# Anyone with black bear incidents



## juliemi23 (Nov 21, 2011)

I am a graduate student and am creating a database with all Utah black bear-human incidents. I have records from the media and the Utah DWR, but I wanted to make sure I got as many incidents as possible. Does anyone have any personal experiences with black bears that they would be willing to share with me and allow me to put in my database? I don't need sightings, but I would like records of any other black bear experiences. Any help would be really appreciated! Just pm me if you have something you are willing to share. Thanks


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

I will bite on this one. In the early summer in Cache County I encountered a black bear face to face in a small drainage. I was traveling along a small river and encountered a black bear so close in proximity that I could count the flies on his face. We had a little stare down for a second or two and the bear ran up the drainage that I was navigating up as well. As soon as the bear left my sight I heard a few barks and he returned in my directions with a slight up hill advantage on me. I chucked a few rocks in his direction and he continued on his way up the drainage never to be seen again. 

On the elk hunt of last year. A neighboring hunter had harvested a cow elk. The gutpile that they had left attracted a bear that fed on the entrials. The bear stayed in the area and on several occaisions could be seen sleeping on top of the gut pile. Also Cache County.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

I ran into a black bear on the muzzleloader deer hunt on the Plateau-Fishlake unit one year. I was walking down a trail with my brother-in-law for the evening hunt. He had recently moved here from California and did not have a tag, gun, or much exposure in the outdoors at that time. A doe bounded out of a clump of thick brush down below the trail. I heard some rustling down in the brush and thought there might be another deer down there, perhaps a buck.

I told my brother-in-law to circle around below the brush and to make noise so that whatever was in the brush would move my way. Meanwhile, I started sneaking down toward the brush. When I got down there I heard a rustling noise and realized that the animal was close. I slipped around some thick brush and there was a great big black bear not ten yards from me! 

My legs turned to jello at this point. They say bears are more afraid of you than you are of them. That's bull! This bear just stared me down. I pointed my gun at the bear and backed away slowly. I spoke to the bear in a soft voice, "It's OK, bear. Don't charge, bear. I have a gun, you have claws and teeth; it would't end well. Just stay riiiiiight there, bear." All the while speaking softly and backing away. 

Anyway, I made my way back up to the trail and I started walking down the trail, glad to be alive. Suddenly I realized that I had forgotten my brother-in-law and that he was sneaking in on a bear! 

I yelled, "Don't go in there! It's a bear!"
"What?"
"It's a bear!"
"What?!"
"It's a bear!!!"

The next sound I heard was footsteps running and the crashing of brush. I didn't see my brother-in-law until I got back to the truck. He had run the whole way back, over a mile. I nearly died laughing when his response at seeing me was, "You didn't tell me there were bears in these mountains!"


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## GSLHonker (Sep 8, 2007)

Heres one that happened to me this year on the archery hunt. Let me know if you have any questions 
Thanks 
GSLHonker

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=36516&p=379910&hilit=gsl+bear#p379907


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## Kingfisher (Jul 25, 2008)

perhaps a better definition of 'encounter' is in order. merely seeing/watching a bear in my mind would not qualify. there is an old sow that i have regularly seen near clayton rs snotel on the boulder eating grasshoppers. have seen many from south to north. have i had an 'encounter'? not in my mind. to me an 'encoutner' means more that watching/seeing, it means perhaps the chance of me getting eaten.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Ya, wadda ya wanna hear? A lot of us have seen em. I don't think too many have "almost been eaten"... What do you mean by and "encounter". I have had several. Some close, some not so close. But I have never felt like I was ever in danger.


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## HighmtnFish (Jun 3, 2010)

Several years ago my family and I were fishing a lake on the Boulder Mountain. There were about 20 people fishing this particular lake and a bear showed up on the far side of the lake. Usually bears are a little wary of people but this one was was obviously used to having people around. It chased a group of bank fishermen away and begin to stir around in their stuff, all while 15 other people looked on. It took their stringer of fish and wandered off. That was the only bear I ever saw that was not afraid of humans, and that experience still frightens me today.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Ditto on the definition, just sightings or close up "encounters?"


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## toowide-deer (Dec 11, 2007)

July 23rd 1:30 in the afternoon, I was on an atv heading back to the cabin on private property Gooseberry Canyons estates right on top going up last switchback and came on to a sow and two cubs right on the road I slowed to a stop with my young girl on back! The cubs turned and scampered straight off the road, she started to to go the same way and stopped backed back onto the road turned and held her head down wavering it back and forth a couple times while walking towards us!! For me that fall's into the 'Experience' category I would guess, it's a narrow road and straight down off the non mtn.side. I now can say my reverse works real well on the eiger!! There was probably 300 or so head of sheep in the canyon she was taking the youngin's into, maybe for some education. over 30 yrs on that property and that's the first Bear I have seen in there!!


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## legacy (Sep 30, 2007)

had one about come through our tent while camping at potters pond several years back. Thats was an unpleasant experience! My dad ran into one face to face on the north slope while we were hunting as well.


