In this episode, the guys dive deep into the wild world of black bears—population realities, predator dynamics, and why hunting bears over bait is far more ethical and challenging than most people think. They break down how bear numbers are (imperfectly) counted across Canada, the massive ecological and economic impact of black bears, and how predation from mature boars and crop damage factor into wildlife management. From there, they walk through what it actually takes to run a DIY baited bear hunt: months of gathering grain, carcasses, and fryer grease, prepping barrels, endless trips, and long days of rebaiting and sitting on stand. Then they cap it off with the story of “Vico,” a nearly 500-pound color-phase boar they patterned for years—an intense, up-and-down hunt that includes missed chances, a hot sow, a sketchy nighttime tracking job on a wounded giant, and finally recovering the biggest, most dominant black bear they’ve ever laid eyes on. Stay tuned for the full Vico film on the Hunt Source YouTube channel, and check out huntsource.net for new content and gear.
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South Africa