Bear attack/charge stories?

[nolan-sawka]

Anyone got any good bear attack or charge stories to tell?

[madrona sh]

None yet thank goodness.Closest Ive gotten to a bear was in a logging camp in Semour inlet. Woke up heard someone screaming in Japanese.Well it was the cook chasing a bear down the hall.the bear ran right by me I could have touched it.The cook was right on his tail.So that wasn't a charge or anything like it bot I swear the bear looked scared.

[The Dawg]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPVg4SFkz_I&feature=related

[835]

Someone here sure has a gooder

[Danimal]

Ask Yukon John, he's got a good one! Haha, I was there for it but it's his story to tell.

[mr.280]

a long time ago I was hunting big horn in Spences Bridge with my brother and we split up to check out a couple of draws.I got into some sheep about an hour latter,but they were all youngins so I sat on a rock slide below them in the timber and just thought I'd watch them for a while and see if any more would show up.Then only a few minutes latter I cought movement abouve, between myself and the feeding sheep.It was a large brown black bear and he had his head held low and was creeping along the slide stalking the sheep.It was a cool sight to see.I had a tag and thought what the hell he's a big bear so I decided to take him. the big guy had gone into a patch of brush about 90 yards abouve me on the steep slide,I tried to wait him out but he layed down in there or snuck out without seeing him.I started up the slide to see if I could spot him again.I got about 45 yards from the brush patch when I heard him pop his teeth. Then he instantly came charging down the rocks right at me all I thought was holy #$&%. I quickly put a 150 gr. nostler in him right under the jaw and he crumpled up about 40 feet abouve me then I had to step fast to the side as the big boar came rolling down the slide doing about 9 O he kept going ass over tea kettle down another 75 feet then slamed into a huge fir windfall and never moved again.I just let out a loud WOW that was exciting and thought " I wonder if he figured I was one of the sheep".:twisted:

[325 wsm]

About 8 years ago I was guiding a hunter in the Bonnet Plume area for sheep and caribou. It was near the end of the first day and we had not come across any large rams and were heading back to camp. On the way back we came across a nice bull caribou and my hunter decided he would like to try and stick an arrow into it. Well he did but the arrow entered just in front of the hind quarters. Well we ran after it for about 2 hours down the mountain and into a creek bed full of 12 foot willows. Another half hour of hide and seek and he was able to finish off the caribou with one of his arrows. The caribou died right in the middle of a small stream and the blood flowed down with the water. It was almost dark so we pulled the caribou out, gutted it and snapped a few photo's and headed back to camp about a mile away.
The next morning we headed back to the boo. I had my big dog Benny with me and as we aproached through the thick stuff he was in the lead. It was obvious nothing was on the kill or in the vicinity or he would have sensed it and let me know.
As I began skinning I told my hunter to keep his eyes open and also to keep an eye on my dog as he would alert us of any incoming bears etc. Well about an hour into it my hunter notices my dog sniffing the air and looking downstream. Less than a minute later he tells me he see's a grizz. and I respond by telling him to get his bow ready and if it's a boar we can try to stick an arrow into it. I grab my 338 win mag (they didn't make the 325 back then) that is beside me with a shell in the chamber but didn't check the safety.
Just across the stream and less then 50 yds away I see the bear come into a small opening in the willows and half a second later I see it's mother.
I yell as loud as I can to scare them away but the sow swats the cub out of her way and charges straight at me and the cub follows only a stride behind. At 20 yds she is in the middle of the creek coming full speed and I decide it's time to shoot. I pulled the trigger but nothing happened. Oh funk this is going to hurt is all I can think.
less than 5 yards in front of me my big dog Benny jumps from behind the willows where he is sitting right at the bear. I remember her turning and swatting at his head with 1 of her paws and he lowered his head and body just like a boxer would to avoid the blow. This half second delay gave me just enough time to push the safety off and the bolt handle down (I thought the safety was off and reacted by pushing the bolt handle down first). After her first swat at Benny she was still standing broadside in front of me and I put one through her lungs just behind the front shoulders. At this point the 2 year old cub turned tail and headed the other way.I didn't want to hit my dog or else I probably would have tried the front shoulders. Well as quick as that 210 partition knocked her over she was coming back at me. I had just enough time to chamber another round and touch it off. This one caught her in mid air. It was like she hit a brick wall and I think she was dead by the time she hit the ground.
At this point I was still calm, cool and collected so I looked behind me to see how far my hunter had run. He hadn't run anywhere to my surprise but was standing about a yard behind me with an arrow in his hand, raised above his head ready to spear the bear.
A minute later the adrenalin kicked in and I realised what had just happened. Another minute of disbelief and I got out my video camera, recorded the scene and described, with the help of my hunter,what had just happened. As I recorded the adrenalin coould be heard in our voices and my big dog law a few feet away almost asleep again. The bear died only 3 steps in front of me.
My dog saved my ass that day and ate tenderloins that night.:-D

