1:12 He stops and looks at me. 1:58 He shakes a branch as perhaps an attempt to startle me. 2:43 He circles me at about 10 meters while occasionally glancing at me. 4:58 He moves away and sits down on the trail. 5:33 He resumes following me. 6:01 He stops on a fallen branch and then moves away. 6:36 He resumes following me. 8:18 He stands up briefly, where perhaps he was trying to show me how big and thick he was. Bonus Mystery: At 1:28, something white blinks down at the end of the path on the left side. I appreciate all the feedback:-) Thank You!
7:30 - he is learning to overcome his natural fear of humans. I see this throughout the video. This is not good. Bears like this can turn predatory as they grow to maturity and get larger and to me this is likely with this one. I can see if it were 25 yards away and was curious for several seconds then bounded off into the woods opposite direction from you. This one was looking at it from a perspective of prey. I hike the backcountry and absolutely would not tolerate this. I don't think I'd kill it - BUT I'd probably spray him for sure, fire off my .44 mag for scare effects and top it off by a loud, guttural yell - all to instill the effect in this young bear that humans are dangerous and scary and should be avoided at all costs. It could save a hiker's life and the bear as well.
I know its really amazing, but you should really be a dominating force next time so as the bear gets older he is more frightened of people and less bold. The best time to do that is when the bear is momentarily frightened and begins running or moving away. At that point you should wave your arms and speak in a firm tone. Scare him away.
This is exactly the kind of black bear you have to worry about--the kind that just quietly shadows you, as if it's sizing you. It's looking for a meal.....and it thinks you're it!!
that is a damn black bear. it was just interest in him. they barely even eat meat. you people need to read. he was in absolutely no danger at all. bears also have the best sense of smell in the animal kingdom. if you have a candy bar or sandwich, they can smell it from miles away.
@@jillsmith1134 did you hear about the German Sheppard that mauled that baby to death? you talking as if happens daily. dogs attack and kill people on a daily basis. domesticated dogs at that.
If I lived in bear country I would carry pepper spray whenever I went hiking, not sure if it was needed here, but having a can as insurance. I could feel the tension as I watched, great video showing it's behavior.
@@kasuaarikanava3446 black bears can be brown and many of them. yeas all bears are the same species. but i think you mean a Grizzly bear which is much stronger born with a muschle hump grizzled hair teddy bear ears longer snout thicker skull five inch sharp CLAWS larger Jaw that can Crack a bowling ball and can grow up to 1500 pounds like the Kodiak Grizzly .
Thanks a lot for being passive and more interested in filming than teaching the bear to fear humans. Now the next hiker it approaches will be in danger. Stupid human. Probably thought the bear wanted to be friends
I probably wouldn't word it so strongly, but I cannot disagree with you. I hike the backcountry and would not tolerate this. I don't think I would kill it, but spray it for sure followed up by a .44 mag in the dirt and a loud, guttural yell to instill that humans are dangerous.
Young male, a yearling perhaps, starting to feel his oats. Learning how to charge. It's possible as well that other hikers have tossed food to this bear. His actions are possibly indicative of this. I applaud your cool head. These are always potentially dangerous situations and turning and running is always a bad decision. Standing your ground and trying to appear larger is the best bet and making your way out of there while doing that is a good move. You did good. I've told people to hold their packs up and over their heads. Even making loud vocalizations and stomping when they seem to be retreating This will usually encourage them to keep moving away. Sometimes though, as in this case, this bear's curiosity was getting the best of him. Cool video, thank you for posting.
Willswalkingwest lol obviously you only think you do, i see 5-6 black bears a day at work and the odd grizzly, and I can tell you that’s not a yearling
@@henryhenry903 Depends where they are. Black bears aren't as well fed when they share territory with grizzlies. If this isn't grizzly territory, it is a young bear.
This bear is between 3-5 years - definitely not a yearling. Dude should have stood his ground & been intimidating rather than quietly retreat. You behave very differently with the common black bear vs browns.
I think you have to be aggressive with them from the start, because you could see how it gained confidence little by little, it's trying to see if you'll be bold or passive, they take passive as weakness, a bear is thinking about you as food, period, that's not territory mentality, it thrives on weakness, if the best knew how weak we really are they'd pounce on humans everytime.
