When I viewed this trail camera video, I recognized her immediately. The pack, the gloves, the braid and her little dog, Aldo, a wire-haired dachshund — gave her away. This woman, walking confidently through the woods was Lindsay Ware, a large-game blood tracker.
Ware was called to assist with a black bear recovery on Friday for a client of registered Guide Corey Robinson of Briar Run Guide Service.
What made this recovery unusual was the condition of the animal. The black bear Robinson carried out of the woods was partially eaten, with its lower limbs and much of its torso gone. Ware and Robinson suspect another bear scavenged it.
“It happens very rarely,” Ware said. “But we do see it once every couple of years or so.”
Black bears are notoriously tough animals, capable of traveling hundreds of yards, sometimes even miles, after being wounded. When little or no blood trail is visible, guides may call in a licensed tracker and a trained dog to improve the chances of recovery. Even then, the process can be slow and uncertain.
Robinson said his hunter shot the bear with a crossbow. “I think he hit it kind of low, so it went a little further than a typical fatal shot,” he said.
“But it was a clean pass-through, so I knew that night, but I couldn’t find it — I only found the arrow.”
With hardly any blood to track, Robinson notified Ware, who came the next morning to assist. That also allowed the bear to expire, rather than risking pushing it farther by pursuing it overnight.
The bear went 400 yards from the shot location, Robinson said.
“We never would have found it without Aldo. It probably only took 20 minutes, maybe 15.”
The team’s efforts ensured the hunter was able to recover the animal, despite the unusual scavenging — a reminder of both the resilience of bears and the unpredictable realities of the Maine woods.
Robinson said his hunter was thrilled with the recovery, though frustrated that much of the bear had been eaten before they found it. He salvaged meat from the front half and plans to have it mounted.