KUTZTOWN
By the time Rick Weaknecht was old enough to shoot his first stick bow in the backyard, he had already heard a lifetime of bowhunting stories from those who visited his father’s archery shop and their family home near Kutztown. Weaknecht can now tell a story of his own to equal some of the best he’s heard.
Weaknecht’s father, the late Richard Weaknecht, was one of the pioneers of the archery business in Pennsylvania. As a youngster, Rick Weaknecht used soak up stories told by notable hunters such as “The Father of Bowhunting,” the late Fred Bear, and another pioneer of the sport, Frances “Francy” Diener of Pottsville, who passed away earlier this month. Using longbows, those pioneers shared hunting stories that ranged from — in Bear’s case — pursuing African plains animals to Pennsylvania whitetails.
“It was an education listening to those three share stories, but the only problem for Dad and Francy was that when you operate an archery shop, you never have as much time to hunt as you would like,” Weaknecht said. “I knew that when I took over the business, but I guess it was in my blood, and it’s not like I never get out and hunt.
“Besides, with today’s compound bows and crossbows, once they are set up to fit a customer, there isn’t much else to do except sit back and listen to the stories. A lot of hunters really put in their time during the preseason scouting and practicing even after the season begins, but most of them will tell you luck still plays a major role in their success.
“We enjoy hearing the stories from those who finally take a buck after trying for years, and all of a sudden they are experts. Even Fred (Bear) would tell you luck often played a role in his success, and let me tell you, what happened to me last year was the result of pure luck — plain and simple.”
What happened to Weaknecht was being in the right place at the right time, under the right circumstances, during Pennsylvania’s five-day statewide archery bear season. As bears continue to expand their range by moving into areas that are guaranteed to create unwanted encounters with people, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has liberalized hunting opportunities.
Those opportunities include concurrent seasons for deer and bear for bowhunters in Wildlife Management Unit 5C during the early two-week antlerless season and the statewide archery deer season, and for muzzleloader hunters during the antlerless season in October. Last year, a bear was taken near Kempton during the September early antlerless season, but most thought that was likely a one-time occurrence.
“In 5C, I knew you could hunt bears with a bow during the early doe season in September, but when I heard that a bear had been taken, I thought it was just a fluke,” Weaknecht said. “Then people started coming into the shop and talking about how they were seeing bears locally.
“I still didn’t think that much about it, and when I had time to get out and go hunting, I had deer on my mind. When archery deer season ended, I had no plans to go out for bear, and that Tuesday my plans were to drive my wife to some appointments, but things changed in a hurry when I got up that morning and walked out behind my house around 6:30.
“There in the woods behind my house was a bear just walking along with its head down and finding things to eat. It was then I realized, ‘Hey, I can shoot this bear’ and went back in the house and got dressed in my hunting clothing.”
Weaknecht’s Hoyt Carbon Element bow was fully tuned with a 58-pound draw, as the archery deer season had ended just three days earlier. And while he was getting dressed, the excitement of his opportunity began to build as he planned his hunting tactics.
“By the time I got dressed and got back outside, the bear had moved, but because of the lay of the land I had a good idea where he was going,” Weaknecht said. “When he moved, I moved, and I was finally able to get into position where I would have a broadside pass-through shot.
“I could see the bear coming toward me, and it finally stopped at 21 yards, giving me a quartering-away shot at his ribs and spine. I was able to make the perfect, lethal shot and my 75-grain Muzzy broadhead dropped him in his tracks.
“That was the luckiest hunt I ever had, and when people ask about it, I tell them it was just being in the right place at the right time. I didn’t even know that bear was roaming in the area, but it had been tagged last July on Hawk Mountain.”
Lucky or not, Weaknecht’s bear was one of just 197 taken by bowhunters last year in Pennsylvania. In years to come, the story is sure to get better with each telling.
(Dietz is outdoors editor)