# Bear Encounters



## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

I have been fortunate enough to have a few bear encounters. Glacier National Park, I was fishing and had a smallish grizzly wander across the stream about 150 yds upstream. Let's just say I didn't go further up. 

The same trip to Glacier I was fishing the Flathead River I spotted a black bear across the river and about 100 yds into the forest walking straight at me, but heading right to the river. It hit the river and swam right at me. The river was maybe 40 yds across so I started waving and talking to the bear when he angled to my left, hit the same bank as I about 80 yds out, stopped to look at me and wandered into the brush. That was probably the most concerning bear encounter. 

The latest Michigan sighting while fising (maybe 2011? I would have to look back at the journal I used to keep) I was hiking a two-track on a tributary to the Manistee to get back to some brookie water I like (well, used to like as the fishing has deteriorated) and had a large boar cross the tracks about 75 yds headed away from the stream. That was the biggest black bear I have ever seen in person. He didn't notice me as I froze as soon as I saw him. After he got across the trail I made a quick 90 degree turn and hit the creek instead of proceeding on the two track sort of feeling. On my way back to the car I found his large track where he had crossed and was amazed at the pad size. He would have made a great trophy for the bear hunters I'm quite sure.

IMO bears are a creature that deserve respect, but are not to be feared by sportsman as the statistics imply that attacks on humans in Michigan are very rare for the amount of people recreating in our state.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

those are awesome stories trout king. i have only ever saw 1 in person in michigan. i was riding dirtbikes with a buddy at the leota trail head and sow and her cub were in the trail. we slowed a bit and the cub broke for the woods and the sow ran about 100 yards down the trail as we proceeded then she broke to the woods as well. it was awesome. was a good sized bear as far as i can tell. other than that my grandmas neighbors had pictures of one trying to climb into his goat pen from 2015. and that was here in sanford.


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## profisher777 (Jun 2, 2017)

Lots of great stories here. The cougar sightings are definitely getting more common in Lower Michigan. I wonder if Wolf sightings will be more common as well.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

profisher777 said:


> Lots of great stories here. The cougar sightings are definitely getting more common in Lower Michigan. I wonder if Wolf sightings will be more common as well.


at the risk of being ridiculed, i have saw what i believe to be a wolf and two cubs. i was with my ex and some other friends in the jeep running two tracks near lovells mi and saw them crossing only 100 foot in front of me while i drove, i didnt want to bother them so i didnt stop or try to take pictures or anything. wished i wouldve tho becuase all of the exes extended family is from the area and assured me that what i saw was a coyote and i was just inexperienced being from down south. tho i know that coyotes dont get near the size of what i saw nor do they travel much during the day. and have seen plenty of them but i wasnt going to argue with the locals.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

45# is a big Yote.

I was in Alaska in 2010, and we were within 6 feet of a Brown Bear, and probably within 20 feet from a number of them. Those Bears are focused on finding and eating Salmon, and have very little interest in humans - unless they want to go fishing where humans are standing. It is not worth the risk to challenge a Brown Bear for a fishing spot, regardless of funny youtube videos anyone might have seen. We fished AT Brooks Falls, which is a real adventure. A real GREAT adventure.


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## Mitch3030 (Feb 8, 2018)

Clum said:


> Havent you been to Walmart? Plenty of "creatures" there.


Ya I went to Walmart yesterday feeling really good, I came out with a headache


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## Clum (May 11, 2015)

profisher777 said:


> Lots of great stories here. The cougar sightings are definitely getting more common in Lower Michigan. I wonder if Wolf sightings will be more common as well.


I was driving home to Chicago from Michigan last year, and I SWORE I saw a road kill that was a cougar. It was near a bridge that was under construction near the border to Indiana. The next few days I kept google searching for any news regarding cougar sightings thinking maybe the construction crew stumbled upon it and reported it. Never saw anything. Its hard to get a good view going 75, but it sure as hell looked like a big cat.


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## Perchdog (Oct 23, 2005)

Fishndude,
Great video, kind of reminds me of Tippy


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Have had a few while trout fishing and one bow hunting. Odds of seeing increase with the amount you will be out in beer territory. Certainly possible in the areas you mentioned. Only encounter I would worry about, is getting between cubs and momma. That increases the pucker factor immensely.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

That's what happened to the girl in Cadillac. She was jogging and surprised a ma with cubs. So the bear did what she did best and protected her cubs. The bear was not at fault on this one.


