Guilford 14-year-old harvests fifth bear
Chase Lander of Guilford is a busy younger man. The consideration pupil has simply began his freshman 12 months at Piscataquis Group Excessive College in Guilford, the place he’s a member of the varsity soccer workforce.
He stays lots busy all through the college 12 months, as he plans to play basketball and baseball for the Pirates.
Nonetheless, the 14-year-old additionally is ready to squeeze in a while for considered one of his favourite hobbies: searching.
Lander harvested his fifth black bear on Youth Bear Looking Day, together with one which he trapped two years in the past. This 12 months’s bear, which he shot, weighed 283 kilos.
In Maine, hunters are allowed to take two bears per 12 months, one by searching and one by trapping.
This 12 months, the teenager didn’t attempt to shoot the primary bear that got here to the bait. He knew there have been different bigger bears that had been visiting that specific website on leased land in Blanchard.
“There’s 4 bears that I’d have shot there,” he stated. “I feel there’s an image of 4 bears suddenly and so they’re all huge.”
There have been some tense moments throughout his youth day hunt, particularly as a result of the sunshine was fading quick when the bear emerged.
“It was actually darkish and I might solely see by the scope, just about. It was 7:44 and authorized was at 7:53,” Chase Lander stated.
The bear had been coming to the bait persistently, on the identical time day by day.
“They undoubtedly are a creature of behavior,” stated Dustin Lander, his father. “After they get right into a routine, it’s nearly like clockwork.”
Lander, his dad and his mother Kristen are avid bear hunters and so they share that zeal with a big group of associates who share the baiting workload and prices.
“Chase is the one child [in the friend group] left at school, everyone else has moved on,” Dustin Lander stated.
That offers him first crack on youth day.
Dustin Lander has solely been searching bears for 5 years himself, however he enjoys with the ability to sit subsequent to Chase within the two-man treestand.
“Although I’m not the one pulling the set off, I’m simply as excited,” Dustin Lander stated. “I haven’t shot a deer since Chase began searching. He will get to tug the set off.”
Chase Lander began off his bear searching profession with a 305-pounder when he was solely 10 years previous. He wanted 40 hours of sitting and a variety of persistence to bag a 100-pounder in 2020, then shot a 180-pounder the next 12 months and trapped a 140-pounder.
And Chase Lander’s searching success isn’t confined to bears. 4 instances, he has harvested a bear, a deer and a turkey in the identical 12 months. He has a complete of 5 deer to his credit score.
“We type of joke about it, however you already know he’s harvested a variety of animals that the majority grown males don’t do of their lifetime, so he’s lucky,” Dustin Lander stated.
Dustin Lander additionally needs to assist put Kristen on a bear this 12 months earlier than he will get a shot for himself. Final 12 months, she harvested a bruising 410-pound boar (male bear).
Chase Lander additionally enjoys placing on some strolling miles within the spring trying to find moose antler sheds. However when push involves shove, there may be one thing he likes a little bit higher than searching.
“Sports activities,” he stated.
That stated, as soon as deer season rolls round, Chase Lander goes to be able to go.
