Black Bear Hunting — is that dangerous? — Postscript 2

Some comments remain to be made along with a couple of examples. This may take a few minutes to read, and mull over!

The most complete answer to the question is: Any bear CAN be dangerous, and sometimes they ARE dangerous depending on a number of factors that have already been discussed in the previous articles.

(<That’s a younger “Bob”)

But more specifically, for the hunter, they ARE dangerous if wounded but still very much alive and waiting for you to show up in a follow-up, especially if they’ve gone into any cover that allows them to see you before you see them. That, I know from experience.

In thirty seasons, I superficially wounded two bears that got away into thick bush and awaited my follow-up. Those happened within the same general area of Crown Land, but  several years and distinct seasons were involved. The first was a spring season when we still had them, and the latter was a fall season as described in my last blog, :Postscript 1. And that was the same bear that was checking us out by coming into the bush directly behind us and then trying to intimidate Ken and I, and the following week he tried the same thing when I was alone in the blind. But, that wasn’t the end of the drama. The end came later when I wounded him; that will be discussed in a few moments.

I now want to focus this final presentation on the two wounded bears, why that happened, and any lessons learned about dominant boar bears that have been wounded by a hunter, their reactions and if still vital they should be treated as Dangerous Game without equivocation! If wounded, we don’t know for certain how alive and alert they might be, nor exactly the physical conditions of their hideaway, nor even its precise location, which MUST be treated as any dangerous game situation, not merely potentially so!

The FIRST CASE: This was a spring season hunt in the Haliburton Highlands on Crown Land. It became my primary location for a dozen years or so, after scouting out several additional areas of the region. It was located within a hundred yards of an old logging road that was used mostly by moose and deer hunters in the fall, and snow machine users during the winter months. And it was on the side of a ridge with game trails at the bottom, just inside the tree line of a vast bog/marsh that surrounded a smallish lake. Perfect for any fur bearers, small game, varmints, predators, game birds, whitetails, moose AND bear! All of that I personally saw over the described period. I also hunted moose and deer in that area. So, it was familiar territory. That spring (before the spring bear season was terminated in 1999), I was hunting solo most of the time. I did the baiting, including its location as well as locating and building the blind up-high on the ridge about 100 yards from the bait setup downhill from me, and inside the treeline from the marsh approximately 75 yards.

“Perfect!”, was my view of matters. Actually, apart from the “close quarters” for both bait and stand, due to thick woods and brush, it proved to be an ideal situation. My elevation was 40 to 50 feet higher than the bait location, which meant the thermals would not likely be a factor. Plus, I was facing SW, so most days suitable for hunting in the spring would mean any wind would be in my face or from the SE, in which case it would be at 90* across line of fire from the left. So due to the elevation and wind direction, a bear would not likely catch my scent.

Yet, there was a natural shooting lane from blind to bait, which I enhanced by trimming some branches and cutting some brush. It remains to this day. But, due to new regulations, it can’t ever be used again for baiting purposes because the old logging trail is now used by ATV’ers from spring through fall months! The new law mandates that bear baits must be at least 200 meters (220 yards) from any maintained and officially identified travel route for vehicular traffic, including ATVs and dirt bikes.

Getting back to over two decades ago: This was my gem of a location and setup; known only to intimate hunting buddies.  I also maintained another site approximately 1 mile by logging road from my highly prized setup. It was on the far side of the bog/marsh, hidden away in a small meadow. A friend wanted to hunt it. I agreed, so we travelled together to where our vehicle would be parked, just a few yards from the old logging trail; he went left, and I right, uphill to the marked game trail I used to descend to my blind. That only took 7 or 8 minutes. My friend had to walk about 3/4’s of a mile around the end of the marsh, then turn right to his blind  on the edge of the meadow with the bait on the far side. We settled in for a wait that could last for 5 hours up to closing time, 1/2 hr after the sun had set.

A big bear was hitting my bait after hours, or when I wasn’t around. The evidence for a big bear is that the bait (lots of it) disappears within a day or so of it being placed in a particular location with no other creatures, including large ones, showing near or at that location. In fact, there may be no sightings, or evidence, of any other creature in the immediate area within 1/4 mile (400 yards) when normally there would be other bears and deer at the very minimum. Also, when large claw marks appear on trees above a man’s reach, as ownership markings by a dominant bruin, no doubt is left in the mind of an experienced black bear hunter as to what is happening at that bait site… you’d have to be dumb or blind to miss it! Then, there are other unmistakable evidences, well known to the keen observer: The disappearance of five-gallon bait buckets (with bait in them) that only show up months, or even years, later at up to 1/2 mile from the original site.

Yes, I had a BIG bruin that had moved into the area and claimed that food source as his own!

The mid afternoon that my friend, Mike, and I had settled into our respective locations, there was little to no wind, a bit cloudy, and mild temps. We each had snacks and a drink to help pass the potential hours that could easily involve normal evening meal time. Darkness would start to sneak in at around 7 pm in late April – early May. Especially was that so in my location. The bait was at the bottom of the ridge surrounded by tall trees and brush. That meant that the sun would be casting dark shadows over the bait site by 5 pm. If there was to be any action at the site by the big bear before closing time, it would be expected to happen around 8 pm.

As that hour slowly approached, I was on high alert! My rifle was a Remington 7400 (semi) in .35 Whelen, loaded with 200gr X-Bullets (the originals) at a chronographed 2800 fps/3481 ft-lbs at the muzzle. If Barnes’ BC of .346 was real, then at 98 yards they would hit at about 2555 fps/2898 ft-lbs; plenty for ANY size or disposition bear, with the exception of a 3/4 ton brown bear!

The, yet, unseen bear I expected, should go somewhere between 350 to 500 lbs, was my thinking.

As the last few minutes of hunting light were quickly escaping, I checked the site with my scope for any sign of a black object against a black background that wasn’t there the last time I checked 10 to 15 seconds earlier — it was that dark even with 5 minutes of legal light remaining! I stashed my rifle against a small fir tree to my right, bent over to pick up belongings, including binoculars, lifted the cover of my backpack – hunting seat, looking over the blind one last time…. And, THERE HE WAS sitting with his broad back to me facing the bait from just a couple of yards! Quietly, I put the binoculars back on the ground, sat on the seat, reached for my rifle, placed it on the pole that served as support for the blind, aimed, took of the safety, and…

He got up from his rump and silently moved to the right behind branches, and then behind the huge boulder that served as the backstop for the bait. He then turned and came back to the front, but continued on his way up the trail (that I used for bringing in bait — and a game trail) to my left. I waited until he cleared some trees and another boulder, aimed and fired! All of that took less than a minute from the time I first saw him until the trigger on my Rem 7400 was squeezed!

There was a brilliant muzzle flash that blinded me through the 3 – 9 x 40mm Bushnell, set on 6x. A crash, crash, crash was heard — then dead silence!

I had to go look for him! Just enough light remaining to make out some deadfalls and large boulders, but I had to check anything that looked black and out of place! By then, I heard the voice of my partner calling me… he was walking out and heard my shot. Then it got REAL DARK! I told him, in as few whispers as possible, what happened and where I believed the bear was heading, if still alive!

I lead the way over a well known game trail, just inside the marsh, for about 50 yards, and then called a halt to a followup in pitch darkness. We would return in the morning light.

The next day dawned bright and sunny… and we were three: Mike, Dave and myself. It was 7 am. We first checked the spot of bullet impact, and Dave found a piece of black fur attached to hide about 1 and 1/2 inches long. But there was no blood on the ground or trail that we followed for about 100 yards to the bottom of the ridge going west. I knew where the bear was coming from and where he would go if wounded and still alive. Mike was a very good tracker if there was any sign, but so far there was none. I was on his right with my Marlin .45-70 loaded for bear at close range. Dave was on his left toward the marsh.

Then… Mike stopped in his tracks and whispered “blood!”, as he looked intently down at the almost indistinguishable game trail in front of him!

We had arrived at the bottom of the ridge with a very thick bush confronting us. I told them to hold their positions while I went ahead to circle the bush to determine if the bear was still in it or had passed through it during the night. There was no hint of the bear’s presence in that thick tangle, so I entered and there before me was an open area, covered with grass, about 15 feet in length and 10 feet wide — and just before me was a patch of fresh blood about 8 inches in diameter! The bear had left it’s hideout just moments before we arrived. In daylight, and three of us approaching his hideaway, he departed toward the top of the ridge, not more than a couple of minutes ahead of us!

We spent the rest of the morning tracking pinpoints of blood over the ridge. I cut ahead and hit the main dirt road, as I knew he would cross it to go into the interminable tree-filled swamp on the far side. A grader had passed over that road, late the day before, so I figured if the bear had crossed it where I was certain he would, then tracks would be clear evidence of his passing. There were none. So, back into the woods I went and joined up with my buddies near the bottom of the ridge on the far side. By now both tracks in the soft watery ground, near the stream, were evident, plus those tiny droplets of blood. He’d crossed the stream and headed for the road that I had only moments before abandoned to join-up with my partners. Sure enough, there were his clear tracks across the road, along with a few droplets of blood over a bald ledge leading into the swamp beyond. We did a brief search in there, and knew it would be futile to pursue the bruin further.

The point of this is twofold: 1) That wounded bear waited in a hideout the whole night until daylight arrived, watching his back-trail for a possible counterattack in the pitch darkness!  He felt outnumbered in the brightness of the morning sun and left the scene. But he was only mere yards ahead of us — no evidence of running away! Our pace was less than 1 mph, and yet he stayed out of sight not more than 50 yards ahead of us.

