The education of a bear hunter

[chris lavoie]

Back in the 60's there was a professional trapper in Washington State that was hired by the state government to eradicate as many bear's as possible. The bear's were decimating the valuable timber by ripping the bark off the tree's to eat the inner layer of the bark.
The trappers name was Ralph Flowers. He would trap bear's by foot snares attached to huge logs, run bear's with his Plott Hounds or just sit over baited sites. Washington State paid him for each pair of ears he collected from each bear. He did his job well, taking hundreds of bear's during the period of time that he was hired. He had many close calls. Towards the end of his career as a state trapper he was mauled by a large bear but survived. He was in the hospital for quite awhile recuperating from his wounds.
He still hunted bear's after the attack but had greater respect for the animal he hunted. I read his book only once in the mid 70's. It was like I was right with him as I read his book during "math class". The name of the book is "The Education Of A Bear Hunter". I recommended this book to one of my clients and he too said it was one of the best he had ever read. It's available on the internet.

[mike martell]

Chris

Ralph was a very knowledgeable bear authority. I had the privilege of meeting Ralph back in the late 70's....The book is very informational and packed with solid facts about bears. Ralph spoke of one bear that peeled 90 trees in a plantation from the time he left in the late afternoon until the next morning when he returned.He was set to have guest present and documented that many peeled trees caused by one bear. Definitely a legend! Black bears are interesting critters.

Mike

[mike martell]

I found this on line. This is what drives my passion for change in Oregon. Back many years ago, Oregon, Washington and California had a rich history of Big game hunting that was rivaled by no other States in the Nation and Second only to the Canadian Provinces. The evolution and transition over the years towards total bans and Government controlled hunting vs. sport hunting is something most of the younger generation hound hunters have never experienced and truly is a loss of our god given rights and heritage!

I'm glad I was born in an era of no cell phones or computers, GPS, Tracking collars or good reliable e-collars like today. This book, written by Ralph Flowers reflects just that era and bear adventures mainly on the west side in Washington State and coastal regions. Many of my black bear theories and knowledge was obtained by the wisdom of Ralph Flowers. I see Ralph passed in 2004 and along with his knowledge of bears like many who have this wisdom is buried and gone. Thankfully a book can reveal the legacy and writings and stories of the past. You don't need to be a bear hunter, just own hounds to enjoy such a book.

If you ever wonder what life was like in the early days, pick up this book. Reflects one more reason for the bobcat hunters gathering, collectively is some of the all time best bobcat hunters past and present with knowledge and wisdom that is simply fading away.....


The Education of a Bear Hunter by Ralph Flowers



From the back cover: Washington has more bears than any other state except Alaska, and in Washington Ralph Flowers is called the Bear Man.



Flowers has had “bear hunting fever” ever since his first encounter with a bruin, in 1948. For twenty years, as a forest protection agent, he was a professional hunter; he has spent more than 2,000 working days – in addition to much of his own time – hunting for bear, and he probably is better at it than any other man alive.



His quarry is the black bear, which, unlike the grizzly, is thriving in a number of regions. There are many parts of the country where black bears are abundant enough to allow good hunting without any danger to their population, and there are some areas where they do considerable damage to the woods, girdling and killing trees and reducing the habitat’s ability to support other wildlife. In Flowers’ part of Washington, the bears subsist principally on the cambium layer of trees during certain times of year – and one bear can destroy as many as 60 trees a day.



Thus it became Flowers’ job to take as many bears in the endangered area as he could. Some of his time was necessarily devoted to snaring bears (with cable footsnares that, unlike conventional steel traps, do not wound the animal), but he nevertheless managed to take dozens of bears each year by the sport-hunting methods – still-hunting and tracking with dogs – that he preferred and that the recreational hunter must master.



In The Education of a Bear Hunter, Flowers shares what his unique career in the woods has taught him – not just consummate skill as a hunter, but a keen and sensitive awareness of the environment and a true respect for the wildlife he shares it with. He is a thoughtful man with an uncommon gift for expression, and anyone who has ever hunted bears, or dreamed of the adventure, will want this book not only for its wealth of hunting lore and woodcraft but for its gripping narrative

[bearsnva]

A friend loaned me this book to read this past winter and like all have said, it is truly one of the best. Hard to put it down when you start reading it. Mr. Flowers was a well written man who still wrote in a style that was easy to associate with, and thee is no doubt he knew what he was doing. I liked the way he seemed to mellow in his appreciation of the bears as the book went on. A must read for any hunter, especially if you hunt bears.

[WAcoyotehunter]

GREAT BOOK! I work with a guy that was friends with Ralph. He has some incredible stories. What a sweet job!