Getting close to a bear.

woodsman · 10-04-2010, 12:06 PM

Did you ever get too close to a bear?
It happened to me once a few years ago we were out hiking int the woods in late march, when a bear, popped out of the woodwork on to the trail, she had a cub so not exactly the best time to meet a bear. Luckily she was around 200-300 feet in front of us and we started making loud noises so she went onto her business, still it was to close for my enjoyment.

Captain · 10-04-2010, 07:08 PM

Nope, the closest I have been is on my back deck and the bear walked through the back yard. I have never seen any when I was camping, and I always go inside when I see them.

oldsarge · 03-29-2011, 03:53 AM

Never had the opportunity to have an up close and personal meeting with one...and I hope it stays that way! I have seen them quite a ways off while in Alaska, and honestly, I always have that inner fear of turning around and seeing one up close. I have spent the night alone in the jungle in Panama and never gave it a second thought about large cats roaming around. But Bears seem to keep me on edge for some reason.

Refrigerator · 03-29-2011, 04:51 AM

I have on 3 occasion's. One was a Grizz and that one was the scariest situation I have ever been in while Backpacking.

oldsarge · 03-29-2011, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Refrigerator

I have on 3 occasion's. One was a Grizz and that one was the scariest situation I have ever been in while Backpacking.

What did you do? How did you handle it?

Benny · 03-29-2011, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodsman

we started making loud noises so she went onto her business, still it was to close for my enjoyment.

I don't know, but my first instincts would be to be quiet so she wouldn't hear me. If she had a cub, she could be extra viscous!

Grandpa · 03-29-2011, 08:04 AM

Met several on the trail, some real up close, but haven't met one yet I didn't like because they wanted to avoid me as much as I wanted to avoid them.

GROUNDpounder · 03-29-2011, 11:19 AM

I carry a weapon with me weather I'm camping in a camp ground or out hiking in the hills, regardless I would rather be a live than a pile of poo.

Having said that, I take precautions to make myself heard, seen or smelled. I tie my stuff up and out of the way. I have seen 2 bears within 100ft, both in California and when I was younger, however I haven't seen one up close sense.

JollyRogers · 04-01-2011, 10:00 PM

4 times in the same trip!

California, Sequoya National Forest - Day 1 of the hike in... I fell behind my buddy a bout a hundred yards or so on the trail. I was watching his boot prints on the trail to make sure I was still behind him. About 100 yards from the top of a ridge I noticed a bear track smudged out my buddies track! - He was being followed.

I sprinted up the ridge as fast as I could hollering and whooping. I came around a bed in the trail about 20 yards from my buddy and heard the bear bounding away through the thick overgrowth. Didn't get a look at him, I think I scared him off. The bear was following my buddy but had no idea I was following him!

Six days later we were warned by a ranger we were in the middle of the territory of the biggest bear in the park. The next night he was eating ants out of stumps less than 100 yards from our camp. 2 days later he was across the stream when we woke up - paying no attention to us but only about 50 feet away.

The next morning, on our way out, my buddy was a ways ahead again and just as I got to the bottom of a lush green valley I heard my buddy whistling and yelling. A black bear cub was running down the hill straight towards me! He ran past me and came within 10 feet. I was terrified momma was near and I was stuck in a field of grass with no trees, shelter or cover. Thankfully, we never saw momma.

The only one we were really worried about was the first one. He was in an area where people were probably more common and associated with food.

The other times we were several days in the back country and the bears paid no attention to us since they never related people to being a food source.

Judy Ann · 04-03-2011, 10:05 AM

Peaks of Otter, VA last September: Momma bear and 3 cubs crossed a road less than a hundred feet from where I had been walking with my dog. We had just gotten back in the car to head on out when I turned around and saw momma and then one by one the three cubs crossing the road after her. The camera was out of reach and the cellphone was turned off. Needless to say I'll have necessary equipment closer and make a whole lot more noise when taking those quick little look-see hikes when traveling on my mountain adventures!