The Courtship of the Wisconsin Black Bear
Incredible Mike Foss Bear Mating Video to Be Unveiled on “On Wisconsin Outdoors” Website
Last week, this “On Wisconsin Outdoors” blog cast the spotlight on the work of Mike Foss and Northern Wisconsin Outfitters. The Washburn, Wisconsin-based bear guide and OWO writer is everything a guide should be; dedicated to the sport, ethical, totally knowledgeable about the Wisconsin black bear and the huge tracts of private and public Lake Superior back country he guides on, driven by the goal of 100 percent shot opportunity come September for his many clients, and extremely hard-working.
His drive now in the early baiting season leads to big bears tagged later, and lots of them. Already in this young baiting season, Mike has found and is targeting several monster bears, as shown in last week’s blog. The bear shown below that actually scares even Big Mike came in today after the guide had made his rounds.
Mike Foss isn’t sure how this big bear injured his face, but the bruiser scares even the guide.
Hunters love Mike and I love covering his September camp. It’s a first-class operation. Mike looks a little like a burly bear, and he is a tough guy, but he is also soft. Kids with life threatening illnesses get no cost guided hunts from Mike, they and their family become his friends and he doesn’t do well when they don’t do well. He’s emotional. You remember the ongoing saga written about in On Wisconsin Outdoors regarding the long hard quest to tag Snaggletooth, the legendary black bear that could have weighed 700 pounds in his prime? When Snaggletooth met his tag, Mike cried like he lost a friend on the phone with me. Mike is a good man, and a man driven by the idea that he owes the hunter his best shot.
Tagging bears is no accident in the Foss camp. It’s a lot of hard work. It happens in September because the work begins in April. Mike has a sixth sense that allows him to find big bears and place hunters on stands where they will not spook the bear on approach but instead get that coveted shot opportunity. Well, Mike’s stand and camera placement came in with extraordinary footage June 18 with the courtship and ultimate mating of a boar and sow in Wisconsin’s northern forest.
We will unveil the footage in about one week on this website homepage video to give us time to splice the courtship segments with the last mating segment. Expect clarity, with the bears within five yards of the camera in the bright sun of a new morning. Expect a show from Mother Nature that is not often seen. Expect the extraordinary.
Expect the work of Mike Foss.
Mike Foss has earned a reputation as a Wisconsin bear guide at the head of the class.
The 2014 Bob Ellis Classic Rowtrolling Classic was held Saturday from Presque Isle with about 45 participants choosing from a number of lakes in the area to try and land a musky via row trolling. This is a no-fee, no prize money event dedicated to carrying on the legacy of Bob Ellis, our late uncle, through the pure enjoyment of this unconventional method of fishing.
Participants meet at the Skyview Restaurant in Presque Isle for coffee, talk and photos, disperse for the day to fish, return for dinner and awards including biggest fish, and just have a big time with no big pressure to catch anything. We did a good job this year on that last part.
Classic MC Kevin Wallenfang once again did a great job of coordinating the BEC, along with Geoff Crandall, Steve Reinstra and Jeff Kosar. I jumped in Kevin’s fabulous rowtroller and we rowed each other around first Clear Lake on the Manitowish Chain, and then Presque Isle. We did lose a big smallmouth of about 18 inches on Clear before pulling the pin and moving. Nothing cooperated either on Presque Isle.
BEC Coordinator also catches big fish rowtrolling and lots of them…just not on this day.
We weren’t the only row trollers finding uncooperative fish. When the smoke had cleared, only Jim Freeman teaming with John Polasky had caught a musky rowtrolling and obviously that 34 inch fish was good enough for first place. Bill Bero also caught a smallmouth and was declared the second place winner by the powers that be.
Two awards were also given out to outdoor writer Pat Durkin; one for his work in conservation and one for receiving the highest number of votes for the “Ultimate Musky Row Trolling Machine”. Well done Pat.
Pat Durkin scores twice at the BEC.
The day concluded with a great dinner at SkyView, memories retold of Uncle Bob Ellis by his niece, Barb Ellis Johnson and nephew, Mark Ellis. Wallenfang also presented my wife, Lori with a certificate to a Musky Spa, complete with a jar of musky slime. We don’t think the slime is authentic.
Barb Ellis Johnson, Mark Ellis and Kevin Wallenfang remember Uncle Bob
Lori Ellis is grateful for a jar of musky slime and a certificate to the musky spa presented by Kevin Wallenfang.
Thank you to everyone for remembering Uncle Bob.
Please look for your July-August issue of On Wisconsin Outdoors statewide at any Kwik Trip store, and visit OWO and Kwik Trip at DeerFest August 8-10. You’re running out of time to sign-up for the first Kwik Trip Outdoors contest and a day on the water with HookSetters Fishing Services top guide Phil Schweik. Don’t forget too, to check back and see what Kwik Trip Outdoors is offering for their next Wisconsin contest. It’s another one you’ll want to try and win.
Pick up OWO at any Wisconsin Menards store too, and don’t forget Elliott’s Ace Hardware stores in Pewaukee, West Allis, Elm Grove, and Muskego.
Thanks for connecting with On Wisconsin Outdoors.
Shoot Straight.
Dick Ellis