Would he have been dangerous had only Mike and I pursued him in the dark night of the hunt? And, if I had arrived solo the following morning, and entered his hideout would he still be ready and waiting for me? There was no evidence of a mortal wound. And he certainly was not in a panic as we very slowly followed his spoor the next morning.

2) Two days later, as I did my own followup to the cause of the wounding, I discovered a young unseen hardwood sapling a little over an inch thick had been hit by the bullet in line of sight to the bear. That was enough for the bullet to miss it’s intended mark. But enough to cause, perhaps, a serious wound, but not immediately fatal.

Some of you may recognise the above story, as it was told about two decades ago, but it was my first serious potential encounter with a big wounded bear that was awaiting its pursuers in sheer darkness!

The SECOND CASE:  This one is much shorter, but the end results are similar though not identical. Having already described how this particular bear tried to control his situation through threats of violence, I said to Ken, “Let’s construct a new blind closer to the bait, and further to the left up against the evergreen bush that’s there, making it look like a part of the bush, so the bear will be less likely to notice it (and us). We did just that! I figured the bear would still check to see if we were in our usual blind (where he’d try to spook us.). If we weren’t there, he’d likely come in to the bait earlier and more boldly!

It was by then late October, and getting cold, very cold. But big bears would not normally be heading for their denning areas for another month if food was still available where they usually were feeding. In this case that big bear was still enjoying what we were donating to his cause!

So, we built the blind and were seated behind it around 2:30 – 3:00 o’clock. That was a bit earlier than usual, but darkness was, by that late date, arriving about 6 p.m. The bait was up against a huge boulder as a backstop, with thick bush all around within a few yards of the blind and bait… about 35 yards from us. I was seated to Ken’s right, just as previously in the blind we’d abandoned, then up behind us by about 60 yards. I thought the setup was perfect! We blended in with the scenery, our blind being part of the natural bush.

But by 5 p.m. I was freezing! I wanted this to happen “NOW”! Well, sure enough, on cue, the big black bruin emerged from behind the huge boulder to the right not more than about 35 yards from us! And he WAS a BIG bear! He didn’t go immediately to the bait, however, as he appeared to be suspicious…things didn’t seem just right to him! So, he hid behind the only tree big enough to hid most of him if he stood facing me directly… again, which he did! My rifle was up, aimed in his direction but the tree (about twenty-five yards directly in front of me) hid most of him. Ken, on my left, could see him better, and later told me he was wondering why I didn’t shoot! My arms were getting weary and I didn’t dare make a move because he had us in his sights! Suddenly! He decided to move quickly, and get OUT of THERE! I fired as he swung away from us to retreat back into thick bush. Then several crashes, followed by silence!

On immediate followup, Ken found a piece of fur, and I found where the 250gr GS from my 350 Rem Mag had struck a boulder and left its imprint just beyond where the bear had spun in its effort to escape. I also found the furrow made by Ken’s 150 Partition fired from his .270 Win at the fast escaping bear! It too was where the bear WAS when he fired but not where the bear was when the bullet arrived! Mine was the only hit… but where on the bruin’s anatomy?; that was the significant question! Again, though separated by several years, as in the first account, there was minimal spoor! We did a brief search, and I called a moratorium.

The next day, bright and early, we did a follow-up. As before, I went where I thought the bear would go into the first thick bush, not more than 60 yards from our blind. Sure enough, there before me was another patch of blood about the size of the previous one made ten years earlier. And, yes, there were mere pinpricks of fresh blood droplets emerging from the site, only moments before! Those eventually led through brush so thick that Ken was literally on hands and knees to find them. I was standing guard (again) with my Marlin loaded for bear. After 1 and 1/2 hrs. of that the pinpricks petered out as they led us into an impossible tangle that no human could pass through — even on hands and knees!

That would have been a very dangerous situation had we continued our follow-up the previous evening!

So, in answer to the question: “Hunting Black Bears — is that dangerous?”, I’ll take you to Africa where “The Dangerous Five” are spoken of with deep respect and some trepidation. No, bears aren’t found there, but big cats and buffalo are.

I’ve mentioned a few times that I watch videos of African hunting; especially of Cape buffalo and other “Dangerous Game”. Those are professionally made videos, of big name PH’s and clients, mostly. So some “doctoring” has taken place, and nothing simulating a real dangerous “accident” is available to the public. I understand that.

But recently I watched on Nat. Geo TV channel, a lengthy series on “Wild Africa” that did NOT edit the gore and killing that took place in a “war” between a large pride of lions and hundreds of Cape buffalo! I saw it again on YouTube. The lions were in packs, and no single one of them took on a mature male Cape buffalo.

How big is a Cape buff? Most that are shot by clients are not more than 1200 to 1500 lbs. How big is a mature bull moose? About the same weight, except they stand taller.

How big is one of the African cats? A mature male lion goes about 450 to 500 lbs, so they tell us. How big is a mature male black bear? About the same weight.  Which can run the fastest? Most would say a lion, of course. But hold on just a minute! According to Nat. Geo. a Cape buff can make about 35 mph tops, but it can outrun a large male lion after about 100 yards that also can make about 35 mph for a short stint!

Now, what about a bear of 350 to 450 lbs? How fast can it run? About the same as the lion or Cape buff! BUT, it has more stamina than the lion! “But the lion is quicker”, say you? Really? I doubt that as I’ve witnessed a mature male bear take off from a standing start and hit 35 mph in less than two seconds!

All that to simply put into perspective what you (or I) might be facing if we walk into a wounded bears hideout, thinking less of it than we would if walking into a wounded lion’s hideout!

The videos mentioned, where a dangerous animal such as lion or Cape buffalo have been wounded, has an entourage of about five or six men, four of whom have “heavy” rifles at the ready; and you want to walk into a wounded bear’s hideaway alone, with a single rifle?

Think that over! And DON’T refer to black bear hunting as “potentially dangerous”! In my book they ARE DANGEROUS GAME and nothing to have a careless attitude about in hunting them in rough terrain where thick brush, undergrowth, trees, ravines, caves, streams, lakes, bogs, rivers and ridges/mountains are their habitat. And what about bears in your kitchen?

And that was a long answer to a short question!

Next question: What rifles should you use in a wounded bear follow-up? “Whatever you would you use for a wounded lion follow-up.”, might be the logical answer.

‘Till the next on “HUNTING FITNESS”

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Hunting Black Bears — are they dangerous? — Postscript

From the previous blogs, I’ve shared anecdotes and views on black bears coming from personal observation and hunting them for thirty seasons, plus a significant amount of research. What follows as a postscript addresses the question more directly.

Q1 – Do some black bears try to intimidate hunters? If so, how?

After all those seasons of chasing black bears under a variety of conditions and places, there remains no doubt in my mind that I’ve experienced a number of situations where a dominant male black bear tried to intimidate me, plus a partner sometimes, and doing it without ever being seen.

Black bears are not only opportunistic, but very crafty! Once a mature male black bear has determined that a particular area has a consistent food supply he will try to control traffic in and through that neighborhood. He does that by a direct force and attack mode, or more subtlety — if he considers he’s outnumbered or potentially inadequate to attempt a direct attack mode.

The following firsthand experiences should, I think, provide adequate insight that should resolve any doubts or questions regarding the above description of a dominant male’s thinking and consequent behaviour.

I was hunting from a tree stand within my favourite Crown Land region. My stand was only about 40 yards slightly uphill from the bait setup, which was on the side of a downhill trail that was both used by myself for baiting purposes, and game animals, particularly bears — in this case travelling to my baits. My plan was to intercept any mature male en route. My tree stand was well hidden amongst a growth of young conifers and maples.

About thirty-five yards uphill from my stand, I built a temporary ground blind for a non-hunter friend who wanted to experience a bear hunt. I had to get legal permission for that, and the only requirement was that he wear hunter orange in a vest and hat.

I knew there was a large mature male thereabouts from all the physical evidence. I settled into my tree stand for a potential four hour wait until darkness would arrive around 9 p.m.  My friend was seated comfortably, hidden away, amongst a natural cover of softwood and hard, plus brush and branches we had gathered. Almost any human could walk by and never notice our presence.

(How large was the mouth of the black bear that bit into this five gallon plastic bucket used for lugging bait?)

But not so for the dominant male black bruin. At less than an hour into a very quiet lovely-spring evening, downhill to my right and slightly behind me, a tree crashed to the ground without a breath of air blowing — and by the sound, it was not a small tree! A dead tree that got tired of standing, you say? Ha! But the problem with that simple analysis is that I had experienced that same phenomenon more than a few times while hunting bears! And I KNEW that was the action of the big bruin trying to intimidate these humans in HIS territory! The next event that disrupted the stillness was the rattle of a 5-gallon plastic bucket used in baiting that the bear was swatting and bouncing off  boulders and trees! Merely something else that by that stage in my bait- hunting expeditions I had become very acquainted with! The bruin was roaming! Dead silence for a full 30 to 45 minutes! Then! A large tree crashed to the ground a mere 30 to 35 yards up behind me — and just across the trail from my partner-friend! FIVE YARDS — FIFTEEN FEET from him!! Later, he informed me that he had just about filled his pants!

I was not totally surprised, but I must admit that was a first that a bear had felled a dead hardwood THAT close!

