The opportunity came out of the blue, I was discussing plans for the coming season with a Swedish friend, moose, roe deer and pigs were definitely on the menu and there was a tiny chance of an invitation to a bear hunt but only a tiny chance, there were also black grouse and capercaillie to be stalked on the ground, we finished the call and I hung up returning full attention to my pint. Ten minutes later the phone rang again, the bear hunt was on, and I was invited if I wanted, would I like to go?
When? Next Saturday. Oh holy****, standby and I’ll get back to you ASAP. Phone call to my Mrs, who’s very much unimpressed but doesn’t actually forbid me to go, check flights and within 10 minutes I’m booked and going, travelling a day early because of the airline schedule but pickup, accommodation and rifle borrowing all sorted. There follows a flurry of emails and documentation to read and digest, this is one of the most regulated hunts in Sweden, insurance details and hunting qualifications are exchanged, more bumpf to read and I’m going on a bear hunt, European brown bears in Sweden, there might also be roe buck and boar involved but I’m not going to be greedy, just to see a bear would make the trip worthwhile.
Departure day, my Mrs is still highly unimpressed, #1 son is press ganged into looking after the pups and I’m off.
No problems at the airport surprisingly, pickup etc works out as it should and we take it easy, departure for the hunting ground will be about noon tomorrow, its a typical driven hunt, realistically theres not much chance of me shooting a bear, but that’s not no chance at all.
The drive up North took about 3 hours, good roads, nice scenery and there would be just enough time for a quick roe foray before dark. Between the 3 of us we saw several bucks but no shots, so we met back at the farmhouse at last light. Nicely ensconced at the table with a beer in hand I idly enquire what time will we be going out tomorrow? The meeting place is 20 minutes away and we have to be there by 0330, so up at 0230 or a bit earlier. I’m stunned into silence, its 2330, so I swallow the brew and head to bed.
At 0330 we’re at the meeting, around 30 people in all, I have to confirm that I’ve read the regulations and know what’s expected, no females with cubs to be shot, preferably no cubs, single bears of either sex and boar are on the menu, no roe deer, contact details are exchanged, radio channels allocated and Wehunt app downloaded and open, the app will be the main tool used to control the hunt, no app, no hunt.
30 minutes later we’re off to our stands, there are 70 bears on the licence this year and the hunt goes on until the season ends in October or all the bears are shot on a first come first served basis. The individual hunting teams try to target nuisance bears, so there’s quite a bit of competition, and my hosts really want the bears shot so not shooting is not an option. Nearly 50 years of strict regulation has seen the bear population increase and they’re moving down into more populated areas and farmland, conflicts and traffic accidents are rising,so the decision is to shoot a few extra this season.
By 0415 its just getting bright and I’m settled on a rock about 200M from anyone else, my rifle is a really nice Mannlicher model M in 6.5x55 ( what else), the radio is on, the app is open, I can keep track of the other hunters and the dog, it also shows my scent cloud and range rings.
The dog is on the ground before 05 00 and quickly finds a fresh scent, after about 45 minutes there are 2 shots and then things go quiet for a long while, the bear has been hit, but is still mobile and has taken cover in some really thick birch scrub. Once a shot is reported the bear is counted as dead and comes off the licence unless you can prove otherwise. It takes over 2 hours to catch up to the bear and dispatch it, then it has to be recovered intact and taken to a check in station, all of which takes time, so its close to midday before we get another dog on the ground. The bear is male, about 80Kg and estimated to be around 3 years old.
We get a new dog on the ground but it keeps chopping and changing trails, the temperature is close to 20C which doesn’t help so at 1530 the hunt is called off for the day, meet at the same time tomorrow morning please. So far 50 bears have been taken in the county today and there are still teams out hunting, the quota is going much faster than I thought possible.
We grab a bite to eat and a couple of hours sleep then try for a buck. The mosquitos are unbelievably thick, within 20 minutes I have bites on my bites and lumps erupting from the most unlikely locations, to pile on more misery the only buck I see is 400M away and unapproachable, so I’m very happy to call it quits and grab a beer and a few hours sleep.
Next morning we’re back on stand at 0415, there are 15 bears left on the licence and they’re going fast. Our hound hits a trail almost immediately and is coming towards me from about 1K out, by now its crystal clear that if I get a shot I’m going to have to take it or my host will be seriously ****ed off, at 500M theres a single shot and we have our second bear down
There are just 7 bears left on the licence now, by 0600 when we get a dog back on the ground, its 0630 and only 5 left by the time the dog hits a trail, then 4 then 3, then 2, the dog is only 400M out and heading my way. I can’t see anything but it sounds close, 200M now according to the app, 1 bear left, 150M and I just might be able to see them, 0 bears left, unload your rifles and all head for the downed bear. It helps a bit when the app shows that both bear and dog are now heading away from me. Its 0650 on day two and the bear season is over.
We drive around and have a look at the bear, its bigger and darker than yesterdays, the guy that shot it must have a pair of big brass ones, he let it in to 7 meters and popped it with a .308. We congratulate him and thank the huntmaster, there are more than enough people to recover the bear so we say goodbye. The huntmaster comes along with us, he apologises for the way things worked out, especially yesterday, but would I like to try again next year?
