of thumb, remember that most basins seem bigger in real life than they look on a map.

POOR SHOT PLACEMENT Imagine you found a unit with bears, found the correct elevation, and even picked a good glassing and shooting location, only to have a bear come out in the open. Now all you have to do is shoot the bear, which should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong! In fact, many hunters make it this far only to come home empty-handed. But, why? Black bears are notorious for being tough to kill over a long distance because their vital area can be hidden by long fur and extra fat. Most guides and hunters advise you to aim the center body vertically while 4 to 5 inches back from the shoulder.

It would be best to only take a broadside shot on a bear to get two holes in the animal. Since they have a lot of fat and loose skin, it is possible that the entrance or exit holes could get plugged and the blood trail limited, making it hard to recover the animal. A well-hit bear will die quickly; however, a poorly hit animal can survive for days. Only take shots at distances that you have practiced and are confident in. Don’t aim too low on the body, and you won’t make a mistake that many hunters do.

Overall, bears can be a blast to hunt, especially in the spring. They are out in full force, feeding or getting ready for breeding season. This puts them out in the open for longer than any other time of year; however, it still can be a problematic hunt if you do not plan correctly. You need to avoid the mistakes of others and give yourself the best opportunity to harvest an animal. To achieve success, plan multiple different spots at different elevations, pick great glassing and shooting points, do not overestimate your shooting ability, and understand a bear’s anatomy and shot placement. If you can do these four things correctly, your chances of taking home a bear in a week-long hunt are pretty good.

The author likes to glass south facing slopes. In this area he was able to glass two bears.

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You Can’t Out Give Good

The author celebrates some good news of the governor from West Virginia giving the order to save a boy’s bear dogs.

by Johnny Mack

If you are a hunter that keeps their finger on the pulse of this world and the news that follows, you would understand that hunting is under attack more and more every day.

All over this great nation, a group of politicians combined with anti-hunting organizations are pushing to remove hunting opportunities and eventually hunting all-together as a whole. As Clay Newcomb would say, “We need to stay vigilant and active in order to ‘guard the gate.’”

While standing united and actively involved to protect our hunting heritage and our right to procure our own food, we also get to celebrate the successes and feel-good stories that often go unnoticed. As the saying goes, “Bad news travels fast, while good news takes the scenic route.”

On my podcast, “The Soulful Hunter”, I stand upon the belief that mentorship is conservation and that you can never out give good in life. What we put out into the world or universe naturally boomerangs back into our lives—delivering blessings that we could never imagine. Some might know this as the “Law of Attraction.” The blessings that we receive from giving good might not always 32

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return in a timely manner or look in a way that we would expect, but they nevertheless end up rewarding us in some unexpected fashion.

As this world is constantly trying to divide us into categories and labels, I would like to see all of us return our focus back towards love—love for one another and an attitude of win-win rather than a divisive win-lose attitude. Leading with a heart of love and standing in ownership of our actions and words allows us the ability to change the world for the better, one moment at a time. In the words of Mahatma Ghandi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

So how does celebrating the wins, sharing the good news, and leading with love go hand in hand? If we as humans are the sum of the people that we surround ourselves with, then we could also reword it to say we are the sum of the news we fill our minds with. Putting emphasis on the good of this world helps usher in a better public persona and message for hunting, which further helps us advocate for an activity Mar/Apr 2022

@washington_backcountry @thesouldfulhunterpodcast The author (above) is the host of ‘The Soulful Hunter Podcast’. You can tune in wherever you listen to podcasts.

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that is so life-transforming and powerful.

At the end of December, a pack of bear dogs in West Virginia got lost as they chased a bear. Eventually, they ran into a cave where the dogs fell over 100 feet, becoming injured and trapped inside with the bear. As the gravity of the situation set in, the hunters discussed what to do and ended up calling for help in support of the rescue.

In true fashion of bad news traveling fast, the word of the situation reached Governor Jim Justice (an owner of hunting dogs himself). He uncompromisingly decided to do whatever was needed to rescue the bear dogs. The local volunteer fire department, EMS, and the Natural Resource Police all responded in a collective effort. The fire department’s Chief ended up rappelling roughly seventy feet down where he met the bear loitering on an edge approximately fifteen feet below him, while the bear dogs were another thirty feet below the bear.

After an intense standoff and a hair-raising encounter, the bear took off as the Chief was able to reach the two dogs who were found alive and banged up. One dog suffered tissue damage around their eye, while the other ended up with a broken pelvis. As the dogs were returned to their owner after almost an hour-long rescue, it was nice to see the community—all the way up to the Governor—step up and support hunters in need.

This story is a perfect example of humanity rallying around one another and leading with love. It is important for us to remember that we not only represent ourselves and our families, we also represent hunting and the community of hunters as a whole wherever we go in this world. The more we as hunters can share the good news 34

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The hounds fell over 100’ into a cave with the bear. The local fire chief repelled down to retreive the banged up hounds.

The bear left the cave after a standoff with the fire chief and the dogs were rescued.

Mar/Apr 2022

The hounds are reunited with their owner. Long live the boy and his hounds!

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of humanity, the more that hunting will continue to have a positive light shined upon it. The concept of someone never out giving good can also be backed up with the idea of ROI, or better known as “return on investment.”

I am a firm believer that humans who are successful and/or fulfilled in life tend to have somewhat of an understanding of the concept of ROI, even if they are not aware of it. As hunters, we know that the more effort we put in during the off season, the better the reward will be in the fall. We may not recognize this effort or work as being an equation of ROI or even as the reward for putting good out into the world, but it is. When we look back in time, I’m sure there are several examples of this scenario playing out to be true in all of our lives. Intentionally putting good out into the world is paramount to the advancement of society as a whole, not solely something just for the hunting world.

To unpack this further, let’s use an example that you have five dollars and you could either buy a hamburger or a book. Depending on your circumstances or dire need, the book would yield a greater return on your investment because of the knowledge which you would gain and long-term application of use that would not just end with you.

Compare that to the instant gratification and sustenance that the hamburger would yield, which would last only a short while.

Being intentional and present is a hard thing to start practicing if you have never done it, but it will lead toward endless rewards when put into action. In this coming year and in future hunting seasons, the more focus and intent you put on the good in life, the more you will reap. Just like the Good Book says, “What you sow, so shall you reap”.

The Law of Attraction is undeniable and is something that you can start applying to your life today as we continue to guard the gate and be ambassadors for what we love.

Always remember to celebrate the good, focus on the positive, and stand vigilant while leading with love and the knowledge that you can never out give good. Stay soulful!

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Bears & Wildfires

by Seth Watts

@blackbearpursuit

If you are from or are familiar with California, you know that there is no shortage of black bears or wildfires. California has one of the highest black bear populations in the lower 48. California’s black bear population has increased over the past 25 years. In 1982, the statewide bear population was estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000. Presently, the statewide black bear population is conservatively estimated to be between 30,000 and 40,000; but, I believe the population is over 50,000 and growing. The yearly hunting quota for black bears is 1,700 and the quota has not been met since the outlawing of hunting bears with hounds. That law was passed in late 2012 and went into effect in 2013.

Since then, the bear population has exploded, and the ungulate population has plummeted. We all know how much black bears have an effect on our elk and deer fawns.

My obsession with bears and bear hunting did not start until 2013 when I had 36

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The author had to adapt when wildfires claimed his scouted hunting area.

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my first encounter with a black bear while out bear out in the middle of winter looking for a quick bite to eat and then go back to napping. hunting other wildlife. I came across a bear I would say that I really dove into bear that was in a tree. That year, I did not have hunting in 2016 but didn’t fill my first bear tag a bear tag and up until that point had never until 2018. Hunting bears has become somethought about hunting bears. I’m glad that I didn’t have a tag because I was uneducated thing I’m still learning more and more about. on bears and I would have shot it, not thinking Over the past few years, I have also gone out of state to hunt spring bear seasons in Montana of giving the bear a good look over before since we don’t have a spring season here in pulling the trigger. As it turns out, it was a California. I hope to eventually hunt spring bear sow with two little furball cubs. It was quite the experience—something I’ll never forget. It season in every state west of the Rocky Mounalso triggered something inside of me to study tains. Growing personally and as a hunter has led me to share my passion for hunting bears more about the bears in my area. I slowly started to learn where they live, what they eat, with other people on Instagram @black_bear_ pursuit in 2020. and that a lot of bears don’t even hibernate The year 2021 was a big year for me: I here in California. They go into what is called a torpor mode. Many animals once thought to was successful in taking a bear with my bow for hibernate, including bears, only enter a lighter the first time. I set the goal in 2020, but after sleep-state called torpor. Torpor also involves sitting in my tree stand for probably less than 5 decreased breathing, heart rates, and a lower minutes, I dry fired my bow, blowing it up while checking for clearance from the branches of metabolic rate. A bear’s body temperature the tree my stand was in. Epic fail and embarreduces slightly. It is not uncommon to see a The author with his first California black bear.