[325]

I was charged by a black bear near Williams lake in 2004. I had just finished a morning deer hunt (didn't get anything), and was hiking back to the truck. I came across a bear about 70-80 yards away. It was feeding on grass, unaware of my presence. It was on the route I had to travel so I yelled at it, thinking it would run, which it did...right towards me. I raised my rifle, but at about 40 yards it stopped and began sniffing the air. I yelled again. It charged again, and I ended-up shooting it at about 25 yards. It ran into some alder where I found it dead.

Its skin hangs on my wall.

[elkdom]

a freind of mine is gynecologist, he claims he was once mauled by a bear in his examination room!:shock: ,

as for myself a BIG ONE stole my "pik-kin-ic" basket one time,,,

I promptly reported it to Mr Ranger Sir :neutral:

[Blainer]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=40606&highlight=grizzly+attack (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=40606&highlight=grizzly+attack)

[BCRiverBoater]

Been charged twice...had some other close encounters but never had to shoot. My stories are boring compared to the few that happened this fall. We all saw the forum, saw the news and heard the story and pics on here about the guys in the tent. Then there was our local buddy up here that was fighting one with an arrow...lol

Not even worth mentioning mine after these real men stared death in the eyes.

[OutWest]

Don't have one personally but I heard a number of hunters in the Kootenays had encounters with aggressive Grizzly's last season.

[Billyisgr8]

A freind was charged by a 8' grizz ( only can go by length as it was in his long box of the truck, with tail touching the back and nose sitting right at tailgate in the pictures) in MU 3-36 and had to fire and kill it. He was walking back to his truck which was 60 yards away when this griz came out of the brush between him and the truck, he froze hoping the grizz would not spot him, grizz caught his scent or was onto it allready and came at a fast trot towards him, he couldn't get a clear view through the scope as he was too close to it and it was dark so all he could do was aim the barell by eye . The only problem with all of what was happening was the truck being in line of sight behind the grizz had his daughter sitting in the front seat reading a book...if he could not place a good shot there was a risk of hitting his daughter, he was very confused with what to do as the bear was getting closer, he stayed motionless with the gun drawn till the grizz was about 15-20 yards off and fired. The bullet hit high to where he was wanting to put it but the bullet put the grizz down, he was able to quickly move to the side and empty his gun at very close range into it. He gutted it and took it home, got a bunch of pictures. The conservation officer wanted to see the kill site and took a report, then also took the grizz. He had thought of so many what if's since it happened, he doesn't know how he was able to stay calm since.

[Brambles]

Anyone got any good bear attack or charge stories to tell?


I hear a couple guys from this site got shit canned by a grizz this year, do a search, it should come up:wink:

[wolverine]

Back in the early 90's I was hunting with a friend up above Scotch Creek in a valley that used to produce deer for us every year. There was always lots of bear sign so that year we went there for spring bear. The area was an old slash and the skidder tracks were still intact but starting to grow in pretty good and were full of lush green grass so a perfect spot to find a bear. They climbed up a hillside and on one side dropped off and the other was cut into the hill so there was only about 15 ft of room from one side to the cut bank. My partner was walking up ahead of me about 50 ft or so when I stopped and called his attention to the low side of the road down the hill. It was grown in pretty good but I thought I picked up some movement. After a minute or so he shrugged his shoulders and turned and started walking. That's when the bear popped out right in front of me. It was a dry sow and a pretty good size one at that. She was jaw popping and huffing and came straight toward me at a steady walk. I whistled at my partner and he turned and saw it all unfold. He started walking back toward me and was motioning to me to hold off as he was checking for cubs. By this time the bear was at the side of the road and I was backed up against the cut bank. She stopped there for a second and sat down. I made sure my scope was on 3X because I couldn't see too much other than hair and brought it up on her face. She kept up the popping and was swinging her head from side to side. That's when she got a look at my partner. I'm sure she didn't know he was there until then. She stopped for a second and stared at him and then without moving her head back to look at me charged in my direction. I let the .338 bark and down she went like she had been pole axed. I tapped her behing the ear on the neck with a 210 gr. Nosler. She was laying not more than 10 ft in front of me when she dropped. After slowing down my heart rate and catching my breath I checked her over. I found the entrance wound but no exit. When we skinned her out at the creek I found out why. The bullet had hit her C spine and changed direction and followed down her neck, int the chest souping the heart and lungs, angled out through the abdomin and took a piece of the liver out and the hide kept it in the bear and it hit her back thigh, broke the femur and I recovered the bullet the next day on the other side of the bone. I've had other close encounters but that was the closest. It's funny how you perceive yourself at the time that it happens. To me I was freakin out but later my partner said that after I shouldered the rifle I was like a rock and didn't move. Maybe, but inside I was crapping all over the place. The bear measured just short of 6 ft. She was old and it was probably her last season. Her teeth were bad. Lots broken and worn right down to the gums. Probably why she was so damned cranky.

