Wayne in BC
New member
Not sure if i have posted this story before but
One of the worst problems we had in our hunting/trailriding camps was Black Bears! Like four legged Ravens or Crows they were, either stealing grub or trashing tents as soon as we were out of sight! Now, we had Grizz around but other than sending the horses into a panic when they wandered by, they just did not give any trouble.
There was an old blonde sow Grizz who usually had a cub or two every 3 years but she would cross the meadow near camp often and hardly even look our way.
I had promised my young (12year old) nephew a trip to camp some summer weekend and it came together in late June i believe it was. I had been back and forth a few times in the previous month and was kinda concerned by more than the usual Bear damage. It appeared that it may be our blonde Grizz as i was finding blonde hairs here and there around camp so i was a tad worried.
There had to be cubs involved also as the roof of my best and most expensive tent (of course) had needle claw marks all over it. Cubs would often climb up the sides and slide down the roof with the "brakes" on, needle sharp little claws making furrows in the canvas that had me using up several tubes of silicone and most of my questionable vocabulary to repair! The usual other problems like the bloody bears going through the tent flaps that we always left open, then exiting by ripping out a back wall after trashing the coleman stove and anything that had some smell to it! mad
We also had an ongoing problem with fish and wildlife division, they would trap problem bears in the parks and helicopter them into various guiding areas where them bastardly spoiled bears would get one whiff of a camp and help themselves! Those fishcops knew damn well that we would solve their problem and all chuckled knowing that we would have to break the law to solve it! There was no law saying one could deal with the damn bears outside of the season and even if your life was at risk, you dared not report a bear killing incident cause the paperwork was awful and guide/outfitters were held to a much higher standard than Joe Anycamper! This had me wondering if they had dumped off a problem Grizz and cub or cubs cause i still didn't think our local gal was the culprit and there was no public campground within 20 miles of us!
This trip would be by quad as i was too lazy to load up the four or so ponies necessary in the 3 ton and i needed to haul in more old brick pallets for tent floors. Quad and trailer works just fine for that. I always had my old thutty thutty stashed in Camp but had also loaded up some "bear medicine" for the 7mm that i packed along that day, full house 160 gr Noslers. My guiding buddy and neighbor had said that he and his son may come join us the next day.
All went well and nephew Jody and i made the longish trip in. We were met in camp with a mess! Same tore up tents and gear, blonde bear hairs again also. Ground too hard and no rain so tracks did not show in that area. We cleaned up, cooked supper and spent a fine evening around the campfire, myself, the lad and my good yellow Lab.
It was not quite daylight when i was wakened by a low steady growl from beside my bedroll, my Lab Shandy almost never growled or barked but now she was real upset and got up stiff legged from beside me and headed for the tent door still growling low and steady while i made a fast choice, leaving the old Winchester beside the bed and grabbed the 7mm. It was not very light in the tent, actually kinda dark as the dog and the Bear met at the tent door! A hell of a commotion ensued, growling and snapping teeth in a blur as my cupboards and the woodstove went clattering down, then instantly as i leaped up with a round chambered, the fight went outside! Jody huddled terrified in his sleeping bag saying omygod! over and over..... and i said, STAY PUT!
I stepped gingerly out of the tent, rifle at hipready, not wanting to get into the middle of the scrap that was mighty close by. Bear was woofing, bawling, and popping jaws with a clacking noise that i was afraid would soon quit to become a death grip if it got hold of the dog.
When i was clear and could see, it was plain that Shandy was doing her job but staying clear as she and the bear played ring around the firepit. My first thought was thank God! It was only a blonde phase Blackbear and not very big at all, skinny actually. I ordered the dog to git outta there and raised the rifle. Just as i pointed it at the head of the Bear it humped up like a cat and started crabbing sideways toward me! The barrel was betwixt her eyes from maybe 8-10 ft away, trigger break, click! Again i remember what a fairly long conversation one can have in their mind in the short time it takes the body to react, need to bottle that and sell it to prizefighters.
In that same instant i heard the sickening "click" and my mind was saying WT?! I know i loaded a round! And as my hand was working the bolt......came a frightened little voice from right back of me......omygod uncle! The little kid had been too scared to stay in the tent and was right on my heels! He had heard the telltale click and the kid was not a dummy! Another little conversation in my head while i hissed......don't move Jody! The round slid home, then a satisfactory blast and the Bear flopped with nothing much left from the eyes up. Probably it all took only maybe 3-4 seconds but even now it takes much more than that to relive and dissect the moments properly even in my mind.
