Anybody PERSONALLY been charged by a bear?
- Thread starter 280_ACKLEY
- Start date
Yep, Calling lake AB in 1988, about 70 yds when he started at me full out across the cutblock, busted his front leg with the first shot at 30 yds and turned him and a couple more finished it. Second time was a predatory little peckerhead in the yukon with me sitting on some fuel drums and the helicopter 20min away, I'd see /hear him so I'd move 40-50 yds and wait and lo and behold a couple of minutes later out he pops just where I was sitting. I let it go on for a couple of turns , 10 minutes or so till he started swinging his head and following me around long enough for me to figure out I was on the menu. Some days it pays big dividends to pack the rifle with you.
I live on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland and bears are few and far between in my little section of the province. In fact, we have more Polar Bears show up than Black Bears...the blackies generally prefer the woods of Central/northern/west coast and there are few to be found further east than Come-By-Chance.
End result is that my buddies and I never had to learn to be bear smart!
Anyhow, we were out hunting Area 64 - Middle Ridge for Caribou and Moose. We set up camp next to the Nor' West Gander, just beyond this old steel bridge the logging companies used 40-50 years ago. I had tags for a Caribou as did my brother and my dad had Moose tags. The day before I had my run-in with Mr. Bear I'd shot two ruffed grouse for the stew pot. My dad, instead of disposing of the offal properly, or at least throwing it into the river, dropped it at the edge of our camp site!
The next day my brother and I were successful in taking a couple of book class Caribou. While they were retreiving the quarters from across the river, I stayed back in camp to construct a tripod rack to hold the meat. For some reason, we'd hit a heat wave and temps were warm enough for T-shirts and shorts, which was what I was wearing, along with sandals. There were several clumps of alders growing up in the camp which I needed to clear to set up the tripod. So I grabbed the old rusty machete we kept in the truck tool box. Walked about 30-40 feet from the old converted school bus camper we were staying in and started to swing.
Just then I heard a snuffling grunt...I looked to my right and there, staring back at me was the biggest friggin' Black Bear I'd ever seen! He was the size of a small grizzly...and for anyone who know's bear hunting in Newfoundland, that's no exaggeration. We have some of the biggest black bears in the World (due mostly to plentiful food sources, lots of room, low hunting pressure and no natural predators).
The big Black was enjoying a meal of ruffed grouse innards and didn't seem too concerned about me. However, he did stop and jerk his head toward me. We eyed each other for what seemed like hours...in my mind all I remember thinking was oh $hit, oh $hit, oh $hit, oh $hit.... Finally, I began to slowly back away from the big old boar. He grunted at me and gave the ground a little swipe. All I had to defend myself was the $10.00 Canadian Tire Machete. I wasn't too hopeful of coming out on top so armed!
The bear left his meal and walked around the clump of alders and watched me back away. My rifle was safely stored in its gun case back in the camper! I got about 10 feet from the bus and finally my nerve broke and I made a dash for the camper. I made it and grabbed the rifle and quickly loaded it. Now the bear was in trouble!
I exited the bus and the bear was still standing in the middle of the clearing. I raised the rifle and took aim at him, but couldn't drop the hammer. I was mesmerized by his size and majesty....besides, I didn't have tags and there would probably be a lot of flack from the wardens if I did it, while the only reason the bear had found our camp was because of the free meal we'd offered. So I yelled at him and fired a couple of rounds to scare him off. He took off like the devil himself was after him!
Shortly thereafter the guys returned with the first load of meat. We got the tripods finished and the rest of the meat hung. We later ran into a native trapper, who lived year round in the area, and told him about the bear. He had a license and very happily made a snare set near our camp. It offered us a little protection, as well, since it wouldn't take much for Mr. Bear to sneak back and make off with a haunch of caribou! Two days later the trapper got him, it was the same bear! IIRC, he weighed about 680lbs, according to the old fisheries scales the guy had. It took all four of us to get him onto the trailer and we had to use the bike winch to hoist him up high enough to get him on the scales. What a beast!