[moosinaround]

I hear a couple guys from this site got shit canned by a grizz this year, do a search, it should come up:wink:
I wouldn't want to relive that one either!!! Sure am glad you guys were alright!! Dam!!! Moosin

[Gateholio]

I was riding my bike home along a trail at night, and ran right into a black bear.

Knocked me off my bike and he crapped and ran out of there. We were both pretty scared.:-D

[Brambles]

Here's a link to the Sitka Gear website, a little write up I did for them.

Scroll down to "When Grizzlies attack"

http://www.sitkainsight.com/2009/11/

[huntinnewbie]

This happened to my nephew in the interior or BC.
he was out checking his trapline when he inadvertently got between a mother black bear and her cubs.
She charged without notice and without him even knowing she was there until it was to late.
He had 2 dogs with him at the time, 1 hightailed it for home when the sow charged but luckily the other stayed.
She hit him and knocked him down. She grabbed him by the thigh and was about to shake him when the dog that stayed grabbed the sow by the back end.
This caused her to release the hold she had on my nephew's thigh and whirl around after the dog.
This gave him a small window to get to the nearest tree and climb to safety.
He had a long wait up the tree before the sow finally decided to leave the area iwith the dog continuing to harass her.
He made it safely out of the bush and was attended to at the hospital where drainage tubes were inserted ito his thigh. She had bitten completely through the muscle on the inside of his thigh.
The doctor said he was very lucky as the sow would have done considerably more damage had she had the opportunity to shake him. Especally if she had damaged his femoral artery.
My nephew credits the dog with saving him that day.

[rifleman]

I'm glad to see your story on here 325wsm. It's exciting every time. Glad yer alive to tell it. Benny wass a true, loyal friend. Good thing he was there.

[Blktail]

An aquaintance of my brother was timber cruising northeast of PG a few years back. He saw a grizz coming his way and it had large cubs with it. He shot a bear bang at it when it was about 100 yds away. The bear instantly charged and knocked him down tearing his shoulder open. It went for his head and he jammed the bear bang gun and his hand in the bears mouth as far as he could. When the bear bit down on his skull, it crushed his hand and the plastic gun, but it only tore up his scalp. It then back off and he spun his feet towards the bear. He was on his back with heavy hiking boots on instead of the usual gum boots. Every time the bear came at him he stuffeed his foot in her mouth. The heavy boots protected his feet from being crushed or punctured. This went on for a while with the young bears trying to get a piece of him, but they were a bit chicken. Eventually Mom smacked his feet out of the way and grabbed him by histhigh and buttock. She shook him like a rag doll until he thought all his joint were going to tear, and then she spat him out and left with the cubs.

His wife was at the truck and heard the bangs going off during and after the attack, so she drove around an obstruction and found him. He had to get the truck out of there to the main road. She then drove until they found someonme else to help with bandaging him and getting him to the hospital.

Of all his wounds to his head, hand, shoulder, feet and thigh, the puncture wounds to his thigh were the worst and required drainage for a long time. The rest healed up well without any serious scars to his face. His feet and joints were sore for a long time too.

Those hiking boots saved his life he figures. As did the gun that prevented the bear from crushing his skull

He says it was very unpleasant listening to his bones break, flesh tear and teeth scrape his skull.

A year later he was still having trouble dealing with it. I am not sure how he is today, but I think he is well.

[nolan-sawka]

wow some great stories good to hear you and your friends are fine, THERE HAS TO BE MORE LETS HEAR EM!