The next few minutes were mostly me convincing Jody that the Bear was truly dead while my mind was puzzling over why a scrawny lil bear had picked a fight with real poor odds for her? Out of character for sure. Jody was finally convinced and stooped over stroking the pretty and light blonde hair on the little sow which explained why i thought Grizz..... when Shandy growled a bit again and i looked to see her eyes focussed up in the tree above us. That nearly panicked me and i leaped back grabbing the rifle again, expecting maybe a bigger Bear!? Jody was not even looking as the rifle came up and hunted the tree.
Nothing! A few more seconds of tension and fear, rifle barrel still hunting up and down the tree, a lodgepole Pine which was only about 10 inches across, no branches, just twigs for maybe 20 ft. Next nearest tree was even smaller and nothing. confused I looked again at the dog, she was still looking up the tree, seemingly about 15 ft up, right where that kinda knot or burl was. Then it turned its head and my eyes which had been looking for BIG danger recognized the little brown cub clinging to the tree bole. Frack! I said, startling Jody who followed my eyes and his young eyes kinda lit up with wonder as he said.......hey Uncle! A baby Bear! .............Frack!!! Louder this time and the kid who was now interested in what could not be a threat looked quizzically at me.
Can we keep it Uncle?
The cub was so thin and sickly it seemed to have trouble hanging on the tree. His mother so thin and emaciated looking, it all made sense.
She had been sick and desperate for food to keep up the milk supply for her frail cub and that was why the poor critter had the temerity to take on humans and dogs. Not aggression for its sake but desperation for food and protecting her cub which was right smack in the danger, in her mind.
Told the dog and kid to watch the tree while i pondered on it and made coffee. How do i explain to the kid that that poor little bugger cub would no way have lived, even with his mama. That lad was sharp though and by the time breakfast was over he had accepted my explanation of the situation, he did not like it and i told him i sure did not either, but he seemed to accept the situation.
Here is Jody with the poor scrawny critter and the infamous tree behind.
[attachment 82166 BearandJody.jpg]
After breakfast i told the kid that the bear carcass had to be disposed of, and as far from camp as possible. A surprise visit from the fish cops might end my guiding outfitting career, or at least involve a whole lot of shit that nobody, specially me wanted to see or smell.
I knew of a very steep rocky gully about a mile away and just a few yards off the seismic trail that would disappear my problem right nicely. It was easy enough to hoist the critter onto the back rack of my quad and after telling the boy that he and the dog needed to keep the cub in the tree, (it had started down once and the kid and dog sent it back up pronto) while i got rid of the main problem, only take me 15 minutes i said. Jody looked a bit leary of staying alone but i had given him the 30-30 with orders to use only if he had to and he smiled weakly and said ok Uncle, anyway i got Shandy! He was right, she was more good to him than a rifle at his age, even though he had been taught my me to use one. Hell i knew there was no problem or i would not have left them, and the kid needed some confidence.
I exited the heavy bush to the seismic trail as always, from a different route so that regular tracks did not lead others to my very private, meadow, spring, and camp.
On the trail only a short distance i looked back to see that the bear had shifted a bit and stopped to move it to a more balanced position. That was when my eye caught movement a couple hundred yards back down the trail! My heart thudded when i saw a red Honda with a blue uniform tunic above it crest a low rise and disappear, coming my way fast!!! Frack!! Fish cop for sure!
My quad was hidden from him by a low hill and just probably my head could be seen and i acted pronto! Grabbing the bear with hysterical strength i jumped into the thick brush, dumped it and hopped back on the Quad, then gassed it for the creek crossing only a 100 ft away, into the creek, cut the power and was casually washing my bike, (having quickly got the blood off) when he pulled up.
Casually again i glanced up at the guy and began to swear........Don you fragging fatherless idiot! Said i...........Don looks puzzled and says what wrong Wayne?
Yep John my guide had said he might be coming, and he had a Yamaha quad like me, but he did not mention that his brother who had a Honda and usually wore a tunic type jacket would be coming...... Seems Don had seen me exit the bush and wanted to catch up before i got out of sight that is why he was going like hell when i saw him and adding to the terror. Don said, my bro is not far behind but slower cause he is doubling his son, are you mad at me for coming Wayne? No Don i sighed, lets go to camp, bear with me, gotta story to show ya. About then John shows up and i just said lets go to camp, i will have work to do back here later.
continued maybe tomorrow......