We are not even on their menu list. They much prefer Ant Larve, berries, acorns, sap, small and dead game, and even garbage.The two humans who get killed by bears each year pale next to the thousands killed by other humans,
Amazing how you're able to keep your cool. phewww. I was tense just watching as it approaches time after time. I would have handled it all wrong I'm sure. I guess the lesson is sometimes a black bear wants to test humans up close for a good/bad response? God knows what it "had in mind".
The guy made almost every mistake possible. Looks like he only cared about getting accolades on YT than he was in both protecting the bear, himself and future humans that encounter this bear.
Bears have an extremely good sense of smell. If I had to guess, would suspect you were carrying something to eat and he was interested in the smell. Even a granola or candy bar in your pocket can get their attention.
The way you were standing around and stumbling around it's no wonder he sized you up. You got lucky, you were almost lunch. Do not ever trust these animals. They are not Disney characters.
Just a young "teenager" probably male. They are the most curious and unpredictable but you really don't have to worry unless they start snapping their jaws and swinging their heads side to side.
Hi Zug .. Thanks for sharing first of all......this video is underrated, it deserves to be one of the most seen in the genre, given the length of recording and the behaviour of the bear.......that was definitivly not simply curiosity Some questions about you could keep this calm....... Had you already had other encounters? Did you have any device in case it would have turned into a direct attack??
A person never really knows how they would behave when they encounter a bear in the woods I also know this for a fact on multiple occasions. It depends a lot on the situation and also the location. Let the talkers talk you did what you thought was right at the time and you avoided conflict. You really can't ask for anything more than that. Keep on keeping on.
How do you know “he did what he thought was right”? If he actually thought this was the right thing to do then he should get educated before he sets foot out in the woods again. Seems to me he was more interested in filming the encounter than being safe.
@@bobnunyabiznz4917 Bears have individual personalities just like people some of them will react to certain situations different than others just like people. If you were to act aggressive towards them some of them will back away and if you act aggressive towards some of them they will become more aggressive towards you it's a role of the dice you can't predict the behavior of an animal. He walked away from the situation that's basically the best you can ask for. For everyone who says that was stalking behavior I disagree because if it was actually stalking him as a food source it definitely would have ended differently. That was more the behavior of a curious animal who has been around people before.
@@tracywilhelm594 First of all, the hiker never should have stood there and waited for the bear to catch up to him. He should have made noise to let the bear know he was there and to have slowly backed out of the woods (always facing the bear) instead of allowing the bear to get close. If a bear approached and tested him like that, he should have spoken to it calmly but firmly. Bears tend to pop their jaws in warning. So they would interpret short deep bursts of speech in the same way. And yes, this bear absolutely was stalking him. He circled the hiker multiple times, testing the hiker's fight/flight response with false charges and retreats and aggressive posturing (pushing tree saplings etc). This bear seemed to either have limited human interaction (as it was trying to determine whether or not the hiker was a predator or prey) or it had already lost all of its fear of humans (as you see in popular camping grounds where bears go dumpster-diving mere feet from entire groups of campers). I fear for other hikers in the area because if this bear wasn't already conditioned not to fear humans, it has been with this experience.
Good morning Mel. I watched the video again and I still believe this animal was more Curious than aggressive. I believe it has had contact with people before and probably received food and it was waiting for its hand out. I still think if this bear was stalking him with ill intent it would have ended much differently. The hiker did nothing to deter the bear and it left on its own. If he had been yelling and waving his arms and throwing rocks and making a lot of noise and if that's what it took to drive the bear off I would think otherwise but in this particular case I'm going 50/50 now on whether or not it was stalking him. In the beginning I saw not even the slightest Breeze no movement of the leaves or anything else and I think the animal was just trying to circle around and try to pick up a scent. They have a tendency to want to trust their nose much more so than their eyesight as I'm sure you are well aware. Breaking that small sapling to me was not an act of aggression I think it was an act of trying to get the creature it was looking to move and see how it would behave. At one point the bear yawns just like a bored young kid. I'm going to go with my original thoughts on the situation with the stipulation that I could be absolutely wrong and you could be totally right. But I still believe that if the bear was stocking him it would have been a totally different situation. Following him out of curiosity absolutely. But once again I think if that bear had intentions of causing harm it could have done it in nanoseconds. I'm making the assumption that you've been around Bears enough to realize how fast they are and what they're capable of doing it would have been no problem whatsoever for that bear to take that individual out if that's what it had planned to do. And please don't interpret this as me saying that you are wrong because I'm not. You may be absolutely right. But as I said in my first post he was able to walk away from this and that's about as good as you can ask for.Have a good day.
