Hi all - I wanted to share an encounter I had in Bedford county Pa this past Saturday and see if anyone has ever had a similar experience.
So, I hiked into my stand right about daybreak opening morning. I waited until I could see so I could still hunt my way in. I have a small piece of property that runs from the road to the top of the mountain and I'm bordered by my buddies land who basically owns the rest of the mountain. On top I have two OLD apple trees, some oaks (without acorns this year....) and I've planted a couple feed patches for the game.
I have a ladder stand in an old oak tree near the apple trees that I normally hunt from but in clearing the food plots I pushed brush together and cleared out an area in which to ground hunt, right in the middle of the pile. Prior to Saturday I had cut some shooting lanes and placed a swivel stool in the brush pile so it would be there when I arrived.
So I arrive at the blind uneventfully, sit down on the stool and man did it squeak. I messed with it a few minutes then figured I'd better head to the ladder stand and start carrying my Niff-T-Seat for any future blind hunts.
I walked over to the ladder and without a glove on my non-shooting hand, I grabbed the rungs and ascended the stand. I hung my backpack, sat down and nocked an arrow.
The breeze was behind me and the apple trees are about 3:00 from me as are the fields where the deer would be coming from - perfect setup.
As soon as I settled, I glanced over my shoulder toward the trail that I had walked in on and here comes a black bear. Now we have feeders and trail cameras out from the end of hunting season until August and the bears have been just tearing them apart. So this sighting, although rare, wasn't completely unexpected.
However the fact he was following the exact trail I had just traveled in on was. I kept thinking he has to smell me, I just walked there....
Anyway he proceeded to come toward me and would cross about 10 steps in front of me - exactly the direction the air currents were blowing. As he hit my scent line, I expected him to bolt out of there as only a bear can do.
But to my surprise as soon as he hits my scent line - what does he he do, but throw his nose in the air, sniff a few times and then start walking right toward me!
I'm thinking to myself - you have to be kidding me. So he comes RIGHT to my ladder stand and sniffs the rungs that I just used to climb up (gloveless)! I'm positive he'll run now.
Then he looks up and we make eye contact. As we all know that's a big hunting no/no. So he'll definitely run now right? Nope...instead he walks over to the tree my ladder is leaning against and stands up. Now I'm thinking - nfw, he's not really going to do this is he????
As quick as the thought hits my head - he wraps his arms around the base of the tree and starts coming up to join me!!!
So I quickly stand up and do what every stealth like hunter would do ---- I say "I don't think so - get out of here!!!"....pretty thought provoking huh - Fred would have been proud!
So naturally he runs off -- about 3 steps -- then turns around and looks up at me again. He then starts coming back to the stand and being cool like I am....I ask him if he's deaf?
So he looks up at me turns a bit and walks over to the apple tree and starts eating. Now he stays there for approximately 30 minutes taking apples in his mouth and walking over to a fallen tree, walking on the log like in a video and eats them. A couple of times he looks like he's dancing as he's rubbing his rear-end against the tree. This is all happening at 10-15 yards.
So now I'm thinking - I'll never see a deer while he's hanging out here, so I politely ask him if he's going to eat all the apples or if he plans to leave any for the deer. He looks up and keeps eating (so I guess I have my answer).
About another 15 minutes go by so I politely ask him to leave. He doesn't even look up! So I say "Hey - I'm talking to you!!!" - loud enough that if anyone else was in the woods they'd think I lost my mind.
His only reaction was to glance up at me, then lean over and grab another apple. That's when he glanced back one more time (almost in defiance...) and saunters down the back side of the mountain.
Now my question is - has this bear become so acclimated to people that he's not afraid of us at all? Is that normal? I'm wondering if he associates people with a free meal (no not eating us but all that we leave behind --- at least I hope).
Now he wasn't real old but he wasn't a cub either. He was actually fair sized for that area - I'd guess around 200 lbs, so I'd think he'd been exposed to people enough to be somewhat alarmed by us.
I know it sounds odd but I really feel like he was trailing or looking for me. Came down the path, caught my scent line, sniffed my ladder rung, made eye contact, didn't run when I spoke. I don't have a lot of experiences with bears to draw from but it seemed real odd to me. Has anyone else ever had something similar happen?
