PDA

View Full Version : snap decision...bear in camp



corndog-44
10-27-2007, 08:48 PM
We don't have any black bears around here, but Cats of America is not far from here has tigers, lions, black panthers, cougers and black bears. Every so often one these critters will escape. I was wondering if I was out camping, unarmed and unsuspecting I surprised a black bear prowling around my campsite. As the bear saw me he rears up about 4 feet from me. Don't give a guy much time to think...Should I run, climb a tree or freeze, but be ready to back away slowly? In a split second my first instinct would to be to run like I was a teenager again. I'd just probably freeze not believing my eyes, hoping if I didn't make any sudden movement he won't be startled as much. If he wants my food, he can have it. Meanwhile I'm backing very slowly to some refuge like a tree or something. What would you do?

owl_girl
10-27-2007, 09:50 PM
Don’t run from a bear, you’ll trigger his predatory instinct. If you run like your defenseless pry he will think of you as such. I know it’s difficult not to when your adrenaline is raging. Also black bears can climb trees so that’s probably not a good idea. What you do depends on the situation and what the bear is doing also if it’s a black bear or brown bear since the two have slightly different behaviors.

Crash
10-27-2007, 09:51 PM
4 feet away? Back up slowly to give the bear some room. The last thing I want to do is make it feel cornered into a fight situation. I want it to flight instead. I'd give him plenty of space but if he didn't run off I would slowly ease far enough away to observe without putting myself in danger. If it attacks, well that's a different story. Scream like a little girl and run. :)

owl_girl
10-27-2007, 09:53 PM
If it attacks, well that's a different story. Scream like a little girl and run. :)

You can’t out run a bear. Play dead.

Crash
10-27-2007, 09:58 PM
You can’t out run a bear. Play dead.
You're right about that. I've heard where you should try to show the bear that you're capable of hurting it. If you can succeed in hurting it within the first few seconds of it's attack, it may flee from you.

FVR
10-27-2007, 10:00 PM
Scenario number 1: I'm alone, it's a black bear typical for the size around these parts. I stand straight up, reach around for my knife, I am yelling and screaming in my loudest voice, I make myself look as big as possible as I slowly edge my way backwards. Hopefully, the bear turns tail and runs, if not, guess we gonna do battle.

Chances are, I'll get injured, but will not die.


Scenario 2: I'm camping with my family, it's a typical black bear for these parts. I stand up straight, grab my knife, start yelling and screaming as loud as I can. I charge him. He's either going to run, or fight. Any which way, my wife and kids can make the exit.

Chances are I will def. get injured, but will not die.

MCBushbaby
10-27-2007, 11:48 PM
A bear of any color (expect maybe polar), when rearing, is just trying to identify you. Standing give them a better view and maybe better wind of your scent. If, however, it's standing facing you giving a growl or roar... it's pissed. Most likely it's a territory thing so just unbutton your shirt (assuming button-down), spread your flaps at arm's width and try to appear big... slowly back away. That's all. Though if you take too much time trying to appear big, they'll think you're trying to display dominance and will charge you (usually a bluff charge but I don't want a grizzly charging me).

But you're talking about a black bear... Climbing is useless as they can climb better than any human. But the main thing that would concern me is that black bears are so timid that you'll never see them expect maybe along a stretch of beach or open plain, maybe along a river. If you see one following you, you're in for a world of ****.. this means they are stalking you. This is probably the only time you'll see a black bear in the bush and going fetal will only make it that much easier for them to tear you apart.

EDIT: ok, if you have a campsight or are fishing or have food around you... then you'll attract black bears and will see them then. But if you're hiking along or just set up camp and see one come up on you from behind, unsheathe your knife.

Crash
10-28-2007, 09:25 AM
Seems to me though that if you can get up in a tree, you have a tactical advantage should it decide to climb up after you. It has to worry about hanging on to the tree, opening up it's head and throat areas for attack. Am I wrong about that? I understand that they could probably catch you before you even got up in the tree, but I'm talking about if you knew you had time to get up there.

