WEBVTT - Ep. 255: This Country Life - Bear Camp

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to this Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves.

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<v Speaker 1>From coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living.

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<v Speaker 1>I want you to stay a while as I share

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<v Speaker 1>my experiences and life lessons. This Country Life is presented

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<v Speaker 1>by Case Knives on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you

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<v Speaker 1>the best outdoor podcast the airways had off. All right, friends,

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<v Speaker 1>grab a chair or drop that tailgate. I've got some

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<v Speaker 1>stories to share Bear Camp. I'm working on more years

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<v Speaker 1>at our Arkansas bear Camp than you can count on

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<v Speaker 1>both hands. And if you judge this one by the

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<v Speaker 1>quality of the bears taken, it wouldn't be close to

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<v Speaker 1>the top ten. If you judge it by what I

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<v Speaker 1>took home, it's far and above number one. I'm going

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<v Speaker 1>to tell you all about it, but first I'm going

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<v Speaker 1>to tell you a story. This week, we're doing a

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<v Speaker 1>listener story that caught my attention on three levels. One

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<v Speaker 1>who was sent in by a lady We need more

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<v Speaker 1>of them in the outdoors. Two at the time it happened,

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<v Speaker 1>she was a new hunter. And three it has a

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<v Speaker 1>good lesson. It was sent in by the Pride of Arcade,

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<v Speaker 1>New York, Amelia Martina. Arcade is also the home of

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<v Speaker 1>Daniel Frederick Bateman, who died in eighteen sixty nine at

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<v Speaker 1>the ripe old age of one hundred and nine. Daniel

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<v Speaker 1>was the last survivor receiving a veteran's pension for service

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<v Speaker 1>in the American Revolutionary War. But we ain't talking about

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<v Speaker 1>old Daniel Bateman. It's a Milia's time to shine. So

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<v Speaker 1>in my voice and Amelia's words, here we go. My

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<v Speaker 1>name is Amelia Martina, and I'm not the best at

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<v Speaker 1>telling stories, but we loved listening to yours. My husband

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<v Speaker 1>has been listening to the Meat Eater podcast for quite

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<v Speaker 1>some time and we look forward to doing trivia and

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<v Speaker 1>listening to this country life. My son will stop whatever

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<v Speaker 1>he's doing to listen to your stories. However, now I

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<v Speaker 1>have a story for you, so here it is. I

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<v Speaker 1>hope you enjoy it now. I was never a hunter,

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<v Speaker 1>and even though I am the oldest grandchild, I was

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<v Speaker 1>the last of the seven that my grandpa ever thought

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<v Speaker 1>would become one. The men always went out every November

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<v Speaker 1>on opening day of whitetail season, hoping to get a deer.

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<v Speaker 1>All the while the women stayed at home making chili

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<v Speaker 1>and desserts for when they came home at lunch and

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<v Speaker 1>before heading back out for the afternoon hunt. However, I

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<v Speaker 1>loved being in the woods when I was a kid,

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<v Speaker 1>making forts and taking walks to find new secret spots.

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<v Speaker 1>It's always a fun time. When I got married, my

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<v Speaker 1>husband joined the men and the tradition continued. I was

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<v Speaker 1>able to go out with him and join the experience,

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<v Speaker 1>but shooting with my camera instead of a firearm. I

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<v Speaker 1>enjoyed hunting more than I realized, so I took the

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<v Speaker 1>proper courses to get my hunting license, and the next

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<v Speaker 1>year I was able to join in. So for the

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<v Speaker 1>past five years, my husband and I have gone to

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<v Speaker 1>my grandpa's property out in the tiny town of Granger,

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<v Speaker 1>New York for our hunting tradition. We pack our supplies

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<v Speaker 1>and drive over to the family cabin the night before

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<v Speaker 1>to spend the night. Now upon arrival, my grandpa always

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<v Speaker 1>greets us, making a big deal out of coming over,

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<v Speaker 1>and he gives us the I just know that you're

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<v Speaker 1>going to get one speech. He shares stories that we've

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<v Speaker 1>all heard before, but we never tire of hearing, and