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## PRU2 (Mar 4, 2007)

Have a cabin in Wellston, just south of 55 off 669... a few years ago while up with the grandkids in the late spring a neighbor came over and warned us of a sow and her cubs roaming around. Took the advice and kept the kids and dogs close to the cabin...


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## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

TC-fisherman said:


> There's wilderness in Lower MI?


This just made my day


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## lostontheice (Feb 18, 2011)

Fishontippydam said:


> Several yrs ago, a 12yr old girl was attacked in cadillac area. She suffered severe wounds. I've seen many bear in manistee national forest. They most often run as soon as they know you are near. Again most often. There are also the big cats that were released (undocumented) as a study to see what effect it would have on wasting deer. To keep disease down. Many people in the manistee national forest range have seen them and some have even had issues. I've seen two big black cats, one tan big cat. All occurred around water. Two near swamps. One at the river where several people were fishing less than 100ft away, durring mid day. I can only speak what my eyes saw unmistakably. There is common rumor that this stock of large cat all came from the same descendant (inbred). Funding stopped, the cats were released and cages were empty. I'm sure it would be difficult to kill the animals you once took care of passionately. Again the story of how they got here is rumor. Everyone can come up with their own speculation on how they got here. As a local, this is the most common. FYI


snowhunter and I seen that bear cross 55 that day,not sure if before or after the attack..
ive yet to cross paths in the spring,but fall is a different.. big man down by rainbow bend,had a sow and cubs playing round on the other side of the river from us (about 2am)..you could hear the cubs cry out and then splash,this went on for about an hour til one of the guys lit the area up with a spot light,and we started watching the sow slap the cubs into the water..not sure if she was trying to teach them to swim n fish,or just tired of the crying..a week later had a big one cross the road in front of us on high bridge..minivan and its belly was about hood high..we decieded to fish tippy instead..been a few times ive smelled sour milk n rotted meat while fishing the area,and always packed up and left before seeing the critter..


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Fishontippydam said:


> Several yrs ago, a 12yr old girl was attacked in cadillac area. She suffered severe wounds.


She was jogging when she came across the Bear, and she ran. This triggers a Predator/Prey response from the Bear to chase, and kill prey. I realize that 12 year old girl wouldn't have known that; but that is the reason she was so viciously attacked. She is fortunate to have survived.

When we went fishing at Brooks Camp/Falls, the first thing we did after arriving was go to "Bear School." Everyone has to do it when they get there the first time. The National Park Service gives you a "Bear Pin," for it. They teach you how to behave around Bears, because you WILL be around Bears at Brooks. That is why people go there. And the fishing is ridiculous.


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## dirtyfisheyes187 (Jul 12, 2017)

I have bear in my yard in the early spring. They tear down my bird feeders















Saw 3 together last summer creek fishing and they high tailed it. First time I’ve seen 3 together like that


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## Hare's Ear (Nov 19, 2004)

I have seen black bears twice when fishing the PM. They run as soon as they see you. I have fished in Alaska twice. The brown bear are frequently fishing the same holes you want to fish. Best thing to do is to talk with them. Let them know that they can have the hole and move on. I almost hooked a brown bear on my back cast on the Brooks. That was interesting.


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## Fishontippydam (Dec 29, 2017)

Bird feeder. They like the sunflower/black oil seed. Change the bird feed, should keep them off it. If by chance that doesn't work, only use thistle seed. Of course let the feeder sit empty for week before trying. They usually come back on memory. Just having the feeder high is not enough. They will key in on the smell and leftovers on the ground. If you want to bait the bears in, locals buy boxes of expired frozen packed cherries, cover them in chocolate syrup. Once they get that taste on their mouth, they will keep coming back daily/nightly. Also be aware of surroundings. For example here, there are endless miles of wild strawberries in spring, even more wild blueberries all summer long. The river banks on big river have Bush berries late summer into fall, think they may be elderberry.


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

I used to work for the USFS as a wildlife biologist (sequoia nf, my hood nf and lake Tahoe nf). In 3 years I came across several hundred bears. As others mentioned, usually all you see are their backside and pads of their feet as they head away from you. I have been charged by a sow with a cub, followed by one for 3 miles in the middle of the night and a few other encounters. With that said, I don't worry about bears. Big cats I can do without but when out in the woods i worry more about people than critters.

