Decoying bear

[blindman]

I bagged my last duck at Pitt Marsh and decided to sit and listen to the last few minutes of the Seahawk disaster. When that painful experience was over, I put my gear in the boat and took down my Mojo decoy. When I was about to head out and pick up the floating decoys, I was surprised to see somebody's Black Lab swimming from the opposite side of the canal and heading right into my spread. Then my brain registered that the Lab was actually a Black Bear! I did the arm wave and talking and yelling thing, but Mr. or Mrs. bear just was on a direct path to my position, which now was about 35yds from the bear. I'm not afraid of bears, but I had no idea what the mental state of this one was and my thought about then was "my shotgun and shells are stored in the boat" and I might just need them. With a loaded gun in my hand and the bear still intent on visiting me, I fired a shell well to the left of the bear and it did a 180 and headed back to whence it came. Once on the far (45yds) shore, it climbed out and just stared back at me, so I gave another bang to encourage the bear's departure.

What the heck attracted that bear to brazenly try to have a meeting with me? Was he a Seahawk fan, liked my Mojo Mallard, coffee and doughnuts aroma, or the odor of my harvested ducks? I'd sure like to know so I could eliminate whatever it was from my blind next time! Do you think I should add Bear Bangers and Bear Spray to my blind bag? :mrgreen:

[Angus]

I was walking around the marsh on Saturday evening before dusk and saw all kinds of bear scat on the dykes. Sounds like that they must be getting hungry out there now that their usual blueberry buffet is no longer hanging on the bushes in the surrounding fields.

I would've loved to see a photo of the bear's face after taking a bite out of one of your dekes:mrgreen:

[blindman]

Angus, I wasn't really worried about the bear taking a bite out of a deke; it was me I was concerned about! You are right though, it would have made a great video.

[Crazy_Farmer]

I think it might of been an undercover cbsa agent in a bear rug....hahahahah

[heyblast]

Blindman. On a previous post about carrying lead shells while waterfowl hunting for bear protection I posted that I have seen bear sign in the marsh. It was about 6 or 7 years ago when the water wasn't as high as it is now, but it was near where your blind is now. Never thought with as little dry area that there is out there that any bear would venture into the marsh. Perhaps Ian F's suggestion of Heavy Shot might be a good idea.

[kyleklassen]

the road to the superbowl is thru cleveland...you were mistaken the only disaster yesterday was indy.

[blindman]

A week prior to the opener, I was grassing my blind and heard rustling noises nearby and my first thought was that it might be a bear. Then I convinced myself that it was unlikely that a bear would wander that far into the wetlands. Maybe I'm on a bear trail! Or maybe it was that Tunafish sandwich in my lunch.

[Dano]

Tom and I heard you shoot and then a follow up shot while we were loading the boat. I take it this was about 15 minutes after we stopped by your blind. Good to hear you were able to scare it off, wonder what would have happened if you were intently looking out front and he swam over from the right hand slough!
It sure was high water conditions sunday, I've hunted across from you a few times and there would have been plenty of water in the grass, I wouldn't think the bear would spend much time sloshing around in that water. Maybe he knew a dry place to hang out on the point? :) You better knock a couple times before you enter the blind next time, I'll send Tom ahead of me wednesday to drop off the bags and equipment inside our blind!
Strange, but this year I've thought about a bear or some animal using our blind to keep dry with all that water around out there. Seems the drainage in the marsh isn't working like it should, possibly the beavers have dammed off the perimiter ditch.
Thanks for the heads up, we'll keep an eye out for the bruin.
Dan
P.S. Maybe your groaning over the Seahawks play sunday called him in.

[Buck]

There are definately bears in that area usually see them in the spring mowing on the grass along the dykes.Time to throw some slugs in the kit as i believe they are open in that area.

[Tanya]

MMM, dead duck and doughnuts - smells like breakfast to a bear. We have them cleaning up corn spill occassionally on the fields we hunt here at home. They usually either ignore us or leave when they get downwind of us peoples.

[blindman]

Dano, I think you have solved my curiosity about tears in the burlap in my blind. I probably had a visit from that bear and he drinks Budweiser and smokes! Are Karelian Bear dogs good duck retrievers?

Slug loads for the shotgun would be a good idea but being and "Alien", I'd have to have a licensed guide in my blind every time and that wood be expensive. Maybe a portable electric fence that I have seen advertised, but that bear is smart and if he waited until my shotgun was stowed, he'd be wise enough to wait until the fence was taken down.

[Dano]

Ken,
Leave the gate open so he can just step in, that way he won't mark up your wall to wall upolstery! :)

Bears may be open in the PItt Valley but slugs are a no-no. Buckshot is as big as you can go. Sounds like you had it right, a well placed warning shot should do the trick anyways.
So,... are you loading up for the walk from the boat to the blind from now on? :)

Good to hear you finally had something commit right into the decoys, even if it had 4 legs!
We'll keep an eye out tommorrow, if we see it I'll try and take a picture.
Dan

[blindman]

Dan,

I'll surely be loaded up heading in to the blind and from now on I'm wearing "Bear Bells" when I duck hunt!

[Deer_Slayer]

Koreilian bear dogs? haha I saw a guy training some on black bears up in Golden a few years back on the new paved ski hill road. He let 3 dogs out of his truck to chase off a big black bear that was feeding on the grass. Came back later and it was getting dark. The guy was sitting waiting. Only 2 dogs came back. Found out later the 3rd never did return...so guess the bear got the better of that encounter.

[blindman]

Koreilian bear dogs? haha I saw a guy training some on black bears up in Golden a few years back on the new paved ski hill road. He let 3 dogs out of his truck to chase off a big black bear that was feeding on the grass. Came back later and it was getting dark. The guy was sitting waiting. Only 2 dogs came back. Found out later the 3rd never did return...so guess the bear got the better of that encounter.

I guess that shoots down that idea! :mrgreen: Maybe it would be better to train the bear to retrieve.

[CRS]

I go away deer hunting and look what I miss! Sounds like I should take a few 00 buck with me tomorrow...."just in case". I can just see the wife's face with me coming back from a duck hunt with a soaking wet bear in the back of the truck!!

[blindman]

That was probably a once in a lifetime experience. Were you successful on your deer hunt?

[CRS]

It was sucessful if you were a deer! Passed on a little 2x2 first morning, 4hrs into my week long hunt......it was the last headgear I saw the rest of the week!!!