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The author was determined to get a bear with his bow. after driving over 4 hours to get away from wildfires he found his opportunity.

rassing, but I’m not afraid to admit I did it. The 2020 archery season was officially over, though. I was down-and-out for a while afterwards. Even though I know I’m not the only one that’s made that mistake, it still stung. What made it hurt even worse was that my camera in that area showed a nice chocolate bear come by a few hours later. Even if I was able to get my bow fixed, a forest fire had started nearby and Sierra Pacific had closed the area I had been hunting. Fast forward a few months later when rifle season opened. I took a giant color phase black bear that scored over 20 inches, so you might say I somewhat redeemed myself and my self-confidence.

In 2021, I was even more determined to take a bear with my bow then I was in 2020. I started scouting in early April—a few months earlier than I normally do. I was focusing on three different areas I had scouted the previous year that were producing a good www.bear-hunting.com

number of bears. Things were looking really good for the upcoming archery season with my cameras showing even more bear activity then previous years, so I was getting excited. As many people know, July 13, 2021, the Dixie Fire started and burned for months, destroying hundreds of thousands of acres and threatening the

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areas I had been scouting for months. That fire eventually forced a closure on all National Forest and Sierra Pacific property, and I thought for sure my season was over before it even began— again.

Since I began scouting earlier in the season at elevations I normally hunt late in the year (during Fall), I remembered that I had seen some good bear signs. Not wanting to give up on my goal of punching a bear tag with my bow nor my 2021 season, I decided to give it a chance and hunt that area since the land was still open.

I made the four-hour drive on a last-minute decision and got to camp at about midnight.

I woke up that next morning at about 6:30 am and started making my way down to the area I had scouted earlier that season, which was about a 3/4 of a mile hike. Once I got seated in a spot I thought was good, I knew the winds and thermals were going to be challenging all day.

I think I ended up moving three different times throughout the course of the morning. Once I was finally settled, I started ranging certain rocks and trees I knew a bear could potentially walk through.

Shortly after 2:00 pm as I was sitting there daydreaming, I caught some motion out of the corner of my right eye. Instantly, I was shaking with nervousness and excitement. A bear was walking down the trail headed to the waterhole I was watching. I had seen this bear before,

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The author is utilizing as much of the bear as possible.

so I knew it was a boar and a definite shooter.

With a quick pep talk and slaps across my face to calm myself down, I patiently waited for him to get to a tree I had previously ranged to be 30 yards. As he cautiously walked in my direction, I knew I had one chance to draw back my bow when he walked through a small group of trees. He was surely not able to see me. This all happened so fast, but it also seemed like it took 10 minutes. As soon as he got to the tree, I let that arrow fly, hitting perfectly. I don’t think I’ve ever felt calmer and sturdier when drawing my bow back (as weird as that might sound).

Instantly I knew it was a lethal shot.

He ran back in the direction he came from and paused for a minute, confused about what had just happened. He then started trotting off again going about 20 yards before expiring. In that moment, I let out the loudest yell of success—something I do when I fill a tag. I cried and I laughed. All that hard work of scouting and practicing shooting my bow had paid off. Not wanting to give up when there was still open land to hunt was worth it. As for 2022, this coming season I plan on working even harder and scouting even more to achieve the goals I have set.

Mar/Apr 2022

Taking home some free range meat!

The author packed out heavy with this big California bruin!

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The mature bruin’s teeth had been worn down and stained.

Bear Hunting 41

Black Bear Jaeger Schnizel

by Tim Fowler

@timothydfowler

During a recent interview with a senior carnivore specialist responsible for bears, he said it was my fault that bear hunters and bear hunting harvests had increased by 50% in the last decade or so in the jurisdiction he oversaw. It was not an attack. He observed that bear meat on the table has become much more popular over the last ten years, and it was guys like me who made it so. We provide delicious bear meat. We share recipes and methods. Guests come back for seconds.

At the same time, dinner guests are more adventurous in trying game and bear hunters are experimenting on various preparations of bear to make it delicious. The specialist said that nobody used to eat bear meat; it was not that big of a deal to have some delightful, cooked bear. I know that black bear makes a regular appearance on my entertaining menu, whether Jaeger Schnitzel (keep reading), smoked bear leg (now our Easter dinner go-to), pan-fried bear back bacon for brunch guests, or molasses baked beans made with wet-cured and hot-smoked bear shanks. You will find several different kinds of homemade black bear sausages on our grill when camping or just hanging out during summer evenings in the backyard. People are curious. They want to give it a try. Here is another way to present bear that is delicious, and the name is a celebratory nod to the hunter.

Enjoy!

Equipment: • • • • • • • •

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Cutting board Boning, slicing, and chopping knife Measuring Cups Cast iron frying pan Enameled cast iron dutch oven Wooden spoon Meat mallet or cleaver for flattening cutlets Oven and stove top

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Ingredients: • 4 thumb-sized shallots, peeled and finely diced • 2 garlic cloves, smashed • 250 ml / 1 cup game stock (I used bear stock, but beef, pork, or venison would work fine) • 796 ml can of whole italian tomatoes squished by hand • 60 ml / 1/4 cup heavy cream • 15 ml / 1 Tablespoon grainy mustard • 5 ml / 1 teaspoon hot sauce • Flour for dredging • Olive oil for frying • 1.0 kg or 2 pounds single muscle bear meat (use round steak or loin)

Mar/Apr 2022

Method: 1. Wipe bear meat with paper towels to ensure the surface of the meat is dry.

2. Cut meat across the muscle grain into 90 gram or 3-ounce portions.

3. Place the cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap on a solid surface and smack with a cleaver or meat mallet to make a 1/2 centimeter or 1/4-inch thick cutlets.

4. Spread the cutlets out on a plate and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Let rest while you assemble the other ingredients.

5. Prepare a dredging pan with 1 cup of flour.

6. Peel and dice the shallots; crush the garlic.

7. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. 8. Assemble the other ingredients and warm the frying pan on medium-high.

9. Once the cutlets have had 45 minutes to warm and absorb the salt, dredge in flour and fry in olive oil over medium-high heat.

10. Remove seared cutlets and place in the dutch oven.

11. Add a bit of oil, if required, and sauté garlic and shallots until the shallots are transparent.

12. Deglaze the frying pan with the stock. Pour over the cutlets in the dutch oven.

13. Add the tomatoes, cover, and bake for about 2 hours.

14. After 30 minutes, add potatoes and squash to bake (if you like).

15. Prepare brussel sprouts (if you are having them) by washing, draining, trimming, and cutting in half.

16. When schnitzel cooking is complete, remove it from the oven.

17. Sauté the brussel sprouts; season with salt and pepper to taste as they cook.

18. Dish up dinner: Jaeger Schnitzel, baked potatoes, squash, and sprouts (or whatever sides suit you and your guests).

Sharing what I have harvested, carefully prepared, and graciously served gives me tremendous pleasure. I hope it does for you too.

The full Mis en place ready to go: from right clockwise: Canned Italian tomatoes, bear stock, potatoes, shallots and garlic, eye of round spring black bear, cream, squash, hot sauce, grainy mustard, coarse salt and coarse pepper blend. Not seen here: flour and olive oil.

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Spring bear is lean, this is an eye of round whole muscle.

This is 3 ounce / 90 gram cross grain cut steak smashed flat with a cleaver.

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Seasoned cutlets floured and seared in olive oil ready to transfer to the Dutch oven and cover in sauce.

Mar/Apr 2022

A two-hour simmer at 350F reduces the sauce and makes the bear fork tender.

Ready to Enjoy!

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Bear Hunting 45

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from Bear Hunting Magazine

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Legendary Bear Hounds: Part 42

Jet

Owner, Craig Marcum

by Timothy Fowler

Jet was a hound from Mike Kemp’s Three Bear Kennels. Now, Mike Kemp’s dogs mostly aren’t registered, but they do have pedigree.

