On the first day of the hunt, Ryder sat patiently in the stand with his grandfather, Papa, and his mentor, Jim Uminski, eager to see a bear. After two days without any sightings, Ryder said, “We didn’t see a bear, and I felt puzzled because I really wanted to get one.” On their second outing, they spotted a sow with three cubs, but otherwise they had no luck. Jim then suggested trying another property and bringing in more bear hunters for assistance.
They arrived at the bear camp in the early evening and met up with Jerry Balts. After greeting him, they all headed out to set up the bear bait, which consisted of a variety of tasty treats bears can’t resist. Around 4:30 the following morning, Jerry loaded his dogs into his truck, and Ryder, Papa, and Jim joined him and his wife, Kim, as they headed north.
After checking a few bait stations without trail cameras, the bear group gathered to discuss their hunt plans before releasing the dogs to track down a bear.
Ryder said, “We stayed in the truck and watched the dogs with GPS collars on Jerry’s iPad.”
The dogs were running after a bear that traveled a long distance, and one of the dogs struggled to keep up with the track, ultimately crossing the road where it got sprayed by a skunk. They caught all the dogs and started rechecking baits.
Eventually, the crew checked an eight-hour-old track on a bait with a trail cam, and the rig dogs soon caught the scent and began barking. As the track warmed up, they released the other pack dogs to catch up with the lead trailing dogs. The dogs crossed one road, moved through the woods, crossed another road, and immediately began baying at the bear as they followed it on the ground. Some of the guys headed in to see if the bear had climbed a tree, but it was on the ground, being circled by the dogs.
Ryder exclaimed, “I felt energized when I heard on the radio it was time for me to come in and shoot my bear! We got out of the truck, and I jumped into the brush and kept going. I ran 400 yards through the woods, reached a swampy area, then went another 200 yards, and my feet were getting soaked.”
“I knelt to get a better view, but the angle wasn’t right, so I moved to a different spot between two small branches while the guides got their dogs out of the way. After finding a better spot, I knelt again, and after about thirty seconds, I took the shot! Everyone cheered me on and said, ‘Congrats!’ I felt very happy!” He added, “The best part of my hunt was the people who were there!”
A special thanks to Jim Uminski, Jerry Balts, Dave, Mike, Rod, Eric, Josh, and their wives. Congratulations to Ryder on bagging his massive bear — 445 pounds or 528 live weight —and on the unforgettable memories he created with his Papa and his newfound hunting buddies. God bless!
If you are interested in getting involved, want to donate your 2026 bear license, or know of a deserving youth or veteran, please get in touch with us.