HAVE BLACK BEARS KEYED INTO GUN SHOTS DURING DEER AND ELK SEASONS?

[ghosthunter]

Last year in the Twisp area I killed a buck in the am during deer season. While I was dragging the deer out I saw a bear coming my direction.
He fled before I could get my gun out of my pack.

Got to thinking. Any chance black bears in the Methow are coming into gun shots during deer season?

Anyone notice this during modern elk?

[jaredwitman]

I had a similar situation in the Methow last year. Not a bunch of shooting in my direct vicinity except the one where I saw a nice buck got killed in the afternoon (maybe 2:30 or 3) Sure as *censored* that bear was there the next morning. He had taken the gut pile and drug it up the hill maybe 100 yards or so and was milling around another 100 yards away from his meal. Poor old bear looked constipated from all the deer he ate that night!

I didnt stick around long enough after the buck was killed to notice how quickly it took him to get their but I would not be at all surprised if bear have been educated to the point of responding to the dinner bell so to speak. Hard to say. Maybe you were the hunter I saw kill the monster that day?!?!?!? If so.... I wouldn't mind a picture of that bad boy. Watched him for a good 3 hours expecting to put him to bed that night. Could very well be the biggest deer I have ever seen over there. The bear was equally as large, never got a chance at him either. Congrats on the harvest a year late 

[Okanagan]

Years ago a partner and I had a black bear come to within 40 feet of us while we gutted a mule deer buck.  He showed up within 5 minutes, paced back and forth while we gutted and claimed the gut pile by the time we had dragged the buck 40-50 feet away.  Each of us tried to get the other to shoot it but neither of us wanted to.  I don't recall whether I had a bear tag but kept an eye on the bear and would have shot it if he showed any more boldness or aggression.  I brought a friend back the next morning who wanted a bear.  We slipped up from behind a nearby ridge that over looked the draw and he shot the bear as it lay beside what was left of the gut pile.

Grizzlies at several places in Canada have learned to come to shots.  They get the guts at least and sometimes a whole animal.

While gutting an animal in bear country there is no need to be paranoid but it pays to keep alert and aware of surroundings and not get too focused on the job at hand. 

[ghosthunter]

I had a similar situation in the Methow last year. Not a bunch of shooting in my direct vicinity except the one where I saw a nice buck got killed in the afternoon (maybe 2:30 or 3) Sure as *censored* that bear was there the next morning. He had taken the gut pile and drug it up the hill maybe 100 yards or so and was milling around another 100 yards away from his meal. Poor old bear looked constipated from all the deer he ate that night!

I didnt stick around long enough after the buck was killed to notice how quickly it took him to get their but I would not be at all surprised if bear have been educated to the point of responding to the dinner bell so to speak. Hard to say. Maybe you were the hunter I saw kill the monster that day?!?!?!? If so.... I wouldn't mind a picture of that bad boy. Watched him for a good 3 hours expecting to put him to bed that night. Could very well be the biggest deer I have ever seen over there. The bear was equally as large, never got a chance at him either. Congrats on the harvest a year late 

I doubt it was me who shot your deer. Because mine wasn't that big. A guy did come up to me about 20 minutes after the shot and I sent him in the direction of the other two legal bucks that were with this one.

[Bean Counter]

This is pretty scary stuff right here:

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/11/24/gps-study-tracks-grizzlies-as-follow-hunters.html

[Duckslayer89]

I shot a doe last year in Idaho and while I was walking down through the clear cut I heard something behind me and turned around startled about 10-15feet from me was a black bear running towards me, literally so close I couldn't find him in the scope. He saw me move and jetted up the hill away. I don't know if he was running from the echo of the shots or what. I never thought it could be he was keyed in on gun shots though. It was weirdest experience ever.

[Jpmiller]

I don't know that it is the bears in the methow come to the shot as much as there are a lot of bears in the methow and they can smell when you're gutting them.

I can't say that for certain though. I usually dump my gut piles where I have a camera hung and it's usually bears who come for it.

[WAnoob]

Wouldn't surprise me, we've had a few brown bear come in to see what was up on Kodiak after we shot a deer.

[saylean]

Griz have been known to shadow hunters along ridges, etc, waiting for a shot. Wouldnt surprise me at all if blackies start to key in too.

[tgomez]

Never had it happen in 21 years of hunting. I have heard of it a handfull of times though. Stay alert and with a sidearm.