He was on one of our black bear bait station as I snuk in alone… well I did have my pistols

I got to where I should have been able to see the blue barrel, it had been moved and I could only see a little bit of blue. I thought I caught a glimpse of movement but there was a good breeze and the brush was moving. I froze for a few then took a step or two to my right to get a different angle and wouldn’t you know it, snapped a twig. About that time I caught sight of part of a head and an ear maybe 25yds out, then 2 ears, dark… then they started coming my way and the light hit and I saw it was brown and then could see the head. He was walking straight towards me. I don’t know if he heard me and came to see if I was dinner or if he just happened to start heading my way. I suspect he heard me and figured I might be moose. I picked a tree and figured if he didn’t change directions by the time he got there I was gonna have to let him know I was there, then it’d be up to him what was gonna happen next. He took a few more steps, I hollered.. HEY!!! GET ON OUTTA HERE!!! He stopped, perked his head up and looked straight at me, I holler again, standing tall and move my shoulders side to side some and wait… stare down… what’s he gonna do?… am I gonna have to shoot?…I’ve got the 454 Redhawk on him… I’m looking a griz in the eye at 20-25yds… stare down... it’s his call... probably 3-5 seconds go by and he turns and bolts through the brush back the way he came past the bait… HOLY SMOKES!!!!

He was good sized, bigger than the one on my wall. I can’t say how big by weight or anything but his head looked small compared to his body and ears looked small. Definitely a mature adult Griz. Not legal to shoot griz over bait here yet in this part of the state but next year it will be. If I’d have had to shoot and killed the bear, I’d have had to skinned it and turned the hide and skull over to Fish and Game as a DLP Bear (Defense of Life or Property). I’m glad he decided to turn instead of keep coming.

Sure wish it would have been a black bear. This griz is messing up our black bear hunting.

What a way to spend an evening. Just 3 hrs earlier I was napping on my couch before dinner! I love Alaska.

Great story

That ought to get your adrenalin up and pumping before bed time.
Better you than me though,I sleep bad enough as it is! Glad it worked out for you though. With a Grizzly working the bait will a black bear still use it too?

Awesome, Snyd!! Great story, thanks for sharing it!

I bet that was a little exciting!

Dude, that's so cool. I wouldn't have wanted to be in your shoes, though.

Alaska loves ya back,made for each other for sure.

Gulp...

Great story Snyd - be safe and hope the black bears show up soon!

Yowza. Had a moment like that with a blackie once when hunting grouse. I can imagine the intensity. Glad it ended well for you.

Sounds like an exciting evening! Having grizzlies around always makes life more interesting!

Wow. Awesome!!

I think exciting would be an understatement. Glad it worked out well.

At least the 454 must have been some what comforting,if anything can with a grizzley at 20 yds.

Was handgun the one you converted to .454 on Alaska Outdoors? Good story, glad everything came out OK for all there.
Steve

Awesome story! You're lucky to live there. If I had nothing tying me to NY when I vacationed to AK last year, I'd have returned home only to pack the rest of my possessions, booked a one-way flight, and never looked back.

Yup, that's the one. 355gr WFN at 1300fps.

I posted this on a few forums not at all to "brag" about "facing down" a griz, holy cow, he was the one in charge! But rather just to share the unique experience and perhaps open discussion about bear (and human) behavior.

Ya it was one of those Alaska wild experiences. If you spend enough time in woods here sooner or later you're gonna face one down. Many other guys around here have. For me it's the first time in that kind of a situation. I've had other bear situations but this one had some unique elements. As we were looking at each other waiting for someone to do something, I knew it was his call and that he was in control of the situation. I guess I could have pulled the trigger but at that point he had responded to my presence by stopping. That was a good sign. All I could do was be ready to react. Gladly he decided I wasn't what he/she was expecting and it went no further.

We have many discussions about “the best bear defense gun” but bear defense doesn’t start with a gun. It starts with the brain and how to apply Bear Aware/Defense knowledge in a given situation. Having said that, I know bears are unpredictable and every situation is different, but there are some things that can help us if we take the time to learn them, talk about them and keep them at the front of our mind when heading into bear country. On that note, here are some things to think about…

I keep replaying this and thinking about it and trying to learn from it.

