Like the hunt we told you about in Maine, Johnson's hunt is typically conducted from a pickup with dogs in the dog box and a strike dog placed on top of the box to catch any scent. The outfitter slowly drives the dirt roads that meander through the tracts of public land until the strike dog picks up a scent and a fresh track is located. Then the dogs are turned loose. The dogs are tracked by the sound of their barking and the signals from their radio collars. When a bear is treed, the hunters take off on foot across country to get to the tree.
Most of the bears here range from 200 to 350 pounds. Womack says there is always the chance of getting onto a very large bear, but the big ones often will not tree and have to be intercepted on the ground following the dogs over hill and dale.
This is a four-day hunt that ends when a black bear is taken. While there are no guarantees in hunting, this outfitter has been 100 percent on bears for several years. Womack booked this hunt through his local Granite Bay Safari Club. The 2007 cost of this hunt was $1,500, and the outfitter is not planning an increase for this year. Not included in the hunt cost are the cost of a nonresident hunting license ($129 in 2007) a bear tag ($220), lodging, travel to or from Quincy and breakfast and dinner meals. Airport pickup can be arranged from Reno, Nevada, for an additional fee. Hunters........(continued)
