Last week my friend Samantha Sukupcak described the nuts and bolts of planning her first Wisconsin bear hunt. She was gracious enough to answer all of my many questions, and referred me to her guide Mike Oberle when she needed assistance. Here’s Part Two of her story. It’s one of my favorite things that we’ve had on this website (not surprising, since she’s one of my favorite people).

HPFC: When scouting for bears what do you look for?

Samantha Sukupcak: I had to call Mike in on this one. He really is the expert, as he has scouted for all of his bait sites. According to Mike, “a good bear spot will have water, cover, and more water. I like to have baits close to water and near the thickest cover possible. Bears are shy and typically do not like being out in a wide-open spot. They like to be able to sneak in and look at a bait without anyone knowing that they’re there. Water is also key not only for drinking but to help the bears cool off. Typically I don’t see a ton of bear sign around the baits, but things like paw prints can sometimes be seen when scouting.”

HPFC: From a purely physical standpoint, is it hard to kill a bear?

Samantha Sukupcak: With proper shot placement it is not. Like I mentioned earlier, Mike had noted that bears do not handle arrows well.

HPFC: What part of the body do you shoot the bear to kill it?

Samantha Sukupcak: Here again is Mike’s explanation. I did my best to follow what he showed us in the pre-hunt briefing. He also included a picture for reference.

Mike Oberle: Follow up the front leg, go two thirds of the way up and move back 6 inches. If you hunt deer you have to aim a little differently because the bear’s vitals are a little further back. Bears also have very heavy shoulder blades and an arrow, or even a bullet, will not penetrate through. The shot placement as explained will catch both lungs and is the best chance for a successful shot and recovery.

HPFC: How did you ensure that the bear was ethically harvested and used?

Samantha Sukupcak: The ethical harvest started with having the proper licenses, tags, and permits. The outfitter had one bear coming in that had four cubs and they said although each hunter has their own ethics in the field they personally would not shoot that bear because one of the cubs was small. I personally didn’t want to shoot a sow (female bear) with cubs but other than that, if the bear was of legal size I was pretty set on shooting it. I think that’s the difference between hunting and fishing – once you take an animal you can’t release it, so you need to have some idea of what you’re comfortable or not comfortable taking, and what is legal, before you get into the field. I also asked Mike to give his commentary here, as I think having an ethical outfitter is just as important has having an outfitter that can put you on an animal.

Mike Oberle: Since I use trail cameras, I get to know the bear that are coming in to the baits. I will not put someone on a bait with a sow that has new cubs (7-9 months old) coming in. If the mom is killed, the new cubs will likely not survive as they learn everything from their mom. Killing a sow with young cubs is like killing multiple bears. However, if a bear has two-year-old cubs, they have learned everything they need to know and the mom will likely kick them out later in fall or in the spring. If we have a sow with older cubs, we will put a hunter on the bait.

HPFC: Take us through the process – Start time?

We started each day around 2 in the afternoon. The hunts were in the afternoon to prevent us from walking in on a bait while the bear was there and scaring it off. If that happens, a lot of the time a bear will not come back to the bait. We would meet at camp, decide who was sitting where and who was walking who in. We were usually in the stands by 3 or 3:30 (sometimes later) and we’d hunt until last shooting time (typically close to dark). It worked out great for me because I didn’t have to take more than a half day of vacation for the entire hunt. In the morning there was an option to fish, which I did take advantage of on the weekend.

HPFC: Do you sit in a stand?

Yes – all hunting in the zone I was hunting in was done over bait, so there would be a bait set up with a stand in a tree 10-30 yards away (if you were unable to be in a stand, a ground blind could be used). The outfitter would walk the hunter in, check the bait and re-bait it, then spray a cherry-scented spray before leaving. After getting up in the stand, I would get my backpack and bow situated. Mike uses a very specific process when baiting, and the bears get used to this and learn to associate the sounds and smells of the baiting process with food, which helps get the bears into a routine of coming to the baits.

HPFC: Do you walk and actually hunt the bear?

No, not in the zone I hunted in. There are some zones that allow dogs to be used. In those hunts, a bear that the hunter wants is located, and the dogs typically chase the bear and get it up a tree and the hunter comes and shoots the bear.

HPFC: Do you put down bait, decoys, scent, etc.?

Yes, the outfitter puts down bait and uses scent. Before the season opens the outfitters baited routinely and the bears get used to the routine and start associating the bait sites with food sources. The exact same process is used at each bait, and the baits are checked/rebaited at close to the same time every other day.

HPFC: What did you feel when you first saw the bear?

