Hunts On Outfitting Podcast
Stories! As hunters and outdoors people that seems to be a common thing we all have lots of. Join your amateur guide and host on this channel Ken as he gets tales from guys and gals. Chasing that trophy buck for years to an entertaining morning on the duck pond, comedian ones, to interesting that's what you are going to hear. Also along with some general hunting discussions from time to time but making sure to leave political talks out of it. Don't take this too serious as we sure don't! If you enjoy this at all or find it fun to listen to, we really appreciate if you would subscribe and leave a review. Thanks for. checking us out! We are also on fb as Hunts on outfitting, and instagram. We are on YouTube as Hunts on outfitting podcast.
Hunts On Outfitting Podcast
I Came For Bears, Stayed For Mud Holes, Scope Bite, And Border Patrol
The Maine woods don’t hand out easy wins. We set out with a mixed pack of blue dogs, redbones, plots, and a cur, and found ourselves in a living map of paper mill roads, dry scent, long runs, and split-second decisions. Along the way we lay out a clear case for hound hunting as ethical, selective, and effective bear management—especially when populations push hard on deer and moose—and we push back on the myths that paint trained hounds and disciplined handlers as anything but skilled.
Our crew teamed up across three guide services, balanced young dogs with seasoned steadiness, and worked within Maine’s six-dog rule while swapping fresh noses at road crossings. GPS collars, strike dogs, and teamwork turned two days into a masterclass: a long, dusty run ending with a fast road shot and a border patrol cameo, then a textbook tree where patience, leash-back protocols, and a calm trigger led to a clean, one-shot bear. A young family from Ohio tagged out with heart and grit—proof that hounds can teach new hunters timing, restraint, and respect for the animal.
Between chases we talk law, ethics, certification, and what happens when petitions target hounds as “low-hanging fruit.” Lose one lawful method and the pressure shifts to the next—calls, decoys, stands—while wildlife and rural communities pay the price. We ground it all in real care: vet checks after a swipe, porcupine quill triage done right, and the 365-day commitment it takes to keep a pack healthy and honest. If you care about conservation, clean kills, and keeping tradition alive, this story will change how you see hounds and the people who run them.
Enjoyed the hunt and the hard truths? Follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who loves dogs, wild places, and a good chase.
Check us out on Facebook Hunts On Outfitting, or myself Ken Marr. Reach out and Tell your hunting buddies about the podcast if you like it, Thanks!
This is Hunt and Outfitting Podcast. I'm your host and rookie guide, Ken Maher. I love everything hunting, the outdoors, and all things associated with it. From stories to have tos, you'll find it here. Welcome to the podcast. Hey, it's another week that I hope is going well for you. And I got another podcast story for you guys from my time in Maine earlier this fall. We're going to be talking about hunting big black bruins with man's best friend, skilled and well-trained hounds. I find any hunting you can combine dogs working with and for you just makes anything even more enjoyable. Whether it be pointers on pheasants, retrievers, getting your down ducks, and for today's focus, hounds trailing their game. Anytime I get to see a breed of dog doing what they were made and bred for, and absolutely loving it, to me, it's all about watching them work. And it brings another level of awesomeness to the whole experience. With raccoon season and rabbit season well underway here where I'm at, my hands have been going full tilt. And luckily, with Nookshook Dog Food, they are able to keep going like that, no problem. Having natural, locally sourced ingredient ingredients such as chicken, herring meal, ground, whole grain, and lots more offering superior digestibility, palatability, plus vitamins. It keeps my dogs healthy and also gives them nice, smooth, shiny coat. If you want to reach out to me, maybe be a guest in the podcast or suggest somebody or just have a chat, which some more of you have been doing lately, and I really appreciate it. I love talking to all of you guys. Um, you can you can email me, huntsonoutfitting at gmail.com, or find us on Facebook, hunts on outfitting, or me on there, Ken Mayer. Alright, so I got my friends Caleb Jones and Ryan Wisalius on this podcast. Uh they're gonna be discussing with me my trip to Maine a few weeks ago, so let's get to it. So Caleb, Ryan, thanks for coming out and uh having a chat with me on the uh my bear hunt in Maine. Uh, you know, I uh I've been going to Maine now for the past three or four years, three years, going down every fall to tag along uh bear hunting. It's a pile of fun. It's always a great time, actually, but this year was really the cherry on top, and we're gonna get right into that in a minute. I want to recap this morning, boys. Uh, we had a good goose hunt. We were fresh off the fields. I'm glad that you guys changed and didn't come here full of mud beforehand.
SPEAKER_03:And blood.
SPEAKER_01:And mud and blood. Yeah. Uh we got a uh six-man limit of thirty thirty candy geese. Kind of gotta look around the room, make sure we're all like in agreement with the number. Yeah. No, we did. We could have got a lot more, but we didn't. There was uh there's a crazy amount of geese.
SPEAKER_02:Wild.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, we didn't shoot at uh very many of the flocks, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_01:No, and we had a hard time bringing them in too because we're on bare ground, pun intended, because we're talking about bear today. No. Um and uh we were on bare ground, the dirt and all that, and then we have like, you know, our ground blind set up there covered in corn and stuff. They stuck out a little bit. I mean, they're well concealed, but there's no other corn in the field.
SPEAKER_00:It was a tough hide today.
SPEAKER_01:It was, yeah. It was a really tough hide. Um, another bear pun hide. Uh tough hide. But uh, anyways, yeah, no, it's a lot of fun. Uh we didn't get any ducks today. We had some kind of come in, flare off a bit, they just wouldn't come in. I think there's so many geese out there, they're kind of like bullying them. You think?
SPEAKER_00:The geese were just steady all morning. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's kind of weird. We didn't have any ducks earlier before the geese come in.
SPEAKER_00:No, not really. It was also really foggy this morning, too. It was a lot of the birds flew late.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it was one of those hunts that really seemed to drag out later in the afternoon or morning, I suppose.
SPEAKER_01:But yeah, late morning. No, it was good. It's a lot of fun. Got a little muddy. It rained, missed it, I guess you could say.
SPEAKER_02:Heavy missed all morning.
