Bears & Gobblers

SPRING BEAR & TURKEY IN MONTANA

- CLAY NEWCOMB

The clank and clatter of my old mule trailer delivered a metaphorical message to those we passed on the interstate as we traveled north at a steady pace of 68 mph. If the trailer could speak, it would be talking about perseverance and a deep love of chasing critters in the Rockies on muleback. The 24-hour road trip is taxing, but you can’t put mules on an airplane. I bet the passersby wondered what the heck I was doing so far from home. An Arkansas license plate traveling through Montana with a pair of mules would pique my curiosity – but I’m a mule guy. I bet they wouldn’t guess my business was with bears, turkeys and Steve Rinella.

I’d be meeting up with Steve in western Montana to execute our plan of trying to kill a turkey and a bear in a five-day, do-it-yourself hunt. At first, the proposition seemed simple and even doable. As the time approached, the difficulty of the hunt loomed over us. “Usually when you have multiple tags in your pockets, you end up coming home with both of them,” Steve says. Having options can reduce your focus on both species and you end delivering half-hearted efforts. Hunters don’t do this on purpose, but it’s hard not to fall into the trap. Luckily, this was my fourth-year hunting bears in Montana, and I felt like I had a legit game plan. Secondly, I had some intel from my friends, Justin and Rebecca Spring, who live in western Montana and always offer insight only locals have.