Another standard operating procedure by some despotic adult bears is demonstrated in the following examples: My friend Ken, and I had been hunting a particularly crafty male from the same ground blind until mid-October. That was getting late for that kind of hunt in that area of mixed forest. The leaves had already departed from the hardwoods, leaving us somewhat exposed on the side of a ridge to sharp-eyed bruins. The bait barrel was located  on my favorite spot at which I’d taken a number of bears. As our hideaway was now somewhat exposed, the big bear was sneaking up through a finger of thick conifers to our right, and behind us, to check us out — to see if we were there. If we were “there” he’d not come to the bait during daylight. But due to this standoff between hunters and bruin, I said to Ken: “He’s coming up the ridge through the thick spruce and fir to check on us, though we can’t see him.” Sure enough, he was doing just that! But, more than that, he tried to intimidate (frighten) us!

I was the shooter and Ken the “assistant” in this particular case. I’m blind on my right side, and partially deaf on that side as well. We were sitting quietly behind the blind, elevated above the bait barrel on a +15 degree uphill angle and 98 yards from the barrel. Ken was on my left and I’d turn to look at him from time to time as hand signals were used for communication. Also eyes and head movements. We avoided whispering. We both knew the bear was handy, but we didn’t know exactly where. Then Ken swung his head part way toward the thick bush behind us while using his eyes to signal the presence of the bear directly behind us. “Directly behind us” was eight feet! His mouth shaped the word “BEAR”! without saying it. I swung in my seat in that direction and the big bruin took off crashing through trees and brush like a D9 Caterpillar — only much faster! About thirty yards… then dead silence! The bear wasn’t spooked, but he tried to spook us!! Not even the sound of a leaf falling thereafter until pitch darkness was upon us — and we were compelled to leave our post! Where was that bear?

But that’s not the finalé of that drama… A week later, I was back in the blind solo. The above pic was taken from a standing position. I wanted a photo of the scene for publication. The bush where the bear had been in hiding the week previous is just out of sight to the right edge of the photo. The bear had not been heard or seen, but I smelled him, as I’d done on the previous occasion when Ken was with me, and I’d made mention of it to him at the time. When I took my first step to return to my seat, the bear repeated his act and went chrashing off through the underbrush as in the previous week! (By the way, the big hole in the blind was made by a bear. He had torn it down and was standing on it one early morning as I arrived with two buckets of bait — one in each hand! And he looked down at me with contempt — as much as to say, “How dare you, a mere man, rearrange  my kitchen!” I had to backtrack to my van and wait him out.)

How long had he been observing me at eight to ten feet directly at my unprotected back? I heard nothing prior to that final exodus… but I did smell him!

Do bears try to intimidate humans? I lived to tell my story. Others would have told theirs if they had lived.

Q2 – Have predator bears ever observed you as a hunter without you ever becoming aware of it?

The above true anecdotes have forcefully made me aware of that probability.

Another good hunting friend and I had spent an unprofitable afternoon and evening on the same ridge, knowing a dominant black bear was in the immediate vicinity. This was an earlier year than the experiences mentioned previously.

We left our site in pitch darkness. From our blind and tree stand (my partner was in the tree stand) we made our way to the main trail (unkept old logging trail) which led to our parked vehicle. Once we hit this old trail, we made a right-hand turn, took a few steps without flashlights on, and the big bruin was hiding less than five feet from us just off the edge of the trail in thick brush! He crashed off without our ever getting even a glimpse!

Startling? Yes, but much more than that! Try to enter the picture by putting yourself there. We were hunting a big black bear knowingly! He never appeared at the bait setup because he knew our movements and likely our intentions! And, in departing in the black of night we nearly stepped on him! Was he asleep and not aware of the situation that we would pass within 1 and 1/2 yards of him, being defenceless? NOT likely! He knew exactly what he was doing being fully awake and alert! He had a strategy and a plan! IT WORKED! Almost…

(The trail for baiting. We had to walk it to the main trail in complete darkness.)

My oldest son, Brent, and I were bear hunting with Norm as our outfitter. And we were separated by about three miles — that is Brent and I. That night (nearly so) I shot a bear and wondered if Brent might have heard my shot. He didn’t, but walking out of dense woods 1/2 hr after the sun had set, and for a distance of one mile, he had a bear following him every step in pitch darkness! Why would a bear do such a thing?

Consider it, and let’s not assume that it was just “one of those things”, perhaps just a curious bear? Or was the bear looking for, or perhaps sensing a weakness that it might exploit. Brent was carrying his rifle, by the way, fully loaded! You don’t walk alone in pitch darkness for a mile with a rifle unloaded and encased with sounds of a bear in the bush beside you! And, moreover, the so-called “experts” who spout politically correct agendas wouldn’t either under similar conditions — if they have any part of their brains that are still functional!!!

Or perhaps it was just an over active imagination on my son’s part? My son spent two decades in Africa as a missionary in the bush, and a good part of that time he was a licensed resident BIG GAME hunter! He has been caught in jungle with a dead flashlite, a .22LR rifle, and lions roaring around him! Imagination? I DON’T THINK SO! (Brent’s .356 Winchester XTR)

But one of the most intense experiences for me was when I was a rookie at this game with Norm as my outfitter. One feature that I very much looked forward to was the variety of places where Norm would take me for baiting bear hunting-sites. He had about 85 of ’em! One such site was on the edge of a marsh with thick woods all around. Distance from blind to bait was the closest I’d ever experienced with Norm, at 35 yards. But the deal was that I’d park my wheels about 100 yards or so from the setup, on a main dirt road and walk in to my blind carrying my rifle and assorted accessories, including water and a snack, binoculars, head net to keep out blackflies and mosquitoes, etc. The walk was not a long one but it passed within a few yards of the bait site! That was OK at 3 p.m., though I had to be wary of the possibility of a bear being on the bait. But, in leaving when hunting light was gone, I had to pass within a few yards of the bait again in near darkness. And the bait was situated up against thick bush and forest where a big nasty bruin might be awaiting my departure! And, as it so happened, that is exactly what did happen! A bear came in to the woods just behind the bait, laid down, and awaited my departure! I knew he was there from about 6:30 p.m. until I left at about 8:35 p.m. And he was breathing heavily — on purpose! I knew that he knew I was there and would not approach the bait until I left the area! So there was no point in waiting around until the dying seconds of legal light, hoping he’d appear at the bait, as that wasn’t about to happen. So, I left at around 8:35 p.m. with 10 minutes of legal light remaining as I didn’t want to pass within a few feet of him without the use of my rifle! When I did pass by in returning to my van, I heard him breathing no more than 15 feet from me hidden by thick brush!

But are they REALLY dangerous? On a private property Ken, Ben and I were after a “monster bear” that let us know he was boss by wrecking an old fence, pushing over trees, and making it generally impossible for us know his whereabouts at any particular time or occasion.

There were several pastures separated by tree lines, and four horses roamed these fields with complete freedom. They were generally friendly and no problem unless they got into the baits, which they did at times. I received a phone call from a cousin of Roger, who owned these properties that were situated not far from a provincial wildlife park. Also, the east line of the property plunged into a deep ravine and tree-lined bog. From that area, bears would often come up to explore our baits or fruit-bearing wild bushes and trees. The cousin actually had made it possible to hunt these properties since he had been a CO and knew Ken well, who was a current CO. And since I was the “general manager” of these operations, he called me. He was quite excited! The “monster bear” had chased one of the stallions — the black one — down into the ravine, and out into the bog, a killed it! The bear also had started to consume it but was interrupted in its actions by a search “party” that went looking for the missing stallion. And that happened sometime during the night of our last hunt which terminated around 9 p.m. I received the call early the next morning!

In some ways we were fortunate as the predatory bear was targeting the horses and not us! No, he never got shot. But I did continue to hunt these properties six of the next seven years and took four bears; three with my 9.3 x 62, and a fourth with a single-shot NEF .45-70. Yet, during one of those years, I returned to my old Crown Land hunting area and shot another bear using my CZ550 in .458 Winchester Magnum. That location was the one pictured to the right — the same spot where the big dominant bruin was sneaking in behind Ken and I, and when I had hunted solo the week following.

Bears will often wait us out to see what our next move will be before they make theirs! Sounds somewhat human doesn’t it? I bet they’d do well at casinos!

Til the next…

Bob Mitchell

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’ “. – The Bible

Hunting Black Bears — are they dangerous? – P4

Previously, I’ve outlined five matters of concern — in P1, P2 and P3 — that I’ve learned from observation and experience in thirty seasons of black bear hunts.

In P4 (the final part), there remains two more areas of concern that I deem important for both safety and success in black bear hunting:

6 > Understanding their comfort zones, and when it might be intruded upon:

In P1, I referred to an incident involving a small sow and her cub that regularly visited my bait setup both before and during the first week of hunting season. I made mention that the young sow never seemed to be aware of my presence when putting up the stand when she and the cub paid a visit to the bait site, and later again when I was in the stand on the second day of the legal season. But she was VERY aware of  the presence of the big male in hiding nearby.

On reflection, I realized she was also aware of my presence on both occasions, knowing my whereabouts, but ignored me because she perceived I wasn’t a threat, and provided food for her and her offspring. So, in a sense, her perception was that I was sort of a protector – ally! That was at 35 yards. On the other hand, had I come down from the stand in an aggressive stance making a move toward her and/or her cub, that mood would have swiftly changed! Why? Because bears have something like a sixth sense and read body language and focus of the eyes very quickly and accurately! They normally do that with each other as well as with humans. They can readily detect intention of other bears and humans by mannerisms, body stance, eye contact and vocalisations. Unless a mature male bear has become a predator of lesser bears, and humans, it will usually stop at a safe distance to evaluate the situation, and may even stand on hind legs like a human to get a better look, then move off quietly from a possible confrontation.

