Close call

[luvtohnt]

 My hunting buddy told me he saw a bear in one of our usual areas on Wednesday night. Since I don't work Friday's I figured I would check it out.I got up early and went on my way, slowly but surely making my way up the mountain. Got to my spot parked and started hiking in. About 1/4 of the way in I stop to take a breather and glass a little. Right away I spot the bear. Alright today is going to be the day I get my first bear, I am stoked. I work my way around to get in position for a shot and start glassing to see if I can find the bear again. I had to hike around a bowl and it was about 3/4 of a mile so I lost sight of the bear from the first spot. I get everything set up and, after about 10 minutes out pops the bear. Vigorously eating the berry bushes with no idea what is about to happen. I start glassing to make sure it is alone. Low and behold about 30 yards behind her is a little 40-60 pound cub. . I watched those two feed for 4 hours this morning trying to convince myself to shoot one but I just couldn't do it. So most likely another year with no bear as school starts next week and I will not have much time to get out. I guess there is always next year.

Brandon

[Kain]

40-60 lbs cub is not really a cub anymore.  She would have left it in a couple of weeks anyway.  Good for you for not shooting if you were not sure though.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Better to let Nature take it's course.  Yes, that cub would be out on his own soon, but not until mamma says to.
Good choice you made.
You'll get your Bear.  Don't give up.

-Steve

[luvtohnt]

40-60 lbs cub is not really a cub anymore.  She would have left it in a couple of weeks anyway.  Good for you for not shooting if you were not sure though.

So is she going to ditch him before she hibernates? If so I may have to go back in the next couple of days. I was wondering why everytime he got close she would stare at him and then he would run away. I was pretty sure he was a 2 year old cub but better safe than sorry. However always playing the better safe than sorry card has lost me alot of oppurtunitites! I talked to my buddy and he said she is not the one he saw the other night. So ther is a boar roaming around up in the area also.
Brandon

[Kain]

She will probably leave the cub when she goes into heat.  With a boar running around in the area she might already be ready to breed.  This would be really late for her to breed if she hasnt been bred already.  If she is pregnant I dont think she will den up and give birth with an older cub there.

[Crunchy]

You made the right choice.

[billythekidrock]

Brandon -

You did the right thing. A 40 to 60 lber may be able to survive, but most likely it will die from predation. Most cubs are pushed out at about 1.5 years and that little one is more than likely only about 10 months old.

[billythekidrock]

She will probably leave the cub when she goes into heat.  With a boar running around in the area she might already be ready to breed.  This would be really late for her to breed if she hasnt been bred already.  If she is pregnant I dont think she will den up and give birth with an older cub there.

Peak breeding is mid June to mid July and sometimes as late as early August. This late in the year a sow and male are both basically incapable of breeding due to physical changes.

Since this sow had this cub with her during the breeding season (probably born this last Dec 08/Jan 09) she would not have come into heat so she would not be pregnant at this time.

This cub will den with her and be on its own by June of next year.

[luvtohnt]

Thanks for all the info. I went back to look for the boar my buddy saw, but with no berries they have moved out of the area. 

Brandon

[Sideswipe]

Good choice-hard wasn't it?  You are paying your dues, payday will come.

[Sideswipe]

I'm definately no expert but if the berries played out you can count on them bears going to Plan B.  I know late in the year they sometimes go low & start raiding apple trees or wild plums.  Perhaps going higher elev for huckleberrys-hey, can some of you OLD HANDS help this guy out on his 1st bear?

[luvtohnt]

Thanks, I don't have a problem finding them, the area I hunt is loaded with them. I just seem to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time. For instance I was within rifle range of 3 different bears this year. All of them are ones I would take because it would be my first, except for the sow with cubs which is the only time I had the rifle, but I was archery hunting and only had the bow. Now school has started again and I just don't have allot of time to devote to bear hunting. I would love to get out again once or twice this year but with the classes I am taking I am not sure if time will permit.

Brandon