East coast? Popular trail? Seems like a bear who may have learned that humans = easy to access food. I’ve seen other videos where it seems the bear is waiting to see if the scared human will drop their pack and run off
I would have shot a couple of 9mm rounds at the first sign that the bear was stalking me and if that didn’t scare it off then I would have progressed with my aim. Those bear can be on you in a flash and they will win. I’ve encountered many bears while ridding ATV’s and Motorcycles in the forests they always run, so if I had a bear that didn’t I would understand this is not normal behavior. three times I’v had bears jump into the road directly in front of me one of those bears back was as tall has my 660 Yamaha grizzly 4x4 I almost hit it. Protect yourself around wild animals especially ones that can take down a full grown elk which is bigger and more powerful than most horses.
This is the kind of black bear you should watch out for, has little to no fear of you. Scare him away so he doesn't get curious about how easy a meal you would make. And you were helping him decide.
It's not a cat, he's not curious. Natural bevaviour for a bear, is to flee, when it sees or smells a human. This bear was getting bold, it was in predatory mode.
The bear looked like it missed playing with its little brothers. Id like to know from an expert if that was a threatening stalk or an invatation to wrestle.
How do you know he had a pistol? All I heard was him unzip his bag. If he did have a pistol, he should have fired off a few rounds. Scare the bear away so he associates loud scary noise with humans.
If i lived in the US with the gunlaws you have, I would if I was going for a Hike, have Bearspray, a shootgun, a pistol, a machete, and a hunters knife with me....
I'm in canada, so i can't have a handgun. But i pack a knife and bearspray on my belt. A knife around my neck, and my defender 12 gauge, loaded with slugs, over my shoulder. I saw 3 bears on my hike yesterday.
I love bears but I like living a whole lot more. This bear was looking for the best means of attack. He/She would’ve got a warning shot. Any further aggressive behavior would’ve resulted in me ultimately putting this bear down. Make no mistake, I Would HATE to do that as I said earlier, I love and respect bears.
Yeah exactly. This type of behavior cannot be tolerated. I hike the backcountry and I don't think I would kill it BUT I'd have sprayed it, shot a .44 mag in the dirt and let out a loud, guttural yell for effects to instill that humans are dangerous. If it STILL came back, I'd put it down without a second thought.
Smaller bear but still a threat. Like a 100 pound Rottweiler is a threat. Good capture. I'm sure you would have behaved differently with a similarly acting but 6 times bigger bear. I don't mean you would have panicked. I mean you would have done all the steps to avoid and prevent personal injury or destroying the animal. I would have stuck around and videoed too. If I was sure he was alone. I wonder if anyone has ever bribed a super hungry bear with candy. Drop a Snickers and run away! I carry a 9mm in the woods in FL. Every time I see a vid like this it makes me want to maybe carry my .45 instead. And bear spray. And a Snickers bar. Kidding. Don't train bears to scare hikers for handouts. Teach them about the misery of capsicum.
He's not bombarded by "know-it-alls." They're people who live in bear country, who know bear protocols, and are trying to counter the inappropriate behavior shown in this video to prevent others from making the same mistakes. You should thank them, not criticize them. 🙄 Now, because this hiker allowed the bear to approach and stalk him without establishing fear or uncertainty in the bear, another hiker may pay the price because this bear has been conditioned not to fear humans.
That is a problem bear that needs to be put down. Luckily you were much larger than him, a woman or old person etc would have had a bad day. Great job staying calm.
This idiot did all the wrong things! By continuing to film & allowing the bear to follow him, he has just made both humans and this bear very unsafe. People like this shouldn’t be allowed to set foot outdoors.
I hike the backcountry and would not tolerate this kind of behavior from a bear. Given it's a yearling I don't think I'd kill it - BUT I'd spray it for sure, put a .44 mag in the dirt and let out a loud, guttural yell to instill humans are dangerous. If it still came back I'd put it down without a second thought.
Very stupid, Not brave at all. Your actions not only endangered you, but also the bear and more importantly, the next person who crosses this bears path. Very Stupid.