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<v Speaker 1>then go to bed, only to wake up before the

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<v Speaker 1>sun to get to our blind that we set up

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<v Speaker 1>months before, making sure that there are handwarmers for us

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<v Speaker 1>and chili in the crock pot, and Grandpa says, all right,

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<v Speaker 1>very good, let's go. He patched us on the back

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<v Speaker 1>and we head out into the dark, making our way

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<v Speaker 1>through the woods, the moonlight lighting our snow covered path

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<v Speaker 1>as we make it down to our blind and snuggle

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<v Speaker 1>in and wait. Disappointed by the lack of activity, we

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<v Speaker 1>decided to pack it up as the last of the

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<v Speaker 1>sun led us back to the cabin, telling my grandpa

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<v Speaker 1>that we'll be back in a couple days to try

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<v Speaker 1>it again. Keeping our promise, we returned with determination, ready

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<v Speaker 1>for a day in the woods. We decided to try

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<v Speaker 1>another blind that my grandpa had said up, letting us

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<v Speaker 1>know his heater is in there so we can be warm.

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<v Speaker 1>He wishes us good luck, and away we went. Finding

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<v Speaker 1>the lying at the far end of the property. We

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<v Speaker 1>slide into our folding camp chairs and wait for the

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<v Speaker 1>birds to start singing their morning song, all snuggling into

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<v Speaker 1>my husband's oversized winter came on. Fighting heavy eye lids

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<v Speaker 1>and the quiet of the forests, I heard my husband whisper,

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<v Speaker 1>don't move. Unaware of what he saw, I slowly turned

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<v Speaker 1>my head to see where his rifle was pointing, and

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<v Speaker 1>I saw nothing, and I heard nothing. Then, as if

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<v Speaker 1>she appeared out of the thick brush, I saw her

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<v Speaker 1>lumbering through the woods, but quiet as can be, not

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<v Speaker 1>thirty yards in front of us, as she turns and stops,

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<v Speaker 1>a two hundred and fifty pound beautiful black bear. Just

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<v Speaker 1>standing there, holding my breath and bracing for the crack

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<v Speaker 1>of the rifle, I waited, but the only noise I

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<v Speaker 1>heard was my husband's disappointing size. We saw two cubs

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<v Speaker 1>running to ketch up to their mama. In all ah

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<v Speaker 1>of what we saw, and shocked by incredibly ghost like

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<v Speaker 1>three bears can be in the woods, we just sat

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<v Speaker 1>and stared. We watched as they vanished into the woods

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<v Speaker 1>as quietly as they came in, and as our heart

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<v Speaker 1>rates came back down and we were sure that mom

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<v Speaker 1>and babies were far enough away, we ventured out to

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<v Speaker 1>see where they could have gone, following tracks as far

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<v Speaker 1>as we could until we headed back to the cabin.

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<v Speaker 1>Excited by our encounter. My grandpa wasn't there, but we

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<v Speaker 1>left them a note about the adventure and headed home,

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<v Speaker 1>not caring much that we didn't get a deer that year.

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<v Speaker 1>Next year would be a whole new adventure, to which

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<v Speaker 1>I did get my first deer, a big, beautiful dough.

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<v Speaker 1>But that's another story, And according to Amelia Martinez of

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<v Speaker 1>Arcade in New York, that's just how that happened. Well, Amelia,

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<v Speaker 1>I think you are a good storyteller and our appreciate

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<v Speaker 1>you sharing that with the rest of us. Your narrative

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<v Speaker 1>describes a hunter's relationship with the game we're entrusted to

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<v Speaker 1>look after by learning the rules, the regulations, and the

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<v Speaker 1>moral obligations we follow when deciding to legally kill an

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<v Speaker 1>animal or let it go, depending upon the circumstances of

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<v Speaker 1>each encounter. Now that's a lesson for us all, and

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<v Speaker 1>I appreciate you sharing it. Like Amelia's new tradition that

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<v Speaker 1>she's sharing with her family in Western New York, I've

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<v Speaker 1>been privileged to share one with a group of folks

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<v Speaker 1>here in Arkansas that I was initiated in about a

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<v Speaker 1>dozen years ago, something we just call bear Camp. It

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<v Speaker 1>started out for me as a job and an assignment

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<v Speaker 1>to film a Harry Little Hillbilly that looked more like

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<v Speaker 1>Harry Potter stunt double with his crazy round glass. This

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<v Speaker 1>is then a bear hunting magazine publisher from northwest Arkansas.

