Category Archives: Canada

Bear Hunting in Canada. Black Bear Hunting in Canada.

Ontario’s Del Villano bear hunt examined in Documentary

Posted on by
Reply

TIMMINS – Timmins is a community that is built upon stories of heroism, bravery, ingenuity and downright strangeness.

From Sandy McIntyre to Maggie Buffalo, the snippets of Timmins past are wide spread and deeply rooted. But none of the stories transcended the borders of the community and the country quite like the tale of one mayor and his determination to see the Queen’s guard look their best marching in front of Buckingham Palace.

Leo Del Villano served as Mayor of Timmins for many years. Between 1956 and 1959 he gained international fame for having organized the largest bear hunt in Ontario’s history.

“I am looking at an overall perspective on Black Bear hunting and management in Ontario and as I had been going through a number of newspaper articles, I stumbled across Leo Del Villano’s story,” said Michael Commito, a PhD candidate from the Department of History at McMaster University.

Commito has focused his PhD on the history of the Black Bear hunt in Ontario from 1892 to 1999.

Read the rest of the story by clicking here!

Commito’s documentary is posted on YouTube. Click the link to see it

Story by: Kyle Gennings
Source:  Timmins Press
For more information on Ontario Bear Hunting, click the active link.
Bear Hunting Blog

Bear Hunter harvest Polar-Grizzly Hybrid

Posted on by
Reply

When he heard the news of a grizzly-polar bear hybrid shot in Canada’s Arctic last month, Tom Seaton thought back to an unusual polar bear hide he’d once seen at Nelson Walker’s home in Kotzebue.

“He had two polar bear rugs in his house – one was a huge one, and the other was special; it had lots of brown in it,” Seaton said. “It looked like a regular polar bear, but for every square inch of hide, 5 to 20 percent of the hairs were brown instead of white.”

Walker, who has since passed on, was a polar bear hunting guide in the village; Seaton was then a teenage hunter who loved to listen to Walker’s stories. He’s now a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks. Because he had heard that polar bears and brown bears had bred successfully in a zoo, Seaton was pretty sure Walker’s white-and-brown hide was from the mating of a polar bear and a brown bear.

That combination of large bears is so rare that DNA testing of the hybrid bear shot in 2006 off Banks Island in Canada’s high Arctic proved for the first time that a wild bear had a polar bear as its mother and a grizzly as its father. An Associated Press reporter wrote that the bear had brown patches on its white coat, long claws, and the humped back of a grizzly.

Click here to read the rest of the story and see a picture of the bear!

Story by: By Ned Rozell | Alaska Science Forum
Source:  Capital City Weekly
Bear Hunting Blog

Polar Bears on the increase in Northern Ontario

Posted on by
1
Polar Bear

“The MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources) was claiming that the population of polar bears are declining,” Crowe said. “I don’t believe that.” [file photo]

Fort Severn Chief Joe Crowe said polar bear numbers are not down after the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species recently defeated a ban on polar bear trade.

“The MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources) was claiming that the population of polar bears are declining,” Crowe said. “I don’t believe that.”

Ontario changed the classification of the polar bear population from special concern to threatened in 2009, and has since developed a Recovery Strategy for Polar Bear in Ontario.

“The MNR is looking at usually along the coast of Hudson Bay for how many polar bears are along the shore line,” Crowe said. “They (polar bears) don’t usually hang around along the shore line. At the end of July or the beginning of August, they usually migrate inland quite a ways.”

Crowe noted that a polar bear was seen in Shamattawa, Manitoba, located about 400 kilometers south of Hudson Bay, in 2010.

Polar bears usually return to the coast around Fort Severn during November and early December.
“When there is no ice out on the bay yet, they hang around the coast line,” Crowe said. “They just follow the ice as it freezes, the edge of the ice line looking for something to eat, seals to hunt. That’s the only time they hang around here on the coast line.”

Crowe said polar bears do not seem to be afraid of people as they once were.

“They just come right through the community some times,” Crowe said. “One time a couple of years ago the kids were skating in the outdoor arena, and the polar bear chased all the kids out of there.”

Tommy Miles, a Fort Severn researcher who completed the Survey of Polar Bear Migration and Habitat in Fort Severn Nation in 2009, said there are more polar bears than before.

Polar Bears

The world-wide population of polar bears is estimated at about 20,000-28,000, with about two-thirds located in Canada.