@@bobnunyabiznz4917 Hi Bob, I used to go out in the woods daily with my GSD until a mother black bear moved into the area (never had bears down this far south before). She had a cub 2 years ago who has been spotted hanging around my neighbour’s, and the mother was seen with 2 cubs last year. I’m too afraid to go now, but do miss it…. Trying to get the courage by perhaps learning the do’s and don’t’s through other peoples experiences. I carry an air horn, bear spray, and keep my dog on a leash when walking around my own property (15 acres) because of the bear activity I‘ve noticed here. People say black bears are more afraid of us, than we should be of them, ha, then I see videos like this?? Needless to say my anxiety is getting the better of me…. any advice?
@@tracker8488 You’re smart to keep your dog on a leash. Don’t let him/her wander. Sounds like you’re doing everything right. For the most part black bears don’t want much to do with us unless they’re habituated & lost their natural fear of us - for instance, irresponsible people who leave a messy campground that provides easy snacks. If you’re using air horns, carry spray & are a responsible dog owner, chances are you’re good. There are obviously no guarantees in life but it would be a shame to stop enjoying your property & the surroundings. Do you have other people that can/will accompany you on your walks? That adds an extra layer of protection & may help to abate your fears. I live and regularly hike in bear country. I carry spray, keep my food in an airtight/“smell proof”container, am always aware of my surroundings & make noise as not to startle bears that may be nearby. I hike with walking sticks and if I encounter wildlife, I put my jacket on them & raise in the air to look larger. For what it’s worth, I’ve used my spray before & it worked. Flawlessly. I also live in the vicinity of mountain lions & in all honesty, I’m more weary of them than bears. Remember that you’re more likely to get in a car accident & encounter unsafe people (or even get struck by lightning) than you are to be attacked by a bear. Good Luck! P.S. The reason why this bear pursued him is because he acted like an idiot. Seems to me he was more interested in filming the encounter for social media than he was in behaving like a good steward of the land & her natural (and beautiful!) inhabitants. If he would have done the right things, this encounter would have ended in less than a minute. Not only would it have kept him safe, it would have taught this bear to fear & not approach humans in the future. This also would have kept the bear safe; they always lose in the end and end up getting destroyed due to people’s careless behavior.
@@bobnunyabiznz4917 thank you Bob for the quick response and good advice. I really do appreciate it. I have always lived in the country, and enjoyed learning about the wildlife that surrounds me. I have woods on all 4 sides of the property, and see critters passing through on a regular basis. The 2 yr. old bear concerns me because of my neighbour refusing to put away their birdseed during the summer last year, and it came by often to feed. I seen pictures of it sleeping on their lawn, and a video of it coming up on the deck to the door! I warned them it would get bold as time went on…. Now they are nervous! I’m worried this bear will not be afraid of me if I see it on my path. I don’t have anyone who likes to hike, but have been thinking about finding people who do. I do think that will help me gain my confidence back.
You are on the road just move a little bit out and he will pass and go away. You block his way HIS WAY. You make him on defensive mode Its like you are telling him its my territory now...lol not wise
1:12 He stops and looks at me.
1:58 He shakes a branch as perhaps an attempt to startle me.
2:43 He circles me at about 10 meters while occasionally glancing at me.
4:58 He moves away and sits down on the trail.
5:33 He resumes following me.
6:01 He stops on a fallen branch and then moves away.
6:36 He resumes following me.
8:18 He stands up briefly, where perhaps he was trying to show me how big and thick he was.
Bonus Mystery: At 1:28, something white blinks down at the end of the path on the left side.
I appreciate all the feedback:-) Thank You!
Where was your bear spray?
7:30 - he is learning to overcome his natural fear of humans. I see this throughout the video. This is not good. Bears like this can turn predatory as they grow to maturity and get larger and to me this is likely with this one. I can see if it were 25 yards away and was curious for several seconds then bounded off into the woods opposite direction from you. This one was looking at it from a perspective of prey. I hike the backcountry and absolutely would not tolerate this. I don't think I'd kill it - BUT I'd probably spray him for sure, fire off my .44 mag for scare effects and top it off by a loud, guttural yell - all to instill the effect in this young bear that humans are dangerous and scary and should be avoided at all costs. It could save a hiker's life and the bear as well.
That's stalking behavior.
I know its really amazing, but you should really be a dominating force next time so as the bear gets older he is more frightened of people and less bold. The best time to do that is when the bear is momentarily frightened and begins running or moving away. At that point you should wave your arms and speak in a firm tone. Scare him away.
