Would you have turned Around?

[salmo]

Flying Monkeys? Is that another cut at lawyers?

 

[Esoxbum]

This is known as a Black Bear bluff charge. It is common enough to have a name. At least you had a firearm, usually people only have a flyrod, bow and arrows or a stick.

Rocks, always plenty of rocks. However, I would adamantly advise to not throw them at bears…you might get ‘sow slapped’?

 

[brookiefan]

Carry bear spray, works on other animals as well as two legged varmints.

 

[Cougarbaby]

Carry bear spray, works on other animals as well as two legged varmints.

Close your eyes applying bear repellent on yourself burns like no tomorrow lol

 

[Yoder]

That was some very concerning bear behavior! Of the roughly 10 or so bears I've encountered while fishing in remote areas, every one of them took off as soon as they saw and or smelled me. It's the bear that doesn't take off that you need to worry about. Glad it worked out for you.

I think people were feeding it. I've never had one act like that. There are a lot of state cabins in the area.

 

[afishinado]

Here's two bear stories I posted a while back:


A few years back I made a trip to Hickory Run Park to fish Mud Run off organized camp area road. I parked all the way at end of the area next to the gate, suited up and began walking down the trail to the stream. There are dense laurels along the trail, and I heard rustling in the bushes not too far in. I peered into the bush the to see if I could spot anything as I continued walking. When the brush thinned a bit I spotted a good sized bear about 20 yards away walking parallel to the trail. I stopped and he stopped. We studied each other for about a minute.

I’ve seen quite a few bear in the woods and found them to be extremely wary. My experience has been that they run the other way with your slightest movement or when they catch just a hint of your scent. This bear had no fear at all.

We walked “together” for quite a distance. Just to see what would happen, I yelled to see if the bear would react, he just stood there peering at me. I picked up a stick and hit it against a tree; again he had no reaction. I thought to myself that bear is going to be trouble for the campers in the area.

Eventually I lost sight of the bear when I arrived at the stream, and my thoughts shifted to trout. A few weeks later I read of a bear mauling a camper in that very spot in the park. I wasn’t surprised. That bear completely lost his fear of people and I would bet it was the same bear that attacked a camper in his tent.



Another time I was bow hunting at my cabin in Wyoming County on Forkston Mountain. It was a real windy night. I woke up early, as usual, and the wind was still howling. I geared up, and began walking on the trail behind my cabin to my treestand.

It was a moonlit night, and I decided not to use my flashlight because it ruins your night vision and I’ve found you can actually see better in the semidarkness without one.

Up ahead in the middle of my trail I spotted what I thought was a root ball from a blowdown resulting from the high winds. As I walked up to the blowdown it absolutely exploded in the darkness. The blowdown was actually a bear, feeding or lying in the middle of the trail with his back to me. My first reaction was to raise my bow and put in between me and the creature. I was so close I could actually feel the bear hit the stabilizer on my bow as he bolted.

I later surmised that the wind masked my sound and scent, and the bear had no idea I had come up on him. I’m not sure which of us was more scared. “My heart was in my throat” doesn’t even come close to describe literally walking right into a bear in the darkness.

 

[wildtrout2]

I think people were feeding it. I've never had one act like that. There are a lot of state cabins in the area.

That sounds like an explanation for the behavior you encountered. Feeding bears is the worst thing a person can do. They eventually become dependant on it and lose fear of humans, which can lead to an encounter like yours.

 

[Hoot_Wilson]

I was fishing a beaver pond in Pike County about a mile from my truck a few years ago. I had to crawl through what was almost a tunnel in the brush to get to the spot on the dam. It was starting to get dark, and I heard what I thought was someone walking towards me. I could hear the water splashing. I stopped and looked back, and it was a black bear, I'm guessing it was at least 300lbs. It was about 40 yards away, walking right at me. I yelled at it and waved my arms, and it didn't care. I threw a stick and it backed off a little bit but didn't run. I packed my stuff and pulled out my Glock. I had to go out toward the bear, it was the only way out. I kept yelling and it would back off a little more. I finally got out to open woods, and he was still hanging around about 40 yards away. He turned right and I went left. I walked about halfway to my truck and all the sudden I heard something behind me. I turned around and the bear was running right at me. I yelled again and he slowed down and turned away a little but still kept walking in my direction. I've never had a bear act like this. I pulled my gun and shot the base of a tree. If it didn't run, I figured I might have to shoot this bear. He finally took off.
I started bringing a gun because I heard people were getting car jacked coming out from hunting or fishing. I'm always alone and somewhere remote. I never thought I would have to worry about a bear.

