Sourdough
10-18-2012, 12:30 AM
I was guiding a hunter in Wide Bay, it was the day before the bear season opened, so the hunter and I slept in. I had two 8'X8' "Bombshelter" tents set up facing each other about 6' apart. One was for sleeping and the other for cooking. I told the hunter to stay in his bag till I get the coffee made and the cook tent heated. So I crawl out of the sleep tent on hands and knees, and figure as it is only 6' till I have to get back on my hands and knees, I'll just crawl over to the cook tent.
Well I get about halfway and a nice 8'+ brown bear comes from behind the cook tent and walks right up to me, still on my hands and knees. I don't want to move more than necessary, so I go down slowly onto my elbows and knees and freeze with my hands over my neck fingers locked, waiting. The bear walks up to me and sniffs my head, then continues moving till it head is over my butt, and its front feet are next to my elbows. For a long time it just sniffs my butt, which after 60 days afield was very aromatic. Plus most likely there was dried blood on my pants from packing moose.
As nothing was happening (I was not getting nibbled) the bear was just sniffing my butt. I remembered I was responsable for the hunters safety and calmly told him not to move or bump the sleep tent. The bear just stayed there sniffing my butt, (the flap to the sleep tent was still open) so I calmly asked the hunter to slid a rifle out to me with out disturbing the tent. He said, "Which one do you want". Remember he still did not know there was a Brown Bear on top of me. I said, slide my rifle out slowly, very slowly, but he needs to stay in the tent. Well, now he wants to know what is going on......???? He says, "do you want the barrel first"....??? I said, yes and about that time as the rifle started out the flap of the sleep tent, the bear calmly raised up and swung to his right, and slowly walked off. I watched his large butt walk away. Then made coffee. I understand that that hunter moved to Alaska, and may even be an AOD forum member. He is a very good hunter, and hunts all over the world. I am so glad he remained calm.
Well I get about halfway and a nice 8'+ brown bear comes from behind the cook tent and walks right up to me, still on my hands and knees. I don't want to move more than necessary, so I go down slowly onto my elbows and knees and freeze with my hands over my neck fingers locked, waiting. The bear walks up to me and sniffs my head, then continues moving till it head is over my butt, and its front feet are next to my elbows. For a long time it just sniffs my butt, which after 60 days afield was very aromatic. Plus most likely there was dried blood on my pants from packing moose.
As nothing was happening (I was not getting nibbled) the bear was just sniffing my butt. I remembered I was responsable for the hunters safety and calmly told him not to move or bump the sleep tent. The bear just stayed there sniffing my butt, (the flap to the sleep tent was still open) so I calmly asked the hunter to slid a rifle out to me with out disturbing the tent. He said, "Which one do you want". Remember he still did not know there was a Brown Bear on top of me. I said, slide my rifle out slowly, very slowly, but he needs to stay in the tent. Well, now he wants to know what is going on......???? He says, "do you want the barrel first"....??? I said, yes and about that time as the rifle started out the flap of the sleep tent, the bear calmly raised up and swung to his right, and slowly walked off. I watched his large butt walk away. Then made coffee. I understand that that hunter moved to Alaska, and may even be an AOD forum member. He is a very good hunter, and hunts all over the world. I am so glad he remained calm.