What would u do?? BEAR....
 

This morning while bowhunting, I had my second encounter of the season with a Black Bear. In 20 years of hunting these same areas, I haven' t ever seen one, let alone two in a year. This time I got a little freaked out. I was coming off my stand, headed back to the snowmaobile trail that leads off the mountain, when I heard kthud, kthud, kthud, something heavy moving toward me real fast. I looked toward the sound, and saw a black bear running straight for me, I don' t know if it actually knew I was there or not, but it was coming fast, and right up the trail I was walking out on, I quickly knocked an arrow and took a step back, ready to draw, it started to slow down, coming within five feet of me, to my left, yup, five feet, not yards, then it slowly came to a stop about 15 feet away. It put its nose in the air and sniffed around, then turned away, heading uphill, away from me to my left. I then grabbed for the digital camera, but I was shaking so bad, I couldn' t even turn it on!!!!![X(] My question for all of you is would you have shot???

The problem is that bear season in my zone is from Sept 1, to Sept 21, so I couldn' t legally shoot, and I have never gotten a bear tag, having never seen one, so even if it was in season, it wouldn' t be legal. You can bet I will have a tag next year, even if it means I won' t see any!!!!:D

Shoot, Don' t shoot, and if you do shoot, then what???????
Thanks,
Mike

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

NHDEMON, Id be willing to bet that the bear didnt see you and when it stopped and smelled it winded you it went the other way. This has been my experiences with bears in NH,ME and VT. Now if you said you were in NJ id be yanking that string back. Thats the only place ive hunted where the bears dont seem to be afraid of humans.

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Those were my thoughts too Dennis, both of the bears I saw this season didn' t seem to agressive, more curious, this one just surprised me by running toward me!!

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No questions asked, if a bear is within 10' of me and still coming, I would be shooting, that is if I could draw my bow, I would be shaking like a leaf.

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My wife and parents are afraid I' m gonna be attacked, but i don' t think it' s anything I can' t handle, they all want me to carry a pistol too, instead of just my bow, so if they all want to chip in, I' m all for it!!;) I think my dad and I will go to the conservation officer and find out the legality of killing one out of season if I feel VERY threatened... so far it' s been cool, I was shaking pretty good this time though...

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i wouldnt have let it get that close. at ten feet i would be taking my second shot. i would rather not loose an arm or a leg or my life over an animal 3 times my weight not being " in season" . it put itself " in season" when it started running in my direction.

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I' m having a hard time judging the weight on them, the first one i saw didn' t look too big until I got back home and looked at the picture, this one seemed even smaller, probably less than 200lbs.. but I have never hunted them so I have nothing to go by weight wise....... I don' t think it really saw me too well in my camo, and was more curious than anything, i debated on weather to shoot, and if that would make things worse........

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Come on now eastwood, that would have to be one very big bear:D

No way now how am I ever letting a bear get within 5 feet of me. Something would have to give.

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Im with eastwood there. There would be no doubt that he would smell me :D I have a load in my pants [:o]

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When walking in and out in the dark you may wish to sing a song or talk to yourself or something. Anything to let him know you' re not hiding from him. " Come on big boy... you want a piece of me... come on big boy. I' ll show you who your daddy is" . Well, to shoot or not to shoot.... I would have to say NO.... but I' d be making a racket long before he got within 10 feet. Next time you hear Kthud Kthud Kthud.... the mountain will probably erupt with pitter patter pitter patter pitter patter ZZiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppp Zzzzzzzzzziiiinnnnggggggggg as you fly out of there.

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

Anytime I' ve going into a location that could house a bear I' ve taken my pistol. That' s the safe way.

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I guess I' m gonna have to from now on, just never thought about them much before this year..... no bears in 20 years, and now 2 in one season, like I said, definately gonna get a bear tag next year.[:-]

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

bear coming at me at short notice my 14 inch bowie will be out ready to stab the bear.

but i don' t think i will need it around hear in middle tennessee. but we have had black bears adventure away from the smoky mt. from the east of us . carry my bowie just in case.


go deep hunt hard.;)

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

hmm...might as well might as well just shoot em with your super soaker 5000. that would be as effective as your bowie knife.

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NHDEMON, fill us in if you get to talk to a CO about the legalities of it. I' d be interested to see if they care more about you or what the bear has for dinner. :D

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aka eastwood super soaker 5000 nice one,i think water will not stop a black bear from attacking.
aka eastwood...... .. ...... . very funny character
.
go deep hunt hard.;)

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I' ll let you know as soon as I find out, I can' t imagine the situation hasn' t come up before. It will probably depend on who we talk to, I' ll see if I can get a couple of opinions.

