Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
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More from: My Time in Service
Camp Grayling Michigan.
Walking with Bears.
Jealous Hunters.
A break from Riot Duty and the Teamsters Strike.
Live fire with the Howitzers.
And Punji stakes put in the perimeter by overzealous Returned Vietnam Vets.
Life in the National Guard in 1969-70
First the bears.
I am from Cleveland Ohio...we don't have bears, we have the Browns. The biggest animal I saw in Nature was a rather larger squirrel we called Baby Huey. I was advanced Party to Camp Grayling with a Self Propelled Howitzer Unit.
We spent 12 hours a day getting the Quonset Huts, Oil Stoves, and Company Hq's ready. But we were free at night. So I decided to walk into town. I heard some rustling in the brush along side me. I thought nothing of it. I heard more. I started yelling into the woods: "Very funny creeps. Now, knock it off."
You see, I thought they were soldiers from other Units, or maybe even my own- trying to freak me out. You know, because I was from the City and had never hunted or fished. And those were both big black marks from the Locals and the Hunters.
I saw something covered with fur peek out of the woodline. It was a bear. I had never seen a bear outside a zoo. I swear - as God is my witness, I actually said:
"Nice Kitty. Good kitty. Go away, kitty."
A moment later, two more heads showed up, smaller, but also covered with fur. It was her cubs. In Cleveland, the only Cubs are up in Chicago. So I tried again. (and you Country Boys and Girls might want to set your coffee down before you spit it out...because this is exactly what I did.)
I left the road walking directly towards the Mommy Bear who was standing just outside the tree line. I waved my arms in a "shoo, shoo, go away" manner. All the while saying:
"Go away Kitty. Go away. Now SHOO!"
The bear didn't budge. But...the two cubs came out to see what was going on. They started to walk towards their Mommy. I heard a truck pull up behind me. It was a local. She had her rifle out and aimed over the hood of her truck.
"Walk backward to my truck. DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON THE BEAR."
Well, I was in the Army. And I was engaged at the time. So I knew how to take orders. Especially from angry women. And that lady was angry. I had no idea or clue why. So I backed up. The Bear just kept watching me. She kept watching the bear.
I got to the truck.
"Get in."
I always listen to a woman when she has a gun.
I got in the truck. She pulled her rifle off of the hood and got in too.
She looked at me like I was from another planet. We drove off. The Bear watched us go, her two cubs standing right beside her. It took a few moments for the woman to calm down enough to talk with me.
"What were you doing walking towards a Mamma Bear and her cubs?"
And she said it in a tone of voice that was mixed with pity, incredulous, and "how stupid are you?" all mixed into one.
"I wanted to shoo her away."
She shook her head.
"Are you one of those idiots from Grayling?"
"Yes. But we aren't idiots, we are soldiers."
She snorted.
"SOME of you are Soldiers. Folks like you are idiots."
"Why do you call me that?"
I was trying to stay calm. I was in her truck. She had a rifle (and who knew how many other guns) and on the seat was a big knife that looked a lot like a Kaybar.
"Because only an Idiot would try to approach a bear and her cubs, unarmed and this early in the Season. She would have torn you to pieces...and then all three of them would have had a nice lunch."
And that is when I realized a few things.
I know nothing about bears.
I now knew I was in grave danger for a bit there.
And...I am a complete Idiot.
She drove me into town. I got my snacks and sodas. She drove me back out to the Main Gate. During that hour, I learned all about bears, what to do, what not to do. And got a very stern lecture about taking an experienced hunter or woodsman out if I go hiking.
One of the things that made her laugh (not at me this time, but with me) is when she told me I should appear tall and confident if a bear is near.
"Appear Tall?" Ma'am, I had to get a waiver to join the Army because I am not five feet tall."
"Then wear big boots."
Camp Grayling Michigan.
Walking with Bears.
Jealous Hunters.
A break from Riot Duty and the Teamsters Strike.
Live fire with the Howitzers.
And Punji stakes put in the perimeter by overzealous Returned Vietnam Vets.
Life in the National Guard in 1969-70
First the bears.
I am from Cleveland Ohio...we don't have bears, we have the Browns. The biggest animal I saw in Nature was a rather larger squirrel we called Baby Huey. I was advanced Party to Camp Grayling with a Self Propelled Howitzer Unit.
We spent 12 hours a day getting the Quonset Huts, Oil Stoves, and Company Hq's ready. But we were free at night. So I decided to walk into town. I heard some rustling in the brush along side me. I thought nothing of it. I heard more. I started yelling into the woods: "Very funny creeps. Now, knock it off."
You see, I thought they were soldiers from other Units, or maybe even my own- trying to freak me out. You know, because I was from the City and had never hunted or fished. And those were both big black marks from the Locals and the Hunters.
I saw something covered with fur peek out of the woodline. It was a bear. I had never seen a bear outside a zoo. I swear - as God is my witness, I actually said:
"Nice Kitty. Good kitty. Go away, kitty."
A moment later, two more heads showed up, smaller, but also covered with fur. It was her cubs. In Cleveland, the only Cubs are up in Chicago. So I tried again. (and you Country Boys and Girls might want to set your coffee down before you spit it out...because this is exactly what I did.)
I left the road walking directly towards the Mommy Bear who was standing just outside the tree line. I waved my arms in a "shoo, shoo, go away" manner. All the while saying:
"Go away Kitty. Go away. Now SHOO!"