One shot of pepper spray would give him lifetime respect and a WIDE birth for humans
True
Yeah, this dumba** was more interested in getting “likes” and views on social media than he was in practicing bear safety 101.
Agreed kelly. Best chance for a good outcome that way, not only for people that the bear might encounter in the future, but for the bear itself.
@BruceWayne-sz3thare you being serious?
It was trying to decide wether to attack or not. Bear is not a "friend" or curious because of "friendliness".
Love this video. It sure brings out the bear ‘experts’ everywhere.
good video, I thought I had watched every bear video on RUclips but once in awhile I find a rare gem. Cool to see.
Same here....very underrated this one
Yes, very good video.
This is exactly the kind of black bear you have to worry about--the kind that just quietly shadows you, as if it's sizing you. It's looking for a meal.....and it thinks you're it!!
that is a damn black bear. it was just interest in him. they barely even eat meat. you people need to read. he was in absolutely no danger at all. bears also have the best sense of smell in the animal kingdom. if you have a candy bar or sandwich, they can smell it from miles away.
Lol. He instigated the whole video
@@JohnEastmanExAttyAtLaw Wrong. Try reading.
@@JohnEastmanExAttyAtLawyou are nuts!! Did you hear about the black bear that ate a man in Arizona just last month? You are crazy.
@@jillsmith1134 did you hear about the German Sheppard that mauled that baby to death? you talking as if happens daily. dogs attack and kill people on a daily basis. domesticated dogs at that.
It probably keeps running slightly to scare you into running ignitiating a chase
the fact that it is following you is a BAD thing. It's stalking you, not following you.
Young juvenile just playing and looking for food, you can tell by the way it’s approaching that someone feed this young cub
No, that’s not what’s happening.
Haven't seen this one. Cool lil dude! ThAnks for sharing!
The white blink or flash was the bears mother filming you guys. She posted on her social media. I watched it yesterday.
lol
Lol! It’s like he’s pretending no not be interested!
“ look I’m laying down minding my own business!”
Very scary! He’s totally in gaged on you!!
They’re both playing each other, because we know this guy isn’t hiking, he’s videotaping this bear. 😀
If I lived in bear country I would carry pepper spray whenever I went hiking, not sure if it was needed here, but having a can as insurance. I could feel the tension as I watched, great video showing it's behavior.
This pepper spray is not enough if you really are face to face with an aggressive brown bear. It will attack you. I live near brown bears.
@@kasuaarikanava3446 the experts say the pepper spray doesn't work with bears and it's better to use bear spray.
@@kasuaarikanava3446 black bears can be brown and many of them. yeas all bears are the same species. but i think you mean a Grizzly bear which is much stronger born with a muschle hump grizzled hair teddy bear ears longer snout thicker skull five inch sharp CLAWS larger Jaw that can Crack a bowling ball and can grow up to 1500 pounds like the Kodiak Grizzly .
I would walk towards the little bear to see how it would react!
Thanks a lot for being passive and more interested in filming than teaching the bear to fear humans. Now the next hiker it approaches will be in danger. Stupid human. Probably thought the bear wanted to be friends
I probably wouldn't word it so strongly, but I cannot disagree with you. I hike the backcountry and would not tolerate this. I don't think I would kill it, but spray it for sure followed up by a .44 mag in the dirt and a loud, guttural yell to instill that humans are dangerous.
That's definitely stalking behavior you are very lucky 🍀 good 👍 job on keeping your kool most likely saved you
This person is wayy too quiet. 😂 it makes the bear more curious and ask, "could this be food?" 😂
Young male, a yearling perhaps, starting to feel his oats. Learning how to charge. It's possible as well that other hikers have tossed food to this bear. His actions are possibly indicative of this. I applaud your cool head. These are always potentially dangerous situations and turning and running is always a bad decision. Standing your ground and trying to appear larger is the best bet and making your way out of there while doing that is a good move. You did good. I've told people to hold their packs up and over their heads. Even making loud vocalizations and stomping when they seem to be retreating This will usually encourage them to keep moving away. Sometimes though, as in this case, this bear's curiosity was getting the best of him. Cool video, thank you for posting.
Willswalkingwest yearling? Lol try 5 year old, he was filling out in the neck and that means mature bear
@@henryhenry903 Yearling. I know Black Bears. It's a yearling.