We returned the next year with bear licenses,this time in hopes of taking a trophy bear like that, but we had to settle for a couple of mature 450lb boars. Both skulls green scored 201/4". Unfortunately, neighbourhood dogs made off with mine, stealing it out of the apple tree where I had it hung to dry after we got home! Dirty buggers, cost me my Big Bruins hat! That was the closest I ever came to getting charged and I sure don't want to repeat it! After, what did strike me was how much safer I'd have been if I'd been permitted to carry my Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum holstered for self-defense. I'd still been able to do my work, without an 8lb rifle getting in the way.
End result is that my buddies and I never had to learn to be bear smart!
Anyhow, we were out hunting Area 64 - Middle Ridge for Caribou and Moose. We set up camp next to the Nor' West Gander, just beyond this old steel bridge the logging companies used 40-50 years ago. I had tags for a Caribou as did my brother and my dad had Moose tags. The day before I had my run-in with Mr. Bear I'd shot two ruffed grouse for the stew pot. My dad, instead of disposing of the offal properly, or at least throwing it into the river, dropped it at the edge of our camp site! The next day my brother and I were successful in taking a couple of book class Caribou.
While they were retreiving the quarters from across the river, I stayed back in camp to construct a tripod rack to hold the meat. For some reason, we'd hit a heat wave and temps were warm enough for T-shirts and shorts, which was what I was wearing, along with sandals. There were several clumps of alders growing up in the camp which I needed to clear to set up the tripod. So I grabbed the old rusty machete we kept in the truck tool box. Walked about 30-40 feet from the old converted school bus camper we were staying in and started to swing. Just then I heard a snuffling grunt...I looked to my right and there, staring back at me was the biggest friggin' Black Bear I'd ever seen!
He was the size of a small grizzly...and for anyone who know's bear hunting in Newfoundland, that's no exaggeration. We have some of the biggest black bears in the World (due mostly to plentiful food sources, lots of room, low hunting pressure and no natural predators).The big Black was enjoying a meal of ruffed grouse innards and didn't seem too concerned about me. However, he did stop and jerk his head toward me. We eyed each other for what seemed like hours...in my mind all I remember thinking was oh $hit, oh $hit, oh $hit, oh $hit....
Finally, I began to slowly back away from the big old boar. He grunted at me and gave the ground a little swipe. All I had to defend myself was the $10.00 Canadian Tire Machete. I wasn't too hopeful of coming out on top so armed! The bear left his meal and walked around the clump of alders and watched me back away. My rifle was safely stored in its gun case back in the camper! I got about 10 feet from the bus and finally my nerve broke and I made a dash for the camper. I made it and grabbed the rifle and quickly loaded it. Now the bear was in trouble!
I exited the bus and the bear was still standing in the middle of the clearing. I raised the rifle and took aim at him, but couldn't drop the hammer. I was mesmerized by his size and majesty....besides, I didn't have tags and there would probably be a lot of flack from the wardens if I did it, while the only reason the bear had found our camp was because of the free meal we'd offered. So I yelled at him and fired a couple of rounds to scare him off. He took off like the devil himself was after him!
Shortly thereafter the guys returned with the first load of meat. We got the tripods finished and the rest of the meat hung. We later ran into a native trapper, who lived year round in the area, and told him about the bear. He had a license and very happily made a snare set near our camp. It offered us a little protection, as well, since it wouldn't take much for Mr. Bear to sneak back and make off with a haunch of caribou! Two days later the trapper got him, it was the same bear! IIRC, he weighed about 680lbs, according to the old fisheries scales the guy had. It took all four of us to get him onto the trailer and we had to use the bike winch to hoist him up high enough to get him on the scales. What a beast!
We returned the next year with bear licenses,this time in hopes of taking a trophy bear like that, but we had to settle for a couple of mature 450lb boars. Both skulls green scored 201/4". Unfortunately, neighbourhood dogs made off with mine, stealing it out of the apple tree where I had it hung to dry after we got home! Dirty buggers, cost me my Big Bruins hat!
That was the closest I ever came to getting charged and I sure don't want to repeat it! After, what did strike me was how much safer I'd have been if I'd been permitted to carry my Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum holstered for self-defense. I'd still been able to do my work, without an 8lb rifle getting in the way.
