A True “Bear Hug” Experience through Women Go Hunting

“Bear hugs” will never be the same for Sarah Muns and her family after their experience in Louisiana this past March. Muns won the Women Go Hunting 2025 silent auction for a Black Bear Cub Denning Experience with wildlife biologists. Donated by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (DWF), this was a unique opportunity to accompany wildlife biologists into a black bear den to collect information on hibernating mother bears and their cubs. That work is part of the state’s bear management program, a program that recovered the Louisiana black bear from endangered species status.

SCI Foundation Carnivore Specialist Maria Davidson was originally the on staff Louisiana DWF biologist that helped recover that population and eventually reestablish a black bear hunt after decades of it being closed. Thanks to Davidson, the Louisiana DWF provided this unique experience for the Women Go Hunting silent auction.

“This Bear Denning Experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in biology work in the field and get to cuddle a black bear cub in the process!” says Muns. “For me, it was also a special way to bond with my family.”

Muns took her 14-year-old daughter and two sons, ages 11 and seven, to experience this inspiring adventure. “All of them got to see firsthand how hunting contributes to conservation, and they got to participate in the process. This was a side of conservation work they would never have seen otherwise. My youngest reported on it in school, giving his teacher a complete account. My daughter came away wanting to be a veterinarian.”

The family met the team of biologists in Talula, Louisiana, this past March, caravaning with them to the den location. It was right off a farmer’s field in a thicket of trees. The Muns were surprised a bear would choose to make her den so close to humans.

The family watched as biologists safely darted the mother bear. Then they were each handed a bear cub to hold while the scientists collected samples, recollared the mother bear and then weighed and micro-chipped each cub. “We were told to tuck the cubs inside our jackets where they would stay warm and to hold them securely to keep them from squalling the whole time,” says Muns.

“My kids had a lot of questions, and Maria was a wealth of information. She explained all the work, why each thing was done and how it contributed to the conservation of bears. She also explained how hunting and conservation work together.

“This was an amazing experience that my family would not have had if not for Women Go Hunting. They gave us a hands-on opportunity to see the important grassroots work being undertaken by state agencies and how SCI and SCI Foundation supports it.”

Muns discovered the Bear Hug Experience as a silent auction item during the WGH Ladies Mix & Mingle event held Saturday at the SCI Convention. It was the second year she had attended the women-only event.

“This is such a great event,” she says. “The sense of comradery and the love for hunting and nature by everyone there is inspiring. It’s a wonderful place to meet other moms and women hunters. They come from all walks of life and welcome you as one of their own. You can walk in there and just start talking to anyone. I’m looking forward to seeing ladies I met there last year at the next Mix & Mingle.”

The 2026 WGH Ladies Mix & Mingle takes place on Saturday, February 21 during the Annual SCI Convention in Nashville, TN. All women attending the convention are welcome to this FREE event from 10 am – noon to enjoy free mimosas and Bloody Marys and win dozens of door prizes. Visit the WGH booth to see the exciting silent auction items available this year. You’ll find us with the other SCI booths in the foyer outside the convention hall in the Music City Convention Center. For more information, contact Barbara Crown at [email protected].