My son, Elliot, became fascinated with hunting at the age of four when he joined me on his first pheasant hunt. Over the years he has tagged along on several hunts, ranging from waterfowl and upland game birds to big game and predators.

In 2023, Elliot reached the legal age to hunt big game in Alberta. That fall he had a very successful first season, harvesting a 3x3 white-tailed buck and a supplementary doe. Just like that he was hooked, feeling pride that he could help feed our family.

Over the Christmas break he came up with three goals for the 2024 season. The first was to go snow goose hunting, where we were able to bring down 86 snows in mid-April with a hunting party of four.

The second goal was to harvest his first black bear. He asked me if we could go for spring bear. I was just as excited as him and told Elliot we could look at setting up a bait site or trying the spot-and-stalk method. He opted for the latter.

Spring came and we set out for a two-day camp up north around Spirit River, staying at The Elk Hut hunting cabin. With legal shot ranging from 4:45 a.m. to last shot around 10:55 p.m., we had lots of time to cover as much area as possible.

The first day we covered ground: sitting and walking cutlines, walking valleys and bowls, and waiting at water sources. We saw nearly every wild species that inhabits northern Alberta that first day, except a bear! It was a hunter's dream: several mule and white-tailed deer, herds of elk, moose, coyotes, and a lynx. Elliot seemed a little defeated that we didn't see a bear, but I kept his spirits up by encouraging him to look forward to the next day.

The second day we started bright and early, as it was our last day and he wasn't going to let his goal of harvesting a spring black bear disappear. We spent most of the morning on cut blocks and ridges without any bear sightings. We were on our way back to the cabin for lunch when we spotted the first bear of the weekend crossing through a private farm field. We didn't have permission on that land, so we had to let it walk away. We felt gutted, you know the feeling. But that moment came with two valuable lessons for Elliot—hunters need to respect landowners' rights, and opportunities don't always present themselves the way you would hope.

After lunch we set out for the rest of the day, agreeing to sit until last legal shot. We started the afternoon sitting on some pipeline cutlines. It wasn't long before we saw another black bear! Elliot's eyes lit up with excitement, but once again we couldn't get a clear shot and the bear quickly ran across the cutline. We decided to change our plan again.

We headed west to Crown land that had recently been logged. We parked the truck, geared up, headed out to a clearing, and found a ridge to post on for a good vantage point over the area. With our binoculars we scanned the open area, which was filled with piles of dead trees, brush, roots, and one or two years of new growth vegetation. There it was—a large boar about 240 yards out!

Elliot was ready for this moment. He got down, set up on an old stump, and focused on his breathing. The black bear slowly made his way straight to us. Elliot looked through his scope, waiting for his opportunity. He asked me, "Can I take the shot?" I told him, "Wait for the opportunity on the broadside."

The bear was closing the distance between us, then stopped and turned—giving Elliot a perfect broadside opportunity at 125 yards. I whispered, "Whenever you're ready," and before I finished my sentence Elliot took his shot. He made the perfect shot right behind the shoulder. The bear didn't make it more than 15 yards before he dropped.

The thrill of being in that moment in the middle of the bush—father and son—is something we will both carry for rest of our lives. Eight months into his big game career, Elliot achieved two of his three goals. As we stood over the boar, I felt thankful for the opportunities we have on such beautiful land right in our backyard. This great harvest will fill our freezer and feed our family and friends. The pelt will be made into a rug for our home, letting us cherish the moment for years to come. We know we have this experience to look back on and learn from. And most importantly, I know I have a hunting partner for life.

Photo credits: Jeff Steinke.