1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

First Bear experience. not what I expected

Discussion in 'Guns & Hunting' started by takern, Nov 12, 2011.

  1. Nov 12, 2011 at 6:26 PM
    #1
    takern

    takern [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2009
    Member:
    #20905
    Messages:
    1,366
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tanner
    Virginia
    Vehicle:
    03 TRD Offroad stepside
    Deckplate mod, sliders, uniden cb, toolbox, dakar leaf pack, in search of coilovers, 255/85 16 bfg m/t waiting to go on
    Let me start this off by saying I spend a lot of time in the woods and have ran into plenty of bears while squirrel huntin. I have never been scared of them or had a bad experience prior to this.

    Tonight I had my first bear encounter while actually holding something of legal methods for killing a bear. I was using my bow. It was the last 5 minutes that i could even see my sights and they were gettin really really dim. bow hunters know what time of the night this is. But i heard a squirrel behind me freak out so turn around and look at it and a bear cub is crawling up a tree chasing it. Bears are remarkably silent because this tree was 20 yards behind me and I did not hear it at all. My first reaction was "Damn, thats cool. never seen it before." my next reaction was "hell yeah. baby cub=momma bear=bear meat". i then looked around and realized I had no idea where momma bear was. my thought now is "Shit. I am probably between momma and baby bear." And of course this is the first time I have ever not brought my 357 huntin with me. once i realized I was probably in Momma bears sights, i grabbed my shit and boogied out of there as fast as I could. Never did see mommy but I know she was there somewhere. Pretty wild last 5 minutes of huntin time. I must admit though it was one of the coolest experiences of my life swappin stares with the cub in the tree less than 20 yards away.
     
  2. Nov 12, 2011 at 8:38 PM
    #2
    meeestirg

    meeestirg Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2010
    Member:
    #43661
    Messages:
    1,198
    Gender:
    Male
    Vance County, NC
  3. Nov 12, 2011 at 8:40 PM
    #3
    Pope953

    Pope953 That's a fact Jack!

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Member:
    #32117
    Messages:
    11,454
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Wesley
    Asheville, NC
    Vehicle:
    SR5 Pickup
    35% up front, 20% in the back window tint, 15" Mickey Thompson bullet hole wheels, with 31x10.5 Firestone Destination A/T tires. Glass Pack, High Flow Cat, S&B CAI, Custom Light Bar with 4 fog lights. 2 10" Rockford Fosgate P2 subs with 1000 watt Rockford Fosgate Amp, CB.
    Sounds intense. I probably would have to change my drawers after I came out.
     
  4. Nov 12, 2011 at 8:53 PM
    #4
    theredofshaw

    theredofshaw Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2010
    Member:
    #41484
    Messages:
    7,031
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    John
    Somewhere on the East coast
    Vehicle:
    not a taco (guess that means I can be a MOD now)
    (totaled) 2011 Tacoma DC
    x2 lol
     
  5. Nov 13, 2011 at 6:26 AM
    #5
    Trapper6speed

    Trapper6speed Hacksaw engineer

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2010
    Member:
    #32752
    Messages:
    871
    Gender:
    Male
    Stock
    I have a friend that bow hunts bears in Northern Arizona. It sounds kinda risky
     
  6. Nov 13, 2011 at 6:36 AM
    #6
    Protrucker

    Protrucker Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2011
    Member:
    #66838
    Messages:
    30
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Al
    Broome County, NY
    Vehicle:
    06 Tacoma 4x4
    Just this week, a kid shot a bear with his bow not too far from here. He went after it after telling his parents about it. They were coming to help him, but he was enough ahead of him that he got to the bear way too soon. The kid got mauled & killed by the bear before his parents got there. What a shame! :(
     
  7. Nov 13, 2011 at 7:46 AM
    #7
    takern

    takern [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2009
    Member:
    #20905
    Messages:
    1,366
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tanner
    Virginia
    Vehicle:
    03 TRD Offroad stepside
    Deckplate mod, sliders, uniden cb, toolbox, dakar leaf pack, in search of coilovers, 255/85 16 bfg m/t waiting to go on
    i would have but i was not in a stand. i was huntin a thicket and none of the trees were sturdy enough to support a stand so i was huntin off the ground
     