“Even with the climate change and the sea ice melting, they are adapting and there are certainly more and more polar bears now than before,” Miles said. “They are adapting to the warmer climate; they’re moving inland up small rivers hunting seals, so we’re getting more polar bear interactions with the community.”

Miles said he had to shoot one polar bear in his yard from inside his doorway last fall.

“There were a couple shot this early winter,” Miles said. “The first one was trying to break into a house. And the second one was shot by my brother Angus as he sneaked up on people ice fishing.”

Miles recently counted 56 polar bears last fall during an MNR helicopter polar bear survey on East End Island, a 5-kilometre by 1-kilometre sand bar.

“In that little area, there were 56 polar bears,” Miles said. “There are more and more. And probably 75 kilometres, maybe 80 kilometres to the (Manitoba) border and east of the border, we counted about 246 all together in that small area.”

Meanwhile, 2010 research numbers indicated the Southern Hudson Bay sub-population of polar bears, located in the James Bay and Hudson Bay area of Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut, was stable at about 1,000 polar bears.

The world-wide population of polar bears is estimated at about 20,000-28,000, with about two-thirds located in Canada.

The Recovery Strategy for Polar Bear in Ontario prescribed eight recovery objectives, such as reducing the impact of global climate change within Ontario, identifying, protecting and adaptively co-managing polar bear habitat in Ontario and conducting research to fill knowledge gaps that will aid in the recovery and protection of polar bears and their habitat.

Source:  Wawatay News Online
The Bear Hunting Blog

Sask Bear Hunting encounter goes viral on Youtube

Posted on by
Reply

The video was initially posted in August 2012 but recently got acknowledged by Ultimate Fighting Championship host Joe Rogan and that sent its views to almost 211,000. Even before all of the internet fame Mike Grundman, the owner of Sask Adrenaline Outfitters, said the experience was something he wouldn’t haven’t forgotten.

“It really is amazing how fast they are. When you experience it really is amazing how fast and powerful they are,” he said.

The video starts with Grundman, who was giving 18-year-old Hunter Coleman a hunting tour, stating that the viewer needs to be prepared.

“I’ve filmed a lot of bears, a lot of big bears and spent a lot of nights in the stand. I don’t think I will stop shaking for a week,” Grundman said in the video.

The video proceeds to show Grundman and Coleman in two side-by-side trees watching a bear near bear-bait that they put out.

“We had bears all around us and we had a great big dominant sow (female bear) at the barrel and she was kind of the boss there,” he said.

“The next thing I know we hear another bear come in behind us. It ended up right underneath us and before I knew what was going the sow charged us and scared the little bear up the tree.”

In a few seconds the mood of the video changes as Grundman films the black bear literally sitting just behind him in the same tree.

“What the heck do you do,” whispered Coleman in the video.

“Just don’t move,” Grundman responded.

For a few very tense minutes both men stay utterly silent.

“There’s not much you really can do. I guess you can maybe try to knock it out of the tree or something,” he said.

“But I think maybe what we did is the best thing.”

Eventually the bear makes its way out of the tree to the very evident relief of Grundman and Coleman.

Grundman said they continued their hunt and ended up getting a large male bear. He said his company Sask Adrenaline Outfitters do use the meat from the animals they hunt by giving it to locals or sending it back with the hunters.

“The bear that we actually shoot… is a boar, a male,” he said, which is the type of bear they like to take.

“Because that big male would have probably killed the cub that came up the tree with us. They are known to do that… maybe we actually saved the life of that little bear that came up the tree with us.”

Reported by Kelly Malone
Source: Newstalk650
The Bear Hunting Blog

Wildlife Trade Convention Rejects Polar Bear Ban

Posted on by
Reply
Polar Bear Hunting

“World’s Largest Wildlife Trade Convention Rejects Polar Bear Trade Ban”

Bangkok, Thailand –  A six month diplomatic initiative by the U.S. State Department and the Department of the Interior to list the polar bear as an endangered species under Appendix I of CITES failed today. The 178 nations that are Parties to the CITES Convention decided that the U.S. proposal lacked the necessary scientific basis for such a listing and was merely a political move requested by the highest levels of the US government. The stakes involved included the right of indigenous peoples to trade in polar bear and to sustainably use the species as a critical wildlife resource.