This past September long weekend I was in Pinawa doing some mountain biking on the trails with the GF. About midways into the trail (~5km in) I started to notice piles and piles of very fresh bear scat all over the trail. Started to get nervous and made the decision that it was closer to the end of the trail than to go back. So on we trudged.
Shortly after, we stopped for a breather and I hear some shuffling in the bushes.... Out comes the puny .410 backpack gun with slugs(the only thing I can fit in my pack...) and I just waited and started backing up. I could hear him snorting and pawing at the ground behind the bushes (still concealed) about 30ft away from me of the trail.
As I backpeddled further with the GF behind me, he made a charge out of the bushes and came to a skidding halt about 10ft short of me just as I was about to pull the trigger. (I kinda froze and hesitated)
In any case, he ran off, scared by seeing the both of us standing there I guess. He was only a youngin too, couldn't have been over 5 ft.
The funny part is, we were less than 100 yards from the end of the trail and I could see the road leading back to the parking lot
Shortly after, we stopped for a breather and I hear some shuffling in the bushes.... Out comes the puny .410 backpack gun with slugs(the only thing I can fit in my pack...) and I just waited and started backing up. I could hear him snorting and pawing at the ground behind the bushes (still concealed) about 30ft away from me of the trail.
As I backpeddled further with the GF behind me, he made a charge out of the bushes and came to a skidding halt about 10ft short of me just as I was about to pull the trigger. (I kinda froze and hesitated)
In any case, he ran off, scared by seeing the both of us standing there I guess. He was only a youngin too, couldn't have been over 5 ft.
The funny part is, we were less than 100 yards from the end of the trail and I could see the road leading back to the parking lot
Not much of a story... the bear was known to all the neighbours and the local transfer station employees had been tormented by him all summer. He was a two year old male that had lost all respect for humans. The horseman on the next line had had a couple of run ins with the bear and one of his dogs went missing. My closest neighbour was actually plinking with a .22 cal and the bear chased him and his brother back to his house.
That fall I was on a deer watch during the deer season just at sunrise very close to my own house when he came walking down the road checking the ditch out for garbage/food. When he finally saw me standing on the Hydro cut he started stalking me immediately. So I moved back into the open where I had 360 degrees of clear shooting and watched him come.
He was sneaky but purposeful while coming at me through the bush, but did not seem in a hurry. Until he stepped into the open where he popped his teeth, woofed and bounced on his front legs... then he quickly turned sideways while staring at me with his head low. Right up until then I was backing up and telling him to F__ _ff in a progressively louder voice, the third time I was yelling at the bear... no effect.
He was over twenty yards when he turned sideways and I had the slug-gun shouldered, fingered and the cross hairs on him. I was well into the adrenaline mode already and I think he may have hopped in the air when he turned back and ran at me. He ended up upside down facing away from me 20 feet from where I stood, and I honestly don't remember pulling the trigger three times.
He had one hole right in the chest and one through a fore leg near the armpit.
They move really fast and 20 yards is way to close... never again... if they show you a broadside posture just shoot them because I now believe this to be a last move before a charge for a black bear.
I will never again hesitate to shoot a black bear that is coming towards me inside 50 yards.
That fall I was on a deer watch during the deer season just at sunrise very close to my own house when he came walking down the road checking the ditch out for garbage/food. When he finally saw me standing on the Hydro cut he started stalking me immediately. So I moved back into the open where I had 360 degrees of clear shooting and watched him come.
He was sneaky but purposeful while coming at me through the bush, but did not seem in a hurry. Until he stepped into the open where he popped his teeth, woofed and bounced on his front legs... then he quickly turned sideways while staring at me with his head low. Right up until then I was backing up and telling him to F__ _ff in a progressively louder voice, the third time I was yelling at the bear... no effect.
He was over twenty yards when he turned sideways and I had the slug-gun shouldered, fingered and the cross hairs on him. I was well into the adrenaline mode already and I think he may have hopped in the air when he turned back and ran at me. He ended up upside down facing away from me 20 feet from where I stood, and I honestly don't remember pulling the trigger three times.
He had one hole right in the chest and one through a fore leg near the armpit.
They move really fast and 20 yards is way to close... never again... if they show you a broadside posture just shoot them because I now believe this to be a last move before a charge for a black bear.
