So I am out and about in a fav bear area of mine (thanks to my older bro) walking a dirt road about 1 1/2 in from the gate, headed to a stump I want to call from @ about 5:30. Snap crash....I stop at the sounds, tall brush lines both sides of the road, but I can see a break in the brush to my right which reveils blackberries, swamp, assorted chest high brush (im 6'1).
The setting sun is blairing in my eyes, which is just above the trees, I can still hear the crashing, nice and close, but cant see clearly. The wind was just barely in my favor. I see a dark object near the tree lines about 100yrd away and I pull up to take a closer look, only to catch a bear standing up about 30 feet out infront of me and to my right. All I can see is his sillouette of his head and neck as he looks toward my left at a side profile. I slow pan to my right, getting ready to take aim, but I want to make sure the bear is without cubs, so I hesitate. The bear gets back on all fours, brush sways as he moves, cant really see much of the bear at all and I am not a brush shooter, so I wait.
The bear walks about 20 feet perpendicular to me and beds down, or so I think. I can still see the area fairly well and am very confident that if the bear moved, I would at least see brush move, plus the bear was not alarmed to my presence. I freeze in this position for 45 min, waiting for the bear to move or stand up or anything. With no movement in the brush I decided to quietly toss a few rocks over that way..(ya its goofy, but it was getting dark and there was no way I could sneak any closer without making a ton of racket).
Rocks produce nothing. I wait a bit longer, and call softly on my elk calf call for a second or two..nothing,....i shake a bunch of tree branches and snap twigs...nothing. I am still fairly convinced this bear is still bed down, I cant believe he got away without moving a twig, so I call my brother and talk to him on the phone, laughing at the situation hoping my voice would at least freak the bear out and put him on the run so I could get a shot....nothing...
So, I have to conclude that the bear has either been shot at before, and said heck with this, come in the brush and get me or I aint moving, or that sneaky little SOB was somehow able to escape all my senses and didnt move a branch while it escaped. Either way, it had my respect and got to live for another day.
I will be back there tonight.....perhaps I will do a bit better. Just wanted to share my failed hunt...LOL...