I’ve gotten into a sticky situation like that in Shohola(Pike County). I fish Shohola creek quite a bit and that’s bear country. I’m not even old enough to carry but it’s a lovely stream so that won’t stop me. Last November I was fishing for natives north of the falls. Caught a decent one too. When I turned around to head back towards my truck, I was standing 20 yards from what had to be a 500 pound bear. I had no gun and the only knife I had fell out of my holster. Looking back this is pretty funny, not like I’m going to ward of a bear with a skinning knife but it seemed like a scene out of a movie. I started yelling at him and at first he found it amusing(didn’t move). Thankfully I kept making myself look like something he didn’t want to eat and he turned around. P.S. If you’re fishing any of these streams in Pike County, be bear aware.

 

[Paul Barci]

Last Sunday I found myself on white clay creek, enjoying throwing dry flies for fallfish and sunnies . I started from the bridge at London tract road and exchanged helloes with another FF's coming off the water as I started under the bridge heading up stream. Great weather and fish that were just picky enough to pretend my dry fly casting was improving just a bit, on a few successful takes . Eventually I end up at a very small set of falls with a 8 ' plunge pool under and nice seam. So I re rig to nymph and start make what would be the first of many fruitless drifts. While I'm happily fishing , a guy appears on the far bank , the bank I need to go up as I'm standing on the other side of the stream on the shelf that drops off into 8 feet of water and is impassible. So this guy about 15 yards away never says hello and kinda does the 1000 yard stare past me (he for sure saw me ) , but he has a back pack and I figure he is hiking and think , no biggie let him pass and be on my way around the falls. So after the 30+ fruitless drifts I start to wonder why he has not moved on and is just milling around looking at the ground and I mean it was strange ,his demeanor at least to me. So this goes on for like 20 minutes, and I park it on a rock and just decide to watch him. I think maybe he is looking for mushrooms or foraging, maybe he is Sheed hunting , maybe he is on drugs . Then he starts up the trail a bit but he keeps doubling back after a minute to right in the area I need to go to get around the pool. As we cross there half hour mark and he is still standing on the far bank milling around , I decided to stay on my side of the creek and to wade back to the bridge, calling it a early day and we never say a word to each other .
So I want to know, have I just watched to many scary movies ? Was it all in my head ? Would you have turned around ?

I might have let him see my .45

 

[wildtrout2]

I’ve gotten into a sticky situation like that in Shohola(Pike County). I fish Shohola creek quite a bit and that’s bear country. I’m not even old enough to carry but it’s a lovely stream so that won’t stop me. Last November I was fishing for natives north of the falls. Caught a decent one too. When I turned around to head back towards my truck, I was standing 20 yards from what had to be a 500 pound bear. I had no gun and the only knife I had fell out of my holster. Looking back this is pretty funny, not like I’m going to ward of a bear with a skinning knife but it seemed like a scene out of a movie. I started yelling at him and at first he found it amusing(didn’t move). Thankfully I kept making myself look like something he didn’t want to eat and he turned around. P.S. If you’re fishing any of these streams in Pike County, be bear aware.

Are there still Pickerel in Shohola Creek? Back in the 70's me and my buds used to catch a lot of them in there. I think I remember it being near a swampy area near Rt. 84?

 

[Hoot_Wilson]

Are there still Pickerel in Shohola Creek? Back in the 70's me and my buds used to catch a lot of them in there. I think I remember it being near a swampy area near Rt. 84?

Yes. I’ve caught few real tiny guys. Correct. Right off Rt.84 exit 34 which is the Lord’s Valley exit. Head North and the bridge right off the interstate is over Shohola creek. You can’t drive down in there anymore(walk in only) but you can park right up the road. It gets fished out pretty good by locals, including myself but is excellent all through the spring. If you take that stream back a ways it gets real deep and swampy. Legend has it there are some huge browns back in there, but I’ve never caught trout that far in. That’s where I’ve caught pickerel, and almost drowned in my waders haha. I prefer shohola north of the falls because it is perfect rocky trout country. It is a heck of a walk though. And like I said earlier, watch for bears, oh and rattlesnakes.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

If you have to carry a firearm to fish, then the bad guys have won.

I think you did the right thing and trusted your gut.

Not that it should matter but it does in this world, unfortunately. You did not share that you are also a woman, yes? Dudes is mad creepy. You did the right thing.

 

[Paul Barci]

They had pay phones back then, didn't they? 😉

I believe they did but l don't think quarters were invented yet.

 

[wildtrout2]

I believe they did but l don't think quarters were invented yet.

They took dimes back then. 😉