SPEAKER_01:The whole time. So and then uh that's why it's nice doing a podcast during the day because it's raining outside. So, I mean, what else are you gonna do? Get wet? We'll be out later getting wet, but yeah. Um before I tell you guys about my fun time in Maine on a bear hunt, I want to talk about the importance of bear management and the use of hounds for it. Because bears, although they can look cute and cuddly, are still predators which need to be managed. And it has been proven that nothing is better or more effective in predator management uh than the use of hounds. Maine is rich in tradition using hounds for hunting bear and bobcat, coon, snowshoe hare, etcetera. Um now in 2014 there was a petition that turned into a vote that was very narrowly won by the hound hunters to keep being able to hunt bears with hounds in Maine. They almost lost that. Yeah, it was I don't know what it was, like I thought it was like 48 to 52 or whatever, something like that. It was close. So uh yeah, so it's sad that they actually came that close to them losing a tradition and a way of life and a very valuable hunting method that helps with bettering the populations of deer and moose. Uh while it's under attack again by animal rights and conservation groups. The very unfortunate thing is that there will probably be some hunters that have the poor thinking of who cares I hunt just deer or turkey or elk. This doesn't affect me. Well, it absolutely does and can. Um and does. Houndsmen for uh the animal rights and PETA groups are always the low-hanging fruit. Uh it's an easy target to start with to the uneducated in it. If they can make it, they can make the PETA and stuff can make houndsmen and hunters look like they're using just a bunch of vicious, untrained hounds going against poor, defenseless bears, right? And that's what they do and that's what they use. Um, those people won't just stop if they get hound hunting banned, then it could be, you know, it's unfair to use decoys for waterfowl, or calls for elk or turkey, or tree stands for deer. You know, as hunters, we need to stick together and make sure we don't give them an inch or they will take a mile. Do you guys agree?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So do these dogs have to be like certified to hunt the bears?
SPEAKER_01:Um in Maine, I can't see exactly how it works there. Here to hunt coon and all that, they need to be. But I mean, these dogs aren't like they're not they can't be like running deer or anything like that, right? Like they're just running bear. They've got to be hounds. Um yeah, but and all, like I said, the animal rights groups make it look like they're just a bunch of crazy, vicious, untrained hands. These bears are just like, you know, so defenseless and this and that. I mean, it's not it's not true at all. But like I said, if if you're a hunter thinking like, well, I don't hunt that, I don't care. But I mean, PETA and stuff, they're they're gonna keep going. Yeah, okay, well, we got this band. Let's come after, you know, like I said, no decoys for waterfowl hunting or stuff like that. Stuff no scopes on rifles. It sounds ridiculous, but they'll they're gonna they'll keep going if they can.
SPEAKER_02:They'll pick pick one at a time.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02:Just like all the gun laws here in Canada now.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Just little by little. Yeah, because before they're like, oh, well, just now in Canada you can't buy or sell handguns. People like thought they'd just leave it at that, and they are going for everything they can.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Right?
SPEAKER_01:So like I said, if you give them an inch, they're gonna take a mile. So uh just to be aware for hunters, but yeah, they are starting that a petition uh in Maine right now. When I was down there a few weeks ago, that was starting to make its rounds. Some animal rights group or whatever on uh it they went on a site change.org. Apparently, you can go on there and just randomly do petitions. It's kind of cool. Bring back sloppy joes at lunchtime or something, right? But you can't you can make up anything, I guess. Um so, anyways, yeah, just something to uh to keep in mind. So um, yeah, so this past year I went down to Maine. This is my I think it's my third time, my third fall in a row, and uh it's a pile of fun. I met Mike's been on the podcast before, he was on last year, uh around this time, talking about how he got into uh the bear hound hunting and all that, how we got into hounds in particular, and then to the bear hounds and everything, and uh really passionate about it.
SPEAKER_02:How did how did he get into hunting with hounds?
SPEAKER_01:So, this guy that's in here with Hollerback Guide Service, Bill Doretsky, he uh he took him out one time, they're hunting with beagles for rabbits, and Mike never grew up with dogs or anything like that. He was younger, I think he's like 14 or something, and then Bill's like, he's like, that was a lot of fun. And Bill's like, Well, there's a guy up the road from you that's got beagles for sale. And uh he bought one, it just kind of snowballed from there. So we still have some beagles, and then he's got the big hounds, and yeah, he uh he guides uh good old boys guide service. So um yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So so when you're out there in the woods, how many dogs do you normally have tracking the bears?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so in Maine, you can only have six dogs on the ground at any given time. Now you can bring out, you know, twenty some dogs if you want, right? But you've you so you switch them out. So the sometimes the bear, I mean, bears are marathon runners, right? So they can go quite a ways. So when dogs are crossing the road or something, if you know they're coming up, you're gonna switch them out. You're gonna grab a few dogs, some in on the ground. Yeah, sub in. But there can only be six bears on six dogs. There could be a whole pile of bears. There can only be, yeah, six dogs on one bear at any given time.
SPEAKER_02:So is that to like every man in the woods with his dogs, or how do they come up with a number?
SPEAKER_01:Why do they have that number?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, like so if you're hunting if you're if you're tracking two different bears, could you have twelve dogs, or is it based off of every man with his dogs in there?
SPEAKER_01:Is it just off of uh every group of hunters? If you have a bear over in one section here and you've got another bear way over in another spot, it means two different bears. Right. Right? So you can have you know split up. But if you guys are on the same bear and there's ten different guys, it's still only six dogs. Right. Okay. And they do that, I guess, because before Maine, years and years ago, from what I understand, they didn't have a rule on that. So guys would just come from different states and this and that, and they just have a bunch of dogs going, and if they, you know, couldn't find them, whatever, this and that, I guess there's just a bunch of dogs running around at least like a long time ago, right? So that's why they put that rule in place so people would kind of keep better track of their dogs, I guess, from my right understanding of it.
SPEAKER_02:So so in Maine, is that something you do over the counter?
SPEAKER_01:Like a non-resident can come in and just Yeah, so you've got to go with a guide if you're going to do it. Okay. Yeah, but you can still like people from other states bring their dogs down and run them there. I think you have to get a permit for it. But um, yeah, you can bring your dogs down and run them.
SPEAKER_02:You just have to be accompanied with a guide.
SPEAKER_01:You have to be accompanied by a guide and you have to have a a hound permit. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So and guys do, because I've been down before with Mike, and guys brought their dogs down from uh West Virginia, stuff like that. Just run them.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Everything. Guys come down from North Carolina and stuff. Yeah, because it's it's pretty good uh it's pretty good running in Maine.