On the other hand, if they are on a source of food such as a berry patch, or a recent kill, their mood may very well be one of protecting “THEIR” food or territory… they might show aggression by clacking their teeth, huffing, false charges, etc. Unless you are hunting black bears it’s wise to back off (not run off!) slowly and quietly. If you run, that encourages them to chase.

In a case of physical contact, if you’re NOT hunting (no weapon), hit or kick them where the sun doesn’t shine – it works like with a man – or punch them in the snout, thumbs in eyes, and so on. Because any man, no matter his strength or size, is no match in a “fair” fight with a bruin, you must counter attack with max force using boots, fists, rocks, big sticks, and so on — it’s NO time for mercy, because the bear will show NO compassion regardless of whoever you might be!

The following is a first-hand account: When I was into bear hunts big time in Haliburton Highlands, I used to stop at a coffee shop/deli on route. It wasn’t far from my destination on the main paved road. There’s an interesting history involved in that shop that I’ll not go into at this time, but it had just recently been taken over by a young married man who was born and raised in the area. The shop had also been just a coffee shop/small restaurant that had burnt down, then rebuilt once insurance matters were settled. Included was a butcher shop that also handled wild game. The new owner decided the gain was not worth the pain so the “young man” bought it. It was, as mentioned, on a main highway highly travelled during the summer months by cottagers on their way to and from their homes away from home. The young man’s house was on a dirt side road about ten kilometres (6 miles) in somewhat isolated conditions removed from his shop. His young wife lived in this remote area, surrounded by wilderness, with their young baby. He was the “brave heart” and she the “not-so-brave heart”.

One morning en route to check my baits, I stopped for a chat with “Peter”, I’ll call him, at the coffee shop/deli. Usually he was an optimistic, cheerful type. This day, however, he was semi-angry and somewhat depressed. Then he told me his story of the night before coming to work:

The night was hot and humid. Living in a small house half-built with no AC, the front door was left open with just a screen door closed to keep out mosquitoes, small varmints, etc. The screen-door was held closed by a spring. The couple lay on the outside of the bed sheets, he in only his shorts. There was the usual tossing and turning trying to get comfortable in the stifling heat and humidity. Then it happened, without warnings of any kind, a ruckus in the kitchen next to their improvised bedroom broke out at 3 A.M.! Now fully awake from a foggy slumberland, the couple realized there was a bear in their kitchen; and it sounded like he was part of a demolition squad!

Instinct and emotion took over and in a flash “Peter” was headed for the kitchen in only his shorts — no time for decorum! The bear — about 300 to 350 lbs estimated by reflection after the fact — had the garbage bag in its mouth and headed for the front screen door that had closed behind him on entry. Peter grabbed the first long-handled tool available and was onto the bear beating it with a broom! The bear didn’t bother opening the door, but took the screen with him, bounded across the deck with the garbage bag still clenched in its teeth, with Peter still  pounding him with the broom, plunged through the railing taking out a couple of spokes, landing in the flower patch below the deck! The garbage bag burst open leaving a mess in the flower bed — with young Peter still in the chase beating the big bruin with now the broom handle — all that’s left of it! In the pitch darkness, Peter stops and realizes his situation standing there in only his underpants with only a broom handle in his hands as the bear disappears into the blackness of the night!

Lesson? A fearless big mature black bear that breaks into a home at 3 a.m. can be intimidated by a brave, fearless, enraged human that conveys his wrath by body language and vocalizations! He was screaming at the top of his lungs at the bear, calling it by names the bear would have to check with Webster! The bear got the message, but the young man wasn’t finished with that bear just yet! That bear and its mess would be very costly to Peter: He would have to sell his shop, find other employment, and move his wife and baby closer to civilization.

About two days later, as I was making another trek to the Haliburton Highlands to check my baits, I stopped for a visit with Peter. He said he’d got his revenge: Coming to work that morning, that same bear was “making out” with a female in the middle of the remote dirt road; once reality dawned, he tramped on the gas and his old pickup hit the pair driving them bodily into the ditch! He never stopped to wish them well!

There were several lessons involved for the bear in the above account:

That bear had been accustomed to breaking in homes and/or cottages when humans were asleep or away. And he had become somewhat of a bully because no one, including other bears, had stood up to him! That was a rude awakening, not only literally for the couple, but for the black bruin himself! Someone, or thing, was fearless in its counterattack!

I’ve seen that with cats and dogs: My mother was a “cat person” — we always had cats around our place, and I took a liking to them as well. It seemed the dogs of the community were always on the loose and causing trouble. My next oldest brother brought home one day, in the basket of his bike, a kitten which he got from his cousin. That black and white kitten became a mother cat in two or three years and was small in stature, but not in spirit. One of my uncles had two dogs which we surreptitiously named “Mutt and Jeff” — Mutt was the big one and Jeff a rather small sub-species. They travelled together, and always managed to get into fights with other dogs. Mutt did most of the fighting and Jeff was the cheer leader!

Anyway, one day, without invitation, they showed up in our front yard sniffing things out! That was their unlucky day! My brother’s black and white was in the yard and had some kittens thereabouts. She took after those dogs with screams and flashes of claws that would cause the devil himself to retreat — you would have had to witness it to believe it. Those two flea-bitten rascals left the yard with afterburners aglow — and NEVER returned!

That black and white momma cat weighed, maybe, 1 and 1/2 lbs, and put the skedaddle to two mutts that together weighed about 50 lbs!

Can bears be intimidated? You betcha, especially if you qualify as a bear psychologist! But you gotta know “when to fold ’em”.

But, unlike those mutts, bears will likely return to have a better understanding of who or what spooked them. They make judgements based on learned experiences.

Bears have shown up at baits with three legs, or missing an eye or battered and scratched noses and an ear chewed off! Sometimes in emaciated conditions as the result of wounds from rifle or shotgun shots! They can be intimidated when they don’t understand the situation, but when they learn they “are none the worse off” they might seek revenge at the first opportune time. They ARE crafty and cagey!

7> How bears understand their situations, and how they might interpret them: 

This is another sow and cubs account: A number of years ago I was hunting on private land with Ken as a partner. We assisted in putting up a home-built tree stand for a lady hunter. She was an Olympic champion with a bow and won a number of medals and trophies. Her husband is a well known wealthy cattle farmer from our district. She wanted to shoot a bear using a bow. The rancher was known to my friend, Ken, so we assisted with the tree stand that would allow for bow hunting of bear. It was a platform about 5′ x 6′ at 15′ above ground. Access was via an old TV antenna tripod tower with ladder-like spokes. From there access to the platform was through a trap-door about 2-feet square. There was a skirt around the top of the platform about 3-feet high that served as a rest for the weapon and to partially hide the hunter. She harvested a 165 lb male bear the first week with one shot. The following week was our turn.

Talk about bears galore! And whitetails! Once in crossing an open area in our vehicle, toting bait for the barrel, a huge buck trotted (not “bounded”) ahead of us. It was the largest I’ve ever seen, and was for Ken as well — he was a CO who spent much of his life in “the woods”. It went 400+lbs easily! Then, a moment later another buck crossed in front of us. It was only a “normal” buck whitetail around 275 lbs.

We had selected an area for the stand enclosed by large trees and bush, but not crowded with such — it was fairly open in certain directions. Bear tracks of variable sizes were abundant in the mud. I chose the tree stand as Ken prefers feet on the ground. We made a blind for him about thirty yards behind my location. This gave two very distinct perspectives of the area. One day when we arrived, and I got into the stand through the 2′ square floor opening, I found a pile of bear scat on the floor not far from the opening! A good size bear (according to the size of the scat!) had climbed the TV antenna, made his way through the floor hole, and pooped there claiming it as his territory! We saw lots of bears in total over a week of hunting — but never shot one.

But one intrigued me for a few minutes. Late one afternoon/early evening, I saw a couple of siblings crossing an open area en route toward the bait barrel. They looked like yearlings, but I wondered where momma bear might be. My perspective at 15′ allowed a good view of a broad area. The young bears boldly approached the bait barrel and one tipped it over — stuff spilled out causing one of them to run off a little ways and then cautiously return for another look. I knew from evidence that young bears had previously been attending the site. The pair sniffed and chewed on various morsels, played with bits and pieces, and then….

As darkness was fast approaching, out of the corner of my eye I detected movement in a finger of trees off to my left. I watched it, and then, almost like in a dream, emerged one of the largest live bears I’ve ever personally eyeballed! It was about 100 yards “out” but deliberately approached the bait setup with a slow but steady stride. My rifle was resting on the railing, fully loaded for bear of any size or disposition. The young bears seemed oblivious at first. I watched the scene thinking: “If that’s a male, it’s my trophy. If it’s momma bear, she’s huge and the siblings will feel safe! When they saw that big black bruin, they ran to her and, though legal — it was the fall season — I didn’t pull the trigger. She was for sure 400 lbs — and legal! They walked off together into the darkness.

But how was she interpreting her situation?

She let her offsprings approach danger before she would come to the bait! She waited to see if harm came to them before she would expose herself. That’s quite normal in the animal kingdom when the descendants are deemed mature enough to fend for themselves.

