Wyoming Hunter Angry After Putting Out Bait, Then Another Uses It To Shoot Bear

Two Park County black bear hunters are at odds over what allegedly happened this week at one of the hunters’ bear bait sites at the northern end of the Bighorn Mountains. Donny Paul told Cowboy State Daily that a party of four hunters used his bait site to find and shoot a bear. While that is not illegal in Wyoming, Paul said it is definitely “unethical and immoral.”

Paul said he confronted the other hunters at the site and tried to be polite. Richard Tatom, who was among the party of four, told Cowboy State Daily that one of his friends shot a bear with a bow that day. However, he thinks Paul misread the situation because the bear was actually shot across the basin from Paul’s bait barrel, “hundreds of yards away from his bait.”

Wyoming has spring and fall black bear hunting seasons, with the spring season now underway. Some states allow hunters to pursue bears with hounds, which Wyoming prohibits. That leaves two preferred methods: spot-and-stalk and baiting. According to Wyoming statutes, it is legal to use another hunter’s bear bait site on public land, even without permission. Many bear hunters consider it unethical.

Paul said he got hooked on bear hunting after being mentored by legendary Park County outdoorsman Steven Werbelow. About 10 years ago, he found what appeared to be an abandoned bait site and finally succeeded in drawing the registration for that site this year. The timing was perfect. His father is suffering from serious mobility and health problems, and Paul had hoped to take him on a bear hunt before it was too late. The site has an overlook about 220 yards from the bait, reachable without a difficult hike.

Paul said as he approached the site in his UTV on Tuesday, he noticed two UTVs already parked there. When he got to the edge of the basin, he saw one hunter just below him and three others farther below. He heard one of them yell, “I’ve got blood,” indicating they were tracking a bear that had been shot. Paul said he tried to keep the exchange polite but found the hunters aloof and evasive. He said one told him, “I don’t really give a shit about your bait, this is public land, we’ll do what we want.”

Tatom said Paul’s hard feelings resulted from a misunderstanding. He said they were aware of Paul’s bait site but had no intention of using it; he has his own bait barrels in the area. He said they spotted a large male black bear paralleling them on the slope above, and his friend made a solid shot. They were tracking the blood trail when a man on the rim began shouting questions. Tatom said the distraction disrupted the hunt, and they were unable to find the bear. He said he returned that evening and tracked the bear for about a mile before dark but still could not find it.

Park County resident Dalton Epperson, a friend of Paul’s, said bear hunting is getting increasingly popular, particularly during spring, and disputes over bait sites might become more common. That is why he is unsure whether he will try bait hunting. “I think I’ll just stick to spot-and-stalk,” he said.