Willswalkingwest lol obviously you only think you do, i see 5-6 black bears a day at work and the odd grizzly, and I can tell you that’s not a yearling
@@henryhenry903 Depends where they are. Black bears aren't as well fed when they share territory with grizzlies. If this isn't grizzly territory, it is a young bear.
This bear is between 3-5 years - definitely not a yearling. Dude should have stood his ground & been intimidating rather than quietly retreat. You behave very differently with the common black bear vs browns.
Wtf why are you not spraying that obviously dangerous bear.
I think you have to be aggressive with them from the start, because you could see how it gained confidence little by little, it's trying to see if you'll be bold or passive, they take passive as weakness, a bear is thinking about you as food, period, that's not territory mentality, it thrives on weakness, if the best knew how weak we really are they'd pounce on humans everytime.
We are not even on their menu list. They much prefer Ant Larve, berries, acorns, sap, small and dead game, and even garbage.The two humans who get killed by bears each year pale next to the thousands killed by other humans,
He's only curious how good you'll taste. Trust me.
Amazing how you're able to keep your cool. phewww. I was tense just watching as it approaches time after time. I would have handled it all wrong I'm sure. I guess the lesson is sometimes a black bear wants to test humans up close for a good/bad response? God knows what it "had in mind".
The guy made almost every mistake possible. Looks like he only cared about getting accolades on YT than he was in both protecting the bear, himself and future humans that encounter this bear.
Bears have an extremely good sense of smell. If I had to guess, would suspect you were carrying something to eat and he was interested in the smell. Even a granola or candy bar in your pocket can get their attention.
Perfect example of someone who thinks they know what they are doing but in reality doesn’t realize how close to death he was
And how do u know?
What makes you think he thinks he knows what he’s doing? All he did was record. Lol
He was instigating the bear to get video likes, the bear was harmless
The way you were standing around and stumbling around it's no wonder he sized you up. You got lucky, you were almost lunch. Do not ever trust these animals. They are not Disney characters.
Future problem bear.
Just a young "teenager" probably male. They are the most curious and unpredictable but you really don't have to worry unless they start snapping their jaws and swinging their heads side to side.
Hi Zug .. Thanks for sharing first of all......this video is underrated, it deserves to be one of the most seen in the genre, given the length of recording and the behaviour of the bear.......that was definitivly not simply curiosity
Some questions about you could keep this calm.......
Had you already had other encounters?
Did you have any device in case it would have turned into a direct attack??
Pretty scary, yet beautiful footage! Be careful!
But for real the title of this should be "predatory bear stalks hiker"
“And dumb hiker allows it”….
Just like half the girls I know that collect a stalker.
A person never really knows how they would behave when they encounter a bear in the woods I also know this for a fact on multiple occasions. It depends a lot on the situation and also the location. Let the talkers talk you did what you thought was right at the time and you avoided conflict. You really can't ask for anything more than that. Keep on keeping on.
How do you know “he did what he thought was right”? If he actually thought this was the right thing to do then he should get educated before he sets foot out in the woods again. Seems to me he was more interested in filming the encounter than being safe.
@@bobnunyabiznz4917 Bears have individual personalities just like people some of them will react to certain situations different than others just like people. If you were to act aggressive towards them some of them will back away and if you act aggressive towards some of them they will become more aggressive towards you it's a role of the dice you can't predict the behavior of an animal. He walked away from the situation that's basically the best you can ask for. For everyone who says that was stalking behavior I disagree because if it was actually stalking him as a food source it definitely would have ended differently. That was more the behavior of a curious animal who has been around people before.
@@tracywilhelm594 First of all, the hiker never should have stood there and waited for the bear to catch up to him. He should have made noise to let the bear know he was there and to have slowly backed out of the woods (always facing the bear) instead of allowing the bear to get close. If a bear approached and tested him like that, he should have spoken to it calmly but firmly. Bears tend to pop their jaws in warning. So they would interpret short deep bursts of speech in the same way.
And yes, this bear absolutely was stalking him. He circled the hiker multiple times, testing the hiker's fight/flight response with false charges and retreats and aggressive posturing (pushing tree saplings etc). This bear seemed to either have limited human interaction (as it was trying to determine whether or not the hiker was a predator or prey) or it had already lost all of its fear of humans (as you see in popular camping grounds where bears go dumpster-diving mere feet from entire groups of campers). I fear for other hikers in the area because if this bear wasn't already conditioned not to fear humans, it has been with this experience.
