Too close for comfort in a tree stand

[mrbb]

Four, a mother protecting her cub/cubs.

yeah the instinct to protect one's young is strong, but even still, they are most likely to avoid a fight than get in one, as if they get injured , it won't help there young, so, nature makes them typically flee, over fight 99% of the time, when given the chance!
but they sure can put up a fight when needed too! HAHA!
I have seen many females run off males 2-3 times there size, that didn;t want to find out how how much fight was in a mother, the bluffs were enough to make them move on!

I'll share a short story, for those that may enjoy it(sorry iof folks find it long winded)

I have been able to follow the life's of many bears here for decades, I had one female bear that just HATED one male bear here, he was 4 yrs older than she and twice her size from the get go, and she was NO small female, actually one of the largest one I have had here(when we ear tagged and weighted her she was 4 yrs old and a little over 350 lbs in spring time, coming out of winter, so a huge female bear)
yet every time he would show up when she was here, it would **** her off, and before long she would be head strong charging the poor guy, even when he would be 150+ yards away, no threat to her at all, or even looking at her, if she seen him, it bothered her
this went on for 7 yrs, he was now a HUGE male, over a 600 lbs( I helped the state trap and ear tagged him, and weighted him, so I know the weight notr guessing here)
any how, she finally started to look at him differently, now he was FAT as he was!,

and then the following spring, the two of them mated in backyard, 3 different times, I Guessed the hate for him was finally over!,
and , I joked, he finally got his pay back for all them attacks she put on him, and it never mattered if she had cubs or not, she just never liked him till, he broke the 600 lb mark!
she always mated with the largest bears in my area(or the one's I seen with her)
she had 3 cubs the following yr, and , went right back to Hating the poor guy again!
that 600+ lb male would run for dear life when ever he seen her here!
and big fat bears don't run far or fast!, no really climb tree's
she would run him off till out of sight from me, and all I would hear is tree's and branches a breaking, then she would walk back all proud of her self
they did mate again her next season, , only 2 cubs this time, and then she went MIA, I gather a hunter finally got her( ironically he also went Missing the same yr, but was een aftyer hunting season, so, maybe a vehicle got him, or a cheater poachers get there share in my area)
But it was very entertaining to watch her all them yrs and see the things she did!
and how she just hated that one male bear, she tolerated other males and bears , just NOT him, HAHA!

a few pictures of her, one right before going in trap to get tagged!, and then two of here lovers! a few yrs apart, but as you can she she always dragged the big boys in, the one by the pink container, was trapped in June and was 6 00+ forget exact amount but was close to 650lbs , same bear at water bowl) and that's coming out of winter , was a true HUGE male bear! and the other one was trapped and ear tagged in July and was 599 lbs,
I again been blessed to have the time spent about bears for so many yrs, and getting to work with them , (and FYI< having fresh clean water works great for getting pictuires of passing thru critters in HOT weather, pools and unbreakable bowls been working for me for yrs now)

and I can say for 100% certainty, that after all my time about bears and seeing what I have and learning what I have, the things originally I once thought about bears is NO where near what I learned about them!
I find them to be anything but aggressive animals, mostly the opposite, there just big strong and capable of doing damaged if they had too, but over all, there goal is far from being dangerous to humans, they do all they can to avoid us!
they shouldnl;t be feared, they should be respected and, as said before, knowledge is power, the more you learn about something, the less you will fear it, and it will keep you safer when about them and prevent over reacting as well!

 

[WildRose]

yeah the instinct to protect one's young is strong, but even still, they are most likely to avoid a fight than get in one, as if they get injured , it won't help there young, so, nature makes them typically flee, over fight 99% of the time, when given the chance!
but they sure can put up a fight when needed too! HAHA!
I have seen many females run off males 2-3 times there size, that didn;t want to find out how how much fight was in a mother, the bluffs were enough to make them move on!

I'll share a short story, for those that may enjoy it(sorry iof folks find it long winded)

I have been able to follow the life's of many bears here for decades, I had one female bear that just HATED one male bear here, he was 4 yrs older than she and twice her size from the get go, and she was NO small female, actually one of the largest one I have had here(when we ear tagged and weighted her she was 4 yrs old and a little over 350 lbs in spring time, coming out of winter, so a huge female bear)
yet every time he would show up when she was here, it would **** her off, and before long she would be head strong charging the poor guy, even when he would be 150+ yards away, no threat to her at all, or even looking at her, if she seen him, it bothered her
this went on for 7 yrs, he was now a HUGE male, over a 600 lbs( I helped the state trap and ear tagged him, and weighted him, so I know the weight notr guessing here)
any how, she finally started to look at him differently, now he was FAT as he was!,