Mike Kemp said, “The pedigree is in my head. I’ve got papers on some of the registered stuff that I bred into these dogs. The reason I bred this stock of dogs is because I am a big game hunter and a small game hunter, and I could never find anything out there. I’ve been doing this for 45 years now: I could never find anything that suited me to a tee. I didn’t like tree hounds. Half the thing about tree hounds I liked and half I didn’t. The same with the running stock, or the registered run dogs.

I like a lot of things––about half of what I see out of them I like––and about half I don’t. So, I started down this road of my own breeding program to put out what I like.”

Kemp has a hard-earned reputation of putting out dogs with nose, grit, intelligence, speed, and tenacity. Jet’s owner, Craig Marcum, learned to hunt bears with hounds the hard way. He started on coons and learned how to hunt bears through trial and error.

Jet shone in his ability to chase a cold track until a bear was in a tree, usually after breaking away from the pack. Jet hung up his hunting career when he passed in 2017 at the age of eight.

Hunting hounds is like making biscuits.

If I don’t know how to make biscuits, someone can tell me how; they can give me a recipe.

But when you make biscuits together with them in their kitchen, you’re like, ‘oh, that’s how you do it.’ This is what happens when you’re in the field with hounds, too. When somebody is an expert, and they’ve been an expert for years, they don’t even think about what they’re doing.

They do it automatically. If you’re a newbie, you can look at that and say to yourself, ‘Okay, now I see how that is.’

Marcum said, “A couple of years after me and my buddy, Josh, got started, we went hunting with a fellow named Junior Alshire and a man by the name of Chad Acres. Chad and 48

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Jet was a Kemp bred hound.

He left a legacy in owner Craig Marcum’s pack.

Junior had been hunting since the 90s in one of the neighboring counties with a hound season.

They had been there, done that. They’re great Houndsmen and “Goodfellas”. And so, we went hunting with them. And you know, that got us on the right path. There were some things that made me say, “Wow, I didn’t see that till now. I see it.”

Craig Marcum lives in southern West Virginia and has chased bears with hounds for 15 years.

He said, “As a kid, my great-grandpa was a hunter, and he would tell us coon hunting stories. He always kept a few dogs around. Four or five nights a week, that’s what the old man did for fun.

When I was big enough to tramp in the woods, 10-11 years old, he started to take me coon hunting. I walked a lot and learned about the woods—I enjoyed it. That started my love affair of hunting with a dog. Then, in my early teenage years, my great uncle took me squirrel hunting with a dog. I enjoyed hunting with a hound or some dog. When I was just out of high Mar/Apr 20220

Legendary Bear Hounds school, our bear population started counting, almost exploding, and my state is catching on quickly. They just opened a hound season in the neighboring county, in northern West Virginia over in our mountains.

“One of my buddies and I get to talking one day and get a wild idea that we want some bear dogs. It was an adventure for the first couple of years. We made a road trip and ended up with some hounds. I think we had four or five dogs the first time we went out. My buddy looks at me and says, ‘I think the dog struck.’ You know, we were great. We turn the dogs loose. We’re trying to track it all. We’re spinning in circles.

And finally, a couple of hours later, the dogs didn’t go 300 or 400 yards over a point. We found the dogs, and they got a bear treed.

We thought we were real bear hunters.

“We go about two more years of grinding—just him and me. I think we saw a couple of bears and chased a few on the ground. But as far as putting a bear in a tree––it was two years after this. We learned the hard way and learned on our own. We started hunting with my good friend in the neighboring county that had hunted over there since the 1990s. He started educating us, so we felt like we were getting a little

better. Then I think it was in maybe 2010-2011 that my brother started getting interested. And, you know, we’re catching a few bears.”

Craig’s experience in the woods hunting bears with hounds was enough to know he loved the sport and that he needed to upgrade his dog.

Marcum said, “My brother Zach says, ‘You heard of this guy named Mike Kemp?’ And I’ve heard tell of him, you know, but don’t know about him. ‘I’ve been reading a lot,’ he said, ‘I think this guy’s got some hounds. His breed is the real deal.’ A month or so goes by, and my brother comes back to me. And he says, ‘You know, we need to get one of these dogs from Mike.’ He comes back and tells me the price, and I was taken aback, you know, and had to think about it.

It was a lot for a dog. So we jump in and we buy this dog. That dog was named Jet. Jet was the one that started it all. He was about 18-monthsold when we got him from Mike. We started hunting with this dog, and immediately, you know, the guys we’re hunting with were great bear hunters, Great woodsmen, just all-around guys that can do it all––any hunting. There was nobody hunting down here in our area, nobody hunting this terrain.

“And so, when I started hunting with him, I said, ‘You know, we would kill bears on the

Marcum keeps this rug as a totem to remember Jet.

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ground most of the time, and we’d have a big group; it would be nothing to have 30-40 people and 30-40 dogs, and we didn’t see a lot of bears treed. But when we got Jet, we suddenly started seeing bears climb, and he was running off and leaving the pack. He was just a swift dog that could drive a bear.’ That’s where we got started with the Kemp breed––that was probably pushing 12 years ago.”

Marcum said, “Jet could almost read my mind. It’s just one of those things that you must be there to see. You must understand that bond, the time you spent with them, and how much you care for him—and the joy they gave you. It’s one of those things; I think you’d have to be there and be in that moment to appreciate it and understand it.

You know, dogs are amazing. They’re smart, they’re highly intelligent. When we take them bear hunting, when we hit the woods, I mean, it’s all business—they are there for it.

And that’s what they want to do.”

When I asked about the last bear season, he said, “It was a good season.

We were fortunate. We had our December season, and just about every time we went out, we treed a bear or two. We didn’t have any snow. You know, that’s my favorite part about December; usually down here for a week or so we will have snow and like to hunt in the snow. Everybody goes out to look for tracks, and this adds an element of excitement. This year was mild. There wasn’t much as far as mast this year, so not many of our bears were out. We had to work and walk a little further than normal to find a bear. We had a fun season; the kids enjoyed it. No dogs got hurt, no vet bills, and we got some bears in the trees. It was a success, you know. It’s about the chase. I don’t have a big desire to harvest the bear, but you get many people who like to go and they like the meat. A lot of first timers have never seen one treed. We take a lot of kids and if it’s a decent size bear that they want to shoot, we’ll let them.”

Breeder Mike Kemp’s supplied Jet (Jet passed in 2017) and later a great hound named Kempy who Marcum hunts with now.

These two dogs have changed Marcum’s bear hunting forever.

Marcum said, “We had one on the ground this December. It was getting ugly.

All bears have different personalities, and 50

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you can’t get mad at the bear for defending itself.

But sometimes there are those situations, so we had to take him. I took him to the butcher and now he’s in the freezer.”

When asked about what kind of hound he prefers, his response is, “Different geography requires different styles of hounds. In some places, the bears are runners; in some places, they’re not.

It depends on how steep your mountains are and how thick the brush is. I would suggest somebody wanting to get into hound hunting find somebody willing to help you and get you on the right path.

You can waste a lot of time and money if you don’t understand it. There’s a lot to it; there’s a lot with taking care of the dogs and what type of breed suits your geography, but it’s going to help you catch bears in your area.”

While there is no spring season (nor baiting) in West Virginia, running your dogs for training purposes in the spring is legal.

Marcum said, “One thing we’re fortunate with here in West Virginia is we’re allowed to train year-round. When the bears start moving around in the spring, we can get the dogs out and let them stretch their legs. It helps a lot if you have pups at a certain age to get those pups in the woods. They need to be in the woods instead of waiting six Jet was an intelligent dog with a lot of speed. He passed in 2017.

Mar/Apr 2022

Marcum likes to keep a Kemp hound. The hound here is rightfully named ‘Kempy’.

months later in the fall, so it helps.”

He said, “Jet was a very smart dog, you know. I appreciate him because I think we would have never gotten to where we are today if we hadn’t had Jet. He was special. He was an intelligent dog. He wasn’t a cold nose down. He was more, just, speed. Mike named him Jet because the dog could catch anything. He rode around a lot of times in the front seat of my brother’s Toyota and struck bears, then out the window he’d go. He was a joy. He helped us get where we are today.”

