Bear arms..or CC at home

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hbennett

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A funny thing happened last night that kind of gave me pause to reconsider being armed at home.

After being away from home during the day, I was helping my son with a science project which included making a diorama. About dusk, I went into the woods about 20 yards behind my house to cut a dead branch to add to the project.

I got the strange sensation of being watched. Well when I looked up, and too my surprise, there was a VERY BIG and very healthy black bear about 20 yards from me. I hollered at him to "Git". His response was to turn and face me without any apparent
concern for me whatsoever. Seeing that this bruin had the advantage and that it had no apparent inclination to move, or respect my authority over my property, I made a decisive tactical withdrawal, slowly and facing this trespasser.

I was a bit disappointed in myself as I probably should have known better. There have been a lot of reports of bear activity as of late. And, about half a hour before, there were two cars stopped in front of my house. This generally happens when a bear or a moose crosses the street near my house.

Although I don't feel that I was in any danger, I am pissed at myself that I should have known that something was up, and should have been better prepared, event though I was just stepping out for 2 minutes. I would have felt a lot less uncomfortable
with my loaded .44 mag in a holster, rather than with the pruning saw in my hands.

FWIW- I did NOT put out any bird feeders this year, and the grille is still in the garage, along with the trash containers. We keep the yard free of anything that would attract bears, as they are a fact of life in North Central Mass. Bears and moose occasionally use my property as a route of travel for to and from wherever it is that the bears and moose go in my area.
 
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Bears remember food sources for decades. Maybe you had one get into the trash before?

In any event, some say a 9mm is all you need...[rolleyes]


MAN, how come this never happens to ME during BEAR SEASON????
 
We are the first owners and have never made a food source available.. BUT..the neighbor feed the birds, and we have observed bears tear apart her feeders in years past, so your point well is taken.

BTW, I buy a bear tag every year, and have yet to see one during the season.

We are only part time hunters, and they are full time bears.
 
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not to sidetrack this thread but I disagree with your statement about the bear being the trespasser. Anyway, glad it all worked out and maybe now that you know at least one is there and if you haven't already get a trail cam....
 
This is where they are going.
b32.jpg
 
Interesting topic.

I'm finishing up a deck up north and had planned to keep my Big Green Egg on it as well as a Weber Genesis gas grill. Never thought about the bear issue and a quick Google has me second guessing the thought.
We already don't feed the birds because of them.
 
oddly, i just watched a show on dealing with a bear encounter. backing out slowly and facing the bear was a good thing, it pretty much tells the bear you don't fear it and in most cases, the bear will let you retreat unmolested. read "most cases." yeah, i'm not going to test that theory, but u did already, lol. they said yelling was not good, gets the bear cranky. "they" were wildlife scientists working for the feds so take it as you see fit. best get armed for those nocturnal forays into the woods.
 
robjax said:
not to sidetrack this thread but I disagree with your statement about the bear being the trespasser. Anyway, glad it all worked out and maybe now that you know at least one is there and if you haven't already get a trail cam....
Click to expand...

Oh, yeah, the trail cam is going back up. I like to know what's walking in the yard after dark.

The trespasser part was my lame attempt at humor. Our house was built a decade ago. Several locals have mentioned that the area has been a known crossing for moose and bears for quite some time before we built there. We have enjoyed several years worth of visits from the critters native to the area. We have observed, bears, moose, foxes, bobcats, fisher cats, deer, hares, squirrels, humming birds, turkeys, bats, porcupines, skunks, snakes, raccoons, beavers, and coyotes. It is a great place it you want to observe wildlife.

My kids have been educated (by me) that critters own the outside, and that we leave nature alone. Our policy is that nature is best observed from a distance.

That being said, sometimes nature can throw you and interesting surprise, like the partially gnawed deer leg that was found within 100 feet of the back door. The deer leg was found by the kids while playing in the backyard, a couple years ago. That discovery gave the Mrs a bit of concern.
 
