Swamp_bucks Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 So today I went for a hike to pull a camera I forgot and to do a little shed hunting. well shortly into the shed hunt I found a little spike dead head. About 2 mins after is when the poop trail started. I was rounding the end of a blow down tree when at that same moment a mama bear was coming out of her den. I’m talking maybe 3ft, 4 at most I could of slapped her on the head. We both jumped away from each other. So I yelled at her to get her to run off that’s when it got a lot worse. when I yelled she jumped back and i jumped through a brier bush to get some distance. Well when I looked back up her 2 very tiny cubs. Talking couldn’t even hardly walk came out and towards me. Well mama didn’t like that so that led to her false charging me and doing that chomping threat thing they do. luckily I had already gotten through the brier patch and I slowly backed out while yelling at her to keep her back. So that is why there is a shit trail in the woods because I’m pretty sure it’s from me. Now I am home and can’t believe it happen. It all went down in a matter of 2 or 3 mins. I’m considering myself very lucky to not have it been worse. side note those cubs were cute as hell and mama was very healthy looking. 27 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApexerER Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Wow, you won't forget today anytime soon. Glad your ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolt action Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Cool scary story. Glad you're ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncountry Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Wow! Sounds like you were lucky.. now that it's over. That's an awesome experience e! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splitear Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Holy cow, what a story! Glad you didn't get mauled by momma! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp_bucks Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 Yep. Now that it’s over I was laughing about it on my way home. All I was thinking was shit if she really wants to charge me I’m done. No gun,no knife on me. This is the 2nd time I’ve had a close in encounter like this in the last 4years. The other was a lone bear at about 20yards and that was close enough for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDNECK4LIFE32 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Hey man just tried to text ya! Glad everything is alright. I asked if you were sick. Seen a bear or moose. Or if it was coyotes. Got my answer. Thank God for space between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApexerER Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 2 minutes ago, Swamp_bucks said: Yep. Now that it’s over I was laughing about it on my way home. All I was thinking was shit if she really wants to charge me I’m done. No gun,no knife on me. This is the 2nd time I’ve had a close in encounter like this in the last 4years. The other was a lone bear at about 20yards and that was close enough for me. You aren't packing after the first time? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp_bucks Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 2 minutes ago, ApexerER said: You aren't packing after the first time? Waiting on my pistol permit right now. Will not be happening again after today. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp_bucks Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 3 minutes ago, REDNECK4LIFE32 said: Hey man just tried to text ya! Glad everything is alright. I asked if you were sick. Seen a bear or moose. Or if it was coyotes. Got my answer. Thank God for space between. Yea phones acting up for some reason only getting some messages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawdwaz Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I sidearm could be a good idea going forward. Get yourself a Glock……. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robhuntandfish Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 wow! out in Chenango county? yeah def a push there to get your permit! Cool encounter after the fact! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp_bucks Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 3 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said: wow! out in Chenango county? yeah def a push there to get your permit! Cool encounter after the fact! Yep both my encounters are in chenango just 2 completely different stateland pieces 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampy Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Having had a couple VERY CLOSE bear encounters myself, I know your heart was pounding!! Glad it only turned out to be a great story!! Actual bear attacks in NY, are thankfully quite rare. But ARE documented to have happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moog5050 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Well that will get the heart racing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steuben Jerry Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Glad that you're OK except for being messy. I've been close, but nowhere near that close! What a cool encounter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky118 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Made a few trails myself due to run ins with bears in the woods and even a few on my front porch. They have a really bad habit of just suddenly being there. Which has always amazed me considering how big they are, they are amazingly quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp_bucks Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 6 minutes ago, Lucky118 said: Made a few trails myself due to run ins with bears in the woods and even a few on my front porch. They have a really bad habit of just suddenly being there. Which has always amazed me considering how big they are, they are amazingly quiet. Yea never heard her come out of the den just looked over and her head was at my waste. Same with the other bear I saw never even heard him walking. Just caught movement and then there he was. there was a big adrenaline dump on my way home. I was shaking like it was -20 out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jperch Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Wow, that was quite an adventure! Glad things turned out ok for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjazz Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 (edited) Our NY bears are generally way more afraid of you than you are of them. There's about one death a year by black bear in all the US. That means your chances of being killed by another human are far greater. (Especially in NY) However, being between Mama and her cubs is a very dangerous place. I don't envy you one bit. My worst was being eye to eye with one in mountain blueberry patch. No eye contact and back away slowly but deliberately to put distance. They will respect that. (Well, that's what my training said but I crapped my pants too) Shooting at bear close range is generally a bad idea. They might die but most likely after you do as you pissed them right off. If you have to, shooting into ground is fairly effective. When I was doing a lot of climbing, we would always carry lady fingers to clear trails as a last resort. It worked very well from a distance. You don't throw it at bear, but they certainly didn't head toward the noise. Most of the time we just waited until they moved on without issue. They may give you the bear equivalent of "Up Yours" but that about it. Edited March 22, 2022 by hueyjazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob-c Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 1 hour ago, Swamp_bucks said: Yep. Now that it’s over I was laughing about it on my way home. All I was thinking was shit if she really wants to charge me I’m done. No gun,no knife on me. This is the 2nd time I’ve had a close in encounter like this in the last 4years. The other was a lone bear at about 20yards and that was close enough for me. Might I suggest you don’t go for number 3. I know 3rd times a charm but will it be for you or the bear ? A 10mm or 44 or at least a 357 and a can of bear spray might be a good idea . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky118 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Can you just get bear spray or is it illegal in ny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp_bucks Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 21 minutes ago, rob-c said: Might I suggest you don’t go for number 3. I know 3rd times a charm but will it be for you or the bear ? A 10mm or 44 or at least a 357 and a can of bear spray might be a good idea . I hope the 3rd time is during hunting season. Like I told a friend kinda glad I didn’t have a gun to some extent I may have shot maybe not to hit but to scare it but if I had to put her down I would. Then to find out there was cubs I would of felt bad if it came down to shooting her. Regardless I need to start carrying something since I keep running into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hueyjazz Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 "Can you just get bear spray or is it illegal in ny" You can get "self protection" sprays which are limited in size and potency. Some of these are actually labelled bear sprays but really what you would be doing is really upsetting a bear at close range. The types of bear sprays that actually work aren't allowed in NY. But they aren't necessary for our black bears From USA Today In New York, there was a fatal attack in 2002, when a young male bear killed an infant in the Catskills, DEC Region 3 Wildlife Manager Ted Kerpez said. Six other people have been injured during the last 26 years; in almost every case, it was due to people chasing or trying to take food or a cub from a bear, he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob-c Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Just now, Swamp_bucks said: I hope the 3rd time is during hunting season. Like I told a friend kinda glad I didn’t have a gun to some extent I may have shot maybe not to hit but to scare it but if I had to put her down I would. Then to find out there was cubs I would of felt bad if it came down to shooting her. Regardless I need to start carrying something since I keep running into them. Oh I agree with you , that’s why I suggested bear spray and use the firearm as a last resort . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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