SPEAKER_00:What is the seasons that they run there?
SPEAKER_01:Uh so it's only fall, they don't have spring season at all, eat with with or without hounds, baits just fall season. Um is it? I think it starts early September and it goes to like late October, I think. Don't quote me on that.
SPEAKER_02:Do you know what you have to do to get your dog certified or or there?
SPEAKER_01:No, I don't know the ins and outs of it completely there. Okay. But it varies place by place. I know here in New Brunswick, uh they've got to be hounds and then somebody that's certif that's certified to certify them for coon hunting. Um, because we can't run bears with hounds here in New Brunswick, uh, they have to go out and see that they actually do run a raccoon. Right. And that they're not gonna be taken off after every scent that they get in the woods. Right. Kind of things. I'm guessing it's similar to that in Maine, but I cannot say for sure. So um yeah, then going across so it is Maine, New Brunswick. I got across the border. So this year, when I went down, it went pretty smoothly. Uh the first year I went down, I took my wife's car, and um I get to the border, and they've randomly searched me because a young guy with a bunch of tattoos and all that's coming through at like four o'clock in the morning saying I'm going hunting without a gun or anything. And they always think they have me. They're like, Do you have any weapons in the vehicle? I'm like, nope. And they're like, Well, how are you going hunting then? I was like, Well, I'm I'm just tagging along. They're like, Okay. Uh so they searched me the first time when I had my wife's car. And uh like, is there anything in there, any weapons? I'm like, no, no. And then they're like, anything in there sharp that could poke me or anything like that. I was like, uh, I don't think so, unless my wife has a drug problem I don't know about. Um so they searched it, anyways, and this border patrol lady comes back in looking pissed, and she's like, I thought there wasn't anything that could poke me in there. I'm like, sweating, I'm like, Well, what'd you find? She's like, There's needles. I'm like, what? She's like, You don't know there's needles in there? I'm like, I didn't think there's needles in there. Anyways, my wife's a pharmacy tech, and they gave out free Narcan kits at work. So there's a narciss in there with needles. Yes, there's needles in there, in a you know, compartment in a bag, in a plastic case.
SPEAKER_00:So yes, it could have been a little bit of a if she opened up all those things.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, if she went through the steps of opening absolutely everything and jammed it into herself, she a hundred percent could have gotten a needle in her. So, anyways, they let me go on that one, but I was like, holy, because I was I didn't know what to expect. She's needles thrown about in there, like, no, no, they're all cased up and everything. So this time, um, yeah. The past few times it's gone a lot smoother because I take my truck and I vacuum it all out and clean everything, and I find all the stuff in my truck that I didn't realize. Like, oh, I found another box of ammo. Here's another knife. I think there's a gun under the seat, you know, but clean all that out first.
SPEAKER_00:Find all your nickels.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yeah. Um, yeah. So uh so anyway, so that went well, and then uh so I get to my buddy Mike's house, and this year it kind of freaked me out because Maine, uh, I believe it's it's an open carry, you can carry, you know, handguns there on you and everything, right?
SPEAKER_02:America.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And um so I pull into uh his house at like five o'clock in the morning, and uh there's an hour time difference between here and there, so I was like, shit, am I early? Am I late? Because I don't see any vehicles. So I just like pull into this house that I was thinking was his at that time, and I don't see any vehicles. I'm like, uh. I'm like, they left without me. Someone's probably gonna come out shooting or something, not knowing who the hell I am. Anyway, so I called him, like, uh, did you guys leave yet? He's like, Yeah, no, we're on I'm on the other side of the house. So I'm like, oh, okay. So I go over there. Um, and uh yeah, thank God they're still there. Kind of freaked me out for a second. And then uh so then after that, we get in. Uh Mike's girlfriend Molly came along. She uh she didn't grow up around hounds or anything, she grew up around uh duck dogs and stuff, but she took to it really well. Uh she was a big help with the hounds and just kind of immersed herself into that world and uh you know, she's done really great at it. So then uh me, Mike, and Molly get in the truck, load up the hounds that were taking for that day. So the hounds we're using on this are uh Mike's got a bit of a mixture. He's got um blue gascon, which are kind of like uh blue tick, and then he does have I guess blue tick cross, he's got like a red bone, uh he's got some plots, and he's got a cur dog. Okay. Two and everything. So a bit of a mixed bag, but all hounds and all uh good dogs, and all of them young except for one of them, but all the rest of them are quite young.
SPEAKER_02:Like how young?
SPEAKER_01:Like uh year or so. Really? Yeah, really.
SPEAKER_02:Jeez.
SPEAKER_01:Uh I think well, yeah, they're boat right about a year.
SPEAKER_02:That is that is really young.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, how come there's no older dogs? Uh he had some, but he only runs an older pack. We still had some older dogs in there, like some of the plots and stuff a bit older. Um, and then the Bill, he runs uh Redbone. Oh, okay. Redbone Hounds and stuff. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So these dogs, what's their attitude towards bears? Like I know when I go out coon hunting with you, your dogs hate coons.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, these um I find the dogs are more I don't find they despise them quite as badly. Some of them do, but they're more just they're more there to hunt them and run them. Some of the dogs, how they'll be, some dogs will get like this. Once the bear they get really close to the bear, they'll run it and track it, but once they get real close, they kind of like they'll back off a bit. Some dogs will just kind of leave.
SPEAKER_00:Is that when you switch your dogs out?
SPEAKER_01:Uh sometimes. It it depends, but you have some feistyer dogs that will kind of like work at the bear and all that and get it up a tree. Oh, and then uh Danielle, who comes in the picture just a little bit, she has a old English tune hand. Yeah. Um really good dogs. But yeah, some of the dogs, they um see what you want, you want your dogs to have some grit. You want them not to be scared of the bear. You want them if they can kind of nip at it a little this and that, just kind of get them to go up a tree if they can, right? But you don't want your dog with too much grit getting right in there and getting smacked around.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you gotta find a happy medium.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, because some bears are fine, some bears not so much. Right? So but uh yeah, these bears are far from defenseless. If people are wondering that, they've got teeth, they've got claws, they know how to use them. Uh but the the dogs love it, right? They absolutely live for it. Uh so then so then we go out and we meet up with the Bills. We got uh Bill Golepsby with uh Grandfalls Outfitters. He mainly specializes in uh he does a lot of f uh guiding for fishing and stuff throughout the summer, and he does a lot of uh hunting Bobcat with hands in the winter, and then he teams up with Bill Doretzky uh to hunt Bear, Bill Doretsky's hauler back guide service. And so him and Bill and then my buddy Mike with good old boys guide service, they team up together and run Bayer for the summer, and then Danielle comes with her dogs as well.
