Sweet Sounds From Heaven

When it was noised abroad among the locals in the hills of North Carolina that Alma had taken down a bear, the response was “Miz Alma, you’re too purdy to be a baar killer.” Indeed she is and indeed she did. This lady gives a deeper dimension to the Proverbs 31 Woman, and seems to exemplify this prize of great price with relative ease.

Proverbs 31:10-12 A capable, intelligent and virtuous woman, who is his who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels, and her value is far above rubies or pearls. The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her safely, so that he has no lack of honest gain or need of dishonest spoil. She will comfort, encourage and do him only good as long as there is life within her.

The chapter goes on to give her credit where due. Bottom line is she is supernaturally empowered by God to be a Blessing to everyone and everything she touches. She takes care of her husband, children, grandchildren, household and horses. She is steadfast in goodness and she is a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord and she shall be praised. She is indeed her husband’s crowning joy.

The following is a true story Alma wrote about her bear hunt. I’m glad she is my friend. Don’t mess with me, she can shoot!!!

Two Are Better Than One

On Tuesday, October 14, 2008 we all met at White Oak Flats Baptist Church at 7 a.m. on a nice crisp morning, 42 degrees. Meeting at church is a great way to begin the day.

The sun wasn’t up yet, so Buddy and I stayed in the truck where it was warmer. Several of the hunters walked over to chit-chat with Buddy. Johnny, one of the hunters Buddy was talking to, gave us The Swamp Doctor, a book written by a local man who had passed away this summer. The book is about true short stories from our friends and bear hunters. When Donald asked me how I was this morning, I told him “Blessed” because any day I get up and take a breath is a good day and this was the beginning of a very good day for me.

We went up to the top of Road 711. Randy had radioed for Buddy and me because the dogs had treed a bear on a place called Sassafras and I might have a chance to shoot my first bear. Just as we got out of the truck, we heard a call over the radio…the bear had jumped out of the tree and was running towards White Oak Creek where the dogs treed him again. Buddy and I left Sassafras and went to White Oak. It seemed so much colder by the water, so I grabbed my jacket and camera. I heard my name on the radio. Jr. was calling for Alma to come kill this bear!!! I was so excited!!!

Buddy got my Remington 243 and his video camera and we began side-stepping down the steep creek bank. When my feet hit the water, it was icy cold. I remembered falling into Beaver Pond last bear season and I did not want an encore, so I kept following Buddy’s lead trying very hard not to fall while turning the slippery rocks into a bridge.

Now that we were across the creek, it was time to begin climbing up the face of the mountain. There were plenty of broken logs…a good place for snakes to hide, especially since the ground was covered with leaves and the laurel bushes were so thick we could not stand up, so we climbed on our hands and knees. We could not see the dogs or the other hunters or even look up to see the bear. The dogs were barking so loud and I was praying the bear would not jump from the tree he was currently huggin‘.

I was getting tired and short of breath, and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. Plus, I was somewhat concerned about Buddy; he had lost his footing on the slippery leaves several times. We finally came to a spot where we could see the dogs and the legs of a few of our hunting buddies. We could not see the bear because he was about 60′or higher up a poplar tree. Smothered in the laurel thicket with very little sunlight filtering through, we were climbing by faith and not by sight. We kept ascending the face of the mountain until we reached the top of the laurel thicket and I finally got to see the bear…through the scope on my rifle.

Our friend, Ira, crawled over to us and said he wanted to help us since this was my first bear hunt. He told us, he had assisted Billy Graham’s grandson when he killed his first bear. He had also helped terminally ill youth fulfill their hunting dreams, as well as assisted a television hunting star and sports writer to take his first black bear in North Carolina.

Ira told me I was not in a good location to shoot because of the thicket and trees, so he suggested I sit still and catch my breath, while he and Buddy scouted around to try and find me a better angle to shoot from. After Buddy and Ira left me, fear tried to jump all over me, so I raised the rifle and kept the scope on the bear…hoping he would not come down!! When Ira and Buddy came back, they said they could not find a better location and I would have to do my very best.

Ira told me if I could not get a headshot, it would be better if I did not shoot because the dogs and possibly hunters could be hurt if I wounded the bear. He told me I was looking at the bear’s butt and he would get his attention by whooping, yelling and waving his arms. He radioed the hunters below and told them they had 2 minutes to move away from the tree with the dogs and then he was going to give me the green light and it would be one to one, Alma and the bear.

Although Ira whooped, yelled and waved his arms, the bear never turned, but I could see his head and I watched him in the scope for a while and then I clicked off the safety. I was patiently watching through the scope and then the bear moved, he rolled his head to the side and I pulled the trigger. One shot and the bear raised both arms straight up and fell at least 60 feet to the ground. I shot him between the eye and the ear about 50 yards away. He was a boar and weighed 150 lbs.

It was worth crossing White Oak Creek and getting my feet soaked…in waterproof boots, of course my jeans were wet too. It was worth every penny spent on my Browning camo-jacket and bibs, my new Remington 243, not to mention my Out of State Hunting License, none of which were mere pocket change.

The meat was given to the locals, but the hide belonged to me. The bear is at the taxidermist being fixed up so pretty. We have a perfect place waiting for him by our fireplace in our Florida home. This bear hunt was an experience of a life time for me in the majestic Nantahala Mountains with my wonderful husband. After all, we were squirrel hunting when he asked me to marry him 40 years ago.

When Ira said , “Alma, it’s one to one”, it really wasn’t——I had asked my Saviour to be my Helper that day—–So it was really “Two to One!”

Filed under: True God Stories