Dave Beck

With the weather being in a cold funk it’s tough to do a lot outside. It’s easier to stay in the house where it’s warm and that’s where I was when I was going through the mail and found an unexpected treat sandwiched in between the bills. It was an orange postcard from the Wisconsin DNR. Now the orange postcard should not be confused with the yellow postcard which is the turkey tag notification. The orange postcard is the bear tag notification. WHOOOO WHOOOOO! I drew a bear tag for this coming season and although it’s not bucket list level excitement, I am pretty fired up about it.

A long time ago I harvested a bear up north near Gordon, Wis. I didn’t know a lot about bear hunting but I knew enough to get help, so I got hooked up with some hound guys. Going into that hunt I was skeptical about the whole process of running bears with dogs. What I learned is that the discipline, skillset, drive, and endless energy of both the hounds and their owners make them a pretty amazing team and I was glad to be able to witness it firsthand. I was very impressed with the entire experience.

As that hunt was nearing its conclusion, for lack of a better way to describe it, the scene was controlled chaos. All the hounds were barking and every hunter holding a leash seemed to be yelling. I knew the hounds were barking at the bear, but I didn’t realize that the leash holders were all yelling at me to make things happen. To make a long story short, the hunt ended a moment later. The hounds continued to bark but all the yelling was replaced with smiles, back slaps, and hugs.

With a tag in my hand this year I would like to try the baiting route and see if I can check that box off the list of outdoor things to do. I already have a couple of lines on some bait which can be a little tough to find if I wait too long to source. The closer the season gets, the more competitive the bait market gets and the scarcer it seems to get. That’s what I’ve been told by veteran bait guys.

The other obvious item on the bear hunting “To Do” List is a place to hunt. That too has already been taken care of because I have a couple of places in mind. It seems that every year more bear sightings happen in our area, and I would guess that that trend will continue as the thriving bear population continues to push south. There was a time when bear hunting was only an up north thing but for reasons I just mentioned, it is now a viable hunting option right here in our Pierce County Journal back yard.

That bear hunt is still months away, but that orange postcard certainly gave me some warm thoughts on a cold day. So, what would it take to consider my hunt a successful one? Well, if I’m fortunate enough to harvest a bear, I am required to send in a tooth for aging on that bear and in return I receive a notification in the form of a white postcard letting me know how old the bear is. So if I get a white postcard in the mail, I’ll have had a great season.

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at dave@piercecountyjournal.news Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal