Utah OTC - Spring Bear Hunt
An Unforgettable Bear Hunt in Utah
I recently returned home from a bear hunt in my home state of Utah—a hunt I will remember forever. We hunted through rugged country, put over 30 miles on our boots, shared meaningful conversations, and completed the hunt with the harvest of a beautiful, mature color-phase bear.
Originally, my buddies and I had planned a spot-and-stalk trip into Central Idaho. However, after a few weeks of bad weather and conflicting schedules, we had to abandon those plans. Feeling the itch to get outside and stretch my legs, I began exploring other opportunities.
A chance encounter at the local grocery store led to an exciting lead. I ran into a buddy, and as we chatted about hunting, he introduced me via text to a houndsman in central Utah who had been having good luck finding bears on an over-the-counter (OTC) unit. Excited by the prospect, I started planning and preparing. I purchased the $93 harvest objective tag, picked some dates in early May, and began daydreaming about chasing a big old boar.
On the afternoon of May 6th, I finally rolled into a small town just outside of Price, Utah. Using OnXMaps, I navigated to a few pins marking potential camping spots. The journey took us along a long, winding road that eventually turned into a dusty dirt path, leading us to our campsite. It was exactly as I had imagined: a couple dozen hound dogs running around, eager for the hunt.
We didn’t waste any time. We loaded the dogs and hit the first trail. To our surprise, despite being in the high desert of Utah in May, it was freezing cold. We hiked through a couple of feet of snow in some places, with blizzards on and off. We didn’t cut a track that evening, so we returned to camp and made a game plan for the next day.
May 7th brought another cold day, with a complete whiteout blizzard. Despite the harsh conditions, we remained hopeful. As we hiked the road to the canyon we wanted to hunt, we walked on an inch or two of fresh snow, which showed no signs of stopping. Our only chance was if a bear happened to be out and moving during a break in the storm. As the day passed, the weather broke, allowing us to cover 15 miles on foot. Despite not cutting a track, we had the opportunity to engage in deep, heartfelt conversations about life, hunting, and what brings us the most peace and happiness. It is in the mountains where I feel most alive and where my mind is clearest. The conversations during those miles will be remembered forever.
May 8th was the day it all went down. We started early and drove to the top of a mountain that had previously held some big bears. The country looked perfect: thick, cliffy, steep, and nasty. We split up the dogs and made a couple of different walks down a few different canyons. The morning hike didn’t produce any results, so we decided to relocate to a new area.
This was the first day that it didn’t snow all morning. Hopes were high, and we all felt like something was going to happen. After a few hours of driving dirt roads, we reached the canyon we wanted to hike down. I was told, “You’re going to love this hike; you won’t regret it. Every time I walk this canyon, I catch a bear.” This was one of the nastiest canyons I’ve ever walked. Deadfall was everywhere, the creek bottom was layered with cliffs, and overgrown trees covered any potential path. About an hour and a half into our hike, the dogs suddenly took off in a sprint, sounding off. The chase was on.
We sat down on the steep sidehill to watch the GPS and listen to where the dogs were going. When the dogs were about a mile out, we knew it had to be a bear. We took off and followed the GPS. Never having hunted behind hounds, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know if it was a guarantee that we would get a chance at seeing the bear, if we would get a shot at the bear, or how long it might take. The chase was everything I could have hoped for.
We finally got confirmation that “Ohno” was held up, and it looked like we had something treed. After about twenty minutes, the rest of the dogs caught up. The sheer cliffs, slickrock, and elevation gain took a toll on all of us. The canyon lit up with the sound of hound dogs barking. The anticipation was killing me. Was it for sure a bear, was it a cat, a big boar? I had to know. We made our way to the dogs, and as we crested the spine that separated us from the tree, I got my first glimpse of the bear. She was beautiful. There couldn’t have been a prettier bear: a giant body, big face, dark legs fading into a dark blonde along the back with a big white patch on her chest. It was a humbling, grateful, and surreal moment. As I looked her in the eyes, I felt all the emotions. We took a moment to appreciate her beauty and decided to let an arrow quickly and humanely end her life. It was unforgettable.
I will forever be grateful for the moments and memories we gained on this adventure. It wasn’t about pulling the trigger; it was about feeling alive and finding peace. This is what MTNBONDED is all about.