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<v Speaker 1>When I thought of a bear hunter, although I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>know any, I thought of Will Gears character bear Claw

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<v Speaker 1>Chris Lap and the greatest movie ever made Jeremia Johnson,

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<v Speaker 1>a bearded buckskin and fur wearing gruff old cadra with

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<v Speaker 1>a bear claw necklace, whose life experiences were written all

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<v Speaker 1>over his weathered face, and the knowledge of bears and

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<v Speaker 1>their habits were second nature to his own. Now, except

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<v Speaker 1>for the fur trim to buckskin clothes, the gruff demeanor,

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<v Speaker 1>and the weather warren face from decades of hard mountain living,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd say the rest of it was pretty much on point.

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<v Speaker 1>For my friend Klay Nukelem, he hired me to film

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<v Speaker 1>him hunting a bear in Oklahoma. And when I say hired,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean I offered to film him for whatever he

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<v Speaker 1>could afford to pay me, just for the experience, and

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<v Speaker 1>he gladly accepted. During our monetary negotiations on the phone,

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<v Speaker 1>he caughted me a price of zero dollars, and I

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<v Speaker 1>gladly accepted. He was grinding it out and burning the

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<v Speaker 1>candle at both ends, trying to make it in the

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<v Speaker 1>outdoor media business, a place I was looking to find

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<v Speaker 1>my spot in as well. Something told me I was

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<v Speaker 1>going to have a good time on this gig, and

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<v Speaker 1>if I didn't, all it was going to cost me

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<v Speaker 1>was a few days in my time, and I might

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<v Speaker 1>get to see a bear in the meantime, something I'd

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<v Speaker 1>never seen in the wild. We hunted hard for three days,

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<v Speaker 1>never saw a hair or even a track, not one,

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<v Speaker 1>and just like that, bear season was over. Acorns were

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<v Speaker 1>dropping from the trees before the season opened. And when

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<v Speaker 1>that happens, there is no use sitting at a bear

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<v Speaker 1>bait site because they ain't coming. Bears will climb over

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<v Speaker 1>a mountain of doughnuts to eat one white oak acren.

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<v Speaker 1>They know what's good for them and there's no substitute.

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<v Speaker 1>They're hardwired for natural mass, and that's what they're thinking

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<v Speaker 1>about while they're killing time at a bait site. That

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<v Speaker 1>was twelve years and a whole bunch of bears ago,

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<v Speaker 1>and I couldn't even begin to say how many we've

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<v Speaker 1>looked at sitting side by side, either in a stand

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<v Speaker 1>or on the ground. Now the ground was a new one,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd admit I thought it was really odd to hunt

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<v Speaker 1>a bear from the ground. I knew they had better

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<v Speaker 1>noses than deer, and to hunt a deer from the

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<v Speaker 1>ground took a lot of wind direction and stand placement

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<v Speaker 1>and thought and preparation. Deer can get a whiff of

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<v Speaker 1>you in boom, They're gone. Turns out a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>times a bear just don't care. That has allowed us

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<v Speaker 1>to see a lot of crazy bear behavior all over

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<v Speaker 1>the US and especially in remote areas of Canada. I

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<v Speaker 1>was hooked from the first time we hunted together, even

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<v Speaker 1>though we didn't see a bear. Just the thought of

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<v Speaker 1>it intrigued me enough to commit to Any time Clay

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<v Speaker 1>needed a camera man, I told him to call me,

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<v Speaker 1>and he did, sometimes with a month or two warning

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<v Speaker 1>that Sometimes it was hey, can you leave in two

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<v Speaker 1>days for a week of bear hunting? My answer was

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<v Speaker 1>always yes. I had become just as committed to his

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<v Speaker 1>mission of creating interest in the professional and unique content