First off, since I was in a bear hunting mode I was doing what one is NOT supposed to do regarding being Bear Aware-Bear Defense. I was being quiet, sneaking through the woods.

If I had have just been hiking or heading to the berry patch with the Wifey, I’d have been yelling now and again and who knows, that bear may have made himself scarce. But, since he was on food, maybe he’d have stood his ground to defend it. Or perhaps just moved off a ways and waited. We don’t know.

It’s entirely possible that I could have snuck up on that bear as he was lying in the brush “sitting” on his food away from the bait. Like how they bury a kill, move off a ways and sit on it. That could have been ugly. Or perhaps if he’d winded me, he could have circled around to see who/what was moving in on his action or, just bolted outta there. Again we don’t know. I was constantly checking my perimeter as I was walking along but we don’t have eyes in the back of our heads! He could have hunted me like that.

The Bears Perspective…

So the bear was on the bait enjoying himself. There are fresh moose calves in the woods this time of the year. He’s eating popcorn and dogfood and hears a pop-snap in the woods. Probably like he’s heard many times, a sound that signals Moose! Time to go have a look! He’s walking along sniffing things out and all of the sudden a loud, strange, authoritative noise messes up his serenity. Accompanied by a strange looking tall something that looks nothing like moose and it’s standing it’s ground. He has found what he was checking out. Now he’s in “fight or flee” mode. Who knows what he was thinking but he reacted to his situation by fleeing. I do know that I was not what he expected to hear or see. That was a good thing. Maybe the element of him being surprised by something out of the norm kicked his “flee” button.

My perspective…

When I stepped on the twig, I saw the head/ear pop up and he immediately started my way. Not a run but a determined walk. Not a posture of defense or offense necessarily. He was in “check it out” mode. This I believe was the crucial moment that determined the rest of the situation. If I didn’t know any better, and would have started running or even backing off and he saw me… then from his perspective it’s game on! Time to pursue and see what we’ve got here! For us, it’s the “fight or flee” syndrome. Don’t flee, stand!

Ok, so the choice of not to flee but to stand. Then what?? I’m standing there with gun, cocked and aimed at this bear walking towards me through the brush. I can only see the top of his head/back as he’s coming to check me out. The big questions are…. Do you shoot? When do you shoot? I heard an answer to this question years ago from a well known, well experienced bear expert that teaches Bear Aware/Defense and has studied encounters for years. This stuck with me… His practical answer was “pick a land mark of some sort and determine that if he steps any closer you’re gonna shoot.” That ‘comfort zone” can be different for each of us. It’s gonna depend on the bear, the shooter, the gun, etc. Some guys can tell the difference between a bluff charge and a real one. I don’t have enough experience. I value my life more than the life of a bear so for me, there is no such thing as a bluff charge. Even if he’d just have continued walking my way after I hollered, I’d have started shooting. Because he would have been in my zone, he left food come check me out and I’m not gonna second guess myself. I’d have felt threatened at that point. If he’s in my zone I’m gonna shoot. Better a dead bear than a dead me. Someone else may see it different, others may have started shooting the minute the bear started approaching. I won’t judge anothers decision of when to shoot. We all have our own comfort zones. I only know what mine is.

peace

That was really insightful, Snyd. You know, I would say that I probably would have shot if one approached me from that close, but my limited life experience has taught me that you never really know what you'd do in a high-stress situation until you're actually in that situation. I commend you for keeping your head during the encounter; I probably would have needed a new pair of pants.

I too have found if you are not actively hunting a brownie put the ball in his court on what happens next when you meet like that.Always give an honorable way out for the bear and he will most always take it.

Thanks for sharing good idea to carry a pistol whenever or wherever you are

Snyd,

Thanks for the discussion. I too have had more than a few encounters with bears (blackies) here in NM. They have ranged from the bear swapping ends and hitting high gear, to one guy who drank all of my beer, to another that needed gun shots into the ground to convince him that I was not dinner.