[gwillim]

I've had a couple charging incidents with black bears over the years, but so far (knock wood) only positive encounters with grizzlies. First time was while on a trip to Banff as a teenager. I was walking into town from tunnel mtn campground, and must have got too close to a bear. He came charging out of the brush, and all I had time for was to stand still and look non-threatening. The bear stopped about ten feet away, doing the front paw dance, and huffing at me. I took the hint and left.

Years later doing forestry work near Nelson, I got too close to a sow with a cub. I saw the cub first and was just wondering if it was big enough to be on it's own, when a very mad mom came charging at me from behind some slash. Of course it was the one day I had forgotten my bear spray, so again I resorted to slowly backing up as she charged. Again I was in luck and she stopped short of me and I left.

The third encounter was the most spooky. I was doing regen surveys on a brushy old cutblock near Nakusp, when some squirrels started going nuts in clump of nearby trees. I got up on a big cedar stump to look around and saw a black bear belly crawling towards me through the fireweed. It was apparent that I would have to bluff my way out of this one, so I waved my planting shovel in the air, and yelled in what I hoped wa a menacing way. At this point I noticed that behind this bear was a small cub following mom along as she stalked towards me. I felt the hair go up on the back of my neck (t really does happen) and yelled louder. The bear turned away slightly, and I took the opportunity to head back to the pick-up.

These few bad experiences were the total of 35 years of working and playing in the bush. I have had many countless good experiences getting to watch black and grizzlies out in their world (part of why I like to be out there). As much as it is fun to trade around the bear stories, don't let worrying about bears take away your enjoyment of being out in the wild world!

[.303]

I hear a couple guys from this site got shit canned by a grizz this year, do a search, it should come up:wink:

I heard the other side of that story from the bears....It's not at all like what you reported....the bears were just hoping for a one night fling, you just wouldn't open the door like a gentleman.:lol:

[MOOSE MILK]

I was suposed to go on this hunt but couldn't make it (injury related reasons). It was to be a sheep hunt in the Atlin area, shortly after the float plane droped of my friend, he and his partner set up base camp and Brian spotted what he thought were a couple of wolverenes messin about off in the distance, he decided to hike over and take some photos. He dawned his back pack with rifle on the back pack to leave hands free to take pictures. The land is quite flat and what he saw was the humps of two good size griz cubs that were in a dry creek bed. From a distance he could only see the humps and thought they were wolverenes. The cubs took off down the creek bed when he arrived, he thought o crap they arnt wolverenes at all, and thought to himself "where is moma?" With that he heard a whoof and turned around in time to see moma griz barlin' down on him, she stod on hind legs and poped her teeth in his face. He had heard that a sharp blow on the nose would turn an attack so he like Rocky Marciano drove her a fist to the end of her nose, she just as quick as Casus Clay (spelling) swated him across the face sending him flying over backward onto his face on the ground. Instantly she was on his back going for his neck, he made like a turtle and pulled his head back under his back pack and she only had the top of his head to bite at, she pulled the scalp off and his eye was laying on his cheek. The backpack saved her from biting the back of his neck where she would have surly killed him. His partner who was 300 yds or so away witnessed the attack and started shouting and firing his rifle and the bear left. Nedless to say that was the end of their hunt.

[KevinB]

A good friend of mine had to shoot a predatory black bear with his bow this fall. It had snuck up him for the third time, and wouldn't be scared off.

I admire his nerve keeping his sh*t together at making a good bow shot at 5 or 6 yards on a predatory bear. He told me that he found out that following up an arrowed bear in thick bush with a bow isn't very fun. He cut his tag and packed it out and it's now in his freezer.

To top it off, as he was trudging out with the bear in his pack, he arrowed a blacktail buck. Maybe it thought he was a bear?? :-?

[hunter1947]

I called in a few Grizzlies in my hunting days and one call in was as a scary one that haunts me to this day.

I was set up calling for elk on an old growen up road I heard something coming in to my left in thick bush behind me all when silent so I walked about 50 feet where I would be more into the open area when all of a sudden appears this huge boar Griz.

He was only 50 feet from me I turned and put my rifle on him he stood up and screamed at me I almost pulled the trigger ,he then got down on all four legs and chattered his teeth and swung his head back one way to the other ,he then turned and slowly walked away.

Soon as he had left I then turned and jogged down to my where my hunting partner was set up.
As I approached him he said what is wrong I said lets get out of here ASAP I just called in a huge big Griz my partner said so thats what that huffing noise was all about I thought it was a bull moose making that noise ,I said I wish that it was a moose ,we hi tailed it out of this area and left this Griz to him self..