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Bear Encounters

Just curious if anyone over the years have had any close bear encounters or know of anyone. I wrote this story last Sept on my scary encounter but have shortened it up some not to make it a long read. Lets hear yours. With the day half done, my aging body is already fatigued and sore, but I have a 25-mile ride ahead and four stations left to bait. Temperatures hover at 83 degrees. Sweat is dripping from my ball cap. I slowly make my way one-half mile down the logging road with the clear-cut on each side allowing the sun to beat down. I stop any time a rare gust of wind offers reprieve, set the bucket down, and remove the cap to turn my face to the breeze. As I near the wood line, I feel a familiar anxiousness with the realization that the afternoon is growing late. I have been a guide for decades and I have been close to bears over 600 pounds in the field. But I do not like baiting after 3:00 PM. The cameras have told me that this well-established and isolated bait station that I now close in on draws many hungry bears, and they will soon be on the move. I step inside the thick cover of the woods and it is as if someone turned off the lights. I strain to hear over the winds rattling the treetops and step silently on the forest floor softened by recent rains. I struggle to part the brush with the bucket to walk the final steps to replenish the bait when the black ghost ahead sends a shot of adrenalin through my body. I’m not alone, and I am suddenly on a level of extreme tension … unlike the bear. In fact, I see (with heart pounding) that he is sleeping. In the many past encounters where I have bumped bears off of bait stations, a flash of black as the animal quickly escapes has been the end of each story. Mentally, I check off my options. Feeling for the bear spray on my hip, I instinctively hiss out loud to send the bear running. In a split second, though, the bear is on his feet. To my dismay, he doesn’t exit the scene but instead holds his ground. I pull the can of bear spray from my belt with my eyes glued to his ears. I am familiar with a bear’s “attitude” and know what I do not want to see. If his ears are laid back, this bear means business. They are and he steps forward. “No!” I command again and again with all the volume my lungs can muster. The standoff feels like minutes but lasts only seconds before the bear turns and surrenders the bait. I bait and exit the scene as quickly as possible, feeling my entire weakened body trembling with the full effects of the encounter and the adrenalin. The journey back up the logging road to the truck is somehow much longer. I look back often. I debated writing this story. Bear hunters, especially those inexperienced on stand as the darkness falls, often exit early when thoughts of such encounters with bears intrude with the darkness. I’ve seen that many times with clients. But I understand it … even better now.

Good story. Well told from the perspective of experience. Unfortunately, I cannot add a pertinent bear story but I enjoyed reading yours. Thanks for the post.

well written and ejoyable read when I was about 7 or 8 yrs old,my dad was going to put a new roof on his bosses cabin. I pleaded with him to go for the day so I could go fishing on the creek about 1 mile from cabin. Dad dropped me off at the creek about 8 am and said be careful and be back at camp by lunch. I fished for a couple hours not really going more than a 1/4 mile on the creek. I had 3 brookies and decided to head back. While walking down the gravel road I heard the bushes moving, I got a little scared but just figured it was a rabbit or something. Now the sound seemed to be following me and getting closer, I stopped in the middle of the road, turned and looked into the woods,and holy crap its a bear. The bear stands on its hind legs to get a look at me over the brush and I sbout crspped my pants. When the bear seen me it did a 180 into the woods. My pole went flying in the air,my creo with the fish went flying,and I took off like a cheata. I think I would have set a world record for the 3/4 mile I ran. My father had no problem beleiving my story,he said I looked like I seen a ghost and I could not stop shaking. To an 8yr old that bear looked like it was 10ft tall. After I calmed down dad and I drove back and collected my gear. I stuck right by camp the rest of the day.

Two awesome stories.

Mine is not so scary, at least not in hind sight. I was on stand and a 180# ish bear came in to eat three times. Seemed to be the same one and he was there up to quitting time but fortunately left at quitting time. I lowered my pack (with my 44 mag in it) then lowered my bow using a different haul line. Climbed down the tree and looked toward the bait and there he was standing at the bait 15 yards away. First impulse was kneel down and get the 44 mag out of my pack, it was already loaded. I stood there with the sights on him for what felt like 15 minutes in a stare down thinking I didn't want to shoot him before so I really don't want to now. I really have no route out of there other than to walk to the bait, then over to the 4 wheeler path and follow that to the 4 wheeler. (setup could have been better) I tucked the 44 in my belt and untied the bow from the haul line. Just then I noticed he is gone. So, with bow in one hand and the 44 in the other I cautiously walk back to the 4 wheeler. When I get to it there are tooth holes in the 4 wheeler seat. Moral of the story is don't let the cherry pie filling drip on your 4 wheeler seat.