SPEAKER_02:So Grand Falls Outfitter, is that a New Brunswick outfitter or Maine from Mayor?
SPEAKER_01:These guys all in Maine. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Because there's a Grand Falls right up there on the border, too, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. No, this is in uh this is in Maine. Okay. Uh so we did that, and then it was really neat this year. So this year they had when I was down this time, they had the uh Markel family. So Shane, his wife Megan, and their son uh Brantley. Brentley? Brantley. I hope I didn't screw that. Anyway, it starts with a B. He was uh he's pretty good. So the day before I got there, is it Brantley? I think it's Brantley. Anyways, he um he's six years old. He shot a bear the day before. Oh, yes, yes. That they that they treated with the cooperation that they the hounds is a hound sword, yeah. Yeah. That they treated with the hound sword.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, that'd be something different.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so he had a uh a 410 single shot with a scope on it and a slug.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, sir. Six years old, and he got it. Yeah, he got it. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Super cool. Yeah. So it was cool though, because Shane was down last year with his friend Wayne. So it was cool me coming down again this year and meeting somebody again from l last year. That was, you know.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:That was there before that I'd met before, so it was cool. So I'd known Shane from before. Uh he's from Ohio. So yeah, that was fun. So the uh yeah, the family. There's it's gonna be a family fair. So that day when I was out, it was Shane's turn to shoot. Okay. So that was the plan. Um so we get out there, and how you do it, how they do it is uh sometimes you can have rig dogs. You you know, you drive one of the dogs and get the scent of the bear that'll be on top of like uh the dog box in the back of the truck, and they'll sniff it and they'll sound off and let you know, right? So you let them know it goes.
SPEAKER_00:So they can pick up the scent of a bear that walked across the road from on top of the dog box on a moving truck.
SPEAKER_01:That's impressive. That is impressive. Um some of these dogs can do that, but in Maine you can have baits. A lot of some places you can't, but in Maine you can, right? So then they checked on on baits, so they know, you know, you have game cameras on there, you can see, okay, there's a bear in at three o'clock in the morning or whatever, right? Yeah. So we head out right at first light, and uh, we get out there, and then Bill had known that there was a bear out there earlier. So then you take your dogs in with your best noses, right? You strike your good strike dogs. So you take the dogs in there, good noses, they're like sniffing around all that, seeing if they can get the scent working, seeing if they can get it going and all that, right? And then um they'll strike. You know, you guys have been out coon hunting, right? You know, they'll let off that, okay. I've got a scent, and then you can hear them progress and working the scent, getting it better and better. And then if it sounds like they're really going to give it to it, then you let a few more dogs go, they'll pack in and away you go, right? Yep. So then we were all out there talking and stuff, the dogs were working the scent, working the scent. It was really dry this year in Maine, so it's hard. You want a little bit of moisture just to hold a bit of scent, and uh there wasn't much, so the dogs were having quite a hard time. Then finally they seemed to really get it going. We were just out there talking, there's some moose on the road, we were watching that and everything, and then um so the dogs get it going. Then that's when we meet up with Danielle. Danielle Poole, she she got into hounds, I think she's only been into like three or four years. Um, she's uh she's small, she's short, she's quite a firecracker. I'll tell you that girl can run some hounds. And uh she's even half famous because her dogs were on the W calendar, the front of the calendar for W. That's where I get my hound hunting supplies and all that. Her dogs made the picture for that, so that's kind of cool. Um anyway, so we meet up with her, she jumps in with us, away we go. Uh, she ends up getting her dog in, Bliss, on the chase. And then uh so we're trying to go through. So we've got this GPS tracker and everything, right? On all the dogs wearing GPS collars.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so break this down. They're they're wearing GPS collars, and you're in the truck driving around trying to follow them to the closest roads.
SPEAKER_01:Drawing to with the with the roads, yeah. So inside the truck, Mike actually has like a bigger screen. You guys have seen mine for coon hunting, I have that small handheld one. They have those two, but when you get in the truck, they hook it to like the big screen. Okay. So you can see it like on the dash. So it's easier. And then luckily in Maine, there's a lot of paper mill roads everywhere. Yep. And uh, we were able to follow through, you know, like that. And I'll tell you that the tough trucks, no mercy on them. Yeah. Just flying little little rabbit trails and stuff like that. Uh so then we can see the dogs are running this bear and they seem to be on it pretty good. And um we get to um we get up to this like mud hole, we're like going through, and Mike's like, I don't know if it's that deep. And we go through, and it it was a bit deeper. We thrust those couple back up and go ahead. And um, anyways, and then finally we get we get out of that mud hole. We weren't really stuck, but it was getting there, and then uh the bear goes running across the roads we we get out to try to see it, and then the bear just goes flying across the road. I'm like, holy shit, he's right there. And then uh we tried to switch out, we grabbed a few dogs to switch out, right? We had some tired, and then um we start going through, and then Mike's like, here, the bear's gonna come out the road again up here. So he takes off running, and Mike's like over six feet, uh, and he's quite an athlete. I'm in decent shape. Uh I wouldn't call myself an athlete. I'm a lot shorter than Mike. So I was like, Yeah. So I'm like running after him. And uh boy, that slowed down quick for me. I was like, that's a lot, he's a lot quicker than me. Um so you guys were running to catch up to see across the road again? Yeah, yeah. We wanted to see, you know, who was the bear. We knew the bear was gonna cross again up this little this little road, right? And then sure enough, my uh we got a video of it. You can hear us breathe, and we're like, there, there he is. The bear just goes flying across the road and the dogs are on it.
SPEAKER_00:So And that would that cross the road like 15, 20 yards in front of you guys, was it? Or it was a little bit.
SPEAKER_01:I think it'd be closer than that.