I get cranky by folks who make definitives about how things will go. Like "bears are afraid of humans and will always run away". This is true, until it is not. Every encounter is going to be unique. There is no single solution that will always work (or is needed), as each bear will be different. The only constant you have is you, and your preparation and reaction, that you can control.

About the only advice I would give someone is to make decisions, and make them fast. Once a person sees just how fast a bear can cover ground, that understanding of "man I had no idea something so big could be so quick" will absolutely stick in your mind for the next encounter.

Craig

Haven't been online for a while & just read this. Glad all went well Perry!!!
Now it's time to get the firewood & get ready for moose season. Winter is just around the corner

In the spirit of what I quoted from your post above I want to offer a slightly edited version of what I posted here back in '06. I hesitated to post it because I hate it when someone try's to take someone else's post to shine the spotlight on themselves or "steal their thunder".
I offer this only as further insight to bear/human relations but am not going to edit the adventure out of it.


"Bear Story

Where to begin? How about the beginning (by the way, this is a fairly short (for a preacher) story.
By the way, I'm breaking in a brand new laptop & having a hard time getting used to the keyboard, so forgive the typos.
In my area in Alaska the black bear season never closes & we can get two a year. One before July 1, & one after. We can start baiting April 15 & that runs through June 15. I put bait out around April 20, & have been back at least twice a week since checking the station. Finally saw the 1st tracks in the area around the beginning of the second week in May. Maybe a week later than last year, but it's been a cold spring. My bait is about 60 yds off (thick brush all the way. Very limited visibility) an old closed temporary “road” that was put in several years ago so they could do some kind of testing. Now it’s just a wide trail. It's only a half mile long, & runs through a clear cut about 45 yds wide & as long as the road. It's just fine gravel & sand dumped over the hummocks & moss after they bladed out the spruce stumps, & it's blocked on the end it originates from, but because of it's makeup it holds tracks fairly well. My bait is .33 miles down this road. By law we have to be .25 miles off any maintained road, so I'm legal with a little fudge factor.
Well I had seen one set of tracks that passed my station on this road, but the bear passed on a night we had a wind blowing from an abnormal direction so he didn't hit the bait. I've seen lots of tracks within .20 miles of the place I park, but nothing on the bait end. I've been seeing the tracks of a single large black bear, & a brown bear sow with cubs regularly, but none near the bait, & the bait hadn't been hit. Not too surprising because it didn't get hit until the 22 of May last year.
Soo...
This morning I'm heading out there & of course I'm squeezing checking the bait in between other stuff. I had planned on hunting the bait with my longbow, but I haven't been taking the bow to check the bait because I'm always on he run & don't have time to stump shoot. I do take a .44 mag loaded with 300gr hardcast bullets @ 1340 fps so I feel very well armed as far as protection goes with this thumper, & since I also handgun hunt I figure if I catch a bear on the bait while I'm checking it I'll take it from the ground with the pistol. I should add we can NOT kill brown bear in the spring!
So this morning about 1/2 way to the bait I see tracks come onto the road heading TOWARD the bait! I'm pumped. Maybe the bait will finally be hit. Gun in hand I'm quietly walking that way & checking out the tracks as I go. Single bear, nice size track, very large for a black bear around here, but not seeing any claw marks so I assume that's what it is. I get to where I turn off the closed sand road to the bait & I can see the bear did the same to follow my stinkum. I wait there for several minutes as I do every time I approach to listen. Nothing. Strange how those things we do regularly without them seeming to really matter seem to become kind of unimportant.... Kind of like fire drills in school. So I start sneaking in n my bait. It's only 60 yds, but this is fairly thick country where you often can't see 20. My stand tree is about 11 yds from my bait, & when I'm less than 15 yds from the stand tree I can finally look around it & see the tires that I stack as a bait barrel. They are scattered & he logs that were on top of them are gone. Good sign. All the way in since I left the road it's