What would you do if you come across a bear while hunting other animals?

[RiverOtter]

And here I thought SSS was our very own Stone Sheep Steve??? Haha

[MichelD]

I looked across a clear cut bowl one time and about 100 yards away was a nice two point feeding on one side of a big stump and on the other side a big black bear.

I had a bear in the freezer already and chose not to shoot the deer.

I'm sure the bear would have run away at the shot, but you know they don't go far, and I had concerns about what he might do if he smelled blood and guts had I chose to shoot the deer.

[ForestWalker10]

depends on if i had a tag or not, i would shoot it. if i didnt, then i would do my best to get myself outta there before resorting to killing the bear in self defense. it would have to charge me though, or do other things that signal its pissed off at you, to the point where its going to be violent.

[RiverOtter]

Interesting thing is, a black bear that's considering you as its next meal, is very likely going to show very little to no aggression. Predatory behaviour could easily be mistaken for curiosity.

A black bear displaying what he "could" do to you, likely won't make contact. Jaw popping, swatting the ground, huffing etc.

[Ohwildwon]

This^^^^^^^^^^^

Or just plain sneak up on you like a cat....

[scotty30-06]

Yup if they are hunting you they are quiet as a mouse....creepy seeing them creep.

[HarryToolips]

Interesting thing is, a black bear that's considering you as its next meal, is very likely going to show very little to no aggression. Predatory behaviour could easily be mistaken for curiosity.

A black bear displaying what he "could" do to you, likely won't make contact. Jaw popping, swatting the ground, huffing etc.

Exactly, the huffing jaw popping etc is them just being scared or nervous in my experience..

[Greenthumbed]

In the 20 years that I worked in the bush I saw probably 100+ black bears I'm sure. Never once was one aggressive or particularly scary towards me. Very rarely did we have a gun and when we did it was always left in the truck. Usually I could clap my hand and tell the bear to "get the hell outta' here!" And he'd move on. If he didn't we'd give him his space and we'd move on.
In all those years I only saw a handful of grizzlies. These are a different beast, for sure! Definitely kinda scary. Once had one chase me and my crew around a cut block and then stalk us for 7+ Km in the wrong direction from our trucks before we got into radio reception. We had to get a pick up from a fellow bush worker. That bear was a *******!

[Jelvis]

I don't even go into heavy grizz area, I respect the big boar. I respect the momma more, with cubs!
You better not get in between mom and her kids or you could be raven meat.
If a person sees a bear, then avoid it, go way around or some plan to not get the bear interested in you.
If your bear hunting that's a little different, then observe for size, age etc, color, head size.
Bears skull is measured in circumference. Big head is good.
Jel -- Give a bear respect, it's his or her living room, bedroom and back and front yards.

[slowjo]

Black Bear, and he buggers off, I wouldn't worry so much.
If it gets late, just open it up, pull the guts out, put something in the chest cavity to keep it open, and hang your
sweaty hat, shirt or whatever on it....and come back at 1st light.
Grizz, if I was alone, might be different.
Depends how "open" my surroundings are, or what kind of thick crap it dropped down in, or could drop in?
If your uncomfortable, don't shoot, but as many say, bear are around, even if you don't see them.

I do recall a time when we took one elk, early in the week.
Bears showed up to the gutpile a day or so later, after we took the meat out already.
Saw one bear (black) get chased away by a much larger black, who took over.

After getting his fill, he sauntered off into the trees not far from the kill...probably taking a nap.
This was by no means a small bear, big enough to handle himself with most other blackies.
But, all of a sudden, 20 minutes later, he's runnin at full tilt in the same direction he chased off the 1st blackie!!??
Why....Grizz.
A day later, and my last night, I had a bull come out, broadside, with maybe at best 45 minutes before dark, only
about 500 yards from the 1st kill site....
I passed...and it was a nice bull...really nice.

Why?...because he was faced in a direction heading towards the 1st site, and it was thick stuff going that way.
If I didn't drop him in his tracks...who knows, I may have spent all that night, or next morning looking for him.
Maybe not to find him, and I needed to get back to work the day after that...but.....I also knew I had a GBear around,
and with 1 around a gutpile, probably more in the area by now.
Didn't think it was a positive situation....and not worth the hassle....
Some guys will gut and pack out thru out the night...by themselves.
For me, I will let it sit till the a.m if need be if I am alone...gut only.
OR, leave it, and that way you don't have the "smell of guts" in the air all night.
(how many have shot something, only to find it the next day, and all is fine with the meat....lots)
It may not be ideal, but if it gives you ease of mind, then that is the only person you need to answer to.
Honestly, there are times I think nothing of it, and times where for some reason, it does....maybe it is my "gut sense"
talking to me.
Probably why you see more hunters in the AM hunting, and by evening, they are already at camp....
They won't admit it, but the truth is, "they don't like the dark".
I think if you can look at it from a history standpoint, most people who work thru the night, do fine, don't get mauled.
But, being with hunting partners IS different then hunting alone.
Go with what works for you in your mind.

This is beautiful advice.