SPEAKER_00:Like it was right in front of you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, 10 yards. Anyway, so then uh we started going in through the woods after because we thought it might tree in there. So we're going through, and then I'm like running, I'm keeping up with Mike for about uh two seconds, and then I quickly realized it wasn't so uh here I am like going through the main woods by myself. I'm not near anything really. The girls are further back with the truck. I kind of have an idea where that road was because we ended up going the woods a little ways. Mike has his GPS tracker and stuff, he knows where he is. I can just hear the dogs ahead, so I'm just kind of going towards that, hoping that Mike didn't say ah, screw it and like veer out because I was like, I don't have a tracker or anything, I don't know where I am. I don't yeah, so I'm just kind of going towards the sound of the hounds. And I mean they could have gone on for another 15 miles or something, I don't know. So I'm going through them, J. I'm trying, I'm walking at a crisp pace. And um, anyways, and then I uh it gets I it's is I've been going through for a while and then I'm like I'm getting out of breath, and then there's like this thick, this thicket in there. Like the woods is a little open, then it gets really thick, and I can hear the hands like right in there. So I'm like looking up in the trees, thinking like, all right, maybe the bear's treed. Nothing. And then uh, anyways, and then I could kind of see the bear like in the thicket there. I'm like, oh shit, he's right there, and the dogs like kind of surround him a bit, and then the bear's like just I don't know, he's catching his breath, I guess. I mean, they can go quite a ways easily. And uh, so I'm all at breath. I'm like, I'm like, yeah, he better run. You don't you don't want none of that, you don't want none of this shit. You know, I was like, I was like, I don't if the bear comes at me like I don't want to, but I mean I'll fight him, right? I yeah, I'll get it, can't do it to go. I'm like, yeah, you know, I'll give you all kinds of hurt up in this.
SPEAKER_02:So you weren't carrying any bear spray or anything like that, you already mentioned.
SPEAKER_01:Uh no, yeah, nope, uh, because I didn't really plan on getting that position. And then all of a sudden, you never knew. I uh no, and then I just hear, can? I'm like, yes. And then uh it's he's like it's Mike, yeah. It's it's it's a bear talking to me. So he was um it was it was Mike. I was like, Where where are you at? He's like, I'm over here. He's like the bear's right in there to your left. I'm like, all right. Uh so anyway, it's like get over get over to Mike. I'm like, man, I'm glad I caught up with you. And he's like, Yeah, I said it was gonna dream, but then it didn't ended up going further. So then we're like, we'll get back out to the girls. And then uh we realized they brought the truck up and then we're like shit, the mud hole. So then uh they made it through the mud hole too, but like just barely, because we were thinking, you know, for sure the girls were gonna get uh get stuck in the mud hole, but they weren't. So then we get it, we get back in the truck, and then uh oh yeah, too. So I had uh from the sheep hunt, I had the uh the old boot chaps, the gators. Yep. Right. So I was like, uh I was I was bragging them up too, right? Because no one else had them on. So I had I'm like, all these gators are awesome. Like they're they're they're so great. I said, you know, I can go through all this wet stuff and everything, and like no big deal, keeps your boots clean, keeps you dry, and then I was just going on about how great they are. And then um, anyways, we're like running through the woods later, and like everyone's like hopping over this log. I go to hop over it, catch my gator on it, just eat shit. Fucking gators. So I was like, never mind. I mean they're they're good, but you know, they're not like amazing. Um anyway, so then uh we could tell that they're going out to like this wider logging road because we were just on like these little tiny ones before, like, you know, if you have your window down, you're getting branches in the face kind of road, right? Or ticks, because there's some of those in Maine. So, anyways, we get out there, and then um all of a sudden we see like these kind of like lights coming or whatever, right? And uh we could tell that the bear's gonna cross, but we were just waiting out there a little bit. Uh Shane was out there with the other bills and stuff because we had split up, and uh we see this view coming up. I'm like, look, I'm like, who's that? Anyways, border patrol. Oh, really? Because I was like, why is he out here? Mike's like, oh, we're right on the Canadian border. Oh, really? So my first instinct was like, oh shit, run. Anyways, uh, he caught me and I was like, Oh, that's a misunderstanding. No, I didn't do that. I just saw him and um I was I was gonna get like a little cocky with him, right? I was like, oh, you missed one this morning. But um, I left my passport in my pickup truck at Mike's house. So I was like, I don't want to get too like, you know, jokey with him in case he's really serious and does ask my passport, and I uh, you know, don't happen to um to have it on me. So uh anyway, so I just pulled up my main accent. I'm like, oh yeah, we're going bear hunting there. I was out fishing yesterday with my father, uh out on the big boat there up in Bahaba. So he's like, all right, I get it. You're from Maine. And I even had my main t-shirt on that says uh Maine on it. I got it in New Hampshire. Um the biggest tourist in the woods. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I I had my baseball hat on that said go main, you know, stuff like that. So, anyways, no, Mike's like, oh, it I think it was Mike or Bill. He's like, you know, we're gonna we're gonna shoot like when it comes down the road, is that that okay? Like, I don't know, right? Because we're right by the border. He's like, Oh yeah, that's fine. He's like, this is awesome. He said, I think this this shit's cool. We're like, all right, good, because we're gonna do it anyways. Um, and then uh what'd Mike say to me? He's like, we'll make sure uh he said we'll get all the bears that come from the Canadian side. And he's like, That's good. I said, I'll handle the rest. I've looked around and I'm like, uh-huh. So, anyways, we didn't have to see any people that day. Um, so yeah, so then so we see so that we can tell that the the dogs are on the bear, the bear's gonna come out. This one's not gonna treat because we've been trying. I think that bear we put on I thought it was like 15 or 19 miles miles on that bear.
SPEAKER_02:Um what's the duration of time on the scale?
SPEAKER_01:It varies. No, but what was the duration of time on that?
SPEAKER_00:How long had you been since the dogs originally hit?
SPEAKER_01:I can't remember. I'm gonna guess at least four. I think we're about four hours for take.
SPEAKER_02:So do you know how many times you rotated the dogs through or uh a couple, not as many as you think.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, these dogs are in incredible shape. And you have to try to get a hold catch them on a road. And you gotta try to catch them, right? Yeah. Um so, anyways, so we did have six dogs on it most all the time. Sometimes less, never more, but sometimes less.
