The Best Bear Men

[BEARCLAW]

I WILL HAVE TO SECOND THE SHANE RABER VOTE MASON. THAT IS ONE HUNTER WITH SOME TRUE DESIRE. IM NOT JUST BLOWING AIR ON A THREE DAY OLD TRACK.

I HAVE SEEN OL SHANER ON THE MTN WHEN THE CHIPS WERE DOWN AND MONEY WAS SHORT. WHEN IT SEEMED THAT THE ODDS WERE AGAINST HIM HE WOULD SHOW UP AND GETR DONE.

IN FACT I REMEMBER A LONG TIME AGO WHEN ALL SHANE HAD TO DRIVE FOR A TIME WAS A BIG OL BOAT CAR LIKE A LTD. YOU KNOW LIKE THE EARLY SEVENTIES MODEL. IT WAS DURING LION SEASON AND THE SNOW WAS PRETTY GOOD. WE WOULD BE HEADING UP A CANYON LOOKING FOR CAT TRACKS IN OUR FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. ONLY TO FIND SHANE HAD BEATEN US WITH HIS BIG OL CRUISER CAR. YIP THERE HE WOULD BE ALREADY CHECKED A CANYOUN AHEAD OF US. BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF MYSELF WHEN ALL I USED TO HAVE WAS A LITTLE TWO WHEEL DRIVE PROPANE POWERED CHEVY LUV. I TOOK THAT THING EVERYWHERE AND THE ROADS WERE GENERALLY IN A LOT BETTER SHAPE AFTER I HAD BEEN OVER THEM WITH THE OL LUV. IT SAT SO LOW IT WOULD FLATEN OUT ALL THE HIGH SPOTS. CANT REMEMBER HOW MANY TIMES I HAD TO REPLACE THE EXHAUST PIPE. TORE IT OFF ABOUT ONCE A MONTH I SWEAR. SEEMS THAT I WAS A LOT MORE SUCESSFULL BACK IN THOSE DAYS TOO. PROBABLY BECAUSE WE DID A LOT MORE HUNTN AND A LOT LESS DRIVEING!

YA THOSE WERE THE GOOD OL DAYS. I WILL STILL NEVER FORGET SHANE CRUISING DOWN THE ROAD IN THE BIG BOMBER. HE WOULD HAVE TWO OR THREE DOGS IN THE BACK SEAT. OL JIM IN THE FRONT SEAT WINDOWS DOWN DOGS HANGING THERE HEADS OUT EARS A FLAPIN IN THE WIND.... AND A SNOWMACHINE HANGING OUT OF THE TRUNK! THATS TRUE DESIRE THERE, I DONT CARE WHO YOU ARE.

IM SURE WE ALL KNOW SOMEBODY THAT HAS 101 REASONS TO NOT GO EXCUSE BOOK. TO COLD TO WINDY TO RAINEY TO HOT LIGHT BROKE TIRES FLAT FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DONT WORK WIFES MAD FINGER HURTS. ETC...................

THEN THERES THE PEOPLE THAT JUST SEEM TO GETR DONE!

[Smiley]

Jefry that was a long time ago now alls I do is seem to NOTgetrdone.

[ryan goodwin]

onother for the list, Dave and Dan larue they were from new hampsire and hunted plotts they were hard core bear hunters and i would allso ad vince anrud out of Idaho.

[onalimb]

I'm guessing you know Vince, or hunted with him?

There are still some old boys kickin over here that hunted back before the grizz was off limits. Picked the high rocky ground, and the deep swamps in search of bigger and badder. Pitched dogs over the bank and never looked back, and always seemed to catch what they were after, and made a decent living at it. Jack Shubert, Denzle Scribner, Dave Williams.
I personally know Scribner very well. He has always spoke highly of Shubert as a top dog man. I know Shubert, he's always spoke how crazy Scribner was when it came to getting a bad one killed, Black or Grizz. Dave Williams is retired now, with shot knees, he's seen as many hit the ground as anybody, but he did it in the Salmon River country. One tough man without a doubt.

The miles they covered, before tracking equipment, and the country they did it in, derserves them honorable mention, not many that know of them stayed in it half as long.

[ryan goodwin]

ya i do know vince and i have hunted with him

[onalimb]

Vince is one of the few guys around, that if he says there is a bad bear somewhere. it's the truth. I barely know him, but have a lot of friends in common. He owned one of the most smokin pack of Plott bitches to ever come through this country. Since I favor Plott bitches too, we at least see eye to eye on that.

[ryan goodwin]

ya im a walker man but vince did have some bad a@# plott bitches his yogie dog was one of the best females i have been around and onit was awesome to i have not seen him for awhile but him and his wife jenifer are two of the niceist people you can ever meet

[bearhntwi]

Jerry Brauer he's been chasin bear in northern wi since the early sixties.
He started takin me along when i was 10 seen more bear an cats with him
and learned more than i can even remember.

[WAhunter]

Ralph Flowers was one hell of a bear hunter, he worked for washington state killing bears for timber companies. Some of my old relatives hunted with him. He killed over a thousand bears in his day and also wrote a few books.

[cecil j.]

Ralph Flowers was one hell of a bear hunter, he worked for washington state killing bears for timber companies. Some of my old relatives hunted with him. He killed over a thousand bears in his day and also wrote a few books.

Ole Mr. Bizzbee told me he had been hired by Wearhouser Tree Farms in Wa too kill of the bear there back in the 60`s and he took em down to but a sow an a cub and got payed good moneys for it by Wearhouser Forest tree farms.
Howard lived in Rio Linda in the early 80`s when I met him and was pretty much allmost done hunten then, but kept a few hounds and we had a day time hunt along the sacramento river bottem jungles and treed some coon that day.

