John Musacchia Jr.
Muzzy Products Corp.

Unfortunately those that know me will tell you when I have an opinion, you're usually going to hear it. Well I developed another one so unfortunately.... Having just taken my second black bear with a bow, I in my way of thinking, consider myself an expert and authority on the subject.

In all seriousness, having hunted bear some fourteen years ago and taking a very large black bear on the second night of the hunt, not to mention it was the first bear I ever saw while bowhunting, my experience with bears was very limited until a recent hunt in Saskatchewan, Canada. Although my experience would be considered limited by any standard, I have picked up several things that I'm sure will help if you decide to hunt black bear.

The thing that is most impressive about black bear is their ability to hear. You may not appreciate what I'm trying to impress upon you until you hunt bear! But be certain that if it is still, I would go so far as to say they can hear you reach for your bowstring as you prepare to shoot.

About the eyes, a black bear either doesn't trust his own eyes, doesn't care about what he sees or can't see! My guess is more like he can't believe that a man would climb a tree. Virtually every bear that came in, looked right at me several times, not up any other tree, but mine. Understand that I hung my own stand, where I wanted to and these baits had not been hunted before. Yet each bear would come in, look around and with no question in my mind, look right at me!

His nose I cannot speak to. I know that they use it because you will watch them test the air regardless.

The other most impressive thing about a bear is his ability to move with stealth. On their personal trails they use the same footprints everytime. That is why a bears trail in soft ground looks like a line of offset pot holes, multiple bears beat a smooth path. But the path the "Big Boy that nobody wants to come across until you're up a tree" is pot holes.

It is my contention that if a bear doesn't want you to hear him, you won't. On that note, bears because they respect each other's space, mostly out of fear will deliberately crack branches and make noise as they come into the bait. One particularly large bear made several charges on the bait never coming closer than 40 yards and never showing himself. When he would finally show he would be 20 yards away and completely where we did not expect him to show.

So if I had to give advice, and I don't but I will, If you go bear hunting and are put on a bait that obviously has bear coming to it, sit stiller than you would for whitetail, wear extremely quiet clothes and be prepared to look up and see a bear 20 yards away standing on his hind legs testing the air with his nose, looking at you and then the bait. It's Awesome!!! Good luck and listen to your guide, not me.

Till later,
John Musacchia Jr.
Muzzy Products Corp.