Good morning Mel. I watched the video again and I still believe this animal was more Curious than aggressive. I believe it has had contact with people before and probably received food and it was waiting for its hand out. I still think if this bear was stalking him with ill intent it would have ended much differently. The hiker did nothing to deter the bear and it left on its own. If he had been yelling and waving his arms and throwing rocks and making a lot of noise and if that's what it took to drive the bear off I would think otherwise but in this particular case I'm going 50/50 now on whether or not it was stalking him. In the beginning I saw not even the slightest Breeze no movement of the leaves or anything else and I think the animal was just trying to circle around and try to pick up a scent. They have a tendency to want to trust their nose much more so than their eyesight as I'm sure you are well aware. Breaking that small sapling to me was not an act of aggression I think it was an act of trying to get the creature it was looking to move and see how it would behave. At one point the bear yawns just like a bored young kid. I'm going to go with my original thoughts on the situation with the stipulation that I could be absolutely wrong and you could be totally right. But I still believe that if the bear was stocking him it would have been a totally different situation. Following him out of curiosity absolutely. But once again I think if that bear had intentions of causing harm it could have done it in nanoseconds. I'm making the assumption that you've been around Bears enough to realize how fast they are and what they're capable of doing it would have been no problem whatsoever for that bear to take that individual out if that's what it had planned to do. And please don't interpret this as me saying that you are wrong because I'm not. You may be absolutely right. But as I said in my first post he was able to walk away from this and that's about as good as you can ask for.Have a good day.
Personally I would never allow a bear get this close to me by any means necessary
East coast? Popular trail? Seems like a bear who may have learned that humans = easy to access food. I’ve seen other videos where it seems the bear is waiting to see if the scared human will drop their pack and run off
Don't be quiet
Trails or Tracking……..
Had you backed out and left the way you came after the bear fled at 1:25 all couldve been avoided. But instead you chose to shoot video.
I read the title as: Young black bear curious about Hitler
lol
I would have shot a couple of 9mm rounds at the first sign that the bear was stalking me and if that didn’t scare it off then I would have progressed with my aim. Those bear can be on you in a flash and they will win. I’ve encountered many bears while ridding ATV’s and Motorcycles in the forests they always run, so if I had a bear that didn’t I would understand this is not normal behavior. three times I’v had bears jump into the road directly in front of me one of those bears back was as tall has my 660 Yamaha grizzly 4x4 I almost hit it. Protect yourself around wild animals especially ones that can take down a full grown elk which is bigger and more powerful than most horses.
You should yell at it the first time you saw the bear
Bear spray! It's more than a catchy phrase!
This is the kind of black bear you should watch out for, has little to no fear of you. Scare him away so he doesn't get curious about how easy a meal you would make. And you were helping him decide.
He was just curious, maybe his first encounter w/a human. The hiker keeping his cool 😎
The bear is hunting
It's not a cat, he's not curious. Natural bevaviour for a bear, is to flee, when it sees or smells a human. This bear was getting bold, it was in predatory mode.
He’s been a stalking you for dinner. Gets a little too close for comfort digger.
Next video, he took the bear home it sleeps in his bed like a cat.
My pants would have been dirty…
😱There's a time for a blast of pepper spray!
They call me mr lonely 🐻
The bear looked like it missed playing with its little brothers. Id like to know from an expert if that was a threatening stalk or an invatation to wrestle.
Pretty impressive how they kept the pistol out of the frame for 8 minutes
How do you know he had a pistol? All I heard was him unzip his bag. If he did have a pistol, he should have fired off a few rounds. Scare the bear away so he associates loud scary noise with humans.
I don't see any bear "Following you" I see you following a frightened yearling with your camera.
Lots of bear experts in the comments.
Share your expertise.
If it was adult male you would be attacked from surprise not stalked and probably dead.
If i lived in the US with the gunlaws you have, I would if I was going for a Hike, have Bearspray, a shootgun, a pistol, a machete, and a hunters knife with me....
That's not hiking - that is a patrol, LOL. A good high caliber handgun is effective for black bear along with bear spray. Learn how to use both.
