Bears in the berry patches

A black bear feeding on summer berries is still alert to danger.
photo courtesy Dave Richey Outdoors ©2012

Several days ago, while visiting an archery shop, I heard the first reference to picking berries. The word was some early raspberries were out, but we needed more rain.

So, we had two rain showers. I don't know whether we've had enough rain to do the berries much good, but I plan to get out and check it soon. I'm thinking red and black raspberries and blueberries next month. I love them on my breakfast cereal. The larger blackberries pop out this month and next,

I love all kinds of summer berries. I can get red and black raspberries near home but have to travel to some remote locations for the others. The travel doesn't bother me, but in these remote locations there are others critters that love wild berries.

They are called black bears. Several of the areas where I pick black raspberries and blue berries are areas frequented by bears.

Two things of major important occur in July and August. We reach the point when female bears come into estrus, and male bears are cruising in search of females. Most of the breeding is done by adult boars, but  since they like berries, it's not all that unlikely that a bruin could be feeding in a berry patch.

Be aware of bear habits and habitats

Most of the time bears will go out of their way to avoid humans. However, bear cubs are much like small children who are so into having fun, they could get close to human berry pickers. Should that happen, and should the sow bear be close to cubs, it could lead to some trouble.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to make enough noise by talking as you walk through the swamps, uplands and hardwoods. Bears, especially adult animals, are always alert to the sound of humans nearby.

Given any kind of chance, bears will retreat to a more quiet area when humans are not found. They often feed on berries, wild apples, cherries and other fruit during the night, but bears do move during daylight hours. So, it means taking a load of common sense into the woods with you. Make more noise once you get near the berry patch, and look around for bears.

Pay some attention to the photo above. The bear is sitting down behind some brush as it feeds in a berry patch. The image doesn't jump right out at you, but the animal is easy to see if you are looking for a black object.

If you happen onto a feeding bear, it makes sense to move to a different berry patch where there are no bruins openly feeding on the fruit.
Make a quiet retreat, but don't running off yelling at the top of your lungs. Once well away from the area, continue to make some noise. If you go back to the berry patch, approach it with human voice talks and progress slowly. A cautious but noisy approach will usually find the bear long gone.

Continue to use common sense where moving down rows of blueberries. Bears, by nature, are rather curious animals but there is no logic and no sense in remaining silent when heading for the nearest berry patch.

Perhaps you've never seen a bruin in that patch, but that doesn't mean a bear couldn't be in there feeding. They are rather silent feeders, and make little noise when walking if they are suspicious of humans nearby.

Common sense and awareness keep men and bears out of confrontation

I've taken quite a few photos of wild bear, and don't photograph tame bears, and you've got to work pretty hard to fool an adult bruin. One other tip is to figure out where the wind is blowing to, and get in the wind with it at your back as you enter a berry patch. Having the wind at your back means a bear will smell you before it sees or hears you, and will be long gone before you get close/

Understand that no one knows everything about bears, and what is written here is written by a man who has hunted bears often, and has had a few confrontations with sows and cubs. Remember this: bears are normally docile and will move away from humans if given the chance, but black bears are more unpredictable than most of the other bear species.

Being unpredictable means you should never trust them. I've written numerous stories about some of my experiences, but don't expect bruins to always act as they have with me. This is not mean to be a frightening story, nor is it meant to keep people from finding berry patches and picking berries.

It is meant to give people a heads-up about bears that breed and feed on berries during the summer. A word to the wise should be sufficient.

When an unexpected man-bear encounter occurs

Getting this close to a bear is never a wise idea

Bear hunting is a special brand of outdoor adventure where the hunted can become the hunter. It's where the tables can be rapidly turned on a sportsman, and where things can get very interesting very quickly.

It doesn't happen very often with black bears, but when one attacks, it's not good news. A grizzly will maul and bite a human, often inflicting horrific injuries, but the person often lives.