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Alrighty then, went down to the local fish and game and told the story to the nice lady, I was hoping to get more than one opinion, but this is what she said...
First fire a warning shot, then, if you still feel threatened, and the bear hasn' t run away, it is ok to shoot it, of course at this time I reminded her I was hunting with bow only, so there wasn' t gonna be a warning shot. Then I asked what to do afterward, she said to leave it there and call the fish and game department immediately and explain the situation. Guess I' ll be carrying a pistol very soon on all my bowhunts.;)

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I think he would have got the full 82 ft lbs of KE from me.[:o]

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I' ve had some black bear experience in northern WI. They tend to get me out of my stand earlier in the evening if I see them. I also am ' very' loud' walking back to camp. Noise is good.

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I WAS HUNTING ONE DAY DEEP IN THE HILLS, I WALKED AROUND A TREE TOP AND A BEAR STOOD UP, NO MORE THEN 15 YARDS. ALL I HAD WAS MY OLD TURKEY GUN. ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS SHOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AS I WENT TO PULL MY GUN UP I FELL BACK A SHOT UP IN THE AIR. NEXT THING I KNOWED WAS HE WAS RUNNING TO BEAT HELL THE OTHER WAY. SO I TURNED AND WENT BACK THE WAY I COME. I HAD A GOOD GRIP ON MY REM SP 10. **** I' M NOT MESSING WITH ONE

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Just curios, and maybe some bear/bow hunters would have some insight, but where would you place the shot on a bear running straight at you, and how much of an effect would it have on it?

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Cary some pepper spray for bears.

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I would also suggest some pepper spray. It is a real romantic thought to put an arrow into a bear that is going to attack you, if he was bluffing you changed his mind and if he wasn' t the arrow won' t deter him. As for the pistol, you were still shaking as you typed this, scared you pretty bad, could you draw the pistol aim it and hit the bear between the eyes or at the base of the skull, the only two shots that are going to knock him down and stop him as he is charging. Much easier to hit them with a thirty foot cloud of pepper spray. You need to get the bear spray, not the stuff they sell for women to put on their keychain. Check local laws though as the bear spray may be illegal on the east coast.

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Hunt with a companion. Preferably, someone with a bumb leg or something that makes him slower than you.[:-]

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At 15 yds that arrow would be in flight, I' d try to hit him between the eyes, as to the effect I don' t know but at least I would have tried. As far as the season goes salt and pepper:D

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LMAO davidmil :D Thats gotta be one of the best responses I' ve heard in a while!! Remind me not to hunt with you in bear country though! :D:D

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Jersey, at fifteen yards I think I' d be in flight too!! :D If I could move that is!

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

Thanks for all the input gentleman, this is great. I was talking to my brother-in-law about it, and his uncle, that hunts in the same general area i do had an encounter with a black bear as well, he was packing a .357 though. When the bear came toward him, he shot in the air, then the bear stood on its hind legs, so he shot at the ground, near its legs, and it finally turned and went the other way. I was never too concerned before about a bear encounter, but now I' ll be prepared. Thanks again for all the input, and safe hunting to all.
NHDemon

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

Wow, I' m actually suprised that people are that afraid of bears, especially blackies. I' m not saying that you should not respect them, but the chances of a blackie attacking are slimmer than being struck by lightning.

I have a couple experiences with black bears that bluffed that come to mind. One with cubs I accidently stumbled in between in spring turkey season had my attention. But she made every effort to avoid me as I backed away from the spot. She popped her jaws and growled a little, but 5 minutes later, she took her babies the other way and left.

The other was in Canada on a whitetail hunt. A big male charged to within 15 feet or so after dark while walking back to the road to get picked up. He carried on for a couple minutes and left. I think this one I startled.

Here in PA, the bears are docile animals who don' t want any more to do with you than you do them. 99% of the time, they' ll run the other way.

In the states, there is no need to carry a pistol or spray becuase of the black bears. The chances of a nasty bear encounter shouldn' t be a thought really. Now, canadian blackies are a little different for some reason. All guides I have talked to say they are more aggresive there and have mauled quite a few people lately.

Just my two cents

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

a few years back in southern ohio a lady deer hunting during shot gun season killed a black bear. the ODNR did everthing they could to try and prove she just shot the thing. i mean they did ballistics to try and see if she shot it running away or coming at her. if i felt threatened i would not blink an eye, i would shoot.

