Got charged by a bear!!!

[BLUEBULLS]

I was up shed hunting this weekend and we ran into a couple bears. They were both full grown bears maybe 200lbs. We were in open country and just across the top of a small draw from them. I filmed them for about 3 or 4 minutes and then my dog spotted them. As soon as he started barking and howling, they both looked up and the top bear looked up and spotted us and started barrelling straight at us about 90mph. The country was too steep to run so we decided our best option was to stay put where could fight it from above. There was 2 of us and we each had a dog, a hound and an australian shepard so I figured we could make a pretty good stand. We each grabbed a couple good size rocks and I picked up the 5pt elk horn/bear clubber I just found. We were somewhat ready just wondering when we should turn the dogs off the leash and the bear went out of sight still coming straight at us just below the nob we were on. Well, thankfully it never showed up. after a few minutes of waiting to ambush we figured it was safe to get out of there. It was one of the only times I didn't and the last time I don't pack a gun.

My guess is that these bears were twins as they were roughly the same size and identical color. Any ideas why they would charge a howling hound and a couple people?

[jackelope]

 

maybe they were headed for the shed antler but you beat them to it...
they were pissed?
just thinking maybe that was the case.
 

[NWBREW]

FOOD!!     No really I have no idea. That has never happened to me. I have walked up on a few black bears and they have always ran the other way. 

[scout88]

bet that got the heart racing a little 

[wastickslinger]

I would charge you too if you beat me to a shed I could see. 

I have never had one do that. I bet there was a bit of a pucker factor huh?

[runamuk]

My guess would be they felt threatened and that your twins might have been a female and grown cub if she hasn't conceived again she may still be hanging with it ...the other option is they are actually habituated to humans and dogs and went on the defensive rather than run.....

One of the run ins I had as a kid (was 13ish) with bears was on the Entiat walked around a bend in the river and there were two bears eating fish they saw me plain as day and did not run.....scared the hell out of me because they weren't gonna leave and I knew not to run but could not leave the area fast enough   the other bear was up near Chelan and that bear destroyed coolers and climbed on cars sat on tents and 2 weeks after we were there it had to be shot again it had habituated to humans and was not fearful....so until I started hunting them I had no idea bears were afraid of humans as that hadn't been my experience, we had a mama and babies in our woods as kids and when I lived in Monroe we had a mama and baby in our neighborhood, I've ridden up within 100ft or so of bears on horseback in Fall city and on the redmond plateau......they still didn't run just kept eating berries and we left.....

[BLUEBULLS]

I don't think these bears see too many humans, they were miles in. I got most of it on video until it was time to get serious. they were about 300 yards at first so we had a few seconds to think. I had all sorts of thoughts running through my mind. The main thought was if I should tie my dog up and try my luck at the bear. I figured that might be better than letting my wife know what happened to Boone.

Wastickslinger, good thing you didn't go, we only found one little elk horn, got covered in ticks and charged by a bear. We did manage to find a ton of mushrooms though.

[Lowedog]

Just a thought but maybe it wasn't a charge and that was just the direction it wanted go to flee. 

[BLUEBULLS]

Just a thought but maybe it wasn't a charge and that was just the direction it wanted go to flee. 

I thought about that but it knew we were there and it was open country. If ti was fleeing I think it would have went over the top where it came from or down into the thick brush just below where it was feeding.

I know bears will fight a chasing hound but has anyone heard of them actually coming after one?

[jeepasaurusrex]

"Attention K-Mart shoppers, the underwear on isle 5 are on sale" 

 

[ICEMAN]

I doubt is saw ya' at that range really well.

I bet it figured you were a pack of yotes killing something and it wanted in on the kill, and then winded you and decided to sneak away instead...

Your dogs called it in!

[saylean]

I was calling bears once and had a bear barrel toward me when I hit the coyote distress....who knows?! Could have been a sow with a full grown cub...ive only had one bear charge me when I wasnt calling and she's on my wall now.

Glad to hear all the bears, dogs and you all are safe.

[WDFW-SUX]

Ive been charged by brownies 3 times none were "fun".

[Buckmark]

Maybe they just needed a Hug..

[bonecrusher]

I doubt is saw ya' at that range really well.

I bet it figured you were a pack of yotes killing something and it wanted in on the kill, and then winded you and decided to sneak away instead...

Your dogs called it in!

I'm think this is probably the case. at 300 yards you were just a noisy blob and a potential meal. either to be had or stolen. once he got your wind I'm sure he headed the other way just as fast

[JackOfAllTrades]

I bet it figured you were a pack of yotes killing something and it wanted in on the kill, and then winded you and decided to sneak away instead...

 I'm goin with that.

It was one of the only times I didn't and the last time I don't pack a gun.

Some serious piece of mind to have a hand gun loaded with Bear stoppers hangin on the hip. I would not bet on the hound and Austrailian shepard in a Bear fight if there are no trees for the blackie to climb. Yotes are pretty quick little buggers, and I see Yote fur in Bear chit every year. If the dogs are good, and tree the Bear, fine. But if the Bear feels the need to fight, I bet the doggies would be worse for the wear.

-Steve

[BLUEBULLS]

the bear never got down wind, there was a stiff breeze blowing in our face. I was yelling at him pretty good the whole time maybe that got him to stop.

I was glad there were plenty of rocks around as the guy I was with was one of the best pitchers this state has seen.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Rocks is for kids. I'd still rather be packin my Ruger RedHawk with some 300gn Sierra's loaded to the hilt! 

-Steve

[saylean]

I have read that if you are attacked by a black bear, it (for the most part) is a predatory response. They are trying to eat you (as opposed to browns, which attack cause they see you as a threat), so fight with all you got.

[WDFW-SUX]

Ive read that day time attacks are about mistaken identity or cubs and to play dead and when they come after dark there looking for dinner and its time to fight. All of my close encounters have been in day light and they all were bluff charges

[CMG]

Just a thought but maybe it wasn't a charge and that was just the direction it wanted go to flee.

  I would agree with lowedog...even at 300yrds in the open they probably didn't see you, Sound may have echoed and disorientated the direction of where the bear thought the threat was coming from.
 Once while hunting I walked up on a bear a hundred yrds away, grunted a noise to let him know I was there, and he bolted straight towards me.....until he actually saw me, and veered off just 50' or so in front of me!
  My brother was napping mid day on a rock once and I watched a bear walk within 50 yards below him (I was glassing him from an adjacent hillside, waiting for that bear to scare the Sh*&* out him)  He woke up from a noise, saw the bear and decided to throw a rock, thinking it would scare him off... The rock landed behind the bear.. the bear thought the danger was coming from behind him and the bear charged up the hill, right at him, I think the bear smelled the chit hit the friut-of-a-looms at about 10 yrds and bolted back down the hill.  Still love to tell that story around the campfire! 

[JackOfAllTrades]

Shot my Bear at relative close range with a frontal/quarting toward shot, and he came right at me like shot out of a canon. He didn't know I was there at all!  If it wasn't for the windfall between us.. Who knows what would have happened. He turned and ran up a skidder road only to fall to his perril not some 40yds later. I don't know that any of use can predict what direction they're going to go when they feel threatened.

-Steve

[Jeremy S]

Where's the video?