Here in Bangkok at the 16th Conference of the CITES Parties, the U.S. proposal to uplist polar bear to “Appendix I” was strongly rejected because polar bear do not meet the biological criteria to justify listing.  An Appendix I classification provides the maximum level of protection for a CITES listed species and bans all commercial trade for that species.

The polar bear has not undergone a marked population decline. The global population is not small – it is estimated at 20,000-25,000 individuals. Its area of distribution is not restricted – it extends over several million kilometers.  These facts are the biological criteria.  The joint delegation of the SCI Foundation and SCI presented these facts to many of the 2,000 delegates attending this convention.

The U.S. proposal was entirely based on speculation that over the next 50 years climate change would lead to the loss of the sea ice, the polar bear’s habitat.  High levels of uncertainty are included in the models used to predict climate change.  Plus, lots of things can happen in 50 years; polar bears may adapt and survive, they may find abundant food resources on land, such as seals, even if the sea ice is lost.  There are many uncertainties married to the U.S. proposal, which undercuts the scientific integrity of the CITES Convention and exposes the fact that the listing is for political reasons.

Hunting Polar Bear

“The polar bear has not undergone a marked population decline. The global population is not small – it is estimated at 20,000-25,000 individuals. Its area of distribution is not restricted – it extends over several million kilometers. “

The United States and animal rights groups learned today that politics and emotions were not enough to sway the vote on the polar bear.  This lesson should have been learned three years ago at the 15th Meeting of the CITES Parties, when a similar U.S. polar bear proposal was also rejected by a wide margin.  Rest assured that CITES is still grounded in principles of sustainable use and science-based decision making.

In debate on the issue, Greenland, among many other Parties, provided remarks against the U.S. proposal and rightfully expressed concern that the credibility of the CITES Convention was at stake.  Greenland was clear in saying that these important decisions should not be based on politics, but science.  Similar remarks were made by Inuit representatives from Canada.  Canada pointed out all the scientific work that they do for polar bear management, stating “nowhere is the polar bear studied more than in the Canadian arctic.”

The European Union (EU), which controls the votes of a block of 28 countries, attempted to find a compromise between Canada and the United States.  Although the EU did provide a more reasonable and less restrictive alternative proposal, it was also rejected by the Parties.

Although many countries are concerned about the impacts of climate change, today’s vote favors good science and sustainable use.  International trade was found to not be a threat to the polar bear.  The SCI and SCI Foundation delegates are staying alert, though, because the meeting has not concluded and there is still a chance that the issue might get reopened for debate in the final days of the convention.

Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, and outdoor education. Since 2000, SCIF has provided over $50 million to these causes around the world. Visit the SCI Foundation’s new website at www.safariclubfoundation.org for more information on how you can contribute to international conservation.

Contact: Nelson Freeman
Source: Safari Club International Foundation
The Bear Hunting Blog

An Outfitters Wife by Cacilia Wardale

Posted on by
Reply
Bear Hunting in Alberta Canada

An Outfitters Wife – Cacilia Wardale

I’d not grown up around hunting, but in the last year it has become a sport I have lived vicariously through my partner and best friend Al. Although I’d grown up spending much of my time outdoors, the dream of a chance at a beautiful blonde bear has been born recently of hearing hunting tales and experiences from Al. I decided to borrow this sport as I wanted to try this new sport and exciting test of nerves for myself!

Following my Hunter Education course this past winter, and much time at the range in early spring, I got my first hunting license, and obtained two bear tags. We were going Bear Hunting! Our first day out showed 6 bears, including a sow with three cubs but the evening ended without a shot fired. An day later that week though turned out much more interesting. The kind of evening I’d always heard about over roaring campfires…

Our first stalk on a feeding bear ended with the bear losing patience and slipping back into the woods and with us beside a borrow-pit encircled with aspen. While hoping for the black to return, we listened to beavers slapping tails feverishly in the water 50 yards away, and figured that there was either a bear or wolves at the pond. While walking in, a grey wolf flashed passed in the dense tangle of willow about 10 yards away followed by another! We caught glimpses through the trees, and since I hadn’t yet the courage to make a shot on a running wolf, Al worked his way to the borrow-pit while I went back to the trail. After a few minutes of waiting I finally watched as the wolves made their way back across the trail and off into the brush on the other side, glancing curiously at me as they did. A first encounter for me!