SPEAKER_02:So, how often does a dog get left behind? Do you have to go back and pick up the dog? No. No. Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Not these dogs, anyways. They're all pretty well versed with how the hunt works. Like, yeah. Okay. They're they stuck together as a pack pretty good. I mean, these dogs worked together a lot and all that, so uh so then Shane, what was he shooting for a gun? I think it's a 4570. It's like a kind of a fancier looking gun. And it it it it had quite a kick on it. I think it was a 4570, he said. Anyway, so we see Shane's down with both Bills. Or no, but Shane's down with Bill Doretsky down this logging on this logging road, right? We're waiting. We're like, the bear's gonna cross this, you know, this dirt road here, and then shoots. And the dog's behind us. We're like watching, we're watching the border patrols there with us, you know, getting his hand on his gun ready. No, we're like, we we'll do the shooting, bud. Um, no, he was good. He thought it was neat. I said, You weren't expecting this this morning, were you? He's like, No. No. Um, so anyways, and then we could tell and then r we realized that the bear was gonna run down the woods more. So there's a little bit of a road going in. So Bill Glutzby went in there and starts honking his horn and all that to try to get the make sure that the bear didn't turn and that he keeps going straight and does cross the dirt road, right? For the boys to have a shot. Yep. And it wasn't so then Mike's like, I'm gonna go in. And I was like, I'm I'm going in too. Of course it couldn't keep up with Mike again. So he goes in and we're we're we're walk, he's walking through the woods just up for me. I'm just down, and we're walking through to make sure that the bear can at least smell us, hear us, everything, so that it doesn't turn and go left. We want it to go straight.
SPEAKER_00:So were you just like humming to yourself or yeah?
SPEAKER_01:So I'm going through the woods, so I can hear the dogs barking getting closer, and I'm walking through and it's so thick in there, I'm thinking like, there's a bear in here somewhere. It's barreling down on you. Yeah, barreling down somewhere in here. So I was like, all right. So I'm just going through and I'm like, I'm not hearing anything. I was just bang. And I dropped because no, he was he was far enough away from me. Anyways, I just so I'm going through, I'm like, it's so thick in there, I'm just making sure he doesn't turn, and then it's just bang. And then uh and then I hear another shot, and so then I'm like trying to get out of the woods there and stuff, and then yeah, it turns out. So what Mike and I us going in, it did keep the bear from not crossing the road. He did cross the road because we went in. Okay. And uh when he came out on the road, yeah, Shane made a great shot. She was ready for him. Yep, yeah, he got it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you wouldn't have much time when they're crossing the road like that. No, no, he's got it.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah. He got it just before I came out. Like there was like uh there's a bit of like a open spot, like a bigger ditch or whatever before the road. And uh he shot it right there before that swing. As we come out there and Shane's like got blood all over his hands, right? And I was like, oh good job. I was gonna shake his hand, he had blood on just fist pump. And I thought that it was from the uh from the bear. He scoped himself. Oh no. Yeah, he scoped himself. And uh apparently he'd scoped himself the day before, too, when he took a follow-up shot with his son. Oh maybe the thing.
SPEAKER_02:It's like man, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Well, he said they said, I think it's a little too far back. I'm like, shit. And like he looked worse than the bear.
SPEAKER_02:No, but uh muzzle odor scope, they've got a bigger eye relief on them.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, I don't think he wanted a bigger one. He wanted it so it was further ahead. If it was bigger, wouldn't it hit him worse?
SPEAKER_02:No, if it no, the eye relief is how how far away away from your eye is when you get the full picture of the scope.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so I think he was gonna move it. Okay. Yeah, I think he's definitely gonna move it. I mean two days in a row. You think that hurt? You just walk into a door or something, well he'd be put your nose around.
SPEAKER_00:It'd be especially easy to bleed the second day because you're already a little bit cut open.
SPEAKER_01:It'd be twice as sensitive, too. Um so, anyways, yeah, so we got that, and uh no, it was pretty cool. Uh, you know, high fives all around and stuff, and uh, we got a great picture that you guys are looking at, printed up here on the wall. It was uh awesome group effort, and uh yeah, the uh the border patrol guy comes down, he's like checking a bit. Did you take your next picture? He didn't, no, no, in that picture. The only one that's missing is Bill Glutzby. Uh he took it for us there. But uh no, it was it was pretty cool. Yeah, he didn't offer to take a picture of the Border Patrol guy. What a dick. No, he was good. Um so, anyways, yeah, no, that's it.
SPEAKER_00:He was checking the bear's passport, that's what he was looking for.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Uh so no, it was a lot of fun. And uh so after that, we went out and we went to uh in Maine there. Uh we were in like Baileyville woodland area. Uh we got the bear, you know, tagged and everything. We got it cleaned out in the woods there, and then we got it tagged and stuff, took it to the butcher, and then it's kind of like a tradition there after the hunt, we went to this restaurant called Old School Restaurant in there, sweet old gal working, and uh she already knew the crew was coming in. She had her places there and everything, coffee and stuff ready to go. And uh yeah, we had a meal and Bill Bill paid for it, you know? And uh Bill Dretsky, and then um yeah, and we had a great meal and stuff. So then after that, we kept back, got the dogs all fed and watered. One of the dogs took a bit of a hit. Uh one of Bill's dogs, his uh red bone, she uh the bear, I think, just turned around and just smacked her.
SPEAKER_00:Probably when they were in that thicket.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think so. In that thicket, the bear turned around and smacked her. And anyways, it cut her a bit, so he was gonna take her to the vet and get her gone over and stuff. I mean, that happens, some, right? The dogs love it, they live for it, but it's like So how many bears can they take?
SPEAKER_02:Dangerous job.
SPEAKER_01:How many bears can they take in Maine?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, like a year.
SPEAKER_01:A year per person?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, I how how does that work? Does it is it based off the person that pulls the trigger that tags it? I'd assume, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, like here, like anywhere.
SPEAKER_02:So can they get like one or two tags then per person per year?
SPEAKER_01:I think it's only one per year. You mean like how many can one person take, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, I'm just wondering how many times they can go out and run their dogs on bears and oh they can run them during the season because that that's their guide service, correct?
SPEAKER_01:That's a guide. Okay, yeah. So like Shane shot it, so he's tagged out, right? But then, you know, his wife had a tag and stuff like that. And then you can still have training seasons that you can run and stuff, but um yeah, no, the they the guys can run them every day. Right. They kind of shoot them. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Right.
