In early August, a fortunate few journeyed into the wilds of Coastal Oregon with the goal in mind of hunting black bears. The “On Point Experience” hunt was organized by HuntLeague with over two dozen participating sponsors including HUXWRX Safety Co., On Point with Garrett Weaver, Vortex, Bear Hunting Magazine, Bergara, and Remington.

“It’s a Tuesday,” says league winner, Cody Paratore, on day one of the hunt, “Most people are at work but we’re living the life of luxury out here in the woods.” The HuntLeague mobile app functions as a digital journal capturing time stamps, GPS, videos, photos, notes and more for dozens of species. The app works a little like fantasy football where hunters climb the leaderboard as they log training days, conservation efforts, scouting trips, to hunts in the field. Paratore joined the app in March of 2022 and earned his way to a top three finish in the 2022 Outdoorsman of the Year league before being selected as the winner of The On Point Experience league. The prize package included a filmed bear hunt, over $13K in gear, a training day at the range with former Navy SEAL sniper and sniper instructor Nick Blough (Vortex), and a joined hunt from industry leaders such as HUXWRX and a slew of other industry experts as support.

For nearly a week, this group of experienced hunters enjoyed the temperate summer weather of the Pacific Northwest. Paratore says of the adventure, “[This is my] first bear hunt, first time shooting suppressed, first time hanging out with some pros. It’s a lot of firsts on this trip, I’m having a good time.”

Even with multiple sightings and a few missed opportunities, Paratore was the only participant to get a bear on day three of the hunt. While a significant victory, the celebration was cut short as his small team was accosted by several nests of hornets as they attempted to claim the bear. Although battered and stung, all three came out relatively unscathed to report their success to the rest of the camp. Despite a lack of legal bears and harassment from hostile hornets, the overall endeavor was a successful collaboration.

HuntLeage, Vortex Optics, Bergara Rifles, Remington, Bear Hunting Magazine, WildFood Outdoors, Tactacam, Badlands Gear, Go Axil, OnXHunt, Moonshine Rod Company, Kestrel Ballistics, On Point Podcast with Garrett Weaver, Coast, Wiser Precision, Pyro Putty, Ivory Holsters, MTN Physio, Exo MTN Gear, Salmon River Solutions, Wester Fly, MTN Tough Fitness Lab, and Argali Hunt Wild.

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