FVR
10-28-2007, 09:29 AM
A bear has four paws to climb a tree, three can be used to hang on and one can be used to swipe.

A man has two hands and two feet, the bear will be swiping up, one mans arm is not longer than his whole body.

I'll take my chances on the ground.

FVR
10-28-2007, 09:32 AM
I was up in the Rockies hunting mule deer and when I turned into this little ravine, I ran smack into a grizzly bear mama and her two cubs.

I got so started that I dropped my gun, pulled my knife and the bear came after me.

Crash
10-28-2007, 09:45 AM
I was up in the Rockies hunting mule deer and when I turned into this little ravine, I ran smack into a grizzly bear mama and her two cubs.

I got so started that I dropped my gun, pulled my knife and the bear came after me.
And what happened?

LadyTrapper
10-28-2007, 10:03 AM
My husband and I own and operate a hunting outfitters business with our main target species being the black bear. The hunt occupies only a couple weeks of every year. The rest of year we scout, track, video and photograph these great creatures. We live remotely in the back roads of NS and have bears in our yard during early summer months. We have learned to live with them. We raise our own pork and it was the smell of his food that intially attracted them. Creatures of habit, they visited regularly. Remarkably, they were not interested in eating the pig, but only his food, and we watched one jump back out over the pen one evening as we went to slop the hog. The pig was unharmed.
Blacks will react differently than other bears. With black bears you never play dead and in an attack you are to fight back, giving blows to the nose which is a most sensitive part of the animal. Grizzly attacks are when you are to get in the fetal position and play dead.
Many years of pursuing the black bear have educated us on their behaviour. However with wild animals we all know that all bears may react differently. Some will back down and flee, others have reared to test the air with thier noses to smell and identify us, some are curious(younger bears) and some have been just plain pissed off.(dominate bears)
Make yourself look big like mentioned before. Make lots of noise. Sometimes this is hard to do when staring into the eyes of a bear, trust me. For the most part, bears will leave the area long before you see one. They are extremely quiet travellers in the woods and you may have even passed by a very close bear with out ever knowing it. Mothers are protective of their young, but we have found them not quite as aggressive as the books and experts tell us. We once got between a mama and cub, she didnt leave the area, but let us change our course while she paced nearby. On the other hand, we walked into a site on wet leaves(quiet), startled a bear who's first reaction was to charge. I think he thought we were competition for his food. Once he determined we were human he was gone as quick. It was a learning experience for us. We no longer travel bear country quietly, only in hunting season.
There are growing numbers of black bear attacks in the news each and every day. These however are predominately habituated bears, feasting on human garbage at dumpsites are left out to the road by people. They quickly adapt and lose fear of us, as they have no other natural predator in their world.

As you can tell, the black bear is of interest to me. They are magnificant animals, they look clumsy and have been called the clown of the woods. Be not fooled, they are as quick as a cat and demand respect and lots of room. I want to share this photo of a bear in my backyard this summer. The pig pen is to the right, the wheelbarrel was full of old pig slop and shavings after cleaning his pen. It was just too interesting to this big boar and he came out to investigate before we have time to dispose of it in the woods.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p287/ladytrapper/backyardvisitor.jpg

