Grizzly Sow Encounter
07-21-2012, 05:05 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,186
Grizzly Sow Encounter
Well, finally gt a chance to visit Denali. Made a trek into the back country. Man what a day !?! Caribou, moose, Dall's sheep, ground squirrels, Ptarmigan and was doodling around looking at the flowers, hiking up to a hilltop to sit a while and glass for critters ... when out of a draw, and just over a rise, I see this blondish hump moving ever so slowly , headed more or less right at me. Not 75 yards away max.
Having zero experience with, but not being a total dumb-a$$ I immediately thought Grizzly. Not sure what to do and figuring I had not yet been seen, I simply eased back a few steps down hill and walked about 30-40 yards to the right and down wind of what I thought would be the bear's path .... I simply crouched, pulled out the bear spray and got stone still. About all I figured that I had time to do.
It turned out to be a sow with 2 "this year" cubs. She walked within 20 yards of me. So close in fact that I could hear her breathing .... with the lagging of the two cubs behind her 50 yards or so coming within 5 yards or less of me.
I cannot imagine that she did not know that I was there. But she gave no clue if she did. Never even looked in my direction at all. I just sat there until they were gone from sight down hill ..... and then I eased off in the opposite direction. Watched my back all the way. Picked her and the cubs up again about 300 yards away, headed down hill. Man by then I was shaking from head to toe .... but what a beautiful sight.
I was probably too "green" to know the whole of the situation, but I figured when I saw the cubs, and realized how close an encounter that this was going to be, this was not a good situation. I figured for darn sure not to run, and not to look threatening, and to not to even seem like that I was getting near a cub. When that second cub nearly ran over me I nearly had a heart attack.
I'd like to know if I did right .... could have done something better .... just lucked out or what ?
Having zero experience with, but not being a total dumb-a$$ I immediately thought Grizzly. Not sure what to do and figuring I had not yet been seen, I simply eased back a few steps down hill and walked about 30-40 yards to the right and down wind of what I thought would be the bear's path .... I simply crouched, pulled out the bear spray and got stone still. About all I figured that I had time to do.
It turned out to be a sow with 2 "this year" cubs. She walked within 20 yards of me. So close in fact that I could hear her breathing .... with the lagging of the two cubs behind her 50 yards or so coming within 5 yards or less of me.
I cannot imagine that she did not know that I was there. But she gave no clue if she did. Never even looked in my direction at all. I just sat there until they were gone from sight down hill ..... and then I eased off in the opposite direction. Watched my back all the way. Picked her and the cubs up again about 300 yards away, headed down hill. Man by then I was shaking from head to toe .... but what a beautiful sight.
I was probably too "green" to know the whole of the situation, but I figured when I saw the cubs, and realized how close an encounter that this was going to be, this was not a good situation. I figured for darn sure not to run, and not to look threatening, and to not to even seem like that I was getting near a cub. When that second cub nearly ran over me I nearly had a heart attack.
I'd like to know if I did right .... could have done something better .... just lucked out or what ?
07-22-2012, 05:08 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,952
Well, finally gt a chance to visit Denali. Made a trek into the back country. Man what a day !?! Caribou, moose, Dall's sheep, ground squirrels, Ptarmigan and was doodling around looking at the flowers, hiking up to a hilltop to sit a while and glass for critters ... when out of a draw, and just over a rise, I see this blondish hump moving ever so slowly , headed more or less right at me. Not 75 yards away max.
Having zero experience with, but not being a total dumb-a$$ I immediately thought Grizzly. Not sure what to do and figuring I had not yet been seen, I simply eased back a few steps down hill and walked about 30-40 yards to the right and down wind of what I thought would be the bear's path .... I simply crouched, pulled out the bear spray and got stone still. About all I figured that I had time to do.
It turned out to be a sow with 2 "this year" cubs. She walked within 20 yards of me. So close in fact that I could hear her breathing .... with the lagging of the two cubs behind her 50 yards or so coming within 5 yards or less of me.
I cannot imagine that she did not know that I was there. But she gave no clue if she did. Never even looked in my direction at all. I just sat there until they were gone from sight down hill ..... and then I eased off in the opposite direction. Watched my back all the way. Picked her and the cubs up again about 300 yards away, headed down hill. Man by then I was shaking from head to toe .... but what a beautiful sight.
I was probably too "green" to know the whole of the situation, but I figured when I saw the cubs, and realized how close an encounter that this was going to be, this was not a good situation. I figured for darn sure not to run, and not to look threatening, and to not to even seem like that I was getting near a cub. When that second cub nearly ran over me I nearly had a heart attack.
I'd like to know if I did right .... could have done something better .... just lucked out or what ?
Having zero experience with, but not being a total dumb-a$$ I immediately thought Grizzly. Not sure what to do and figuring I had not yet been seen, I simply eased back a few steps down hill and walked about 30-40 yards to the right and down wind of what I thought would be the bear's path .... I simply crouched, pulled out the bear spray and got stone still. About all I figured that I had time to do.
It turned out to be a sow with 2 "this year" cubs. She walked within 20 yards of me. So close in fact that I could hear her breathing .... with the lagging of the two cubs behind her 50 yards or so coming within 5 yards or less of me.
I cannot imagine that she did not know that I was there. But she gave no clue if she did. Never even looked in my direction at all. I just sat there until they were gone from sight down hill ..... and then I eased off in the opposite direction. Watched my back all the way. Picked her and the cubs up again about 300 yards away, headed down hill. Man by then I was shaking from head to toe .... but what a beautiful sight.
I was probably too "green" to know the whole of the situation, but I figured when I saw the cubs, and realized how close an encounter that this was going to be, this was not a good situation. I figured for darn sure not to run, and not to look threatening, and to not to even seem like that I was getting near a cub. When that second cub nearly ran over me I nearly had a heart attack.
I'd like to know if I did right .... could have done something better .... just lucked out or what ?