Black bear, even though they are the most common bruin of all, are perhaps the most dangerous. Their attack may continue until the victim is dead. It has happened many times across North America, and in many cases, the human doesn't survive such brutal maulings. In certain situation, the bruin makes a meal of its victim.

Someone in North America gets mauled by a black bear yearly. It's a matter of fact, and it has happened in Michigan several times over the years.

Anytime a bear is within 100 yards of you, there may be danger

I lay no claim to being a black bear expert, but have hunted bruins, photographed them, and have had them approach within three feet of me. Each experience is one to learn from, and to hope it never happens again. A human's best hope is he does everything right if a bear gets within three feet. One wrong move, and it can mean terrible trouble.

I've never been truly frightened of a black bear even when they've come within spitting distance on a dead run. Knowing some things about bears can help you cope with the animal when things turn sour, and an angry bear is only feet away. What you do may truly affect the outcome of the encounter.

This is not mean to frighten people, but the Michigan bear hunting seasons opens in September. However, during this mild winter, bruins can awaken in their den and now is about the time sow bears give birth to their cubs. Realize, first of all, black bears are unpredictable at any time, and a sow with little ones is something to steer clear of.

Whenever bears are baited or being run with hounds, and  humans may find themselves within close proximity of a bruin, and neither one knows it. Throw in the fact that the bear may be a sow with young cubs, and there is the potential for disaster.

Once while photographing a black bear in Canada's Northwest Territories I was downwind of a foraging bruin. It turned, looked in my direction just as I took a photo with a flash. It startled the animal, and it came walking slowly toward me. It was straight upwind of me.

I talked to the animal in a fairly soft voice. I kept my voice level, and it approached close enough that I could have touched it on the head, which I knew would probably be a major mistake. The animal continued to circle me, and as it moved around me, I turned with it and continued to face it and talk. The bear got downwind of me, caught my scent, and circled back the same path as before and slowly walked away.

Talk to a bear in a soft, level tone. Don't scream or shout. Whatever you do, don't get silly or hysterical. This isn't Disney World.

If a bear is seen, make some noise, don’t walk closer and it may leave

One important thing in bear encounters is to keep a clear head. Don't scream at the animal, and realize that a wild bear can sense anxiety and fear. The same is also true of a junkyard dog. Running from a bear is the worst thing to do. Watch the animal, and read the messages it gives you.
Know this: bears, and especially sows with cubs, will often make a false charge toward a person. They can walk, trot or run, but you'll hear teeth clacking, deep growling, and then the bear will stop at 10 to 20 feet and assess the situation.
It is defending its turf and its cubs, and a slow dignified retreat with soft talk while facing the animal can put an end to the whole business. However, it doesn't always end that way.

Know what to do, and do it, in a bear-man confrontation

The trick is to stand your ground until she stops. Step backwards slowly for a step or two, and talk to the bear. If it does nothing, take two or three more slow steps backwards. This allows the animal some space, and gives it a chance to save face. Its enemy is retreating to avoid what could be a deadly confrontation. Just don't make any quick moves, and pay some attention to your footing. If you fall down, it could trigger an attack that would be difficult to defend against.

Watch the bear. Keep a level head, and don't crowd the animal. If it comes, turn with it, but watch its head because the body will follow the head. Study its actions intensely. A bear that becomes increasingly agitated is now a deadly animal and the risk of an attack escalates.

A bear that approaches within 15 to 20 feet and stops, its ears laid back against its skull, and is clacking its teeth and growling, is a dangerous animal. A bear that does that, and then begins slamming its front feet against the ground, has become truly dangerous. Back up and try to defuse the situation with a slow retreat and a soft voice Don't step toward a bear that is stomping its front feet.

Do not run. Never run from a bear because it's like running from a mean dog: the chances are it will trigger a charge. A full-blown charge with foot stomping, growls, ears laid back, and clacking of teeth is something that will stir your guts into soup and give your mouth a coppery taste. This is no time to lose your head and do stupid things.