One of the worst problems we had in our hunting/trailriding camps was Black Bears! Like four legged Ravens or Crows they were, either stealing grub or trashing tents as soon as we were out of sight! Now, we had Grizz around but other than sending the horses into a panic when they wandered by, they just did not give any trouble.
There was an old blonde sow Grizz who usually had a cub or two every 3 years but she would cross the meadow near camp often and hardly even look our way.
I had promised my young (12year old) nephew a trip to camp some summer weekend and it came together in late June i believe it was. I had been back and forth a few times in the previous month and was kinda concerned by more than the usual Bear damage. It appeared that it may be our blonde Grizz as i was finding blonde hairs here and there around camp so i was a tad worried.
There had to be cubs involved also as the roof of my best and most expensive tent (of course) had needle claw marks all over it. Cubs would often climb up the sides and slide down the roof with the "brakes" on, needle sharp little claws making furrows in the canvas that had me using up several tubes of silicone and most of my questionable vocabulary to repair! The usual other problems like the bloody bears going through the tent flaps that we always left open, then exiting by ripping out a back wall after trashing the coleman stove and anything that had some smell to it! mad
We also had an ongoing problem with fish and wildlife division, they would trap problem bears in the parks and helicopter them into various guiding areas where them bastardly spoiled bears would get one whiff of a camp and help themselves! Those fishcops knew damn well that we would solve their problem and all chuckled knowing that we would have to break the law to solve it! There was no law saying one could deal with the damn bears outside of the season and even if your life was at risk, you dared not report a bear killing incident cause the paperwork was awful and guide/outfitters were held to a much higher standard than Joe Anycamper! This had me wondering if they had dumped off a problem Grizz and cub or cubs cause i still didn't think our local gal was the culprit and there was no public campground within 20 miles of us!
This trip would be by quad as i was too lazy to load up the four or so ponies necessary in the 3 ton and i needed to haul in more old brick pallets for tent floors. Quad and trailer works just fine for that. I always had my old thutty thutty stashed in Camp but had also loaded up some "bear medicine" for the 7mm that i packed along that day, full house 160 gr Noslers. My guiding buddy and neighbor had said that he and his son may come join us the next day.
All went well and nephew Jody and i made the longish trip in. We were met in camp with a mess! Same tore up tents and gear, blonde bear hairs again also. Ground too hard and no rain so tracks did not show in that area. We cleaned up, cooked supper and spent a fine evening around the campfire, myself, the lad and my good yellow Lab.
It was not quite daylight when i was wakened by a low steady growl from beside my bedroll, my Lab Shandy almost never growled or barked but now she was real upset and got up stiff legged from beside me and headed for the tent door still growling low and steady while i made a fast choice, leaving the old Winchester beside the bed and grabbed the 7mm. It was not very light in the tent, actually kinda dark as the dog and the Bear met at the tent door! A hell of a commotion ensued, growling and snapping teeth in a blur as my cupboards and the woodstove went clattering down, then instantly as i leaped up with a round chambered, the fight went outside! Jody huddled terrified in his sleeping bag saying omygod! over and over..... and i said, STAY PUT!
I stepped gingerly out of the tent, rifle at hipready, not wanting to get into the middle of the scrap that was mighty close by. Bear was woofing, bawling, and popping jaws with a clacking noise that i was afraid would soon quit to become a death grip if it got hold of the dog.
When i was clear and could see, it was plain that Shandy was doing her job but staying clear as she and the bear played ring around the firepit. My first thought was thank God! It was only a blonde phase Blackbear and not very big at all, skinny actually. I ordered the dog to git outta there and raised the rifle. Just as i pointed it at the head of the Bear it humped up like a cat and started crabbing sideways toward me! The barrel was betwixt her eyes from maybe 8-10 ft away, trigger break, click! Again i remember what a fairly long conversation one can have in their mind in the short time it takes the body to react, need to bottle that and sell it to prizefighters.
In that same instant i heard the sickening "click" and my mind was saying WT?! I know i loaded a round! And as my hand was working the bolt......came a frightened little voice from right back of me......omygod uncle! The little kid had been too scared to stay in the tent and was right on my heels! He had heard the telltale click and the kid was not a dummy! Another little conversation in my head while i hissed......don't move Jody! The round slid home, then a satisfactory blast and the Bear flopped with nothing much left from the eyes up. Probably it all took only maybe 3-4 seconds but even now it takes much more than that to relive and dissect the moments properly even in my mind.
