Caught in th middle!!

[ANYFISH2]

Tonight I had a exciting, be it somewhat un-nerving, first as a hunter.

I had this feeling all day while at work that tonight was going to be something special, so I ditched the family responability(with my wifes' blessing of course) and headed to the stand. As the afternoon moved along a shower here and there the woods were very quiet except for the drips from the trees. Not much was moving around except for the Blue jays of the area, not even a squirrel.

As the magic hour approched I here a splash to my right, I am a certain the deer are on their way, as they always splash like that as they cross a small funnel on thier way to a cut bean field. I ready myself for on coming deer, but these dark figures are not deer! To my suprise, I see a smallish bear working it way up from the funnel, and behind it is a larger bear, I assume "mother". This is really cool for me as in all my 33 years I have only seen 1 other bear in Minnesota. I grab my camera and try to snap a few photos but it is just to dark in the woods for my cheap camera to take a good picture. I then switch the camera to video to capture the bears as they walk by. To my suprise they walk by but mom stops and starts coming back towards me, directly towards me! As I video she continues on to walk within 2 paces of my ladder stand, stopping to look up at me a few times, she knows I am there. This all good still as it is really fun to watch them. They have now been around my location for about 15 minutes now. Mom works her way back to the cub(a large 2 year old I believe), she bats the cub a few times and the cub starts working its way back towards me. Mom stays put as the cub wanders past me and back towards the funnel and dissapears with a crash. Well now it is over half hour and the woods are getting dim, I am now hoping they move on, so I can comfortably get out of the woods. That would not be the case tonight, however. At 6:35 I feel compelled to call my wife and have her drive up in case I needed assistance getting out. We live 20 min away so I sit hoping mom would walk by and join her cub to the south leaving me open to exit north to the field. Nope, cub has climbed a tree 50 yds to the south and mom lazily lounges beneath a large oak 50 yds to the north. I am dead center between them, What DO I DO? i ask my self.

It is now dark, very dark, my wife has missed a turn and is now running alittle behind, I can only hear mom move every so often, but can't see her! I yell, try to make noise to scare her off but she goes nowhere. I am now starting to get a little nervous, I stand alone between mom and cub on a 24x30 platform, all I can do is wait. Finally at 7:30 and over an hour with these bears within 50 yds my wife makes it to me and is able to scare mom up a tree my honking and breaking stickes for me. I make my move for the Tahoe. Finally out of the woods!

Now I may be a "nancy" but I really didn't know what to do, I certain am not afraid of bears but did not like being between mom and cub! After it is done, what a great experience. Just another great experience in the bow stand.

Sorry for the long windeed story, but wanted to share!

[tunrevir]

That sounds like a pretty interesting night on stand! Fun to see those critters. They seem to be expanding into many different areas of the state. A buddy had a trailcam pic of a brute near his stand this year. You just never know what you'll see when on stand.

Tunrevir~

[Rippinlip]

Not sure I would have acted any differently.

I think you acted spot on.

I have never encountered a bear in the woods while hunting, but everything I have ever heard getting between a cub and Mom ain't good.

[Monkster]

It seems to me you did the exact thing all of us would have done! Getting between a sow and her cubs is NOT a good thing. Great experience though!

[paceman]

Wow man that would have been very unnerving. Good call on having the wife or someone show up....

[reinhard1]

i have never had that experience and probably would of done the same thing. i have had bears walk towards me in the arrowhead while trout fishing upper streches of rivers and creeks. that gets the heart beat going enough without cubs adding the the beats. glad you had the wife there to assist you. a mom with cubs is something one try's to avoid if possible. glad it worked out for you and you have a great moment to talk about at future campfires. good luck.

[96trigger]

That might be one of the best stories I have ever read on here. I would have done the same thing only I probably wouldn't have had cell phone reception where I was at. I really don't know what I would have done in that situation. I guess it goes to say one should always tell people where they are hunting.

[wannafish2]

I am glad you and your wife are safe. Sounds like you did everything right. Whew!

[Scoot]

I have to admit- I'd have been pretty nervous too. However, it sounds like a very cool experience!!!

[sticknstring]

I think we all would've been wearing skirts in that circumstance!

[Finlander]

Awesome story! Good for you everthing worked out! It'll be a story of a lifetime for you and your wife! Got to admit your wife was pretty brave to get the bears out of there, Kudo's to her!

[newfish]

I think you did the right and very smart thing. Why take a chance in getting into a fist fight with an angry bear!? There is no shame in what you did, any smart person would have done the same thing.

Great experience to share, I am sure anyone who reads it will have this idea pop into their head if they are in a similar situation. Nice job in a tough situation.

[ANYFISH2]

Thanks for the kind words guys. It was quiet the hour/+. They are really cool animals to watch, it just doesn't have to get dark before they leave/don't leave! What suprise me the most I think is that mom knew I was there and it didn't seem to concerned.

As far as my wife is concerned, she is the best. A great hunting/fishing partner as well as my hero(honestly she is in more way than one). She never bauked at getting out and breaking stickes to get the bear to move, she was well within 30 yds od the sow while doing this unarmed. Very brave indeed!

[grizrunner]

Brave woman! She did get a big hug after all that I hope. Maybe dinner out?

There is no way my wife is walking 1/2 mile of a bear even armed.

Good story!

[Archerysniper]

You have a great woman their,the real question was she good enough to also bring a change of undies with for you.

[musky hunter]

Quite an experience! It is a position I never would want to put myself in and almost found myself in last year from my ground blind. But I was able to scare off the cub with a good shhhh! It's experiences like that which keep us coming back. Already been said, one of the best stories ever read here!

[Wanderer]

Whew!!

[bigbucks]

Nice job! I definitely think you did the right thing. I have no idea what I would have done, not sure if I'd have thought of having someone else come, like someone else said the cell would either by dead, in the truck, or have no reception.

[Archerysniper]

If Couldn't get someone to come out I probably would have sacrificed my bent squirrel arrow and stuck it into a tree near the bear to hopefully make a loud enough smack near her for her to leave the area quickly.

[Archerysniper]

May be you and your wife were really lucky,this was posted in the hunting section.

Bear attack