So this weekend I'm sneaking into an area where a tom was roosted. By the time I got close he was on the ground and had hens with him. I'm trying to get to a corner of the small opening they are in when I spook a smallish bear, 200lbs maybe a little more, laying on the edge of the opening right where I was trying to get too. He doesn't bolt away just gets up and kinda mosseyed off. He was about 35 yds away from me when he got up. At this time another gobbler shows up gobbles once up on a hill to my left and the Tom in opening answers back.
I change tactics to try and get between the 2 and set up. As I'm sneaking to my new set up location the Gobbler in the opening and his hens start working to the corner the bear just vacated. By the time I set up the gobbler on the hill had joined the other birds in the opening. By all the bear scat I seen while moving, my guess is the bear had been at this more than just that day. Did the bear pattern them turkeys and choose the best ambush spot? I know where I'll be sitting next time I get after these turkey! Hopefully the bear won't be there again as it will be dark when I'm sneaking in.
Sounds like the bear was sleeping close to the bait the turkeys were going too.
Don't get excited, not implying anything. That's just what it sounds like to me.
Lets hope you don't come nose to nose in the dark with the bear.
What kind of bear are we talking about here?
Probably coincidence and they are just hitting the same food source.
We had a ton of beechnuts last fall around here and the deer, bear, and turkeys are all hitting the leftover nuts where they were densist this spring.
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Quote from: WV Flopper on May 16, 2022, 07:45:53 PM
Sounds like the bear was sleeping close to the bait the turkeys were going too.
Don't get excited, not implying anything. That's just what it sounds like to me.
Sounds totally like your implying something and I don't appreciate it.
Quote from: vt35mag on May 16, 2022, 09:05:14 PM
Probably coincidence and they are just hitting the same food source.
We had a ton of beechnuts last fall around here and the deer, bear, and turkeys are all hitting the leftover nuts where they were densist this spring.
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No food source because after the flydown hook up they were outta there. The gobbler that showed up late hung around for a bit before he took off as well.
Quote from: Zobo on May 16, 2022, 08:04:34 PM
What kind of bear are we talking about here?
Black bear.
Quote from: Paulmyr on May 16, 2022, 10:24:01 PM
Quote from: Zobo on May 16, 2022, 08:04:34 PM
What kind of bear are we talking about here?
Black bear.
Whew !!!!
Glad it's not a grizz !!!! Otherwise, he probably had all the elk killed off and was lying in wait for YOU.
He had YOU patterned !!!!!
You weren't, by chance, anywhere near a beaver dam, were you ??
Quote from: Yoder409 on May 16, 2022, 11:15:40 PM
Quote from: Paulmyr on May 16, 2022, 10:24:01 PM
Quote from: Zobo on May 16, 2022, 08:04:34 PM
What kind of bear are we talking about here?
Black bear.
Whew !!!!
Glad it's not a grizz !!!! Otherwise, he probably had all the elk killed off and was lying in wait for YOU.
He had YOU patterned !!!!!
You weren't, by chance, anywhere near a beaver dam, were you ??
Thumbs down!!!
Quote from: Yoder409 on May 16, 2022, 11:15:40 PM
Quote from: Paulmyr on May 16, 2022, 10:24:01 PM
Quote from: Zobo on May 16, 2022, 08:04:34 PM
What kind of bear are we talking about here?
Black bear.
Whew !!!!
Glad it's not a grizz !!!! Otherwise, he probably had all the elk killed off and was lying in wait for YOU.
He had YOU patterned !!!!!
You weren't, by chance, anywhere near a beaver dam, were you ??
lol
If I call and this happens should I be concerned.
Quote from: Paulmyr on May 16, 2022, 11:28:01 PM
Quote from: Yoder409 on May 16, 2022, 11:15:40 PM
Quote from: Paulmyr on May 16, 2022, 10:24:01 PM
Quote from: Zobo on May 16, 2022, 08:04:34 PM
What kind of bear are we talking about here?
