Too close for comfort in a tree stand

[VLD Pilot]

Not good

Looks kinda fun in the pics. That hunter can't contain himself. That video would look alot different if MaMa came up the tree behind her cubs.

 

[mrbb]

here is a young male that fell sleep on my steps up my deck one day, and then a second nap on deck, must have had a hard day, little guy needed to catch up on his sleep!

and then same guy checking out the back of my truck one day, and the riding mower, and well this female needed to cool off one summer day , and last a view few see I gather, LOL
, I have bears here all the time , for last 50+ yrs, never any damage nor problems, we co exist pretty well
I highly enjoy seeing them and watching them grow, have had some of the same ones here for 15-18+ yrs and seen them go thru a lot of up's and downs, from injuries to watching one female have 7 sets of different cubs, and getting to watch many of her cubs, grow and have there own!
and my property is surrounded almost an all sides by hunting club lands!, so there highly hunted, here too!
but like most places anymore, they had to learned how to adapt to humans, , as few places a bear can live without regular contact with humans anymore,
and , IMO< bears have done a better job adapting than most humans have learned to adapt to them!

 

[VLD Pilot]

here is a young male that fell sleep on my steps up my deck one day, and then a second nap on deck, must have had a hard day, little guy needed to catch up on his sleep!

and then same guy checking out the back of my truck one day, and the riding mower, and well this female needed to cool off one summer day , and last a view few see I gather, LOL
, I have bears here all the time , for last 50+ yrs, never any damage nor problems, we co exist pretty well
I highly enjoy seeing them and watching them grow, have had some of the same ones here for 15-18+ yrs and seen them go thru a lot of up's and downs, from injuries to watching one female have 7 sets of different cubs, and getting to watch many of her cubs, grow and have there own!
and my property is surrounded almost an all sides by hunting club lands!, so there highly hunted, here too!
but like most places anymore, they had to learned how to adapt to humans, , as few places a bear can live without regular contact with humans anymore,
and , IMO< bears have done a better job adapting than most humans have learned to adapt to them!

That's so cool. Thanks for sharing

 

[C-130 Dude]

here is a young male that fell sleep on my steps up my deck one day, and then a second nap on deck, must have had a hard day, little guy needed to catch up on his sleep!

and then same guy checking out the back of my truck one day, and the riding mower, and well this female needed to cool off one summer day , and last a view few see I gather, LOL
, I have bears here all the time , for last 50+ yrs, never any damage nor problems, we co exist pretty well
I highly enjoy seeing them and watching them grow, have had some of the same ones here for 15-18+ yrs and seen them go thru a lot of up's and downs, from injuries to watching one female have 7 sets of different cubs, and getting to watch many of her cubs, grow and have there own!
and my property is surrounded almost an all sides by hunting club lands!, so there highly hunted, here too!
but like most places anymore, they had to learned how to adapt to humans, , as few places a bear can live without regular contact with humans anymore,
and , IMO< bears have done a better job adapting than most humans have learned to adapt to them!

Very cool! I wonder if the bears know that your property is safe for them? It's possible from their experience with you and your land usage. At least they can grab a nap and get some rest. Must be a nice feeling to have them around knowing they feel comfortable there.

 

[mrbb]

Very cool! I wonder if the bears know that your property is safe for them? It's possible from their experience with you and your land usage. At least they can grab a nap and get some rest. Must be a nice feeling to have them around knowing they feel comfortable there.

yes 100% over the decades here bears have learned my place is a safe haven for them, add in all the food plots and things they can eat almost yr round,
they for sure feel safe here and can rest up
I once had a female that used to come to my back yard, tree her 3 cubs, next to my deck, about 20 ft from deck,
and then leave for a few hours, I used to joke she was leaving them here for me to baby sit while she went and got some rest or eating in a plot without worries of being on high alert, so, she'd get a break so to speak!
I have them den on my property too!
most I have had in my yard at once was 9, and that was on a good apple yr, when the tree's were loaded and piles of apples, all over!
pretty cool to get to watch them up close and see how they differ from each other
and you'd be surprised how picking they can be on what they will eat, or what one will eat and another will ignore

but here in my area, bears have it pretty easy to be picky on food, tons of food plots and farms not far away, and I am sure some folks here feed them as well, its rural and that happens when you have humans and wildlife living together , good intentions don;t always work out though!

