good 'ol bear stories

[pulleye16]

Probably been on here once or twice but you guys / gals have any funny ones that just stand out?

Mine would probably be the first year my old man took me out. We had a cabin up near Tower, MN and we were driving from St. cloud and back every weekend. We went up on the first weekend we could hunt, but we were not getting good results on our sites. This was his second year doing this so he was pretty new as well. He decided to take my sisters GEO METRO two door hatch back to save on gas thinking we were not going to get one, but I think he just wanted to take me out anyways just to hunt; I'm sure I was hounding him as I loved going up to the north woods. Well, as luck would have it, I shot a bear on the first night up (okay, I was young and couldn't judge a bear, but it was just under 150 lbs). It was a trophy to me and still is. The fun part was having a 150 lbs black bear sit in the back of the hatch back driving down the highway for 4 and a half hours watching everyone face as the drove by! I think my dad intentionally placed the head looking right out the back window. I'm sure someone out there is telling people the same story, only from a passer-bys point of view!

[cherokee]

I bet you got a few looks.

[bogwalker]

I had an opportunity for a free guided bear hunt up in Kooch County several years ago. My friend (the guide) told me that an out of state guide (his client) had been sitting in a tree for 5 or 6 consecutive evenings where a big boar would circle the bait just far enough into the brush to conceal himself. He told me he suspected that his client was not sitting still in the stand. This is a very remote site. My friend gave me a ride to the site, freshened up the bait and left. The stand tilted forward just a little bit, just enough to torture me after about 30 minutes. My friend adjusts his stands for each individual hunter but forgot to do this for me. He told me to sit perfectly still and I would see the bear. My eyes were focused on the bait crib. After about 4 hours of agony I saw something black straight ahead of me above the thick brush. I could not make it out as it was just above my eyeglasses. I would not move for anything at this point. It was not clear but it looked like a big bear standing on his hind legs I could not tell without raising my head and that was not going to happen. It reminded me of a bear in the old Daniel Boone TV show. It was gone in a few seconds. It seemed my eyes were playing tricks on me. Now at about the 8:00 position a bear slowly walked into the bait clearing. It was huge. He reminded me of a Polar Bear with a long neck. As he crossed the clearing he appeared to be passing through. My heart was thumping and I was praying like only a hunter can. He turned and walked back the way he came in. Leveling my .270 (no longer used for bear) I squeezed the trigger. He went down like a ton of bricks. I held the scope on him in case I needed a follow up shot. No movement at all so I lowered my rifle. The bear stood up and ran full speed to the bottom of my tree then veered off into the thick brush. He circled me about 180 degrees woofing at me. He was mad. I sat in that tree until 10:30. Several hours that night and about 5 hours tracking brought us about 100 yards from where we started until there was no trail left to follow. I became a big bore rifle hunter soon thereafter.

[bogwalker]

Okay, here is another one. I was sitting in a ladder stand where my son had just backed the 4-wheeler up to drop me off. No human scent on the trail because I did not walk in right? I am there a couple of hours when I get glimpses of black moving through the woods. The heart gets thumping as this bear approaches the crib. It is a yearling. I calm down and now a second bear materializes. Another yearling. These little guys are jumpy. They took turns scrambling up a huge old dead Aspen tree a few feet then going back to the bait. Eventually black movement in the woods moving slowly in toward the bait. This one stops before I can make out how big it is. By now the yearlings were about 18 feet up the dead Aspen. I sit on my 15 foot ladder stand watching these 2. The 3rd bear backs out and starts circling the site. I can't see it but I watch the young bears moving their heads as they watch or hear the intruder who interrupted their meal. It is getting dark fast. Out of the corner of my eye I catch movement along my access trail only feet from where I am sitting. This is a nice bear. He approaches the crib and gets to work on it. I ease my rifle into position slowly and eventually get my red dot settled behind his shoulder. Now the two yearlings notice me. One steps on a 6 foot dead branch. The branch snaps, falls and lands across the shooter bears back. Proving that bears do in fact _ _ _ _ in the woods, this on does and makes a lightning fast retreat for parts unknown. In the dark I climb down and walk out of the woods, my 2 little bear buddies still up their tree.

[BobT]

I'm not a bear hunter but I do have a humorous story to share.

One of the things we did a lot when I was growing up around Buhl was berry picking. One July we went picking blueberries and as usual my dad took his bucket and went off on his own. He had a knack for coming back with full buckets before we could fill ours. Anyway, my mom was busy picking in her patch surrounded by hazelnut and tag elder brush when she heard someone approach on the other side of the brush. Figuring it was my dad she began asking him if he found some berries. His reply was nothing more than a grunt. She kept on yacking her jaws until she filled her bucket. When she stood up to go to the car to empty her bucket she was surprised to find that it wasn't my dad she had been talking to but a bear. He was sitting in the same berry patch stuffing his face with blueberries. Needless to say she figured she would let him have the berry patch to himself.

[jay83196]

This one time at bear bait camp...just kidding couldn't resist.

[motley man]

Was predator calling with a friend on the edge of a corn field calling the open area. Corn was planted in middle of the area. Heard noise behind me, and thought it was deer or coyote but could not see anything thru stalks and whatever it was kept going pass behind me. Few minutes later a large bear came out on end of corn. After we saw him and he left we went behind where I was laying prone on ground and he was 4 rows away from where I was laying. Watch your back is the word of the day!!!!!!

