I called SOMETHING in.

[Kain]

So I was out calling for coyote near my dads house in the Battle Ground unit.  Set up in an opening in the middle of some really thick reprod.  My dad was sitting about twenty yards away from me and we had the wind in our faces.  I started using rodent distress then after about 15 mins went to coyote howls with cottontail distress then some more howls.  Don't really know what I'm doing since this my first year calling but I was having fun.  After about about another 20 mins my dad starting getting fidgety so I was about to get up and move when I heard something right behind me in the trees give two short huffs.  It sounded like something was blowing two short bursts of air through its nose.  Well I would like to pretend I played it cool and slowly turned around but really I whipped my shotgun around and would have screamed like a girl if I could have made any sound at all.  I searched through the branches but couldn't see anything.  I started to think maybe I imagined the sound and then it did it one more time.  I jumped up out of my seat and started back peddling.  It could not have been more than a dozen feet into the trees.  My heart was pounding so hard I thought I was going to die.  My dad was watching me and he jumped up and came running over to me, gun at the ready.  He could see how panicked I was.  We watched for a few minutes, didn't hear or see anything.  My dad asked me "what was it"? and I just shook my head.  He said "well its probably gone now" and relaxed.  My dad did not heard the sounds but thinks it was a bear.  There is always a lot of bear and coyote sign in this area.  I don't really know what it was but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a coyote.  From everything I have heard and seen a coyote usualy takes off at mach 2 when they get wind of a person. I have heard deer make a wheezy huff and this didn't sound anything like that and it didn't make a sound moving to me or away form me.  Anyone think it was something other than a bear?

[rasbo]

deer make that sound when they wind ya,those calls work well on does,If I got a doe tag I use a cottontail call and the does will run in sometimes,I had one walk up behind me in the winston a while back,it was just getting dark and she blew,Wow I almost blew out my ass,she couldnt have been 5 feet from me

[300UltraMagShooter]

BEAR!!!!


My dad shot a bear a few years back with a bow.  It went up the ridge right to me...    Made the exact same sound a few times just on the other side of a tree a few yards from me.  I sure thanked dad for WOUNDING a bear with me just 80 yards away up the hill!   

[billythekidrock]

Rasbo is right. My guess is you had a doe all worked up.

[Kain]

Definitely not ruling out a deer but seems unlikely to me because I was using coyote howls before and after the rabbit.  Maybe a protective doe doesnt care about coyote's, like I said Im new to the whole predator calling.  But I also made a ton of noise when I jumped up and so did my dad when he came over to me.  We never heard it leave.  I have been hunting deer for twenty years, I have seen bucks sneak away but almost always a doe will bound away when spooked.  This animal made no noise other than the three huffs.  Bears are notorious for making no noise even in the heaviest brush.  Maybe it is just wishful thinking on my part to think I actually called in a bear looking to steal a fresh kill from a coyote (that was the scenario I was going for while calling, but for another coyote).  I will never know for sure, guess I was just looking for a confirmation on the bear theory.  It sure didnt sound like any deer snort/huff I ever heard but I might just not want to admit a doe snuck up on me and made me nearly crap my pants.    Made me consider using a remote caller while in heavy brush like this.  No sense in calling a bear right to my back no matter how unlikely.

[billythekidrock]

I'm not disputing your story or your experience but in my experience (30 yrs deer/15 yrs calling bear) the coyote howls will not spook a doe that thinks a fawn is in distress. It doesn't even have to be it's own fawn. The doe may not show itself, but it will make a racket to distract the coyote. Typically blowing/snorting and stomping it's hooves.

The key to me is "blowing two short bursts of air through its nose". Sounds like a snort/wheeze situation that you are trying to explain. If you have ever heard a bear "woof" you would easily hear the difference.

Either way it sounds like a cool experience and it is always fun when the adrenaline is pumping.

[Kain]

Yeah for sure was not a woof,cough or bark blows like I have heard from bears but did not have any wheeze like the warning of the deer I have heard.  Just air through the nose like a quick sharp sigh.

[bow4elk]

Deer.  Had the bear woofing with bluff charges a few times.  Distinct sound that is almost like a deep breathy forceful cough.  In your calling situation a bear wouldn't have hesitated to come in, nor would it be inclined to woof/huff.  They make that sound when they are threatened or trying to display their dominance.  A downwind bear would never get that close either.

I've called in does in the spring time with fawn distress calls (even a blade of grass between the thumbs works well) and they will nearly mow you down trying to find that fawn.  They act almost hysterical at times.

[Kain]

Yeah makes sense.  I have heard of does being called in I just would have expected more noise from a deer.  You guys make a lot of sense though.  Whatever it was, it sounded like it didnt like my smell in its nose not really a warning call.  Like I said my dad was 20 yards away and didnt hear it.

[ICEMAN]

Go back and look at the tracks and know for sure. It hasnt rained yet...

[rasbo]

there wont be any doubt in your mind when a bear comes to your call.the jungle I hunt 20yrds is a long shot.you will hear sounds you might not have ever heard,I shot one at the end of my barrel thats the only bear that came in without a sound,After the shot I couldnt stand,my adrenalin was that intense.That bear got away,my barrel was inches from his face when I shot.He flipped over backwards and took off.I went and got my bud who was in another drainage to assist with the tracking and backup,we tracked that bear forever,we found tongue and lip parts but couldnt find him,I was bummed he was the biggest Ive shot so far.

[billythekidrock]

you will hear sounds you might not have ever heard

Ain't that the truth!

[Kain]

I have come across a few bears while hunting the thick brush.  A couple didnt know I was there and didnt make any unusual sounds, the others were usually spooked and moving like dark lightning bolts.  The only one I have been "woofed" at was a sow with cubs.  She and one of her cubs ran across the road in front me.  She ran about fifty yards up the side of a hill and stopped and just stared back at my car.  I got out to watch them , she was doing this clucking and woofing blowing sound but was not leaving. What I didnt know was her other cub was still on my side of the road.  It started bawling and ran past me about 10 yards to its mom.  Im sure I could have made into my car if she had decided to charge me but it could have been a bad situation.

[Kain]

you will hear sounds you might not have ever heard

Ain't that the truth!

The point of this whole post was because it was a sound I hadn't heard before.   But you guys are probably right about it being a deer.  Why would a bear come in that close down wind from me and then huff at me unless it moved into my wind from the side which I guess could be possible.  I have spent a lot of time in the woods in my life and this time It just felt different than anything else I have experienced.  You ever just get a bad feeling about a situation?  Maybe its all in my head

[deaddog]

sasquatch has been known to huff and puff like that during its rut.