Now the cool thing is - this season is the first time I've decided to keep a journal. My first entry is definitely a keeper!!!
I'm very interested in the others opinions. Thx.
I once had a dog follow my scent trail i had put down and when he got to the bottom of the tree he just started barking like crazy. :biglaugh:
Man that must have freaked you out, i think i would start carrying a BIG pistol on my hip.
I guess bear season isn't open yet. To bad, you could have had a nice trophy!!! Good story...
Perhaps you have settled into his territory. Apples are a tasty treat.
Bears really get hammered in PA during the season. If he keeps that up, he'll be a rug by this time next year.
It could be he associates your scent with the feeders, you=food. A bear that's lost his fear of man can be a dangerous thing. I'd take him out when bear season opens.
Yep now that is a bear ripe for the picking. When does the bear season open?
Mike
Can you say rubber blunt? :eek:
He was probably letting you know you forgot to drop off the bags of stale jelly doughnuts like those other nice hunters have been dropping off!!!
Bow season for bears is mid-November. I've never bought a license as they're usually out of the area by then - he's the first one I've seen during hunting season. However, if he continues to visit I'll definitely purchase one.
And he's right, as soon as the first frost hits those apples up there get real tasty!
I have to wonder how he'd have reacted if I stayed on the ground (like I plan to do this weekend). Probably more fun would to have seen how I'd have reacted :)
I'm no bear expert, but a bear that isn't afraid of me would concern me a little. :scared:
Call Bear Grills from Man vs Wild and let him come put a choke hold on him. :thumbsup:
Did ya here him say bring ur own damn apples next time! :goldtooth: :biglaugh:
QuoteOriginally posted by sou-pawbowhunter:
I'm no bear expert, but a bear that isn't afraid of me would concern me a little. :scared:
Same here. This usually (not always) only happens when there is little or no hunting pressure.
Black bears that will walk up to you "just out of curiosity" will also slap you upside your head "just out of curiosity".
Buy a tag, pattern the bear, carry a sidearm for backup (if legal in your area). A bear like that can be a hazard to others.
My 2c.
Nate
Buddy....I'm not laughing at ya, I'm laughing with ya. Some of the things we bowhunters encounter can be nothing short of comical at times.
QuoteNow my question is - has this bear become so acclimated to people that he's not afraid of us at all? Is that normal? I'm wondering if he associates people with a free meal (no not eating us but all that we leave behind --- at least I hope).
I'd lay money on that bear being fed regularly at nearby camps or houses. Sounds like he's lost his fear of humans, and the fact that he trailed you to the food tells me that he associates human scent with food. These kind of bears scare me. Maybe a blunt in the backside would teach him a lesson. Maybe not.
At any rate, be thankful for that squeeky seat. :D
I had a really strange bear encounter last night. I've never had a bear that wouldn't run off. I think this bear has been hand fed.
At 4pm, 4 adult bears came to feed on the bench I was watching. I watched them for an hour pushing and shoving each other around and eating acorns. At 5pm, I figured I might as well end the afternoon early, and tried shooing the bears off. 2 of them ran off, but the other two wouldn't budge. Below are pictures of my
thermos after I beaned one of the bears, which turned aggressive and started
up my tree as I was coming down, in the noggin with it, and he carried it off 20 yards and
started chewing on it. He dropped it and walked off, and I thought he was
gone for good. But this bear was totally unafraid of me and circled me all
the way back to the truck. It charged me 7 times, coming within 15 yards
each time. If I would have had a handgun instead of my 48 pound stickbow, I
would have shot him because I was truly in fear for my life.
Needless to say, my bowhunting is over until I secure a handgun and permit.
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Dang guys just get a bear tag. You'll never see another one in the woods. LOL
They can be a little concerning at times. Used to run a bear outfit in Washington back in the day and we had a lot of storys to tell about close encounters of the bear kind.
Mike
I hunt Florida where we can hunt over feeders and there is no bear season. We are seeing more and more bears. This past week I had 3 hunts interrupted by the same bear. First he chased off a hog, second 2 does and the third which really got to me was a fine 10 point coming in.
