This is unsettling

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Yesterday my son and I hung a treestand, a scent rope, and a camera for whitetail in a nasty thick creek bottom area. This treestand is less than a mile from town. The local restaurant is exaxtly a mile away I measured it. Im in the treestand this evening and I throw the camera SD card in the reader and check the pics. This is what I get.
Me, the dog, and the little buddy in tow.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Then I get to the other pics.

 

[Gulf of Ontario]

Yeah, that'll make your trip in or out in the dark a little more exciting!

 

[mevertsen]

Thats wild, unnerving as hell.

Not sure where you are located, but it sure shows how resilient wildlife is to our presence.

 

[INMT]

Par for the course. Didn’t you move somewhere along the front?

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Yeah, that'll make your trip in or out in the dark a little more exciting!

I left at 545pm. I wussed out, it's so thick there is spot i need to crawl to get thru the brush. I couldnt build up the nerve to do it. Haha

 

[Beignet]

I’d have probably sniffed that scent rope myself.

But, if you moved to the front they’re practically regulars at the Western, no?

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

I’d have probably sniffed that scent rope myself.

But, if you moved to the front they’re practically regulars at the Western, no?

They are regulars, just dont think to much about it when your sitting 400 yards from where u park your car at your buddies place in town. I guess this happening makes it more real to me. Having my 5 year old down there knowing that fat ass beast was somewhere around just doesn't sit well. Thank God we didnt stumble onto him.

 

[Beignet]

They are regulars, just dont think to much about it when your sitting 400 yards from where u park your car at your buddies place in town. I guess this happening makes it more real to me. Having my 5 year old down there knowing that fat ass beast was somewhere around just doesn't sit well. Thank God we didnt stumble onto him.

Man, I spend some time over there but it can be an unsettling zone for sure. Years ago I woke up to a lot of big paw prints circling the fresh snow outside our wall tent near Choteau, like “I told you guys that wasn’t just the hurricane force winds flapping around all night!”

Personally, no way I’d be farting around in thick willows and brush in that part of the world in this day and age. And yeah, having a kid either at home or with you changes chit 100%. (Ours is two and I switched up a trip away from the Badger this August in light of the berry crop failure this year, so as to not sound like I’m saying “don’t be afraid of ‘em”)

But, it’s still one of the most visually stunning parts of the state and I won’t ever stay away from it. Congrats on the move.

 

[Letthemgrow]

Dump bear?

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Dump bear?

I think the nearest dump is 35 miles away. I think it just hasn't missed a meal in its life! Haha

 

[Salmonchaser]

Wow!

 

[gouch]

That is disturbing. There must be something seriously wrong with that bear.

He didn't chew your camera up.

 

[sclancy27]

So much for the berry failure this year....that thing is huge. Steady diet of wheat or whatever else is planted nearby

 

[MTLabrador]

So much for the berry failure this year....that thing is huge. Steady diet of wheat or whatever else is planted nearby

I saw a black bear the other day that was about as round as that from corn. Still had some stuck in its teeth.

@Hilljackoutlaw those are some cool photos, but very unsettling. I’ve spent a lot of time around them, but thick, brushy creek bottoms and brush like that in grizzly country make me super nervous. Maybe do your whitetail hunting with a .45-70 this year.

 

[Pagosa]

They are thick over there, we run into lots of bears or sign every fall. Some good whitetail hunting later in the year if you can find access. I personally think the grizzlies know when hunters are in a area and very observate of other predators or big game in their area.

 

[Pagosa]

That bear is super fat

 

[brymoore]

Grizz?

 

[INMT]

I pretty much don’t go out in that zone not thinking they’re not nearby.

A buddy sent me a cool video a few years back. He was saddle hunting in a thick creek bottom for late season whitetail. Had a buck decoy set up below him and a grizz came in and started batting around the decoy. He was down there messing around for over 3 minutes.

 

[sclancy27]

They are thick over there, we run into lots of bears or sign every fall. Some good whitetail hunting later in the year if you can find access. I personally think the grizzlies know when hunters are in a area and very observate of other predators or big game in their area.

It's really easy to underestimate how smart they are.

We were talking with a bear bio in WY once about whether or not griz are smart enough to figure gunshots = food. His response was basically "We have no direct evidence but they can teach bears to ride unicycles in Russia, so anything is possible."