Boys and dogs. Dogs and boys. Life is better all-around because of these pairings, but bear hunting is also significantly improved. www.bear-hunting.com

Hunt Big Color

B&C Score: 20 - 8/16”

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The Michigan Bear Hunters Association will host its biggest fundraiser of the year in March, returning to northern Michigan’s Shanty Creek Resorts after a canceled 2021 convention due to COVID-19.

Hundreds of hunters and their families from across the state and beyond will descend on the Bellaire resort March 4 and 5 for the unique opportunity to hear from leaders in conservation, professionals in hound hunting, and the political decision makers who shape the state’s outdoor opportunities.

The annual convention will feature tens of thousands of dollars in prizes, guest speakers, a delicious buffet dinner, and plenty of fellowship with passionate bear hunters from around the state.

“The MBHA convention is top on my list … in the sporting world,” former Michigan state representative Triston Cole said. “It’s a great group of folks, multi-generational, having a great time celebrating Michigan black bear conservation, food, fun and fellowship.”

Cole has played a key role in recruiting lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to attend hound training runs with MBHA directors to better understand the passion, many of whom also attend the convention, where Cole has presented legislative awards to the MBHA’s top volunteers in recent years.

Cole said he’s excited to return in 2022 to hear from hunters firsthand, and to do what he can to support the MBHA’s mission to preserve black bears and the state’s hunting heritage.

“It’s a great place to have a conversation with DNR employees, NRC commissioners and a host of other outdoor recreation experts,” he said. “I intend on

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sharing some legislative insights and speaking about my candidacy for the 37th Senate seat, as well as sharing and talking about my nonprofit, Discover Outdoor Michigan.”

The nonpartisan nonprofit is designed to link policymakers with quality experiences in the outdoors in an effort to help them better understand the hunting lifestyle.

“The mission … is to connect state elected officials with outdoor recreational opportunities and fostering relationship building,” Cole said.

Each year, numerous state lawmakers, Department of Natural Resources officials, Natural Resources Commission members, local hunting personalities and leaders from the state’s top conservation organizations attend the MBHA’s annual conference, and 2022 is no exception.

MBHA President Keith Shafer said the decision to cancel the 2021 convention was difficult but unavoidable – marking the first time in decades without the event. But MBHA directors plan to make up for lost time in 2022 with a bear party attendees won’t soon forget, he said.

“The MBHA takes pride in our role as a leading voice in conservation in Michigan and the annual convention is our opportunity to show we’re serious about protecting black bears and the hunting traditions we all love,” Shafer said.

“MBHA directors worked hard to ensure the 2022 convention is a success, and I have no doubt those who attend will take home a lot more than fancy prizes,” he said. “They’ll become a part of something bigger – a collective voice fighting for responsible bear management and hunting opportunities for generations to come.”

Join MBHA to make our voice stronger, and receive our association’s 16-page publication, The Bear Facts, four times a year, plus Bear Hunting Magazine, with its MBHA column, six times a year.

To get your membership (worth $20) and magazine (worth $25 more), send only a $20 check, made out to MBHA, to Phil Hewitt, and his address is 7796 Ainsworth Road, Lake Odessa, MI, 48849. Please include your name, address, email address and phone number.

Mar/Apr 2022

NCBHA Members, It’s been 8 weeks since the North Carolina bear season closed and other than those cold snowy days in the mountains, most of our bear hunters were able to hunt the entire season. The mountain weather continued to confound hunters, especially with the very abundant mast, and bears didn’t move around much. It was a strange combination that according to our members yielded some unusual harvest patterns. In the Piedmont and Coastal regions, bear hunters were able to continue hunting without much interruption. I know it’s hard to believe, but in eastern North Carolina, there were places where rattlesnakes and moccasins were still crawling in late December and beyond.

Many hunters experienced bears ignoring their bait stations and instead choosing natural foods.

Since baiting bears became legal, hunters have observed that bears will pass human-provided foods for the native mast found in their environment once those masts mature and become plentiful. During good mast years, bears will ignore bait stations, and focus on consuming those natural foods that more effectively provide the nutrition that the bears need for cubs and winter hibernation. Human-provided foods are often high in starches/carbs and have lower nutritional value. It may bulk them up when consumed in vast quantities, but they metabolize natural food differently. Keep in mind, like people, bear size does not indicate good health. The nutrition provided by natural foods, such as wild berries, seeds, nut and acorns, are not easily replicated in human-provided bait foods.

The 2021 harvest reports certainly support the heavy mast hunting conditions in the Appalachians where we saw a 14% decline completely indicative of the heavy mast conditions throughout the mountains, and notwithstanding there were some impressive mountain bears taken this year. The coastal region bear hunters, especially those hunting the Chowan, Roanoke, Pamlico, Cape Fear River basins saw a and 6% increase attributable largely to the severe drought conditions that kept bears searching for water.

2021 Bear Harvest Data Coastal Bears (all) 2,371 Male Bear 58% Female Bear 42% Dogs Hunters 57% Still Hunters 43%

Piedmont 58 49% 22% 19% 81%

Mountains 1,230 63% 37% 69% 31%

Totals 3,659 59% 41% 65% 35%

Top-10 Counties Bear Harvest 1. Hyde County 2. Beaufort County 3. Tyrrell County 4. Jones County 5. Bladen County 6. Madison County 7. Haywood County 8. Washington County 9. Craven County 10. McDowell County

Total Bears 296 231 208 195 143 123 122 119 111 107

Total Male 192 137 126 110 78 89 82 62 60 53

Total Female 104 94 82 85 65 34 40 57 51 54

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Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association Inc. Mar/Apr 2022 58th Annual Convention March 25 – March 26, 2022 10101 Market Street, Rothschild, WI 54474 WBHA Annual Raffle: You NEED NOT BE a WBHA member in order to purchase Annual Raffle tickets and you need not be present to win. Grand Prize- 2022 Yamaha Viking UTV or $10,000.00 cash. 50 additional prizes to win. Ticket inquires: Jim Hamilton, Ph: 715-460-3033, Email: jimhamilton@zimdarshardware.com WBHA Member Raffle Info: You MUST BE a WBHA member in order to purchase Member Raffle tickets. Pre-purchased raffle ticket packages will be available for pick-up during regular convention hours. Pre-purchased ticket packages come pre-labeled with member’s ID# on each ticket. Ticket package increments include 200 for $200, 75 for $100, 25 for $50, & 10 for $25 (Single tickets will be available at the Annual Convention) All pre-purchased packages must be picked up no later than 10am on Saturday, March 26th, 2022. WBHA Member Raffle will close at 1:30pm. WBHA Member Raffle drawings will be held and announced intermittently during the SOS Auction beginning at 1:45pm. Winners will have 10 minutes from drawing to claim prize. If you are not able to claim prize within 10 minutes, you will forfeit your prize and an alternate will be awarded the prize. Order tickets either on the website or mail in the order form below.

Governor’s Bear Tag Raffle: Tickets for a chance to win a 2022 Bear harvest tag. Only 500 tickets will be sold. Drawing will be held at the Convention on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 4:00 PM. The winner must choose Zone of Harvest at the time of issue. Tickets can be purchased at the convention or purchased ahead of time using the form below.

Save Our Sport (SOS) Auction: A huge number of items as well as many puppies will be auctioned off on Saturday. All proceeds from this auction will be used to aid in the advancement and protection of our sport. We are in need of your donations please help save our sport! Contact: Send cash donations to: Carl Schoettel 414-531-2296, for item donations contact: Eric Tuckner 651-775-7296, for puppy donations contact: Mark Scheunemann 715-897-1417 Vendor Information: Any business or organization wishing to attend as a vendor can contact me by e-mail or phone and I will get you on the contract list. Contact: Jacob Trochinski, Ph: 920-203-3725, Email: jacob.trochinski@gmail.com Our Convention is a closed to the public! Become a member at the door and join the WBHA for 2 days of fun, entertainment, education, and a chance to win many great prizes. For a complete Convention schedule and more information, including WBHA clothing, visit our website or find us on Facebook.

Convention Member Check-In: To expedite the member check-in at the convention have your valid membership card ready at the door. A worker will check your card, if valid, you will be given your wristband(s) and you will be able to enter the convention. Those that need to renew their membership or are new members wishing to join, you will be directed to a membership table. Check your expiration date and renew ahead of time to speed up your check-in time. Yearbooks will be mailed before the convention this year to your residence. If you did not receive your yearbook prior to the convention, and you were an active member on 12-31-2021, check the status of your yearbook at the member’s table.

