I bailed out on the evening hunt, was I too concerned?

[FranklinBluth]

If you're in bear country, what do you think the ratio is of bears that can smell/see/hear you vs. bears you have spotted? Not saying you shouldn't have followed your gut in this situation, but it's worth considering that this situation is fairly routine in bear country.

I've never witnessed an unprovoked bear attack, but I have witnessed some pretty unnerving black bear behavior close to the time of year when they den up. On one occasion I had one come straight at me out of the woods after getting dropped off to fish from a gravel bar. The guys in our group spotted the bear behind me as they were leaving in the jon boat - they threw it in reverse and yelled at me to get back in the boat. By the time I got in the boat the bear had closed to 10 yards. We motored off and got out into the main channel of the river - going upstream just above idle speed. The bear followed us upriver - walking along the bank for a good half mile before disappearing.

 

[jtevanMT]

I regularly hunt in areas with both black and grizzly bears. I am not concerned about black bears and enjoy watching them whenever I have the opportunity. I would never leave an area or think twice about hunting until dark due to black bears. I also enjoy watching G-bears but prefer too not see them near my hunting areas. I do change my hunting behaviors and elk processing when in G-bear areas.