Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

In rural Pa., a bloody tradition: 'Watching the bear come in'
*Excerpts from 'The Black Bear of Pennsylvania' by Henry W. Shoemaker and John C. French, Printed 19 ^ | November 23, 2013 | Nick Malawskey

Posted on 11/24/2013 2:14:22 PM PST by Daffynition

ANTES FORT -- A few miles outside of Jersey Shore, Stan and Rob Shrader are parked next to the Antes Fort firehall in their green pickup, waiting on the game commission. Bear Check Station in Jersey ShoreView full sizeColten Corder, center, of Nippenose Valley looks at his grandfather's black bear kill while it gets weighed at the Antes Fort Fire Company check station in Jersey Shore, Pa. Hunter Mike Steinbacher's, left, bear came in at an estimated live weight of 164 pounds. Photo by: Christine Baker | cbaker@pennlive.com

In the bed is a young black bear which Rob shot earlier that morning near the Shrader family camp in Clinton County. For more than 60 years the family has hunted in the mountains around the camp, one generation after the other.

Today the father and son, who come from New Oxford, are the first hunters at the station. They won't be the last.

(Excerpt) Read more at pennlive.com ...


TOPICS: History; Outdoors; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-38 last
To: Daffynition

And the point of the article is?

Answer: A city-fied pansy-waisted metrosexual’s ideas, splashed all over the page with one hand, ahem. “Oh, don’t hurt that Bear! I don’t care how long it has been going on, it needs to stop!”


21 posted on 11/24/2013 3:30:31 PM PST by Terry L Smith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: elcid1970
Using the entire animal seems to be the hunter’s ideal.

It is indeed! My dad shot a bear in Michigan's UP back around 1966 and had a rug made out of the hide......It laid in front of the fireplace in our cabin in Mio, MI for a bunch of years until someone broke into the cabin and stole everything, including the trail bikes which were locked in the outside garage.......

22 posted on 11/24/2013 3:32:12 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (I don't call "911", in my house, I AM '911"....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: JW1949
I’m in Tennessee and have hunted bear for near 40 years with Plott hounds...

My uncles in northern Michigan (all now deceased) were avid bear hunters and bought and traded dogs on a regular basis. Uncle Hylon was a vet so he was tasked with patching up the dogs after a typical hunt..........

23 posted on 11/24/2013 3:37:10 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (I don't call "911", in my house, I AM '911"....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: elcid1970
AND DONT FORGET RED HOT SIZZLIN CHARCOAL GRILLED BEAR STEAKS....UMM UMM UMMM...

24 posted on 11/24/2013 3:38:16 PM PST by jimsin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Vaquero

The Plott Hound is named after Johannes Plott who brought his Hanoverian Hounds over to the colony of North Carolina along with his family. His descendants gradually worked their way west and inland, eventually into the NC mountains, which would be the Plott Balsams just outside Waynesville that bear their name, continuing to breed their dogs, with some fortuitous crosses, the Leopard Cur and the wild Carolina Dog believed to have been among them. The dogs became legendary for their fearlessness and dogged refusal to go off scent, just relentless. They’re known variously as the Plott Bear Hound and the Plott Boar hound, being very successfully used to hunt both. Plott Hounds are to be found anywhere bear or boar are hunted, coveted in fact, scattered the world over. They’re the State Dog of NC.


25 posted on 11/24/2013 3:41:02 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition
Good article! One error though - PA didn't clear 2/3 of the land for agriculture by the 1890’s. The tree cutting was done to feed the iron furnaces. The farmers came in after the furnaces shut down and the trees were cleared, and farmed around the stumps till they could get them out.

I didn't realize that the year bear hunting was halted was 1976 (I was still in school, and don't recall it at all); nor was I aware that Gary Alt was involved in that too. Sheesh.

26 posted on 11/24/2013 3:55:52 PM PST by Kay Ludlow (Government actions ALWAYS have unintended consequences...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition
I say....Take a kid hunting!

