2016 New Hampshire Bear Hunt - Staff Story

I have worked for Lion Country Supply for almost two years now. I have always been a customer of the company, continuously needing Collars, leads, E-collars for my hounds; Lion Country is and always will be my GO TO place. When I was hired the management staff was all well aware of my hunting background and knowledge with all the product that I still buy and use today. Every September during bear season in New Hampshire, my father and I always spend the long twelve hour journey north with our Plott hounds loaded in the bed of the truck to stay for a long weekend to hopefully fill our bear tags.

My dad and I have a friend that lives there that we are grateful to know. Not only is he and his family great people, but his love of hunting and knowledge of the woods there also make our hunting trips always something to look forward to. If anyone is ever fortunate enough to take the time off work and want to experience a memorable hunt from Bird hunting to Bear, they are the guide service to call. We're not always so lucky to get a beer each year, but the experience and love of the hunt is always our focus.

On our trip in September 2016, we were not fortunate enough to bag a bear but the memories we get to create are always what keep us returning every year. One of our experiences this past trip was the bear that the hounds had struck and sent us on at least a nineteen plus mile trip hoping and praying the darn bear would not tree. When I say the hounds finally cornered the bear on a rock face, saying it was up a mountain is an understatement. This was a 180 degree cliff that my brother and I were stuck under the ledge at the top while my father and Tommy daringly went around to see if they could get a shot off from above where the bear was cornered. Forty five minutes went by as we are communicating back and forth on the radio, still no shots were fired.

My brother and I were beginning to worry that a dog had been caught and pulled into the bear because after a half hour their bawling had stopped. Finally we got the word; the bear had bailed off the side of the cliff, the OPPOSITE side from where my brother and I were positioned. A straight fall to what would be our guess his death. I guess he chose a leap of faith instead of a shot.

So dragging the hounds back off this mountain bearless. Sadly the rush up the mountain was seemingly easier then due to the adrenaline and eagerness to see what bear they FINALLY had treed, what long legger were we chasing over half the day was waiting at the top. If it wasn't for Tommy's Garmin Alpha 100 showing us every step of the way I'm sure our 19 plus mile trip would have easily doubled, seeing how the hounds were in an out of hollows on their way there with their voice bouncing off every mountain face. It would have made our trip a lot more complicated.

As always we left with another memory to tell our friends and loved ones back home. Of course it would have been much more exciting to tell everyone we bagged a four hundred plus pounder, but well settle for a long thrill catching story. After the extensive hike back to our cabin, to say all of our legs felt like jello was an understatement, so we took the following day off bear hunting and took on a new journey to try some pheasant hunting.

I have always been brought up enjoying hunting and Hound hunting especially, so the thought of another type of hunting with a furry companion sounded like another fun experience. Working at Lion Country I hear hundreds of hunting stories daily and bird hunter enthusiasts seem to be die-hard fans including our very own luck. My attempt at bird hunting I cannot even say was much of a story, I didn't get one shot off, by the time I saw the bird it was gone just as fast. My brother on the other hand, got a few shots off but I do believe it was just to shoot, none of them were close unless you count them buzzing past my head.

The two of us were just an accident waiting to happen, but we still had a blast and lots of laughs. Seeing my Father and brother just out enjoying themselves and laughing was still a successful day to me. I do believe Tommy had told me he's seen beginners do better so I guess I should just stick to Coon and bear hunting!

-Courtney