and then the following spring, the two of them mated in backyard, 3 different times, I Guessed the hate for him was finally over!,
and , I joked, he finally got his pay back for all them attacks she put on him, and it never mattered if she had cubs or not, she just never liked him till, he broke the 600 lb mark!
she always mated with the largest bears in my area(or the one's I seen with her)
she had 3 cubs the following yr, and , went right back to Hating the poor guy again!
that 600+ lb male would run for dear life when ever he seen her here!
and big fat bears don't run far or fast!, no really climb tree's
she would run him off till out of sight from me, and all I would hear is tree's and branches a breaking, then she would walk back all proud of her self
they did mate again her next season, , only 2 cubs this time, and then she went MIA, I gather a hunter finally got her( ironically he also went Missing the same yr, but was een aftyer hunting season, so, maybe a vehicle got him, or a cheater poachers get there share in my area)
But it was very entertaining to watch her all them yrs and see the things she did!
and how she just hated that one male bear, she tolerated other males and bears , just NOT him, HAHA!

a few pictures of her, one right before going in trap to get tagged!, and then two of here lovers! a few yrs apart, but as you can she she always dragged the big boys in, the one by the pink container, was trapped in June and was 6 00+ forget exact amount but was close to 650lbs , same bear at water bowl) and that's coming out of winter , was a true HUGE male bear! and the other one was trapped and ear tagged in July and was 599 lbs,
I again been blessed to have the time spent about bears for so many yrs, and getting to work with them , (and FYI< having fresh clean water works great for getting pictuires of passing thru critters in HOT weather, pools and unbreakable bowls been working for me for yrs now)

and I can say for 100% certainty, that after all my time about bears and seeing what I have and learning what I have, the things originally I once thought about bears is NO where near what I learned about them!
I find them to be anything but aggressive animals, mostly the opposite, there just big strong and capable of doing damaged if they had too, but over all, there goal is far from being dangerous to humans, they do all they can to avoid us!
they shouldnl;t be feared, they should be respected and, as said before, knowledge is power, the more you learn about something, the less you will fear it, and it will keep you safer when about them and prevent over reacting as well!

She's a toad.

We spent a whole lot of time in CO/NM bear country growing up and I was most impressed at how a seemingly passive sow with a couple of cubs could turn into the demon spawn from hell if she thought they were in danger especially early in the spring when the males were first coming out.

Sounds like you're overrun with some whopper bears, if they ever get to be too much of a problem just let me know and I'll come help out!

Down here we've got more than plenty, but they are the Mexican Black Bear and protected

Every hunter in the four-county area hates them with a purple passion because they wreak hell on the deer feeders.

I've seen lots of sign on my place and one in town that had to have come off of my place, but I hope they move on.

 

[Coldfinger]

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.

I've been on a baited bait hunt before and not ashamed of it at all. The geography in Northern Main only really lends itself to baiting or hounds. If there's a way to stalk bears in evergreen thickets where you can't see past 10 yards I couldn't figure it out on stand. Was I successful absolutely!!!! Did I harvest a bear Negative but it was just worth the experience watching the wildlife I wouldn't have seen otherwise.
I hunt in areas where deer and bear drives are the norm. Do I participate noooo way. Do I judge them for pushing deer or bears into standers? Negative. To each their own.
My avatar cat would have never been possible without the use of hounds in the small time window I had to hunt 1700 miles from home in totally unfamiliar territory. Does it mean I'm a bad hunter? Not really but to some maybe.
The division I have come to notice among hunters in the last several years is the biggest threat to our tradition.
I support any ethical sportsman/woman child weather they use sling shots, arrows, traps, muzzleloaders that don't smoke thermal imaging or rifles that shoot farther than I can see!!!! Amen God Bless and Protect you sportsman and America!!! Without each other we will fall!

 

[mrbb]

She's a toad.

We spent a whole lot of time in CO/NM bear country growing up and I was most impressed at how a seemingly passive sow with a couple of cubs could turn into the demon spawn from hell if she thought they were in danger especially early in the spring when the males were first coming out.

Sounds like you're overrun with some whopper bears, if they ever get to be too much of a problem just let me know and I'll come help out!

Down here we've got more than plenty, but they are the Mexican Black Bear and protected

Every hunter in the four-county area hates them with a purple passion because they wreak hell on the deer feeders.