Sarge47
10-28-2007, 01:02 PM
My husband and I own and operate a hunting outfitters business with our main target species being the black bear. The hunt occupies only a couple weeks of every year. The rest of year we scout, track, video and photograph these great creatures. We live remotely in the back roads of NS and have bears in our yard during early summer months. We have learned to live with them. We raise our own pork and it was the smell of his food that intially attracted them. Creatures of habit, they visited regularly. Remarkably, they were not interested in eating the pig, but only his food, and we watched one jump back out over the pen one evening as we went to slop the hog. The pig was unharmed.
Blacks will react differently than other bears. With black bears you never play dead and in an attack you are to fight back, giving blows to the nose which is a most sensitive part of the animal. Grizzly attacks are when you are to get in the fetal position and play dead.
Many years of pursuing the black bear have educated us on their behaviour. However with wild animals we all know that all bears may react differently. Some will back down and flee, others have reared to test the air with thier noses to smell and identify us, some are curious(younger bears) and some have been just plain pissed off.(dominate bears)
Make yourself look big like mentioned before. Make lots of noise. Sometimes this is hard to do when staring into the eyes of a bear, trust me. For the most part, bears will leave the area long before you see one. They are extremely quiet travellers in the woods and you may have even passed by a very close bear with out ever knowing it. Mothers are protective of their young, but we have found them not quite as aggressive as the books and experts tell us. We once got between a mama and cub, she didnt leave the area, but let us change our course while she paced nearby. On the other hand, we walked into a site on wet leaves(quiet), startled a bear who's first reaction was to charge. I think he thought we were competition for his food. Once he determined we were human he was gone as quick. It was a learning experience for us. We no longer travel bear country quietly, only in hunting season.
There are growing numbers of black bear attacks in the news each and every day. These however are predominately habituated bears, feasting on human garbage at dumpsites are left out to the road by people. They quickly adapt and lose fear of us, as they have no other natural predator in their world.

As you can tell, the black bear is of interest to me. They are magnificant animals, they look clumsy and have been called the clown of the woods. Be not fooled, they are as quick as a cat and demand respect and lots of room. I want to share this photo of a bear in my backyard this summer. The pig pen is to the right, the wheelbarrel was full of old pig slop and shavings after cleaning his pen. It was just too interesting to this big boar and he came out to investigate before we have time to dispose of it in the woods.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p287/ladytrapper/backyardvisitor.jpg

Pretty Kitty! (Wide Grin)

zaebra
10-28-2007, 05:48 PM
i've only had a couple of encounters with bears, and they were all black bears. the scary one was when my wife and i had just set up camp and had dinner, why our dog and i both heard something in the bushes maybe 40 feet away at the same time. it was a drive-in campsite with about 8 spots (we were alone) in a national forest in northern idaho, so i'm pretty sure the young black bear that wandered in was used to getting leftovers from people who had been there before. he froze when he saw us, and sat down on his butt to watch us. my wife and the dog got in the car and tried the horn, but that didn't scare him. i fired my .45 in the air, and that just made him jump, but he stayed where he was. oddly enough, the one thing that did scare him off was when we started pelting him with small rocks and shuffling our feet very quickly in his direction in the gravel (it made a weird sound).

he was young and would probably return, and we were pretty freaked out, so we left him to his campsite. we told the rangers that happened to drive through a bit later about it and they confirmed that there was a juvenile black bear around that had zero fear of people, and they were trying to find him so they could relocate him.

moral of the story: bears aren't afraid of handguns. i've since bought a camping shotgun. i love wildlife far more than my fellow man, but i'm not going to end up as bear chow just because i'm a treehugger. :)

carcajou garou
10-28-2007, 06:45 PM
One thing is definetly do no yell or scream, speak in a clear, calm voice.. Do not unintentionaly excalate the confrontation, maintain a calm, sure, firm composure (hard to do but it will pay off)
Slowly back away while making yourself as large as possible, (make sure you do not trip and fall in your retreat, it could trigger an injured animal response).
Put a coat, shirt, blanket, t-shirt over your head and stay calm.
Do not make direct eye contact (staring) as this will escalate the situation, keep eyes on the bear but not his eyes as it will take it as an act of dominance.
Screaming will trigger a frightened or injured animal response from the bear, so keep calm.
With black bears do not "play" dead this can and has triggered a predatory response, if it comes to a fight, do it for all your worth, expect bites, bruises and clawing, being batted around like a rag doll (bears are very powerfull). Climbing trees is often a waste of effort and bears do climb and pull humans from those trees if they can,
Carry and really practise using bear spray, wait till you can direct the stream into the moist tissues of the bears face, mouth, nose, eyes..firearms where they are allowed are also effective as long as you can use them properly and as with pepper spray practise often..it is a skill not a given