I will never again hesitate to shoot a black bear that is coming towards me inside 50 yards.
I was drifting down the Atnarko river with a couple of buddies fishing for springs. The fella doing the rowing was good and he had the boat pointed in the direction you do not want to go, which is what your supposed to do. As we make a turn in the river a large tree is sticking out over the river itself right at the bend and a young grizzley is at the shore end of it. As the front of the boat (where I am sitting ) approaches the tree the grizzley charges from the shore end to the end sticking out over the river. We just looked up and its head was peering down on us as we went under the tree. If the bear had actually jumped off we may have been in some trouble. Good times.
I also had a black bear put both paws on either side of my shoulders ( I was on my back) as I was lying awake in my tent with my wife. He sniffed my forehead for a few seconds and then went away and tried to get at our garbage ( which was strung up a tree 100 yrds away). That time I could actually feel the wetness of his nose through the tent. Another great memory.
I had a black bear mama run at me once while I was hiking down from Mahood lake to the clearwater river. The run was weak at best and we just walked backwards slowly and went well around her and her cubs. More good times.
I guess even those experiences were not full out charges of death, but the river griz was as close as I would like to get.
Jacky
I also had a black bear put both paws on either side of my shoulders ( I was on my back) as I was lying awake in my tent with my wife. He sniffed my forehead for a few seconds and then went away and tried to get at our garbage ( which was strung up a tree 100 yrds away). That time I could actually feel the wetness of his nose through the tent. Another great memory.
I had a black bear mama run at me once while I was hiking down from Mahood lake to the clearwater river. The run was weak at best and we just walked backwards slowly and went well around her and her cubs. More good times.
I guess even those experiences were not full out charges of death, but the river griz was as close as I would like to get.
Jacky
Never been charged,
Upon seeing a superior predator they usually run away.
Its the smaller hunters that have to worry, if the bear thinks he's bigger than you then your in trouble.
Thats why Gatehouse hasn't been charged, have you seen that guys head, its huge.
Just a theory
Brambles
Upon seeing a superior predator they usually run away.
Its the smaller hunters that have to worry, if the bear thinks he's bigger than you then your in trouble.
Thats why Gatehouse hasn't been charged, have you seen that guys head, its huge.
Just a theory
Brambles
One time, a black bear, not a full-out high-speed charge, but definitely making tracks!
Waited as long as I dared the fired one 130 gr Nosler partition from my 270 into his forehead. The bear fell on the spot, five or six feet from my toes.
Too close, and once is enough!
Ted
Waited as long as I dared the fired one 130 gr Nosler partition from my 270 into his forehead. The bear fell on the spot, five or six feet from my toes.
Too close, and once is enough!
Ted
not a charge thoughMany times I have had a bear huffing and popping jaws and been bluff charged once but have never been in a bonified charge situation. The bluff charge, sow with three cubs, came out of thick bush at about 20 ft. At that range, even if I had a gun, I would have never stood a snowball's chance in hell of defending myself with it, it happened that quick.
I have been charged once, in suburban West Vancouver no less. I was able to deter the young looking black bear with the use of my defense of choice at the time: hiking poles. Two other times I was bluff charged while armed, but the charges ended at sufficient distance I never had to shoot.
I stepped on a black bear cub while working on a forest fire. I was flagging the location where the fire hose was to go. My crew was 500 m behind me setting up the hose. The creek we wanted to pump out of was in a little canyon. I had to find a spot where the banks were not to steep so we would not lose too much pressure. I was walking in the long grass along the bank, looking down into the creek. Suddenly a black shape exploded out of the grass right at my feet. The bear cub ran down the ridge back screaming Maaah! Maaah! I ran the other way screaming Holy F**k holy F**k. Lucky for me Mamma Bear was not nearby. Working on fires is exciting, but stepping on a bear cub, really gets the adrenelin flowing!
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Warrant Officer Guy Brideau was visiting an arctic survey camp with Mapping and Charting Establishment in the mid '90's. He looked up to see one of the helpers running like hell towards camp, being chased by a polar bear. He found one of the .303 survival rifles, loaded it, aimed and fired (at the bear). He missed, adjusted aim and fired again killing the bear. He was awarded a Chief of Defence Staff Commendation. The story did not finish off politely. The Inuk locally hired guards were pissed off because he did their job. Too bad for them.
