What a deer drive!

[Bandit]

Decided to make a small drive around a clearcut just before heading home. The stuff was thick so the 2 of us doing the walking left the rifles at camp. About 10 Mins into it I just about step on a grouse, Most of you know what thats like, HAHA. Well 20 yards later it happens again. This time was not such a problem since I had not cleaned up after the first yet. Things are looking pretty sad in the deer catagory and we at at the closest point of the clearcut to get back to camp, so I start heading that way. I was walking along trying to pick the easyest route and not paying much attention to whats around me when I step over a pile of dirt and see a hole about a foot to my right. It looked like it was covered in cobwebs so I bent down to check it out. Suddenly the cobwebs started moving and a big black bear looked me right in the eyes! It turns out that what I thought to be cobwebs was actually the sun glinting off its fur.I about had a heart attack. The bear never came out of it's den, thank the almighty, but I sure did some pretty quick back tracking. My uncle got a pretty good laugh,I have been deer hunting for 34 years, and he said that was the first time he has ever seen me back up faster than most people can go forward. Anyway after 2 grouse at my feet and a bear six inches from my face I had enough. Time to go home I was ready for the " You have been gone for 2 weeks, time to get this *&^% done around here" lecture from you know who.

[Grant Pearson]

sounds like you had quite the drive. I know what stumbling upon a bear is like though. A few years ago I was squirrel hunting with a younger cousin right around new year and came across a bear that had denned up in a bunch of dead falls. All we had with us was a Ruger 10/22. I don't know if that's better or worse than having nothing at all. Let me tell you though, I thought I was carrying an m-16 as fast as I emptied the clip into the tree by it's head. We high tailed it out of there quick and went back to get the trusty 12 ga. loaded with 00 buck in case a round actually hit him and [PoorWordUsage]ed him off.... Even with The Future Hunter here, I have yet to clean more stuff out of the rear end as I had to that day......

[uplander]

A couple years back I was late season pheasant hunting around Ogolvie and had 2 bears pointed! Talk about a trip! Moving in on a clump of cattails expecting a pheasant and getting a bear instead. The bear actually got up and moved! I guess sharring his hibernation spot with 2 dogs and 2 guys was not an option. No confrontation with the dogs we were both close enough to them to get a handle on them.. Was pretty wicked though.

[DonBo]

We were bowhunting in December a few years back. There was enough snow that we were wearing snowshoes. After stand, walking back in the dark, my buddy stepped on a grouse burried in the snow. It tried to fly up through his snowshoe. I'll never forget the scream that came from his mouth.

[KOTTKE]

Had a pine martin decide to join my daughter and I in the stand this year, little guy came up the back side of the tree and stuck his head between ours, if there wasn't a rail on that stand I would have taken on heck of a fall. After it quited down my daughter decides to head back to the shack for some breakfast, about a half hour later I must have been dozzing and I feel something on my soulder, open my eyes and that martin is back, pretty muck filled the shorts again, come to find out hes snacking on my ratteling horns I had left in the tree. daughters first hunt and I garantee she won't forget that one!!

[Steve Foss]

Great story, Bandit, and excellent self control in a scary situation.

Kottke, those martens can be pretty bold little carnivores. I'd definitely need a change of undies if I had one of them unexpectedly poking his nose next to my head and sitting on my shoulder. Yikes!

[Surface Tension]

kingfisher1, a hibernating bear won't pose any threat to you.

In fact, situations outside of hibernating a bear will have taken off long before you knew it was there. I'm only bringing this up before anyone else does. Emptying your clip at a tree above its head was not using good judgment. Returning with buckshot wasn't either. As I said I'm only bringing this up so that you and others at least can learn form it. Thats probably all that needs to be said.