Grizzlies...remain calm, pepper spray or a firearm can be usefull but do not start something before it actually happens,
If an attack does take place.. play dead and take the punishment, place a pack sack, clasped hands over your neck, let the bear satisfy itself and protect your life, resist being turned over (cover your stomach area). Once the beating is lessened, or over stay still till you are extremely sure the bear has left the area or round number 2 will occur.

Polar bear (much larger than a grizzly) actually hunt humans as part of their prey and only by vigilance, firearms, properly trained dogs will you survive. their attack if they do come.

Bear are very curious animals and will come very close to investigate you and you pack, bluff charges and displays often seen but not always carried through, so be calm.

LadyTrapper
10-28-2007, 06:52 PM
The juvenile(teenaged) bear that has been desensitized by human interaction is a dangerous creature.
Was the wierd sound you heard kinda like a huffing noise? This is what we hear after chasing them out of the yard with noise and lights. They make this huffing/whining vocalization at the woods edge. The bears round these parts are getting ready to hibernate as the cold weather is starting to set in. No more visitors til spring.

Sarge...He uses a reallly really big litter box LMAO!

FVR
10-28-2007, 07:09 PM
Crash,

I got killed and eaten, of course.


FVR

Crash
10-28-2007, 07:23 PM
Crash,

I got killed and eaten, of course.


FVR
Well that's a given. I was more curious as to what techniques you employed to remove yourself from the situation.

FVR
10-28-2007, 07:35 PM
The grizzly bears digestive system.

Crash
10-28-2007, 07:47 PM
The grizzly bears digestive system.
Well thank you for a lovely conversation. I hope it wasn't too taxing on you.

FVR
10-28-2007, 08:08 PM
Matter of fact, it was not. Most would not fall for the scenario as it's an old mountain man story told by Jim Bridger, only he used Blackfoot Indians.

Crash
10-28-2007, 09:27 PM
Matter of fact, it was not. Most would not fall for the scenario as it's an old mountain man story told by Jim Bridger, only he used Blackfoot Indians.
Well thanks. I appreciate you making me look foolish on multiple levels. One level for actually thinking you were engaging me in productive conversation, on another for exposing what I've already admitted: I'm no mountain man.

Outsiders appear to make some of you right jittery. I'll take that as my hint.

FVR
10-28-2007, 09:32 PM
As far as your thought on outsiders, don't feel so insecure, and lighten up a bit.

Sarge47
10-28-2007, 10:35 PM
Well thanks. I appreciate you making me look foolish on multiple levels. One level for actually thinking you were engaging me in productive conversation, on another for exposing what I've already admitted: I'm no mountain man.

Outsiders appear to make some of you right jittery. I'll take that as my hint.

The thing about FVR is most of the time his tounge is super-glued to his cheek. That's just his way of introducing himself. He's cut from a different bolt of cloth than most of us.

trax
10-29-2007, 11:34 AM
I've been up close and personal with black bears a few times. They were busy eating and I didn't bother them and they didn't bother me. A black bear, however, won't stand up just to sniff. They'll also stand up to slap.

Here's a couple of things that will help you avoid having bears: black, griz, cinnamon, whatever, around camp.

Keep your food in sealed containers. Don't burn food packaging, the smell will travel farther than cooking food will. Usually black bears are interested in one thing only, food. Second priority, easy access to food, they've always got that long winter nap to consider and store up fat for. If a bear gets into your food supply, let him. If you have to leave later because of it.

If you're hunting or fishing, get rid of any animal guts far, far away from your camp. Same thing with where you go potty, get as far away from camp as possible.

If a bear comes into your camp, try to stay back from him/her. The thing about the mama and the cubs is too obvious to mention, right? OK, then, if it becomes a staring contest, let the bear win, that's been mentioned before, but it's important. Stay still. Banging pots and pans will usually frighten away a bear that isn't accustomed to humans, but you don't know if he is or not, so....good luck with that one. Firing a warning shot from a firearm is usually only effective once or twice, the third shot better be through the bear.

RobertRogers
10-30-2007, 06:17 AM
Black bears are not a threat. People are 10,000 times more dangerous.

LadyTrapper
10-30-2007, 07:19 AM
Matter of fact, it was not. Most would not fall for the scenario as it's an old mountain man story told by Jim Bridger, only he used Blackfoot Indians.

I remember some mountain men stories by ol Jim...he told one once of running the trapline and being attacked by a pack of wolves. He climbed a tree. The wolves then "forced" a beaver to come to the tree and chew it down which it did.
When asked by listeners what happened next he simply replied.

"Why they 'et me of course" LMAO!:D:D:D:D

RobertRogers
10-30-2007, 08:36 AM
Thats too funny.

trax
10-30-2007, 12:40 PM
There are some good sites that have been mentioned on this forum earlier, to check out bears and their behavior. I don't have the site addresses handy, but I'd recommend that people without experience check them out.

A black bear pawing at the ground and making "snuffling" noises is trying to establish dominance. Stay still, avoid eye contact and he'll wander off, or wander over to your food supply (It's better to have to go home because your out of food than it is to go home because you're out of blood) A black bear coming straight toward you is attacking. If you have a gun, shoot it. If he's still down on all fours, it's really important to know that the top of their skulls is really quite soft. I know a guy who killed a bear by splitting its skull with an axe.

It's important also to know that black bears aren't usually afraid of humans, most animals are, but they will usually run from dogs! Strange but true. Of course, if the bear doesn't run, say goodbye to the dog. Overall I agree with Robert's comment, people are more dangerous. I still maintain that most bear attacks happen when people accidentally startle the bear and it reacts, it is the nature of the media that we read about the few hikers/campers attacked by bears in the course of a spring to fall "camping season" but we don't read about the thousands and thousands who weren't attacked by bears or any other wild critter.

LadyTrapper
10-30-2007, 01:25 PM
It's important also to know that black bears aren't usually afraid of humans, most animals are, but they will usually run from dogs! Strange but true.
We found this to be very true for the most part. A bear seems to hate even the smell of a dog, but...if they get used to a dog or their smell, they will lose fear.
We have a Rottwieller in our yard who we have to tie in the season of bears fattening up for our winters. He intially kept them out of the yard by barking. After a few weeks, they just saunter on by him, very close, having determined his boundries of the chain. As big as Timber(rottie) is we are not niave and thinking that he is even a close match for a wild bear and he is restrained at all times outside for these months.They now pay him no mind, the beagle either.

it's really important to know that the top of their skulls is really quite soft. I know a guy who killed a bear by splitting its skull with an axe.

We found this to be accurate as well. There is a small spot on the very top middle of the bear's skull that is indeed similar to the soft spot on top of a newborn. A bear can be dispatch effectively with a .22 if the bullet is placed in this spot. We were taught this in our trappers course years ago. We process the whole bear skull for display on a hardwood base and have found the rest of the skull to be thick and hard. It makes for a conversation piece. LOL

Beo
10-30-2007, 01:40 PM
LadyTrapper, wouldn't it kill just about anything to split its skull with an axe? :)
FVR loved your tail... lol so funny and he fell right into it.
Crash he was joking... damn I'm still laughing.

trax
10-30-2007, 05:35 PM
LadyTrapper, wouldn't it kill just about anything to split its skull with an axe? :)
FVR loved your tail... lol so funny and he fell right into it.
Crash he was joking... damn I'm still laughing.

