Bear attack during Turkey Hunting

The fact of the matter is, if you are hunting turkeys in an area where there are bears, there is a chance that you could have a run-in with a bear. Apparently, usually they will run off when they see you, but I had an experience one fall when I was preparing for the deer season where I was unarmed and I had a run-in with a bear. It was not afraid of me at all even though I did all the things that are recommended for bear encounters. I got out of the situation, but it is not something I want to repeat.
If you have a run-in with a sow and cubs, you need to be prepared to defend yourself. Since you will have a shotgun with you, you will be in good shape. Try not to panic - don't go blasting away if it's 30 yards out, even if it appears aggressive. Save your ammo for if it gets very close, like 15 yards or less, then open fire if it keeps advancing. Any well-placed turkey load at close range will do the job. Three shots should be more than enough.

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Originally Posted by Mateo

Glad you made it back in one piece. Walking back into the field to wait until the bear goes away seems to be a good idea. I wonder if anyone would do anything differently in such situation?

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Bear at 70 yards nothing to worry about. Make a load noise or fire off a shot in the air and that bear will run off like a scared mouse and off home you go.

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Originally Posted by JBen

Mateo.
Like thousands and thousands and thousands of other guys who walk into stands before sunrise, or out of stands after sunset. Ive done that for year in S Ontario with nothing but a camera............I'm still here.

I do recall one incident one morning, sitting in the bush waiting for sunrise and WTs, when a coyote pretty much walked into my lap. Honestly it was close enough to touch. I'm not sure who was more surprised, and startled. It or me. It had a funny look on its face and Im pretty sure I did to..........I'm still here.

There are thousands of guys who hunt bears, with bows...not guns..bows. Still recall the first time I did that and my first evening in the stand. There was about 10 minutes of light left, when it hit me...Now I need to get down and walk out of the bush in the dark, with nothing but a toothpick in my hands. Not so bright that I was thinking, given the whole idea of a bait barrel is to draw a hungry bear in, just before last night...just before I need to get down...Still here, as are the thousands and thousands of other guys who hunt bears with just bows.....So are the thousands of outfitters and guides who bait those barrels, every other day.....

As a friend said to me about Bears. Really, they are little more than overgrown racoons. Do bad things happen occasionally? yes they do.
There are likely statistically more self inflicted accidental shootings, and grievous injury each years, than bear maulings.

Once you start hunting and start spending time in the bush, those feeling of uneasiness will pass. Not unlike the first time a person gets behind the wheel of a car and gets on the 401. In time...............

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Thank you JBen,

It does give me a peace of mind knowing that people hunt bears with bows and cross bows. It is pretty amazing. I will be sure to really spend a lot of time in the bush in 2016 to make sure I really learn and study the animal's behavior. Just like you said I'm going to make sure I get that uneasy feeling go away with me getting as much bush time this year as I can.

Good luck in your hunts and stay safe!!!

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Originally Posted by bellerivercrossbowhunter

I hunt Bear with my cross-bow only & we only hunt the afternoon hunt. It's a bit unnerving like others have said when you have to climb down & walk out @ dusk with my bow in it's case & only a knife to defend myself. I figure most Bears are scared of humans and want nothing to do with us while we are walking out in the dark. That's what I tell myself & it seems to be working... LOL

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haha thank you sir,

Yeah positive thinking is always good. lol

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Originally Posted by rf2

The fact of the matter is, if you are hunting turkeys in an area where there are bears, there is a chance that you could have a run-in with a bear. Apparently, usually they will run off when they see you, but I had an experience one fall when I was preparing for the deer season where I was unarmed and I had a run-in with a bear. It was not afraid of me at all even though I did all the things that are recommended for bear encounters. I got out of the situation, but it is not something I want to repeat.
If you have a run-in with a sow and cubs, you need to be prepared to defend yourself. Since you will have a shotgun with you, you will be in good shape. Try not to panic - don't go blasting away if it's 30 yards out, even if it appears aggressive. Save your ammo for if it gets very close, like 15 yards or less, then open fire if it keeps advancing. Any well-placed turkey load at close range will do the job. Three shots should be more than enough.

