ETHICS and ARROWS

The smell of decaying leaves and other forest smells fill my senses, I am close to the ground in a half crouch moving one careful step at a time through an ice cold stream. Every step in the ice cold water brings me closer to the black bear standing along the southern bank of the stream feeding on an elk winterkill carcass. For the lash hour I have been stalking this bear, the wind is steady from the southwest and keeping my scent from the bears keen nose. My only option for a stalk is down this small creek, although the cold water has turned my feet into what feels like ice balls wearing shoes I am undeterred. Carefully I approach the coal black bruin and prepare for the shot. Two more steps will bring me within ten yards of the bear and offer me a perfect quartering away shot. The bear is busy tearing flesh from the elk and has no idea that death is standing so near, I begin to draw my bow and pick a spot where I want the arrow to enter into the body of the bear. Just before I release the arrow she softly calls, a very quiet mewing sound I have heard many times before. I lower my bow and silently retreat to the other side of the creek, I lower myself to the forest floor and feel the earth embrace me in my newfound hiding place. This hunt has come to an end , but the spectacle soon to follow I am certain will be far better than any harvest I may have made today. My patience is soon rewarded when two small cubs scurry down from a large fir tree and join their mother near the carcass. She rolls onto her back and lets the little balls of fur suckle, I silently thank the creator for the warning that this bear was a mother. There is really no way to tell if a bear is alone in most cases and several cubs die every year because the hunter was not aware that the bear was a female with cubs until after the harvest. Usually the cubs are well hidden in a tree nearby and will not reveal themselves until their mother calls. And females will hide their offspring while they feed, to ensure another bear or predator doesn’t come across them and kill the young. Finally the she bear calls softly once again to her young and they retreat into the forest shadows. I raise myself from the ground and shoulder my bow, this days hunt is done, I walk through the wilderness just enjoying the forest and all the sounds and smells on my way back home from this high place, the memory of a bear family forever locked in my mind and a smile on my face. Knowing I was lucky to have met them in this place and for once blessed to have not released an arrow on the hunt. Hawk a/ho