I did, and both of my grandsons have shot deer, one at age 12, the other took 3 seasons and was 15.

Next year, it's my last grand child to the hunt, KATIE, and she can't wait {neither can I}.

She is an excellent target shooter and we will have to see how well that translates into the field.

My family always look forward to hunting season and it is a great way to get re-acquainted with your young "kin".

27 posted on 11/24/2013 4:38:00 PM PST by USS Alaska (If I could...I would.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jimsin

To think that bears will eat absolutely anything & then produce such wonderful steaks? Can they be farm-raised?

No, in a couple of generations they’d be running the place.


28 posted on 11/24/2013 4:42:02 PM PST by elcid1970 ("In the modern world, Muslims are living fossils.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Terry L Smith

Sorry *you* missed the point.

The article speaks to the long standing, time-honored traditions found at checking stations.

We have long lost the sharing of hunting stories ‘round the pot-bellied stove at the general store.

If you read and skim....you can *erase* the liberalese and take out the good.

*Excerpts from ‘The Black Bear of Pennsylvania’ by Henry W. Shoemaker and John C. French, Printed 1921, in Altoona, by the Times Tribune Company.


29 posted on 11/24/2013 5:48:51 PM PST by Daffynition (*$17,000,000,000,000* Fear the beards! GO SOX!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: USS Alaska

Kudos!

We’re still working on 10y/o’s target practice and rules, rules, RULES! 2 more years and we’ll start varmint haunting.


30 posted on 11/24/2013 5:52:53 PM PST by Daffynition (*$17,000,000,000,000* Fear the beards! GO SOX!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition

Started my son squirrel hunting at 9...Got his first deer at 12, his first bear at 15...He now has my grandsons (twins) both bagging their first deer at 10...


31 posted on 11/24/2013 7:11:32 PM PST by JW1949
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: All

East Tennessee is a hunting paradise, IMO.....


32 posted on 11/24/2013 7:13:02 PM PST by JW1949
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: JW1949

Neato! You’re w-a-y ahead of me in producing spawn of spawn of spawn!

A full freezer come winter is always a good thing!


33 posted on 11/24/2013 10:31:58 PM PST by Daffynition (*$17,000,000,000,000* Fear the beards! GO SOX!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: elcid1970

‘To think that bears will eat absolutely anything & then produce such wonderful steaks? Can they be farm-raised?’

CAPITAL IDEA OLD FELLOW, BLOODY GOOD THEN. HIGH TIME MANKIND UTILIZED THESE GUYS FOR A FOOD SOURCE INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THEM TO ROAM AROUND SCARIN HUMAN BEINGS HALF TO DEATH....THEY’RE BETTER IN SAMMICHES THAN IN THE WOODS............


34 posted on 11/24/2013 11:27:29 PM PST by jimsin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition

Hey Daffynition!

I support the hunting of game animals, varmints, and birds, both upland and waterfowl.

There are critters that I, by choice of mine alone, won’t hunt, due to the respect of the beast that I have acquired. Yet as far as for the table, or skins, or teeth, or racks, I am for it.

I was passing through The Bronx Zoo, many years ago, stopping to watch the polar bears, who in turn came near to where I stood, stood up and watched me.

From that point on, any critter that stood a hair taller than me, on all four legs or two hindlegs, didn’t have to worry about me mucking about in the bush, looking to bag a dinner.

Not the wall, dinner.


35 posted on 11/26/2013 3:34:45 PM PST by Terry L Smith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Terry L Smith
Be safe out there!

What would you do for a Klondike bear?


36 posted on 11/26/2013 6:35:02 PM PST by Daffynition (*$17,000,000,000,000* Fear the beards! GO SOX!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Daffynition

Somebody get that polar bear a sidearm.


37 posted on 11/26/2013 6:36:27 PM PST by tacticalogic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

Hmmph, Groucho should talk! He once shot an elephant in his pajamas. How the elephant got in his pajamas Groucho never explained.


38 posted on 11/26/2013 6:40:38 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-38 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson