Bear Hunting

Bear hunting in North America has proven to be challenging and very rewarding. When hunting Brown bears, such a as Grizzlies, Kodiak's or Alaskan bears, always be mindful of the females with cubs.

Hunting for bear, whether it is polar bear hunting, black bear hunting, brown bear hunting, or grizzly bear hunting, a well-planned bear hunt guided by one of our bear hunting outfitters, or bear hunting guides, can be the experience of a lifetime. Bagging a trophy bear is made easy with the bear hunting trips, guides and outfitters here at HuntersDomain.com.

Information on hunting the Maryland black bear

Ridge Tops & River Bottoms

Hunt With a Camera

Here’s something to do, when there is nothing to do, and it will make you a better hunter.

We are there; the doldrums, the horse latitudes, the dogless days of winter and early spring. I remember way-back-when, I used to say to my mother, “I’m bored; there is nothing to do.” Her remedy was not particularly creative, but in the long run it was realistic. She seemed to uniformly reply, “Find something to do.” In these apparently dull days, we need to follow that philosophy. We can tune our guns, hone our knife and ax, perhaps make something, begin to train a puppy, read good books, pattern our turkey gun and make photos.

For me, photography has grown from the usual snapshot of a dead critter. Now my cameras are perhaps more important than my guns, and the “trophies” collected with them may be even more cherished. I can tell you with certainty that a fine photo of a wild bird or beast in its natural setting is much more difficult to obtain than the same with any firearm. Photos are almost as difficult as long-bow archery.

If we look to our mentor here, Jim Corbett, he had a specific accomplishment that he valued much more than even the extermination of the most dangerous man-eaters on Earth. This was his movie-film of live, wild tigers. It is a very certain statement about value when pictures are worth more to a man than absolute life-threatening hunts.

Today, unlike in Corbett’s time, we have a wonderful array of equipment. There is an extreme selection of both still and “video” cameras, in virtually any price range. I confess I have little knowledge of video, so we will confine this discussion to still pictures. The first thing you need to realize is that it is not necessary to have extravagant or expensive equipment to make fine photos. Cameras are much like guns: the less you have, the better – or luckier you must be to achieve great results, at least where wildlife photos are concerned. However, all great photos are not of critters. Some of my personal favorites are almost silly, little things: a leaf in a stream, frost, spider webs, sunsets or thunderstorms. Any pocket camera will produce spectacular results on these inanimate objects, if your eye puts the right ingredients in front of it.

While we are talking about equipment, there is something very interesting happening in photography. This is the new and exciting realm of digital. I confess, I am a real footdragger when it comes to technology. To me, we should hunt with “real” guns and take photos with real film, but – this digital business is absolutely spectacular. There is one very real difference between digital photography and the world of plastic-contraption guns and pretend- to-be muzzleloaders. Nothing about digital pretends to make it “easier, farther, higher.” It does, however, have the elements to make us better. The digital camera is a wonderful teacher. How?

When we use ordinary film, there is a long delay between the click of the shutter and seeing the finished result. Then, unless you are absolutely compulsive about your record keeping, there is the “wonder- factor.” Wonder – what shutter speed, f-stop, light, exposure, etc., etc.

Digital gives us three advantages. First, you get an instant glimpse of the results. While the picture you see in the camera is but a shadow of the finished product, it is much better than nothing. Too much or too little light is quickly apparent, and the fuzzy image because you “flinched” shows up immediately. It also gives a look at composition and helps train your eye to “see” for the camera. Then too the great failure of most beginning wildlife photographers shows up dramatically. That little black dot in the trees is what used to be your “great-picture-of-the- bear.” Yes, you do need to get closer.

Next, most digitals are perfect record keepers. They not only record the image, but most or all of the camera settings are recorded with the image. Good or bad results can be compared with the mechanical settings to tell you what to do or not to do next time. For other black bear hunting, see the Minnesota Black Bear Hunting page to find out more.

Finally, digital film is unlimited and essentially “free.” You can click and erase to your heart’s content, learning with every exposure.

Aside from the time and space advantages, the digitals are wonderfully light and compact. My personal favorite is a Nikon 5700. This miracle of modern technology weighs in at a pound and has an optical zoom lens that takes us from 35mm wide angle to a 280mm telephoto. The weight of the whole package is far less than any 280mm lens alone. It is a tiny “pocket camera” with real horsepower and, while I really hate to admit it, spectacular image quality.

There is another advantage to the coming of the digital photography age. “Old-fashioned” 35mm SLR equipment is rapidly becoming obsolete. With this, cameras and lenses that were the “Cadillac” standard of professional photographers today are going to be almost giveaway items on the used market tomorrow. I am sure it will not be long until we can buy thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars worth of ultra-sophisticated bodies and telephoto lenses for pennies on the dollar.

Make no mistake, real film and real cameras have and will take photos for National Geographic for a long time. Just less and less photographers will use them, and those new to the game and those on a realistic budget will be able to buy stunning equipment for very little. Also, digital cameras are like computers: The “greatest” today is obsolete tomorrow. First-time digital users can take advantage of this “sale” also.

For those who are interested, my battery of lenses for wildlife and general photography is relatively simple. I like the midsized zoom lenses, say the 35 to 105mm size. For general carrying and use, a 300mm telephoto can still be “hand-held” (tripod not required). My super-magnum setup is a truly wonderful piece of machinery with which I have a love-hate relation ship. This is a Pentax F-4, 600mm telephoto. To non-photographers it is very powerful, sort of like 10x binoculars, and very “fast” so it makes fine photos in relatively low light. It must ride on a tripod, and it is huge. The complete setup weighs in at about 35 pounds, or sort of like a pair of 8-bore double rifles. It is a dedicated machine, that is to say, I shoulder it and go on photographic expeditions. It does keep me in shape! It is not a have-it-when-you-want-it luxury. The flip side is, oh my! the pictures it takes. As mentioned earlier, in the past it cost as much as several good rifles; soon it will be a “bargain” item in some second-hand shop.

Did I say a camera can make you a better hunter? Absolutely. A camera will teach you many things, not the least of which is to see. Little things become important to your eyes, and little things are important to a hunter. Because getting good photos usually means getting close, cameras will encourage you to stalk. You will need to consider the light and the wind. Too, concealment and cover will become extremely important, as will patience.

Cameras may well teach you about camo. They probably will demonstrate that camo underwear does not matter – and that a camo face mask is priceless. Low light and/or big lenses need a fine hold and “trigger squeeze.” There is little difference between taking a good picture with a telephoto lens and making a good shot with your rifle or revolver. You must aim and hold very carefully, and you must set the shutter loose without moving the camera. Of course, you must do this with a pounding heart – yes, it will pound when at last the animal, and the chance, are there! Cameras will teach you to “find a rest.” An accomplished wildlife photographer will be a good still hunter and also a master of ambush.

It is about time to end and apply the rule that a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are a few that I like, that demonstrate the versatility of a camera. For more on black bear hunting, see our main Black Bear Hunting page to find our more.

I must end with a mild word of caution, because the emphasis is on taking wildlife photos during the times when we cannot hunt. There are two very critical times in the lives of big game and even birds when we are very apt to be photographers: the dead of winter and the busy time of spring. Winter is a time of great stress, a time when survival hangs in the balance. We do not want to roar into wintering grounds with a snow machine; we do not want to disturb at all, if possible. Spring is the time of babies, and once again human disturbance is a very bad thing for their survival. Move quietly and gently. Honor their lives and their world.

By Ross Seyfried

This article and many more like it can be found by Successful Hunter Magazine. Visit them at www.successfulhunter.com