Great day with my mentor

YanceyGreenhorn

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Started out with my mentor asking me and my wife to go to church with him and his wife. My wife and his wife have become good friends as his wife works at the store we go to all the time. Went to church and had a nice service. Then they took us over the Tennessee line to a good seafood joint and we stuffed our faces. After the ride back, he said he wanted me to meet someone. Drove back in a holler onto a farm. Got introduced to his hunting partner. His property kinda serves as the “home base” to the bear hunting crew. It’s where we will be eating breakfast and bringing bears back to skin and butcher. You could tell he was a man of money and means, but really humble and couldn’t have been any nicer about me wanting to hunt with them this year. We left there and my mentor drove us around to all the areas we will hunt. Lots of pretty country. Every few minutes he had a story about a bear that had crossed the road, or one they treed, or where they killed one. We must’ve rode around for two hours. After that he said “welllllll I guess it’s a good idea to introduce you to my dogs.” Went and met his male Walker, his female Plott, and his female Plott/English. Then his wife took us up to the house and she showed us pictures of him in Vietnam while they each told us their sides of the story when he was overseas. They talked a lot about living now in the same holler they grew up in. Coon hunting, tobacco farming, wildlife sightings and everything in between. It was a great day and I appreciated everything they did for us. Feels good to feel welcomed into the folds and we constantly have friendly arguments about which one of us is more excited for this season. Life is good
 

RJ1

Ten Pointer
You are in for a treat my friend nothing better than sitting around the skinning shed or burn barrel after a good days hunt, talking about past hunts and good hounds with a group of bear hunters.
 
YanceyGreenhorn

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
DRS said:
Sounds awesome. They must really like you, some circles are not easy to get into.
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His wife was a godsend with the whole thing. She got to know me and my wife real good and we give her a dozen eggs each week. I was able to bring it up to her to see if it was even worth asking. I would’ve asked even if we weren’t close with her, but I think it put his mind as ease that she knows us bc she’s a no nonsense type of woman
 
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bag12day

Six Pointer
Contributor
YanceyGreenhorn said:
Started out with my mentor asking me and my wife to go to church with him and his wife. My wife and his wife have become good friends as his wife works at the store we go to all the time. Went to church and had a nice service. Then they took us over the Tennessee line to a good seafood joint and we stuffed our faces. After the ride back, he said he wanted me to meet someone. Drove back in a holler onto a farm. Got introduced to his hunting partner. His property kinda serves as the “home base” to the bear hunting crew. It’s where we will be eating breakfast and bringing bears back to skin and butcher. You could tell he was a man of money and means, but really humble and couldn’t have been any nicer about me wanting to hunt with them this year. We left there and my mentor drove us around to all the areas we will hunt. Lots of pretty country. Every few minutes he had a story about a bear that had crossed the road, or one they treed, or where they killed one. We must’ve rode around for two hours. After that he said “welllllll I guess it’s a good idea to introduce you to my dogs.” Went and met his male Walker, his female Plott, and his female Plott/English. Then his wife took us up to the house and she showed us pictures of him in Vietnam while they each told us their sides of the story when he was overseas. They talked a lot about living now in the same holler they grew up in. Coon hunting, tobacco farming, wildlife sightings and everything in between. It was a great day and I appreciated everything they did for us. Feels good to feel welcomed into the folds and we constantly have friendly arguments about which one of us is more excited for this season. Life is good
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Well if he took you to meet the dogs that’s like meeting the girlfriends pop... if they don’t chew your head off you must be of good character cause a man values his dogs opinion. Don’t cheat on em or talk about them behind their back and you’re good bud! Looking forward to hearing all about your mountain bear experiences!
 
YanceyGreenhorn

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
bag12day said:
Well if he took you to meet the dogs that’s like meeting the girlfriends pop... if they don’t chew your head off you must be of good character cause a man values his dogs opinion. Don’t cheat on em or talk about them behind their back and you’re good bud! Looking forward to hearing all about your mountain bear experiences!
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Thanks I really appreciate ya. Can’t wait to have some stories to tell
 

bag12day

Six Pointer
Contributor
nccatfisher said:
You ain't kidding, when I THOUGHT I was in shape I will never forget the first tree I went to with some up there. LMAO
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That goes both ways though.... I have heard some great stories from the mountain hunters about getting to the dogs bayed in a pocosin down in tyrrell and Washington county. Convo went something like this
va bear man says “we Climbed and fought and crawled and cut and sweated and swam and floated and Bacards and fawards , etc.... for what couple of miles? Man from downeast who owned the 500 or so acres the bear was killed on says naw man we was about 300 yards or so from the path.
va man: well it took us two hours to get there cause y’all won’t raise no mountains to drain that swamp Water.
more Good natured banter ensued culminating in something like “well it Took 8 hours to get out cause that is a grown arse bear not like them lil ones y’all shoot up in the hills.“ Bear weighed 612 pounds and they used chainsaws, come alongs , canoes and 4/wheelers to get it out. The obvious question I asked is why the Heck didn’t they quarter him or At least field dress him. I guess they wanted the live weight????
 

