Had four deer go past me this morning before legal shooting light. One moving west about 20 yards up the ridge from me and then three more going the opposite direction about 10 minutes later. One went right under me, one was about 20 yards up the hill and the other was about 20 yards down the hill from me. Didn't see much else but squirrels until after 10:00. Then a big bear walked along the ridge past me going west probably 50 yards away. After he got out of sight a few minutes later I decided to do my best fawn in distress call. Must not have been half bad because a minute or two later I heard something coming toward me. Sure enough the bear had come down the hill and was headed straight for me. Got to my tree and sniffed and snorted around and put both front legs up on it. I was starting to feel like bait... Looked right at me but didn't see me. I was about 35' up. (Do they have poor eyesight?). I was getting ready to scream like a little girl but it wasn't necessary. He went back to sniffing around and wandered back down the hill and off toward my cabin. Watched him take a turn about 100 yards off and go back up the hill toward where he came from. He was bigger than he looks in the pics. Not the largest I have seen but pretty big.
Only reason I thought to try the fawn bleat was because a few years ago a good friends brother shot a deer up this way and by the time he got back up with his four wheeler a couple hours later (well after dark) it was gone. Next morning the discovered it had been where he thought it was, but a bear had drug it down the hill in to a bunch of fallen trees to have his midnight snack.
I got a couple video clips this morning but my signal is too poor up here to post. Will try to get them up Sunday night.