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<v Speaker 1>about bears and bear hunting. I was only betting my time,

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<v Speaker 1>but Clay he was betting his future, and that's the

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<v Speaker 1>way it would go from then on. I'd go before

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<v Speaker 1>season to document the task of baiting the sites, packing

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<v Speaker 1>bait into a wilderness along with my camera gear, I

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<v Speaker 1>met a handful of people who were trusted to be

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<v Speaker 1>in the inner circle, none of which had a bigger

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<v Speaker 1>standing than James Lawrence. James is a man that most

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<v Speaker 1>of you know through Clay's storytelling, films and podcasts. I

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<v Speaker 1>was fortunate enough to be there and to get to

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<v Speaker 1>know this man who became my friend because of the

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<v Speaker 1>mutual respect we had for wild things that we all love,

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<v Speaker 1>and the genuine good time that we all have together. James,

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<v Speaker 1>his neighbors, and Clay's parents, his wife, Misty, and their

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<v Speaker 1>children were always at bear Camp, and regardless of our

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<v Speaker 1>success or failures, the whole pack of them was betting

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<v Speaker 1>on us. It was truly a family event that I'd

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<v Speaker 1>been invited to join. Now what it started out as

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<v Speaker 1>a job turned into something bigger. The contact didn't start

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<v Speaker 1>and stop at bear season anymore. He carried all throughout

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<v Speaker 1>the year. I saw the mission that Clay was on,

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<v Speaker 1>and I wanted to be a permanent part of it.

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<v Speaker 1>But I also learned that this wasn't like a deer hunt,

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<v Speaker 1>and I don't mean that degradingly towards deer hunters either.

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<v Speaker 1>The difference between deer hunting and bear hunting was significant.

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<v Speaker 1>In the eyes of the Newcombs and the Lawrences, and

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<v Speaker 1>that relevance was transferred to me. Now, Obviously, I thought

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<v Speaker 1>it was cool to see a bear in my home state.

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<v Speaker 1>And at that time, when I was first introduced to

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<v Speaker 1>that world, there were way more hunters who hadn't seen

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<v Speaker 1>a bear in the wild than those that had. I'd

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<v Speaker 1>grown up deer hunting and seeing deer daily on our farm.

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<v Speaker 1>Seeing and shooting a deer was like going to the mailbox.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a commonality that we all shared where I

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<v Speaker 1>grew up, We coexisted on the same ground and really

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<v Speaker 1>only got excited by the big ones, the bucks that

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<v Speaker 1>we'd hunt during the season, The big ones that we

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<v Speaker 1>longed to have a shot at, were what excited us,

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<v Speaker 1>not the endless parade of doze in yere lands and

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<v Speaker 1>small bucks that we'd grown accustomed to seeing. We took

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<v Speaker 1>it for granted, really, and when you do that, you

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<v Speaker 1>become complacent. Now, complacency breeds in attendiveness, and that's how

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<v Speaker 1>things slipped through the cracks. By only focusing on what

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<v Speaker 1>you're after a few weeks before the onset of the season,

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<v Speaker 1>you're not seeing the big picture. To me, that creates

0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:05.880
<v Speaker 1>an interest that's only driven by harvest and not a

0:14:06.000 --> 0:14:11.560
<v Speaker 1>true appreciation for the animal we're chasing. James and Clay

0:14:11.640 --> 0:14:13.880
<v Speaker 1>both study bears year round, and if I wanted to

0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:17.200
<v Speaker 1>be able to join the conversation, I'd better learn to

0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:21.280
<v Speaker 1>do the same. I studied game camera pictures and read

0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:23.280
<v Speaker 1>a ton of articles, a lot of them written by

0:14:23.320 --> 0:14:26.040
<v Speaker 1>Clay himself, and I asked James questions and tried to

0:14:26.080 --> 0:14:29.520
<v Speaker 1>soak in as much knowledge about bears that I could.