these are picks from a GOOD apple yr,, from 5 different trees right in that area, there 60+yr old tree';s 30+ ft tall, and on good yrs, they make tons of apples literally! , them on the ground are just where they landed as they fell, , crazy how many apples some yrs bring me!
BUT< its been about 5 yrs now since I had a good harvest of apples,. way too many late frosts past few yrs screwing production up on me!
and another thing I noticed with bears here is, they all like to LAY on my deck, I think it makes them feel important when they can be higher than there fellow bears
they will fight over getting on deck some times, and its NOT a big deck, , but its sure fun to watch them when they are here, or for me it is!

and I have a grill my deck, I used almost weekly all yr, and have NEVER once had a bear bother it, go figure?
even if cooking on it when they show up some times
they will smell it, but thats all!
and not complaining either,
I see a black bear almost daily 7 months out of the yr here in my yard, either passing thru, wandering about,, eating something, or mating, last 5-6 yrs in a row I have had at least one male mate with a female in my drive way and backyard for me to watch,
I get to see some petty good fights too in mating season when the younger males are sorting out pecking order, they some times make a mess for me, as they will shove each other into things that flip over and have to go upright when they leave
but almost all fights are more making noises and bluffs than any harm to each other, minus some surface cuts from claws
I consider myself very lucky and privliaged to see all I see with bears

 

[Montucky Roamer]

Little cubs. The first thing they are taught by momma bear is to climb a tree.

Shooting fish in a barrel -baiting bear. Real hunting!
Never understood this.
Just like going. to a Deer Ranch. They show you pictures when you get there ( or you buy your deer before the trip) and say which one you want to shoot? Will cost you $$$$ for "A" $$$$$$ for "B". Then take you to the feeding station, which by the way they electronic tag the deer and know exactly what time they come to eat with "Readers" at the grain feeders.
I knew a group of hunters that I actually hunted with "Free Range" in NY and then showed me videos of the "Buck Board" the "Feed Stations" and cost per deer of their trips. Their trips were in Saskatchewan, Canada. I was invited to go on a Bear and Deer hunt up there. I said sorry I would rather hunt than shoot tame programed fed Deer or Bear.

Get your "ethics" arguments out of here. Especially on a "long range forum. Baiting is legal and encouraged by game departments in many states. Legal ,ethical , and extremely hard work to do it right.

 

[VLD Pilot]

yes 100% over the decades here bears have learned my place is a safe haven for them, add in all the food plots and things they can eat almost yr round,
they for sure feel safe here and can rest up
I once had a female that used to come to my back yard, tree her 3 cubs, next to my deck, about 20 ft from deck,
and then leave for a few hours, I used to joke she was leaving them here for me to baby sit while she went and got some rest or eating in a plot without worries of being on high alert, so, she'd get a break so to speak!
I have them den on my property too!
most I have had in my yard at once was 9, and that was on a good apple yr, when the tree's were loaded and piles of apples, all over!
pretty cool to get to watch them up close and see how they differ from each other
and you'd be surprised how picking they can be on what they will eat, or what one will eat and another will ignore

but here in my area, bears have it pretty easy to be picky on food, tons of food plots and farms not far away, and I am sure some folks here feed them as well, its rural and that happens when you have humans and wildlife living together , good intentions don;t always work out though!

these are picks from a GOOD apple yr,, from 5 different trees right in that area, there 60+yr old tree';s 30+ ft tall, and on good yrs, they make tons of apples literally! , them on the ground are just where they landed as they fell, , crazy how many apples some yrs bring me!
BUT< its been about 5 yrs now since I had a good harvest of apples,. way too many late frosts past few yrs screwing production up on me!
and another thing I noticed with bears here is, they all like to LAY on my deck, I think it makes them feel important when they can be higher than there fellow bears
they will fight over getting on deck some times, and its NOT a big deck, , but its sure fun to watch them when they are here, or for me it is!