  8. Nov 13, 2011 at 7:49 AM
    #8
    takern

    takern [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2009
    Member:
    #20905
    Messages:
    1,366
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tanner
    Virginia
    Vehicle:
    03 TRD Offroad stepside
    Deckplate mod, sliders, uniden cb, toolbox, dakar leaf pack, in search of coilovers, 255/85 16 bfg m/t waiting to go on
    That is sad. nobody likes to hear about that. but it goes back to basic huntin safety. you should always make sure the animal is dead before comin up close to it. that kid also probably should have been able to tell it was not a good shot and left it over night. hard way to learn a tough lesson. This is exactly the reason i always bring my pistol, except for once and it could have been bad. good reality check for me though that I need to keep up on the safety aspect and not get lazy
     
  9. Nov 14, 2011 at 7:00 AM
    #9
    Protrucker

    Protrucker Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2011
    Member:
    #66838
    Messages:
    30
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Al
    Broome County, NY
    Vehicle:
    06 Tacoma 4x4
    I think they said he was 18 or 19.
     
  10. Nov 14, 2011 at 7:09 AM
    #10
    rollin904

    rollin904 Feather Slinger

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2011
    Member:
    #54724
    Messages:
    2,322
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    TJ
    Greenville, SC
    Vehicle:
    '14 DCSB 4x4
    That sucks, I suppose it's karma though.
     
  11. Nov 14, 2011 at 7:19 AM
    #11
    brp

    brp Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2010
    Member:
    #47404
    Messages:
    122
    Gender:
    Male
    I don't hunt, so I don't know, but if you kill the mom does the cub die?
     
  12. Nov 14, 2011 at 7:36 AM
    #12
    rollin904

    rollin904 Feather Slinger

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2011
    Member:
    #54724
    Messages:
    2,322
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    TJ
    Greenville, SC
    Vehicle:
    '14 DCSB 4x4
    Hmm true, yea I'd feel like a dbag for killing the mom bear in that situation.
     
  13. Nov 14, 2011 at 7:46 AM
    #13
    Apple X C0re

    Apple X C0re Atomic Punk

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2009
    Member:
    #13328
    Messages:
    269
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Josh
    Franklin, NC
    Vehicle:
    01 Tacoma SR5 4x4
    De-badged, MetalMiller grille emblem, brush guard, K&N Intake, Thrush tube, Black euro tail lights, Various scratches, Cobra 29LTD CB with custom echo board, 10" sony subwoofer with MTX amp, Black low-profile tool box, 5% tint all around.
    We have a few black bears here where I live. :p I was walking behind one of our sheds, and I turned to find one about 3 feet from me. I looked at him, and he looked at me. I said "skat" and stomped my foot, and it ran off. :) There are a lot of cubs running around too. Funny to watch.
     
  14. Nov 14, 2011 at 8:03 AM
    #14
    Caduceus

    Caduceus Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2009
    Member:
    #23889
    Messages:
    1,848
    Gender:
    Male
    in the Bluegrass
    Vehicle:
    09 DCSB TRD 4x4
    Bah! You're running from nothing! at least see the bear before you freak.

    Only time I did something like that was when I was hiking in the dark. Had a LED headlamp. As most know, they throw like 20 feet. About 50 yards away was a pair of yellow eyes that followed me for like 5 minutes. they caught just enough stray light to reflect, but I didn't know WTF they belonged to.

    Never had a bad bear encounter though.
     
  15. Nov 14, 2011 at 9:16 AM
    #15
    HarryTaco

    HarryTaco Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2010
    Member:
    #38030
    Messages:
    302
    Gender:
    Male
    Pacific NW
    Vehicle:
    2016 TRD OR DCSB 4x4 V6 MGM
    Bed Mat, Bak Revolver Tonneau,
    I'm glad you are safe but damn your thread title in combination with this quote could mean something totally different in, let's say, certain cultures in San Francisco. I got a good chuckle out of it.
     