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## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

A few years back I was deer hunting up Spanish Fork canyon and had an "experience" with a bear. Me and my dad were hiking down through the thick oak brush to get a better look at some deer we had spotted. We were getting to the edge of the brush and we were about 10 feet from a meadow, then we heard a gunshot up on top of the ridge. We look up in that direction hoping that maybe some deer would be pushed down our way. Then all the sudden we could hear some really heavy footsteps and we looked at each other like what the hell is that. About 40 feet from us in the meadow a big black bear was on a dead sprint. My best guess is that he was spooked by the gunshot from the hunters above us. I never realized how fast those big bears can move. They look fat and slow, but I must say I was quite surprised. After the bear had disappeared into the trees we went out in the meadow to check out his tracks in the snow, that think had some massive paws. I wear a size 13 boot and his foot was still bigger than mine boot print. We tried to track him but he was long gone and had scared our deer away too. It was cool to see one in the wild, but I must say I hope to never cross paths with one unexpectedly at close range. Im sure I would soil myself. -)O(-


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## juliemi23 (Nov 21, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the posts so far. They are perfect. For clarification, I don't need sightings. When I say encounter, I mean that you took some sort of action against the bear or the bear threatened you (or both). For example, if you were out hiking, came across a bear, yelled at it and it ran away. Even though the bear was scared away, its still an encounter and I would like to include these in my database. However, if you see a bear and it runs away without you doing anything (or if you see a bear and it doesn't see you), then this is a sighting so I don't need those. The important thing for an encounter is that you take some sort of action against the bear. I hope this helps. Sorry if its not clear. I really appreciate the posts so far.


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

I've had two of the "encounters" that you speak of. 

The first encounter happened about 8 years ago on the San Juan. I was on a photo safari and about 3/4 mile from the nearest road. I was walking alone and armed with binocs, a camera, and a bottle of water. I was using a cow elk call to close the distance on some bucks I wanted some photos of. I was crouched and moving slowly while squeezing and elk call. Suddenly the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I got the distinct scent of a bear. I slowly turned and there was a bear stalking me at 10 yards! I stood up waved my arms and yelled at the bear. He stopped and just stared at me. I continued yelling and waving my arms above my head and after a few seconds he turned and ran off.

Second bear was last year on the San Juan. I walked up on a large boar bedded. I stepped within 5 yards of the bear when he suddenly woke up and stood up on his hind legs. I raised my rifle and we simply had a stand off. It was like I could read his facial expressions as he contimplated his next move. He sat back on his haunches and slowly looked behind him for an escape route then looked back at me as if he we trying to decide whether to run or attack. I talked to the bear softly and told him not to do end that it would end ugly for him and after literally 2 minutes of this he turned and ran.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I was elk hunting near Strawberry. I had sprayed some cow elk urine and blew a few soft cow calls and then just sat and waited. About 45 minutes later, a large bear came walking into the meadow I was watching. He was 50 yards away and walking perpendicular to my location. 

Wanting to make my presence known, I stood and waved my arms yelling, "Hey Bear! Get outta' here!" The bear changed directions and slowly began to walk directly toward me. I got more aggressive and took a couple of steps toward him with my bow raised above my head. I used more colorful language hoping that he would understand I wasn't messing around. He stopped, but as soon as I stopped yelling he took a few more steps toward me. At this point, he was 40 yards away. I drew my bow and prepared to shoot him. He just stood there and I just stood there. He occassionally shifted his weight on his front feet, and occassionally looked behind him. I held my bow as long as I could and had to let up. We just stood there staring at each other. He never woofed or popped his jaws. He just stood there. After some rest, I drew my bow again, preparing for him to come running toward me or something. I was scared out of my mind at this point. 

I held my bow as long as I could and eventually had to let up again. After about 3-4 minutes of this, I decided I either had to shoot him or I had to leave. I slowly reached down and grabbed my backpack and started backing down the mountain. As soon as I started moving down the hill the bear began moving again--not directly toward me, but quartering toward my left. After backing down about 10 yards, I could no longer see him because of the brush and angle of the hill. I never heard or saw him again. I seemed like he was going to flank me, but he may have just been continuing on his way. 

I was never scared of bears before this. I have a pretty healthy fear of them now.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

I must rescind my original post as neither of the occurences qualify as "incidents"...  
Maybe some day I will have an incident when I am starving out in the wilderness and I am confronted by a bear. Then I will wrestle that bear down to the ground in my tarzan leopard thong and then I will take pity on the bear as I notice that it is still weening some cubs and let it go free. I can feel the light breeze blowing through my wavy hair now.... 

Then I will refer to myself as the forum king....


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

AF CYN said:


> I was elk hunting near Strawberry. I had sprayed some cow elk urine and blew a few soft cow calls and then just sat and waited. About 45 minutes later, a large bear came walking into the meadow I was watching. He was 50 yards away and walking perpendicular to my location. ....