The bear didn't budge. But...the two cubs came out to see what was going on. They started to walk towards their Mommy. I heard a truck pull up behind me. It was a local. She had her rifle out and aimed over the hood of her truck.
"Walk backward to my truck. DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON THE BEAR."
Well, I was in the Army. And I was engaged at the time. So I knew how to take orders. Especially from angry women. And that lady was angry. I had no idea or clue why. So I backed up. The Bear just kept watching me. She kept watching the bear.
I got to the truck.
"Get in."
I always listen to a woman when she has a gun.
I got in the truck. She pulled her rifle off of the hood and got in too.
She looked at me like I was from another planet. We drove off. The Bear watched us go, her two cubs standing right beside her. It took a few moments for the woman to calm down enough to talk with me.
"What were you doing walking towards a Mamma Bear and her cubs?"
And she said it in a tone of voice that was mixed with pity, incredulous, and "how stupid are you?" all mixed into one.
"I wanted to shoo her away."
She shook her head.
"Are you one of those idiots from Grayling?"
"Yes. But we aren't idiots, we are soldiers."
She snorted.
"SOME of you are Soldiers. Folks like you are idiots."
"Why do you call me that?"
I was trying to stay calm. I was in her truck. She had a rifle (and who knew how many other guns) and on the seat was a big knife that looked a lot like a Kaybar.
"Because only an Idiot would try to approach a bear and her cubs, unarmed and this early in the Season. She would have torn you to pieces...and then all three of them would have had a nice lunch."
And that is when I realized a few things.
I know nothing about bears.
I now knew I was in grave danger for a bit there.
And...I am a complete Idiot.
She drove me into town. I got my snacks and sodas. She drove me back out to the Main Gate. During that hour, I learned all about bears, what to do, what not to do. And got a very stern lecture about taking an experienced hunter or woodsman out if I go hiking.
One of the things that made her laugh (not at me this time, but with me) is when she told me I should appear tall and confident if a bear is near.
"Appear Tall?" Ma'am, I had to get a waiver to join the Army because I am not five feet tall."
"Then wear big boots."
Training
Outdoors
Wildlife
Memories
Lessons Learned
Posted 1 d ago
Responses: 2
4
4
0
Kevin, I have encountered a total of 9 black bears while hunting. The first was on Robins AFB. He came walking down the trail, I was behind a large tree. When he got where the wind blew my scent it took 15 minutes for him to finally wander over the hill. I had 3 12 gauge slugs in the shotgun, 3 more in my pocket and one 00 Buck round.
1. I really didn’t want to shoot a bear, 2. The base game warden warned us if we shoot a bear he wants to see the bears claw marks on our bodies.
The 2nd bear was a very large boar bear that materialized out of the woods 98 yrds away. I was on a WMA in Dawson County GA. I had a bow and a 357 Mag single action revolver. He dematerialized into the opposite woods. I continued my hunt.
The one encounter that scared me was in the Chatahootchi National Forest, GA. I had 3 cubs and one female below me. Two cubs headed off to my left while the other cub was coming straight up the hill towards where I was behind a tree. When he was 20 yards in front of me I yelled at him to go away. Momma charged up the hill and stopped in front of the cub.
My rifle was up, the safety was still on. I also had a Glock 30 in .45 APC in my holster. I kept talking nice to the momma bear while shooing the bear away. Finally momma a cub walked away, following the other 2 cubs.
Shooting a momma bear with cubs is a definite no/no. Thankfully, I didn’t even need to clean my britches.
1. I really didn’t want to shoot a bear, 2. The base game warden warned us if we shoot a bear he wants to see the bears claw marks on our bodies.
The 2nd bear was a very large boar bear that materialized out of the woods 98 yrds away. I was on a WMA in Dawson County GA. I had a bow and a 357 Mag single action revolver. He dematerialized into the opposite woods. I continued my hunt.
The one encounter that scared me was in the Chatahootchi National Forest, GA. I had 3 cubs and one female below me. Two cubs headed off to my left while the other cub was coming straight up the hill towards where I was behind a tree. When he was 20 yards in front of me I yelled at him to go away. Momma charged up the hill and stopped in front of the cub.
My rifle was up, the safety was still on. I also had a Glock 30 in .45 APC in my holster. I kept talking nice to the momma bear while shooing the bear away. Finally momma a cub walked away, following the other 2 cubs.
Shooting a momma bear with cubs is a definite no/no. Thankfully, I didn’t even need to clean my britches.
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SGT Kevin Hughes
Wow. I am so glad you kept calm. I did have one scary encounter up in Alaska with a Brown bear. He got on my back trail in a box canyon. And his scat was just an anal plug...so I knew he was hungry. Got my best friend Eddie on the phone, and he had 911 dialed in - just in case. But luckily, down at the mouth of the valley, he crossed out of the one I was in and headed up the next valley. And all I had was my walking stick. The snow helped a lot, I think.
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Maj Robert Thornton
In bear country I always have a firearm to dissuade bears SGT Kevin Hughes. In Georgia the black bears normally take off, but not always.
When I bow hunt I have my G30 with full metal jacketed 45 ACP rounds.
When I bow hunt I have my G30 with full metal jacketed 45 ACP rounds.
(3)
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SGT Kevin Hughes
Maj Robert Thornton - Well, you have read my posts...with a pistol, the bear would still get me. And having never hunted (well they took me out once, but I scared all the game, and kept getting lost). I am ill prepared for the outdoor life. Folks like you will survive, people like me will be dead weight.
(3)
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