# Brown bear charge!!!



## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Saturday, six of us went deer hunting. My welder, Nick, and my boss, Randy, went one way, I went alone in another direction and the rest were dropped off near a clearcut. 
Bears can be very defensive of two things, food and their cubs. Nick and Randy were hunting along a small salmon stream where a sleeping sow and cubs were guarding their fishing hole. The sow woke and charged the two with every intent on killing them. They backed up against a log they had just crossed but had no time to cross it and neither dared take their eyes off of her. It just happened too quick. The bear came over a rise 10 feet in front of them and they let her have it. She dropped about four feet away. Yikes!

Here's a picture I took showing where they were standing.









Randy and me skinning the sow. Even in a case of defense of life and property, you are required to salvage the hide, claws and skull and turn them into the Game and Fish.









I'll admit, walking through this tall grass back to the boat with blood all over us was a little unnerving.









While skinning I found a bullet hole in her left eye and one in her mouth. Both bullets went straight back and mangled her neck bone.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

:shock:


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Holy crap, that would not be fun. Glad everyone's ok!


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

You forgot to mention that they went straight to the nearest store and got new underwear!!! Holy cow that was incredible.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

LostLouisianian said:


> You forgot to mention that they went straight to the nearest store and got new underwear!!! Holy cow that was incredible.


If you look close you can see poop stains on the log behind them.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Lol

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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

So how much "red tape" goes along with such an event? Multiple people confirm story...fill out some paperwork and done deal...or do they send someone out there to check out the "scene"?


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Soooo Glad they're alright! :shock:



Must be that location, I seem to remember a particular Silver Fox that wanted to eat my leg off around there somewhere?



That Pic of Randy walking through the grass looks like a scene from the book - (Although Africa) "Death in the Long Grass" by Peter Hathaway.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

gdog said:


> So how much "red tape" goes along with such an event? Multiple people confirm story...fill out some paperwork and done deal...or do they send someone out there to check out the "scene"?


Most of the time you have to take them back to the spot it was killed and walk them through the whole scenario. You have to report it at the FIRST opportunity you can and make every effort to salvage everything required. Even to the point that no hide or skull (or meat if applicable) is spoiled. Then comes the paperwork. I'm not sure how much that entails but I don't think it's more than just a statement. We sent the hide in on the mail plane this morning and the troopers will be here this afternoon to check out the kill site and check on the cub's welfare.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Longgun said:


> Soooo Glad they're alright! :shock:
> 
> Must be that location, I seem to remember a particular Silver Fox that wanted to eat my leg off around there somewhere?
> 
> That Pic of Randy walking through the grass looks like a scene from the book - (Although Africa) "Death in the Long Grass" by Peter Hathaway.


HA! It was. That was a comical sight. Jared and I had a good laugh on that one. Longgun vs mad fox in the long grass.

They were right where the stream came out of the trees into the grass flat.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

Do other bears adopt the cubs or are they big enough to forage alone? My brain wants to say they usually stay with the sow for 2 years.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Longgun said:


> Must be that location, I seem to remember a particular Silver Fox that wanted to eat my leg off around there somewhere?


Last time I was in Alaska I had a fox try and eat my leg. Everytime I turned away he came at me. After five minutes of this I started to get worried he had rabies or something so I hit it with a rock.

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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

30-06-hunter said:


> Do other bears adopt the cubs or are they big enough to forage alone? My brain wants to say they usually stay with the sow for 2 years.


No, they don't adopt other cubs (at least I haven't heard of that). I doubt things will work out for these two cubs. They were this year's young and her mammaries were pretty big. Clearly they were still on the teat. Surely they'll be killed by the next boar that comes by. They climbed a tree but when we came back they were gone. 
Biologist John Cry told me the biggest mortality for Kodiak browns isn't hunters, it's big boars killing the younger bears that have been kicked off of the sow, (usually at three years).


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Good grief. That's the 2nd damnest thing I ever seen.

Glad you guys are OK.

.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Dang! That is unnerving to say the least! Glad everybody is ok.


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## archerben (Sep 14, 2007)

Wow, that's intense! 

I do not know about grizzlies, but or what it's worth, the local biologist here in Utah county has witnessed black bear sows adopting cubs.


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## bekins24 (Sep 22, 2015)

Holy $#*! that's intense. Glad that no one was hurt. I don't think I would be telling my wife exactly how it played out if that happened to me and she wasn't there. She wouldn't ever let me go hunting again. haha


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Great story. Those guys were cool under that type of pressure. 
I screamed like a little girl when a mama brown bear charged me...... Brings back memories of my solo Sitka BTail hunt. 

Thanks for sharing. You live is such an adventurous location!


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

longbow said:


> No, they don't adopt other cubs (at least I haven't heard of that). I doubt things will work out for these two cubs. They were this year's young and her mammaries were pretty big. Clearly they were still on the teat. Surely they'll be killed by the next boar that comes by. They climbed a tree but when we came back they were gone.
> Biologist John Cry told me the biggest mortality for Kodiak browns isn't hunters, it's big boars killing the younger bears that have been kicked off of the sow, (usually at three years).


I've heard of two cases of cubs being adopted. Some guys were talking about three fairly mature cubs following a boar around Kodiak as though he was their mama. Supposedly it was corroborated by biologists, but I can't verify it. 
At katmai last year the naturalists told us of a sow who kicked out her Cub so she could breed. Another sow adopted the Cub and even had one of her own (and they were a year apart). This is the Foster mom chasing away a boar who got close. 

Glad to hear you boys were ok.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

That's good to hear Scott. It makes me feel better.

Can't wait to see you next spring. I'll do anything I can to help you with your hunt. You'll love this place.


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