MGH_PA

LMAO!!!!! Holy crap, Ben. I almost spit mouthwash out all over reading that, and picturing you screaming and running down the trail. However, if I were in your shoes I would have done the EXACT same thing. That had to get the adrenalin pumping.

Ben / PA

Ya...the funny thing was...at the time (the weeks leading up to this) I had been having some mild chest pain and was saying to the boys that they shouldn't get me worked up. Needless to say, I was text messaging when I got settled in the tree to all of them, that if I was gonna have the big one it would have just happened.

Hoyt_Viper

Im more curious if it was a fluke, or will it remain in the area? The environment is perfect, and last year when I dropped a nice 6 pointer and lost the blood trail, when I picked it up the next morning, the only things left were its hide, rack, chewed rib bones and a leg or two. Now that I know they are in the woods, should I expect that this is their domain and possibly target one?

Im very uneducated about the bears traveling distances, but with the land, valleys, and outright perfect terrain for a bear, do you think she will stay around?With the sow had cubs, there has to be a male running around somewhere as well. It really has changed what I may be shooting this year. Do they like high ground, low ground, moist areas, highly dense areas, or what. I have abear tag on my license, but only a few days during archery and muzzy, and it sure would be a treat to take one out.

Any advice on how to keep it around...ordo I want it? Is it a threat (predator) to deer, or just out to eat scraps of dead wildlife, berry's, and such. I would like to think if I saw it once so close to my stand, I could leave some watermelon scraps, bread, donuts, or whatever may keep her around until I can maybe get a shot, or at least a picture on my game cam. Where is Shultzy when i need him!

SHULTZY.....help a brother out!

Brknarrow1970

I have seen dozens of bears in the last 10 years on the East coast of Nc,I have been in my stand and yelled at them, they are very curious creatures and sometimes the yelling worked, sometimes it didn't Only once in the 10 years was a bear after me- I gotten between a sow and a cub , spooked the cub and here came mama, ran like a scalded snake, jumped on the 4 wheeler busted the boys in the process and hauled tail, needless to say no stand went in the oak flat my buddy was saying is great.. I also still have a climber seat I left in the woods overnight, bad move, the bears stole my fanny pack, chewed the seat bar, and ripped the seat to shreds - that will make the hair on your neck raise at 5am everytime

gzg38b

So what do you DO?

Scream and chase it? Or quietly back out and hope it doesn't follow you? Or remain perfectly still and ignore it until she leaves?

BPBowhunter

Jeff,

I'm glad everything worked out for you. Years from now you will look back at that encounter and it will be a treasured memory that you will never forget. I am still waiting for my first actual bear sighting in the woods.

Take care my friend.

Brian

NCRemington700

Wow that's a crazy encounter. I too am not real educated on bears, but I know enough. I still would have pooped down both legs.

Ben / PA

You might be surprised....in the 2006 Ben vs TheBear encounter I was drawn on the bear, not by design, but out of shear deer hunter instincts.

Second week of the season, me and the boys were up just a little too late the night before playing cards and sucking on Keystones. Anyhow, the point is that it was just about ten minutes past daylight and I am like 30 yards from a ridge treestand. My buddy Mike was headed to another stand below the ridge off to the left. He was in the group that scrambled/ stumbled out of the cabin ahead of me, so he was down over the side about five minutes before me. I hear what I think is some deer being busted up over by Mr. Smooth. My plan was to be drawn when the deer hit the ridge. I guess I figured they would stop and I would pick one and shoot. Well the "deer" stopped, stood up on his hind legs, at about 10 yards and just looked at me. I didn't know if I should aim at the ten ring and let fly, pee all over freshly washed camo, or drop the bow and run for the stand. Luckily, like in most cases, the bear decided for me. He dropped down and whirled around and ran back down the hill muttering somthing about stupid humans.

GMMAT

I'd like to see you explain the doughnuts to your DNR

VERY VERY bad idea.

Brknarrow1970

The bear that ate my stand was gone, but returned around 8am - I climbed the tree and hunted, when he returned assumed it was he since was alone and BIg, watched him for awile, then spooked him off by slamming climber against the tree

Like I said very curious, numerous times they will come to the bottom of tree and stand up and try and wind you-little nerve wrecking but you get used to them, they like to crap where they feed, cornfields will get destroyed by them, several rows deep from the edge and bear poo everywhere

actually I hate being in the woods with them