I’m their first ever Irish guest and he’d really like to try to get me a bear, he really would.
I can’t wait.
When? Next Saturday. Oh holy****, standby and I’ll get back to you ASAP. Phone call to my Mrs, who’s very much unimpressed but doesn’t actually forbid me to go, check flights and within 10 minutes I’m booked and going, travelling a day early because of the airline schedule but pickup, accommodation and rifle borrowing all sorted. There follows a flurry of emails and documentation to read and digest, this is one of the most regulated hunts in Sweden, insurance details and hunting qualifications are exchanged, more bumpf to read and I’m going on a bear hunt, European brown bears in Sweden, there might also be roe buck and boar involved but I’m not going to be greedy, just to see a bear would make the trip worthwhile.
Departure day, my Mrs is still highly unimpressed, #1 son is press ganged into looking after the pups and I’m off.
No problems at the airport surprisingly, pickup etc works out as it should and we take it easy, departure for the hunting ground will be about noon tomorrow, its a typical driven hunt, realistically theres not much chance of me shooting a bear, but that’s not no chance at all.
The drive up North took about 3 hours, good roads, nice scenery and there would be just enough time for a quick roe foray before dark. Between the 3 of us we saw several bucks but no shots, so we met back at the farmhouse at last light. Nicely ensconced at the table with a beer in hand I idly enquire what time will we be going out tomorrow? The meeting place is 20 minutes away and we have to be there by 0330, so up at 0230 or a bit earlier. I’m stunned into silence, its 2330, so I swallow the brew and head to bed.
At 0330 we’re at the meeting, around 30 people in all, I have to confirm that I’ve read the regulations and know what’s expected, no females with cubs to be shot, preferably no cubs, single bears of either sex and boar are on the menu, no roe deer, contact details are exchanged, radio channels allocated and Wehunt app downloaded and open, the app will be the main tool used to control the hunt, no app, no hunt.
30 minutes later we’re off to our stands, there are 70 bears on the licence this year and the hunt goes on until the season ends in October or all the bears are shot on a first come first served basis. The individual hunting teams try to target nuisance bears, so there’s quite a bit of competition, and my hosts really want the bears shot so not shooting is not an option. Nearly 50 years of strict regulation has seen the bear population increase and they’re moving down into more populated areas and farmland, conflicts and traffic accidents are rising,so the decision is to shoot a few extra this season.
By 0415 its just getting bright and I’m settled on a rock about 200M from anyone else, my rifle is a really nice Mannlicher model M in 6.5x55 ( what else), the radio is on, the app is open, I can keep track of the other hunters and the dog, it also shows my scent cloud and range rings.
The dog is on the ground before 05 00 and quickly finds a fresh scent, after about 45 minutes there are 2 shots and then things go quiet for a long while, the bear has been hit, but is still mobile and has taken cover in some really thick birch scrub. Once a shot is reported the bear is counted as dead and comes off the licence unless you can prove otherwise. It takes over 2 hours to catch up to the bear and dispatch it, then it has to be recovered intact and taken to a check in station, all of which takes time, so its close to midday before we get another dog on the ground. The bear is male, about 80Kg and estimated to be around 3 years old.
We get a new dog on the ground but it keeps chopping and changing trails, the temperature is close to 20C which doesn’t help so at 1530 the hunt is called off for the day, meet at the same time tomorrow morning please. So far 50 bears have been taken in the county today and there are still teams out hunting, the quota is going much faster than I thought possible.
We grab a bite to eat and a couple of hours sleep then try for a buck. The mosquitos are unbelievably thick, within 20 minutes I have bites on my bites and lumps erupting from the most unlikely locations, to pile on more misery the only buck I see is 400M away and unapproachable, so I’m very happy to call it quits and grab a beer and a few hours sleep.
Next morning we’re back on stand at 0415, there are 15 bears left on the licence and they’re going fast. Our hound hits a trail almost immediately and is coming towards me from about 1K out, by now its crystal clear that if I get a shot I’m going to have to take it or my host will be seriously ****ed off, at 500M theres a single shot and we have our second bear down
There are just 7 bears left on the licence now, by 0600 when we get a dog back on the ground, its 0630 and only 5 left by the time the dog hits a trail, then 4 then 3, then 2, the dog is only 400M out and heading my way. I can’t see anything but it sounds close, 200M now according to the app, 1 bear left, 150M and I just might be able to see them, 0 bears left, unload your rifles and all head for the downed bear. It helps a bit when the app shows that both bear and dog are now heading away from me. Its 0650 on day two and the bear season is over.
We drive around and have a look at the bear, its bigger and darker than yesterdays, the guy that shot it must have a pair of big brass ones, he let it in to 7 meters and popped it with a .308. We congratulate him and thank the huntmaster, there are more than enough people to recover the bear so we say goodbye. The huntmaster comes along with us, he apologises for the way things worked out, especially yesterday, but would I like to try again next year?
I’m their first ever Irish guest and he’d really like to try to get me a bear, he really would.
I can’t wait.