Lions behave in a similar manner as do whitetails! Bucks will allow females and the young to come into a field of oats or clover before they will venture.

The following photo was taken in a field where a bear bait was setup. Deer are in the area but seldom seen when bear are also about. But this doe approached my setup with the buck following far behind!

So how clear is the thinking of a bear when it senses that danger might be in a bait setup or tree stand?

A small bear, or cub, will watch the behaviour of the mother and siblings, if there are any. They get clues from that. Also from pushes and hits or bites from the mother as well as vocalisations. They also seem to have an innate sense of the meaning of such behaviour on the part of the mother. And we mustn’t discount a bears intuition, or sense, of happenings around them by humans — farm machinery, motor vehicles, boats, crowds, and/or the vocalisations of other forest animals such as a raven or squirrel, as well as creatures and animals fleeing from a forest fire; as examples. They do have intelligence at a certain level and tests show that they have a measure of being capable of interpreting  the meaning of certain situations or events; for example: a tractor at work in a field, or a hunter with a firearm who is acting as though he might be in pursuit of them.

I’ve witnessed a mother bear give a mighty wack to a youngster when he tried to take some of her food! She drove him (her?) up a tree and wouldn’t let him come down until she called him! She even grabbed the bait bucket and ran off with it! The other sibling knew better than provoke momma further and fended for himself. He got no wacks!

There’s no question that a bear learns from experience… something some humans could profit from, and rationalization as well as intuition.

Say, couldn’t we all learn something profitable from the observation of bears?

Are bears dangerous? Are humans?

Til the next: I’ve decided to add a postscript to this theme that will attempt to answer the following two questions: Does a bear ever try to intimidate a hunter; why and how? And, Will you or I ever know if a predator bear has been secretly checking us out for weakness or a possible meal?

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

 

Hunting Black Bears — are they dangerous? – P3

This is P 3 of this topic.

Previously, I had discussed a couple of important issues that should be kept in mind and acted upon during each and every visit to an area where black bears might carry out their activities; particularly in wilderness and semi-wilderness regions. In Ontario they are more concentrated in Central Ontario and north country, but also around agricultural areas of Southern Ontario where crops such as oats and corn are grown. (You may left click on any photo for a larger picture.)

The issues previously discussed were:

1) The ELEMENT OF SURPRISE, and

2) Being At RISK

We’ll now consider three more matters for our attention:

3) Pertinent lessons related to the social behaviour of bears

4) Other lessons on the dynamics of their emotional reactions

5) The individual personalities of bears

Finally, for P4, it will be:

6) Understanding their comfort zones, and when it might be intruded upon, consciously or unconsciously.

7) Their knowledge and understanding of their own situations, and how they might interpret that.

Now:

3 >The social behaviour of bears, and what we should learn from that:

It’s quite obvious to those who observe bears — including the blacks — that they have a social structure and behave in certain predictable ways toward each other.

They are not herd animals that travel together in groups  looking for grass, or other vegetation, or a source of  water to drink. Nor are they pack animals that live in tight family groups such as wolves and lions. And they don’t share living quarters and food as do hyenas and African wild dogs. The sole exception would be a mother bear caring for her cub(s) for about one year.

Bears are loners, both male and female, except for a relatively brief mating period. And both are promiscuous during that time. They have no sense of family relations. A male impregnates a sow and she may have sexual relations with other males as he will with other females if available. She (like some promiscuous humans) may not know for certain who fathered her cub(s) and doesn’t really care as long as her “motherly” instincts are fulfilled. She may actually come to fear a male, after exit from the den with her cub(s), that he might kill and eat her offspring!

Bears are not sentimental in relationships. When they travel or move about, foremost in their thinking is food and drink. Then mating, and lastly their comfort and safety. Much like humans in those matters. But there’s probably not much thought, and certainly little, if any, planning that goes into such matters — it’s more like natural instinct. That’s a distinction from the nature of humans, who tend to give some rational thought and planning to activities  (at least some of us do). Bears act on the impulse of the moment that is generated by their hormones and genes… Come to think of it, too many humans seem to behave like the animal kingdom in that regard, though they claim to know better. For bears, and others of the wild kingdom, we make excuses for what comes naturally to them. And some humans make excuses for themselves too, even though they should know better! “Ignorance of the law is no excuse”, nor is ignorance in being just plain stupid! We’re not bears or sheep — but come to think of that as well, you can leave out the “sheep” part, as Jesus wisely called us “sheep”, and sheep are nice but dumb!

I put their comfort and safety together, and last but not least. At times it might be their primary concern, such as in denning or escaping from perceived harm. We need to keep in mind, however, that bears are at the top of the food chain in North America. They may not be aware of it, but we should be.

While bears are essentially loners,  several may congregate at a food source for their own reasons, but will do so competitively. They will keep their distance from each other, and observe certain “ground rules” if possible. If not, then feuds and some private battles may ensue. Yet, often there is a “pecking order”. Dominant males (in particular) will command their own space.

In observing bears at baits, or on camera, young bears come in first, sometimes, but not every time, or sows with cubs. Bears have to work that out among themselves. My observation from many years and seasons is that if a dominant bear discovers a bait setup, he will guard it as his own by sleeping nearby. Other bears get to know this, and depending on how he “feels” about matters, they may not dare approach the site without his “permission”. But, if he wanders away (for his own reasons) for a few days, “they” may sneak in for a morsel or two. When he returns, however, you’ll not see them again at the bait until he has fully satiated his hunger. Since no two situations are identical, a lot goes on behind the scenes that we know little to nothing about. It may be the mating season that will keep a male around if females (or a single one) are in the area and attending a bait setup. Still, other food sources such as corn, oats, nuts or berries may draw them away.

It has been said: If you know what a bear is going to do next, then you know more than the bear does! That has some appearance of truth, but the fact is that any bear, no matter his/her activities, has a purpose in it, though it might very well be brief.

What do I mean? Bears, at least black bears, are easily distracted (from appearances, somewhat like humans). Because searching for food, especially in late summer/early fall, is their most dominant activity, we must assume they are searching out sources: berries, nuts from trees, corn, etc. Also the smell of something dead or rotting, or sources of sweet things — some of which can be provided in a bait setup — can become an overwhelming temptation. But, if natural crops, or those planted by humans, are abundant, they may ignore baits if close to farms or human habitation. So bears may leave one area and head for another if there are several competing sources within a 25 sq-mile area. They can pick up the scent of “food” from 10 miles away(16 kms) if weather conditions are favorable.

4 > The dynamics of their emotional reactions: Are bears ever happy? Bears communicate their emotions by body language. When very young, they like play activities as in wrestling and simulated fighting with siblings (if any), or with the mother bear if other youngsters aren’t available. They will romp, and play with an object or chew on it. They seem content if the mother is around to snuggle them, provide food and a secure ambience. But momma bear will drive them away the second year, and she may do it with some forceful wacks and bites! Then the youngster is on his/her own, making them quite vulnerable for a year or so until they learn to fend for themselves.

(Here is a youngster out on his own hoping for something from an empty barrel, or maybe momma bear will show up!)

Do bears ever get angry? Yes, of course! Bears get angry with other bears, especially a male with another male who may be competing for a particular female during mating season, or for territorial rights. A dominant male will let other bears — regardless of sex, age or maturity, know his dominance by being aggressive, fighting or showing any other forms of control such as guarding a food stash. It’s in his particular temperament to have control and express fearlessness (Just like some humans!). Size and full maturity may be an important factor, but far from the only one. A male of 350 lbs may control an area where a 500 lb male is also in habitation. The reason? The dominant 350 lb bear is aggressive and confident while the 500 lb male may be more content and passive. He won’t be “pushed around”, mind you, by the smaller bear but is not particularly interested in pushing others around. And that brings us to a consideration of:

Are they sometimes afraid? Some bears will run from the intrusion of a human, or humans, into “their space”, which may give a false impression that they all fear humans by natural instinct. I once read somewhere that “a deer may leave the country when spooked, but a black bear may return and eat your lunch!” So true! A bear may fear a larger more dominant bear, but any bear is a member of the species that is at the top of the food chain in North America! Let us not forget that!

Mature bears have been known to walk into work shops and garages where a man was at work! Or, climb into an apple tree on the front lawn of a home with residents inside! I once saw a yearling bear (kicked out by its mother) come to within 2 – feet of my young partner who fell asleep behind an 18-inch diameter tree! I had to toss small sticks at my partner, finally connecting with his head, to alert him to the presence of a 90 lb black bear on the other side of the tree!

A bear is only “fearful” of being killed — as if they understood what that would mean.  And even then they may come perilously close before they get the message!

The first bear I ever harvested had a tan muzzle that was well scared from some brawls for territorial rights!

Bears can be cautious, and very smart in keeping out of trouble. They can live and prosper, like a coyote, on the fringes of human occupation, or, on the other hand in the most wild of wildernesses. They are very smart and adaptable, much different than the grizzly in that regard. Grizzlies have moved away from humans and their occupations, to live in remote uninhabitable (for most humans) regions of unspoiled wildernesses.

And that brings us to consider:

5> The individual personalities of black bears: Some of that has already been portrayed in various comments and examples. Yet there remains a need for a sharper focus.

Bears are very individualistic. Each bear has its own personality, though it may fall within a certain spectrum.