Save the Date: The Northwest Town Hall Meeting will be held on April 30th, 2022 at the Browtine, 1361 100th St, Amery, WI 54001 These Town Hall Meetings are “member’s only” events, with memberships available at the door. These events will include guest speakers, legal updates, door prizes, raffles, silent auctions, and a good place to get to know your WBHA Board of Directors and Officers. Doors open at 1:00 PM

Mail to: WBHA, 594 Rural St, Berlin, WI 54923 Call John Trochinski 920-229-0365 or email at bigjohntro@gmail.com 54

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Mar/Apr 2022

2022 Yamaha Viking UTV or $10,000.00 cash

Tickets 1 for $20.00

Purchased from:

Miller Supply

N9804 Hwy 45 Clintonville, WI 54929 (715) 823-6232 $10,000.00 Cash or 2022 Yamaha Viking UTV Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet Grill Springfield 1911 .45 acp Wasatch 18 Gun Safe Savage 555 12ga o/u Kimber Micro .380 acp Rosewood Sig Sauer P365 9mm Pit Boss Pellet Smoker Glock 20 Gen 4 10mm Savage 110 Apex .300 Pkg All Guns and Prizes Ruger Go Wild 6.5 CM Purchased from Scheels Browning AB3 .30-06 Black $525.00 Scheels Gift Card Wicked Ridge Rampage X-Bow Stoeger M3020 20ga Camo Stoeger M3000 12ga Camo Sitka Stratus Vest and Pants $525.00 Scheels Gift Card Garmin 66SR GPS Unit Kentrek 400 gram Mountain Boots S&W 642 .38 Special Leupold SX-2 Series 20-60 Spotting Scope, Vanguard Tripod $525.00 Scheels Gift Card Xenek Ground Blind, Alps Ground Blind Chair Mossberg Patriot .243 Pkg CZ 457 Trainer .22lr Mossberg 500 .410 Camo Big Bite 8# Meat Grinder, Deluxe Vacuum Sealer Winchester SXP 12ga Trap Canik TP9SF 9mm FDE Weekender Paddle Board, Paddle Board Paddle $525.00 Scheels Gift Card Reconyx Trail Camera Garmin Pro 550 Dog Collar CVA Optima V2 .50 Cal Scheels Rain Parka, Scheels Rain Bibs $522.00 Scheels Gift Card 2 Cuddeback Cuddelink Trail Cameras Foxpro Inferno Predator Call, Digital Night Vision Binoculars Ruger Security 9mm Mystery Ranch Popup Pack Hummingbird Helix 5 Locator Vortex Impact Rangefinder, Vortex Crossfire 10X42 Binoculars Winchester SXP 12ga Black Benelli Supernova 12ga Lead Sled Shooting Rest, Tannerite Pro Pack, Gallery Target $500.00 Scheels Gift Card Benchmade Osborne Knife Yeti Hopper Flip Cooler, 4# Yeti Ice Pack St. Croix Premium Rod, Daiwa One Series Reel

Drawing is being held Saturday March 26, 2022, at 1:00 p.m., Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center, 10101 Market St., Rothschild, WI 54474

License #R0011342-A-65210

For more information and / or tickets, call the WBHA at (715)460-3033 or e-mail: jimscat1977@gmail.com Website: www.wbha.us.com

Yeti Hopper Cooler donated in memory of Jerome Johnson

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Tony Fasano with guide, John Mixon Maine

Blake Graham with Dad, Aunt, & Uncles First bear Arkansas

Dillon Crosby Baited Hunt Maine 350lbs

Amanda Strom 1st bear Palisade, MN September 2021

Ethan McCleary 1st bear Palisade, MN September 2021

Tanner Johnson 1st Black Bear DIY hunt over bait

Justin Pohlen 3rd bear Palisade, MN September 2021 56

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Mar/Apr 2022

James Dumenk 2021 Spring Bear.

450+pounds.

20 5/8 skull

Katie Kaufman First Bear Northome, Minnesota September 2021

Gary Richard 352 lb boar Coos County, NH

Jeremiah Gracie with his dog, Trapper 1st bear DIY Hunt in Vermont

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Email your high resolution bear photos to info@bear-hunting.com or mail a copy to PO Box 168, West Fork, Arkansas 72774. We reserve the right to not publish photos based on image and photographic quality. www.bear-hunting.com

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The Strategic Bear Hunter

by Bernie Barringer

My first exposure to baiting bears with barrels was on a Canadian bear hunt several years ago. At the time, barrels were not allowed in Minnesota so this was my first experience. I was impressed with several aspects of using barrels, but two of the most important were the obvious advantages of protecting bait from the weather, and using an opening in the barrel to regulate how much of the bait the bears could get at a time.

Bears will work really hard to get small amounts of goodies out of a hole in a barrel. The longer it takes them to get their fill, the more time they spend at the bait. One of the ways you create an active bait site is by having interaction between bears at the baits. This causes them to stay nearby and the competition really improves the odds that a big one is going to be there during the day. The longer the bears are at the site, the more interaction you have.

In an extreme case, I watched Tom Ainsworth of Grandview Outfitting seal an entire beaver inside a 55-gallon steel drum. This drum had a half-dozen 1-inch holes in it. The bears managed to get the entire beaver out of those holes little by little. Using tooth and claw and scratch bite, they completely cleaned it up over a few days. That kind of dedication is hard to imagine, but that’s the power of a barrel—and a beaver.

I live in an area with a high bear population, so I decided to put some steel barrels out behind my house and load them up with bait to see what would happen. I attached them to a tree, sitting upright, and chained them so the bears could not tip them over.

Well, the results were remarkable as I had a dozen or more bears feeding at my barrels in no time. Over the

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All About Barrels The author finds that not all bait barrels are equal. next couple of years I settled on two barrels, one of which has a 12-inch diameter hole right in the side, which I use to feed pastries and meat scraps. The other barrel has a 1 ½-inch hole near the bottom of the side, which regulates the distribution of things like trail mix, peanuts, corn, oats and other small stuff. Experimenting with these barrels has taught me a lot.

One of the things I learned early was that the big hole in the side of the barrel was not optimal for baiting bears. It worked fine for feeding bears 100 yards from my back door because I could keep an eye on the food and then add more once it ran out. But when you are baiting for hunting and you show up with a few buckets of bait, what do you do if there is still more bait in the bottom of the barrel? You dump the new bait on top. After a couple times of doing that, the bait in the bottom is going bad and probably getting moldy.

The answer to that is simple: put the hole at the bottom of the side. That way, the bears are feeding off the oldest stuff first as they feed from the bottom of the barrel. But this created a new problem; the bears would come in and plop right down on their bellies to feed, making it difficult to get the shot angle I wanted.

In 2014, I started baiting in Ontario and invited about 10 friends and family to join me.

I hauled a lot of barrels of bait up there and continued to use the barrels to hold bait. I would normally only be able to bait every 2-3 weeks during late summer, so I stuffed the barrels full.

My typical setup was two barrels chained to a tree, one with a large hole in the bottom and one with a small hole. I would fill up the former with pastries stuffed to the brim and the other I would fill with trail mix. They would all be empty when I came back in 2-3 weeks, but the bears were eager to be fed and we killed a lot of them; 9-10 people came every year for four years and everyone got a bear each year.

I also used barrels to bait bears in Wyoming, where I experimented with 30-gallon poly barrels with a hole in the bottom of the side. I learned a lot from that experience as well. Then, I tried utilizing blue poly barrels at home, using ratchet straps to hold them to a tree. As expected, that was a short-lived experiment. Chain is expensive but it’s the only way to go.

Mar/Apr 20220

In the middle of these learning experiences, Minnesota began to allow barrel usage for bear baiting on private land, and after a couple years of monitoring that sample size, they now allow barrels for use on public land as well. I’m in full-fledged barrel mode for bear baiting and now that I am guiding for bears in addition see over time if I find things that need to be to this, I am running 12-15 baits with barrels at each of tweaked. I’m always learning and experimentthem. ing; I don’t think that will ever change.