[archeral566]

last year during the spring turkey season i was bowhunting this big clover field and every time i would go hunt this big bear around 400lbs would just come out and lay within 20 yards of my blind and i would always have to chase him off which was difficult because he seemed to show to fear of me, on the third day i finally got my chance and arrowed a nice tom at 7 yards after watching turkeys daily.

[Boar]

Hey Jay? that one time at bait camp? What did you do with the doughnut? I hope it was'nt a cream filled longjohn. Boar

[kelly-p]

A first time bear hunter is up in a permanent stand over the bait. A sow and cubs comes in so he is just watching them hoping for a boar to show up. A boar comes in, the sow woofs and the boar runs away while the cubs climb the tree right alongside the hunter. The sow looks around and sees the hunter up there alongside her cubs. She gets a little upset and starts up the tree the nunter is in after the hunter. It turns into a standoff. The sow will not leave the base of the tree so the hunter can not climb down and leave. The cubs will not climb down so the sow will leave. He called for help on his cel phone and Jon had to drive his pickup to the base of the tree to get the sow to back away a little bit and the hunter grabbed his bow and jumped into the bed of the pickup. They backed out of there with the sow still holding her ground.

The same hunter the next year is now carrying a pistol along with his bow. On his way into the bait one day he stops his wheeler a few hundred yards from the bait where the trail goes through some high grass to change into his clean, scent free clothing he has in a garbage bag. When he has all of his clothes off a bear sticks it's head out of grass about 15 feet away. The hunters bow is cased up on the front of the wheeler. His pistol is cased up in the bottom of his hunting pack and the hunter is stark naked. The hunter did the only thing he could think off,,,, he tried to hide behind the wheeler. He swore that the bear just looked at him, shook it's head sadly and walked away. At least he hunter didn't have to clean his soiled underwear becase he didn't have any on.

[Boar]

Ha, thats good. One that I've read. Hunters is in stand an A sow an cubs come in, the guide has instructed that if a sow an cubs come in to speak to her in a gentle voice an she'll scamper off, he dose this an the cubs freak up a tree an the sow is popn hers jaws an wooffin, trying to find the sopurce of the sound. The cubs actuall climb a tree right next to the hunter an he starts to freak an the sow see's him an starts to climb the ladder stand, he unleashes pepper spray an the sow falls to teh ground squaling, she shakes it off an trys again an is again met with pepper spray, this time she cant take an dissapears into the brush, wooffin for her cubs which soon follow. The shaken hunter calls for the guide to get his butt outa there, he shows up an hunter climbs down. The hunter gose to releave himself in the lake an gets pepper spray all over his delicates from climbing down the ladder stand that he sprayed when the sow tryed to reach him. He spends awhile in the coolness of the lake soaking his twig an berries. One of the funnier ones I've read. Boar

[maros91]

This isn't a funny story but it's a successful one. About 5 years ago on my first bear hunt i was baiting and it was getting hit pretty good. Opening day comes around I go bait and walk about 30 yards back into my stand. I climb up, pull up my gun and waited a total of about 3 minutes for the bear to arrive. one shot and down. my hunt lasted about 3 minutes.

[Matt Breuer]

Now THAT is a story, Kelly! I got the visual of a naked shivering 140 lb. man cowering behind a quad in fear. Hilarious!

[BobT]

A first time bear hunter is up in a permanent stand over the bait. A sow and cubs comes in so he is just watching them hoping for a boar to show up. A boar comes in, the sow woofs and the boar runs away while the cubs climb the tree right alongside the hunter. The sow looks around and sees the hunter up there alongside her cubs. She gets a little upset and starts up the tree the nunter is in after the hunter. It turns into a standoff. The sow will not leave the base of the tree so the hunter can not climb down and leave. The cubs will not climb down so the sow will leave. He called for help on his cel phone and Jon had to drive his pickup to the base of the tree to get the sow to back away a little bit and the hunter grabbed his bow and jumped into the bed of the pickup. They backed out of there with the sow still holding her ground.

The same hunter the next year is now carrying a pistol along with his bow. On his way into the bait one day he stops his wheeler a few hundred yards from the bait where the trail goes through some high grass to change into his clean, scent free clothing he has in a garbage bag. When he has all of his clothes off a bear sticks it's head out of grass about 15 feet away. The hunters bow is cased up on the front of the wheeler. His pistol is cased up in the bottom of his hunting pack and the hunter is stark naked. The hunter did the only thing he could think off,,,, he tried to hide behind the wheeler. He swore that the bear just looked at him, shook it's head sadly and walked away. At least he hunter didn't have to clean his soiled underwear becase he didn't have any on.

First, it must have taken a tremendous amount of courage for him to sit there face to face with that she bear wanting her cubs. Amazing!

With the second story I can't help but wonder what that bear saw that made him shake his head sadly and walk away.

[cherokee]

Biff, that there is a nice short hunt.

[Boar]

hey biff you hunting this year buddy.

[Random guy]

Jon had to drive his pickup to the base of the tree to get the sow to back away a little bit and the hunter grabbed his bow and jumped into the bed of the pickup. They backed out of there with the sow still holding her ground.

No first the bow landed in the truck then the hunter came second. I asked him about dropping his bow and messing it up on the way out and he said "Screw it, I tossed it first before I jumped...she isnt still chasing us us she?!" as he kept looking back..

I will never forget the sow bluff charging the truck as I was backing out of the bait site...she was ticked.