According to Sam, what mistake does the young boy make when he goes out into the woods in search of Old Ben on his own?

When he is eleven-years-old, the young boy makes his first attempt at tracking Old Ben in the woods on his own, even though he does not want to kill the bear, he simply wants to see it. While stalking through the woods, he is found by his Indian mentor, Sam, who claims that Old Ben is not stupid enough to cross paths with anyone carrying a gun, so the young boy sets out again the next day carrying only his compass.