Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
If you are an avid hunter, you have probably considered bear hunting at some point.
Having hunted various big game species, I have learned over the years that each type of animal presents a different experience, and it is no different with bears.
If you are a whitetail deer hunter, you generally focus on deer patterns that align with travel paths connected with food sources, bedding areas and places bucks use to mark their territory. Bears present a whole new challenge and, in my opinion, offer a tremendous opportunity to hone skills that will serve you well with other types of hunting.
Bear hunting is not as easy as luring Boo Boo to the famed picnic basket.
Bears are extremely wary, to say the least. They may circle around you before committing to coming into a bait site, making them challenging animals to hunt.
Bears are also exceptionally quiet. A bear can close in on you without you hearing or knowing it. Hunting them requires stealth, patience and the ability to remain motionless while methodically scanning the area around your stand for movement.
Even the slightest motion or sound can send a bear running for the state line. I experienced this a couple of years ago.
I sensed that a bear was closing the distance on me and heard what I thought was a very faint sound of feet on the ground. Some may find that unusual, but I learned a lot about hearing things most people don’t hear from a fellow Indian I hunted with more than 40 years ago. That experience heightened my hunting senses and taught me how to be a better hunter.
While attempting to remain stealthy, I slowly shifted my hip in the tree stand and caused a minor creak that was undetectable to most. A large bruin that had snuck up approximately 25 yards behind me instantly bellowed a loud huff and went crashing through the woods for at least a couple hundred yards.
It just goes to show you that even a cautious person can get busted.
I had always wanted to participate in a spring bear hunt. When the opportunity finally came, it became one of the most captivating hunting experiences I have ever had.
A good friend who guides had a direct connection with Native guides who offer a limited number of hunts on their Native land. When I shared that I wanted to hunt with my crossbow, my friend asked if I had any issue sitting in a stand approximately 12 to 15 yards from the bait site.
My instant reaction was, “Absolutely!”
This would be about as close and personal as you could get to a game animal predator.
After checking my crossbow for accuracy prior to leaving the lodge, I discovered a malfunction, so I grabbed my reliable .30-06 and we headed to the hunting grounds.
We met up with our Native guides and traveled via UTV to my hunting stand. When we arrived, I climbed into the stand and confirmed that this was going to be a very close encounter of the bear kind, if one came into the site.
Keeping still would be critical.
After my guide departed with the UTV, I checked the time on my cellphone. It was 2:30 p.m.
Around 4:15 p.m., I noticed a bear walking behind the bait barrel. I followed him with my eyes as he proceeded to the trail we had driven on. He stood still for a moment, broadside, but I estimated his weight at about 150 pounds.
I desired a bear twice his size, so I watched him walk back the same way he came and disappear into the woods.
As I continued to observe the greenleaf cover where he went, I could see black through the leaves.
Suddenly, a much larger bear stepped into the bait site in front of the barrel.
I knew instantly that he was a stud boar.
I immediately placed my crosshairs on the center of his neck, and down he went, right where he stood. I estimated him at about 300 pounds.
I sat there in amazement, thinking about how much respect I have for these ghosts of the woods. He was a textbook example of a healthy bear that any hunter would be proud to harvest.
I said a prayer of thanks to the Creator as I heard the UTV coming in the distance. When my new Native friend arrived, he smiled and said, “Wow. What a great bear.”
To say I was satisfied is an understatement. I had dreamed of this moment for years.
As a Native who always hoped to hunt game on Native land, this was the fulfillment of much more than a successful hunt. For me, it had a spiritual connection to my ancestral roots.
As a hunter and chef, it also meant I would have sustainable meat from an animal I had harvested.
Bears represent some of the tastiest table fare you can consume from the wild. The misnomer that bear is fatty and has an off-color taste could not be further from the truth.
Bears are a tremendous source of wild protein that will not disappoint. Consider it a wild version of beef. When harvested and processed properly, it is a very clean-tasting meat.
The key is trimming off the fat and sinew. Alternatively, bear fat, when processed properly, can be made into wild bear tallow that can be canned and used as a replacement for Crisco in items like pie crust, bear pot pie, tourtière or bear empanadas.
As a First Nation Native, I believe in making use of the animals we harvest from nature. I have always had a deep desire to educate and inspire others on the value of consuming all things wild.
Indigenous foods, both protein and vegetation, nourish the body and the soul and represent a much healthier option to a tainted food supply many rely on.
While many of you desire to get a Maine moose lottery permit, consider participating in a bear hunt to fill your freezer. Much like moose hunting differs from pursuing deer, bear hunting will provide an experience that is challenging and rewarding.
Bear hunting also helps the state manage bear numbers and maintain a healthy population in Maine.
Mi’kmaq wild-game burger with Maine blueberry onion jam
This delicious recipe honors my Native ancestry. Hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons pure butter
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon blueberry balsamic vinegar or plain balsamic
2 tablespoons blueberry jam
1 pound venison burger — buffalo, moose, deer, bear, elk or caribou
1½ teaspoons smoked sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup plain yogurt
1 cup arugula
4 crusty burger buns, such as ciabatta
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add red onion and cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add blueberry vinegar and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in blueberry jam and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.
Place meat and smoked salt in a bowl. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the meat and work it into the meat.
Divide meat into four portions and form patties using your hands. Pack tightly, but do not overwork the meat.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter melts into the oil, gently place burgers into the pan. Burgers can also be grilled.
Cook until a golden-brown crust forms, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Cut burger buns in half lengthwise. Spread 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt onto the bottom of each bun. Place cooked burger on top of yogurt.
Divide onion jam among burgers. Top with arugula and close with the top bun.