Bear encounters while fishing

JackM wrote:
Really, Grizzlies can't climb? I never knew that. For the black bears, they do not recommend climbing away.
Click to expand...

No most adult grizzlies are too big to climb trees, although they could probably get partially up some trees but only the cubs can really climb. However an adult grizzly can pull down a fair # of trees. Better make sure you're climbing a stout, mature tree!

Common sense is the best way to stay safe in bear country: make noise occasionally, especially in thick cover; be careful with food and food storage; don't run from a bear encounter, etc. Follow a few simple rules and seeing a bear while fishing will likely be a pleasant and thrilling experience of a lifetime.

I've had them jump in the pool I was fishing and also cross the stream right in front of me. Made for a memorable flyfishing outing and that was all.
 
Sasquatch>black bears

Grizzly>Sasquatch

Cows>Sasquatch (ask Slaymaker....but ever since I got chased down by a bull on Lititz Run, I HATE walking through cow pastures).

I've had many many close encounters w/ black beers on the little Kettle. My family stayed in a cabin along the stream for most of my life, so every day on vacation was spent fishing the stream, well off the roads and beaten paths. One summer when I was 17 we ran into 3 of them on the same day.
 
The_Sasquatch wrote:
I've had many many close encounters w/ black beers on the little Kettle.
Click to expand...

I had some close encounters with those on Little Kettle also when I was up there a few weeks ago. Mine was with more of the amber variety though...natives of Pottsville, PA I believe. :pint:
 
d2911b83.jpg


7d3760f5.jpg
 
You guys are lucky (well maybe not the close encounter guys), I have been FF-ing for over 20 years on some of the streams you all have mentioned and I have never once seen a bear. I'd love to, at a safe distance of course.
 
3 years ago while fishing Many Glaicer Montana ran into 3 grizzlies in 1 hour. Closest one was about 20 yards away walking on a trail. They really did not care that we were around tons of huckleberry in the area we fished.


Our cabin outside White haven, nice size black bear cooling off in the pond behind the cabin. Maybe around 30 yards away when I heard the splash.
 
That was a classic Sas
 
443.jpg


Ran into this little lady at the '07 jam while Jay and I were gearing up in the parking lot of the Hotel Manor at Slate Run. Climbed right out of the dumpster while we were putting our waders on.

I've had at very least 50, probably close to 100 reasonably close bear encounters in the woods and they almost all ended with the bear hauling butt out of there at the first noise I made. This one really unnerved me a bit. I yelled "beat it bear!", which is usually a winning play, only to have her stomp her foot and huff at us a few times before reluctantly walking away, keeping her eye on us the whole time.

We fished for a bit and were getting ready to leave and saw her on the hill above the creek on the way out(see photo above). We carefully walked past her as she stared us down. Then Jay realized he lost a fly box a few yards up the trail. He was on his own at that point. He walked back, got his box and came back as she was working her way back down the hill, where she proceeded to escort us from her property.

I think the problem lies when you are in an area that is thick with camps where everybody wants a picture of a bear eating marshmallows out of their hand. These bears have no fear, which will eventually be the cause of their demise. If you like seeing bears and have a camp, always remember: A fed bear is a dead bear. Just let them do their thing and you'll be just fine.

Boyer
 
I've seen prolly 3 or 4 bears while fishing. They will run from you 99% of the time. It's when they don't run from you that you might have problems. Obviously, when they have young around you don't want to get between them. Then you will have a problem. The biggest no no is feeding them. This is why they lose their fear and that's a very bad thing!

Here's a long distance pic of a HUGE bear that I saw in Carbon county, no doubt the biggest I've ever seen. He ran right in front of me on Rt 903 and into the grass to get to the woods. I'm guessing he was around 500lb - 600lb! He had a collar, so he's being watched.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0735 (Custom).JPG
    IMG_0735 (Custom).JPG
    37.2 KB · Views: 6
The last two posts hit the nail on the head!!!!
DO NOT FEED THE BEARS.
 
Phew, fun stuff. Regarding cows, a room mate and I used to duck hunt a farmers cow pasture in Centre County. A small creek ran through the pasture and flooded the area during precipitation events. The first moring we hunted there was eventful to say the least. Hopping over electric cow fences hauling dekes, blinds, guns, and wearing waders was no small feat in itself.
Until we met Frank. We thought we were in a spot the cows couldn't access. We were wrong. Frank was pretty friendly and stayed away when the ducks came in and we started shooting, but man a big bull in the dark sure looks a lot bigger than from the car driving down the road.
 
I fished with a guide just southeast of Yelllowstone one time and he carried both a 44 and a can of bear spray. He swore the gun was only to frighten a bear and the spray for an emergancy. The bear spray is most effect in an attack as per his opinion. Also anyone killing a grizzly goes through quite an extensive interview process as it was illegal to kill them at that time.
 
The only on stream encounter I've had with a bear was at Conneys Flats on Pine Creek. I was fishing and catching the occasional trout on caddis when I heard the splashing of something in the creek, I turned to see a bear within 50 feet of me. I was up to my chest in the water, and abit uneasy because he could have had me for sure.
I yelled to the guy I was fishing with and when I did the bear took off from where he came, I've never seen anything that fast in the woods. Cool encounter.
 
My dad had a similar encounter like Hook_Jaw had. It was about 50 yards below the foot bridge of Laurel Hill Creeks' lower delayed harvest section. This was about 10 years ago. My dad laughed about it cause he thought he scared the bear as much as it scared him. The bear ran, no harm done.
 
Two this year, one in del water gap, where there are many, other nescopeck tiny stream. Mother with cubs carbon cty last year... She made noise and I just walked away. Big bear north of nesquehoning it took offrunning.


 
No need for a gun. Just bring this guy who speaks for the bears... oh, yeah... That didn't end so well...

news01.jpeg
 
Missy,

My scariest bear encounter happened while fishing with your husband in the gorge on the Little J. I walked into a mom and 3 cubs, the cubes went up trees all around me, and momma wasn't happy. I tried to maintain my walking pace and talk calmly to momma...
 
The_Sasquatch wrote:
Sasquatch>black bears

Grizzly>Sasquatch

Cows>Sasquatch (ask Slaymaker....but ever since I got chased down by a bull on Lititz Run, I HATE walking through cow pastures).
Click to expand...

You are such a city boy.

 
I use to fish a farm pond where the bull would regularly chase me over the fence.lol
fun in your 20s
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Harman's North Fork Cottages


Real Time Data From
the USGS Site

Share this page

Back
Top