Nov 15, 2014 5 min read

I can’t believe October came and went so quickly. Bear season is approaching. Though, there have been a couple of special seasons for archers, seniors and juniors.

It is the regular bear season that results in almost all of the bears brought to the check station.

While I am not particularly afraid of black bears, I do respect them and want a rifle in my hands when I seek to do harm to them. Most Pennsylvania bears will be taken in the mountainous region around the town of Emporium.

While I know this is prime bear country, I avoid this area because of the steepness and my age. I was reminded of this last year as John Dino drove up Schoolhouse Road and I sat in the passenger seat looking down.

“Man is that steep,” I thought.

No one could navigate that hillside without grabbing a tree and pulling oneself up the mountain one pull at a time. Getting a bear out would be almost impossible. I would bet there are areas around Emporium that don’t see a hunter for that reason.

Bears have been a frustration to me. I have seen them in archery season and bumped into them while trout fishing. But during the statewide bear season, they avoid me like I had plague.

With that in mind, I accept the fact that I am doing little more than taking my gun out for a walk.

A few years ago, I put together an outfit just for bear hunting in the mountains. I wanted a light outfit because even then I realized I was getting a bit older.

My rifle choice was a Remington Model 7 stainless steel with a synthetic stock, chambered for the 7-08 cartridge. I topped the rifle with a 2½ to 8 power Leopold with a dot reticule.

We still have options of what makes for a good bear cartridge and I figured if the 7mm Mauser was big enough, so was the 7-08. It would have been easy to choose the .308 but I preferred the lighter recoil of the 7.

I realize other hunters may prefer something different and they can be as well armed for bear as I am. I do consider cartridges like the great .243 a bit light for a black bear that can reach 500 pounds.

Remember, the bear wears a heavy coat and a healthy one has a layer of fat. On the top of that the bear coat may be wet. All of that points to a round that can handle a heavier bullet than what the .243 offers. A neighbor, Ron Hernnberger, who has a camp in the Grunderville area of Warren County, dropped his bear with a .243 but that still doesn’t make the .243 a bear rifle.

If I go bear hunting this year, it will be in a flatter area such as that found in McKean County, or I might take a day hunt in the mountains near Uniontown or Ligonier. One of these days, someone will bag a bear here in Washington or Greene counties.

Bears have been seen near Glyde, Lawrence and Star Lake. But such a sighting is rare and not often enough to lure bear hunters. The real reason to go bear hunting is to visit the big woods of the east and north.

After all, that is the most important part of the hunt.

• I should have played the lottery.

First, I received a call from Boone & Crockett telling me They were sending me a set of binoculars. I thought they said Tascos. Since I already own older 7&35 Bausch & Lombs and Leupold 8&30s, the Tasco idea didn’t excite me. When they came a few days later, to my surprise they weren’t Tascos but instead were 10×40 Swarovskis E.L.

All I can say is wow.

A couple of weeks later, while I was visiting Leslah Precision; makers of Henry Receivers and other parts, owner Ron Heisel handed me a Golden Boy Big Bore Rifle. I looked it over and admired the golden receiver and great wood.

As I handed it back to Ron, he said,”George look at the serial number.” The number read Block -001.

I could have fell through the floor.

It was a gift that I appreciate as a collector but have decided to shoot it and maybe use it to hunt with in Ohio.

If I do that, it will be seen by more potential customers than if I hang it in my game room. It was a great few weeks but as I said, I should have played the lottery.

• Ohio has legalized some rifles for the hunting of deer during the firearms season. The caveat is they must utilize a straight-walled case such as the .44 Magnum and 45-70. The .444 Marlin was never a great seller but should gain in popularity among those that hunt Ohio.

George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.