0:14:29.560 --> 0:14:33.040
<v Speaker 1>When I was with him, the main thing I did

0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:36.200
<v Speaker 1>was listen and try to apply the things I'd learned

0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:38.280
<v Speaker 1>to the things I was seeing. Whenever Clay and I

0:14:38.320 --> 0:14:41.040
<v Speaker 1>were on a hunt somewhere, him with a bow, me

0:14:41.160 --> 0:14:45.240
<v Speaker 1>with a camera, I saw how both of them revered

0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:48.840
<v Speaker 1>bears for what they are, a complex animal that roams

0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:53.320
<v Speaker 1>the landscape, thriving in unfractured expanses of wilderness, ghostly appearing

0:14:53.360 --> 0:14:57.800
<v Speaker 1>and disappearing seemingly it will. I don't know how many

0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:00.600
<v Speaker 1>bears I feel with Clay or a campus someone else

0:15:00.600 --> 0:15:03.160
<v Speaker 1>had taken when we all gathered to skin it and

0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:06.360
<v Speaker 1>rendered down the fat, all of which they shared with me.

0:15:07.840 --> 0:15:10.640
<v Speaker 1>And then one day, two days after we'd all left

0:15:10.640 --> 0:15:14.240
<v Speaker 1>the camp for home with everyone who'd hunted taken bears.

0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:19.440
<v Speaker 1>I got a call from James friend, you know that

0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:22.720
<v Speaker 1>bait we thought was dead up on the hill, Yes, sir,

0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.040
<v Speaker 1>well there's a bear hitting it pretty hard and we

0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:30.160
<v Speaker 1>want you to come back over, okay, James, Who am

0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:33.680
<v Speaker 1>I going to be filming? James kind of laughed and

0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:36.760
<v Speaker 1>he said, well, I think Clay might be filming you.

0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:40.920
<v Speaker 1>I could hear the excitement and pleasure in his voice

0:15:40.960 --> 0:15:43.520
<v Speaker 1>as he offered me my first opportunity to take a

0:15:43.560 --> 0:15:47.720
<v Speaker 1>bear myself. I didn't know what to say, but less

0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:50.440
<v Speaker 1>than twenty four hours later, I was sitting on that

0:15:50.600 --> 0:15:52.880
<v Speaker 1>bait and Clay filming and kill a bear with only

0:15:53.000 --> 0:15:58.400
<v Speaker 1>moments to spare legal shooting light. As a matter of fact,

0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:00.760
<v Speaker 1>we'd already shot the end sequence of the hunt and

0:16:00.880 --> 0:16:03.000
<v Speaker 1>was in the process of packing up when a bear

0:16:03.120 --> 0:16:07.520
<v Speaker 1>walked out less than fifteen yards. And that's when I

0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:11.040
<v Speaker 1>knew I'd been accepted into the bear Camp family, an

0:16:11.040 --> 0:16:13.480
<v Speaker 1>extension of the newcom and Lawrence family that I do

0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:17.800
<v Speaker 1>not take for granted. I've had conversations with Clay about

0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:20.960
<v Speaker 1>gifting bears to hunters, and I took all my kids

0:16:21.000 --> 0:16:24.280
<v Speaker 1>deer hunting. At the first notion, they expressed an interest

0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:26.960
<v Speaker 1>in it, and Clay did the same, but he wouldn't

0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:29.040
<v Speaker 1>allow them to take a bear until they had a

0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:32.920
<v Speaker 1>true appreciation and understanding of how important it was To

0:16:32.960 --> 0:16:35.600
<v Speaker 1>do so, they had to look at it like he

0:16:35.640 --> 0:16:38.400
<v Speaker 1>and James did, and how they both taught me to

0:16:39.800 --> 0:16:43.000
<v Speaker 1>It wasn't a process of paying dues or completing a

0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:46.520
<v Speaker 1>course of study. It was an overall understanding of every

0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:51.760
<v Speaker 1>facet of bear hunting, most notably conservation aspect and the

0:16:51.880 --> 0:16:57.560
<v Speaker 1>role hunters play in the stewardship of bears. My observations

0:16:57.600 --> 0:16:59.960
<v Speaker 1>as a parent tell me that's how my father raised me,

0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:04.080
<v Speaker 1>and I've tried to raise my children the same way,

