Too close for comfort in a tree stand

[mrbb]

Hard to say who was more surprised or scared. The bear or the human. Imagine the bear thinking, "what are doing up in this tree"? My tree, go get your own!

40 yrs or so working with bears, never knew one to claim a tree as MY TREE! before, EVEN scent markinbg tree' in mating seasosn get used by more than one bear! , not a single one claiming THAT tree for itself ,
but I could be wrong! HAHA!
all thinsg are capable of taking a shine to something I gather!

 

[mrbb]

I've been privledged to hunt (usually hunting white tails) a lot in an area with a lot of black bears and I agree with everything you said. But it should be emphasized that we are talking about black bears only. From what I understand Brown bears are a different story and a lot more dangerous.

yes black bears have different habits, but I will still stand by what I have stated
ALL bears tend to view humans as Smelling things they wish to avoid

you take the thousands of folks that travel into AK, during salmon runs and are in close proximity to big brown and grizzly bears, and folks that travel and visit state parks with Grizzlies
and there are FEW attacks
its just what it is
if bears targeted humans as food or threats often, there would be a LOT more attacks period, no matter what species bear your talking with
the only species that Might view humans more as food would be a polar bear, and that's only due to FEW humans live where they do, and there animals of opportunity for meals cause steady food sources are not the norm for them!
so they eat when opportunity gives them the chance
but even there, attacks with humans are low in the big picture!
thousands flock to Churchill Manitoba for there migration and attacks are rear, due to KNOWLEDGE taught to locals and visitors!

 

[Robert23430]

40 yrs or so working with bears, never knew one to claim a tree as MY TREE! before,
but I could be wrong! HAHA!

I had it happen one time to me. I was whitetail hunting in a climbing treestand and I watched a large black bear for 15 minutes or so, as it very slowly made it's way towards towards me. Then it started to climb the tree that I was in. I wasn't allowed to shoot the bear with the hunting club that I was with. The bear never turned it's head to look up the tree. As soon as it started to climb the tree I screamed out loudly to it. It immediately took off, snapping off multiple trees 2-4' in diameter as it ran away. It never looked at me. It took a while for me to figure out why it choose my tree out of all the other trees. It choose my tree because it smelt food on me. I had helped cook breakfast for 35 people before the encounter with the bear.

 

[mrbb]

I had it happen one time to me. I was whitetail hunting in a climbing treestand and I watched a large black bear for 15 minutes or so, as it very slowly made it's way towards towards me. Then it started to climb the tree that I was in. I wasn't allowed to shoot the bear with the hunting club that I was with. The bear never turned it's head to look up the tree. As soon as it started to climb the tree I screamed out loudly to it. It immediately took off, snapping off multiple trees 2-4' in diameter as it ran away. It never looked at me. It took a while for me to figure out why it choose my tree out of all the other trees. It choose my tree because it smelt food on me. I had helped cook breakfast for 35 people before the encounter with the bear.

the bear NEVER claimed the tree as ITS tree, or it would have removed you from it!~
thus again
NO bear I know of claimed to say it was HIS tree(or her) tree HAHA!
and you already figured out why it climbed the tree, it followed its nose, which is what nature does for them, and how they find food to eat
once it realized it was more than food up the tree it left when you SCARED it!
you surprised it with what you did, it didn;t expect it
and as 99.9% of the time, it took flight over fighting!

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

the bear NEVER claimed the tree as ITS tree, or it would have removed you from it!~
thus again
NO bear I know of claimed to say it was HIS tree(or her) tree HAHA!
and you already figured out why it climbed the tree, it followed its nose, which is what nature does for them, and how they find food to eat
once it realized it was more than food up the tree it left when you SCARED it!
you surprised it with what you did, it didn;t expect it
and as 99.9% of the time, it took flight over fighting!

Old Indian saying:
If an acorn is falling from a tree.

AN EAGLE WILL SEE IT
A DEER WILL HEAR IT
A BEAR WILL SMELLL IT!

 

[C-130 Dude]

40 yrs or so working with bears, never knew one to claim a tree as MY TREE! before, EVEN scent markinbg tree' in mating seasosn get used by more than one bear! , not a single one claiming THAT tree for itself ,
but I could be wrong! HAHA!
all thinsg are capable of taking a shine to something I gather!

I meant it in jest. Not sure who was more surprised, the bear or the human when the two of them locked eyes.

 

[C-130 Dude]

the bear NEVER claimed the tree as ITS tree, or it would have removed you from it!~
thus again
NO bear I know of claimed to say it was HIS tree(or her) tree HAHA!
and you already figured out why it climbed the tree, it followed its nose, which is what nature does for them, and how they find food to eat
once it realized it was more than food up the tree it left when you SCARED it!
you surprised it with what you did, it didn;t expect it
and as 99.9% of the time, it took flight over fighting!

I meant the claim to the tree in jest. Bears are very primal mentally. Food, sleep, making more bears. That sorta stuff. And more. Believe me, if that bear would have givin me a dirty look, that tree was his! I'm outta there! (Hopefully!)

 

[mnoland30]

Fear of humans is a learned response. Bears that are hunted are very different from bears that are not. I've read that Yellowstone has about the same visitor numbers as the Bob Marshall Wilderness (hard to believe). The number of bear attacks in Yellowstone is 10 times that in the Bob Marshall.

Without hunting, bears would overpopulate and destroy the elk and deer herds. On the Valle Vidal in NM, the bears will grid an elk calving meadow and are effective enough that the elk population was crashing. In NM, it is open enough to spot and stalk. In places where it isn't open, there aren't many ways to hunt without dogs or baiting.