Alberta Black bear Hunting

Cacilia Wardale with an Alberta Bear Limit!

Not long after that through, we spotted another black at 400 yards and feeding towards us. With the wind in our face, we snuck closer and moved single-file when the bears head was down. At 200 yards we decided that was as good as it was going to get, but the bear was still feeding closer. We watched and waited and the bear closed to 150 yards. From a crouched position, I steadied my rifle on Al’s forearm as he held the shooting stick low and braced for the shot. Coached to “break its shoulder”, I fired when the bear turned broadside, sending the bear into the air and running for the woods, jumping a 6’ wide creek in the process. I had been terrified of the kick of the rifle as well as the blast, but with the blood rushing through my ears and my heart pounding it all happened so swiftly I couldn’t believe it was over. We found the bear just inside the woods, dead and with one broken shoulder, “shot perfectly” as Al would say. Although slightly rubbed, the bear squared 5 ½ feet and a fine first animal. One of the best things for me was hearing the love of my life and long time hunter giggle gleefully with pride and amazement as we packed the bear out of the woods. Already a perfect evening and yet we elected to load the bear up whole and keep going as there was plenty of hunting left in the evening. And we were right….

10 minutes passed after we got moving again, and we spotted another black bear at 350 yards. We got out and moved to a better vantage point to deliberate, and as we watched, a blonde colored black bear surfaced from a depression, feeding towards us at 75 yards! I was so excited and couldn’t help jumping out of my skin at having found my blonde on only my second day! We deduced that it wasn’t a grizzly, although the color could have been, and Al told me it was just the color I’d hoped for. He was sure right about that! Using my forked shooting stick again, I fired, hitting the bear on the near shoulder, and exiting on the neck as the bear held its head low, facing away. It dropped in an instant and never moved. A beautiful bear, taken again with one shot from my .270. The exceptional colored bear was right on 5’, no rubbing and will make a beautiful mount.

We loaded the second bear and drove to a quiet spot to swat mosquitoes and skin them out. I couldn’t help giggling to myself “first time hunter, one-shot kills…” Al said he wished all his clients shot this well.

I really enjoyed my first experience with hunting, and feel good about the way I went about it. Al was there throughout the experience and coaching towards success, but the choices and end results were ultimately my own. This sport that I “borrowed” is full of rewards for those that participate and I feel lucky to have taken part. I think this is one borrowed item that shouldn’t be returned, but is best when shared.

Al & Cacilia Wardale run Moose Country Outfitting in Alberta Canada and offer Black Bear Hunting in the Peace River area. You can get more information on Alberta Black Bear Hunting by following this link.

The Bear Hunting Blog

Nova Scotia Bear Hunters Association

Posted on by
Reply
Nova Scotia Bear Hunting

Nova Scotia Bear Hunters Association

If you would like information or would like to become a member of the Nova Scotia Bear Hunters Association, please click the link.

The Nova Scotia Bear Hunting Association is a non-profit association dedicated to the conservation and management of Nova Scotia’s black bear population, promoting public education and the protection of our bear hunting heritage.

Our Goals:

  • Wildlife Conservation by promoting the use of sound wildlife management principals to ensure a healthy bear population as a viable and sustainable renewable resource.
  • Ethical hunting by continually encouraging and educating bear hunters to respect the environment in which we hunt as well as maintaining the highest standards for our sports.
  • Working Together to maintain and build alliances with other hunting groups and organizations, encourage liaisons with private landowners and pursue a healthy working relationship with government departments.

Source: Nova Scotia Bear Hunters Association
The Bear Hunting Blog

Black Bears & Grizzly Bears, The Difference is…

Posted on by
Reply
Hunting Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear Hunting

There is no such thing as “a” bear. There are bears…plural. That is to say, there are different species. Most people are familiar with the polar bear. Some might have even heard of the Kodiak bear. For those that enjoy bear hunting, the two most commonly cited bears would be the black bear and the legendary grizzly bear. Is there much of a difference between black bears and grizzly bears? Actually, there are quite a few pronounced differences and those wishing to head out into the great outdoors to hunt bear need to know such differences.

Bear hunting is one of the more misunderstood sportive activities one could take part in. There are a great many complexities required to succeed with this type of hunting. The skills required are quite vast and many of them will center on how to make such a hunt a lot safer.

