In Rough Run, the boys (and girls) do lots of things to amuse themselves during the fall and winter that the normal person may not be… comfortable with. One of those things is bear hunting. When bears are running through the yard, tearing up the trash, yanking refrigerators out houses and eating the leftovers, you've decided to mess with the wrong bunch. Besides keeping the wildlife at bay and helping with the ecology and all that stuff, bear hunting can be fun. Heck, most of the time bear hunting isn't hunting in the usual sense of "let's find something and kill out". Most of the time, hunting really refers to finding bears, chasing bears, taking pictures of bears, and watching bears run away. Unless it's a bigun'…
Since bear hunting is a little different than most of the other creature-hunting where you sit in a blind/tree/rock ledge and hope something with antlers wanders by, we decided to give you a brief primer on how it all goes:
BEFORE-HAND STUFF
1a. Get up 2:30am - I know, I know, this is an ungodly hour but apparently 'bears own the night'.
1b. Eat some grub - This is literally 5 or 6 hours prior to when one normally eats breakfast so it is best to grab some chow first thing.
1c. Ready to go out (make 2nd breakfast, make or bring lunch supplies, grab waters & snacks, grab supplies,
1c. Get the dogs form their kennels, put them on the truck and head up the mountain
Disclaimer: This isn't a legal document that purports to explain all of the laws, regulations and game rules. Know your area and rules. In Rough Run, there are certain seasons where certain things are allowed and it is a hound hunting state. No baiting or anything like that. You need to find 'em…
SNIFFING OUT A BEAR STUFF
1. Find a Track - The 'track' is the term for the scent-trail. When a bear runs through the forest, he leaves a trail that can be followed. This is the track. Finding a good track & fresh track is part art, part science and is the one big separators from the amateurs and the seasoned houndsmen. The Rough Run boys know how to find the track.
2. Release the Hounds - Once a good track is identified and the appropriate time has been reached, the dogs are turned loose. Again, this is part art and part science knowing which dogs to release and how many dogs and when to send them.
3. Track the Dogs as they chase - Once the dogs are on the loose, it is time to track the chase. If all goes well, the dogs will get on the track of the bear and follow it to their goal. Bears are seldom up for a fight, so they tend to run for the high ground. The chase is on. This is called "running the bear". The Rough Run boys use tracking devices, GPS collars and other sophisticated gadgetry to follow the chase.
4. Tree the Bear - The end goal is to get the bear in a spot where he wants to stop and end the chase. If the bear is big enough, he won't go up a tree and will fight the dogs on the ground. But most bears do the smart thing (in bear logic) and go up a tree to rest. The dogs can't follow, so the bear wins (in bear logic). Once your dogs have the bear up a tree, the hunters dash to the tree.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET ONE PART
5. Maybe you shoot it (go to step 6), maybe you don't (tell everybody you shot it anyway and make up a huge weight)
6. Drag it Out - As horrible as it sounds.
7. Weigh It and Tag it - Again, know your laws and tag when you are supposed to tag. Basically, follow your local rules here.
8. Multiply all Numbers by 3 and tell everybody about it - Lying about your exploits is a time-honored and legitimate aspect to life in Rough Run (and bear hunting).
9. Slice It, Dice It, Make Julienne Fries - Some like bear eatin', some do not like it. Waste not, want not.
10. Take the dogs home and get them bedded down for the night - More nights than not, they have gotten no bear so reward the pooches.
11. Clean everything up and kick out the mooches - Since this is a complicated and difficult and expensive endeavor, lots of people hang out for a piece of the action. Remove them from your clubhouse.
12. Go to Bed - Set alarm for 2:30am, the bear season is short and sweet.
Note: If nothing happenS, remember to tell everyone you "ran" a huge bear but __________ (fill-in the blank with some incredible excuse [see LYING]).
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