Thirteen-year-old Pete’s excitement grew when Brent Olsen called to tell him he would be mentoring his hunt. He had been watching a large bear on his trail camera and sent Pete daily updates with pictures of the bear.
On the first day of the hunt, Pete, his father Joe, and their mentor Brent sat patiently in the stand, hoping a bear would come out to the bait. Pete said, “We sat there all afternoon but didn’t see anything.” They eventually decided to leave the stand. No sooner had they returned to their truck and started driving away than the trail camera went off. Pete added, “Only seven minutes had passed since we left, and bears had come to the bait.”
Pete said, “I helped Brent set out bait to attract the bear. We used gummy orange fruit slices, walnuts, a mix of other nuts, and crunchy peanut butter bars. He had a hollowed-out stump that he tilted to open it up, then dumped all the bait inside. After that, he placed another wooden block on top and poured a cherry liquid over it, spreading it around the area as well.”
The following two days were spent in the stand without bears in sight, causing Pete to feel frustrated as his patience wore thin. He recounted, “The next day, we saw a huge sow, but it wasn’t close enough for a good shot, and it didn’t stay long.” The following morning, they attempted to hunt in a cornfield before returning to the stand, but again, no bear appeared. Instead, pesky porcupines attempted to climb up into their stand. After five days of an unsuccessful hunt, Pete and his parents returned home to Illinois.
Pete said, “I wasn’t going to give up. My best friend Kale told me, ‘You probably won’t see another bear,’ and I wanted to prove him wrong.” So, the following weekend, they returned to where they had seen the bear on the trail camera. However, once again, they did not spot any bears. Instead of feeling discouraged, his best friend encouraged him to return by challenging him, “You probably won’t see another bear; that first night was your only chance.”
When Pete was younger, he had a series of three open heart surgeries. He was scheduled for a routine cardiac cath, a procedure that allowed his doctor to assess how his heart was functioning. Pete mentioned, “I was nervous about the procedure.” However, after receiving good test results and taking time to rest that weekend, he felt ready to return for another chance at his bear the following weekend.
Brent informed them that the weather was changing and that high winds were expected throughout the weekend. He suggested that they try to arrive on Friday. His parents had to work in the morning, so after picking Pete up from school, they headed straight to the hunt, arriving at 3:30 in the afternoon.
They chose to hunt at one of John Duffek’s bait sites because Brent’s baits had dried up. Only two could fit in the ground blind, so Brent and Pete entered the blind around 4 pm while his dad and John waited one mile away at camp.
Pete was sitting on Brent’s right side, and his 20-gauge slug gun rested on the tripod before them. About an hour passed when Brent tapped Pete’s leg and whispered, “Bear.” Pete was so excited that he started to breathe heavily and shake. He reached over and grabbed Brent’s hand, squeezing it tightly. The bear approached from their left side, moved in front of them at an angle, and then disappeared into the brush. They intently watched as it then emerged into an opening.
Pete remarked, “I was ready to take a shot when it suddenly jumped into the air, turned around, and walked away. We thought the bear was gone for good. Then, about twenty minutes passed, and we saw it again with another bear about the same size. The other bear came around and wandered back into the brush, heading towards the bait. Although I couldn’t see it initially, it soon appeared and approached the bait. I sensed it didn’t like our blind as it turned around and walked away, stopping in an area of brush where I couldn’t get a good shot. Brent had advised me to take a shot if I had the opportunity, so when the bear took a few more steps into a slightly clearer area, I took my shot and dropped it in the brush!”
Pete was so excited he hugged Brent tightly. Later, Brent said, “My wife Julia and I have been married for a long time, and she has never hugged me as hard as Pete did.”
Pete said, “I was really happy to get my bear, and the best part was that I dropped it in its tracks. I only waited a few minutes to tell my best friend and then sent him pictures, too!”
His mother, Danielle, added, “It was such a great experience from beginning to end, whether he got a bear or not. It was wonderful meeting Brent and Julie and forming friendships with them. Brent went above and beyond to ensure that Pete was having a good time, from hunting to fishing to hanging out with us. The whole experience was truly wonderful.”
Thank you to Nick Grouse for generously donating his bear license, Brent Olsen for mentoring during the bear hunt, and John Duffek. Congratulations to Pete on his trophy bear, the unforgettable memories he created with his parents, and his newfound 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].