One other aspect that people do not realize is that different strategies need to be employed for different bears. In most regions of North America, the primary bear indigenous to the land mass would be the black bear. However, in certain areas, black bear live side by side with grizzly bears. (Granted, some of this co-existence is far from peaceful) Now, when you are hunting bear, you need to be sure as to what type of bear you come across in the field. In certain areas, black bear season and grizzly bear season may occur at different points in the season. Other areas may require you have two separate bear licenses for each animal.

Hunting Black Bear

Black Bear Hunting

And, most importantly, the way you hunt a black bear is different than how you would hunt a grizzly bear. Often, these differences are designed to take safety concerns into consideration. Black bears are dangerous. No one is denying that fact. However, grizzly bears can be even more dangerous and more aggressive. They can also be a lot more difficult to kill. Black bears have been hunted in states such as New Jersey with shotguns. Very few hunters would take such a risk hunting grizzly bear with such a weapon.

This is why it is so very necessary to be able to clearly determine the difference between a grizzly bear and a black bear. There are some definitive differences between the two. Here is a look at those differences:

Most people will say the main difference is that black bears are black and grizzly bears are brown. (Grizzly bears are commonly referred to as brown bears) Generally, this is true. However, not all grizzlies are brown. Many are jet black. And yes, some black bears are brown. And both of them can be…blond! So, you cannot always go by the color of the bears as the only way to tell which species they are. You need to look at other attributes to determine the differences.

Size would be a major factor. Grizzlies are huge huger on average than black bears. Yes, there will be the errant black bear that is large in size. And there will be some undersized grizzly bears. However, most grizzlies are in the 500lbs – 800lb range. Black bears will be in the 200lbs – 400lbs range. The average height of a grizzly is three feet on all fours and well in excess of six feet when standing. Black bear are decidedly smaller being 3 feet on all fours but rarely more than six feet when standing. Again, there may be exceptions so you cannot always go by size.
The key differentiating factors include the following:

The face of a grizzly will be significantly depressed. This is most evident in the eye/nose region. The ears of the grizzly will also be short and round. Black bears are quite different. The ears of the black bear are significantly longer and more pointed than a grizzly. The nose of the black bear is more extended.

The body of a grizzly has a large hump on the back. A black bear has NO hump. This is probably the most definitive distinguishing factor between the animals.

The claws of a grizzle are significantly larger than a black bear. It is certainly not recommended to get close enough to the bear to tell the difference. However, if you are examining bear tracks, the larger grizzly tracks will have pronounced claws.

Few single items can determine which bear is which. But, when you put all the factors together, you can make a perfect comparison.

Source: Outdoor Base Camp.com
The Bear Hunting Blog

Black Bear Hunting With Bait

Posted on by
Reply
Bait Hunting for Black Bear

Black Bear Hunting With Bait

by Chris Larsen

Black bear range and populations are expanding as is the popularity of what was once a hunt reserved for a select few.  Bears are typically hunted utilizing one of three common techniques; over bait, with hounds, or spot and stalk.  In my home state of Wisconsin baiting is the most common method.  Bait is placed for several weeks before the season. Items such as candy, bread, pastries, pie filling and fruit are placed in hollow logs or holes in the ground covered with a rock.  As a precaution against the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, the rock (or other heavy object) is required to prevent access to the bait by deer.  Animal products such as meat and fat are not permitted.  There are also restrictions on bear baiting near public roads or trails.

At first glance, hunting over bait may seem unsportsmanlike, but it is common practice.  Bears are nomadic and don’t pattern the same way deer will.  To increase success, bait and stands are set in areas that offer heavy cover.  Bears won’t frequent open areas during daylight hours.

Hunters often get excited when they find their bait cleaned out day after day.  Veteran hunters know a clean bait pile is often the result of several smaller bears using the same bait area.  If the bait is being used but left unfinished, it’s a good sign your bait log is being used by one large bear.  A large bear will keep smaller animals out of his territory.  With today’s trail camera technology guesswork about the specific bears using your bait pile is a thing of the past.

Another common occurrence for bait hunters is a sudden drop in activity around the bait pile in the fall. After attracting bears during the summer it seems like they suddenly disappear.  As autumn leaves begin to drop, berries ripen and acorns and hickory nuts hit the forest floor.  Bears gorge on hardwood mast to pack on pounds for the winter hibernation.  Placing your stand and bait in hardwood areas will help keep bears close during this time.