0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:07.040
<v Speaker 1>teaching him the totality of how life ebbs and flows

0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:11.119
<v Speaker 1>with sadness, joy, failure, and success, all of which you

0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:14.080
<v Speaker 1>could experience on a one day bear hunt. I know

0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:17.359
<v Speaker 1>I've seen it now this year is those of you

0:17:17.400 --> 0:17:20.760
<v Speaker 1>who listened to last week's episode already know my bear

0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:23.359
<v Speaker 1>hunting plans were changed at the last minute by a

0:17:23.400 --> 0:17:29.840
<v Speaker 1>set of unfortunate circumstances. Disappointed, of course, I was sad,

0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:34.520
<v Speaker 1>not even a little bit. I was only going to

0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:36.560
<v Speaker 1>skip Bear Camp this year if I had a big

0:17:36.600 --> 0:17:39.159
<v Speaker 1>bear coming into my bait that was three and a

0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:42.879
<v Speaker 1>half hours away. Now, the baits at Bear Camp were

0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:46.159
<v Speaker 1>pretty lean this year, and we'd invited the bear biologists

0:17:46.200 --> 0:17:49.680
<v Speaker 1>for the State of Mississippi, Anthony Ballard, and a graduate

0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:53.800
<v Speaker 1>student working on his master's degree in wildlife biology, Spencer

0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:57.439
<v Speaker 1>Daniels Clay and I met him on a bearden study

0:17:57.440 --> 0:18:02.240
<v Speaker 1>they'd invited us to last March in Mississippi River Delta.

0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:04.960
<v Speaker 1>As soon as we all got into camp, the positive

0:18:05.000 --> 0:18:09.000
<v Speaker 1>flow switched to a negative ebb. Big bears that had

0:18:09.080 --> 0:18:12.280
<v Speaker 1>been hitting the baits began tapering off and going nocturnal.

0:18:13.119 --> 0:18:15.400
<v Speaker 1>The number of acorns that were hitting the deck all

0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:19.080
<v Speaker 1>over the mountains weren't helping either. That was keeping all

0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:22.520
<v Speaker 1>the bears busy and only trickling in right after daylight

0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:26.040
<v Speaker 1>and right before dark. Opening day wasn't going to be

0:18:26.160 --> 0:18:29.920
<v Speaker 1>what it had been in the past few years. James

0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:31.880
<v Speaker 1>and I talked, and I don't think we'd ever had

0:18:31.880 --> 0:18:34.800
<v Speaker 1>an opening day where someone didn't get one since I'd

0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:40.160
<v Speaker 1>started coming, and yet here we were bearless on opening day.

0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:44.040
<v Speaker 1>Now that wouldn't remain, as two out of three did

0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:47.160
<v Speaker 1>take bears on the evening of Day two in the

0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:52.280
<v Speaker 1>morning of Day three. Significant accomplishments considering the conditions and

0:18:52.640 --> 0:18:55.919
<v Speaker 1>all the factors we had working against us, but still

0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:59.439
<v Speaker 1>not the best part of this year's camp, Not for

0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:03.760
<v Speaker 1>me anyway. I've known James for years now. We shared

0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:07.879
<v Speaker 1>a dangerous expedition into the wilderness of northern Saskatchewan, chasing

0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:10.480
<v Speaker 1>barriers with Clay and a couple other close friends. One

0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:15.080
<v Speaker 1>year that truly tested our resolve. James and I were

0:19:15.080 --> 0:19:17.240
<v Speaker 1>in a boat together with a guide in the weather

0:19:17.320 --> 0:19:21.280
<v Speaker 1>we endeared crossing a massive lake was unlike anything I

0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:25.040
<v Speaker 1>had ever seen. The waves were three to four feet

0:19:25.160 --> 0:19:28.560
<v Speaker 1>at unrelenting. The five and a half hour boat ride

0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:32.080
<v Speaker 1>was horrendous, and there were several times I wished I

0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:35.879
<v Speaker 1>wasn't there. I was scared, and I'm not ashamed to

0:19:35.920 --> 0:19:38.920
<v Speaker 1>admit it now. I have no doubt that you could

0:19:38.960 --> 0:19:42.080
<v Speaker 1>have looked at my face then and known yourself firsthand.