Charged once(I was 14 so wasn't packing), she turned and left.
Stalked several times, by both cats and bears. Bears tend to hit the trail if I fire a round into a tree. Only time I was stalked when not packing I was running saw, so I waited till he was 100m, did an undercut, and started a back cut on a 2' tree, when he was about 80m I dropped it towards him, he left(FAST).
Kirby
Stalked several times, by both cats and bears. Bears tend to hit the trail if I fire a round into a tree. Only time I was stalked when not packing I was running saw, so I waited till he was 100m, did an undercut, and started a back cut on a 2' tree, when he was about 80m I dropped it towards him, he left(FAST).
Kirby
Here are a few of my encounters:
-Summer 1998 a coworker and I were timber cruising and yelling back and forth. It was a dead calm july day, and I looked up to see a 7' ish grizz crouched on its belly less than 40yds away. It took a few steps in the creep position, and as I pumped a round into my shotgun he stood up. The encounter lasted @ 30 seconds or so as he looked at us from behind a tree and finally sauntered off. Luckily for us, as I had squanderd all my slugs away the day before on empty paint cans, and the local sports store was out... leaving me with only the lowly 00 buck!
Numerous other little encounters over the next few summers, including a youngish blackie that I chased off with rocks, and ended up face to face with less than 5 yds apart a few minutes later. Had the Ruger Vaquero 45 Colt drawn and the hammer back... he doesn't know how close he came to getting a 300gr slug in the face, but finally left when I told him where to go.
Up until then, my encounters with bears were quite mild and uneventful. That all changed in 2005.
August 19, 2005 my sheep hunting partner and I were sidehilling a nasty chunk of ground above a steep canyon on 70%+ slope through thick bush in an old burn. We had already bumped into one old boar Grizz early on in the trip at <30yds, but he decided to run the other way.
We were loaded down with 100 lb+ packs, and the terrain dictated "4 wheel drive". I could not keep my rifle on my pack due to the sheep horns, so had my partner tie it to his pack for a short while as we traversed the difficult section of ground.
It was about 11:00 and a slight breeze was blowing to us when I caught a whiff of rotten carrion. I let out a loud "Whoooooop", and a few seconds later followed up with "Hey Bear". I was in front of my partner by @ 10yds, and had not gone 5 more steps when the little goat trail we were on opened up to ~ 30yd visibility as it forked.
I heard a little snapping sound, and looked up to a 7'+ grizz charging down the trail towards me, just the sound of her breathing as she ran. There were no jaw pops, huffs, or bluff charges.... it was without warning!
I let out a "man scream" as I yelled "GRIZZ" and threw my hiking stick and shucked my pack... trying to leave as much between the grizz and I as possible. I knew I had to make it to my buddy's pack, get my rifle...
Luck was ours that day, as for whatever reason (maybe my pack... the yelling?) the bear cut through to the bottom trail. In what seemed like an eternity (seconds) the two of us tore my rifle from the 3 quick release clips that held it to his pack.
In a single motion I shucked a 140gr Barnes TSX into the chamber of my 7-08AI, flipped the rear scope cap, and as I went for the front one, looked up to see the grizz coming full tilt as I aimed down the barrel and pulled the trigger (no time to flip the front cap) hitting her square in the brisket and deflecting her charge to the side of us.
The distance.... 6yds!!!!
Here are my thoughts on the event, and what I would change next time:
1. I had become complacent with strapping my rifle onto my pack. Many many weeks spent backpacking in bear country, and 10+ years working in bear country without major incident had allowed me to get a little TOO comfortable. Not anymore! I think from now on I will continue to keep my rifle strapped to my pack in steep terrain, but will pack bear spray on my waist belt.
2. Despite being comfortable, I had made a plan for the two of us should we bump into a grizz. Packing an entire ram on our backs for 40+km in grizz country was not without the possiblity of encounter. We had decided should we bump into one that I would go to my buddy's pack and grab his rifle (fastest option) as I was the most comfortable (confident?) with a sudden encounter and handling a rifle in hurry (he was relatively new to hunting and bears).