Literally dozens of stories over the years. Just part of what I do. Smack at least one a year. Been, swatted, chased,knocked down, face planted into, and even crapped on once. YES CRAPPED ON! Last year got running the last bait right at dark. Walked right into big momma and 3 cubs. One cub to my left, one to my right. Both scrambled up samplings to get a better look at me. Other cub next to mom just 5ft away. We had a nice talk, and went on about our evenings. One cub followed me about 50yds. Ran back to mom when we heard the bait rock drop. Always fun to be face to face with them. Wolves not so much!

I finally drew a tag and will be going on my first-ever bear hunt this Fall. I have walked out of the mountains with cougars and bears, but I must honestly admit - there will definitely be that feeling of nervousness when I am climbing out of that tree come dark!

Longspeak74 "there will definitely be that feeling of nervousness" Try not to be one of those that do leave early. I have guided and assisted for many years and often wonder how many times a hunter missed his opportunity because of the fear factor. Good Luck

Can you tell I'm getting excited for mid April. Hope you guys don't mind another story. I wrote this immediately after last years bear season. Slaying the Mental Demons of the Dark. At Northern Wisconsin Outfitters (NWO) we can bet on the probability that each hunter will have an opportunity to take a shot at a bear, if they so choose. Simply, those odds are based on our hard work as guides and guide’s assistants baiting for months before the season. We know the bears will come to the hunters on stand. There is another certainty that we see with each new bear season that we have little control over. Many of our hunters have never before hunted bear. Many tag holders come to this Bayfield County wilderness having never seen a bear or wolf in the wild. Almost without exception, a hunter or two will abandon their stands well before dark and the legal close of hunting hours. With that decision, they also abandon or greatly diminish their chance to tag a bear. Call it the Boogeyman Syndrome. But a hunter’s fear, often an unexpected and always unwelcome companion when it rears its ugly head, is your mental enemy waiting to wreck the dream hunt you’ve looked forward to for years. The big bad wolf will not eat you. The bear you pursue will not attack you. The odds of being struck by lightning are greater than having a dangerous encounter with these or any other Wisconsin animal. So what can a hunter do to combat these awful but natural feelings of fear? First, ask yourself if a bear hunt in the big woods is really for you. You don’t want to jeopardize the time and money you will invest in a bear hunt if you won’t be comfortable alone in the wilderness. 1. Share bad thoughts with your guide, be honest and share your reservations. Most guides I know will work with you. They will place bait stations so that you will feel comfortable staying on stand until the end of shooting hours, and your exit to a waiting vehicle will be short and quick. 2. View Wisconsin YouTube bear hunts, and only Wisconsin. Watch as many as you can as often as you can. Pay close attention to the mannerisms of those bears. You will learn much, including the fact that a bear has no inclination to harm you. In fact, he is afraid of you naturally. 3. Talk to experienced bear hunters and reap the benefits of their experience. It might offer a little comfort to know they are still here with the living and talking to you after spending time in the field with the bears. 4. Buy bear spray. In addition to your own firearm of choice, the security of knowing you carry it as you exit the field can be priceless. 5. Prepare yourself physically and mentally. Months before your hunt begins, strap on your headlamp, grab a flashlight and enjoy a walk in the woods after dark. This will help your mental toughness and make you more comfortable and acclimated to a dark and personally foreign environment. NWO New Owner Robert Haas likes to say there are three things we cannot control once the season begins: weather, bears and hunters. But hunters, if you are uncomfortable alone in the big woods, especially after dark, don’t be embarrassed to let us know. Together we can slay your Boogeyman so you can ultimately tag your bear.

I had a large bear that I was filming which later turned out to be slightly over 500 lbs. . I had learned about this bear from a forestry tech that was marking timber when he heard something; the bear came walking towards him and he yelled but it kept on coming so he pulled up his paint gun and sprayed paint turning the bear away. I went in and baited that spot and got a lot of pictures of him as well as some smaller bear. One evening I was filming and he walked out to eat and looked at me and started to bend over the smaller balsam fir while pinning his ears back. I talked to him in a low tone and backed off. I had bear spray with me but did not have to use it. Never went back filming there again.

There have been times when the bears make false charges, which is most common but they are very unnerving since it is loud, fast and you just don't know until it is over if it will be a false charge or real.

I carry bear spray most times when filming, scouting or baiting for bear. Lately a handgun. I worry more about bad guys or rabid dogs ( yes, had one come after me once) than I do bears though.

Smokey ( yes, had one come after me once) Bad guy or Dog?

Beautiful picture smokey

Do they have to be in the woods?