A young bear, out on its own, appeared at the front of a garage sniffing a gas can as the owner (Roger) came out the door of his home to start up some heavy machinery he would be using during his work day. The distance from the door of his house to the gas can was about 15 yards. But the interesting thing was that the young bear wasn’t spooked, nor did it run off! It seemed fascinated by the smell of gasoline, which, no doubt, was his first exposure to it. While there were many bears in Roger’s area, that was a FIRST!

I knew him well as I had bear hunted on his property (with permission) for seven seasons. It bordered a Provincial Wildlife Park.

As stated, black bears are individualistic, curious, somewhat fearless, and smart — though at times (from a human perspective) they appear dumb! But it’s more like their curiosity and naiveté that gets them into trouble! But they are fast learners! They have a fantastic memory that serves them well when it comes to not only survival, but prosperity in a bear sense.

Of course, they (like humans) are omnivores, and they clearly remember food sources, what they like and don’t, if there’s plenty. And, their preferences differ, like humans, if there’s an abundance.

This account came from first hand: A friend and former partner in bear hunts was in years past employed by the Ontario MNR for seeding a northern lake with young lake trout. At the end of a long day, they would pull their small boat and motor on shore, leaving everything as it was, go into their small cabin, have a snack and fall into a deep sleep for the night until daybreak when their activities commenced all over again.

One morning, at daybreak, they walked out the door of their cabin toward the boat which had a fair-sized hole in the bow! And, on the inside they found clear evidence of a bear’s activity! Sharp claws had dug their way through the wooden hull at the bow looking for fish since the fish smell was still prominent in the bow area from the previous day’s seeding process! If there was the smell of fish, the bear reckoned there had to BE fish somewhere under that wood!

I’ve witnessed the same sort of thing at multiple bear baits! Since a bear counts upon the smell of “food”, even from miles away, to find food, there’s got to BE food at the source of the scent! At one site a large mature bear bit into a now-empty, large soup can that I’d put bacon fat into. Another chewed an empty five gallon plastic container that was used for baiting. Another dug under the bait barrel looking for additional “food” though it was empty at the time!

A bear may burn more energy than he/she gains in turning over large boulders in finding a few ants or grubs under it (Again, like some human activities!).

In hopes that you may have gained some further insights about black bears….

Til the next on: 6) Understanding their comfort zones, and 7) Their knowledge and understanding of their own situations, and how they might interpret that.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

“The fool says in his heart ‘There is no God'” – The Bible

Black Bear Hunting — are they dangerous game? – P2

Depending on who you are and your level of experience around bears, your attitude toward the question posed by our theme could range anywhere from: “Yep, they’re potentially dangerous.”, to “When a bear sees me, it runs the other way, so I think they’re generally quite harmless.”, to “Bears are predators, so I don’t trust them.”, to “I think they’re cute and cuddly, so why would anyone want to harm them?”. And those don’t necessarily represent all possible attitudes because people have wide ranging temperaments, experience in contact with wildlife, and sources of education regarding them — the majority being anti, others being limited pro, and perhaps some being neutral.

The majority of my education about black bears has come from first hand experience in specific hunting of them over a period of thirty years in at least as many seasons. If I qualify as a legitimate student and analyst, that should grant status enough to express valid opinions on black bears and hunting them. And if I’m a good teacher, observations made could become practical instructions for the novice hunter of bruins as well as providing useful details for the hunter whose experience has been limited to deer and lesser game. In other words, such information could serve a useful purpose in the absence of a pro guide or outfitter.

In my last blog, I listed several areas of knowledge and awareness that could be critical for the hunter in their pursuit of black bears. The first of these being:

THE ELEMENT of SURPRISE: Those who have undergone a life threatening episode with bears, and survived, did not usually expect it. Therefore, they were not prepared for such an encounter that could terminate in a life altering experience, or worse, their own fatality!

Unfortunately, real life knowledge is mostly unavailable to the rookie hiker, camper, fisherman, hunter and idealist nature lover as they venture into a semi-wilderness, or real wilderness, with high hopes for a revitalizing adventure!

TV and alternate sources of media information often present only the positive and bright side of such experiences that leave the relative novice in the dark concerning the possible confrontation of meeting with a bear in a bad mood, or hungry, or injured, or with cubs in tow! True, it may rarely happen, but “rarely” is NOT “never”! They are different words in a dictionary with distinct meanings!

To venture forth with the notion that it “rarely happens”, therefore that will somehow guarantee that it will “never happen to me” is an attitude of presumption that has gotten some people killed and others maimed for life!!

I NEVER go into a wilderness area, or one that is a known habitat for bears, without some form of protection that amounts to more than my fists and good will! I have no intention of becoming a statistic that people read about and then forget: “Oh well, the poor guy was the only one to get killed by a bear this year — one among how many thousands that yearly visit nature’s wonderlands?” Only one among thousands — but do you want to be that one? The chance of being injured or killed by a bear for those who frequent our parks and wildernesses is greater than winning a lottery! Think about that if you play “the lottery” and vacation in a wilderness area. You are more likely to have a bad encounter with a bear than in winning a lottery! And I’m not speaking of one of those “scratch and play” cards where someone wins $5 once in a while to keep ’em comin’.

On the other hand, I realize that you, being a reader of this article, are more serious about such matters. You may be aware of all that I could mention, or even experienced much of it, but there’s a hidden danger therein: We can too easily become blaisé, or jaded, with an overabundance of knowledge; like the pro hockey player who “knows” he could be checked into the boards by a heavy defenceman that might end his pro hockey career, but while he’s aware of that possibility he believes it will never happen to him!

Yesterday, I went into a Crown Land (public land) hunting area that I know very well in the Haliburton Highlands. While the bear season is still on (the only BG season in the spring), I specifically purchased a bear tag allowing me to tote a loaded rifle, even though my intention was not to shoot a bear. It was purchased for protection while my partner and I were scrounging in a hillside with a metal detector for any bullets that had passed through test media that I had employed for testing in late November, 2017. That was after seasons for moose and deer had ended. And I had a bear tag in my wallet for that occasion as well since bear season was still open for a few days.

I’ve stated that I’ll never visit any bear habitat area without a legal means of protection. In Canada, we are therefore limited to an axe, bear spray or a rifle. At times I’ve toted a long-handled axe when baiting before bear season opens. A few times it’s been bear spray — which I don’t have any experience with in a real-life encounter, and therefore have little trust in. So, I’ve pretty much limited my visits to such areas during bear season so I can be legal in toting a rifle (which I’ve plenty of experience with in shooting bears) in season with a tag in my wallet.

In other words, I put into practice what I preach: NEVER, go into black bear habitat without a legal KNOWN form of ADEQUATE protection. And, I’ll add to that: Adequate for a mean-spirited bear, a hungry predator bear, or even a sow with cubs. Yes, it’s not legal to hunt sows with cubs in the spring of Ontario, but I would defend myself if attacked by one, or even making a charge within a range where I had time to make a valid quick decision, or a surprise attack. I’d take my chances in court if need be, rather than chances with a bear attack — ANY bear!

Statistically, what are those chances? Who knows for certain? The person who perishes in a pile-up of transport trucks, vans and big or small cars on Canada’s busiest highway, the 401, becomes a statistic. But is that a mere statistic to the family? What are the chances of that happening? We still travel on super highways that are too busy and too fast!

The busier the highway, and in bad driving conditions due to fog, snow or heavy rain, the chances of escaping a wreck are diminished by at least 60%!

And what about bears? To have a nice stroll in the bush for a day with no bears present means 100% safety from a bear attack. But to walk on the same trail, as cited in P1, with the hidden presence of a sow bear and cubs that she has sent up trees for protection from me, would have meant a 100% probability of a mother bear attack had I not been aware of the situation and backtracked immediately and quietly! A majority of hikers on that trail would not have been alert to the real danger and walked right smack into a protection-minded bear-at-any-cost with all possible ramifications!

The element of surprise has no regard for statistics!

At RISK: We might be if we are presuming there are no bears in a bear area! At 1 km to the north of our home is a conservation area. It borders one of the Kawartha Lakes. I used to walk its trails about once per week. That is until I invited my wife to join me. There is a lot of poison ivy along the sides of the trails and in open areas. I can walk in poison ivy like in a clover field without any ill affects, but not my wife. While we stuck to the trails, somehow she managed to contact it with very bad consequences that lasted for a number of years. So I decided not to walk there again because I might bring home some spores on my shoes or clothing.

But there was also an additional reason: the sighting of bears caused the management to post warning signs along trails of the presence of bears, with the emphasis that those who used the trails were doing so at there OWN RISK!

I knew there were bears in our area before they posted the signs, but decided it was not worth the risk since I was not allowed to carry a firearm.

I’m not totally against risk taking — even if we stay in our homes 24/7 there is no guarantee against a home accident! As a matter of fact, most accidents occur at home! But we don’t stop living due to that. Same with travelling. Then, there are those who jump from planes for a thrill, or from bridges, towers and rock ledges into a water course! In fact, most of my life has involved risk-taking in one form or another, but that doesn’t mean purposely inviting it! And I think a cavalier attitude in bear country verges on “purposely inviting risk”.

So how do we avoid risk taking in bear country? Of course, we can’t possibly escape from all risks in bear country, but we can minimize that unhappy prospect if we practice the following “dos” and “don’ts”:

1 > Do get as much knowledge and practical information as possible on black bears: their size, nature, habitat, food sources and possible behaviour around other animals as well as humans.

