Following bear sounds into the woods

[MD]

My buddy and I had just driven off the main road yesterday and were only several kms up a logging road on our way to a grassy spot where we’d seen a nice red-brown bear last week when he yelled “Bear”!

I glanced to my right and saw a black blur disappear.

I drove a little past the spot and said to go in after it as it wasn’t going to be far away.

He slowly entered the trees, circling around to get the wind right, kind of going down the slope and then heading up towards the place he’d last seen the bear.

I quietly got out and got my rifle and went in behind him. The visibility between the pines was pretty good. I didn’t see my partner at first but started hearing these weird kind of moans, grunts and other vocalizations. It almost sounded like a dying bear, but I knew Dennis hadn’t shot.

I took a few more steps, then saw Dennis, slowly creeping towards the noise too. It was almost like talking but in an animal language. Some kind of bear-speak.

We were really close now, maybe 30 or 40 feet, but couldn’t see everywhere in some of the tangle between the trees. It got louder and louder and sometimes even seemed to be two animals.

Holy Smoke! I thought to myself, maybe we’re going to see two bears copulating. I’ve never seen that before.

We stood another half minute, then suddenly there was one of those grunty kind of moans directly above us.

I thought maybe a raven was having us on or something. I looked up and there directly above us about 20 feet up, if that, was a little black bear not much bigger than my cat.

“Dennis, there’s a cub up there, let’s get out of here,” I said backing away. All the sounds stopped suddenly.

We backed away, rifles ready and made it a few metres towards the road when Dennis stopped and pulled out his knife.

“Just a minute. I’ve gotta get these,” he said, and bent down and picked a couple mushrooms. Did I tell you he’s a mushroom nut?

It seemed to take him forever to cut two mushrooms free from the forest floor.

I covered him, anxiously watching the spot the noise had come from, then we cautiously retreated down to the road.

I was wondering how he was going to explain to his wife how he got his ass chewed by an angry momma bear while picking mushrooms.

[Turbo Al]

Good thing the cub was making noise!!! At least it all ended well for everyone. I had a really small cub up the tree by my sundeck two weeks ago and I could hardly see him -- he didn't make any noise at all -- moma came back for him about 10 mins later.
Al

[the rifleman]

I guess he was calling for mom to come and save him..Good thing she didn't..

Did you get any pictures of the mushrooms?