Black bear.
Whew !!!!
Glad it's not a grizz !!!! Otherwise, he probably had all the elk killed off and was lying in wait for YOU.
He had YOU patterned !!!!!
You weren't, by chance, anywhere near a beaver dam, were you ??
Thumbs down!!!
:TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Bear is too busy eating fresh grass and forbs to chase turkeys, now once eggs are laid he is likely a nest problem!
I hunt an area in the mountains the past two years and see as many or more bears than turkey!
Quote from: Dtrkyman on May 17, 2022, 10:38:30 AM
Bear is too busy eating fresh grass and forbs to chase turkeys, now once eggs are laid he is likely a nest problem!
I hunt an area in the mountains the past two years and see as many or more bears than turkey!
I tend to agree, although it could be coincidence I don't think it's too far of a stretch to say he was laying in wait at a roost site for the possibilty that one of turkeys wandered close enough for him to pounce. The previous morning had about 5 gobblers roosted there which led me to the area.
The opening was a narrow strip, about 30yds at it's widest point and about 150 yds long that led into a larger opening a few hundred yard wide. I found it curious the turkeys moved to the end of the small strip and not out into the larger opening. I was thinking maybe a water source but didn't get the chance to check it out.The opening was on the edge of a select timber cut where they left scattered mature Oaks. The under brush was fairly dense except about 50 yds surrounding the opening where bushes and small trees were scattered in clumps. He was laying in one of the clumps that had some dead branches mixed in on the edge of the opening. When the turkeys left the area the moved back to the middle of the narrow strip and into the mature woods with numerous blow downs on the opposite side of the select cut. Took them maybe 20 mins from flydown until the vacated the area except the one gobbler that lingered a little longer.
Quote from: Dtrkyman on May 17, 2022, 10:38:30 AM
Bear is too busy eating fresh grass and forbs to chase turkeys, now once eggs are laid he is likely a nest problem!
I hunt an area in the mountains the past two years and see as many or more bears than turkey!
I agree. Spring black bear are concentrated on soft mast and fresh greens right now. Blackies are the least carnivorous of the carnivores and turkeys aren't on their menu. I'm sure a hungry bear would kill and eat and one and probably has before....somewhere. If they stumble on a nest, well, those eggs are done for. I hunt mountain bears and mountain turkeys. Funny thing though......
I was turking hunting in the mountains this year and found a bear track. Right next to it was a pair of hen (or jake) tracks. I would have never seen the turkey tracks if I wasn't looking at the bear track. I've personally never connected those two animals in any kind of positive or negative relationship. This is North GA btw.
Quote from: KentuckyHeadhunter on May 17, 2022, 04:38:48 PM
Quote from: Dtrkyman on May 17, 2022, 10:38:30 AM
Bear is too busy eating fresh grass and forbs to chase turkeys, now once eggs are laid he is likely a nest problem!
I hunt an area in the mountains the past two years and see as many or more bears than turkey!
I agree. Spring black bear are concentrated on soft mast and fresh greens right now. Blackies are the least carnivorous of the carnivores and turkeys aren't on their menu. I'm sure a hungry bear would kill and eat and one and probably has before....somewhere. If they stumble on a nest, well, those eggs are done for. I hunt mountain bears and mountain turkeys. Funny thing though......
I was turking hunting in the mountains this year and found a bear track. Right next to it was a pair of hen (or jake) tracks. I would have never seen the turkey tracks if I wasn't looking at the bear track. I've personally never connected those two animals in any kind of positive or negative relationship. This is North GA btw.
Our spring up here in the north land is way late this year. The grasses and leaves just started growing in the last week or so. The woods were bare. The understory just started to green up over the weekend.
Last year's drought put the hurt on the mast crops. Acorns were few and scattered. We have 3 large oaks in the front yard. 2 produce every year the 3rd sporadically. None had any acorns last year. No apples on the trees in the yard at the cabin either.