been 3 steps & stop & listen & scan the brush for a bear protecting it's food source. Now that I'm less than 25 yds from the bait I stand for a full minute or so. I should add that since I saw the tracks the Lord & I have been discussing this bear. I told Him, you know I'm running out of hunting time Lord. I've got a lot of commitments coming up fast, so I'd really like to drop a nice boar at the bait with the handgun this morning. One shot one kill... Well that' still going through my mind as I'm standing here looking under every bush & listening for any sign that the bear is still in the area. gun is in hand & half way up, ready for action. Something just doesn't feel right. I know I'm not alone. This is bear morning. I take a couple more steps that bring the bait into better view through the brush & reduce the range further, & all of the sudden there a sense of unseen movement (if that makes any sense) on the other side of the base of my stand tree. It's the only tree big enough for a stand here. Probably 18" dia., & surrounded by dead little swamp spruce at the base. I take another step, gun coming up, & there is a flurry of movement from the base of the tree less that 10 yds away. The gun is coming up & all I can see is brown heading straight toward the bait. The world slows down & the brain goes into hyper drive. In those micro-seconds the brain does amazing things. "Take one step left so you have a clearer field of fire. Is that a cinnamon black bear or is it a brown bear. Too big. Too blocky. No question. Brown bear & he' stopped between you & the bait to protect "his kill"." Well poop. This .44 mag feels like a pellet gun!. He' facing me & the wind is in my face so he's not sure what's going on. He's profiling himself to show me mis size (and he's GOT SOME) & woofing. I've got the dot in my red dot sight right on him & was very glad it wasn't my HH longbow at the moment. I'm not moving & he's pacing between me & the bait & woofing. I take a step back & he steps behind the bait & keeps pacing & woofing. I'm backing up one step at a time & thinking that even I can smell the jelly type bait in my fanny pack. Then I remembered. There's also a digital camera in here. Now we're maybe 25 yds apart, so with one hand I bring the pack around to the front & did the camera out & turn it on. Perfect profile shot as he's pacing, but it's obvious he's getting torqued. Click the pic & the screen goes black. What? Turn the camera back on & the low batt. light cones on but the display stays up. Now he's turned and taken a step toward me, so I can only see his head looking straight at me from just over 20 yds. It looks a lot like the front of a Kenworth. I hit the button on the camera, the display goes black & I stick the camera back in he pack. He' starting to take a step at a time toward me, woofing, obviously no longer amused & still not able to get my wind. Both hands on the gun now, & backing away at a slow but regular pace. When about 30 yds separate us I lose him in the brush & he goes silent. I pick up the pace while watching over my shoulder. When about 10 yds of brush are separating me from he sand road in the clear cut he starts smashing something & woofing again & I'm in the open & facing the brush as fast as my short little legs can get me there. Stood there a minute to make sure he wasn't coming & never heard another sound. Hmmm... Headed for the truck at a fast walk keeping an eye on the brush on his side of the clearing & never saw him again.
Great way to start the day!!! I can drink decaf the rest of the afternoon!!!!!!!

I measured his pads on the way out, & going by the "add an inch" method, he would have been an 8- 9' bear. 700-900#? I don't know.

Not trying to pat myself on the back, but we all wonder how we will perform when we find ourselves in that type of situation don't we? I was pleased. My pants were clean & dry, I didn't run & I didn't start spraying lead. I felt that I remained in control of the situation to the extent that I could.
By the way, the pictures didn’t turn out.
Now the question is, do I want to bother rebaiting with "him" there????
"

woa.... great story Vance. Glad it ended the way it did! We did end up getting some pics off the game cam when we pulled our bait last weekend, no blackies, just this griz next to the 55gal drum. Buddy didn't have the time/date set though on the camera so it's not correct. I paced off the distance of where he and I were when we met. 17 paces.

That's a load there, like you said in an earlier post,little ears short snout, two signs he had that he was grown.

Great story.

He makes that drum look like a lunch box Perry!!!

Nice bear. 17 paces is definetly close enough! Thats about a second & a half for him