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Thank you RF2,

I will definitely keep that in mind. I've already learned a lot about bears and will keep on learning to make sure I'm ready for situations of different sorts. Main thing I will try to do is avoid bears with cubs. It might prove a challenge if I'm sitting in the blind being focused on where I will set up decoys for the Turkey but I will try and be as observant as I can.

Thank you

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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers

Bear at 70 yards nothing to worry about. Make a load noise or fire off a shot in the air and that bear will run off like a scared mouse and off home you go.

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Thank you for a good tip Fins Fur Feathers,

I was thinking along the same lines may be. I'm glad there are a few different options to go about it.

Yep.
I will never forget that first bear hunt, and week in the bush up north. For months leading up to it, I was excited and while I could have brought my rifle, I really want to take one with my bow. So I brought my bow.

First evening, the guide brings me to my stand, gets me settled and with a twinkle in his eye as he's leaving says "good luck". Thanks I say, all excited......8:30 pm, can barely see the barrel it hits me. That 'Doh!" or lightbulb moment. Now I need to make the long walk out of deep bush in the dark.....and the reason Im in this tree 15 yards from a bait barrel? Hoping the bait draws a hungry bear right to this tree, in the last 20 minutes of light and I now need to climb down out of with nothing but a toothpick in my hand.....

Not so smart after all.
:)

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Originally Posted by JBen

Yep.
I will never forget that first bear hunt, and week in the bush up north. For months leading up to it, I was excited and while I could have brought my rifle, I really want to take one with my bow. So I brought my bow.

First evening, the guide brings me to my stand, gets me settled and with a twinkle in his eye as he's leaving says "good luck". Thanks I say, all excited......8:30 pm, can barely see the barrel it hits me. That 'Doh!" or lightbulb moment. Now I need to make the long walk out of deep bush in the dark.....and the reason Im in this tree 15 yards from a bait barrel? Hoping the bait draws a hungry bear right to this tree, in the last 20 minutes of light and I now need to climb down out of with nothing but a toothpick in my hand.....

Not so smart after all.
:)

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Since you're here to tell the story the decisions you made that time were smart lol. Is guide the same as an outfitter? Were they not supposed to come get you back? lol

There are video's on the net (you tube) of bears charging people. And the person stopping the charge cold with a shot into the air.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...B42&FORM=VIRE3

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...ED&FORM=VRDGAR

I imagine a shotgun even without slugs ( Aka turkey gun) can do the same

edit add to answer your question

The particular outfitter I used has a "lead guide". They bring you to your stand, the first night to show where the stand is..after that they don't enter the bush...no need to chance extra people/sounds/smells...........and pick you up on the road later at night...

The spring I hunt I did back this past May, pickup was around 10:30pm. A couple nights it meant standing in the bush in the dark a long time waiting for them to pick us up.

You get used to it.

The "take away" here is to reassure you. Thousands of people hunt bears with bows and have for years. How many people in Ontario have been mauled by black bears? Very, Very, Very few

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Originally Posted by JBen

There are video's on the net (you tube) of bears charging people. And the person stopping the charge cold with a shot into the air.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...B42&FORM=VIRE3

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...ED&FORM=VRDGAR

I imagine a shotgun even without slugs ( Aka turkey gun) can do the same

edit add to answer your question

The particular outfitter I used has a "lead guide". They bring you to your stand, the first night to show where the stand is..after that they don't enter the bush...no need to chance extra people/sounds/smells...........and pick you up on the road later at night...

The spring I hunt I did back this past May, pickup was around 10:30pm. A couple nights it meant standing in the bush in the dark a long time waiting for them to pick us up.

You get used to it.

The "take away" here is to reassure you. Thousands of people hunt bears with bows and have for years. How many people in Ontario have been mauled by black bears? Very, Very, Very few

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Thank you for the reassurance again JBen. I will definitely watch these videos when I get home tonight.

It's great to know that even if I only have a Turkey gun with me it will be more that enough to scare the animal away or protect my self if I need to. Which is a very very slim chance anyway. I never shot the mossberg that I will buy or any turkey loads per say but I assume it will be loud and effective at scaring the bear.

Thank you again for the the input.