and I have a grill my deck, I used almost weekly all yr, and have NEVER once had a bear bother it, go figure?
even if cooking on it when they show up some times
they will smell it, but thats all!
and not complaining either,
I see a black bear almost daily 7 months out of the yr here in my yard, either passing thru, wandering about,, eating something, or mating, last 5-6 yrs in a row I have had at least one male mate with a female in my drive way and backyard for me to watch,
I get to see some petty good fights too in mating season when the younger males are sorting out pecking order, they some times make a mess for me, as they will shove each other into things that flip over and have to go upright when they leave
but almost all fights are more making noises and bluffs than any harm to each other, minus some surface cuts from claws
I consider myself very lucky and privliaged to see all I see with bears

You could charge admission for that show. Very cool

 

[C-130 Dude]

Get your "ethics" arguments out of here. Especially on a "long range forum. Baiting is legal and encouraged by game departments in many states. Legal ,ethical , and extremely hard work to do it right.

WOW. It's a persons opinion.

 

[MtPockets]

WOW. It's a persons opinion.

I get that, but just like those that look down at long range hunting- those who've never done it can't understand the work it takes. And like a previous post pointed out, many areas just plain do not have the land configurations to run dogs or do a spot and stalk.

 

[WildRose]

Cute cuddly things…where's mama???

That would definitely be my concern. Momma can get up that tree just as fast as they did if one of them squalls.

 

[WildRose]

Right below the cub, same tree. Hard to see, but there.

That sure looked like two cubs to me.

 

[WildRose]

Little cubs. The first thing they are taught by momma bear is to climb a tree.

Shooting fish in a barrel -baiting bear. Real hunting!
Never understood this.
Just like going. to a Deer Ranch. They show you pictures when you get there ( or you buy your deer before the trip) and say which one you want to shoot? Will cost you $$$$ for "A" $$$$$$ for "B". Then take you to the feeding station, which by the way they electronic tag the deer and know exactly what time they come to eat with "Readers" at the grain feeders.
I knew a group of hunters that I actually hunted with "Free Range" in NY and then showed me videos of the "Buck Board" the "Feed Stations" and cost per deer of their trips. Their trips were in Saskatchewan, Canada. I was invited to go on a Bear and Deer hunt up there. I said sorry I would rather hunt than shoot tame programed fed Deer or Bear.

If it bothers you don't do it but don't be a hypocrite and hunt over agricultural fields or food plots while you're beating your chest about being a real hunter.

Better yet stick to match locks and recurve bows... .

This ain't the place for those kinds of discussions.

 

[WildRose]

Whether it was another bigger bear or mama doesn't really matter much. It was a MUCH bigger bear. Not good any way you slice it. Those guys are sooo lucky. Could you imagine just how much you would be sweating out them leaving without an altercation? Looks a bit to high up to jump out of the tree. If mama or the bigger bear would have climbed up like the cub did, you would have seen me sprout wings.

Well the momma bear would be there to defend her cubs, a stray teenager isn't.

 

[WildRose]

most folks with very little real bear experience will over react, those with a lot of time about bears will stay calm and understand things better!
like the old saying goes,
knowledge is power!
and bear attacks are super rare, even when folks are about bears a lot!

the most dangerous bears in the woods fall into 3 categories IMO< a SCARED ONE< an injured one and last, is a starving one , a healthy normal bear wants nothing to do with humans and will avoid them using skills t nature gave them!
those, two conditions, however
will lead s them all to be unpredictable, which can also mean aggression over flight!
and don't laugh, even a BIG bear gets scared, ,
get too close to one without it knowing you were there, and it will be scared/startled,
and they will react with either flight or flight means, MOST times, its flight!

other wise, there would be a lot more reported bear attacks on the books!
but facts are, a healthy bear seldom attacks, and even scared injured hungry one's do there best to flee from humans!
we just plain STINK to them! and are rarther well known to be trouble on two feet!

Four, a mother protecting her cub/cubs.