It was why I mentioned do what you're going to do when the bear is on all fours, dawg. Once it's up on it's hind legs (maybe 6 or 7 feet tall!) getting ready to slap you, that soft spot is kinda hard to reach.

I love the old mountain man tales, the best part of them as a genre is pulling the audience in to a seemingly impossible situation and then pullng the punch line. Crash...ya gotta laugh too.

FVR
10-30-2007, 06:28 PM
On a serious note, across the street last year a hunting buddy, while hunting turkey, noticed something was not right.

Then he saw what was not right, a black bear was circleing him. It was getting towards dark, and he was a little freaked even though he had a shotgun.

He was telling me that he just got up, and started moving out of the woods and constantly looking back.

A mountain across the street, Hanging Rock, I have nicknamed Spooky mountain. Why, cause every time I come off that mountain from chasing hogs, at dusk, something is watching me.

You know the feeling. Hogs don't bother me, bobcats, coyotes, even wild dogs. Two things bother me, mountain lions and bears. In that order.

trax
10-30-2007, 09:56 PM
You got them in the right order too, far as I'm concerned, mountain lions have a nasty attitude on a good day.

FVR
10-30-2007, 10:04 PM
I was up in Indian Springs, somewhere in San Bern. S. Cal., on a lrrp. We did a little backtracking, we were being stalked, by a big ol mountain lion. We figured that the only reason he left us alone was that there were 4 of us.

That was a might bit scary.

owl_girl
10-31-2007, 12:46 PM
we were being stalked, by a big ol mountain lion.


Did you get to see him? Or just his tracks?

FVR
10-31-2007, 09:23 PM
Nope, did not see the lion, noticed that his tracks were in ours.

He was putting a recon on Recon. Kind of put a diff. perspective on the patrol.

Glad we did not see him.

RobertRogers
11-01-2007, 06:17 AM
Often animals follow you in the forest - you just don't know it. They are curious, thats all. Plus, in this way they know where you are and so keep track of a potential threat.

Next time you take walk in the forest snow, go back a day or two later - you may find that deer or other animals have walked on top of your tracks for quite some distance.

So if a bear or anything else seems to be following at a distance, don't panic. Its just what they do. They are NOT stalking you as a meal.

FVR
11-01-2007, 07:09 AM
Don't mind if a coyote, deer, most critters follow me. A bear, a mountain lion, ahhhh critters I really don't want following me.

My wife once said, a bear around here weighs what 150 200 lbs, you're bigger than that. I told here that that may be so, but I'm not all muscle like a bear, my teeth are not in jaw made form chewing, and I just don't like letting my finger nails grow long.

When it comes to big cats, humans top of the food chain?

Beo
11-01-2007, 11:02 AM
Never lay down and play dead, put your hands out wide and back off slowly. I don't think pulling your knife is going to net you a bear kill, more like a serious a** kicking (although I'd do it before I just stood there and got mauled) and you may wound the bear, now what do you do? Wounded bear running around the forest eating little kids. :)

trax
11-01-2007, 12:09 PM
If you're camping with children you can always throw a kid at the bear, should keep it occupied whilst you make your getaway!

trax
11-01-2007, 12:10 PM
Think of it as a crash course in survival for the kid! :D :D

owl_girl
11-01-2007, 12:26 PM
Never lay down and play dead, put your hands out wide and back off slowly.

Obviously no one would play died just from seeing a bear, its only don if you are attacked and you com in contact. A scenario where playing died would be appropriate putting your hands out and backing off slowly wouldn’t be at option.
But I agree with others that playing died is more for grizzlies and brow bears.

trax
11-01-2007, 12:30 PM
What's your thoughts on my throwing a kid suggestion?

owl_girl
11-01-2007, 12:36 PM
Well it would probably work lol

trax
11-01-2007, 12:40 PM
yeah, throw one of them goth kids at the bear. they're always fixated on death anyways. I'd pay to see that on showtime. :D
...hmmm....no way, I do have some consideration for the bear.

ryaninmichigan
11-02-2007, 01:36 PM
Obviously no one would play died just from seeing a bear, its only don if you are attacked and you com in contact. A scenario where playing died would be appropriate putting your hands out and backing off slowly wouldn’t be at option.
But I agree with others that playing died is more for grizzlies and brow bears.