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

Bear hunted with a bow a few times,but never had one come close enough for a shot.Always hunted with two good freinds though ," Smith & Wesson" .:D

Joe

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

A bear can, from a standing start, cover 20 yards in about 1 second. They are incredibly quick animals. If they are already moving, with every intention of getting you, a bow, or holstered handgun is going to be too slow. Because an arrow kills by hemoraging, shooting one at a bear(unless you are lucky enough to spine or brain it) isn' t going to stop it. At least not right away. And it would only take a half second for one to kill you, if it wanted. Or possibly collapse on top of you while mauling you. Hopefully he' s not too big you can get him off of you!

A shotgun can be fired from the hip, with good results. You may only get one chance, so you have to make the first one count. Number 4 buck puts a lot of pellets in the right direction. Pepper spray is effective as well, but requires the bear to be in rather close(15 feet or less, I think ten feet is the recommended range to use it)). Always a good choice, especially if bear seasons are closed, and a good back-up to the shotgun. And lastly, a big non-folding knife carried on the belt is not the first choice but will work. Think about it, you fired once with your shotgun, perhaps missed or just grazed the bear. He keeps coming. By the time you' ve worked the action he' s on you and has knocked you to the ground and your gun from your hands, that leaves you with nothing. The knife works as a last resort and can be used with both hands. Go for the throat, or try to get the blade into the chest.

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Where in NH do you live? My brother lives in laconia and hunts.

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Commercially boughten pepper spray is a joke, mostly 2 percent, sometimes if your lucky you find 8 percent. I have worked in prisons my whole life. We use 28 percent. Every year I get exposed to it. Does it hurt like hell you bet, but it really pisses me off. I dont think I would want to piss it off any more.:D

Ever hear the phrase
" I would rather be judged by twelve, than carried by six."

Honestly I would have been hollering and doing something long before that. But I wasnt there and wasnt in your shoes. So I wont judge.... im thinking I can run faster scared than that bear can mad....that or it would be slipping in what Im leaving behind.

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MossyOak02,
I live about 90 miles away from Laconia, in Keene, close to Massachusetts and Vermont.

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NH Demon, where about in the state are you. I' ve done tons of bushwacking out in the pemmi and around the north wood and never have stumbled into a bear. I know that they are around but you say you' ve never seen one before this year, are you in the southern portion of the state or in the north country? I did some hiking in AK in 2000 and was a little worried about brown bears. I asked around with the outfitters what they suggest (as far as wepons or deterants) they advised to make lots of noise espically near rivers where they may be feeding. The said it is most important not to scare a bear because that is when they are most likely to attack. As for a pistol they suggested that if I were to carry one to file off the front sight so when the bear shoved it up my a$$ after I shot it it would hurt less. Those guys in AK sure have a funny sense of humor.:D

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Well when deer hunting we try to be as quiet as possible .... when traveling through bear country we try to be as noisy as possible... tough choice.. but i would quietly get away from my stand/hunting area then make some noise the rest of the way. When i hiked the app trail we wore bells to alert bears of our presence which gave them time to get out of the way and not be startled by us, which can lead to a nasty encounter(have a few good bear stories from that trip)and when wearing the bell we still jumped deer and turkeys so i don' t think it will spook the deer any, just my $.02.
but if in that situation again make noise alot of it and LOUD if the bear doesn' t change its direction you change yours slowly but ready to defend yourself... and if it comes time to haul a$$ then haul it downhill they don' t run as fast downhill as side or up.

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lmao...You' re a sick man dave, but a good idea it is!! bear season huh?? What are the dates for self defense season. I don' t know what I' d do because I' ve never seen a bear while hunting. I' m sure upon soiling my pants I' d figure something out quick.

RE: What would u do?? BEAR....
 

Spent alot of years guiding and dealing with bears in Alaska. VERY common to have browns within feet of you during salmon season. Come across many dead bear that had been shot by folks. When you retrace the steps, most times the bear wasn' t within 50 feet of them. People freak for some reason when it comes to bears. yes they have attacked a few, but generally as a rule, their more afraid of you . We use to tell our clients that if attacked by a griz, play dead. He' ll hurt you but rarely kill you unless your head gets in his mouth. They like to let you " season" some before eating. If you get attacked by a black bear, fight for your life cuz he' ll kill you everytime. RULE OF THUMB " if" you see the bears ears are laid back, then get ready cuz he' s coming. If ears are in normal position, rarely have anything to worry about. Taz