Over time, I have continued to modify and improve my barrel set-up. I am now using the blue poly 30-gallon barrels with a 6-inch hold in the bottom of the side. These barrels are durable and lighter to carry than steel. I chain them to a tree, but I do something important that minimizes the bears lying down to eat: I set a 5-gallon bucket under the barrel when I attach it to the tree so the opening is roughly a foot and a half above the ground. The bears mostly stand to feed on it.

I have also found that the opening allows them to get their paws all the way into the barrel to clean it out completely, which reduces the wear and tear on the barrels. If the bears cannot get to all the feed they will shake and pull on the barrel, sometimes tearing it up or twisting it off the tree. Two chains bolted tightly almost eliminate the barrels being twisted off the tree. Almost.

By positioning the opening in the barrel at a 90-degree angle to the treestand, you increase the odds of getting a broadside shot on a standing bear. Even with 2-3 bears hitting the bait, 30 gallons will last two days if I really stuff it full of pastries and trail mix in alternating layers.

In conclusion, that’s my system today and it seems to work very well. Can it be improved? Probably. We will

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@backcountrybrian

Western Bear Hunting with Brian Strickland

Although tough hunting adventures come and go, Montana black bears have certainly been my Achilles heel of late. I’ve climbed the mountains of northwest Montana the past three springs looking for black gold, even making the long trip twice in one season, and have ended up coming home with pocket change and memories. It’s not the bears’ fault or even mine most of the time.

I’ve seen my share, and those sightings have increased with each visit as I’ve learned the landscape better and how the local population of Ursus americanus lives. Looking back, it seems bad luck, fickle wind, enough time, and smart bears have generally been the culprits to the unsuccessful outcomes. But like anything else, we tend to learn the more we try, and if you can connect with someone else who knows the hills and has a passion for Montana’s spring black bears, that learning curve can be much shorter.

Montana resident Nate Peltier is one such individual, and after spending an afternoon with him chasing bears a few springs back, it was obvious he knew a thing or two on the subject. He is the quintessential Montana mountain man. He fights wildland fires in the summer, guides hunters in the spring and fall, and also chases mountain lions in the winter. In addition, he finds the time to sprinkle in taxidermy work and do other odd jobs when he’s not “busy.” Chasing spring black bears and elk in the fall are his passion, and with 20 elk to his credit most of which came utilizing stick and string and countless black bear successes, it’s easy to see why.

Needless to say, with my luck chasing Montana black bears, I was all ears when he shared his thoughts on how he finds, stalks, and ultimately kills a mature Montana black bear. It’s estimated that well over 15,000 black bears call the Treasure State home, and it’s by far the top destination in the Lower 48 for a DIY, spot-and-stalk spring black bear hunt. As I have learned, it’s not easy, but if there are elements you need to master to consistently find and kill Montana’s black bears, insists Nate, it’s having good glass and learning how to use them, being patient, and not wasting your time searching in less than ideal areas. It sounds simple enough, but everything looks good in Montana and as good as their black bear populations are, you still have to spend countless hours searching to find the right bear.

Nate says one of the first steps to locating spring black bears is to identify south-facing slopes. These are the first areas that green up and 60

Bear Hunting

Mountain Bear Challenge Montana’s high country is a great place to spot-and-stalk black bears, but it’s far from easy!

can be magnets for hungry bears. Although you can’t beat boots on the ground when it comes to scouting in any hunting situation, locating these potential bear magnets is certainly made easier with the help of satellite resources like OnX, Base Maps, Google Earth, etc. Generally speaking, mature boars are the first to emerge from winter’s slumber and they focus on the green to get their gears turning. Although Montana’s bear season opens the 15th of April and you can certainly find bears out then and even sooner some years, Nate tends to focus the bulk of his time searching during the month of May. The bigger boars are generally out by then, and if you can locate one he will usually stay in that general area for a few weeks. However, once the rut starts to kick in later in May and into June, all bets are off when it comes to patterning a specific boar.

When it comes to locating bears, Nate resists the urge to glass large grassy areas that look appealing when searching for a mature boar.

“Those areas are just a waste of time in my experience,” says Nate. Instead, he likes to focus his glassing efforts in higher, more remote, and rocky areas with smaller grassy areas close to cover. “Mature Mar/Apr 2022

show himself the next night allows you to get into position long before he arrives.

As the season progresses and the feeding opportunities expand, so does the bear’s range— making it more difficult to pattern them. Glassing is still very important, and you’ll need to cover more ground as well. You’re likely to see a lot more bears as the season progresses, but you often need to make haste and put on a stalk before they move on to other areas. My daughter and I faced that challenge a few years ago with Nate. We located a bear less than an hour before last light and we had to bulldoze down a steep slope in the fading light to get to the gated logging road he was feeding on. Everything seemed perfect and we were closing in, but when I felt the capricious mountain breeze boars don’t like to be seen, so I often glass them up touch the back of my neck, the gig was up. The near the snow line in rocky areas most hunters over- point is, you have to be more mobile and have the look,” Nate explained. “The lush, south-facing grassy ability to reach a bear in an hour or less in many cases. slopes and bottom country look good,” says Nate, Lastly, Nate says to expect shot opportu“but the big boars aren’t usually there, especially nities to be in the 200 to 400 yard range in most early in the season.” These smaller, more isolated cases. Because they are smaller targets in generareas provide an element of security boars like. al and the kill zone smaller than other traditional Key in on areas that are less likely to see western game like elk, precision is a must. Chances the crowds as well, says Nate. There are far fewer are you’ve worked hard to get to this point, so don’t spring bear hunters to compete with than the typical fall crowd. But with bear license sales creeping blow the only opportunity you may have by failing to be prepared at the range. up in recent years across the west, more guys are hiring the woods come spring. That said, escaping to more remote areas away from the easy glassing spots along roads is also important. Montana is full of gated forest service roads and those can be good places to start. Nate often utilizes a mountain bike to get back into isolated basins most hunters pass.

Another rule to follow when searching for the right bear is to glass more than you hunt.

According to Nate, finding bears is seldom easy.

Although there have been times when he has seen numerous bears in a single day, that’s generally not the rule. Two to three bears is a good day, and to find them you have to spend countless hours behind the glass in good areas dissecting the landscape.

Grid search it, picking likely areas apart, and if nothing is seen, don’t write it off; glass the same slope again. If an area looks good and inspires confidence, spend the extra time searching it.

Keep in mind as well that most of the time you’re only going to see bears during the early morning and late evening hours, and they may be two miles away when you spot them. It may take several hours to reach the area they were feeding in, so this is where patterning a specific bear comes into play. Knowing there’s a good chance he will www.bear-hunting.com

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ry

Great Hunts

Bruin

Destinations

Idaho - Gem State Bruins From the perspective of a hunter planning a bear hunt, there are other reasons why Idaho is, as its nickname states, such a “gem.”

by Al Raychard I’ve said this several times over the years, but I’ll say it again in case you missed it. Of the states down the spine of the Rocky Mountains, Idaho is my favorite destination when it comes to hunting bears. I do not mean to suggest states to the east, west, and south do not have their unique attributes that make them special in their own right–-they certainly do. However, for me, there’s simply no place like Idaho, especially when it comes to bear hunting opportunities.

Based on my own personal experiences, there are a number of reasons why hunting Idaho holds such a dear place in my heart. There’re the memories of successful hunts, of friends made, of riding mules into the backcountry and of camping in those remote places under ebony skies speckled with stars so bright it seems you can reach out and grab them. There’s the scent of spruce and fir and wood smoke on a chilled night at high elevation where bears grow old and big and have seen few humans. But from the perspective of a hunter planning a bear hunt, there are other reasons why Idaho is, as its nickname states, such a “gem.”

LOTS OF BEARS According to most sources, Idaho is home to between 20,000 and 30,000 black bears, but that’s just an estimate. Whatever the case, Idaho is home to one of the largest black bear populations in the western United States, if not the Lower 48. The population is healthy and increasing; bears are now being reported in areas of the state where sightings were considered rare just a few years ago. The highest concentration of black bears is found in the forested northern two-thirds of the state, in particular the mountain ranges, subalpine ridges, associated foothills, and riparian areas along the lengthy Bitterroots (which hugs the border with Montana, the Salmon River Mountains, and Sawtooth Range in the central region). The remote Selkirk Mountains in the northern Panhandle, the vast Selway Region, and designated wilderness areas to the south are home to some of the highest bear densities in the state. Bears are also found in the Caribou Range within the southeast corner of Pocatello and Owyhee Range, southwest of Boise.

