More often than not the general consensus would have you
believe that getting up at o’dark thirty is the surest and only way to get into
animals. However, being of a slightly different breed, venturing into less
defined waters is how we tend to get things done. Sometimes you just have to set reason and
logic aside, break out of the bubble and choose the road less traveled. And
that’s not to imply that by waking up later we were making such a prolific
decision as Robert Frost did in “The Road Not Taken” but rather, that there’s
no defined way to go about hunting. Many times, it’s the last minute decisions
and changes that make all the difference. Throughout the day you will make many
decisions and the road you choose will inevitably lead you to another fork,
another path, another choice. So, to follow this wayward logic, we made the
decision to hunt the southern part of our unit and throw a kink in our scouting
plans. “Heck”, we thought, “we haven’t found any bears where we were looking
and, if they’re not here, they must be somewhere else”. In the end, as it would
play out, we wouldn’t be second guessing ourselves by the day’s end.
When we drove into this section of National Forest we were
immediately impressed. It somehow had a different vibe, a different tone. The
slopes were open, the grass was green, and with a slightly overcast sky the day
was perfect for hiking. I suppose the first sign that we may have luck that day
was when James spotted a bird downhill from us and proceeded to make his way
towards it. When the bird picked up and flew away we found what appeared to be
the spoils of its morning’s work. On a wet, downed log, there sat the back half
of what we deemed to be a snowshoe hare. Almost completely eaten, the legs were
draped over the log in a slightly embarrassing fashion. When James reached over
to investigate, the meat was still radiating warmth and we knew the kill was
fresh. Looking over the carcass for a minute or two James finally pulled out
his clever he had along with him and made the move to cut off one of the hind
legs. This, I believe, is where are fortune changed.
It has often be said that there are good luck charms in this
world, ranging from picking up a heads up penny on the ground to rabbits feet,
hung on a keychain. Whatever the symbol or item, we somehow believe that
possessing these things will benefit us in some way. For me, it’s a small object
I’ve had for over a decade, although I hesitate, even now, to say what it is.
Anyhow, while it wasn’t immediately apparent to either of us, cutting the leg
off of that rabbit may have just led us to our most unexpected encounter of the
season and perhaps, was every bit filled with luck as one could ask.
As we traveled an old logging road I can’t really comment as
to what I was thinking. We had seen some elk earlier in the day, called on
several predator calls, but traveling through some thick forest we were
basically just scanning the woods above and below us. However, it wasn’t long
before we could begin to notice a slight change in the woods. We had come into
an area where there were slightly larger bushes and just out in front of us, on
a looming hillside, evidence of replanted timber. And then, in an instant,
without warning, the tone of the season changed.
Standing less than fifty yards ahead of James, a figure
loomed large. As James would tell the story the first thing he saw was a large
head, low to the ground, half cocked to one side. Broad shoulders presented a
larger than life stature and were accompanied by, not a black coat, but one of
blondes, tans, and deep browns around the legs. It was in that moment that he
questioned whether or not he might be looking at a grizzly but the thought was
fleeting. Only then did he realize he was starring down the face of another one
of North America’s apex mammals, the American black bear.
From the beginning both were startled; the bear was no doubt
enjoying an afternoon stroll when the moment came and James likened the
experience to suddenly coming across a clown in the middle of the forest. With
everything you’ve been reading and thinking about the main scenario that you
run through in your mind is that you are going to see a bear across some
ridgeline and have to chase after it to get your shot. But there James was,
face to face with a bear, and as a light breeze blew across the road the moment
frozen in time was over.
Quickly, James was able to shoulder his weapon and flip open
the scope. As of this point, standing about ten yards behind James I still
didn’t know there was a bear out ahead. All I had seen and could still see were
three patches of light brown through the bushes; my first thought being that
there was a coyote out ahead. However, when James rose his rifle there was
little doubt as to the serious nature of his movements. For most of the fooling
around we had done up until that time the motions were playful and somewhat
slow but this motion, was all instincts. It was quick, decisive, and
calculated. As James would later relay to me ,when he shouldered the firearm and
looked down the scope he was looking right at the bear’s head. In that moment
his mind was racing, thoughts bouncing around, decisions being made. In that
second he did have a shot, dead on, right through the head, but, “Wait,” he
thought, “What if I want the skull? Can I make a clean kill? Is he going to
turn broadside?” And then, obviously realizing the gravity of the situation,
the bear turned to make a move down the adjacent hill and again, James was
presented with a decision. With the animal’s backside in full view he whistled to
stop the bear but the shape continued to move away. Holding his finger just
above the trigger he decided not to take the shot, he decided to pass and as
such, the bear slipped off the hillside and like a lioness slipping into the
grasslands, the bear disappeared into the forest.
It was only at this time did James turn to me and
acknowledge what I thought I already knew, it was a bear. Thinking back it was all
pretty surreal and I couldn’t help but imagine what different places our minds
were. In that moment I had stood in the back, trying to guess what the brown
shape out ahead was, with the only real thought running through my head that
perhaps there was a coyote in the road. Little did I know that in those same
few seconds the entirely of James’s bear and hunting experiences were flashing
through his head. It was a moment I’m sure he’ll recount for the rest of his
life.
From here we would rush off to view the landscape, travel
down through the brush, and glass for our blonde bear but he was nowhere to be
found. He has disappeared like a ghost in the darkness and for an animal that
seems to largely lumber and wander around, the grace with which he lost himself
in the woods is now unrivaled in my mind. We would end up talking at length
about the shot that never was. Would a serious dangerous game hunter have taken
the shot? Would they have run through the same things in their mind? In that
moment James did not hesitate, but rather made a conscious decision to not pull
the trigger and perhaps, above all else, that is the toughest thing. If you
hesitate, that’s one thing; a new situation, not being prepared, but James had
the chance to pull the trigger, he just didn’t have the shot he wanted. As he would
go on to say, that was a tough one.
By day’s end I was able to joke with James about the
incident and even he was able to laugh at himself. I mean, what else can you
really do? If you can’t laugh at those sorts of things then perhaps you are
taking yourself a little too seriously. We would continue on to talk about
Blondie, the now named the elusive bear, and contemplate the likelihood of ever
running into a situation like that again. For a unit that sees less than 2%
success, had we just missed the unicorn; a blonde bear, impressive in stature,
at fifty yards, without any obstructions? I suppose those questions are bound
to run through your mind. I think the day was summed up shortly after when, upon
taking a quick picture, James would joke that I was taking a, “Picture of Defeat”.
I felt for the guy.
For me, the light brown, blonde color I saw was the only
memory I have from the incident. For James, the moment will stay with him his
entire life. He’ll run through it day after day, night after night and think
about what he could have done differently. What if he had just been looking up
ten seconds earlier? What if he had taken the shot at the head? Would he have
dropped the bear on the spot or would the experience be that much worse with a
miss and the knowledge that a crippled bear has now died in the forest? The
questions are endless.
When it comes down to it in the end
however, no one can anticipate these situations. You can’t read about them or practice
at home, they just happen. Will lighting strike twice for James? Will he ever
see Blondie again? From my couch here this evening, I hope so, I truly do.
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