Sunday morning was beautiful, albeit a little chilly and I wanted to go for a ride. I couldn't get anyone to ride with me, so I said screw it and headed out alone. I thought I'd go to some of the areas I hunt and do some scouting, then maybe go watch the elk.

It was about 4:30 PM and I wasn't cold, so I rode some of the fireroads in the state forest. As I ride over a rise, I meet this fella...




Here's a closer shot...


When I first saw the bear, he was on the side of the road. He was about 100 yards away, so I just stopped to let him go where he wanted to. If I had to make a guess, I'd say he was about 300lbs. based on how his belly sagged below his rib cage. He ambled out to the middle of the road and stood up on his hind legs to try to smell/see better. Like an idiot, I thought "this would be a good picture", so I get the camera out and take this picture just as he went back to all fours.

Next, he stands up again and lets out 2 "whoofs". Even at 100 yards, I could hear him plain as day. Not good! As I put my camera away, he starts trotting down the road towards me! F*#%! I damn near lay the bike down getting it turned around, then I check on the bear. He's now in a full blown charge and has already covered half the distance between us! I could hear his feet slapping the ground as he ran over top of my running KLX. I start banging gears out of there. At the closest point, he was little more than 20 yards behind me. Once he figured out that he wasn't going to catch me, he just stopped dead in the road, as if to say "...and stay out!".

On my way back, I ran across 2 more bears on the same road less than a mile apart. These bears just saw me and ran off like they are supposed to do. Both were smaller than the first psycho bear. My guess is that there must have been a sow in heat, and that's what was drawing these bear in and making them act goofy. After all these bears, I realized that A), it's time to get out of Dodge, and B), I need new underwear!

I've spent a fair amount of my life out in the woods, both riding and hunting, and I've never had a black bear act this way, not even sows with cubs. Bears usually don't burn energy they don't have to, but this one ran full speed for almost 200 yards to catch a motorcycle. When I ride alone, I ride conservatively so that I don't crash or break. A black bear attack never crossed my mind.

 

wow mother nature sure can be a beotch...lol

 

Wow,, thats amazing.. Ive never had that problem either,, they just run off... something was deff. goin on with that bear.. Maybe he had a thorn in his pawl and wanted you to get it out.. lmao.. least he didnt get ya and thanks for sharing

 

thats crazy man..... the second night at the ANF the coyotes were in full force, i could hear them howling and yipping, i had my trusty heat beside me that night in the tent....

What if you were on foot? crazy stuff... that hopped up klx ya got, im sure you got outta there quick!

 

Crazy man! And yet another reason to always carry my 44.

 

Trust me, I was WFO! It was even bouncing off the rev limiter.

Ya know, I never felt the need to carry when I rode. Now however, I think a nice light, poly-framed .45 is in my future. If I would have laid the bike down or stalled, I don't think it would have ended well.

 

This is why black bears are more dangerous than Browns...they are so unpredictable. Think about that...200 yards, that's 2 football fields.

Could you imagine? The one time you forgot to put the petcock from off?

All I can think of is that scene in Terminator 2 when John Connor is trying to get his bike started in the mall parking garage.

 

He was prolly pissed off that you took his picture. You should have waited to see what he wanted. I'm sure he would have just run right by you

Mike

PS: +1 on new underwear. ...Now you've got me worried about bears.

 

Damn! That does seem out of character for a black bear. Pretty scary, you got my heart racing just reading your account of it.

 

You live in bear country and you didn't pack any heat with you. Next time, pack a .44 or .45, perferbly a 460 or 500 for best knock downs. Lesson learned, you could have been a heap of trouble if something did happen in those cruial seconds. But atleast you did survive and have something to tell.

When I go hunting in the woods, I pack a 6" knife, 9mm Glock 17, Remington 30-06. Becuase nothing else gets hair raising when a couger tries stalking you in a moonless night.