This is the bear
I did get. She was a beautiful 250 lb sow that I
took on the second day of the hunt about 7:00 p.m.
in the evening. We were hunting approximately 30
miles SW of Grande prairie, Alberta, on the smoky
river |
A Black Bear Hunting
Story
When I took one last
look up the hill, a dark brown shape emerged, topped the
slope and started down a dirt path that lead right toward
us. "What just came over the hill," I asked
my guide Billy. "Is that another elk?" It looked
like an elk because of the dark chocolate color against
the dim surroundings since the sun had set. And there
were already 3 of them feeding halfway down the right-of-way.
"No it's a bear," Billy said back, "A pretty
BIG bear."
The only time in my whole
5 day hunt that I suggested to my guide where to go
and what to do. I was tired of riding around and suggested
that we head back to camp early and park the truck so
we could watch the hill and nearby meadows as it got
dark. I needed to be back in town by ten o'clock and
I wanted to sit for awhile.
When I heard those words,
a surge of energy went through me. It went through all
of us. Since Billy had started the truck and made a move
to turn around when I spotted the bear, we needed to get
in a better position to shoot. The bear was 600 yds away
and closing, coming right down a dirt path down the side
of a pipeline clearing. Lucky for me, the hill was terraced
,and in a few steps, the bear disappeared from sight when
he reached the highest one. Instantly, Billy turned toward
the hill and moved closer to the bottom. The bear reappeared
faster than we thought. But I was in position to shoot
as soon as he got in range. I was ready.
"I think that may
be a grizzly," stated my guide. What? The bear
was that big and the right color, but I was not expecting
him to say that. I swiped my binoculars back from my
dad because now I had to look. When I finally saw him
my jaw dropped. "That aint no grizzly. That's a
huge cinnamon bear." I retorted back. I couldn't
believe what I was seeing. This was what I came to Alberta
for. This is what i've always wanted since I first ever
thought about black bear hunting. And in a few moments
I was about to get my shot at the biggest one i'd ever
seen.
As I watched this huge
bruin lumber along, he came over the second little rise
and saw the elk that were feeding below. The elk saw
him too, and what happened next I replayed in my head
everyday for the next month. Two of the bigger elk suddenly
charged at this bear, my bear. The bear stopped on and
turned on a dime, obviously surprised by their move
at him. He wheeled and hauled ass through the barbed-wire
fence and hid behind some trees, ready to climb up if
his attackers came any closer. I watched as he stood
up behind a big spruce trunk and peeked his head out
to see what his pursuers were doing. Well they had already
turned around and left, but he acted puzzled by what
had just happened. He slowly got back down and sniffed
around before heading into the forest to disappear from
my life forever.
We sat there for 30 minutes
in silence, almost in disbelief that my almost sure
chance at a tremendous bear had been dashed so quickly.
We were all hoping that he'd come back out but he was
gone.
Nobody ever tells you what
to do when you miss the big one.
What you do is realize
that this is what makes hunting great. The big ones
shouldn't be easy to get and they never are, and that
what makes finally getting that trophy a moment you'll
cherish for a lifetime. That what keeps hunters awake
at night. Keeps them coming back year after year. For
the mere chance that they may stumble into the same
situation that I was in, no matter how it turns out.
I hope I get the same chance
next time...
If this sounds like the kind
of bear hunting experience you've been searching for,
Please call Bill or Tammy and get ready for the hunt of
a lifetime!
Bill & Tammy Lungle
1-780-568-4931
wildbills@wildbillsalbertahunts.com |