That incident was certainly an eye opener, and made me really sit and take a moment to realize how vulnerable we are in the back country, and just how darned fast things can get ugly.
We like to theorize the perfect bear stopping caliber/rifle..... but until it happens have no idea just how little time you have.
This is the first I've written about it... and the last time I'll discuss it.
Thanks for reading
280_ACKLEY
-Summer 1998 a coworker and I were timber cruising and yelling back and forth. It was a dead calm july day, and I looked up to see a 7' ish grizz crouched on its belly less than 40yds away. It took a few steps in the creep position, and as I pumped a round into my shotgun he stood up. The encounter lasted @ 30 seconds or so as he looked at us from behind a tree and finally sauntered off. Luckily for us, as I had squanderd all my slugs away the day before on empty paint cans, and the local sports store was out... leaving me with only the lowly 00 buck!
Numerous other little encounters over the next few summers, including a youngish blackie that I chased off with rocks, and ended up face to face with less than 5 yds apart a few minutes later. Had the Ruger Vaquero 45 Colt drawn and the hammer back... he doesn't know how close he came to getting a 300gr slug in the face, but finally left when I told him where to go.
Up until then, my encounters with bears were quite mild and uneventful. That all changed in 2005.
August 19, 2005 my sheep hunting partner and I were sidehilling a nasty chunk of ground above a steep canyon on 70%+ slope through thick bush in an old burn. We had already bumped into one old boar Grizz early on in the trip at <30yds, but he decided to run the other way.
We were loaded down with 100 lb+ packs, and the terrain dictated "4 wheel drive". I could not keep my rifle on my pack due to the sheep horns, so had my partner tie it to his pack for a short while as we traversed the difficult section of ground.
It was about 11:00 and a slight breeze was blowing to us when I caught a whiff of rotten carrion. I let out a loud "Whoooooop", and a few seconds later followed up with "Hey Bear". I was in front of my partner by @ 10yds, and had not gone 5 more steps when the little goat trail we were on opened up to ~ 30yd visibility as it forked.
I heard a little snapping sound, and looked up to a 7'+ grizz charging down the trail towards me, just the sound of her breathing as she ran. There were no jaw pops, huffs, or bluff charges.... it was without warning!
I let out a "man scream" as I yelled "GRIZZ" and threw my hiking stick and shucked my pack... trying to leave as much between the grizz and I as possible. I knew I had to make it to my buddy's pack, get my rifle...
Luck was ours that day, as for whatever reason (maybe my pack... the yelling?) the bear cut through to the bottom trail. In what seemed like an eternity (seconds) the two of us tore my rifle from the 3 quick release clips that held it to his pack.
In a single motion I shucked a 140gr Barnes TSX into the chamber of my 7-08AI, flipped the rear scope cap, and as I went for the front one, looked up to see the grizz coming full tilt as I aimed down the barrel and pulled the trigger (no time to flip the front cap) hitting her square in the brisket and deflecting her charge to the side of us.
The distance.... 6yds!!!!
Here are my thoughts on the event, and what I would change next time:
1. I had become complacent with strapping my rifle onto my pack. Many many weeks spent backpacking in bear country, and 10+ years working in bear country without major incident had allowed me to get a little TOO comfortable. Not anymore! I think from now on I will continue to keep my rifle strapped to my pack in steep terrain, but will pack bear spray on my waist belt.
2. Despite being comfortable, I had made a plan for the two of us should we bump into a grizz. Packing an entire ram on our backs for 40+km in grizz country was not without the possiblity of encounter. We had decided should we bump into one that I would go to my buddy's pack and grab his rifle (fastest option) as I was the most comfortable (confident?) with a sudden encounter and handling a rifle in hurry (he was relatively new to hunting and bears).
That incident was certainly an eye opener, and made me really sit and take a moment to realize how vulnerable we are in the back country, and just how darned fast things can get ugly.
We like to theorize the perfect bear stopping caliber/rifle..... but until it happens have no idea just how little time you have.
This is the first I've written about it... and the last time I'll discuss it.
Thanks for reading
280_ACKLEY