Woods and water

Ten Pointer
nccatfisher said:
You ain't kidding, when I THOUGHT I was in shape I will never forget the first tree I went to with some up there. LMAO
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Same here , I thought I was covering ground until I heard the shot somewhere on the next mountain. As I started up that one here came a couple kids riding a dead bear like a sled . I asked about the hounds and the kids said the dogs were already back at the truck. Then they had the nerve to ask if I wanted to ride the bear lol . When I finally got back to my truck I made sure everyone knew I would not be hunting up there again. I did get a little revenge with those guys in a coastal bay , way after dark with myself holding the only flashlight and beer . We still talk but we came to an agreement that they would hunt the mountains and I could have the coast.😂
 
YanceyGreenhorn

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Woods and water said:
Same here , I thought I was covering ground until I heard the shot somewhere on the next mountain. As I started up that one here came a couple kids riding a dead bear like a sled . I asked about the hounds and the kids said the dogs were already back at the truck. Then they had the nerve to ask if I wanted to ride the bear lol . When I finally got back to my truck I made sure everyone knew I would not be hunting up there again. I did get a little revenge with those guys in a coastal bay , way after dark with myself holding the only flashlight and beer . We still talk but we came to an agreement that they would hunt the mountains and I could have the coast.😂
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Haha I believe it. I’ve had a couple of the guys out here talk about how “bad” the terrain is out East “compared to these hills.” That’s what I love about learning everything and getting to know folks. Different perspectives are interesting to me. When my mentor said “yeah we’ll have you runnin the ridges with the speedy little Mexican fella and a kid we call Spider Man”, I figured I was in for it hahah.
 

bag12day

Six Pointer
Contributor
Yeah its all perspective... When I was younger (hunting mostly Triangle area and East to Halifax, Bertie , Hertford, Martin Counties) a ridge was something I can Piss off the top of and watch it hit the creekbottom. Now I just try not to get my shoes wet... Come to think of it I guess the ridges probably ain't changed that much LOL.
Ask some of these guys that have been out west and the fellows in Idaho and Wyoming laugh at what we call mountains and I pity the man that gets directions... Everything is "get on this road and go just a bit and it will be just over that next hill... " 3 Hours and 7000 feet of elevation later (up and down) and you still ain't seen it.
BUT a river to those same guys you and I can wade across without getting the tops of your flip flops wet... that to me is a seep or maybe a spring creek... perspective.
 

RJ1

Ten Pointer
YanceyGreenhorn said:
Haha I believe it. I’ve had a couple of the guys out here talk about how “bad” the terrain is out East “compared to these hills.” That’s what I love about learning everything and getting to know folks. Different perspectives are interesting to me. When my mentor said “yeah we’ll have you runnin the ridges with the speedy little Mexican fella and a kid we call Spider Man”, I figured I was in for it hahah.
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I hunt both places it can be rough going at either place, but for different reasons.
 
YanceyGreenhorn

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
bag12day said:
Yeah its all perspective... When I was younger (hunting mostly Triangle area and East to Halifax, Bertie , Hertford, Martin Counties) a ridge was something I can Piss off the top of and watch it hit the creekbottom. Now I just try not to get my shoes wet... Come to think of it I guess the ridges probably ain't changed that much LOL.
Ask some of these guys that have been out west and the fellows in Idaho and Wyoming laugh at what we call mountains and I pity the man that gets directions... Everything is "get on this road and go just a bit and it will be just over that next hill... " 3 Hours and 7000 feet of elevation later (up and down) and you still ain't seen it.
BUT a river to those same guys you and I can wade across without getting the tops of your flip flops wet... that to me is a seep or maybe a spring creek... perspective.
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Lol yeah it’s nuts. My brother lives in Colorado and it’s a normal thing to do an all day hike up to 10,000 ft and back. He’s got a list of all the mountains over 14,000 and is checking em off as he does em
 
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