Do you look behind you in the bear woods?

[Guru]

Been bear hunting twice....absolutely!!

[Bonebuster]

Yep, I watch my backtrail. And not just when leaving a bear bait.

I have never had the opportunity to actually bait bears for myself, but have been successful doing it for friends who did draw tags.

Once, after sitting till dark with a video camera only, I was slipping out quietly. I did a quick look back, and caught the flash from my trail camera. I had been standing near the bait only seconds before, and I could hear the bear licking and slurping.

When I was at that bait site, the bear would only show up in total darkness. I`m certain he always knew when I was there.

Yep. I look back. I gave up trying not to.  :D

[gregg dudley]

Are you kidding me?  I look behind me when I'm squirrel hunting!

[ghost rob]

only to see what the noise is all about and to find out where the bad smell's coming from

[Marty]

Never have walked out front ways. Is that wrong, Biggie?

Biggie and I took a guy huntin to Maine with us for his first trip. His footprints on the way in were really short and close together, on the way out they were long, and I mean long strides!!!

Kicker is, he killed a bear and we didn't.

[T.J.]

These stories are hilarious! You should put a disclaimer in the title not to drink anything when reading this    

[Dave2old]

Oh geeze, I'd best leave this one alone (in anything close to a direct response) or I'll get banned again! Rather, I'll paraphrase Doug Peacock -- that greatest of all grizzly gurus (if you've not read Doug's "The Grizzly Years," well, you owe it to yourself to get some)and a self-admitted post-traumatic Vietnam basketcase ... Peacock often has said with passion: "I never carry a piece in grizzly country. It's the bears' home and I venture there with respect, humility, and a willingness to accept the consequences of my own actions. But force me to go to New York City, Chicago, or any other great human jungle ... that is when I'll be packing!" Fear is relative, brothers, as is karma. Anon

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

No, I just go hunting with someone I know I can outrun...

[Pat B.]

[chinook907]

You betcha.  We have a lot of brown bears here and they cause major hassles when baiting.  Last spring a friend shot a black bear off my bait.  A small brownie kept circling us while we skinned & quartered it, kept having to shoosh him off, sometimes as close as 15 yards but not charging.  We kept our eyes open on the hike out.

[allanburden]

Though South Carolina is not known for bear, we do have a huntable black bear population in the three northwest mountain counties.  A buddy and I were scouting Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve back in August of 2006 when we spotted what we thought was a hog on the S. Pacolet River.  Well, the "hog" raised it's head and we both encountered our first bear in our 24 years of life.  Although we were at least 60 yards out, I was scared having never been around bears.  We backed out for about 40 yards and when the bear put it's head back down, I took off.  I knew I was faster than David so no, I never looked back.  I have hunted the property for two years now and have had no more bear encounters and while I'm in the woods, I don't think about it too much.  I do check my back trail though.

[SteveMcD]

Nope. I have more to worry about, driving in my truck to my hunting spot, than I have to when it comes to black bears.

[Curveman]

Last year I was out way past dark with two friends trailing a (wounded) bear as it was due to rain and we thought we best find that bear then and not wait until morning. I confess it occured to me to try to stay in the middle between Llyod and Allen, figuring the bear would get one of those guys first but it didn't work out that way and I kept finding myself in the back, yep, peeking back behind me! Hey! Wait a minute! Maybe I kept ending up in the back or the front as they were thinking the same thing!      

[Bill Tell]

Not my story but I will tell it anyway.

An acquaintance was bear hunting in northern Minnesota on the ground over bait.  Said he felt like he was being watched.  Stood up and saw three wolves checking him out.

Next two are mine.

I was out baiting with some friends and the guy up front stepped in it if you no what I mean and it was very fresh.  We were looking around pretty good after that.

The worst that happened to me was out in Montana.  I was walking on an island trying to cut over a river and something brown shot out of the grass that was just short of waist high and brushed my leg as it went by.  I can't tell you what it was for sure it happened so fast....  I think is was some sort of cat.  I was over by Quake Lake were at the time there were known Mt. Lions.  I just stood there for sake of life.

I look back you bet.

[Brian Krebs]

well geesh. I have bear hunted for 30 years; grew up with non-hunting parents who used to like going to a dump in the UP of Michigan where people would park and watch the bears walk around the cars and feed in the headlights in the dump.
 I live in bear country- and I run into them all the time. I have even run into grizzlies.
 No sense in getting all riled up; if they want you; your in for a tussle; been there done that!
 I am chuckling because I have had as many as 19 bears circling my bait when I was in my treestand.
 Try walking out in the dark after that  

[alaskabowhunter]

depends on whether I am hiking with someone who I can out-run or not....

[Guru]

But SteveMcD, have you ever hunted bears over bait?

[SteveMcD]

Good point, Curt. Sorry I went back to Biggie's post. Didn't realize this was a Hunting over Bait discussion.  
 
So my answer is No. I have not. But I will say, I have hunted Allegany State Park in western New York, where there are lot's of bears, and they are protected in the park. These bears are accustomed to humans, and a few of them have very little fear of people whatsoever.  I would agree... I made sure my daypack and food was double wrapped, and was more conscientious about any smells of food I would have on me. It is a more cautious mindset.

[DeerSpotter]

I have been nose to nose with a black bear in the boundary Waters in Minnesota, the Bears paws were only inches away from my face, it was an event I would never want to go through again, that's really when " to close was to close enough "


I always look around as I'm going down the trail

Even in the daytime now !

I deer hunt and a no quota bear County, population is high with Bears.

Carl

[GameGetter]

Yep, with a high caliber pistol at the ready! Also as mentioned about, I am usually more worried about running into moose than anything else. It has happened; its not fun!