Had a Black Bear bluff charge me today!

[coolpool]

First off this year has been the absolute worst year for the number of bears around here. It's been crazy. Two were shot a block from my house last week because they were hanging around the changerooms at the beach Today me and the misses were sitting in lawn chairs at our campsite having a beverage and snack talking away. Killer lap dog starts sniffing and barking at something that we couldn't see. When the squirrels started freaking out behind the camper where I just put a big pile of sunflower seeds out I got up to see what's up. There was 5' of nothing between me and a small 150-200lb bear. The wife jumps up and grabs ole lap dog and gets in the truck; I start yelling and clapping and carrying on. Mr bears starts ambling off into the woods. I sent a few well placed rocks his way and the bugger starts charging me but stops. I don't think I would have had enough time to get in the truck had it not stopped. I have had many bear encounters but this one freaked me out a little. The camp supervisor said they had 7 regulars bears all summer but are down to only 2 now. It might turn out to be 1 soon! Next week I'm packing some heat when I go get the camper.

[tri again]

How many of your heatbeats are you missing?

Whew! comes to mind.

What do the experts say?
Keep food away from where you sleep for sure.

Look BIG, maintain eye contact?
Don't turn and run? or is that for big cats?
People in big cat country paint eyeballs on the back of their hats, so they say
cat's only attack from behind.

Back to bears, make lots of noise so you don't 'surprise' them?
Throw down your hat or backpack or something to interest them as you back away s l o w l y?

I hope we're all about to get the good advice from someone who's been there.
Whatchoo thinkin'? 50 cal? 44m might be enough?
Don't even want to think about it.
Even the best hit could allow them another 30 or 40 yards of full power attack, right?


side note - I've heard moose can go ka razy at car alarms and
not a good idea to honk at them.
Saw a video of one just tearing up a motorhome that honked.

Glad yer ok.
again, 'whew!'

[Chazz of Blades]

I would have strangled it with my bear hands.



See what I did there?


But seriously, bears are freaking horrifying. There was a 500 pound bear captured a few miles from where I live, and they are an extremely rare, and unseen sight 'round these parts.



I would have captured, and saddled that sucker!

[86T3]

They're getting bad here in western NY. As a kid i never once heard of a bear around here but there are quite a few now. I'm a commercial beekeeper so the bears are bad for business. Another beekeeper in the area just shot one over in colden last week. I guess it was under 200 pounds but was eating a frame of brood like a potato chip when he pulled in the yard.

[Swinger]

We have a lot of bears around our area but they usually dont bother anything. A few yrs ago something attacked our horses and left a few of them with battle scars but dont think a bear would attack 3 horses, was thinking a mt. lion but game commision refuses that there are any around and blames a black bear, set a trap and nothing! Huh!!!

[jeffatc250r]

.44 mag, nuff said

[atc007]

Glad you're ok Cool,,that's TOO close for comfort! I have 40 deer in my fields almost daily,and the turkeys,,the bear stay up on the hill for the most part. 1/2 mile away. Def watch yourself up there!

[skidmorejr88]

"I would have captured, and saddled that sucker!"
Almost sounds like something chuck norris would say haha you guys crack me up sometimes. But dr.joe171 is right bears are tuff, i have read some stuff where it has taken up to 3 or more shots to put down a full size bear when its charging.