0:19:43.640 --> 0:19:48.000
<v Speaker 1>But James never said a word, changed expressions, or exhibited

0:19:48.119 --> 0:19:51.200
<v Speaker 1>anything other than a glare of contempt. As the next

0:19:51.359 --> 0:19:54.199
<v Speaker 1>set of waves battered the boat we were trying to

0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:58.760
<v Speaker 1>stay inside of. He was riding the storm out, just

0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:01.560
<v Speaker 1>like he'd ridden the storms before when he'd gotten sick

0:20:01.640 --> 0:20:03.960
<v Speaker 1>with a sickness that takes a lot of folks out,

0:20:04.800 --> 0:20:09.400
<v Speaker 1>but it didn't get James. And on that trip, James

0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:12.240
<v Speaker 1>didn't get a bear, when all the other hunters in

0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:16.200
<v Speaker 1>camp did a few months later, I was back at

0:20:16.200 --> 0:20:18.639
<v Speaker 1>our Arkansas Bear camp with James and Clay and had

0:20:18.680 --> 0:20:21.160
<v Speaker 1>the pleasure of filming James hunting on the land he'd

0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:25.560
<v Speaker 1>grown up on in the Washington Mountains. On the way

0:20:25.560 --> 0:20:28.040
<v Speaker 1>over to our spot on opening day, I turned my

0:20:28.119 --> 0:20:32.640
<v Speaker 1>camera on and started recording James without him, knowing best

0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:35.760
<v Speaker 1>way to keep someone from being camera shot and measured

0:20:35.800 --> 0:20:39.480
<v Speaker 1>in their responses if they're reserved and the quiet type,

0:20:39.600 --> 0:20:43.199
<v Speaker 1>all of which James Lawrence is. It's one of the

0:20:43.200 --> 0:20:47.879
<v Speaker 1>best interviews I've ever filmed. It was real and heartfelt,

0:20:47.880 --> 0:20:51.120
<v Speaker 1>and you could see the emotion in James's face as

0:20:51.119 --> 0:20:54.160
<v Speaker 1>he talked about his grandmother and the place we were

0:20:54.200 --> 0:20:56.000
<v Speaker 1>going to hunt and what it meant to him and

0:20:56.080 --> 0:21:00.280
<v Speaker 1>his family's legacy in the mountains. I didn't want the

0:21:00.359 --> 0:21:02.680
<v Speaker 1>ride from his home to where we were hunting to end,

0:21:03.119 --> 0:21:06.159
<v Speaker 1>but it did, and in short order we were in

0:21:06.240 --> 0:21:09.439
<v Speaker 1>a tree and with his bow and me with that camera.

0:21:12.280 --> 0:21:15.000
<v Speaker 1>James killed a big bear that afternoon, and we struggled

0:21:15.040 --> 0:21:17.520
<v Speaker 1>to get it loaded in his truck, but eventually we did.

0:21:18.400 --> 0:21:20.439
<v Speaker 1>And the look in his eyes and the smile on

0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:23.199
<v Speaker 1>his face that afternoon, after I hugged his neck and

0:21:23.280 --> 0:21:25.960
<v Speaker 1>thanked him for allowing me to share that moment with

0:21:26.040 --> 0:21:28.119
<v Speaker 1>him while we stood over that bear, is one that

0:21:28.200 --> 0:21:32.360
<v Speaker 1>I will never forget. I'd never seen that look from

0:21:32.440 --> 0:21:36.400
<v Speaker 1>James before. I'm positive that was the day I understood

0:21:36.440 --> 0:21:40.040
<v Speaker 1>how James felt about bear hunting and the deep rooted

0:21:40.080 --> 0:21:43.440
<v Speaker 1>connection he had with the land, and that he'd officially

0:21:43.520 --> 0:21:49.400
<v Speaker 1>adopted me into his own. It was beautiful. I saw

0:21:49.440 --> 0:21:52.160
<v Speaker 1>that same expression last week when I watched James give

0:21:52.280 --> 0:21:54.640
<v Speaker 1>someone who meant a lot to him in an item

0:21:55.119 --> 0:21:57.960
<v Speaker 1>that meant a lot to him, something that he was

0:21:58.040 --> 0:22:00.600
<v Speaker 1>proud to give to that person he loved and respected.