LOTS OF ROOM TO HUNT/LOTS OF OUTFITTERS More than sixty percent of Idaho is owned by the federal government—some thirty-three million acres.

More than twenty million acres of that is in the form of seven national forests: That’s about forty-five percent of the state’s land area. Needless to say, there is plenty of public land to hunt bears.

All my Idaho hunts have been with an outfitter in the St. Joe or Clearwater National Forests, and unless the hunter has a great deal of experience in remote, doit-yourself hunts, an outfitter is recommended. This is big, rugged country and hunting with an outfitter is the easiest, safest, and typically most successful way to plan and experience an Idaho bear hunt. Highly qualified and knowledgeable outfitters operate in each of the national forests offering a variety of accommodations, services, and hunting packages. A list of licensed outfitters is available from the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association.

These same national forests are also popular among doit-yourself hunters, but careful planning is a must. This includes where to hunt, obtain maps, research weather 62

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conditions, get necessary equipment, and set up camp, amongst other things. Campgrounds are available throughout each national forest, but opening or closing dates, potential fees, whether reservations are needed or not, availability of drinking water, and other services vary in each place. Specific hunting accommodations can be obtained on each national forest and campground information can be obtained from each national forest supervisor’s office.

COLOR-PHASE BEARS & HIGH SUCCESS Color-phase bears are found throughout the western United States and parts of western Canada, but Idaho offers as good a chance to kill one as any place. In general, brown or chocolate-phase bears are most common in northern Idaho with cinnamon and blonde less so, although the farther south you go the percentage of lighter bears increase.

Colored bears are taken throughout Idaho. In some cases, success boils down to being in the right place at the right time, but hunting the right habitat greatly increases the odds. Colored bears are certainly taken in the dense timber, but areas that offer a combination of timber bordering open, south-facing slopes, wide-open river valleys, open brakes, or canyons are general hotspots. These areas are usually warmer, and it is believed that bears with lighter hair color stay cooler than those with darker hair. Whether hunting with an outfitter or doing it on your own, the St. Joe and Clearwater National Forests, the Selway, the Salmon River country, the Frank Church Wilderness, as well as national forests in the south all offer this type of mixed habitat.

Hunters who specifically want an opportunity at a colored bear should let their outfitter know of their desires when booking a hunt. Many outfitters utilize trail cameras on their baits or are familiar with the bears in their area. There’s never a guarantee but informing your outfitter beforehand can help achieve success.

HUNTING OPTIONS Idaho offers a lengthy spring bear season but opening and closing dates vary. In the Panhandle, the season opens as early as April and generally May is when it opens everywhere else. Closing dates are in June or July. Fall season dates also vary. Most open August 30 and some close as late as November 30, depending on the unit. Fall hunts can also be combined with elk and deer hunting. Depending on the unit and season, hunters can hunt over bait and with dogs; however, in some units both are prohibited. Hunters should always check when booking or planning a hunt. Spotand-stalk is legal in all units.

AFFORDABLE LICENSES Compared to some other western states, bear hunting in Idaho is one of the best deals available when it comes to over the-counter hunting licenses, bear tag availability, and fees (see Particulars below). Another bonus is that resident and non-resident hunters can purchase vastly discounted bear tags in at least seventeen units and portions of two others. These same units also offer the opportunity to take two bears with discounted tags, something increasingly rare in the west.

Hunters can opt to apply for one of the controlled black hunts, but they should be aware of application deadline dates.

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Idaho

Overview

Estimated Bear Population: 25,000-30,000 +/Legal Limit: Two (2) in some units, one (1) in some units.

Hunting Area: Black bears are basically legal game statewide except in some state parks, wildlife preserves, and developed areas.

Spring Hunts: Yes. Varies by unit. April 1-June 30 or late July depending on the unit.

Fall Hunts: Yes. August 30-end of November in most units.

Popular Hunting Methods: Baiting and dogs are allowed in most units. Spot-andstalk allowed in all units.

License Availability/Fees: Licenses are available by phone, online, and venders statewide. Non-resident reduced/second bear license-$41.75. Non-resident full price bear license-$231.00. Non-resident hunting license-$185.00. Non-resident junior hunting license (ages 10-17)-$91.75.

Legal Weapons: Rifles and handguns except those that take rimfire ammo, .50 caliber and larger muzzleloaders, bows with 40 pound pull and higher, or crossbows with 150 pound minimum draw.

Contacts: Idaho Fish and Game, 1 (208) 334-3700; www.fishandgame.idaho.gov.

Idaho Outfitters & Guides Association, 1 (208) 327-7380; www.ioga.org.

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Fleshing it Out with Timothy Fowler

Western Bear Foundation @timothydfowler

New Challenges Require a New Approach

Step Up

Speak Up

Joe Kondelis has been the lead volunteer (President) at Western Bear Foundation since 2007 when they achieved US 501 C-3 status.

Kondelis stepped up to the challenge. He said, “Myself and a good friend are dyed-in-thewool bear hunters that just loved the sport and loved the species. We noticed a lack of concern for bears and bear hunting. We felt that not a lot of states were worried about their bear populations, plus not a lot of the organizations out there were focusing on the right to bear hunt and ensuring there’s a future for bear hunting on the landscape. We’re in existence because we’re seeing a lot of headwinds coming against bears, bear hunting, and specifically predator hunting.”

The Western Bear Foundation is focused on protecting bears, bear habitat, and the privilege of bear hunting.

Kondelis said, “We want to be a double-edged sword; one end of our spectrum is going to be conservation-based. In areas where we have large grizzly populations or large black bear populations, we want to reduce conflict to ensure that we keep as many bears on the landscape as possible—and that’s for both hunters and non-hunters. Bears are our big focus, and we want to ensure we’re doing our part as human beings to decrease conflict. So, that’s a big part of it—research and further education.

We’re doing some black bear population studies. The conservation piece is a big part of what we’ve done, probably more so in the last five years, just because we haven’t seen a lot of attacks on hunting. On the other side of the sword is Hunter’s advocacy. We’re a hunter advocacy group, specifically for bear hunting, but we do a lot with all predators because we see predator hunting being attacked.

“Hunter advocacy—ensuring a future for bears and bear hunters—is our motto.

Right now, we’re seeing a lot of attacks on bear hunting, so that’s where we must defend the right to hunt. We’re always looking out for issues where we’re being attacked as sportsmen and where potential attacks are coming.

We try to organize and rally people to create a good message and have some attack plans in place. We try to unify bear hunters and make sure we’re doing our part to defend our rights.”

Bear hunting is on the rise. More hunters are exploring bear hunting and are enjoying bear meat on the table. As bear meat is more widely accepted and celebrated, more folks are taking to the field to pursue black bears.

“I think we’re seeing more people come into bear hunting for a different challenge, maybe a new experience, or to try hunting during a new time of year. We have large predator populations in the lower 48, especially black bears. By all estimates, black bear numbers are higher than before Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of the eastern United States. We have a growing population. We have more sportsmen in the field. I think the number of hunters in the predator space is growing,” said Kondelis.

2022 kicked off with the launch of many bear and predator hunting challenges, spring hunting season, and fierce pressure against hunting.

Kondelis also said, “January coincides with legislative sessions starting up in the United States. So many of our states’ legisla-

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tors are in session, and we start seeing many bills pop up, whether predator control or anti-predator hunting bills. On top of that, we see a lot of our Game and Fish Commission’s meetings: now we’re seeing a multi-front attack by anti-hunting groups in multiple states at different levels of state structure, whether they’re attacking us through the Game and Fish Commission or attacking us through the legislative process. I think their plan is deliberate. They’re trying to get us to fight a multi-front battle that they think we’re not equipped to do. They know they’re going to lose a few of them, but if they win one fight, then that’s a win for them—and it will ultimately be a loss for us. As an example, right now we’re

www.bear-hunting.com

seeing a bill being introduced into the Colorado legislation to ban mountain lion and bobcat (predator) hunting.”

Sign Up On balance, bear hunters are a quiet lot. We like our walk in the woods, a fair chase, our shared campfires, a smoked leg of bear, a bear hide chair cover, and the chance to do it all again next season. We are collectively under attack. It is time to step up, speak up, and sign up.