I've seen lots of sign on my place and one in town that had to have come off of my place, but I hope they move on.

thanks for the offer to help, but I have no shortage of hunters about me, its just good food being here that keeps the bears about as well.
as for females bears with cubs, my view on them has always been rather simple
there a FEMALE, they just had Kids, and there a big ball of hormones, which complete effect there mood, and actions at times and can make them un predictable at times over seemingly nothing!

but over all, they mostly maintain there natural fear of humans

I can recall one larger female, here that had 4 cubs,
she would lay in a food plot eating 150 yards from my place, and be clam one minute and then come a charging 50-80 yards towards my place, and some serious zero to 30 mph get up and go charges, with them ears a pinned back , ready for war and all for un known reasons, , could see far and wide, Nothing else was about her!
and then stop mid charge, and go right back to being calm and eating again where she just was!, cubs would be all a scattered about as NO tree near by to go up, , even they would give here strange looks as to what she was doing,

she was the only one I ever seen do this, and me, I just blamed it on a combo of hormones playing games and possibly smelling something that triggered things, however, what that may have been she smelled, NO clue

but over all my yrs , never had any issues with females, and I am sure I have pushed the limits at times, more than I would ever suggest anyone else do, that's for sure!
as I have crawled into dens with sow's with cubs , back when helping trap,/tag and monitor them,
and got some pretty strange looks from bears doing so, as if even they couldn;t believe what I was doing, HAHA!, but was to me, the look of surprise and not aggression, I seen in them, , or maybe this would be a different story to tell about things!!

 

[Varmint Hunter]

On one of my many bear/bait hunts, I was instructed by the outfitter to stay in the metal ladder stand until the guide actually reached the stand for pick-up. The stand was fully camoed and I was sprayed down, top to bottom, with scent-killer spray.

It was long after dark when I was startled by a small bear running under the stand and directly to the bait site. Then another cub bolted by, followed by a big hulking sow. I could just barely see them at 20yds but could easily hear the cubs knocking the white pails around to get the honey and chocolate. The sow reached high into the tree to tear down the bag of meat that was put up high intentionally.

After 10-15min I could see the shadow of the sow moving in my direction. It was too dark to see almost anything. Eventually, I felt her full weight on the metal ladder as my seat got abruptly pulled down. I waited about a minute but could not hear or see any movement. I slipped a small tactical light out of my pocket so that I could see down the steps of the ladder. To my SURPRISE the sows head was right between my boots!! I can honestly say that I've never been so startled in my life. My heart was pounding.

Luckly, the big sow didn't like being blinded from 18" away and just let go of the ladder and fell to the ground. I could hear all three bears running through the woods to get away. It sounded like the sow crashed into everything as she was probably blinded (temporarily) but the intense light in her face.

True story that I'll never forget. LOL

 

[Varmint Hunter]

There is an interesting ending to this ^^^^^^ story.

As I waited for my guide, I could hear the cubs back at the bait site. I assumed that the sow was still close. I sent a text message to the guide telling him that bears were all over the site. I tried scaring the cubs away by shining the bright light at them, but they were quite intent on eating all the sweets that were in the pails.

I could see my guide working his way up the forested hill because he was carrying one of those million candle power lights. Halfway up he just stops, and the light doesn't move for several minutes. Eventually he reaches the stand and I asked why he stopped for so long. He had a 45 auto stuffed in his pants for protection. The magazine was loaded but the chamber was empty for safety. ?? He said that he encountered a large bear on the trail and that the bear would not give up its position. With the big light in one hand, he grabbed his pistol with the other. He wanted to fire a shot but didn't have a free hand to rack the slide and wouldn't put the light down. It was a good ol' Mexican stand-off. LMAO

 

[WildRose]

thanks for the offer to help, but I have no shortage of hunters about me, its just good food being here that keeps the bears about as well.
as for females bears with cubs, my view on them has always been rather simple
there a FEMALE, they just had Kids, and there a big ball of hormones, which complete effect there mood, and actions at times and can make them un predictable at times over seemingly nothing!

but over all, they mostly maintain there natural fear of humans

I can recall one larger female, here that had 4 cubs,
she would lay in a food plot eating 150 yards from my place, and be clam one minute and then come a charging 50-80 yards towards my place, and some serious zero to 30 mph get up and go charges, with them ears a pinned back , ready for war and all for un known reasons, , could see far and wide, Nothing else was about her!
and then stop mid charge, and go right back to being calm and eating again where she just was!, cubs would be all a scattered about as NO tree near by to go up, , even they would give here strange looks as to what she was doing,

she was the only one I ever seen do this, and me, I just blamed it on a combo of hormones playing games and possibly smelling something that triggered things, however, what that may have been she smelled, NO clue

but over all my yrs , never had any issues with females, and I am sure I have pushed the limits at times, more than I would ever suggest anyone else do, that's for sure!
as I have crawled into dens with sow's with cubs , back when helping trap,/tag and monitor them,
and got some pretty strange looks from bears doing so, as if even they couldn;t believe what I was doing, HAHA!, but was to me, the look of surprise and not aggression, I seen in them, , or maybe this would be a different story to tell about things!!

I had a girlfriend or two like that over the years... .

We occasionally had to deal with bad bears at Philmont when I was working there. Always made for a big adrenaline rush before and during and one heck of a crash after.