More Fun with Black Bears and Ground Blinds

[Ken Taylor]

From signs I read around my bait site, I knew that I had two adult boars (besides the usual anti-social mix of bears).

One was a fully mature boar whose sign I had been paying close attention to for a couple of years back, and whom I figured was up in age. The other was a new guy that I thought hadn't reached his full potential yet.

After filling my tag elsewhere last year, I had guided a friend at this site and I had spotted the old guy for the first time  for all of five seconds... before my buddy inadvertently spooked him, even though he was still a ways off.  People are often surprised how wary big bears can be.

So anyhow, this season, on this particular evening, I was watching an average bear work the bait about 14 yards away when (to my satisfaction) he left abruptly.

On alert and anticipating a bigger bear appearing at the bait in front of me at any moment, my peripheral vision picked up black fur moving quickly towards me from the side.

An energetic bear of more than respectable size with a shiny black coat that showcased his solid musculature was now within reach. Unfortunately, this wasn't the bear I was hunting.

He seemed in a rush to check everything out and when he got up  on two legs to look around he was taller than I thought he would be. Problem was, he was so darn close to my blind when he stood up and swiveled that periscope like neck around, something caught his attention inside my blind.

He circled behind me to see if he could check things out from the back and I slowly turned my head to keep him in sight. I remained still since I didn't want to be discovered and have him raise a ruckus, thereby more than likely ruining my chances for the old bear later. Even when he appeared to be trying to push his head through the brush wall I didn't move.

Like I mentioned before though, this guy was fast... and brazen, so when that didn't work, he got up again and looked inside. I still had my back up against the large tree that is part of my blind and he didn't know that I was there.

When I saw him beginning to shift his weight on his front paws that were now well positioned on top of the brush wall, I knew what his plans were. I didn't think that both of us would fit comfortably in a 4'x5' enclosure so I sprung into action.

I keep a fresh cut birch stick about 2 inches thick and about 2 feet long in the blind for cases like this, and when I raised it over my head and faced him at less than three feet (I had to look up a little), he just about fell over backwards from the surprise (remember that he had been up on two feet, leaning inside).

He sprinted off about twenty yards in front of the blind now, stopped, turned, and started towards me again. He just had to figure out what the heck I was. When he got to about 10 yards from me I displayed "grumpy" body language and hit the stick once hard on the tree to my right (I kept silent because I didn't want to make an unnatural noise in case the old bear was within hearing distance). He got the message and backed off... but to my surprise, he circled, giving me wide berth, and made his way to my bait barrel for his evening meal.

He was there for at least twenty minutes, every once in a while glancing in my direction to make sure that the miserable creature remained bedded in it's nest.

That was my final action for the day.

Two days later, I put a  a VPA tipped cedar arrow through the lungs of an old worn toothed monarch. He was in his decline, but he was still wary. I usually try to arrange shooting big bears in good daylight, but this guy wouldn't have it that way.

I had to shoot him as late as my 59+ eyes can see to shoot something that black well instinctively ... there was still 15 minutes of legal hunting time remaining but it's always darker in the bush. He was still checking things out before committing himself but I didn't have the luxury of waiting for a better shot at the barrel.

I heard his last breath only 15 yards away.

The rest is another story in itself.

I can hardly wait for next spring.

Front view of my blind
 

My June 2012 Bear.
 

[ron w]

Looks to be a nice one.....          Well done!!

[coaster500]

Great story I about crapped my pants reading it!!!

Great bear!!  beautiful coat    

[Pete McMiller]

Congrats on a nice bear AND taking it from a natural ground blind.

[BaldingEagle]

[bohuntr]

Absolutely awesome story and bear!!! Nothing like hunting those guys from the ground and having them right in your lap!      

[Al33]

Great read!!! Congrat's on a fine bear!  

[Terry Lightle]

He is a good one congrats

[owlbait]

Even with my meds I think I would've been changing my shorts! That is a toad, and what a rush!!!            WOW!

[battman]

Definately had my attention reading that one.I've always wanted to hunt bears but the more of these stories I read the more I want to go.From a tree of course.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

great hunt Ken, super looking bear.! congrats!

[WESTBROOK]

Well that was a most entertaining hunt    

Nice bear    

Eric

[Shedrock]

Great story, and super nice bear, congrats!

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Very cool , I love me some Bear hunten , CONGRATS...
,,,,,,Sam,,,,,

[Hopewell Tom]

Nice one, great looking blind. Hard to see any "shooting lanes".

[Missouri CK]

Beautiful bear!

Love to see more of the blind.  Pretty cool hide.  

CK

[Big Ed]

Awesome

[Orion]

Now that's the way to do it.        Thanks for sharing.

[Ryman Cat]

Great story and nice bear. Congratulations and that blind is something. Iron nerves you must have to saty still that close it paid off.

[Bel007]

Wow!  Awsome bear, very exciting story.  Thanks for sharing it with us.