SPEAKER_01:Um, just whoever has a tag.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, but the dogs can run them and stuff. So um, no, that was great. And then uh yeah, went back, got the dog. Uh Bill took us to the vet, got it all looked after, she was fine, and um, yeah, got the dogs fed and watered and resting up for the next day. And we went back and uh watched bear hunting on YouTube that night. We were watching Zach Hart and Kirk Price, which are two guys I really like watching on YouTube for their bear hunts. They're in West Virginia. Okay. In West Virginia, I think it is you can run bear there like almost every single day of the year. Oh really? You can't hunt them every day, but you can yeah, train on the phone.
SPEAKER_00:All the training season goes around.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I mean the bear populations are they're just so high. I mean, it doesn't matter to hunting them. I mean, here we we're hunting over bait because we can't run hams here. Um you know, people are going for size and all that. But I mean, just to get the bear population's high, I think, everywhere in North America. I mean, they need, like I said earlier, they need to be managed, right? Big or small. They're gonna be going after your deer and moose populations and stuff. So it's good any size. Um, so yeah, bear hunted that day, watch bear hunting that night. The next morning, gearing up, ready to go. So Danielle met us uh at Mike's in the morning. We get everyone loaded up, and uh same thing again. We meet at the shell in the morning that's near there, meet up with the bills, work out the plan for the day. And that day it was uh Megan's bear that we were going after, Shane's wife. So um I think this is I don't know if it's her first it was her first bear for sure. I don't know if it was her first big game animal or not. But she was good, and then I'll give him give him that, their son Brantley.
unknown:Bentley or Brantley?
SPEAKER_01:And I think it's Brantley. Starts with the B. He uh for six years old. I'll tell you that kid was full of piss and vinegar every single morning. Like he was ready to go, like tough little guy.
SPEAKER_00:It was a competition between you two, pretty well.
SPEAKER_01:He was more awake than I was, not coffee. Like he uh, yeah, no, that kid, he he's a trooper, I'll tell you that. Like he he was just fired up and ready to go like every morning. Um, so uh yeah, he was he was ready to rumble. So we get to the bait and uh it was dusty and they'd freshly graded the road out there. So we're like, ah shit, we're gonna have a little trouble. So we had a little trouble get going, and then um the dogs were kind of running.
SPEAKER_00:They they had another pitcher the next night on a different bait.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah, there's so many bears out there.
SPEAKER_00:How many baits are they running?
SPEAKER_01:Uh I don't know how many they're running, but they it there's just bear.
SPEAKER_00:So then they just they just when they head out in the morning, they just pick whatever the freshest bear was at a bait and they head there.
SPEAKER_01:Normally, yeah. Yeah, normally. So anyways, we're out there, we're checking this bait and the dogs are having some trouble with it because again, it's just so dry, and them freshly grading the road. So if the bear crossed the road, the dogs were they were having some trouble. And then Bill uh has a uh cell camera, his phone went off and he looked and he's like, Oh, he said, I've got a bear. We couldn't tell how big because he has the camera a bit low, but a bear just walked by one of his baits, uh, I don't know, a few miles away. So he's like, Well, we're having trouble with this when he asked Mike, so I was in with Mike and Danielle, and uh they had their dogs in there. He's like, Do you guys want to go see if you can get that one started? And then Danielle was like a little hesitant because we had young dogs, she's like, Oh, I don't know. And then he Bill's like, Oh yeah, you guys got the dog power. And you see, she had a little skip in her step after that. She's like, Okay, I guess we do. And um, so anyway, so we get out there and uh they put a couple of dogs down with their best noses, right? And then sure they they were like sniffing around, and then bam, one of the heads, one of the dog's heads boat got whiplashed. You just like whoops whips her head around because she got the scent, and away they go. So then we're trying to go after this, so they go get going down this uh this road. They're going through the woods, and we get going down this road after them, and then Mike just like stopped because they had this great big pile of you know uh dirt and all that. So we couldn't get over that. It's like I don't know, a mountain of rock and shit. So, anyways, Mike gets off running down there to see if he could see the bear and everything. I get running after him, realize that's not gonna happen. So Danielle waited in the truck, and I come back with my head down, like couldn't keep up with Mike. She immediately she's like, Did he yell at you? I was like, No, he kicked me. Why? No, it's like, no, I can't keep up. Anyway, so uh Mike's in pretty good shape and long legs. So, anyways, um he gets back to the truck, then we go further up the road, and uh we jump out of the truck, get running down there. Sure enough, we do see the bear cross. I'm like, all right, they are on him. And like I said, it's all young dogs, like a year or so old, not a shit ton of experience. Like they're doing really, really well. Um, and then they had one older dog in there, Bella. She was good. And uh anyway, so we're going along, and then uh, anyways, we're like, we're gonna they're gonna get this bear tree, like they're right on its ass and everything. And then sure enough, we're looking, and uh at the GPS and stuff, we could tell it's treed. So the the three of us go in there and the dogs, they have got it treed, and they're the pups are like so excited and everything, and they're just screaming and going, and we're looking up, and there's the bear. Um, so then we called the Bills and said we've got it treed. I don't know how it's going over there, and they weren't having too much luck with that bear, right? So then they ended up uh they ended up coming out there, and then Megan came in, everyone got lined up, bang, shoots, great shot, dropped the bear, and um the so we let the dogs go in there, you know, biting at it and stuff, checking it out. So we've been working on it.
SPEAKER_00:When you guys go to shoot, do you guys then pull the dogs back off?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. So that's the thing. So before anyone shoots, the dogs are pulled back and uh leashed and hooked to a tree. Like we don't want the bear landing on something like coon hunting. You know, we go coon hunting, the dogs would be thrilled if the coon landed on them because like they're ready to fight, right? But with the bear, no. So the dogs they're leashed away from the tree and tied to another tree further back, yeah. Um, and then um he was yes, we bring them up and make them made great shot. We tagged that bear and the macro family, Markel family was taked out Markel, I think that's it.
SPEAKER_02:So when they're shooting a bear in a tree, like where are they aiming for?
SPEAKER_01:Uh vitals. Yeah, and that's the nice thing too about the tree. I mean, if you want to get picky, uh you know, you can look like I don't want that bear, this bear, and also too, you're you're not rushing the shot either, right? You can take your time because the bear's treed. Where's it gonna go? Yeah, you know, so it's yeah. Um at uh yeah, so she made a great shot, the bear landed, and uh high fives all around, and um yeah, so they the three of them were tagged out. So I mean they had a good time.
