Over the years, Kazden has been on several bear hunts with the family. He’s even held his own tags, but he’s never taken a bear, until now.
I wanted Kazden to experience success, and knowing his love of dogs, thought a hound hunt would be the most enjoyable. The place was Idaho, and we were hunting with Boulder Creek Outfitters (www.bouldercreekoutfitters.com), near the little town of White Bird. I’ve been on this hunt many times over the years, and there’s a reason I keep coming back.
The week prior to our arrival, six hunters in camp each took a bear. On our first day of the hunt, a buddy filled his tag. The next day was Kazden’s turn.
Helping the three dog handlers, Bud, Zach and NASCAR Al, Kaz’ loved the morning ritual of getting everything ready. He thoroughly enjoyed helping with the dogs, and especially playing with the pups’.
Loading up the ATVs with hounds, we were soon headed across the labyrinth of logging roads on the nearly 50,000 acres of private land we hunted. Bears were drawn to the area by the thousands upon thousands of wild plum trees, originally introduced into the area by settlers. Bears leave the high country this time of year, as berries and other food sources have dried up. The lowlands provide plums, plenty of water and thick cover.
No sooner had we dropped into the first draw and the hounds cut loose. Unleashing the strike dog, Bud soon pulled him off, given the direction the bear was headed–into a massive, roadless canyon. Fifteen minutes later the chase was on again, on a different bear.
A trio of NASCAR Al’s hounds took off over the top of a mountain. We followed in the ATVS, around the bottom of the ridge and up the canyon. Within 15 minutes we caught up with the hounds. Cutting more dogs loose, Kaz’ and I followed Bud and Zach. Eventually the bear treed, and Kaz’ got to experience just how much energy is unleashed under a bear tree. It’s hunting action like he’d never seen.
The barking was intense, and the brush, thick. Getting Kaz’ in shooting position wasn’t easy, but eventually we found a spot on the uphill side of the bear. Kaz’ made a perfect shot with his .375 JDJ. Kaz’ had his first bear, and loved the hound hunting experience.
It was the eighth bear in as many days taken on the ranch, a testimony to just how many bears are really out there. In this part of Idaho and nearby Oregon, elk herd mortality by bears can reach 75%; cougars and wolves aren’t the only killers of elk and deer. Bear numbers are continuing to skyrocket in the U.S. with an estimated population of more than 350,000, not including Alaska or Canada. To put this in perspective, the bear population in the Lower 48 was estimated at 165,000, in 1989!
Hunting bears with hounds, and over bait, is a very effective means of taking them. Bears are predators, and predator numbers are best controlled by efficient hunting methods. I wish more states supported hound hunting and baiting for bears.
Kazden h
ad a great time in bear camp. He met many wonderful people, made friends with NASCAR Al, who was old enough to be his grandfather, and was, obviously, an avid NASCAR fan. Al kept switching hats with Kaz’ every time he walked by. One evening, Kaz’ and I picked boxes full of wild plums and elderberries. We also walked through the historical Nez Perce battlefield, visualizing what it must have really been like when battle erupted. The classic movie, I Will Fight No More, Forever, captures the tragic story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce peoples, and it all started right where we were hunting. It was heavy feeling, one Kazden will never forget.
The next couple days at home were spent cutting and wrapping bear meat, some of our favorite big game there is to eat. The bear, a boar weighing just shy of 200 pounds, yielded over 15 pounds of fat, a lot for this early in the season. Between the bear, berries and plums, the trip provided many great meals and fun times Kazden and I will remember forever. The whole experience captured all things great about hunting, from the people we met, to the time spent as a father and son, to history lessons and living off the land. I’m proud to raise my sons as hunters.
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