By Bear Newcomb
It was the fall of 2017 when my dad and I were driving back from an unsuccessful hunt in the national forest in Arkansas. We had hunted all day and were frustrated at how little our expedition had produced. My dad explained to me that we hunt here because while we may not have very much success, the day that we do, it will mean so much more. He told me that if we wanted to go kill a deer or bear, we could go to the bait pile and could have a much better chance at killing one, but we hunt on national forest because there will be so much more behind the animal that we harvested. I understood. Not long after that in the same long drive home after talking more on the subject I made a commitment that I was going to try to kill my first bear in national forest. This was a massive commitment.
By Dawson Smith
”A Very Propitious Event”: (pruh-pish-uhs, indicative of favor, favorably disposed towards you)
Every once in a while something significant happens that causes you to ponder the individual choices that decided the outcomes in your life. That causes you to wonder; what if things went differently, what if I went left instead of right, what if I stayed home, what if I did ask that girl out on a date, what if, what if, and what IF?
By Josh Kirchner and Eric Voris
A veteran hunter takes a new bear hunter into the backcountry & breaks the curse.
By Jake Horton
The spring might be the most popular time to hunt western black bears; however, the fall is a great time to chase them as well. Some states only have a fall season which means that it is the only time to hunt bears. Before you buy a tag, do some research, do some e-scouting to find hard-to-reach trail-less basins, and give yourself an ample amount of hunting time to find and harvest a mature bear.
By James Jubran
The author's first trip to Montana proved to be a big challenge with a color-phased reward.
By Brooke Smith
A bear hunter on a spot and stalk hunt breaks her leg and is flown out by helicopter out of the backcountry.
By Brian Strickland | @backcountry_brian
Teddy Roosevelt summed it up best when he stated, “The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom.” As fitting as Roosevelt’s words may be, there’s more to a do-it-yourself backpack hunt than just throwing on a lightweight pack and pressing forward. The fact is, the realities of this endeavor have a way of driving the unprepared back into reality. Weather, injury, exhaustion and overall tough hunting conditions can all play a role in the outcome of the experience. With this in mind, here are some troubles to avoid when planning your next DIY backpack adventure bear hunt.
By the Bear Tech | @Kolby_Morehead
One of the great things about being outdoors is that you never know what you’re going to come across. Often the full story doesn’t come out until you get home. Tammy Russell harvested a once in a lifetime bear, though she didn’t know it until later.
By Boots Leyva
Usually, grizzly bears run the other way as soon as they see people or when a warning shot is fired. This grizzly wanted something and wasn’t afraid.
By Carrie Kegler | @akpocahontas
A lifelong Alaskan gets a surprise on a solo hunt in the mountain taking a bear with no bottom jaw.