That was a good start, but didn't you have an additional experience at night 3 years ago or so scouting for elk?


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

> That was a good start, but didn't you have an additional experience at night 3 years ago or so scouting for elk?


Yeah, but I don't think that qualifies as an encounter since I never interacted with the bear directly. He just came into my camp at night and left a lot of tracks around the area for me to wake up to in the morning.


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## duneman101 (Nov 6, 2009)

Back in 1998 I was walking through the bushes about 500 yards above tony's grove and heard a rock crackle above me, i turned to see a big black bear staring at me from the rock ledge right above me, i'd say about 10-15 yards up, it grunted, being at the tail end of puberty, i screamed like a little girl and ran, when i looked back the bear was running in the exact opposite direction just as fast also screaming like a girl or it was my echo, i'm guessing my shriek scared him as bad as he scared me. i was afraid to walk back by the lake in fear that someone there had seen or heard me scream and i would be shamed for life.


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## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

this year i had a close call with a huge bear t was blak looking but i didnt pay all that much attention ( i was terrified it looked at me while stnding there while then i chambered a round and slowly backing away bricking myself i never imagined i would run across a bear after i was out of sight i headed bak to my truck with a spring in my step and ever watchfull i her something following me for a mile or so but never saw it again i was sure bricking myself when we come face to face


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## maffleck (Jul 23, 2015)

I almost lost my hunting priviledges once when hot and tired after a week of chasing elk I dropped my bear spray to go water and bow only after these elk one last day. I moved around all day while the two elk were going nuts and just couldn't get close enough as they moved all over the place. I finally got into this great spot, perfect wind, and heard sound coming from below. I was going to get it done. Moments later, whatever it was crashed away. I was confused as the wind was steady in my favor and at that moment I caught movement 10 feet to my right. I see a mama black bear just rounding a tree with a cub. Some form of agh!!! came out of my mouth and the cub took off like it was shot out of a cannon. I still cannot believe the speed. The mama went back about 20 yards and stood up. I yelled and kept yelling as I moved away and down and eventually found myself far enough away to realize an adrenaline surge like nothing else. Needless to say, my wife wasn't real thrilled that I head into the woods with bear spray but don't actually carry it. 

My brother had a black bear almost run him over one time as he sat on a game trail. It came so fast it took a second to process what it was as it was running it seemed for some other reason. Before he could do anything, it moved just to his side and barreled into the trees and was gone. Besides needing new underwear, no harm was done.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

juliemi23 said:


> Thanks everyone for the posts so far. They are perfect. For clarification, I don't need sightings. When I say encounter, I mean that you took some sort of action against the bear or the bear threatened you (or both). For example, if you were out hiking, came across a bear, yelled at it and it ran away. Even though the bear was scared away, its still an encounter and I would like to include these in my database. However, if you see a bear and it runs away without you doing anything (or if you see a bear and it doesn't see you), then this is a sighting so I don't need those. The important thing for an encounter is that you take some sort of action against the bear. I hope this helps. Sorry if its not clear. I really appreciate the posts so far.


Last weekend,

I had a bear come into camp.

I heard it coming and yelled "Bear" through the tent and it took off.

2009 in Kamas, I was elk hunting and came to a small opening and there was a 2/3 year old standing on it's hind legs at the end of it. I made myself big by extending the rifle and my arms above my head and said "bear." It took off like a bat out of hell.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

juliemi23 said:


> I am a graduate student and am creating a database with all Utah black bear-human incidents. I have records from the media and the Utah DWR, but I wanted to make sure I got as many incidents as possible. Does anyone have any personal experiences with black bears that they would be willing to share with me and allow me to put in my database? I don't need sightings, but I would like records of any other black bear experiences. Any help would be really appreciated! Just pm me if you have something you are willing to share. Thanks


What is the purpose of the database, will the data be shared with the public and is this for a graduate thesis....more information would be helpful.


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

LostLouisianian said:


> What is the purpose of the database, will the data be shared with the public and is this for a graduate thesis....more information would be helpful.


This tread was resurrected. The original post was from 2011 and was inactive until brought back today. It's likely that the OP already graduated and is no longer monitoring this forum.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

willfish4food said:


> This tread was resurrected. The original post was from 2011 and was inactive until brought back today. It's likely that the OP already graduated and is no longer monitoring this forum.


I agree since her last activity was 12/11.

Who said that there is no life after death? >>O


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Critter said:


> I agree since her last activity was 12/11.
> 
> Who said that there is no life after death? >>O


Oh there is life after death...at least near death anyway. 9 minutes can be an eternity or a blip....glad it was a blip for me.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

night before last day of Wasatch west objective harvest bear hunt my brother and I camped out by a water hole. there were aspens with old bear claw marks where bear(s) had climbed them in years past. around 1 a.m. my brother woke me up because he had a heard some grunting. there were a few more grunts from behind us and a short huff and then silence. found some old bear scat full of grass next morning. never saw it though.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

just read that this is a long dead conversation


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