Pennsylvania Game News -November 2008 - 4

was very knowledgeable about how to survive in the wilds. His bear hunting tales, however, became my favorite part of the camp experience. I remember listening intently to the bear hunting stories that took place at his camp. One story in particular was about the cinnamon bear he harvested that required a major tracking effort and the help of another hunter to eventually get the bear out of the woods. For years I dreamed about Mr. Kepler’s bear hunting adventures and wondered what it was like to hunt on those ridges he spoke of in Lycoming County. I’ve always considered the bear to be our premier game animal, and in my travels I’ve grown to appreciate the wide variety of bear habitats in our state. Bear season has always been a special experience that I look forward to each year. Regardless of the weather conditions and the day-to-day responsibilities of everyday life, the bear season has been a hunting priority that finds me in the woods somewhere each season. In 1988 I had the good fortune to get a shot at a bear in Centre County, but it resulted in one of the most frustrating days I ever experienced as a hunter. Without snow for tracking, the blood trail on the dry ground quickly faded to no trail at all. My hunting partner Dave Runk and I searched from 9 a.m. until dark that day without finding the bear. I returned several times before Christmas to try to find my bear, but never found it. I was so disappointed, exhausted and devastated by this experience that it took me a good while to get over it. My wife, Patricia, did not exactly understand all this, and I have learned over time that only hunters really know what it’s like to lose an animal under such circumstances. I really could not blame my trusty rifle, which has served me well over the years. I shot the bear in what 4 Don Kepler was an associate professor in physical education at Penn State, and was known as one of the country’s foremost authorities on survival techniques. As a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy during World War II, his training was instrumental in saving the lives of many downed fliers. Among the many groups who have benefited from his experience are the first Peace Corps trainees, the youngsters taking part in the Conservation Camp Program and students in Penn State’s outdoor recreation programs. I believed was a vital area, but after being hit, the bear was able to run off and travel a considerable distance. Stemming from this incident, though, I made it a high priority to learn more about bullet types and shot placement on bears. I have done taxidermy work since I was 15, and always appreciated Tom Harrington, a talented taxidermist from, then, Jamison, who helped me learn the fundamentals of the trade. I became a licensed Pennsylvania taxidermist in 1976 (taxidermists were required by the Game Commission to be licensed until just a few years ago) when I was a graduate student at Penn State. Doing taxidermy work on a part-time basis over the years has given me the opportunity to meet many sportsmen in central Pennsylvania, where I have lived since leaving Bucks County in 1970. In time I would do some taxidermy work for George Kepler, the son of Don Kepler, and Doug Kepler, one of George’s sons. Often, when I would see George or Doug we would always make mention of Don and his hunting adventures. Before the 2005 season I was invited to hunt bears at the camp I had learned about as a young man from Don Kepler. Doug and I met for breakfast at the Sunset Diner in Pleasant Gap on the Sunday morning before the bear season and reviewed our plans before making the trip to Lycoming GAME NEWS

Pennsylvania Game News -November 2008

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