Continue to face the animal but try a slow-moving retreat. Chances are the bear doesn't want to force the issue, but this posturing can be a prelude to a mauling and death or a close call. In many cases, the human's movements or lack of them may act as a catalyst that triggers an attack.

Allow bears to save face; Give it a way out but don’t run

Saving face is no different with a bear than with a bar-room bully. Sometimes the issue can be resolved without incident; other times, it can only be resolved with force. A man alone, unarmed, is not capable of fighting a faster and stronger bear. A few instances have been noted of a bear-man fight, including one here in Michigan, and they are the stuff of wild tales ... except some of them are absolutely  true.

Few people will ever face a false charge, and even fewer will come to grips with a full-blown charge. Those who face the latter (and it's difficult to determine one from the other until the attack occurs) and live to tell the story are a rare breed in today's society.

I've faced three, and all were defused after several troubling minutes, but the best advice is to stand tall, make yourself look as big as possible, talk (don't scream) to the animal, and give the bear a chance to save face without injury to it or you.

Backing away or stepping aside when a bruin is very close can leave you with a wildly beating heart, a dry mouth and your life, providing you do everything right. The chance of a bear attack anywhere is rather remote, but it pays to have some knowledge of what to do well before such a need is standing only 10 feet away with its ears back.

Especially if the bear has a surly attitude and you are wondering how you ever got into such a situation. Just remember: keep your head, don't lose control, and you may have a hair-raising tale to tell.

Make a mistake at this crucial point, and even the best Hollywood make-up artist won't be able to make you recognizable to your best friends and family at the funeral.

Watch for bears in the woods and swamps during bear season

A bear this size, at close range, is a formidable animal. Be aware of nearby bears.

Bear hunting is a special brand of outdoor adventure where the hunted can become the hunter. It's when the tables can be rapidly turned on a sportsman, and where things can get very interesting very quickly. It doesn't happen very often with black bears, but when one attacks, it's not good news. A grizzly will maul and bite a human, often inflicting horrific injuries, but the person often lives.

Black bear, even though they are the most common bruin of all, are perhaps the most dangerous. Their attack may continue until the victim is dead. It has happened many times across North America, and in many cases, the human doesn't survive such a brutal mauling.

Someone in North America gets mauled by a black bear every year.

I lay no claim to being a black bear expert, but have hunted bruins, photographed them, and have had them approach within three feet of me. Each experience is one to learn from, and to hope it never happens again. A human best hope he does everything right if a bear gets within three feet of him. One wrong move, and it can mean terrible trouble.

I've never been truly frightened of a black bear even when they've come within spitting distance on a dead run. Knowing some things about bears can help you cope with the animal when things turn sour, and an angry bear is only feet away. What you do may truly affect the outcome of the encounter.

This is not meant to frighten you, but the Michigan bear hunting seasons open next month. Realize, first of all, black bears are very unpredictable. Don’t trust them.

Whenever bears are baited or being run with hounds, humans may find themselves within close proximity of a bruin, and neither one knows it. Throw in the fact that the bear may be a sow with young cubs, and there is the potential for disaster.

Once while photographing a black bear in Canada's Northwest Territories I was downwind of a foraging bruin. It turned, looked in my direction just as I took a photo with a flash. It startled the animal, and it came walking slowly toward me. It was straight upwind of me.

I talked to the animal in a fairly soft voice. I kept my voice level, and it approach close enough that I could have touched it, which I knew would be a mistake. The animal continued to circle me, and as it moved around me, I turned with it and continued to face it and talk. The bear got downwind of me, caught my scent, and circled back the same path as before and slowly walked away.

Talk to a bear in a soft, level ton. Don't scream or shout.

One important thing in bear encounters is to keep a clear head. Don't scream at the animal, and realize that a wild bear can sense anxiety and fear. The same is also true of a junkyard dog. Running from a bear is a bad thing to do because they are impossible out-run. Watch the animal, and read the messages it gives you.

Know this: bears, especially sows with cubs, will often make a false charge toward a person. They can walk, trot or run, but you'll hear teeth clacking, deep growling, and then the bear will stop at 10 to 20 feet.