Size restrictions are in place in many states.  In Wisconsin, the bear must measure at least 42 inches from the tip of the nose to tip of the tail.  It is also illegal to kill a bear that is with cubs.

Bear hunting can be serious business.  They are powerful animals and the methods for hunting them are unorthodox to many.  Obtaining a tag may take years in many states.  Accompany a more experienced bear hunter while waiting to draw a tag.  Keeping the bait log full takes a lot of work and the hunter with a tag will appreciate any extra help.  This experience can help the novice bear hunter be more prepared for their future hunt.

Source:  ForemostHunting.com by Chris Larsen
The Bear Hunting Blog

Tips For Black Bear Hunting Success

Posted on by
1
Hunting Black Bear

Tips for Bear Hunting Success by Naomi K. Shapiro

By Naomi K. Shapiro

Bear hunting is quite different from most other hunting. You’ve got to mentally come in with a clean slate as to what you want to do to ensure your chances of maximum success. First off, you start your hunt months in advance. You do your scouting. You check out population density, stuff like that; and that is like most other hunting. But that’s often where the similarity ends.

With bear hunting you prep and bait your stand area. With bear, you want them to pattern you and that’s the total opposite what you do for other game, particularly deer. You want the bear or bears you’re targeting to get used to coming in to your bait station, and in close proximity to where your stand is located. You want to make sure the bear comes in every day, and that everything is always the same. You make sure your bait station is ready at the same time every day. You make sure that your bear uses the same path, same approach, same everything. This is the exact opposite of deer hunting.

When you get to your stand, bang on your tree; put the cover on your bait and the logs or whatever concealment you use back exactly the same way. Get the bear comfortable. The bear knows you’re there and gets used to you being there. And believe it or not that bear will come in to your bait station every single day, at the same time! Indeed, a bear will to come to your bait station within 10-15 minutes of your leaving, and that’s what you want.

OK, it’s the day you’re going to hunt. Bring along an extra person with you; family member, hunting pal, or friend. You’re going to do the hunting, and this other person is going to help you get started. When you get to your bait stand, you have your friend rebait the pile, while you climb the tree. That conceals the noise of your climbing up the tree. Don’t kid yourself, you will make noise and that can spook the bear. He’s not used to someone climbing up a tree. They’ve got superb hearing and smell. After you’re in your stand, and your partner has rebaited the station, that person leaves.

And what does that do? A lot! The bear hears you come in and also hears you leave. Except the person who left wasn’t you! That way the bear is totally relaxed and comes in within 10-15 minutes, just like always. On paper what I’ve just said sounds real good, and it does work, but some days a bear just won’t come in. What you need to do is play the wind when bear hunting… big time. You see the bear has one of the best noses in the woods. That’s how it found your bait in the first place. Bring a spray bottle of bear attractant scent with you, and spray it around yourself and your stand at different intervals. What this does is it keeps the scent aroma going out into the woods, while still concealing your scent. Many bear hunters lose their chance, when for whatever reason the wind direction suddenly changes, and instead of being upwind form the bear, you’re downwind, and that’s not good. Using this scent technique will at least provide you with some cover if the wind does change. And of course, you want to make sure that your stand is situated in such a way that from what you’ve scouted, you know will be in an upwind situation regarding the direction the bear is coming in to your bait station. You may indeed have to change your stand position, if you find that the initial site becomes downwind to where a bear is coming in.

What you need to do, particularly if you’re a bow hunter is bring the bear in to within 20 yards of your stand. Believe it or not, a bear kill zone is very small, and you must be accurate with your shot. With a rifle, you can be successful at 50 to even 70 yards or so, depending on your line of sight, and of course accounting for trees & brush and the like that may hinder or block your line of sight.

Novice bear hunters don’t realize the need to be mentally prepared to suddenly see a big bear within a few yards of where they’re located. People don’t see a lot of bears in real life. You’d better be mentally ready to see a bear standing right in front of you without any warming. You might think this wouldn’t freak you out, but it can, and often will. And while all of those “bear horror attack” TV programs or movies are not always accurate, those images might be ingrained in your mind. One big thing is that you often will not hear a bear coming. As big as they are, they’re very quiet in their approach. Be prepared mentally. It will help a lot.

Source:  ForemostHunting.com by Naomi K. Shapiro
The Bear Hunting Blog