If you see a bear while fishing, count your blessings and enjoy the opportunity. Rivers have more to offer than just fish.


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## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

I'm in the woods more days than not, year round. I see actual bears once in awhile but as a trapper, I see their sign all over. Whenever I come across a live bear, the first thing I do is start digging for my phone to get a picture because they will immediately start heading the other way. Sometimes at 1mph and other times at 100mph, but they always want to avoid contact.

This is the one and only time a bear hesitated long enough (except for those swimming or on my bear bait) for my phone and camera to boot up and allow me to get a pic....


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

If you’d like to see a bear in the wild, book a trip to Naknek River Camp with Frank from the PM Lodge. The Alaskan Brown bears are incredible to share the river with while fishing.




  








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OH-YEAH!!!


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Feb 27, 2018




Bear, Moraine Creek









  








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OH-YEAH!!!


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Feb 27, 2018




Bear, Moraine Creek









  








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OH-YEAH!!!


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Feb 27, 2018




Bear, Moraine Creek









  








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OH-YEAH!!!


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Feb 27, 2018




Breakfast with brown bear, Moraine Creek


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

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OH-YEAH!!!


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Feb 27, 2018




Bears, Moraine Creek


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## hungryhollow (Jan 16, 2013)

I saw a black bear last spring while I was mushroom hunting. It wasn't close and it didn't stick around. I felt lucky to see one.


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

Fishontippydam said:


> If you want to bait the bears in, locals buy boxes of expired frozen packed cherries, cover them in chocolate syrup.


Chocolate is illegal.

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2017/03/sweet_tooth_bears_are_out_of_l.html


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## Fishontippydam (Dec 29, 2017)

hypox said:


> Chocolate is illegal.
> 
> http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2017/03/sweet_tooth_bears_are_out_of_l.html


Makes sense. Bet molasses would be a good sub. Heavy corn syrup. Even cheaper, boil a whole bag of sugar down to syrup


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

OH-YEAH!!! said:


> B542AAAA-249F-483B-B1A0-F561A57BA30C
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Nice pics, I was a bit disappointed in not seeing any bears last summer up there. Plenty of tracks and sign. When we were at the Russian River there was a order in place not to leave our gear more than 8 ft away as there was a young grizz stealing people's packs.


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## Burt Davis (Jan 14, 2018)

Had a run in with one last may while launching the boat at Wahalla. Dumped the drifter in at first light, had to use the old outhouse curtiousy of a rendezvous burrito the prior evening come walking out and there’s a small black bear peering into my drift boat. Started yelling at him to scram the mofo just looked at me stuck his head back in my boat grabbed my bag of Cheetos and took off into the brush. Lunch just wasn’t the same that afternoon lemme tell you.


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

Burt Davis said:


> Had a run in with one last may while launching the boat at Wahalla. Dumped the drifter in at first light, had to use the old outhouse curtiousy of a rendezvous burrito the prior evening come walking out and there’s a small black bear peering into my drift boat. Started yelling at him to scram the mofo just looked at me stuck his head back in my boat grabbed my bag of Cheetos and took off into the brush. Lunch just wasn’t the same that afternoon lemme tell you.


That would be awesome to see right there. sucks bout the cheetos tho haha.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Gosh, I miss the bears of Katmai.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Out of all the years spent trout fishing I’ve only encountered one. And it was the back end busting through brush. I did find this sow’s den last year on accident. Set a cam on her and got her and her cubs coming out. Also a pic later on.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Great handle is there a story behind burnt cabin or about a burnt cabin!?



burntcabin said:


> I agree 100% with above.


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

The one thing I am afraid of in the woods is the darn bees in the ground. The worst are the ones that land backwards - you see them, and then you are stung a few tenths of a second later, or maybe 6 or 10 times simultaneously. But then I frequently have to work on 2 year old logging sites chock full of rotten wood that they like. Has never been a problem while fishing, thankfully.


I saw a Grizzly casually stroll through a jobsite in northern Alberta once, like we weren't even there. It was pretty sobering to realize you were at eye-level with a creature while it was still on four legs.


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## AdamBradley (Mar 13, 2008)

Over 25 years of fishing, hunting, camping, and gathering the Manistee forest, I have seen a total of 1 black bear eating berries on a ridge. Have a couple on trail cams, and that has been it. I now carry spray walking to that hunting spot, likely don’t need it, but makes me feel better when armed with only broad heads haha!


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