I was at the Rhinebeck NY sportsman show and came across "Victor" the wrestling bear. My nephews asked me to sign up and I did.

I was told don't poke his eyes, don't pull his ears and just don't piss him off. The I signed a release.

Well, he was an Alaska Brown bear and huge. Let's just say I had the best chiropractic adjustment I every didnt pay for and a butt kicking like no other I ever had then and since.

Pasquinell....lmao.... I had a Cub at a petting zoo, bite my finger and drew blood.

He was de-clawed and wore a muzzle but still had freaking teeth. His head was as big as a smart car or so it seemed. I actually wrestled him twice but I was on my back in seconds the first time with his paws on my chest ,staring at me growling. Second time I went "Clay Mathews" on him by running him and trying knocking him over.... well he didn't freaking budge and proceeded to pop every vertebrae from base of skull to my butt.

Wouldn't try it again but I was a hero in my nephews eyes and a dumb ass in my sisters!

Very few can say they wrestled a grizz and live to tell the tale lol Good story!

When is the last time a black bear killed someone in Wisconsin?

Or has there ever been a hunter death by black bear in Wisconsin? Verifiable legitimate not camp story kills. Love those camp stories!!!

Don Thomas who happens to be a great bowhunter out of Alaska and Montana says he fears a black bear more than a Grizzley. Had many an encounter with.them and said they are very unpredictable.

I fear wolves more than Bears. To tell you the truth, I fear dogs also, I was bit 5 consecutive years when I was a young boy and ever since then I have a bad phobia with dogs and they know it, they take full advantage of it lol

Where I hunt in Antigo area there are more bears than wolves or so I think. I have never had encounters with either and hope never will. My brother had cubs climb his ladder stand one time with mom in close proximity which loaded his bvd's. He only had his bow and he felt un matched.

Two years ago I went into bait and it's not unusual to have a bear show up some distance away and watch you bait, but this day was as close as I've been to a nice bear. I had baited the stump and went to change cards in my cameras. One camera had dead batteries so I was at my ATV changing batteries when I saw this bear coming down the trail towards the bait. I grabbed my camera and was taking pictures, thinking this was pretty cool. This bear just kept coming and walked about ten feet from the ATV and continued up to the stump I just baited. I was still standing next to the ATV and he was pushing on the rock with his nose. I had stopped taking pictures when he got this close. He showed no ill tendencies so I tried to get a close-up but I had to back up to get him in the camera frame. This is the picture I took and my other trail camera which took pictures of me taking pictures of the bear. It wasn't a pants filler, but it was close.

Hoot... I was wondering when you were going to post that picture. I have seen it before!

I will be hunting with my bow, but do you suggest a sidearm or will bear spray suffice? I feel very comfortable stumbling around in the dark, but the biggest thing I'm likely to run into in Richland County are coons or yotes. Up North is a bit different.

What ever makes you feel comfortable but I myself would use Bear Spray. I have to have nerves of steal to shoot a bear on the move. Most instances (close encounters) is when the hunter is in there tree stand and just out of curiosity bears will sometimes climb the tree to investigate, I would hate to see a hunter shoot and now have to put his tag on that bear. Another thing, a hunter panics and did shoot a bear climbing your tree and that hunter had to tag that bear you better have used a legal caliber handgun to do it. This happened many years ago near Phillips WI, Hound hunters cornered a monster bear, well over 600lbs (I filmed that bear) a guy with a hand gun shot that bear, I'm not totally clear on the story but it either was to small of a caliber or hand guns were illegal at that time to use but there was a big investigation. Maybe someone on Bowsite has more info on that situation. It was a highly publicized issue at the time.

Sometimes they wait for you.

GoJakesGo - what size trap is that? Neither that trap or chain looks like it would hold a bear.

I think the way that chain is wrapped around that scrub oak tree it would hold that bear, looks barely caught. GojakesGo how did you release that yearling? and what did he do when you approached?

longspeak74- Ditto to what MF said. Whatever makes you feel comfortable and what makes you feel safe. I hardly ever carry a firearm or spray when baiting, but some baits the bears get very possessive of their goodies and then I carry spray. I do carry spray or a sidearm when my g'son goes baiting with me or when we track clients bears.

When I worked for the Forest Service we had a big guy terrorize the Echo Lake campground parking lot. He learned to pull out the windshield and get into vehicles. One particular vehicle he tore the dash apart to get some M&M's left in the glove box. He then thanked the owner by crapping in his back seat. We captured him in a culvert trap, relocated him down to Cotton Minnesota, over two hours away by truck, but he was back in the windshield business in the very same lot just two days later! This in the days before GPS. LOL!

