06-13-2011, 02:42 AM
I was in Redfish Lake several years ago. I pulled into the camp sight where my in-laws were camping. A Forest service woman with a chip on her shoulder came and tore into me about my Springer spaniel. I had taken him off leash and he was sitting on the tail gate waiting to be kenneled. I told her I was in control of the dog who was in control of her? She said Be careful I will kick you out!
Then as night came on I saw a F&G guy I knew. I asked him what he was doing and he said he had a problem with 5 bears. One was on the beach by the lodge. This one walked up to some people with a cooler and they took off. He found a cooler full of food. So he kept it up since he was having luck. One sow with two cubs was at little redfish and visiting the camp ground. And there was two at the Sockeye camp. I told him I was here if he needed help.
Well about dark my kids head over the hill to visit some friends in another camp. My wife said where is that forest service lady? There is a big lab following the kids. That was no Lab. I grabbed a big rock and I was stupid enough, or scared enough for my kids to run at the bear and yell at it. It turned on me and I thought OH Sh!t! All of a sudden the bear turned and ran. At that time I heard something behind me. It was a man that saw it all go down. When he came up the bear saw two of us and ran.
About a half an hour later the Forest service woman came into camp. She asked for me by name. She didn't know me so she asked us at the fire pit. I said I am him. She said "sir" The Rusty F&G officer is in need of your help. I said you know I am the one you were bossing around earlier don't you? She didn't say anything so I said if it is for Rusty I will go with you. Rusty wanted me to go with him to help "haze" the bears from camp. He loaded his 12 gage with rubber bullets and slugs. I carried the spot light. I told my wife to stay in the car since we were in a tent.
We looked around for a long time and we didn't see anything. Soon we got a call on the radio. A bear was in a camp sight and gave the number. I told rusty that was mine! We took off on a run for the camp. We missed him again. So Rusty got a call that a very close call just happened at the lodge. He took off and left me with a FS man this time. This guy was much easier to get along with than the woman. I told him I would try to help keep the bear out but I was getting my 44 mag. I had a Mag light and a 44 mag Pistol Loaded with 300 gr Hornady hot loads.
I walked around my camp and looked around. Then I heard two pots being clanged together and someone yelling. I took off running to the sound and the bear passed me in the dark by about 10 feet. I didn't know it was there until it passed. I could not have reacted fast enough in the dark. I found our the camp where the people had put out baked potatoes to get a picture of the bear. It got rank when it couldn't get more and someone started to bang the pans. After that I radioed Rusty and told him we needed a trap now. The bear was getting a little nasty from reports.The trap was pulled off the beach and brought to the camp. We set it up and backed off. The campers were told to go to bead and the trap was loaded with potatoes.
The fifth bear was a little bear that we kept bumping into in the dark. This one was about 75 pounds maybe less. After we set the trap we didn't see the bears again.
We found out later that the bear went over the hill to another camp and found a cooler out. That cooler was full and the bear wiped it out and went off to sleep it off.
What I learned that night. First stayed armed. Next dealing with bears in the middle of the night is work for a shotgun with slugs. I don't think I could have hit anything in the dark with the pistol even though I am very proficient with it.
And last I think the FS woman was meaner than any of the bears. Ron
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Then as night came on I saw a F&G guy I knew. I asked him what he was doing and he said he had a problem with 5 bears. One was on the beach by the lodge. This one walked up to some people with a cooler and they took off. He found a cooler full of food. So he kept it up since he was having luck. One sow with two cubs was at little redfish and visiting the camp ground. And there was two at the Sockeye camp. I told him I was here if he needed help.
Well about dark my kids head over the hill to visit some friends in another camp. My wife said where is that forest service lady? There is a big lab following the kids. That was no Lab. I grabbed a big rock and I was stupid enough, or scared enough for my kids to run at the bear and yell at it. It turned on me and I thought OH Sh!t! All of a sudden the bear turned and ran. At that time I heard something behind me. It was a man that saw it all go down. When he came up the bear saw two of us and ran.
About a half an hour later the Forest service woman came into camp. She asked for me by name. She didn't know me so she asked us at the fire pit. I said I am him. She said "sir" The Rusty F&G officer is in need of your help. I said you know I am the one you were bossing around earlier don't you? She didn't say anything so I said if it is for Rusty I will go with you. Rusty wanted me to go with him to help "haze" the bears from camp. He loaded his 12 gage with rubber bullets and slugs. I carried the spot light. I told my wife to stay in the car since we were in a tent.
We looked around for a long time and we didn't see anything. Soon we got a call on the radio. A bear was in a camp sight and gave the number. I told rusty that was mine! We took off on a run for the camp. We missed him again. So Rusty got a call that a very close call just happened at the lodge. He took off and left me with a FS man this time. This guy was much easier to get along with than the woman. I told him I would try to help keep the bear out but I was getting my 44 mag. I had a Mag light and a 44 mag Pistol Loaded with 300 gr Hornady hot loads.
I walked around my camp and looked around. Then I heard two pots being clanged together and someone yelling. I took off running to the sound and the bear passed me in the dark by about 10 feet. I didn't know it was there until it passed. I could not have reacted fast enough in the dark. I found our the camp where the people had put out baked potatoes to get a picture of the bear. It got rank when it couldn't get more and someone started to bang the pans. After that I radioed Rusty and told him we needed a trap now. The bear was getting a little nasty from reports.The trap was pulled off the beach and brought to the camp. We set it up and backed off. The campers were told to go to bead and the trap was loaded with potatoes.
The fifth bear was a little bear that we kept bumping into in the dark. This one was about 75 pounds maybe less. After we set the trap we didn't see the bears again.
We found out later that the bear went over the hill to another camp and found a cooler out. That cooler was full and the bear wiped it out and went off to sleep it off.
What I learned that night. First stayed armed. Next dealing with bears in the middle of the night is work for a shotgun with slugs. I don't think I could have hit anything in the dark with the pistol even though I am very proficient with it.
And last I think the FS woman was meaner than any of the bears. Ron
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