Play dead with a black is a death sentence. You better fight for all your worth.

Beo
11-02-2007, 01:43 PM
Bear shmear, pull my knife and kick his ***, skin him and gotts me a new coat!!!
Frigg'n bears pfff! :D Big hairy woods punks :D :D
And your little owl too!!! :D lol

owl_girl
11-02-2007, 02:46 PM
Play dead with a black is a death sentence. You better fight for all your worth.

Yes I know that. I forgot to mention it earlier but don’t worry I know black bears are different then brow bears, and that I did mention.

trax
11-02-2007, 05:20 PM
Bear shmear, pull my knife and kick his ***, skin him and gotts me a new coat!!!
Frigg'n bears pfff! :D Big hairy woods punks :D :D
And your little owl too!!! :D lol

You can just tell when this dude's been frog lickin' again. You gotta lay off those things Beo

zaebra
11-02-2007, 08:37 PM
sorry, i've been gone for a couple of weeks (jury duty). in answer to the earlier query, the funny noise was simply the bear wandering through the brush. he was completely non-threatening, going so far as to sit down on his butt like a dog.
i forgot to mention that we also carry bear spray, and yes, that stuff works extremely well. we've seen video by a bear expert whose full-time job is photographing and living with alaskan grizzlies, and he's used bear spray several times with very effective results.

any more we just make sure we don't camp in bear country. this severely limits our available areas, since I live in the pacific northwest (eastern washington).

RobertRogers
11-03-2007, 09:19 AM
If you're camping with children you can always throw a kid at the bear, should keep it occupied whilst you make your getaway!

LOL! Yes, you do not have to run faster than the bear - only faster than your companions

FVR
11-03-2007, 09:31 AM
Reminds me of a story when Ken and I went up to his uncles to hunt deer in NJ when I was 16. We were walking across this pasture, with a big ol bull in it. I said to Ken, "what happens if the bull charges us?" He responded "wait till he gets about 4 feet from you and jump to the side, bulls can't turn that fast" I replied "oh, okay."


Half way across the pasture "Ken, Ken, the bull is coming towards us, Ken......" Ken replied, "remeber what I told you."

Bull stops about 40 yards off, 40 yards is close! He starts pawing the ground, I turn back "Ken, Ken, the bull is pawing the ground, Ken, Ken?" I turn around, Ken is gone, Ken is hightailing it to the fence, Ken is a track star, I'm not!

At that point I start hoofing it (LOL) towards the fence, Ken is yelling, "don't turn around" just like in Jaws. All of a sudden I'm close to the fence, yet I am sailing over the fence, I cleared the fence and did not know I could jump that high. I look up, Ken is rolling on the ground laughing to the point of sickness.

"You should have seen yourself when that bull got under ya" Ah, I thought I had a career in the high jump.

Themeek
02-01-2010, 12:03 PM
I can't say much that hasn't already been said as far as being alone when you meet your bear. I can however, relate a group story. This was a few years back, at an SCA event(medieval reinactment). We had a bear come wondering into camp one night, I'm sure it was just curious. Probably looking for food. The bear didn't seem the least bit concerned about the large group of people we had around. As soon as we noticed the bear a bounch of our "heavy weapons fighters" (think armor, sword, and shield types) grabbed their swords and shield and began slowly walking toward the bear while beating their shields with their swords. The bear left.
I feel it important to note however that the bear did not turn and run. Instead it took a moment to watch the group(about 20 guys) making nose and coming towards it. Then it turned and calmly walked away as if it had simply become bored with our little campout.
To my knowledge the bear did not come back, but we did keep looking.