marty1028

Yes sir! shed hunting!

shed33

I have had 4, run-ins with black bears over the years, while shed hunting. The first taught me an important lesson. Never leave to shed hunt without my 44 mag. Not necessarily to shoot them, but to spook them off.

My first experience left me with a Boar that did not want to leave as I hollered and yelled at him too. Luckily it was a boar and not a sow with cubs. I got out of the area that day without a problem, but from then on I packed my pistol.

3 more times after that first incident I ran into SOWS with CUBS.....Every sow I ran into ( all in the thick cover where I walked right up on them. Each sow turned on me and either approached me snapping their jaw or stood on their hind legs and looked at me. Each time I yelled at em first trying to run them off. They had cubs with them, not once was I between them and their cubs, nevertheless, they approached me.

I ended up on each of the three sows......firing a round over their heads ....this immediatly sent them RUNNING OFF... I never felt like I was going to have to shoot one of the sows...I just had to get put a little fear into them. If I had to shoot one to save myself...sure I would..But I would never just SHOOT a sow with cubs.. Its illegal here to shoot a sow with cubs.

Shed

Bear Wallow

I had black bear charge me as I was coming out of canyon while deer hunting. It stopped 40yds from me, ran away 20yds and turned around, then I went for my camera and he was gone.

Elkshed

I would spray the bear with bear spray if it got too close and continue shed hunting.