Spring has finally arrived! After one of the snowiest, darkest winters in several years, sun, warmth, and all the critters are finally out and about again.
The island I live on is known for its black bear hunting, and many folks in head-to-toe camo have been wandering through town, looking for skiffs to rent and purchasing last minute equipment before heading out to bag a trophy blackie.
I have been out hunting steadily for two weekends in a row. I have seen about 15 bears; several small one or two year olds, and several "middle aged" nice looking bears. We were holding out for a bigger bear with as good a coat as we could find, in order to make a rug. One bear, "The Big One," got away. I just missed my shot. The bear was beautiful; probably around 7' tall, with a flawless, un-rubbed coat. We saw him on the beach and crept around a rocky, steep shoreline, freezing every time his huge head came up, until we were within 50-yards of him. As I watched him munching grass, I felt a jolt of fear and wondered for a fleeting second why I was doing this…the bear was huge and he could easily have closed the gap between us in seconds. Then, I looked through the scope, aimed at his chest as he swung toward me, and fired. He did not make a sound. He did not go down. He simply jumped and crashed right into the nearby tree line. We searched for blood for two hours that evening, until it was too dark to see, finding nothing. It was not a good sign. We came back early the next day and searched again for several hours, covering probably half a mile total; not a drop of blood did we find. Combined with all the other factors, this led us to believe I had simply missed clean.
I have no idea how this happened. I am by no means "Annie Oakely," but I can shoot fairly accurately at 200-yards. We even re-created the shot; the bullet went right through the target exactly where I thought I had put the crosshairs on the bear. The only thing that I can think of as an explanation is pure, simple excitement; I might have been trembling enough to actually miss. Again, that doesn't fit with my idea of who I am. I think of myself as a calm and pretty tough outdoors person, capable of making some quick decisions in the face of danger or adversity. I spoke with hunters and friends, and most of them suggested I shrug the incident off, make sure to go practice shooting a bit to build my confidence with my firearm skills again, and then to head back out.
I do have this to say about my experience. I guess, in hindsight, I thought I knew the hunter I went with much better than I actually did. Perhaps this is the best way to phrase my suggestion: if you are wondering about pursuing a hunting relationship, friendship, or romantic relationship with someone, go on a short hunting trip or two with them first. A hunting trip is a great indicator of how a person will act in many situations.
First, there's the preparation; I am a great believer in planning, packing, and preparing gear days or more in advance, depending on where you are going, length of trip, etc. The methods you plan to use for transportation are crucial; I like to ensure that my vehicle/boat is ready to go, up-to-date on maintenance, etc., with all the necessary survival gear and equipment included. I further appreciate and practice punctuality, and really do not do well with last-minute changes, unless they can't be avoided.
Second, there's the body of the trip; I enjoy a weekend-type trip that includes some down-time for lunch, possibly building a fire, camping out for a night, etc. If it starts pouring rain, for example, I like to take a break if possible and let the squall pass, rather than boat full-speed ahead in it, rain soaking the gear and stinging my eyes and face. I like to have a little casual conversation, share a few jokes, brew up some hot tea or coffee mid-trip and maybe do a little sight-seeing if the hunting seems poor or if time allows.
Last, there's the wind-down. If I get an animal, I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, so I like to minimize other end-of-trip particulars by having the gear consolidated and easy to move, parking as close to the jumping off point as possible, and having arrangements already made for where I will hang the animal and work on it. I rig up a hanging shed before deer hunting even starts so that I don't have to think too hard when I come in cold and tired from a long trip with a deer. I like to talk about the shot, the terrain, the experiences; share with some folks when I come back.
These are all totally individual preferences. I know lots of hunters, male and female, that like to totally "charge" and cover as much ground as fast as they can, searching for that trophy. Some people just don't do the planning thing, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, as long as the entire hunting party is on the same page. Basically, I am one for enjoying the whole experience of hunting. When hunting turns into, more of a job and less of a recreational event for me, I will quit hunting.
Essentially, the hunter I went with when I got my shot at the Big Bear was a complete opposite from me in his hunting style. Also, his interpersonal communication skills left much to be desired. We did not have much to say to each other after the first day, and after I did a couple things "the wrong way," in his eyes, there was just a cold, disapproving silence. Keep in mind throughout this story that we were going hunting strictly "as friends”; he is a co-worker of mine and I've hunted deer with him a time or two before. He had no obligation as a guide or professional.
To begin with, I felt rushed to prepare; he did not inform me we were hunting by boat until the day before the trip. Then, an hour before we were scheduled to meet, he told me we'd have to use my truck to tow the boat he was borrowing. My hitch was not compatible with the hitch of the boat, so, as I waited for him (he was an hour late), I tried frantically to switch the ball out on my vehicle, which did not work. Impatiently, he hitched the boat to his truck. He informed me I'd have to drive my truck behind him, as his trailer lights did not work. At this point, I said that I'd be more than happy to wait until next weekend when we could plan to borrow either another boat or truck. He informed me brusquely that "we won't get a bear if we don't go." I said that I thought a ticket was a big price to pay, to which he informed me seriously that I, not he, would be paying the ticket if he was pulled over. I was dumbfounded, but for some reason I went with him anyway. Suffice it to say, the trip went downhill from there. The entire trip, he belittled me, made sarcastic comments about my outdoor skills, and made me feel even worse than I already did about missing a shot at a nice bear.
The car ride home was entirely silent. I thanked him civilly for the opportunity, but when he mentioned something about hunting the next weekend, I looked directly at him for a moment and said, "I don't think so."
You know, in hindsight, I'm actually rather glad I missed that bear. The experience of getting him would have been tainted by the person I was with, and I would like my memory of "a first" to be positive overall. I learned some valuable lessons about hunting. There was do doubt that my partner's hunting skills were excellent; we saw a multitude of bears, and he got me right on top of a trophy animal. I learned that for me, that just isn't the only important thing about a hunt.
On a more positive note, the grouse are out…for me, that's a big deal, since I remember fondly the spring drumming back in Minnesota! They don’t drum much here (or I haven't heard them at it) but we've seen several hens with chicks on the road system lately. It's extra special now to see them now because we have a couple scientists here on the island doing a special study in order to find out more about our grouse population's health and numbers, nesting site preference, and other information. So, we have been radioing in any grouse sightings to the office, and even waiting near the grouse and keeping an eye on the bird/s until the scientists get to them to tag them. Perhaps, if we learn more about our population, grouse hunting might improve here in a few years!
The muskegs and green fields are green again, with the pungent smell of new skunk cabbage shoots permeating the air almost anywhere along trails and damp roadsides. They are a succulent plant vital to both deer and black bears, but they are named very accurately!
I feel a great sense of energy and excitement about the season to come. Ahh, the woods in spring; fawns are dropping, birds are nesting…I do feel blessed this time of year. I hope your spring is also energizing and fruitful.