 

[mrbb]

Fear of humans is a learned response. Bears that are hunted are very different from bears that are not. I've read that Yellowstone has about the same visitor numbers as the Bob Marshall Wilderness (hard to believe). The number of bear attacks in Yellowstone is 10 times that in the Bob Marshall.

Without hunting, bears would overpopulate and destroy the elk and deer herds. On the Valle Vidal in NM, the bears will grid an elk calving meadow and are effective enough that the elk population was crashing. In NM, it is open enough to spot and stalk. In places where it isn't open, there aren't many ways to hunt without dogs or baiting.

I will agree, bears do learn that humans are dangerous from being hunted by them, but naturally, bears dis like humans, due to we SMELL bad to them, so, its not just hunting them that makes them want to stay away from use
I am all for bears being hunted! its good for them and us! IMO


BUT IMO< the issues with places like yellowstone is, that over generations, bears there have learned that human's are NOT so bad, and have been forced to put up with us bad smelling creatures, they have no reason to leave a good habitat to go else where as all there lives they have known humans are there?
so they just tolerate things best they can to live!
a big part of attack's there is due to humans are well, at times stupid and will try and get closer and closer for photos, and such, and that in return has lessened the bears natural response to humans
The bears simply adapted best they can to the massive amounts o humans in the park
if you went back in time, for decades it was encouraged to FEED the bears while visiting yellowstone(even made movies about this)
so, bears there got habituated to humans in a different way than other places!
you mix a million plus humans in with a large population of ANY animal, and you will have conflicts, , them being hunted or not!

its just the higher odds game being played!as an example,
Bison attack more folks than bears do!

but even with everything, bear attacks are still rare in the big picture
\as the percentage of those attacked as to those that visit the park is a very minute percentage still!

I DO wish they would allow a special draw for hunts in yellowstone though, I think it would be a win win for wildlife and the park itself
I could only imagine what some folks would pay for a chance to hunt there?
that $$$ could do some good there, all the more so now the park need so much work done to fix the flooding damages!

 

[Quintus]

Little cubs. The first thing they are taught by momma bear is to climb a tree.

Shooting fish in a barrel -baiting bear. Real hunting!
Never understood this.
Just like going. to a Deer Ranch. They show you pictures when you get there ( or you buy your deer before the trip) and say which one you want to shoot? Will cost you $$$$ for "A" $$$$$$ for "B". Then take you to the feeding station, which by the way they electronic tag the deer and know exactly what time they come to eat with "Readers" at the grain feeders.
I knew a group of hunters that I actually hunted with "Free Range" in NY and then showed me videos of the "Buck Board" the "Feed Stations" and cost per deer of their trips. Their trips were in Saskatchewan, Canada. I was invited to go on a Bear and Deer hunt up there. I said sorry I would rather hunt than shoot tame programed fed Deer or Bear.

I hunt bears in MN over bait. When you run your own stations and work a job that's not hunting bears, it is a little more involved and a good deal of work. There is a good deal to learn to be successful and it takes some dedication. If you do it right then yes, it's "bears'" in a barrel or log pile or however you cover your bait. We don't have the luxury of miles of single owner tracts of land for running dogs, or elevated glassing points to spot and stalk. Even with baiting available as a tactic the DNR has a hard time keeping numbers in check. Baiting bears yourself successfully has it's own unique satisfaction. In my experience, hunting whitetails in the same woods is 10X easier.

 

[K.E.C.]

2 guys were in a tree stand when a bear decided to climb the same tree they were in.

That's Hilarious, Year's ago I was bow hunting for whitetail, in my stand 1 hour before daylight. And right at daylight I here a ruckus behind me, I turn to look and momma and 2 cubs coming up the hill behind me. The 2 cubs were climbing trees, only going up a couple feet then go to the next and next. One started up the tree I was in then got down, there still moving on,then momma got beside my tree stopped and looked straight up at me for a couple seconds then I swear it looked like she winked at me and turned an walked away. Hunting memories and the great outdoors, I've been blessed.

 

[C-130 Dude]

That's Hilarious, Year's ago I was bow hunting for whitetail, in my stand 1 hour before daylight. And right at daylight I here a ruckus behind me, I turn to look and momma and 2 cubs coming up the hill behind me. The 2 cubs were climbing trees, only going up a couple feet then go to the next and next. One started up the tree I was in then got down, there still moving on,then momma got beside my tree stopped and looked straight up at me for a couple seconds then I swear it looked like she winked at me and turned an walked away. Hunting memories and the great outdoors, I've been blessed.

Mama said, "hello there".

 

[VLD Pilot]

Little cubs. The first thing they are taught by momma bear is to climb a tree.

Shooting fish in a barrel -baiting bear. Real hunting!
Never understood this.
Just like going. to a Deer Ranch. They show you pictures when you get there ( or you buy your deer before the trip) and say which one you want to shoot? Will cost you $$$$ for "A" $$$$$$ for "B". Then take you to the feeding station, which by the way they electronic tag the deer and know exactly what time they come to eat with "Readers" at the grain feeders.
I knew a group of hunters that I actually hunted with "Free Range" in NY and then showed me videos of the "Buck Board" the "Feed Stations" and cost per deer of their trips. Their trips were in Saskatchewan, Canada. I was invited to go on a Bear and Deer hunt up there. I said sorry I would rather hunt than shoot tame programed fed Deer or Bear.

STOP !!!

 

[338 dude]

2 guys were in a tree stand when a bear decided to climb the same tree they were in.

Not good