[black eye]

One of the good ones from around utah was bud hutchings. He was sure good at the game, and had an ethical approach to the game as well. He was pretty much raised by ken kigens an old time goverment hunter stationed at thompson ut years ago. there surely was'nt any quit in him either. iv heard plenty of incredible stories about both men. Anybody been around either of these two fellas.

[Ankle Express]

He won't go down as a super hero and most will have never heard of him but Ronnie Hendrix goes on my list. I give Ronnie top spot because of what he did for me and hes gone now. Ronnie sent for me and made me promise him on his death bed to hunt hard, hunt his way and never leave them after bear. Ronnie can be seen in Foxfire number 5 I think hunting with the old time Plott men as a boy. I seen Ronnie after diabetes was winning and the deck was stacked never give up hope. Surgery after sugery and he never gave up the hope of going back. He had half a foot took off and we went hunting right after it. Been on a bad one all day. It got late and we got to Ronnie. I found him hobbling up and down the road on crutches in the dark and sprinkling rain listening to the dogs work a bear. I said Ronnie what are you doing? He said I'm waiting for it to try to cross this road and when it does I'm going to stick this gun to it and kill it. Thats what I think about when I think I can't go no more. I think I got two good feet and two decent eyes I can't quit. Ronnie never got to enjoy his finest hounds in life but they got hunted his way and it has taught me a few things. When I went to see Ronnie and made him his promise to hunt he had me there between Morphine rounds and he took what was left of his fingers and said write this down. He took the phone and his hand knew where to go and I followed it and wrote it down. He said now I'll tell him its game on and you call him tomorrow. I been best friends w/ his best friend ever since and its usually just me and him doing it Ronnies way. Those old dogs are gone now and we've moved on but its still done Ronnies way, the right way. My new best friend was also my mentor and he gets second spot for now but he forgot more yesterday than most will ever know. In fact hes probably the only real bear hunter I've ever met face to face. Anyway I took this quote off the NC bear hunters assoc. web-site about Ronnie its under awards if you were to go there:

Whereas Ronnie Hendrix was the conscience and energy of the North Carolina Bear Hunters Association (NCBHA). It was his inspiration to unite North Carolina’s many bear hunting clubs and groups to form a single comprehensive voice for all bear hunters. It was his belief that a strong voice would be heard and respected on matters of agency policy, laws and regulations, land use, land owner relations, habitat, biological and conservation issues. Ronnie was know to his peers as a bear hunters best friend, who loved dogs and cherished the chase.

In keeping with NCBHA traditions of caring for science and practice this award has been named in tribute to Ronnie and represents the highest honor presented by the North Carolina Bear Hunters Association in recognizing individuals who have made outstanding research contributions to conservation biology and management of the Black Bear.

Thanks Buddy!

[cecil j.]

He won't go down as a super hero and most will have never heard of him but Ronnie Hendrix goes on my list. I give Ronnie top spot because of what he did for me and hes gone now. Ronnie sent for me and made me promise him on his death bed to hunt hard, hunt his way and never leave them after bear. Ronnie can be seen in Foxfire number 5 I think hunting with the old time Plott men as a boy. I seen Ronnie after diabetes was winning and the deck was stacked never give up hope. Surgery after sugery and he never gave up the hope of going back. He had half a foot took off and we went hunting right after it. Been on a bad one all day. It got late and we got to Ronnie. I found him hobbling up and down the road on crutches in the dark and sprinkling rain listening to the dogs work a bear. I said Ronnie what are you doing? He said I'm waiting for it to try to cross this road and when it does I'm going to stick this gun to it and kill it. Thats what I think about when I think I can't go no more. I think I got two good feet and two decent eyes I can't quit. Ronnie never got to enjoy his finest hounds in life but they got hunted his way and it has taught me a few things. When I went to see Ronnie and made him his promise to hunt he had me there between Morphine rounds and he took what was left of his fingers and said write this down. He took the phone and his hand knew where to go and I followed it and wrote it down. He said now I'll tell him its game on and you call him tomorrow. I been best friends w/ his best friend ever since and its usually just me and him doing it Ronnies way. Those old dogs are gone now and we've moved on but its still done Ronnies way, the right way. My new best friend was also my mentor and he gets second spot for now but he forgot more yesterday than most will ever know. In fact hes probably the only real bear hunter I've ever met face to face. Anyway I took this quote off the NC bear hunters assoc. web-site about Ronnie its under awards if you were to go there:

Whereas Ronnie Hendrix was the conscience and energy of the North Carolina Bear Hunters Association (NCBHA). It was his inspiration to unite North Carolina’s many bear hunting clubs and groups to form a single comprehensive voice for all bear hunters. It was his belief that a strong voice would be heard and respected on matters of agency policy, laws and regulations, land use, land owner relations, habitat, biological and conservation issues. Ronnie was know to his peers as a bear hunters best friend, who loved dogs and cherished the chase.

In keeping with NCBHA traditions of caring for science and practice this award has been named in tribute to Ronnie and represents the highest honor presented by the North Carolina Bear Hunters Association in recognizing individuals who have made outstanding research contributions to conservation biology and management of the Black Bear.

Thanks Buddy!

Ya know all these above payed trubites are what hunten is truely about and lord but the camp fires and nights and days everyone has shared with folks sence hunters began in the woods meeting and packen hounds too cast too run.Its a way of life and a bond that needs much nutureing and if a new hunter learns anything at all/ start and end it all in tributes,memorys all talked about and shared and of those in your past & present who helped get ya were ya got too !