When the hunting season for black bear opened in the eastern part of North Carolina last week it was an especially important time for outdoorsmen, 40 year-old Scott Webb and his 5 year-old son, Connor. Scott suffers from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and his physical problems seriously limit his ability to enjoy some outdoor activities. One of the elder Webb’s greatest desires was to kill one of our state’s black bears and the facts were that he simply was not physically able to accomplish this without some help.

One of the roughest of the hunting sports that I know of is that of hunting our North Carolina bears with the use of hounds. Whether it’s in our mountains or on the coast, the country is rugged and thick. Even the Plott Hounds have trouble getting through the rhododendron thickets or green briar tangles at times.

The hunters who specialize in bear hunting with hounds are another story in themselves. By necessity they’re tough men. They may be following dogs that are notorious for bringing large, potentially dangerous, animals to tree or to bay and holding them there until the hunters arrive. Following the dogs may involve some very tough conditions for both dogs and men. I’ve seen the hunters emerge from down-east swamps with their clothing torn to shreds and their own blood gushing from their noses where a stick went into their nostril. The dogs sometime never emerge from the woods at all after an encounter with a bayed bruin.

Before the animal rightists start feeling faint at all this blood sport involving men, dogs and black bears, let’s put things in perspective.

Bear hunting with hounds has been around for thousands of years. It originated in Europe and came to the young America before we ever became the United States.

Our North Carolina State dog is the Plott Hound, a breed that was brought into the area from Germany for the expressed purpose of hunting wild boar and bear. These dogs are famous for their fighting ability when confronted with a bear or boar. Bear hunting with hounds is indeed part of our American heritage.

Novice bear hunters are frequently amazed to learn that most of the bears that are treed or bayed by the dogs are not killed. I’d estimate that 75% of the bears are allowed to proceed on their way as soon as the dogs are called-off the chase. First time bear hunters who are after their first kill are sometime allowed to take smaller bear while the more experienced hunters look for that infrequent trophy bear.

Many of the hound hunters enjoy just the thrill of the chase and at times don’t even take a gun with them on the hunt. Killing a bear is a relatively minor part of the hunt while the camaraderie of their fellows and the “music” of the hounds is the point of the hunt. In some areas it has become popular to substitute a video camera for a gun, record the details of the hunt, include pictures of the bear up in a tree and have a record of the chase, the hunt an the release of the bear.

The various groups of hunters who specialize in hunting black bear with hounds are some of the most dedicated conservationists that I know of. They literally “put their money where their mouth is” and have been extremely active in helping the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in its very successful management program for black bears. Their combined conservation efforts have been recognized across the state and have resulted in the bear hunters having a great deal of political power in state affairs.

The men that follow their hounds are also a tough bunch but they’re also “softies” when it comes to sharing their sport with others who’ve never hunted bear with dogs before or lack the physical ability to do this. This is why the bear hunters rallied to the cause when they found out about Scott Webb, his problem and his wishes.

When about twenty bear hunters from several different hunting clubs heard about Webb they contacted the Blueberry Hunting Club in Beaufort County where the club’s President Frankie Jones volunteered the club’s lease for Scott Webb’s special bear hunt. The hunt’s story is well described by Washington hunter John Hill, II.

“Scott is a Greenville, NC hunter who had a dream of getting a bear. He has never been bear hunting and did not think this would happen due to his battle with ALS. Thanks to the efforts of local hunters Bert Hill and Mark Asby along with avid local bear hunters, William and Charles Lane, his dream came true Monday, November 9th.

“On this opening day of bear season, not only did he get help from the before named, but also from Hunting Clubs in Eastern Beaufort County and other bear hunters. When the word was passed around, many more bear hunters joined in and wanted to help.

“When the first bear was treed, Scott was taken to the tree on a 4-wheeler only to have the bear get down before he could get there. The second bear was treed and with help Scott and his son got to the tree.

“Scott has little use of his arms and upper body due to the advance of ALS. Unable to hold the rifle, Mark Asby held the rifle against a tree with Scott looking through the scope. Scott instructed Mark on the positioning of the rifle until he could get a good shot. Once this was done, Scott pulled the trigger and his dream came true. His and Connor’s joy, along with everyone around was very obvious. With about fifteen harden, tough bear hunters watching, not many dry eyes were seen.

“Scott’s bear is not a state record or monster bear. But it is a dream that came true thanks to the efforts of many. It is also a memory for Scott and Connor of his Dad and their “first bear hunt”.”