A Bear Hunting I Won’t Go
Hunting is something I have always loved to do and bear hunting is something I have always wanted to do. The closest I have came to getting to hunt bear is looking for them in Arkansas during deer season when bear season was open as well. I think that may be the closest I’ll be able to get to actually going, as far as my wife is concerned.
For a person who is fairly new to hunting, she is very open to the idea and concepts. She encourages me to teach the kids. She even requests a nice supply of venison and moose to be put in the freezer for the winter. But when it comes to hunting bears, that is where she has yet to entertain the notion.
It isn’t because she is against hunting and eating them. No, that she is willing to accept. The reason she refuses to budge is because of images of me actually being bear hugged by one of the beasts. No amount of reassuring her of how cautious I would be does a hill of beans, either.
While I would love to go, I have to admit, I can’t be mad about the situation. It would be easy to be aggravated about not getting to go bear hunting. But when the reason she doesn’t want me to go is because of a very real concern for my safety, how can a person be anything but appreciative?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not giving up just yet. Like most other instances, anything worth having is worth waiting on, right? I just slowly try to convince her that although bear may be mean and tough, none of them can compare to me. And if you think she’ll buy that, I have a bridge to sell you.
Seriously, though, I believe it may be something that one day we can come to a compromise on, and both of us will get a chance to enjoy a supper of bear meat while laughing over how she hadn’t wanted me to hunt them at one time.
*Black bear picture above copyrighted by Diane Krauss
hunting, hunting sense, bear hunting, safety, dangerous hunts
August 17th, 2007 at 10:41 am
I want to go bear hunting as well. The wife hasn’t expressed the same concern but I have thought about it myself to be honest. Hunting bear and hunting deer are definitely two different things! Hopefully I will get a chance one day!
August 17th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
I have to say I understand the concern. Although I know that an engraged deer or moose could do a lot of damage, the same potential for severe injury just doesn’t seem to be there. A bear can really chew you up if they have a mind to do so.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
This post is dear to my heart.A dream I”ve had for a long time.
Also one,I will not give up on easily.
Danger,a concern,definately.Still my dream.
August 17th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
My wife begs me to go bear hunting. Wonder why? (just kidding)
Actually, I’d feel safer ‘hunting’ a bear rather than having a bear ‘hunt’ me while I’m hunting for something else, like a deer or elk. I’ve had the whole bear stalking me experience and I’d rather be the one doing the stalking.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
I would love to go bear hunting, by God we have plenty of black and grizzly bears here in British Columbia. But my wife is, like yours and for the same reason, not keen on the idea. Hearing every day in the news of a bear human encounter of the bad kind surely does not help to set her mind at ease about me going after a bruin.
For years bear hunting was limited here in BC, thanks to pressure from the antis and their cuddly Teddy attitude. Today black bears are everywhere, even in Vancouver and other cities and the “endangered� grizzly is following suit.
I still haven’t given up on the idea of bear hunting and I know that eventually –hopefully – my wife will give in to my charm and begging.
-Othmar Vohringer-
August 25th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
One day I was Gambel Quail hunting in S.E. Arizona and we surprised a bear. Our dogs froze, behind us. The Bear ran west and my buddy and our dogs ran east! I will stick to Quail and Deer and hope I don’t rattle up a Mountain Lion!