It is defending its turf and its cubs, and a slow dignified retreat with soft talk while facing the animal can put an end to the whole business. However, it doesn't always end that way.

Know what to do, and do it, in a bear-man confrontation.

The trick is to stand your ground until she stops. Step backwards slowly for a step or two, and talk to the bear. If it does nothing, take two or three more slow steps backwards. This allows the animal some space, and gives it a chance to save face. Its enemy is retreating to avoid what could be a deadly confrontation. Just don't make any quick moves, and pay some attention to your footing. If you fall down, it could trigger an attack that would be difficult to defend against.

Watch the bear. Keep a level head, and don't crowd the animal. If it comes, turn with it, but watch its head because the body will follow the head. Study its actions intensely. A bear that becomes increasingly agitated is now a deadly animal and the risk of an attack escalates.

A bear that approaches within 15 to 20 feet and stops, its ears laid back against its skull, and is clacking its teeth and growling, is a dangerous animal. A bear that does that, and then begins slamming its front feet against the ground, has become truly dangerous. Back up and try to defuse the situation with a slow retreat and a soft voice. Don't step toward a bear that is stomping its front feet.

Do not run. Never run from a bear because it's like running from a mean dog: the chances are it will trigger a charge. A full-blown charge with foot stomping, growls, ears laid back, and clacking of teeth is something that will stir your guts into soup and give your mouth a coppery taste. This is no time to lose your head and do stupid things.

Continue to face the animal but try a slow-moving retreat. Chances are the bear doesn't want to force the issue, but this posturing can be a prelude to a mauling and death or a close call. In many cases, the humans’ movements or lack of them may act as a catalyst that triggers an attack.

Allow a bear to save face. Give it a way out of a bad situation.

Saving face is no different with a bear than with a barroom bully. Sometimes the issue can be resolved without incident; other times, it can only be resolved with force. A man alone, unarmed, is not capable of fighting a faster and stronger bear. A few instances have been noted of a bear-man fight, including one here in Michigan, and they are the stuff of wild tales ... except some of them are absolutely  true.

Few people will ever face a false charge, and even fewer will come to grips with a full-blown charge. Those who face the latter (and it's difficult to determine one from the other until the attack occurs) and live to tell the story are a rare breed in today's society.

I've faced three, and all were defused after several troubling minutes, but the best advice is to stand tall, make yourself look as big as possible, talk (don't scream) to the animal, and give the bear a chance to save face without injury to it or you.

Backing away or stepping aside when a bruin is very close can leave you with a wildly beating heart, a dry mouth and your life, providing you do everything right. The chance of a bear attack anywhere is rather remote, but it pays to have some knowledge of what to do well before such a need is standing only 10 feet away.

Especially if the bear has a surly attitude and you are wondering how you ever got into such a situation. Just remember: keep your head, don't lose control, and you may have a hair-raising tale to tell.

Make a mistake at this critical point, and even the best Hollywood make-up artist won't be able to make you recognizable to your family.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Bear hunting season opens next month

The author’s first bear with a bow. Sometimes, this is all one sees of a bear.

Me and black bears go back a very long time. There have been a large number of close encounters with bruins over 45 years, and some potentially dangerous confrontations have taken place and I’m still respectfully writing about them.

Bears are very curious but can be very dangerous animals and are among my favorite wildlife species to hunt. Granted, they can do great bodily harm and can kill a guy if they choose, and if the opportunity presents itself, but mostly they want to be left alone. They can be downright curious, just like people, but after more than  four decades of making a full-time living as an outdoor writer, it's been my pleasure to have crossed paths with bruins on many occasions.

My hunts began in the late 1960s. No permit application was needed back then. A hunter walked into a store, bought a bear license, and went hunting.

Now, with new and different rules, there are more bears moving into new areas.

