09/12/2021
That’s Why It’s Called Hunting
My wife and I just spent 6 days in Northern Maine hunting black bears. It’s something that we have both been wanting to do so when the opportunity presented itself, we decided to go for it. Let me back up for just a second; you’ll notice I said “hunting” black bears, not “killing” black bears. Now why would I say that? Well let me explain. We were in a lodge with 17 other hunters who were all there with the same objective, to kill a black bear. Like the 17 other people, we paid an outfitter, we purchased our licenses, we drove over 13 hours, we sat in a stand or blind for 6 nights; and even after all of the time and money invested into this hunt, we were going home empty handed.
So who’s fault is that? Was it the outfitter’s fault? Of course not. Our guide had worked his ass off since July to give his clients the best opportunity to kill a bear. Like many other outfitters, a lot of his time goes into hauling buckets of bait, checking trail cameras, and scouting his land. But guess what ladies and gents, even after all that, you can’t predict or control what a wild animal is going to do. A lot of people have the misconception that paying for a hunt is a guaranteed kill. Well no, you are paying for a service, you are paying for the use of their land, you are paying for their expertise. That’s why it’s called hunting.
So do we blame the weather? Our first night it rained, our second night the wind blew 15 miles an hour, our third night it rained and blew 15 miles an hour. It seemed the odds were not in our favor here. I’m not going to lie, it get discouraging when you are sitting in a stand for 5 hours knowing that you probably won’t see anything because the wind is blowing your scent right to the bait. There a few things I’ve learned in my years of hunting, wind speed and direction can make or break your hunt. Well we obviously can’t control the weather, so you make the best of it. Because guess what, on the chance that a bear might come into your stand, you aren’t going to kill it sitting at the lodge. That’s why it’s called hunting.
Now let’s consider the human factors. Were we camouflaged enough? Did we use enough scent killer? Were we still enough while sitting in the stand? All of these are things that can make a difference in your hunt. I can only speak for myself on this aspect, but I promise you that I did everything possible to try to make my hunt successful. Was this the case for everyone else? I would like to think it was. At the end of the day, there’s only so much you can do and the rest is just fate. That’s why it’s called hunting.
So leaving Maine without a bear, am I disappointed? Of course. Do I blame anyone or anything for it? Absolutely not. That’s why it’s called hunting. Because even though we aren’t leaving with a bear, we are leaving having made some new friends, having eaten more great food than I had in a month, and having gained some knowledge and experience that I didn’t have when I came.
When we leave the lodge, we tip our guide and thank him for a great hunt because it really was. Hunting is more than killing an animal. Hunting is the experience that gets you to the kill. We already have plans to return next year and give it another try. Will we get a bear next year? Hopefully. But if not, I know we will have the best experience possible. That’s why it’s called hunting.