Samantha Sukupcak: Again, excuse my language, but it was something along the lines of, “Shit’s about to get real, real fast.” I was shaking just waiting for the bear to give me the opportunity to grab my bow and get clipped in. Once I was clipped in it felt like hours waiting for the bear to give me a good look for a clean shot. I was shaking so bad my arrow almost shook out of the rest!

HPFC: Do you remember what you thought right before you shot?

Samantha Sukupcak: When I drew back, the bear looked back and I thought, “Crap it heard me.” But it stayed put and I released the arrow. I think at that point the muscle memory of the shooting motion took over and I didn’t really “think” about anything.

Proper place to target a bear with an arrow for a clean kill

HPFC: What did you feel after you shot?

Samantha Sukupcak: I had a huge adrenaline rush…like weak knees, shaking, sweating…the whole nine yards. I texted Mike (the outfitter) “Holy eff I just shot a bear. I’m shaking.” I’ve caught some amazing fish but nothing so far compares to that rush of the bear. The fish catches were absolutely exciting, but this is a different kind of rush. I think too because it was the last day, and the last sit, there was some relief that I was able to close the deal on the first opportunity that I got.

HPFC: What has been the reaction of other women in your life, particularly non-hunters?

Samantha Sukupcak: I got a lot of congratulations, but I think there’s still a bit of “I don’t know why she did that.” Generally supportive reactions, which was good.

HPFC: What can you do with all the meat?

Steaks
Sausage
Ground meat

As part of the hunt, Mike (the outfitter) skinned and cut up the bear for me. I got steaks, chops, the inner tenderloin, ribs, and scraps. The scraps I had processed into snack sticks, brats, and plain ground bear. I also had some fat saved and that will be rendered down into bear grease, which can be used like lard.

HPFC: What does bear taste like?

Samantha Sukupcak: It’s kind of like a cross between beef and pork. My bear is mild tasting, not too gamy at all. Bear meat is a sweeter meat but will take on the flavor of what the bear has been eating. The one thing with bear meat is that you have to cook it all the way through because most bears carry the parasite that causes trichinosis. Bear is fatty enough that even well-done the meat is juicy and tender.

HPFC: What meals have you made and have been your favorite?

Samantha Sukupcak: So far, we’ve had bear stroganoff and bear bulgogi in a stir-fry. Both were delicious and bear chili is up next. According to nutrition facts from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of black bear meat contains about 165 calories, 20 grams of protein, 8.5 grams of fat, and about half of your daily allowance of iron. Bear is a fatty and rich game animal, but it is still pretty lean.

HPFC: You also did something on the last day of the year that you said was ten years in the making.

Samantha Sukupcak: Yes! I got my first deer! This was the first year I was able to put time in the stand, thanks to our friends. I had two misses – one because my arrow just caught the windowsill of the blind I was shooting out of and one because my arrow rest had moved and my arrow shot low. This time everything lined up and I was given a clean shot. It was exciting and a thrill, but nowhere near what the bear was! Taking a bear before a deer is not something most people do. This ended up being the last day of the season I was able to hunt. It’s looking like my pattern with hunting is that I just have to wait for the very last day, then it all comes together.

HPFC: Take us back and tell us how you started and the journey through the eleventh hour.

Samantha Sukupcak: Well, not to go ALL the way back, but this was 10 years in the making. From a weekend here, a few days there over the years, to having the small hunting lease for one season, I had tried to put in my time. When I hunted I did see a lot, but I rarely had a shot that was in range. This year we hunted with Mike and Sarah in September (Mike Yee got his first archery deer with a very nice doe), November and December. We had planned to come up to visit Mike and Sarah on New Year’s Eve weekend since neither of us had any big plans. New Year’s Eve morning we went ice fishing and had some luck with nice bluegills, then we went back to the house and got dressed to hunt. I went back to the box blind, where I had the arrow nick the windowsill earlier in the season, and got set up. The property owner was getting wood from the woodpile near the blind, which provided the perfect cover to walk in undetected. Once the owner had finished, a deer walked in about 30 minutes later. The deer gave me a good shot opportunity, which I took. I waited until I saw it go down before texting anyone, but I really felt like I finally got that monkey off my back. I did see a few more deer that night, but I was waiting on a buck to come in and all I saw were does. It was a great way to spend New Year’s Eve, and then in the morning Mike (the outfitter) cut the deer up. I saved the tail, which I will prepare for jig tying. My goal is to have a few bucktail jigs tied for El Salto in May!

Samantha also picked Mike Oberle’s brain on a few additional questions that I thought would be useful or interesting for seasoned and potential bear hunters.