SPEAKER_00:Where did you say they were from again? That family? Ohio. Ohio. So they they were there with that guiding service.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well they came, like I said, Shane had come the year before uh with his friend Wayne, and uh I think he'd been down before the year before that too. And yeah, they just always have a really good time and stuff, and uh yeah, Shane's a busy guy. He owns uh Bear Claw Masonry. So if you're in Ohio looking to get some stuff work, some some work done, um yeah. If you're looking to get some work done, bear claw masonry and construction, he does that cool logo and everything. And uh yeah, so then got the bear, gutted, dragged it out. The dogs were so happy, and like I said, they did great. And luckily, this bear wasn't mean or anything. So I think one of them got its ear bit a little. It sounds bad, it wasn't bad. It's fine. I don't know if the bear bit my ear, I'd be making a bigger deal about it, but yeah, no, uh, it was fine. And then uh we went again to the uh old school restaurant and Shane Paid that day, and the old gal in there. Well, she's not old, she's not young. She uh she's still pranked chicken. I don't think she'll listen to this. She was a bit older. Uh believe it or not, she was uh Danielle's lunch lady in school, so she knew her. Yeah, not when the girl was in school and Danielle was in school. Um, anyways, so she uh yeah, she already had her coffees there ready to go. And uh yeah, it's just fun. Like just I love going down to Maine every year. Hopefully I can keep going for as long as possible. And uh hopefully they feel the same way. But going down there with hanging out with Mike and and the Bills and all that's like my main family almost, and hopefully they kind of feel the same way. If not, this is awkward, and it's gonna be weird when I see them again. They listen to this. No, but uh they're they're a lot of fun and they're really welcoming. And I like I love Maine that the fact that um it's almost like it's stuck in time, but like in a good way, right? You know, it's not all this crazy hustle and bustle and all this, you know, technology crap and everything. Like there is some, but it's just I don't know, it's just kind of stuck in time in a good in a good way. And it's the main woods is beautiful. Yeah. I mean, you don't see any mass clear cuttings there, they're not spraying, they're not planting it all back. Monoculture, so the wildlife is a lot more abundant. I mean, they have great natural resources, and I find that they take them a lot more seriously, I mean, than they do here in New Brunswick and stuff. We're here, they just clear it, spray it, plant it back all in species. I mean, yeah, the animals aren't doing well in that. So I uh yeah, real life, mate. I'll be back down this spring for uh turkey hunting.
SPEAKER_03:Nice. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And then again next fall for bear hunting.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Unless they hear this podcast, but for not family of weirdo.
SPEAKER_03:Steak animals.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. No, but it's just so nice and and welcoming. And uh, like I said, it's it's just a lot of fun. I met Mike on Facebook. I talked about when I got into hounds, if I could go down, I went on this, I don't know, Bear Hound hunting in Maine or something, some group like that, and asked about coming down, just tagging along with somebody to learn some more hound stuff and everything, and and uh just being able to tag along, and then Mike messaged me, like, yeah, come on down. And then, you know, we've been friends since. It's been a lot of fun. And these people, I mean, they're good houndsmen, hounds women and stuff. They know they're they know what they're doing. And uh I remember last year when I was down, I learned one of the dogs had gotten into a porcupine. Sometimes that happens, not a lot, but once in a while. So you have this great big, you know, bear hound that has quills, face full of quills, and does not want to be touched, right? I'll tell you the boys or some slick, he just, you know, the dog didn't made he was he was sour, but I don't blame him. It hurt. I remember uh I think it was Mikey just took his hand, put it up between the dog's back legs, grabbed his front one, right? Flipped him over, just held him up, kind of hog tied him a bit, put the axe handle in his mouth, got all the quills out, easy peasy, away he goes. The dog was, yeah, good to go. I mean, you know, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:He's probably done that, he's done that before.
SPEAKER_01:He's done that before. I'll tell you the boys were slick at it, real slick because I mean that can be an issue and you you don't want to just be taken. I remember I know people have taken their dog to the vet for that. They can't, you know, and it's like it's you're you they put your dog under something. You're looking at upwards like a thousand bucks.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Well they have they have to put him under, like they wouldn't be able to deal with it the way he could just grab that and so I mean I learned that.
SPEAKER_01:So I mean I had my dog, we were out coon hunting. Uh no, it was this spring, just training. And uh there's a porcupine, they just like just oh, there's porcupine, just a quick instinct. I've never had an issue because you've been out with me, Ryan. We've had a porcupine right in the field coon hunting, and the dogs just went around it, but this was the spring, and they hadn't been on any coons in a while, and they're just exercising, they just see it, and it's just like a quick reflex. He just like a dog houdini just like kind of you know, bit at it quickly, and the be as he was doing it, you could tell he realized like, oh shit, no, just the predator prey thing quick. Normally I don't have any trouble. And then um we got all the quills out here, and I kind of did the same trick and it worked, but no, just the hand skills and and people too. I mean, some people have the perception that you know the hunters don't care about their hands and all that. I'm telling you, these guys, I mean, this family, right? They deal with these dogs every day. The dogs are so well looked after, and everything you ra Mike's raised nearly all of them from pups and stuff. I mean, these dogs mean the world to them. You know, so it's uh I find most houndsmen and women are like that. There's you know, the PETA might try to get you to think differently, but no, these dogs are they're like family to them and they they're so valuable.
SPEAKER_02:Takes a lot of tenacity to, you know, have hounds and train them and work them like they're supposed to work and use them, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:It's uh it's three sixty five. You think about some people that hunt deer. I mean, they can be kind of at it 365 days a year scouting and all that, but I mean some guys just hang a tree stand, put some apples out or whatever, right? These hounds, it's every day.
SPEAKER_00:They're going yeah, all the time.
SPEAKER_01:Every day, yeah. You've got to look after them all the time. And it's just yeah, they they mean a tremendous amount to the people that that own them and stuff. So take that, PETA, you bastards. So um, but uh yeah, so that was my recap of my main bear hunt this year, and uh it was polyfun. Can't wait to do it again next year.
SPEAKER_00:Pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01:So all right, boys. We uh you guys look tired from the uh from the hunt this morning. We got up too early, I think.
SPEAKER_00:We definitely had some spare time.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah uh yeah, we had enough spare time that we could sit in the blinds, talk for a while and go into the barn and have coffee.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. A lot of decoys out though.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Well, better that than being late and having birds fly over you while you're setting up.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we didn't we did not have to worry about that this morning. Not at all. No. So until next time.