“I was excited when my dad told me about the hunting trip. I couldn’t wait to go bear hunting,” shared 14-year-old Eliza.
Eliza and her father, Joey, drove north for eight hours to reach the Stoney Lonesome Bear Hunter Cabin in Winter, Wisconsin. They were both extremely excited to have the chance to experience a once-in-a-lifetime bear hunt together.
Eliza said, “We arrived later in the afternoon on Tuesday, so we had dinner and sat outside to discuss the plan for the next day. We chatted and got to know each other, and then we went to bed.”
“We woke up early, had breakfast, loaded the dogs into the truck, and drove to one of the bait sites where they had seen a good-sized bear on camera a few hours earlier. Then the other hunters released their dogs to track the bear’s scent.”
Steve Salmon said, “The dogs circled the bait, returned, regrouped, and worked back out. Then, one dog went farther out and started barking, and the next thing you know, the chase was on. The dogs jumped the bear relatively fast, and he was treed in about half an hour.”
They energetically walked approximately 750 yards, including over 100 yards of swamp, to reach the tree. The 256-pound bear was perched twenty feet up in an oak tree with large limbs. They watched the dog’s tree for a bit and then tied them back from under it. Then, they all maneuvered into position to get a clear view of the bear and enable Eliza to take a precise shot. Steve set up a tripod and placed his 7MM-08 Remington Rifle into it for stability.
Eliza said, “There was a large limb blocking the bear’s vitals, so it was hard to decide where to shoot it.” Before long, she had the crosshairs on the bear, took a deep breath, gently pulled the trigger, and made a perfect shot. Her bear fell straight down out of the tree. “Everybody was very excited and congratulated me.”
Steve said, “We were all giving her hugs and high-fives, and she was so thankful for the hunt. Eliza’s hunt was tear-jerking, like all the other hunts we have guided for the United Special Sportsman Alliance. This hunt ended faster than many others, and she got such a nice bear.”
Eliza added, “Harvesting my bear was the best part of the hunt. I want to thank the generous donor of my bear license. This amazing experience wouldn’t have been possible without your generous gift.”
Thanks to Wiliam Theune for donating his bear license and Steve Salmon and the Stoney Lonesome Bear Hunters for their continued participation in USSA bear hunts. Congratulations to Eliza on her trophy bear and the beautiful memories she shared with her father and new hunting buddies. God bless!
If you are interested in getting involved, want to donate your 2025 bear license, or know of a deserving youth or veteran, please contact us at [email protected].