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Fred Lutger

My hunt this year started at a new bait sight where I had set up a test bait last fall.  Last year this test bait had action right away. It was in the middle of a big blueberry patch. After several days of constant hits I decided to hunt the bait. I saw one small bear two days in a row and decided to move back to one of my more established baits. That night I killed my bear. 

This year I went back to the new bait and once again got immediate hits. I set up a double stand for filming. The second day I got to hunt this bait I spotted a very strange color phase bear. I killed an all white colored phase black bear in the early nineties. This new bait is several miles from that location but on the same ridge as that bait. My immediate thought at the first sighting was "another white bear".

When the approaching bear got to an opening for a better look I was amazed at the bear I saw. The bear had a mahogany brown head and front legs. Starting at the neck the bear has white hair turning to blond on its’ back and sides. The rest of the hair on the bear is reddish brown to cinnamon colored.

The bear passed by and didn't come to the bait. It was the strangest colored bear I have ever seen in 33 years of bear hunting. I also had a good shooter “black” black bear on the stand that evening. I would have taken him but I wanted the odd colored bear --  a shot opportunity on a decent bear is hard to pass up. But I did.

The next evenings’ hunt was a thrill. The odd colored bear was back. He passed behind my stand at a distance of 60 yards. He came back and stayed that distance looking towards the bait for several minuets.  The big black bear showed up and the color phased bear left. I wanted that strange colored bear. I have taken 40 bears with my bow and this bear was one of the most beautiful animals I have ever encountered. 

My good friend Don “Donald Duck” Beckwith was pulling camera duty and hadn't filled his tag. I asked him if he wanted the big black now on the bait and he reached for his bow. Don made a great hit and we heard the bear collapse only 50 yards into the woods. The bears death moan confirmed the good hit. We stayed in our stands till dark but “my” bear didn't return. We dragged Dons bear to the truck and went to check on Tony Dukes.

This was Tony's last night and so far this week he hadn't seen a bear. As I found out, Tony did have two bear on his bait this evening but neither offered a shot and night took over. Tony was with Mark Bronson. Mark was pulling camera duty for Tony trying to capture Tony's kill on film. No one was at the road when I arrived so I walked in to find a bear on the bait and Tony and Mark in their stands. The bear quickly ran off and we headed for camp.

The next morning Tony, Mark and Jim headed for their flight home out of International Falls. Don and I skinned his bear and started to pack and close down camp for the winter. All day I thought of the strange colored bear and wondered if he would be back. I got my answer that night a half hour before dark as he approached my bait pile from the direction I had first seen him three days ago. We were filming and running out of good filming light as he approached. I will normally let a bear get on a bait and start feeding before I try and draw for the shot. I watched as the bear approached and anticipated the spot to draw as his head disappeared behind a tree near the bait. As he emerged broadside I was at full draw and let the arrow fly. My hit was center of body but a bit farther back from the front leg than I like. I knew this was a killing shot but decided to wait for morning to track. 

Don and I were there at first light. In 15 minutes of tracking, Don and I were staring at one of the most beautiful bears I have ever seen. We took pictures on the spot. 

I have decided to full mount this bear. It is a bear so different that I have never seen another one like him before. We take about 10% color phase bears at my camp. They range in color from brown to cinnamon to blond. This is the first bear that I have seen whose coat has all the color phases in one. I love bear hunting. Life is good. Good hunting to all of you this fall.  ......... Fred