I'm runni'n a small trapline on state land in western NY.

Today I was checking my traps as usual and the sun was going down as I was in the middle of my trapp line.

When I got to my last foot hold I saw that there was a front leg of an 'possum in the trap....no meatparts, no fur...not anything but a lot of blood and a lot of really big bear foot prints.

I reset the foothold and started to walk back to my car about a mile away.

After about a houndred yards I heard some noises sounding like heavy breathing behind me. I stoped but the breathing continued and as I walked back I could see bear foot prints just 10 yards away from where I'd just been walking.

Since I was just carrying a .22 rimfire I was starting to get concerned about my safety.

The 20 minute walk back to the car was a nightmare....everytime I stoped I could hear the bear take another step and breath down my neck....I tried to walk calmly not to raise his hunting instinct and I tried to force myself not to let my heart start galloping since I didn;t want him to know I was panicing.
As soon as I came to the car I loaded my slug gun and took a walk back to see if it was allimagination or a real experiance and sure enough there really was a set of bear foot prints right over my own almost all the way upp to my car.

Did anyone one of you guys ever got "stalked" by a bear?

Is this something I should worry about in the future or was it a once in a lifetime occurance.

I'm not easily scared bu5t todays event really got me shakey....from now on the slug gun is a new partner when I walk the "line".

swede1

depending on what county in western ny your trapping in,allegany-cattaraugus-parts of steuben and a few others bears confrontaions should always be of concern.although i have never been stalked by a bear i can imagine that its a nerv shatering experience.bear- people confrontaions in ny are rare but they do happen once and a while.carrying the slug gun may not be a bad idea.

coyoteseeker:

Thanks for your response.

I'm kinda new hunting in the north american fauna wich raised the concers that I wrote down.

I'm born and raised in Sweden and i am used to hunt around scandinavian brownbears.....although I have never been stalked by a bear before and the fact that I was raised some serious concernes today.

I've been attact by moose twice in my life (of wich once almost costed me my life) but The brown bears in Sweden is usually harmless and I've never heard of any one getting stalked by one in Sweden.
Thats why I was kinda chocked about the eagerness this black bear was showing me.

Anyway...Ive been speaking with thw gamewarden in charge of the area and his advice is the same as your's.

Since the bear now knows that Ther's free food in traps in the area I should take some extra percausions dealing with my traps.

/swede1.

I'VE HEARD OF IT HAPPENING BUT NEVER HAD IT HAPPEN TO ME, AT LEAST NOTHING HAPPEND TO YOU.

best of luck to ya swede and be carefull out there.wow,i don'tknow what would be worse full grown moose or bear.i suppose either one you could be in a heap of trouble.

I was talking this over with my wife. We both have had several times we have meet up with a black bear in the woods while hiking. However we have never been stalked. We both came up with the same question. Did you have any dead animals with you from the trap like or any other type of food?

That's what I was wondering....did you have any carcasses with you?? Any scent you were using for cover scent on the sets?? Man, if I was you I'd start packing a large bore handgun. I have been spooked by bears but at a much greater distance than you experienced. You won't forget that walk.....ever!

Edited by - 8mm/06 on 01/17/2002 18:19:33

Hey One eye and 8 mm/06.

No I wasn't carrying anny game at the time.

I had a couple of fox urine and fox/yote lure bottles in my posession wich may have worked as an unwanted lure for Mr "blackie".

Earlier on that day I did carry and skinned a couple of racoons so I guess that theire scent still could have been on my boots and/or pants although I didn't notice any blood spill or other coon body liquids om my person.

When I went back today I spoke with a farmer in the area that said he saw the bear in his horse pen this morning...according to him it was a young male. I guess that it must have been the same one as stalked me although I never got a real look of him since there aren't that many bears in my neck of the woods.

Anyways I'm glad that it ended the way it did and that neither me or mr blackie got hurt.

/swede1

I had an uncle of mine who was stalked once up in the Adirondacks, around the Speculator area.