Those early hunts were fun because I sat on the ground, usually within 20 feet of an active bear bait, and hunting from tree stands were not legal for bear or deer hunters at the time. The first bruin I killed was with a bow at six feet. It wheeled, ran off into tall marsh grass, and I was right behind it, clueless and stupid in the middle of a dense Upper Peninsula swamp.

The animal went down on its back, and as I came running through the tall marsh grass behind it, my right foot came down two inches from its open mouth as it let out a death moan. My next step, I swear, was a 20-foot jump. It really wasn't that far but that animal scared me silly under those circumstances. Circling back, the bear was approached from behind, but it was dead.

Another time I saw nine different bears on opening day of the fall bear season. A big bruin frequented the area but wasn't seen the first day although nine smaller bears showed up to feed at various times from dawn to dusk. The larger bear came to visit the second day, and offered an easy shot.

There have been several close calls with bruins of various sizes.

There have been some close scrapes with bruins including a stand-off with a sow with three cubs in Saskatchewan 10 years ago. Another close encounter came in the Northwest Territories as a foraging bruin was spotted and photographed from a distance of 20 feet. The bear approached to within three feet of me, circled all around as I stood my ground and kept turning to face the animal, and it never did anything except turn and walk away. Its ears didn’t go back, its neck hairs didn’t go up and there was none of that teeth-gnashing business.


Another close call came when a grizzly was encountered in Glacier National Park during an early snow storm as I hurried down the mountain ahead of this violent storm that threatened to close the mountain passes. We eyed each other at 20 feet for what seemed like long minutes but the standoff probably didn't last over 10 seconds, and the big bear ran off.

A few years later grizzlies went on the rampage one year and killed partially ate parts of some of the tourists. It was a nasty piece of business, and those big bears were hunted down and killed.

Another time, while hunting on British Columbia's Vancouver Island with Jim Shockey, my guide and I saw over 30 black bears on one mountainside at one time. We probably saw 60 different bears in one day, including one with a 22-inch skull that would have placed high in the Boone & Crockett record books.

I passed on that big bear for purely personal reasons.

That bear was not shot by me. I passed on it because the only thing that would have made the animal appealing to anyone was its huge skull. It had rub spots on both front legs like it had been wearing manacles, two huge bald patches were on its hips, and assorted other problems made that animal truly ugly. It was an old boar, probably in its last year of life, and I let him live.

I knew if I shot that bear the only reason for its death would have been the big skull. I left that bruin to feed after stalking to within 60 yards with my Knight .50 muzzleloader. I didn't need a record-book black bear that bad.

Outdoor writer/photographer Judd Cooney and I hiked into one of his bear baits in northern Saskatchewan several years ago, sat down 20 yards from a bear bait, and took photos. A sow with a pair of young cubs came to visit, and he asked if I wanted the sow to turn our way. I nodded affirmatively.

"Hey, bear, over here!" Cooney hollered. The bear backed up a step or two, turned to look our way, and I started shooting photos. Cooney repeated this exercise three times, and then the cubs came over for a visit. They sniffed my boots, crawled over our legs, and walked back to their mother.

Had any cub squalled we would have had an irate sow black bear all over us. The cubs behaved themselves, as did we, and they soon wandered off, making it a thrilling  adventure.

Hunting and being around bears all these years has been fun. There have been a few anxious moments when I’ve hunted down and killed bears that had been wounded by other people who were too frightened to go after the animal. I didn’t want a wounded bear in the woods that could cause serious injury or death to someone unfortunate enough to get too close to it.

There has never been a problem during my encounters or when hunting down those injured animals, but anytime a person gets within 50 yards of a wild bear, there always is an element of danger.

So far, I’ve been lucky. Now, with bad vision dogging ny trail, my memories of those times when bears got too close, are still vivid. Each time provided an adrenaline surge that exceeds even that of when a big whitetail buck walks within bow range.

There is a special kind of magic to bear hunting. One only has to remember that this animal you hunt is fully capable of putting you in a casket or a hospital bed. That, my friends, adds some adventure and spice to the hunt.

