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Dog the Bounty Hunter reveals what happened during the first bounty hunt with Francie Frane: "She just..."

Chapman said, "She started getting leads and writing them down, so there's more than just tracking and hunting..."

Duane Chapman aka Dog the Bounty Hunter once opened up about his first-ever bounty hunt with his then-fiancée, Francie Frane, and the experience was nothing short of extraordinary. The reality star shared the intimate details during an appearance on 'The Dr. Oz Show,' calling Frane a ‘natural’ and marveling at how seamlessly she fit into his team. He shared, "I know she's a hunter. She and her two sons have hunted bow hunt, so they track, they look for things that the prey leaves behind. And so she's kind of a natural."

As per People magazine, he further revealed, "She just fit right in. She started getting leads and writing them down, so there's more than just tracking and hunting…the investigation behind the investigation…And she's really, really good at that." Frane’s debut bounty hunt proved her mettle not only as a skilled tracker but also as a valuable team member who could take charge. Her skills and quick thinking left Chapman and the crew deeply impressed. Frane is no stranger to grit. Her experience as a hunter and rancher made her uniquely equipped for the adventure, but her contributions went far beyond physical skills. According to Chapman, she brought compassion, emotional support, and a collaborative spirit to the team—qualities that have also helped him heal following the devastating loss of his wife, Beth Chapman, in 2019.

Frane and Chapman found each other during their darkest times, both grieving the loss of their spouses to cancer. Frane shared that their bond deepened quickly, and Duane wasted no time proposing in a romantic, candlelit moment at their Colorado home. She shared, "I wasn't expecting it at all. I think I had gone to pick up some food and then when I came back he had all the lights turned down with just a few lights on and a bunch of candles lit. So when I came in I was like, 'Wow, this is awesome,' Then he said, 'Come in, sit down because I need to talk to you.' And he got down on one knee and he opened the ring box and he said, 'Will you marry me and spend the rest of our lives together?'"

While the couple’s whirlwind romance has been met with love, some fans questioned whether it was too soon after Beth’s passing. Duane remarked, "I need a partner. I've said it before. There will never be another Mrs. Dog. There is not. Francie couldn't do that. There will be a last Mrs. Chapman. If Beth was here, and saw Francie and saw how she was raised, her morality and this and that, Beth would say, 'Big daddy, don't lose her.'" Frane has been instrumental in helping Chapman adopt a healthier lifestyle, from quitting smoking to losing weight.

As per ET, the pair continues to honor their late spouses while building a new life together, they remain a beacon of hope for others navigating grief. Frane shared, “We're both still grieving. We're never going to leave Bob and Beth behind [or] forget about them. They'll always be a part of us. We thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives with them and that's not what happened…”