Was a very windy day, the creaking you will hear is the stand. first min is of me waiting for hog to get into position rest of the vid is bear. The hog is out at about 30 yards at the start. I was concentrating on the hog I never saw the bear come in. It was only after the hog took off,I had turned off camera and returned my attention back that I noticed the bear.
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii45/heilakka/2010/th_pig_bear.jpg) (http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii45/heilakka/2010/?action=view¤t=pig_bear.flv)
Great video. I'm sick of bears. I totaled our car on one in April, and counting last nights encounter, we've seen 34 bears since. Years past, we were lucky to see a single bear in a years time.
Hopefully it is just a bear that is being fed/acclimated to humans. Most of the black attacks happen in remote areas and from what I have read a "wilderness bear" that will approach you very calmly without hesitation is a dangerous bear. Black bears SHOULD startle easily and be very tentative when approaching a bait sight! I've hunted them for years and I only had one bear that spotted me from a distance and proceeded to quietly walk right up to my 5 ft. high stand without a moment's hesitation! Anything that startled it or attempted to come in was charged with full sound and fury! While it wasn't the rug I wanted, it was getting dark and I didn't like his attitude, :D so I decided to take him.
Bowdoc and I encountered one this past summer while baiting and it just stayed on the bait while we were approaching then slowly walked off. An article after the woman was attacked up there this September stated that a history of bad weather had led to a scarcity of food and a lot of bold bear sightings.
The odds of an attack are still very low. I'm just saying if he keeps it up or even gets more familiar-shoot him!
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/09/21/bear-attack-caught-latuque.html
I had a small black bear start to climb a tree with me years back while baiting for spring bears. This was a 'wilderness bear', and when he recognized what he was doing, he left in a big hurry. Bears that are habituated to humans can spell trouble; he sounds ripe for becoming a bear rug.
I have had bear tracks over mine as if they followed them out of curiosity. I have seen plenty of video of bear at bait stations having behavor like that. Maybe your getting what is happening here in utah. Bears sightings that appear where they have not been bear traditionaly and have big blue x's on them? Fish and game will not admit were the bear come from. They may not accually know ether. Most think that they are troubled bear from yellowstone but no one seems to know. After almost stepping on a few and loosing a few deer and elk to them I started putting in for tags. They are sure fun to hunt though.
This is a remote bear. Thing is, the camp next door to me showed me pictures of friends of theirs that have a camp about a mile from where my bear incident occured. The pictures were from this past summer, and showed a group of bears being fed pastries that were thrown from their back porch. I'm convinced that this bear is one of those bears. The entire scenario just makes me think that this bear thought he was going to get fed and when he didn't, he pushed the envelope.
DO NOT TAKE THAT BEAR LIGHTLY...very bad situation you have here.ever think that bear may have been coming up to see how you taste? contact your fish and game office and see what they can do to remove it or maybe give you a problem bear permit.i've been chased by a blackie when i was a kid,scared me half to death and almost kept me outta the woods permanent. a bear not afraid is very dangerous,might be cute but that sob would eat you in a second.
Get a camera and more apples. Oh yea, a permit too.
If this young bear was fed at the camp, he could have been run out of that area by an older bear. These bears usually are not the predatory ones that we hear about that stalk and kill people. Human fed bears are a habituated pain the butt for those that have to deal with them. In parks and wilderness areas, a human habituated bear is a dead bear, as they always overstay their welcome.
wow those are some wild stories. I have never had that happen with bear but I did have a weird incident occur with a bobcat awhile back. It came up to me and kept getting closer until it was 3 feet away...arms distance. I was prone, head to toe in camo and the cat didnt seem to know what I was. It would not leave! I dont hunt predators - bears or cats for that matter but it was cool that he came so close and stayed so long. After awhile I did think he might attack me, possibly not knowing what I was. He eventually figured out I was not a meal and he left. Its weird to look into the eyes of a wild animal at that range.
So today I decide that I've calmed down enough to go get my stand. Dang bear decided to go back and eat the seat of my Summit!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :banghead: :banghead:
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