Treed by a bear

meatseeker

Senior Member
Just a interesting story from October 1979.
Blue ridge wma, noontootla creek.
I was in the 3rd grade. Back then the gates were kept closed and that place was full of deer. Timber cutting was still going on as well. Grouse were plentiful. It was a different place for sure. Dad and a close friend were out scouting before the muzzle loader hunt. They had split up to cover more ground and had picked a spot to meet up later. Dad was waiting just below the ridge top and heard a racket coming towards him from the other side. He was expecting a gang of Deer but instead a big sow came across the top. Now he had no gun and he was beside a hemlock tree. One of the few trees that have limbs at ground level. So he started to climb up and went about 20’ up. The bear got to the tree and stood on her back legs and growled and turned and headed back where she came from. He decided to climb down and leave and started down and here she come back to the tree so he sat tight and she went back over the top. About this time his buddy came up from below him laughing and wondering what the heck he was doing. Now these two played lots of jokes so dad told him what was going on and for him to get his butt in the tree. As he laughed at him he soon found himself perched with dad in the hemlock like a couple of buzzards. Every time they got the nerve to climb down she’d come back across the top and sit at the bottom of the tree. He said she sat down and looked like Dolly Parton staring up at them. At this point they decide she must have had cubs just over the hill that she kept going to check on. Dads friend decided after a while that maybe they should stand their ground so they started shaking limbs and hollerin at her. That stopped quickly as she started up the tree. She only went a few feet, most likely a Bluff charge.Dad said that was the only time in his life he had seen his friend be serious as he told him to shut up. She backed down and sat at the base of the tree again. Now this went on for an hour and 15 minutes and the sun was starting to go down. Armed with only 2 pocket knives they only had one choice other than staying in a tree for the night. They decided the next time she went over the hill to check on her cubs they would climb down and run the other direction until they ran out of steam. So she crested the hill and as soon as that black moon set over the ridge top they hi tailed it out of there and never looked back. To this day this is always in the back of my mind when I see a bear. If that had been me I’m not sure I’d have never scouted again without a gun. They still laugh about it to this day but I’m sure there was no laughing that evening.
Back Years ago the gates were locked unless an open Deer hunt was going on. Only the loggers had a key to get in. When I get more time I’ll tell the story of a illegal doe in the trunk of a 69 Pontiac that got stopped by the game wardens. I’m sure the stachute of limitations would apply now. :rofl:
 

livinoutdoors

Goatherding Non-socialist Bohemian Luddite
Haha! Great story! Always got a pistol with me .
 

Duff

Senior Member
:rofl:

Good stuff!
 

Killer Kyle

Senior Member
Haha! "Perched in the tree like a couple of buzzards". That made me laugh! Things like that make for great stories!
 

bfriendly

Bigfoot friendly
No doubt, I personally liked, "as soon as that black moon set over the ridge top":clap:

Great story! Thanks for sharing............I try not to go anywhere without a gun, and certainly the woods are a place to carry something;)

Last time Snookman went into the woods without a gun he came almost face to face with a Big boar snapping at him.........thought he was gonna be up a tree too:rofl:
 

jbogg

Senior Member
Hey Meatseeker! We’re ready for the doe in the Pontiac story. Don’t leave us hangin.
 

meatseeker

Senior Member
Hey Meatseeker! We’re ready for the doe in the Pontiac story. Don’t leave us hangin.

I will ask dad about it tomorrow or Sunday. I can’t remember the details of it as good and want to be accurate as to how things went down.
 

GunnSmokeer

Senior Member
here's a cool video of a bear charging right up a hunters' tree stand at full gallop, then stopping right there with its paws wrapped around the stand's rail and safety strap, staring the hunter in the face!

Then it backed down and left.
 
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Ghost G

Member
Great story and memories for your Dad and his buddy. Thanks for sharing!
 
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