Face a real or false charge  from a tooth-clacking, foot-pounding, enraged black bear, and you’ll experience something that may wake you from a sound sleep for many years to come as you relive that hunt. Bears have the capability of putting the fear of God into a person, and it’s always wise to remember that.

Morels aren't done just yet

A handful of morel bounty

My son, David Richey, with a double-handful of white morel mushrooms.

My eldest son, David, didn't learn this from his daddy. Morel mushrooms must be big enough for me to trip over before I can see them these days.

Even at that, if they are a bit soft, they won't trip me up. I can walk by a 10-inch tall white morel mushroom, and not see it even though I'm looking for the tasty fungi.

David got his in-the-field training from noted salmon and steelhead fishing guide, and morel mushroom guru, Mark Rinckey of Honor. This happened several years ago. They went out together, and David picked up some of Mark's key tricks, including key places to look and how to hide your car so people can't find you.

Look close for morels. I can't see 'em but maybe you can.

He was taught to look for black ash and popple trees. He was taught to check the level places, the hillsides, and steep slopes, especially on the south-facing slopes, and even the bottom of a valley. He was told that south-facing slopes pay off in cool weather because the south slopes get the most sunlight. Makes sense to me.

David learned that if you find one morel, look close, and chances are very good there will be others nearby. He learned those lessons well.

He went out mushroom hunting a couple of days ago at a spot he found himself. He wouldn't return to any of Rinckey's hotspots. It's an ethical thing, and I can lay claim to instilling that lesson in my son.

He began with two large onion bags, and within an hour they were filled and he'd picked about five pounds. He was ecstatic about his good fortune.

Check as many areas as possible near ash and popple trees.

"It pays to learn from an expert," he said, holding up a 12-inch morel as proof. "We've had so much rain lately, and all we needed was a bit of warmer weather. Can't stick around. I left one spot with at least a dozen more big mushrooms but I had no way of carrying any more."

He had taken his two dogs with him the first time, and the dogs stepped on some of the mushrooms. He left the dogs in his car with the window down slightly, and headed back into the woods near Mesick.

Many mushroom pickers felt the mushroom fruiting season had ended recently, but such apparently was not the case. David said that everywhere he went today, there were white morels.

"I didn't see a single person in the woods," he noted. "Everything is still wet from 10 days of on-and-off rain, but that's fine by me. I can walk along at a steady pace, look ahead for black ash trees, and keep finding morel mushrooms."

It's rare to not see other pickers. High gas prices may be a problem.

He did say that a few of the morels he found were pretty old, and he didn't pick them. He also said he wasn't finding very many false morels.

"Good spots are near ash-popple stands," he said, "but I'm finding quite a few near old stumps, on small hummocks, and even in the low bottoms of valleys where water has run downhill. I think the abundance of rain has helped the mushrooms grow in some places where normally I wouldn't be looking for them there."

He said some of the white morels stand up straight, and some are tall and then begin to curve sideways from the weight of the fruiting head. He said a couple of the largest mushrooms would weigh several ounces, and in such cases, it's difficult not to pick a heavy bag of mushrooms.

His picking strategy is similar to many people although he doesn't uproot the base of the mushroom or break off the stem. He uses a sharp knife, and cuts through the stem close to the ground. It leaves a clean cut, and he can utilize more of the stem this way. Breaking the stem is not a good idea because they often break at the weakest point, and that can leave too much stem behind.

I used to shake each mushroom back in the days when I could still see them. It was how I was taught to pick, and the thought behind shaking them over the ground, was to put more spores on the ground. It was felt, then and now, that it may lead to more mushrooms next spring. Who knows if it works, but he picked up that trait form me.

Morel mushrooms are a certain sign of spring, and Mother's Day always used to mark the peak of the morel fruiting season. A week ago, many foragers felt the season was dead and gone.

That's what thought did for them, and I can't believe my son found the only morel hotspot in Wexford County. He thinks, as I do, that there are more mushrooms to come and that is a comforting thought for pickers.