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{Hounds and Bears} Column

IN Hot PUrsuit

Independent to a Fault

By Chris Powell

Independence is a good thing, right? As AmeriThere is a side of independence that is so cans, we started a nation because of a document called detrimental to hunters that we are at risk of losing the Declaration of Independence. Independent is synony- our freedoms. Hunters, being bold and self-sustaining mous with self-reliant and self-sustaining. Our entertainby nature, have become independent to a fault. We ment industry has capitalized on the rugged independent spend so much time looking for that special honey character since the inception of movies. People love a hole and we guard it with the utmost secrecy. We good story and romanticize about being the self-sustaining, compete with other hunters for a specific animal or self-reliant, and independent personality that can ride into space to hunt. We get up early and run the roads town alone, take on the world’s problems, and ride off into looking for that perfect track to put our hounds on the sunset…alone. Being independent is a great attribute, if before another hunter finds it.

We get so wrapped not a core principle for success. up in independence and self-reliance we fail to recAs houndsmen, we look for those special hounds ognize that only through a united and cohesive effort that show independence. These performance animals can can we continue to enjoy our freedoms to hunt. think for themselves. They don’t get bogged down with This year, 2022, has presented an absolute pack mentality. They push through the tough terrain and onslaught of attacks from the Animal Rights (AR) trailing conditions to come up with the quarry when the Movement. Bills introduced in Colorado, Vermont, wheels fall off and the track is breaking down. They are Mississippi, and New Hampshire as well as attempts to what every houndsman looks for in an individual: indepen- flood Arizona with emails pressuring wildlife managdence is what makes a hound stand out. ers are all organized to stop hunting of large pred“Independent to a fault” is another phrase that ators with hounds. The AR crowd is well funded and houndsmen will use. When could independence possibly has skilled strategizers in these attacks. They plan become a fault for a big game hunter or a coonhunter? their assaults on hunting freedoms years in advance For a bear hunter, a hound that simply will not pack can be and have fail-safe plans in place. They collect funds a problem. When the hound will not trail with other dogs, globally and then put them to work in specific placregardless of the condition of the track and its freshness, es with pinpoint accuracy. A dollar raised in Norway it can be a major frustration. Bear tracks are precious—not can be used to attack hunting in South Dakota. It is a around every corner—so when you have a good track, you serious issue, and the hunting community is woefully want your hounds to take it, trail it and jump the bear. For unprepared and relies on reaction rather than being the coonhound, I have seen dogs that were so indepenproactive. dent that even when they are first to tree the raccoon, they We have been fortunate in recent years. will leave to go look for a different raccoon when another When issues blow up, we have mobilized through hound shows up. I’ve seen this in bear and lion hounds as social media. Coordinated and effective campaigns well. This is independent to a fault. Our ultimate goal is to thwart several attempts to take away hunting success. That success is measured, in no small part, with opportunities have been launched. California saw a trailing work and the results of game in the tree. If a hound huge win for bear hunters in 2021 when we pressured is so independent that it cannot be a part of the greater legislators to withdraw support to end bear huntsuccess, it becomes a problem. The result is using tracking ing. Montana passed a spring bear season with the equipment to round up the Lone Ranger or possibly disrupt- approved method of using hounds. There are other ing and wasting an entire day of hunting. examples like these where, collectively, we got lucky.

Houndsmen and hunters, in general, also show However, luck is a dangerous battle plan. signs of this trait. As mentioned earlier, we all wish to be The battle space is constantly changing. The recent seen as independent, as stand outs. There is a special effort in Arizona was something we have not seen. feeling when you finally succeed and know that you did it The AR crowd, specifically the Humane Society of the by your own hard work. There is nothing more rewarding United States, the Mountain Lion Foundation, and the for me than when I am hunting with other houndsmen and I Center for Biological Diversity, launched a strategic take a separate trail or road and get that rig strike, start a plan to use the public comment process to fill up the bear and catch it—alone.

Arizona Department of Game and Fish email coffers 66

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with public opinion to end lion, bear, and bobcat hunting. It was by good fortune and luck that the plan was revealed to the hunting public by a department employee. Had this not happened, hunters would have been blindsided by proposed rule changes to end hunting predators.

Hunting with hounds is the low hanging fruit for the AR movement. We are by far the most vulnerable, unorganized, underfunded, and underrepresented hunting community. In 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated hunters to total 9.2 million people (of 300 million U.S. Citizens). Of those hunters, 3.5 million were lumped into “small game hunters”---representing a category that was not deer, elk, or turkey hunting. When we slice that pie down further, no one really knows how many true houndsmen there are. Only a guess would put us at a decimal of a percent. Based solely upon numbers, we might be able to fill up a football stadium; that is, if you could get houndsmen to show up.

And that brings me to my final point: Houndsmen have to start showing up. The time for secluded, quiet living is over.

Houndsmen will often state “what I do is my business and I just want to be left alone.” Ironically, that statement usually comes after they make a post on social media about their hunt. In other words, there is no more privacy. Bots and trolls are harvesting your data from cell phones, texts, and social media posts. How else can an ad for a tire company pop up in a news feed after you have been on the internet looking at tires? I swear, Siri can read my mind: I can think about being hungry and food reels will pop up on Instagram.

So, what do we do about it? This is the real question. We have to find friends and find them fast. Based on our low numbers and our lack of representation, we need to find allies outside of our own circles of influence. It is not enough to have only fellow houndsmen in the fight. We need to find common ground with other hunters as well. We may have some fundamentally different viewpoints with deer hunters, but we still share the common thread of being hunters. The farming and ranching communities are fighting the same battles we are and there is an opportunity to align ourselves with them and make coordinated efforts to defend our freedoms. I plan to address these topics in future columns and offer some of my viewpoints as solutions. After 28 years of public service in the wildlife management profession and being heavily involved in legislative battles, I have seen success and failures, as well as the root causes of both.

At the risk of alienating myself, I almost hate to use this quote, but it is valid: “The strength of the wolf is in the pack.”

When our founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, it was not written with the intent of each man standing alone.

Go live a life of adventure in wild places.

Explore new territory. Be self-sustaining.

But remember that your hunting community cannot afford for you to be independent to a fault. www.bear-hunting.com

The author, Chris Powell, is the host of the Houndsman XP podcast. It’s a podcast dedicated to hounds and hound hunting.

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Bandit Hat! For sale only www.bearhuntingmagazine.com Bear Questions/Answers With Al Raychard

Q-I’ve successfully hunted black bears several times in the eastern U.S and Canada, never in the west. I would like to hunt the best place for a color-phase bear. Could you offer the best chances for success?

A-I would have to say Idaho is a good bet. Outfitters there routinely post 40 to as high as 60-percent colored bears in their annual take. License and tags fees are also reasonable for non-residents, are available over the counter and some units have a two bear limit. California, Arizona, New Mexico and western Wyoming are other good destinations. If Canada every fully opens its borders again I would take a look at Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Q-I have a 150-pound draw crossbow. Is it suitable for black bear?

A-In short, yes. I’ve killed several bears with my 150-pound crossbow, although I prefer something faster and more powerful that throws a heavier arrow. You need deep penetration and ideally pass through shots when arrowing bears. As always shot placement is key, range is important as is the right broadhead. For bear I personally prefer fixed broadheads and shots under 35-yards or so.

Q-My wife and I ran across what we believe was a bear track recently but couldn’t tell if it was from the front or rear paw. Is there a way to tell the difference, or to make sure it was even a bear track?

A-Bears walk on the soft pads so it can be challenging to confirm their tracks unless in soft mud or sand. Bears also frequently over-step as they walk. As a result the rear foot can fall on top of the front foot leaving a double print. The rear foot sometimes also appears ahead of the front foot. Bears have five toes and the large toe is always on the outside of the foot, and the inside small toes does not always register. Their front feet also tend to toe inward as they walk, especially on larger, older bears. The front feet are also wider than the rear while the rear feet are longer and narrower, more human-like.

Q-I understand bears lose their hair. Is there a specific time frame and if so when is the hide at its best.

A-Bear hides are generally at their peak in late fall before denning and just after emerging in the spring. In essence, late fall or early spring are the best times for peak hide conditions. It gets thicker and longer as fall progresses, remains with them while denning and until sometime in the spring.

During late spring and early summer as weather temperatures warm bears molt, or shed their hair to stay cool. To help the process rubbing to help remove hair is not uncommon and can be obvious in some early fall bears.

Submit your questions to alraychard@sacoriver.net

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