Hey y’all! My name is Cora and I run dogs in Southeast North Carolina. I am writing this article on November 23, 2021. The date is pretty special to me because not only is it my daddy’s birthday but I also laid down my first black bear 2 years ago today. Harvesting a black bear has always been on my list of things I dream of doing. I’ve been hunting bear for many years now but it was always helping other people get the dogs out after they shot theirs. Also helping get the bear out of the woods no matter what it was they needed me to do.
As much as I treasure my first bear harvest, I can honestly say it is not my most memorable hunt anymore. On November 13, 2021, I was blessed to harvest my second black bear with dogs. She was a little bit smaller than my first but that day is forever etched into my brain. Let me explain. My dog Hank was there for every moment of it and that it what makes it so special to me! To know that you put so much work into your dog and then to see them turn that knowledge into skill is just spine-tingling.
Hank is a full blooded black and tan coonhound. We started running him at just 4 months old, just like we always do. He would go with our older hound Ruger and has always showed so much potential. At the end of last coon season (at not even 2 years old) he was already running his own coon. Hank is very small and very fast. My husband Josh decided to give him a try on bear for the first time this year and I am so glad he did. If he wouldn’t have, we would've never known the passion he has for big game.
On the morning of November 13, just 10 days ago, we turned Hank loose with our buddy’s 2 Bluetick hounds. The male is his main trail dog and the female trails too and backs up the male. My husband Josh decided to turn Hank loose with them right out of the box. It was sink or swim. They went on into the woods and immediately struck that track. The Bluetick started opening and so did Hank! Maybe I should back up a minute and mention that while Hank does run coon, he is more of a silent trail dog and them and doesn’t tree as hard as we like but he does get the job done.
Once they had the bear up and moving, Hank was there every step of the way. He was barking every breath and was actually ahead of the two blueticks pushing the bear hard. The bear was running like a deer so we knew it had to be a smaller one but still big enough to harvest. They ran her for well over an hour. The bear kept getting close to the road so we were going to try to get her that way but then she would turn and go back on her track through the bay. After about an hour, the dogs finally came treed.
I didn’t really have any intentions of getting a bear that day but there was only 4 of us hunting total. One of the men told my husband to let me get it. Needless to say, I did not argue or say no. I was so thrilled to think about going up in that bay and seeing the dog's work. We live only about 30 minutes from the coast. Our bays are very thick and full of cat claw briars that are just waiting to eat you up. It didn't stop us though, we were ready to roll!
Robert, which was the man who mentioned letting me get it, said he would go into the bay with me. We always go in two's just in case things go sour. Since Josh was way across the bay on the other side, I was glad he was willing. We started walking into the woods. We were actually going down one of the lanes that run through the middle of the black so it wasn’t too terrible but it was very wet. Every step we took, our feet would sink down to our knees which made the walking tough. Let me tell you, it was still worth it.
Once we got to the tree, there she sat just as pretty as you please! Setting up about halfway up a very tall pine, she was there. Most importantly, my boy Hank was there! Right down at the bottom of the tree with the other two Bluetick's just looking up and barking every breath. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat. To see your dog that you put so much time and effort into lighting the woods on fire would make any hound running adult weak in the knees.
I harvested my bear with my 12-gauge shotgun using 00 buckshot. This happens to be what I harvested my bear with two years ago also. Once she hit the ground, I immediately went over to the dogs petting them up. I especially made sure Hank knew he did a very good job. Because we hunt in thick bays, my husband and the guy who owns the blueticks had to start chopping a path from the lane to where the bear settled in the tree. Robert and I had to crawl the whole way there from the lane because it was so thick.
I had scratches all down my back and bruises all over my legs but I wouldn’t take it back for nothing. This is what me and my husband live for. This is what we train our dogs for. We know the terrain that we hunt is rough but it is always worth it to hear those dog's sing. Once my husband got to me, he told me that he had been watching the Garmin the whole time. He said that Hank had been ahead of the other dogs for a while and that even when the bear slowed down, Hank would bay her up. What a beautiful thing to hear.
Yes, both of my bear harvest means the world to me. I didn’t get to do anything with the first bear but I am having this second one made into a rug to go in front of my fireplace. This second harvest just carries so much more of my heart because it was the very first bear Hank ever ran and treed. I am so proud of my boy for the work he put in on that hunt. I am also happy to say that in a matter of 6 days, we ran 6 bear total and Hank was there for all but one. We harvested 4 and two were freed to run another day.
The one bear Hank didn’t run was because he had run that morning for 6 hours on another bear. When they decided to turn loose another group of hounds on another bear, Hank was worn out. Obviously, I let him rest. He needed to get his strength back. He put in so much work and heart in those 6 days that it let me and my husband know all of his running and training has paid off.
This hound running tradition may not be for everyone and that is okay. We all have our passions to pursue. However, for my husband, my son and myself... our hearts can be found at the tree! We always take pride in training our own hounds from start to finish. We put in a lot of hours, late nights and sweat to get our dogs where we like to see them. As much as it warms my heart to meet Hank at the tree with a coon up it, I can honestly say I think his flame burns a whole lot brighter when he is running bear. So now we know which way to gear his hunts to keep him happy and active. If I could give any advice, it would be to really listen to your hounds and learn their ways. They will always give you their best if you give them yours!
Thank you for reading and God Bless,
Cora P.