The next few minutes were mostly me convincing Jody that the Bear was truly dead while my mind was puzzling over why a scrawny lil bear had picked a fight with real poor odds for her? Out of character for sure. Jody was finally convinced and stooped over stroking the pretty and light blonde hair on the little sow which explained why i thought Grizz..... when Shandy growled a bit again and i looked to see her eyes focussed up in the tree above us. That nearly panicked me and i leaped back grabbing the rifle again, expecting maybe a bigger Bear!? Jody was not even looking as the rifle came up and hunted the tree.
Nothing! A few more seconds of tension and fear, rifle barrel still hunting up and down the tree, a lodgepole Pine which was only about 10 inches across, no branches, just twigs for maybe 20 ft. Next nearest tree was even smaller and nothing. confused I looked again at the dog, she was still looking up the tree, seemingly about 15 ft up, right where that kinda knot or burl was. Then it turned its head and my eyes which had been looking for BIG danger recognized the little brown cub clinging to the tree bole. Frack! I said, startling Jody who followed my eyes and his young eyes kinda lit up with wonder as he said.......hey Uncle! A baby Bear! .............Frack!!! Louder this time and the kid who was now interested in what could not be a threat looked quizzically at me.
Can we keep it Uncle?
The cub was so thin and sickly it seemed to have trouble hanging on the tree. His mother so thin and emaciated looking, it all made sense.
She had been sick and desperate for food to keep up the milk supply for her frail cub and that was why the poor critter had the temerity to take on humans and dogs. Not aggression for its sake but desperation for food and protecting her cub which was right smack in the danger, in her mind.
Told the dog and kid to watch the tree while i pondered on it and made coffee. How do i explain to the kid that that poor little bugger cub would no way have lived, even with his mama. That lad was sharp though and by the time breakfast was over he had accepted my explanation of the situation, he did not like it and i told him i sure did not either, but he seemed to accept the situation.
Here is Jody with the poor scrawny critter and the infamous tree behind.
[attachment 82166 BearandJody.jpg]
After breakfast i told the kid that the bear carcass had to be disposed of, and as far from camp as possible. A surprise visit from the fish cops might end my guiding outfitting career, or at least involve a whole lot of shit that nobody, specially me wanted to see or smell.
I knew of a very steep rocky gully about a mile away and just a few yards off the seismic trail that would disappear my problem right nicely. It was easy enough to hoist the critter onto the back rack of my quad and after telling the boy that he and the dog needed to keep the cub in the tree, (it had started down once and the kid and dog sent it back up pronto) while i got rid of the main problem, only take me 15 minutes i said. Jody looked a bit leary of staying alone but i had given him the 30-30 with orders to use only if he had to and he smiled weakly and said ok Uncle, anyway i got Shandy! He was right, she was more good to him than a rifle at his age, even though he had been taught my me to use one. Hell i knew there was no problem or i would not have left them, and the kid needed some confidence.
I exited the heavy bush to the seismic trail as always, from a different route so that regular tracks did not lead others to my very private, meadow, spring, and camp.
On the trail only a short distance i looked back to see that the bear had shifted a bit and stopped to move it to a more balanced position. That was when my eye caught movement a couple hundred yards back down the trail! My heart thudded when i saw a red Honda with a blue uniform tunic above it crest a low rise and disappear, coming my way fast!!! Frack!! Fish cop for sure!
My quad was hidden from him by a low hill and just probably my head could be seen and i acted pronto! Grabbing the bear with hysterical strength i jumped into the thick brush, dumped it and hopped back on the Quad, then gassed it for the creek crossing only a 100 ft away, into the creek, cut the power and was casually washing my bike, (having quickly got the blood off) when he pulled up.
Casually again i glanced up at the guy and began to swear........Don you fragging fatherless idiot! Said i...........Don looks puzzled and says what wrong Wayne?
Yep John my guide had said he might be coming, and he had a Yamaha quad like me, but he did not mention that his brother who had a Honda and usually wore a tunic type jacket would be coming...... Seems Don had seen me exit the bush and wanted to catch up before i got out of sight that is why he was going like hell when i saw him and adding to the terror. Don said, my bro is not far behind but slower cause he is doubling his son, are you mad at me for coming Wayne? No Don i sighed, lets go to camp, bear with me, gotta story to show ya. About then John shows up and i just said lets go to camp, i will have work to do back here later.
continued maybe tomorrow......
.do you think maybe the bear being scrawny and underfeed might have changed the color of her fur?alot of tough decisions to be made,especially about the cub.