  16. Nov 14, 2011 at 8:57 PM
    #16
    takern

    takern [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2009
    Member:
    #20905
    Messages:
    1,366
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tanner
    Virginia
    Vehicle:
    03 TRD Offroad stepside
    Deckplate mod, sliders, uniden cb, toolbox, dakar leaf pack, in search of coilovers, 255/85 16 bfg m/t waiting to go on
    If I had another 20 minutes of light i wouldnt have ran but being that i couldnt see my sights and i really didnt want to be between angry mommy and the cub i figured that was a bad place for what I could do if i was between them. I wouldnt say it was a bad encounter but it was exciting for sure.
     
  17. Nov 17, 2011 at 8:44 AM
    #17
    aficianado

    aficianado Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2009
    Member:
    #25015
    Messages:
    8,097
    Gender:
    Male
    bay area, california
    Vehicle:
    2006 access cab. 4x4, TRD-OR + 2023 TRD off-road.
    back to bone stock.
    i wouldnt shoot a sow with a cub.

    i think you did the right thing leaving them alone.
     
  18. Nov 17, 2011 at 8:50 AM
    #18
    jgwheeler17

    jgwheeler17 I'm a zit. Get it?

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2010
    Member:
    #47112
    Messages:
    10,037
    Gender:
    Male
    NC
    Vehicle:
    07 Double Cab TRD Off-Road 4x4
    neglect, mostly.
    sounds like a rush man. i don't do much hunting past squirrels and dove but i would like to go bear hunting some day. my roommates uncle killed one wednesday in NC and it sounded intense! he actually had one he hit coming towards him while on the ground two years ago and when he pulled the trigger it went "click!". i would have shit my pants. thats when him and his friend pulled out a 357 and a 45 and put 15 bulllets in his head. crazy shit.
     
  19. Nov 17, 2011 at 9:36 AM
    #19
    takern

    takern [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2009
    Member:
    #20905
    Messages:
    1,366
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tanner
    Virginia
    Vehicle:
    03 TRD Offroad stepside
    Deckplate mod, sliders, uniden cb, toolbox, dakar leaf pack, in search of coilovers, 255/85 16 bfg m/t waiting to go on

    yeah the 357 will do a number on furry creatures
     
  20. Nov 17, 2011 at 10:24 AM
    #20
    225nontypical

    225nontypical ????????????

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2010
    Member:
    #35435
    Messages:
    821
    Gender:
    Male
    backwoods
    Vehicle:
    11 tundra DC TRD OffRoad
    bilstein 5100's weather tech floor mats katskinz leather heated seats
    if you ran that is bad! if you slowly walked away and made yourself look as big as possible you did the right thing.

    i have had lots of bear experiences and spent lots of time with them.

    how big was the cub? was it the size of a large pumpkin or was it the size of a Rottweiler? if it was this years cub (born this last winter) it would be a little fur ball (I.E the size of a pumpkin) (this is my guess what you saw), and yes if you shot the sow the cub most likely would have died. now if it was bigger then that (a 1 1/2 year old bear) it would have been fine on it's own as mom either would be kicking it to the curb shortly or maybe already has. (some cubs stay with the sow's until they are 2-2 1/2 just depends on the sow. but i have also seen 1 1/2 year old cubs on there own.

    as for the sow, about the only time you need to worry about them is if you and between them and there exit, or between them and there cub! if you are between them and there cub they may just stare you down until you move far enough away for the cub to get back to mom. They might pop the teeth and mock charge (maybe but not very often). other then that they run like hell.

    i had a bear under my tree stand this year sniffing a branch i touched on the way up the tree, it was pretty cool but as soon as it figured out i was human it was gone and i mean gone (they can run really fast when the want to). also had a cub (6 month old at the time maybe) walk within 5 feet of me on the ground it stopped looked and me and them kept going. i sat tight and never did see mom but it was cool to see a cub that close up.

    what you did was fine, just never run from a bear (you will look like prey at that point) and with blackbear's if attached fight back as hard as you can (this is the only type of bear you want to fight back with according to the experts).
    unless a bear is old sick or starving they are so scared of you it is funny so no big worries.

    by the way i am not trying to be a DB on this just trying to make some observations.
     

Products Discussed in

To Top