2 > Do become as familiar as possible with the area of your proposed travels in a wilderness region for whatever purpose: its trails, streams, ridges, marshes, lakes and potential food and water sources for bears. Are there berry bushes, nut trees, etc? Is there the possibility of a bear being on the carcass of a moose or deer, etc? Would you be alert to discerning that by the smell of rotting flesh? Or it could be fresh meat!

3 > Try not to be alone in such a venture unless you already have lots of experience. But, even then, there is the unknown and unknowable. Many such explorers of unfamiliar country have failed to return home.

4 > Where legal, carry a weapon for self protection that is both powerful and handy. To go into details would warrant several additional pages.

1 > Don’t pretend that you know everything and have all the answers for every potential bad situation when facing a possible predatory bear.

2 > Don’t try to be quiet in the bush unless you are hunting.

3 > Don’t be overly anxious and imagine danger at every step.

4 > Don’t believe everything in print, or conversations, about black bears that overemphasize danger, or underestimate it. Use some discernment and ask intelligent questions.

I’ve talked with some who believe themselves experts that downplay the idea that black bears are potentially dangerous game and that they can all be killed with nothing more than a .30-30 class of rifle.

Others claim that it all amounts to bullet placement, nothing more, without regard for distance, angle of presentation, temperament, or size of animal.

There are still others who believe that bears (without distinction) are all harmless until cornered or threatened.

Such people are AT RISK without knowing it! They believe and speak from behind their wall of ignorance.

It’s WISE to treat ALL wild adult bears with respect as well as a potential threat to your personal welfare.

Til the next on this same theme.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Black Bear Hunting –are they Dangerous Game? – P1

Whenever the subject of Dangerous Game (DG) comes up, whether in a magazine article, a post on an Internet forum, or in a conversation, black bears are only rarely mentioned. The FACT that  bears are potentially dangerous whatever their color, is nonetheless mostly reserved in the thinking of gunwriters, wealthy sportsmen, and many outdoor magazines, to the browns and whites, including grizzly whatever shades of brown their fur may reflect.

That’s unfortunate for a couple of reasons:

1) The uninformed and misinformed could well be in a state of naiveté in a surprise encounter with a black species of bear!

2) Even many potential hunters may assume their’s little danger involved in their pursuit!

My goal is to inform at least some of the uninformed, and lay to rest false assumptions by presenting facts concerning black bears, their nature, habitat, and all-around capabilities.

But, are they dangerous?

A wild animal that can weigh up to 600 lbs/272 kg, or more, with over-size dentures and long, sharp-pointed claws isn’t your everyday pet, even if some still nestle up to their Teddy Bears prior to entering Slumber Land!

The tragic truth is that some experienced campers, woodsmen and, yes, even hunters have been caught off guard by a sudden-surprise attack by a predatory bear with malicious intent, or a female with cubs hidden in the bush.

Having spent I don’t know how many thousand hours in “the bush”, I’m certain that many bears didn’t let me know of their presence hidden by thick brush within a handful of yards/meters from me. But there also were many occasions when I knew of their nearness while having not seen them.

One specific incident happened when I was on a familiar narrow and twisty trail that usually had sections where I needed watertight boots. As well, there were parts where visibility was limited to a few yards in tight quarters. I was carrying a Marlin lever-action in .45-70 loaded for bear. At about the halfway point of where I was headed, I heard off to my left, at about thirty yards, a somewhat familiar sound coming from near the tops of some mixed mature trees. I stopped in my tracks, looked in the direction of the tree tops but still no sign of the cause of the almost inaudible noise. Then, very quickly I discerned the faint cries of bear cubs! Momma bear knew exactly where I was and sent her cubs up trees not more than thirty paces from me! I never saw her but knew it was a matter of seconds before I would be dealing with an unwanted, very bad situation! I quietly but quickly backtracked. I have serious doubts that the average “Joe” or “Jane” would have recognized what was going on before Momma bear was on them!

Yes, that trail was used by deer and moose hunters in season, and there was a familiar bear bait setup (not mine) not more than fifty yards from the entrance to the trail off the main dirt road. I was about 1/2 mile beyond that. But also that trail was occasionally used by “nature” observers and sport fisherman as it bordered a small lake.

I was not fearful of my safety, but I didn’t want to have to make an appearance in court for having shot in self-defence a sow bear protecting her cubs! That could be very depressing.

I’ve both watched on tree-cams and in person from tree-stands, mother bears’ activities when approaching, feeding at and leaving bear bait sites when her cubs were with her or nearby.

In reading some author’s hunting stories in magazines, you might recognize from time to time that some of the stories bear resemblance to what you had previously read from the same author. The fact is, you are indeed reading a first-hand account of the same hunt but with a different emphasis and slant. It is likely that the purpose of the second piece is distinct from the first. Example: The focus of the first part might be the game and area, while the second account appearing even years later could be on the rifle and load as well as other equipment.

I mention the above because some of my hunting adventures are like that — I’ve told the following in a previous account but from another perspective: that of the firearm used. This time the main purpose will be on the behaviour of the bears involved, especially that of the female.

My estimate is that she was no more than 140 lbs. She was very wary and alert to any possible danger with a single cub in tow. I was in a tree-stand (as pictured) on the side of a ridge with the bait barrel 65 yards downhill from me. The pair had been attending the bait site for at least several days prior to my first stint as a hunter in the stand. This was Crown Land (public land) in thick forest bordering a large marsh surrounding a small lake. I also knew from ample sign that a large boar bear was also hitting the bait site after hours, which was also known to the sow with her cub. She was very watchful and on guard due to that fact, knowing he might kill (and eat) her offspring.

I first saw her with the cub a few days before opening day while putting up my tree-stand. They came to the bait at noon but the barrel was empty, so they moved back into the thick bush without seeming to notice my presence. The next time was, as mentioned, my first time hunting from that location, a few days after opening day. She did several circles of the area coming closer to my stand each time as the cub plunged headlong into the barrel for a morsel. She came within thirty-five yards of me but, again, never seemed to notice my presence. After ten or so minutes she left the scene with baby bear following back into dense undercover. Of course, the barrel was replenished with bait each time I went to the location. The last time I saw them, the big boar bear was about forty yards up behind me in thick cover waiting for me to leave. In the meanwhile, the mother bear with her young’un revisited the site around 6:30 – 7:00 pm. She was obviously nervous and very agitated, knowing full well that the big bear she feared was nearby. They both grabbed something from the barrel and made a hurried departure like they had just robbed a jewellery store! Later still, as I was preparing to leave in near darkness (too dark to hunt) the big male came in to the bait. Honestly, I was wary of running into him on the trail in darkness! But he knew exactly where I was at any moment, yet he fearlessly came to the bait on his time!

“What’s the point?”, you may ask. Actually, there were several germane issues involved that I took from those incidents:

1) The element of surprise:

2) Being at risk:

3) Pertinent lessons related to the social behaviour of bears:

4) Other lessons of the dynamics of their emotional reactions:

5) The individual personalities of bears:

6) Understanding their comfort zones, and when it might be intruded upon, consciously or unconsciously:

7) Their knowledge and understanding of their own situation, and how they might interpret that:

Next time we’ll get into some of those issues and lessons in P2.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

A “BRUSH RIFLE” — what is it? – P2

In P1, qualities were presented that I’d want in a rifle that might work well for close-in hunting (such as in brush) as well as having some “reach” to 300 – 400 yards/meters. A few suggestions were made.

P1 was concluded with the remark that I’ve owned such rifles, and currently own one. That is a rifle that could be very useful in close-quarter hunting and also in possible long distance shooting of LG. But before we do that, I’ll briefly rehearse the three criteria described in part one:

I want such a rifle to be fully capable of fulfilling these merits:

1. Reliable
2. Safe
3. Light & handy

In a description of  “Light & handy”, I proposed that a common bolt-action, such as found in a 22″ barrelled .30-06 might be the option of many. In fact, “might be” is not likely strong enough. It probably would be the choice of many. So, I’ll not debate that choice here other than to repeat that it would not be, and is not, my choice because of some experience with that cartridge and the physical conditions under which most of my BG hunts  have taken place.

(I had stepped out of thick bush to the edge of a marsh that extends 400 yards in the direction of the photo. But to the right it reaches to nearly 1 km. There were scattered moose tracks throughout the area. While this is not Northern Ontario, it is representative of that region and Central Ontario.)

To state it succinctly, there are BETTER cartridges if we want one for BOTH close-quarter hunting of large game, and/or big game that may become hazardous to one’s health and welfare in the blink-of-an-eye, as well as some possible long-distance shooting of wounded game (by client or self). In many situations, as previously described when I hunted both moose and bear in Northern Ontario, the only shot presented in a week of hunting might be on a moose at 500 – 600 yards. Or, since there were big piles of large bear scat in BOTH open areas AND in thick brush, I needed to be prepared for ANY SHOT, far or in-your-face!

Make no mistake – I’ve toted .30-06s with handloads in hunting whitetails under similar conditions, but that was less than an hour’s drive from home. And I wasn’t hunting bear or moose! I’m not suggesting that the .30-06 is inadequate for moose or bear under IDEAL conditions. “IDEAL” for many is close to home where they can “pick” when and where to shoot. For others it means with an outfitter. Others, still, will be partners of a group that can “blast away” at a wounded beast.

My consideration is for myself under the conditions described — ALONE! Even when hunting moose with a companion, we were only together when leaving camp. Then each of us went off in different directions to cover as much territory as possible in a few days of hunting. So, in effect — I was alone and dependant on personal skill sets, and my rifle!