Art Hyde was telling me a number of years ago they trapped a nuisance bear on Madeline Island and hauled it over by Solon Springs only to have one of his hunters shoot it outside of Bayfield a few days later. Most of the time it's just a waste of money relocating them. I had a huge boar that had been visiting since he was a average size bear. Two years ago he received two nuisance tags and was back last May, but that is the last time I've seen him. I'm sure he got into trouble last summer and received the death sentence.

This was the last picture I had of this bear after visiting my bait sites for the past seven years. I hate to see some of these bears destroyed. If people would only use some common sense in bear country like don't feed the birds or bring your feeders in at night, keep your garbage inside and don't feed them thinking it's OK, then maybe these animals wouldn't get a death sentence. Hell people have called because there was a bear in their yard (he was probably just passing through). Some people are just plain f'in stupid and have no idea about wildlife in general. I know there are some bears that are just notorious trouble makers no matter what you do to prevent things, but I feel most of the time these things are avoidable. Sorry about my rant.

I agree with you Hoot on relocating trouble bears...if they don't make it back another bear will just fill in the void...BUT, the public wants to see you're trying to do something so that's where relocation plays it's part I guess.

Relocating bears....what a waste of money.

South Farm - BUT, the public wants to see you're trying to do something so that's where relocation plays it's part I guess.

I can't argue that with you! How true.

I would hate to think of wounding a bear when spray would do the job just as well.

longspeak74 - Personally, myself I wouldn't worry about it. I've never had to use spray or a gun yet. I'd hate to guess the times I've been false charged and never used a spray. I use to carry spray but now I don't even carry spray when baiting anymore. If you feel better carrying or with spray, go for it. Piece of mind is priceless. Do what your gut tells you. No one should blame you either way.

That was a 80ish pound cub. 4 guys, a lot of guts, a sheet of plywood for a barrier, and prayed it ran the opposite direction when the jaws opened.

Thanks Hoot! I had planned to carry spray this year in Colorado, but since I pulled my bear tag...the spray will be coming with me to Hayward and not Colorado!

Longspeak - You bear hunting Hayward area? Guided?

MF........great thread, I find this very entertaining and enjoyable,stories are great,pics are great wish more would chime in. All these great woodsmen here, think there would be alot more stories

Great thread! Great stories n pictures! Keep em coming!

Last fall I had a close encounter with a bear while hunting from the ground. I was on a side hill overlooking a valley that emptied into a corn field. I noticed him at the tip of the cornfield and watched him walk all the way to about 15 yds from me. He crested the hill behind me and continued to where my son was hunting. My son was covered in deer at the time and all of a sudden they scattered. He didn't see the bear but could hear it. we assume the deer ran when they caught a wiff of the bear. He was small, maybe 60-80 lbs. about the size of my dog. Not scary at all because of the size but really exhilarating to be that close. I'd love to see a big one up close like that.

I met a bear on the trail going in to bait once. It was a tossup which one ran the fastest in the opposite direction.

"It was a tossup which one ran the fastest in the opposite direction" LOL love it!

That was hilarious !

I've hunted lots of areas with large bear and cougar populations, and I never think about them while hunting. But, I do have to admit, I do not like having mother and cubs come in. You just never know what is going to happen.

I had this little guy come up my tree. He was just curious and after a good sniff of my boot, he reversed direction.

Nice pic Capt. I've had them come up too for a look see. lol

Thanks Hoot, to me the best thing about sitting a bait for bear is watching their comical antics.

Capt. - I love watching bears. You learn so much about them, but like you said they are a entertaining critter to say the least. I'm blessed to see a lot of bears from my house. A number of years ago I started baiting behind my home as the bears were constantly around the house, shed and my wife's flower beds, which by the way a bear could get a good ass whoopin from her if she caught them in her flowers. Long story short, I started baiting behind the house, they came, they ate and then they moved on and not a lot of bear activity around the buildings. Now I use that bait and give a hunt for the physically disabled or terminal kids. Easy for them to get to the shooting shack behind the house. Really rewarding for myself to see these kids get a bear and the excitement it brings them. This is one of my favorite pictures of a small bear at that bait.

Hoot, that is great. Congrats on doing that for the kids.

hoot, great pic, looks like he knows he got caught in the honey jar,also great of you to do that for the kids.

Bears a mans friend at times!

Mindbender, where did you get that picture? That's Troy Hyde, one of my best friends in High School. Hoot you also know Troy or of him. "Animals of Montana". Troy asked me many years ago to go into business with him.

I was surprised to see Troy's picture when I scrolled down. I know Troy. Here's a picture of Troy and Adam on a shoot in Utah. Adam has grown since that other picture was taken.

Small world unreal!

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