0:22:02.640 --> 0:22:04.760
<v Speaker 1>The next day, he and I sat at bear camping,

0:22:05.240 --> 0:22:07.240
<v Speaker 1>just visited for a while, and when he got ready

0:22:07.240 --> 0:22:09.239
<v Speaker 1>to leave to go feed his cows, I walked him

0:22:09.280 --> 0:22:14.800
<v Speaker 1>to his truck, just James and me. He told me

0:22:14.840 --> 0:22:16.960
<v Speaker 1>as he leamped toward his truck, the years and the

0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:19.720
<v Speaker 1>miles showing more evident now than ever on that tough

0:22:19.760 --> 0:22:23.720
<v Speaker 1>old mountain man that he lived for these days each September.

0:22:24.720 --> 0:22:26.960
<v Speaker 1>He told me he enjoyed getting ready for bear Camp

0:22:27.040 --> 0:22:30.439
<v Speaker 1>more than Bear Camp itself, as if the activity and

0:22:30.480 --> 0:22:34.080
<v Speaker 1>the anticipation of all of us being together was as

0:22:34.160 --> 0:22:39.480
<v Speaker 1>exciting as the event. He put his hand on my shoulder.

0:22:39.520 --> 0:22:41.919
<v Speaker 1>I thought to brace himself as he struggled just a

0:22:41.960 --> 0:22:44.560
<v Speaker 1>bit to get into his truck. But when he didn't

0:22:44.600 --> 0:22:47.320
<v Speaker 1>reach for the door, I looked at him, and he

0:22:47.400 --> 0:22:51.360
<v Speaker 1>was looking at me right in the eyes. I saw

0:22:51.400 --> 0:22:53.720
<v Speaker 1>that same old look we'd shared as we stood over

0:22:53.760 --> 0:22:56.879
<v Speaker 1>that bear he killed all those years ago, and the

0:22:56.960 --> 0:22:59.480
<v Speaker 1>same look he had when I saw him give that

0:22:59.600 --> 0:23:04.639
<v Speaker 1>gift the day before. He smiled at me and he said,

0:23:05.440 --> 0:23:13.920
<v Speaker 1>I love you, Bud. Bear Camp the least important thing

0:23:14.000 --> 0:23:19.240
<v Speaker 1>we do there. It's hunt bears. Call it bear camp,

0:23:19.480 --> 0:23:22.600
<v Speaker 1>deer camp, or coffee with your friends and family, whatever

0:23:22.680 --> 0:23:26.560
<v Speaker 1>you want to, but find a circle of folks, start

0:23:26.600 --> 0:23:31.200
<v Speaker 1>one yourself. When people can be together, folks you want

0:23:31.240 --> 0:23:34.680
<v Speaker 1>to share your life with, it'll bless you beyond anything

0:23:34.760 --> 0:23:39.880
<v Speaker 1>you could ever hold in your hands. Biggest trophies you'll

0:23:39.920 --> 0:23:44.040
<v Speaker 1>take home in your heart. I promise thank y'all so

0:23:44.160 --> 0:23:46.160
<v Speaker 1>much for listening to me and old Clay Bow here

0:23:46.200 --> 0:23:49.000
<v Speaker 1>on the Bear Grease channel. I'm glad you're in this

0:23:49.160 --> 0:23:51.680
<v Speaker 1>circle and you can help make it bigger by sharing

0:23:51.720 --> 0:23:54.240
<v Speaker 1>it with other folks you think might like it and

0:23:54.600 --> 0:23:56.600
<v Speaker 1>knocking us out of review. If you have time, we

0:23:56.720 --> 0:24:00.520
<v Speaker 1>sure appreciate it. Until next week, this is at Reeve.

0:24:00.680 --> 0:24:03.040
<v Speaker 1>Sign it up, y'all, be careful