ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL ARCHER
Mark Hepler, a 29-year-old computer technician from Allegany County, is another bowhunter that contacted me last autumn and knows the thrill of a black bear coming upon him.

Hepler, who like Blankenship had never killed a bruin until this past autumn, first became aware that these creatures were using the Alleghany County wood lot where he bowhunts when a trail camera captured the image of an animal. Hepler has always “wanted a rug,” so upon viewing the image became hopeful that the creature would come by his tree stand. Still, his focus was mostly deer this past Oct. 16.

“I was bowhunting a place where I normally see 15 to 20 deer over the course of a sitting, but the day was so windy that I only saw several does,” Hepler recollected. “As the day wore on, the wind became worse and worse. I had started out on the top of a ridge, but the gusts were so bad that I moved my stand into a hollow.

“But late in the day, even the hollow became very windy. When a strong gust came through about a half hour before the end of shooting light and caused a bough to come crashing down about 30 yards away, I knew it was time to climb down and head for home.”

Nevertheless, as is true with many hunters, Hepler believes that as long as shooting light exists, so does hope. So, he slowly still-hunted his way back to his truck. Then right before dusk, he spotted a huge ebony spot moving up the same logging road that the human was moving down. When Helper peered through his binoculars, he confirmed the big-game animal’s identity.

“I snuck up to a big, white oak and hid behind it,” Hepler said. “I then peeked around one side. The bear kept coming, but then he stopped to scratch his rump on a tree. I then drew back, and when the bear came to within about 30 yards of me, I let the arrow fly.

“The bear ran directly away from me into a clearcut. I heard a crash about 75 yards away, but I wasn’t about to go after him into that cut by myself.”

Hepler next sought out his cousin, Cameron Barner, also of Alleghany County. An hour or so later, the two returned to the vicinity of the hit and quickly found an easy-to-follow blood trail. Not long afterward, Barner ventured upon the dead animal.

Hepler then drove his truck to a logging road that lies only 50 yards from where the bear was found. Amazingly, the two men endured 45 minutes of backbreaking labor just to drag the beast to the vehicle. Hepler’s father joined the operation, and the three men took an hour and 45 minutes to load the bear. Understandable in that the black bear’s live weight was 425 pounds.

For more information on bear hunting in the state, contact the Virginia Bear Hunters Association at www.virginiabearhunters.org.