Black Bears while turkey hunting

[turkaholic]

I was wondering how often do any of you guys see bears? I hunt in NY mostly, and have seen Black Bears 3 times. Last year while hunting  a ridge on a windy day with a friend we watched a huge bear scratching his back on a log. After 15 minutes or so he walked out. A few yards away we found his bed and some HUGE crap piles. His color was just like an egg plant. A few years ago I was moving thru the woods and caught movement, looking closer I could see a bear laying down snoozing. He sat up with every noise, but never detected me. After watching for Half an hour I backed out and he never new I was there. He had turned over every rock around , grubbing. I now am aware I hunt in bear country and when I see rocks flipped over I keep a sharp eye out. I love this sport!

[tomstopper]

I have seen many over the years. The only worry that I have ever had was walking in on some cubs and their mother on my way in in the morning. Did it once during the day once and it scared the hell out of me. They all ran off together but I still know that it could have went down hill in a hurry.

[BowBendr]

Where we hunt in western NC there is a huge bear population.
Hardly ever see one...



Sent from Gobblers Knob, NC

[Triple Gobble]

I have never seen one while turkey hunting
Yet, but have friends that have.  I know towards
The end of the season where I'm from
The bears are in their mating season, so its
Possible to run into one.

[Rio Fan]

I've seen them quite a few times in Washington, but fortunately I haven't had any scary encounters yet.

[RiverRoost]

Pretty weird you started this topic bc I wejt out listening late this afternoon and didn't feel like toting my shotgun bc I just wanted to listen. Well on my way out it was dark enough to barely still make silhouettes out. Owl hoots, I stop to listen for a bird and look up and notice something big and and black. I'm like I know that's not a stump and then it starts moving across the road about 75 yards in front of me. We have a decent population of black bears where I hunt at and the state comes and traps and collars them so we are no strangers to them. See them all the time deer hunting but something about being on the ground and not having a gun just made me a little uneasy. So I kept quiet and let it make its wagon the woods a little ways then hit the light on my phone and caught second gear in my walkin pace on past him back to my four wheeler ha!

[Bowguy]

I live in the part of Jersey you see on tv when they talk about bear problems. Last year I was seeing 6-8 a day. The berries in the trees by my house were pulling them in extra well, (no mast this year), coming home from work they'd even be in the trees or when running to truck without looking a sow concerned about your intent would rush you. Definitely woke you up. When going into a set up in the morning I don't use a light and sometimes hear huffing and blowing. I know what it is and its normally pretty quick that I do try n fish a light from the bottom of my vest. All in all though we see em so often that I'm pretty used to em. But I live one town away from where a  college kid was attacked n eaten last year.  There's nothing to worry about for the most part though.

[Tail Feathers]

I don't live in bear country but saw on in TN on a hunt.  I was sitting there watching a huge bobcat staring at me about 30 yards away.  Suddenly the bobcat spun away from me and watched something come through the bottom about 75 yards out.  It was a huge bear.  To my untrained eye, he appeared to be about 500 pounds (based on bears taken on hunting shows I've seen). 
I didn't have time to be scared.  The bear moved through at a fast walk (probably smelled me?).

A very cool sighting for a guy who hasn't seen a bear in the wild since I was a kid in NC.

[njdevilsb]

I'm in upstate NY and it's never been a problem in my particular area.  We did get a few trail cam pictures of one during the deer season last fall, so there's definitely the chance.

[Turkeyman62]

I see them a lot.

[dfresh55]

i seen a print one year no one believed me, then the next day one of my hunting partners actuly seen the bear.  It was odd called conservation adn they said they had just released some cinamon bears in the area.

[wisconsinteacher]

Sitting on a ridge last year calling for a buddy I had 2 cubs run to within 20 yards with mom right behind them.  I just told them real calmly to turn around.  They did and about 25 minutes later, I called in 2 nice toms and my buddy shot one.  I have also had bear tracks on my tracks when I went back to the truck.

I would rather hunt near bears than those snakes you guys down south and out west deal with.

[turkey_slayer]

Several. Had 3 hunts messed up by them. One was on a double beard that I ended up killing the next day. I was in Tennessee either last year or year before and I was on a bird. I could see him about 60 yards strutting back and forth slowly making his way. I kept hearing something behind me and thought it was deer. I thought crap they're going to wind me and blow out spooking the bird. Well a big branch snaps so I ease my head around and look a bear right in the face. I stand up and run em off. Don't know where that bird went lol

[Dr Juice]

I hunt in Sullivan county in NY and I almost got between a sow and her 3 cubs during a turkey season a few years ago. 

[CT Spur Collector]

Yep, lots of em...take jelly filled doughnuts with me while scouting.
They're good eaters here in PA.