Samantha Sukupcak: What are things every new bear hunter should know?

Mike Oberle:

Shot placement
If you’re a deer hunter forget everything you know. They are not the same animal – bears do what they want, when they want and how they want.
You don’t hear or see them coming.

Samantha Sukupcak: What should a new hunter who has not hunted with an outfitter before looking for when selecting an outfitter for a hunt?

Mike Oberle:

Look at experience – not just guiding, but how long have they been hunting?
How many tags/how many kills has the outfitter had? If an outfitter will put in the time for their own animal, they will likely put in time to find you one.
What is your success rate? (Compare it to the zone that you are hunting in for that year)
What is the average size of bear being killed?
What are you doing for stands? Can you make it comfortable for me (i.e., is a ground blind an option if I can’t get into a tree stand)?
Can I use the weapon I want?
How long am I on the stand?
What kind of scouting does the outfitter do? Do they use trail cameras on the baits?

Samantha Sukupcak: I will also add that communication is important. The communication with Hooks N Bone Outfitters was great from the get-go, with pictures of bears sent to the group in the weeks leading up to the hunt and a list of what to bring provided. Hooks n Bone Outfitters also asked about who was right vs. left-handed so that hunters could be given spots that would present better shots.

Samantha Sukupcak: What is a cool/obscure/amazing fact or two about bears?

Mike Oberle: Bears can live to be in their twenties in the wild. A sow can have four different cubs by four different boars (male bears). A female bear can be given cubs that aren’t hers and the sound of the cub grunting will cause the sow to lactate and she will take the cub in and raise it as her own.

Samantha Sukupcak: Why should someone hunt bears?

Mike Oberle: If you want a rush, the ultimate rush in Wisconsin, to have an animal appear out of nowhere 15-20 yards from you, bear hunting is it; it’s the pinnacle of bowhunting in WI to shoot a bear with a bow. Even in all my time pursuing bear I have only seen a handful. They are truly ghosts.

Samantha Sukupcak: I agree with Mike. It’s a rush like no other and a challenge with a bow. Try it once and you’ll be hooked!

Samantha Sukupcak: How did Sarah Oberle get into the outfitting piece?

Mike Oberle: Through my passion she developed her own passion for bear hunting. At first, she was afraid to walk in and out by herself. In her first few seasons, she had a rough start but she stayed with it and having the experience of being in the woods with bears built up her confidence/passion. Sarah likes to check the trail cameras and works just as hard as everyone else at bear camp. She is one of the few people I trust with my baits.

Samantha Sukupcak: Is there any advantage to hunting over bait vs. running dogs?

Mike Oberle: Both have advantages but for bait, the bears aren’t as pressured. The disadvantage is waiting for the bear to come to you – it can be difficult depending on crops that are ready and what the bears are feeding on. I think it’s also more exciting in the stand. Also, bears run by dogs get a little tougher and more gamy due to the stress of the hunt.

Samantha Sukupcak: What do you use for bear bait?

Mike Oberle: Anything from the cheapest cereal possible to donuts, cookies and pretzels. I use a lot of factory food waste, anything sweet. Some people use corn and oil. You can pretty much use whatever is available. I find that switching up the baits is helpful to keep the bears interested. You put the food in hollow log chunks with covers to try to keep raccoons and other critters out.

Samantha Sukupcak: I watched a porcupine try to get in the bait one night but he got sick of trying and left. In your opinion, what’s the best way to eat bear?

Mike Oberle: Fry it in a pan with a little butter, low and slow with mushrooms and onions until well done; slice it thin.

Slow cooker – roast low and slow, overnight and eat the following evening. Just make sure it is well-done and cooked through.

Samantha Sukupcak: Anything else you’d like to add for prospective bear hunters?

Mike Oberle: If you’re thinking about bear hunting, don’t wait or be afraid – start applying for points/tags now! You don’t need to wait all the years to get a tag – there are some great hunting opportunities in zones with lower preference points. Talk to an outfitter and get your questions answered and start applying!

If you had a bad experience with an outfitter, don’t let that deter you from going on a hunt with a different outfitter – do more research, reach out to other outfitters and trust your outfitter!

Wow, just wow! I know nothing about hunting but what I see on TV or read on Facebook posts, but bears seem to be the black ghosts of the forest. Just the fact that one appeared was amazing, but with one shot, on the last day, in the last hours, Samantha prevailed.

I wear a bracelet that has a saying from Shakespeare: “Though she be but little she is fierce,” I think it’s time I hand over the reins.

Congratulations my friend and can’t wait to be invited over for dinner.