(Sitting in a bear blind waiting for a buck to come up over the ridge, my nearest partner was 90 kilometers from me at home. That was my Ruger #1 in .45-70 LT.)

In bear hunts (as well as deer) I’ve mostly been sitting in a ground blind, or tree stand, or scouting, ALONE with no help nearby. Therefore, I want a rifle and load that I’m overly familiar with — knowing it’s full potential — that Also has:

4) More than ample power: 

Why? “Just enough” or “ample” suggests precision shooting on a stationary target that has presented itself broadside, or nearly so. I’ve watched many videos on that sort of thing, usually with a team and an outfitter or PH. The shooter/hunter is micro-managed in his/her shot, and anything less than a broadside is frowned upon!

In a DIY hunt, or alone, it might become a case of “any shot possible”, or “shoot now!” in a case of survival!

That’s why I CHOOSE MORE THAN AMPLE, and that’s not a .30-06.

Here’s a quote from the renowned, former PH, Dr. Kevin Robertson: “I’m very much a heavy bullet for caliber man … I like the heavier option simply because some shots may be at animals not ideally positioned. Heavier bullets contain more momentum and this makes them penetrate better on less than ideal shots” — SPORTS AFIELD, October, 2009.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Indeed, I have said it dozens of times! That statement was made in reference to a question in regard to the .30-06 in use for larger plains game. So, his recommendation for, and IF the .30-06 was to be used, to employ the heaviest bullet with the greatest SD and momentum. He wasn’t suggesting a .30-06 as the BEST option, but since the potential client was intending to use it for plains game, what bullet should he choose? But Dr. Robertson’s remark was in regard to the principle he enunciated: a heavy bullet for caliber because of the prospect of bad angles! And that would be WITH a PH at his shoulder! AND, that would also be with “PREMIUM” bullets! Heavy for caliber with the BEST bullets!

Kevin Robertson has also spoken very favorably of the 9.3 x 62, and that was long before “premiums”, as such, were available. Or before MVs had evolved to what is possible today with the best powders.

(Left click on photo for a better view.)

That is my choice of a cartridge and rifle in a handy bolt-action that can fulfil all expectations as a “BRUSH RIFLE” as well as a long-range shooter of BG. It has replaced all my mediums from a .338 Win Mag to a .375 H&H… It can do anything as well, or better, depending on conditions and load.

That’s a bold statement, and will evoke a negative reaction from some who are traditional in their thinking, or who lack experience in handloading this great cartridge. Admittedly, the average handloader of the 9.3 x 62 will be content with traditional loads, believed to be adequate or “enough”… I’m not one of them! In handloading, I want the best for the job at hand, not just adequate.

As that concerns medium bores, I don’t need one of each, though I’ve owned and used several of them — often in more than one version. In .338-cal, I’ve owned and used a 20″ and a 26″ in .338 Win Mag; a 26″ .340 Wby; two 22″ .35 Whelens,  a couple of .350 Rem Mags, and a 22″, 24″ and 26″ in .375 H&H. When I say that my 9.3 x 62 can do anything they could, I’m not living in a fantasy world! And it only has a 22.44″ barrel. When loaded with four cartridges, a 3-9x by 40mm scope, a 1″ nylon sling, it tilts the scales at 7.7 lbs.

As concerns its best hunting load for large game, it produces 4365 ft-lbs from the 286 Nosler Partition. That load matches the .340 Weatherby 250gr Partition load in momentum from the muzzle to 500 yards! Then, there is the 320gr Woodleigh at 2464 fps that matches or exceeds the .375 H&H in momentum firing a 300gr at 2600 fps.

So, yes, I’d concur with Drs Heath and Robertson, who wrote that they failed to see any distinction in effect on Cape buffalo when using either their 9.3 x 62’s or their .375 H&H’s. Not that I have their experience, but I can read ballistic charts.

I have utmost confidence in my 9.3 x 62 for “brush hunting” of anything I might personally point it at in my limited N.A. area. And that would include wolf, bear, moose and elk, as well as big whitetails that can attain 400 lbs. Moreover, I’d also take it for brown bear and grizzly, given the opportunity. And you could add to that, large moose to 500 yards! So, is my favorite “medium” capable as a “Brush Rifle”?

As to what we may term, “dedicated” brush guns,there are several of course. I’ve owned at least two, and perhaps more if a 12-gauge is included with slugs. But this is about rifles.

The first was kept for a full decade, and was indeed a dedicated brush rifle: A Ruger 96/44 in .44 Remington Magnum. It was more powerful than a .30-30, and equal to a .35 Remington in KE, but surpassed it in TE within the ranges intended – less than 100 yards.

Here are some handloads: (I did shoot some Federal factory 300gr hardcasts through it for information.)

270gr Speer – 1800+ fps/1942 ft-lbs avg.
300gr Hornady XTP – 1725 fps/1982 ft-lbs (Dec/02)
300gr Speer – 1692 fps/1907 ft-lbs (18/12/02)

This rifle was used for trail walking and bringing bait for bears.

The other rifle that could have been considered a “brush rifle” was a Marlin 1895 G, with the short 18.5″ barrel. But it had the infamous “ports”, and while it went hunting, and I developed a lot of handloads for it that were fired at the range with muffs on, in woody conditions it was way too loud!! So… it went down the road. Marlin has since done away with the ports and sell a pile of the “G” models. From 400s and 405s, I got something over 2000 fps using AA2015.

Having already mentioned the .375 Ruger in its short 20″ barrelled “Alaskan” model as a potential brush gun, maybe the .416 Ruger in a 20″ version should be viewed as a possible candidate as well. While likely seen as “overpowered” for such a theme, there’s no doubt it finds itself doing that job admirably in Alaskan and African close-quarter operations. If it were the only firearm I owned, I’m sure I could find reason enough to employ it in brush hunting of both bear and moose here in our province. A quality 350gr at 2400 to 2600 fps would make some sense.

Still, in this context, how could I fail to give consideration to my most highly prized Big Bore – the excellent .458 Winchester Magnum. All matters considered, it is the best of the Big Bores. And at a mere 40″ total length, including a 24-inch barrel, my Ruger Tropical No.1 is 2.4″ shorter than my 9.3 x 62.

Yesterday (Apr. 30/19), I invested a couple of hours at our range (setting up the Chrony, Lead Sled and targets included) firing some new loads. The fastest was a 350gr TSX at 2760 fps/5919 ft-lbs, and the slowest was a 500gr Hornady RN at 2218 fps/5461 ft-lbs. In between were 480gr DGX’s, 450gr TSX’s, a 450gr Swift AF, and 400gr Barnes Busters.

But hey, here is the complete list corrected to MV:
500 Hornady (74 grs A2230) = 2218 (this load gave 2227 in my former CZ550 with a 25″ barrel) COL = 3.56″
500 Hornady (75 grs A2230 = (gave a low – false reading – don’t know why, but it could be increased by 1/2 gr according to case head expansion) COL = 3.56″
500 Hornady (81 grs H335) = 2233 (max load with this powder – max allowable expansion for continued use of case) COL = 3.56″

480 DGX (82 grs H335) = 2262 (low case expansion – could be increased by 1- grain) COL = 3.56″
480 DGX (76 grs A2230 = 2272 (max case expansion) COL = 3.56″

450 TSX (82 grs H335 = 2290 (no brass expansion – this was 1-gr less than a previous test. Will go to 84 grs next time) COL = 3.68″
450 TSX (76 grs A2230)= 2326 (could increase by 1-grain) COL = 3.69″

450 Swift AF (84 grs H335) = 2414/5822 ft-lbs (max with this powder for continued use of the case. This bullet has responded very well in my rifle.)
COL = 3.565″

400 Barnes Buster (83 grs H335) = 2381 COL = 3.28″
400 Barnes Buster (83 grs H335) = 2388 (These are hard bullets, and case head expansion is near max. So I’ll not try to increase this load more than 1/2 gr) COL = 3.28″

350 TSX (81 grs H4198) = 2760/5919 ft-lbs (This is the same result I received from my former CZ550 with 1-grain less at 80 grs. But the CZ had a 1-inch longer barrel. Pressure was not over max.) COL = 3.46″

Now, what could I do with all that?

First of all, they are test loads for my Ruger No.1 in .458.

Secondly: I’ll do some over, and increase some loads giving more opportunity to A2230 and H4895.

Thirdly: I plan on some reduced loads, like the 480 DGX that shows real promise at around 1750 – 1800 fps. That will likely be through the use of RL-15.

Also, I have a couple more reduced loads, garnered from my former CZ:
405 Remington at just over 2000 using RL-15, and the
350 Hornady using the same load of RL-15

A BRUSH RIFLE?

Yeah, I have one… maybe a couple!

I know, I know, the .458 is NOT “light”, but it is handy. At over 10 lbs, and with the ports, it makes life very bearable in the recoil department. But if a big bruin shows up here this spring, recoil will only be like a normal 12-gauge turkey load.

Oh yeah… about points 5,6 and 7 — My Ruger No.1 and Tikka T3 aren’t “Safe Queens”; and surely you’ve noticed that handloads are the only way to improve the ballistics of any rifle, and they both have good scopes for real close or far; and dark places….

“But it’s a single-shot!”, some would cry out in alarm! I KNOW THAT! How many shots do you need?

Til the next,

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL