Mike Kemp has been breeding and training bear dogs for over 20 years and he is on to something. That something is in the form of high quality, bragging rights bear dogs! His team of hounds made a huge impression on me when I visited him at his Three Bear Kennel near the end of September outside of Kendrick, Idaho.
They rigged, struck, ran, bayed, treed and did everything in between necessary to catch their quarry. They took a 2 day old track and turned it into a smokin' hot race in less than 20 minutes over a vast terrain filled with adversity- a real test for any hound. They covered literally miles of mountainous slopes and deep gorges and never seemed to tire. Whether they were working a crushing 300+ lb bear for over 2 hours with multiple bays or taking the hot track of a quick 175 lb bear to a tree in less than 15 minutes, they were impressive! And they did it all in one morning. The Bitterroot mountains were picturesque, the hospitality was warm, and the dogs were a force to be reckoned with; Mike, you've got some awesome hounds, and I appreciate you letting me come up and see them work. It was a BLAST!
|
