It's Bear Hunting Season

This week it has been difficult on the children. Until this week, they could run and play all over their Aunt and Uncle's yard. Starting on Monday, the bear hunters were allowed to use dogs to hunt for bears. We told all the children that they had to stay close to the house. All week, we have seen the hunters come and go, heard their dogs bark, and heard reports of bears being shot. I have been watching out the window, looking at the trucks leaving, keeping my eyes appealed for a dead bear in a truck.

You are probably thinking, "What would she do if she saw a bear in the back of a truck?" Well, I will tell you just like I told my brother-in-law, I am going run in the middle of the road and STOP THE TRUCK! We are a homeschooling family and how cool would it be to see a BEAR up close. On Tuesday, Donnie - my brother-in-law, told us that a mother bear was killed in the woods behind the house. The hunter was in jail because the game warden saw a cub. Killing Mama Bears are NOT allowed!!

Anyway, I asked Donnie if he saw a hunter with a bear would he please give us a call. OH TODAY, we got the call!! Donnie called while I was making dinner. Sherry, my sister, told me that there was a bear at the fire department. The fire department is only about a mile from the house. In less than 5 minutes we had all the children in the van and headed to see the bear. I was so excited that I could BEARLY give the children some instructions.

When we arrived there were several hunters gathered around. They graciously let us see the bear that was lying on the tailgate of a truck. The bear took up the entire tailgate. I am thinking between 5 and 6 feet. I asked the hunter how much the bear weighed. He said that it weighed 185 lbs. He said that it was a male. He said that this was an average size bear for this area.

(Aunt Sherry it IS alright to touch the Bear. Hannah and Joshua touched the bear while being held. Jacob just watched from a distance. Katie didn't like the bear so she stood with Uncle Donnie.)

(Melissa couldn't retain her excited either. Just look at that smile. She and I thought this was the best day this week.)

We learned that the hunters put the dogs out in one area. The dog chases the bear in the opposite direction. The hunter gets in his truck and drives to meet the bear. This bear was shot with one single shot to the skull. He died instantly. (I asked how long the bear lived after being shot.) Once the bear is down, the hunter has to notify the local game warden. A biologist comes to exam the bear. They weigh and measure the bear. Look at its teeth, measure it paws and determine the sex of the bear. This information is tracked in an effort to figure out the size of the bears in different parts of the county.

(Hind Paws)

(Melissa examines his teeth, tongue, and eyes.)

Also we learned, that this time of year, the bears eat acorns so that they can fatten up for the winter then they go into hibernation. One of the hunters explained to the children about the Bear's paws, showed them the Bear's teeth and tongue, and talked to them about bears in general.

(It took 2 hunters to lift the bear up into the truck.)

(Front Paws - Look at those claws.)

The hunter explained that they will now take the bear to be skinned so that they can get the meat and then it will go to the taxidermist to be stuffed. I wanted to ask the gentleman, if the meat tasted like roast or chicken but I just could bring myself to ask. Still wondering about this.

(You can see the hole the bullet made right below. Top of the head.)

After all the children looked and touched the bear, I asked the hunter how many bears that they were allowed to kill in one season. He said that the limit was 3 and this was his first bear this season. I asked him if he planned to go back out tomorrow. He very calmly said, "Oh, I might just go ride around." I could tell behind that refined controlled exterior that he was just as excited as I was to see that bear. OF COURSE, he will be back out on the hunt tomorrow.

(Andrew says, "OOH")

With all my excitement, I couldn't respond when one of the children touched the bear and said, "He is wet." A few minutes later, I realized the "WET" was blood! Yes, several of the children left with bear blood on their hands. I made them put their hands together until we got home to scrub with antibacterial soap!!

Oh, but as I imagined, this was SO COOL. It is one thing to see bears at the zoo. It is completely different to see one on a TRUCK!

Today, we made our first DISCOVERY of a Black Bear. It is awesome to lie down tonight and think of all the bears that God created and just think that some of them hang out right behind my sister's house.

Thank you Lord for all of your creations.