Diary of a Wisconsin Bear Guide 8-21-2012
By Mike Foss
The foliage no longer has its vibrant colors; slowly the bright glossy green is fading away, ferns are shrinking to a crisp brown and the smell of fall is in the air. My anxiety for the season to begin is almost over-“bearing”. (Sorry).
The simple task this past week of switching my Cuddeback trail cameras to different bait stations has added a few extra hours to my schedule. With the cooler weather setting in, the drips of sweat are less often. It’s funny. When my day begins, there is much time to think but not enough time in the day to slow down and take a break.
I wish each one of my bear clients could spend one day with me and experience what it all involves to be a bear guide as was the case with one of my hired guides this past week. I received a call from my good friend and lead guide Robert Haas. It was his day to bait, and he asked if he could take his wife along for the day to work each scheduled station. “Now I know why you’re gone so long and what this is all about" she said at the end of the day.
Did I say “a better understanding”? I meant a better understanding spouse.
Remember Snaggle Tooth? He was the monster bear that we tried for years to outfox that I believe may have weighed 700 pounds in his prime. He was killed by hound hunters just shy of 600 pounds in 2010. It’s been hard to walk into that bait station without thinking about my old friend. It’s amazing; the trails, his trails, the deep, well-worn trails he created over the years are over-grown now with ground foliage and are not even used to this day by the other bears. It even seems as if those other bears are also waiting for his return and out of respect will not walk in his footsteps.
 |
 |
| If this 300 pound plus boar keeps showing up at this time of the day, I will have one happy hunter on my hands. | Snaggle Tooth, the King and Bayfield County monster bear. Since his demise, his walking trails have been unused by other bears. |
I can tell from the photos the bigger bears are getting comfortable with the bear baits and some are showing up during shooting hours. In fact, some of the large bears are showing very early. Hunters will have only one opportunity, if at all, at these mature, seasoned bears.
If taking the largest and smartest was easy…we wouldn’t like it.
Until next time, Good Hunting
Mike