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greencobra said:
oddly, i just watched a show on dealing with a bear encounter. backing out slowly and facing the bear was a good thing, it pretty much tells the bear you don't fear it and in most cases, the bear will let you retreat unmolested. read "most cases." yeah, i'm not going to test that theory, but u did already, lol. they said yelling was not good, gets the bear cranky. "they" were wildlife scientists working for the feds so take it as you see fit. best get armed for those nocturnal forays into the woods.
Click to expand...

While I have read that black bears are supposedly cowards, I have also read that their attacks, unlike the grizzly, is more likely predatory. The funny thing was the realization, that for a few brief moments, I was no longer the apex predator at the top of the food chain. I would have been much less uncomfortable in my egress had I possessed the ability to give a better account of myself should there been the need to do so.
 
hbennett said:
Oh, yeah, the trail cam is going back up. I like to know what's walking in the yard after dark.

The trespasser part was my lame attempt at humor. Our house was built a decade ago. Several locals have mentioned that the area has been a known crossing for moose and bears for quite some time before we built there. We have enjoyed several years worth of visits from the critters native to the area. We have observed, bears, moose, foxes, bobcats, fisher cats, deer, hares, squirrels, humming birds, turkeys, bats, porcupines, skunks, snakes, raccoons, beavers, and coyotes. It is a great place it you want to observe wildlife.

My kids have been educated (by me) that critters own the outside, and that we leave nature alone. Our policy is that nature is best observed from a distance.

That being said, sometimes nature can throw you and interesting surprise, like the partially gnawed deer leg that was found within 100 feet of the back door. The deer leg was found by the kids while playing in the backyard, a couple years ago. That discovery gave the Mrs a bit of concern.
Click to expand...


ok...my bad....but yeah, a trail cam in your yard should yield some very interesting events after dark. We get rabbits and tree rats. Maybe a crow or two and the usual birds. Not much more. I know there are deer around. doubtful of a bear or a moose in my area unless it is lost...anyway, you know you're out there when you find a deer leg in your yard....lol.
 
knoxy said:
Gotta let the dogs out first next time.
Click to expand...

Running bears with dogs is unlawful in Massachusetts. I, for one, would like to see that law changed.

A good chase with baying hounds would be an ideal solution to put a good healthy fear of human contact into them.
 
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PaulR said:
Saw this line somewhere:

"Don't shoot the bear, you'll only piss him off"

Glad you made it out ok.
Click to expand...

I heard from a friend who visits Alaska quite frequently that it is recommended that you
remove the front sight from your handgun when in bear country.

That way it doesn't hurt so much when the angry bear you just shot shoves that handgun
up your a...
 
There have been quite a few sightings around the Townsend area this spring. Not sure if it has anything to do with the mild winter.

I've had a couple run ins with black bear over the years and they seem to be pretty tame in areas where people are common.

That said, it's never a bad idea to be armed.
 
In God We Trust said:
There have been quite a few sightings around the Townsend area this spring. Not sure if it has anything to do with the mild winter.

I've had a couple run ins with black bear over the years and they seem to be pretty tame in areas where people are common.

That said, it's never a bad idea to be armed.
Click to expand...

I have seen a lot in the woods so far. One up in the whites when I was hiking with small kids, it ran.
One when I was in a tree stand using a predator call, and he came and went so quickly and quietly, by the time I saw him he and pulled out my handgun, he was GONE.
One when I was hunting up near beartown swamp, it was just legal hunting time, and a big one was down in a holler, it was grunting and huffing at me, I was up higher on the ridge looking down into a black abyss of woods trying to make out where he was for a clean shot, and by the time it got light enough to see into the brush, he had moved on.
One when I was hiking back to my truck, it getting darker and darker, when I realized I was being stalked, so I loaded up the rifle again and picked up the pace,
One time I was done hunting the mountains around Mohawk state campground all day long, was heading back to the campground to eat and sleep, and there, not 200 feet from the campground road, was a bruin rooting around in the ground, about 300 feet TOO CLOSE to legally take a shot (I had actually paced off 500' on this trail in the morning heading out). And when I came into the campground, sure enough, there was ranger danger in his truck right next to my tent. "See any bear?", "yep, one right over there a minute ago!". [rofl]

One of these days...I figure I will eventually get a shot off.
 
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