cornered by a cubbed sow

[eagle rider]

So get this,... the farm we hunt in Virginia in Dec, I called the foreman to make sure all is good to come this year.  We get to talking and he says they are overran with black bear.  This is N. Western VA on the PA/West VA line.  He tells me that he was clearing stand lanes and winds up in between what he said looked to be a 350 lb female and two cubs.  He said it was the scariest minute or so he's had inside a tree line since he was in Vietnam. She growled, and grunted and kept him at bay with her lip curled back.  She scratching at the ground until both cubs were well behind her.  They she backed up and ran off.  He said he about crapped his pants and sweat was poring off him.  He's now won't go in the woods without a gun again.  Since then he's been carrying a 44 mag lever action in with him.  This was about a month ago.  

[Lawdwaz]

Lucky him!

[eagle rider]

18 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

Lucky him!

lol, he didn't seem to think so.  It does seem like there is a black bear explosion in the Northeast and even Mid Atlantic states like VA.  I range officer form the local range hunts in northern North Carolina.  He tells me there has been more and more black bears taken out his area in NC as well.  

[landtracdeerhunter]

I had the opportunity to talk to a person that use to work for National Geographic shooting footage, some years ago. He told of a 20 minute story where they did a shoot on brown bears up in Alaska. He got caught with a brown bear that was near twice his height having a tree to separate the both. The only thing between him and death was his several thousand dollar camera which he ending up using in defense to give enough time for escape.

Edited October 9, 2016 by landtracdeerhunter

[eagle rider]

I don't understand why they would be in that country unprotected?  You'd think they'd have a guide with a rifle just for liability purposes.  I know this airline exec who does both hunting and photo safari's in Africa.  I think Tanzania and Namibia he said. In both countries it's common place for the photo safari operators to have a rifle in the jeep with the clients.  Prob just US libtart logic why we don't here.  Couple of years back we went to Idaho to fish.  The TSA took our bear spray out of luggage at the airport.  We found that out when we opened our bags at the motel we were using as a base camp.  So we go to the local tackle shop to get some odds and ends and bear spray.  The guy behind the counter says to me why do you need the bear spray.  I say for the black bears, he said I don't need to worry about black bears, the grizzly's ate all of them last winter.  

[Padre86]

A sow with cubs seems to be most likely reason for a black bear to attack or interact with a human.  For the most part, they seem inclined to stay away from us.  Yeah, yeah, I know...there's always that random one who bursts into camp and steals your food or acts aggressive.  I've run into one like that.  But by and large they seem to be a bit more timid than brown bear.

[eagle rider]

Garbage. They love human garbage. I don't mean like the Kardashians. I mean our left overs in a trash can. That usually gets them curious.


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[Bowguy 1]

Come to Sussex NJ you can see that every day. Just bluffing the guy trying to scare him from not coming closer.  Guess it worked. Listen sows w cubs (black bears) aren't really that bad, they do sometimes have a testy personality than quickly leave. She doesn't wanna fight, she could lose n than what for her cubs? Think about that 

[genesee_mohican]

I walked up on a cub here in the park a few years ago. I was hiking up a hill and was surprised to see a cub climbing up a tree only 20 yards in front of me. I watched it for a few seconds, tried to fumble for my camera as my eyes scanned the surrounding vegetation as I knew the mother had to be close by. She appeared about 60 yards away and was walking at an angle towards me. I didn't make eye contact and just walked in the opposite direction. That was one of the most exciting moments that I've had in the woods. A great memory.