I'm in canada, so i can't have a handgun. But i pack a knife and bearspray on my belt. A knife around my neck, and my defender 12 gauge, loaded with slugs, over my shoulder. I saw 3 bears on my hike yesterday.
I love bears but I like living a whole lot more. This bear was looking for the best means of attack. He/She would’ve got a warning shot. Any further aggressive behavior would’ve resulted in me ultimately putting this bear down. Make no mistake, I Would HATE to do that as I said earlier, I love and respect bears.
Yeah exactly. This type of behavior cannot be tolerated. I hike the backcountry and I don't think I would kill it BUT I'd have sprayed it, shot a .44 mag in the dirt and let out a loud, guttural yell for effects to instill that humans are dangerous. If it STILL came back, I'd put it down without a second thought.
Way too close, fire a round in his direction ..your setting the next person up to be attacked 😮
Smaller bear but still a threat. Like a 100 pound Rottweiler is a threat. Good capture. I'm sure you would have behaved differently with a similarly acting but 6 times bigger bear. I don't mean you would have panicked. I mean you would have done all the steps to avoid and prevent personal injury or destroying the animal. I would have stuck around and videoed too. If I was sure he was alone. I wonder if anyone has ever bribed a super hungry bear with candy. Drop a Snickers and run away! I carry a 9mm in the woods in FL. Every time I see a vid like this it makes me want to maybe carry my .45 instead. And bear spray. And a Snickers bar. Kidding. Don't train bears to scare hikers for handouts. Teach them about the misery of capsicum.
Thanks for sharing. Sorry you have to be bombarded by another know-it-all who is not there but judging you.
He's not bombarded by "know-it-alls." They're people who live in bear country, who know bear protocols, and are trying to counter the inappropriate behavior shown in this video to prevent others from making the same mistakes. You should thank them, not criticize them. 🙄 Now, because this hiker allowed the bear to approach and stalk him without establishing fear or uncertainty in the bear, another hiker may pay the price because this bear has been conditioned not to fear humans.
That is a problem bear that needs to be put down. Luckily you were much larger than him, a woman or old person etc would have had a bad day. Great job staying calm.
This idiot did all the wrong things! By continuing to film & allowing the bear to follow him, he has just made both humans and this bear very unsafe. People like this shouldn’t be allowed to set foot outdoors.
Uhhmm I'd be getting out of there not filming, youngster or not they can still kill you, he got wayyy too close!!, where's your bear spray???
This is just the kind of bear I like to see when im out in the bush, makes an easy shot and no more stalking humans
I hike the backcountry and would not tolerate this kind of behavior from a bear. Given it's a yearling I don't think I'd kill it - BUT I'd spray it for sure, put a .44 mag in the dirt and let out a loud, guttural yell to instill humans are dangerous. If it still came back I'd put it down without a second thought.
Are you HIKING or, are you videotaping the bear?? 😀
I would throw rocks at it, big rocks.
Curious? No. Hungry? Yes!
Very stupid, Not brave at all. Your actions not only endangered you, but also the bear and more importantly, the next person who crosses this bears path. Very Stupid.
Thank you!!! My thought exactly!!!
@@bobnunyabiznz4917 Hi Bob, I used to go out in the woods daily with my GSD until a mother black bear moved into the area (never had bears down this far south before). She had a cub 2 years ago who has been spotted hanging around my neighbour’s, and the mother was seen with 2 cubs last year. I’m too afraid to go now, but do miss it…. Trying to get the courage by perhaps learning the do’s and don’t’s through other peoples experiences. I carry an air horn, bear spray, and keep my dog on a leash when walking around my own property (15 acres) because of the bear activity I‘ve noticed here. People say black bears are more afraid of us, than we should be of them, ha, then I see videos like this?? Needless to say my anxiety is getting the better of me…. any advice?
@@tracker8488 You’re smart to keep your dog on a leash. Don’t let him/her wander. Sounds like you’re doing everything right.
For the most part black bears don’t want much to do with us unless they’re habituated & lost their natural fear of us - for instance, irresponsible people who leave a messy campground that provides easy snacks. If you’re using air horns, carry spray & are a responsible dog owner, chances are you’re good. There are obviously no guarantees in life but it would be a shame to stop enjoying your property & the surroundings. Do you have other people that can/will accompany you on your walks? That adds an extra layer of protection & may help to abate your fears.
I live and regularly hike in bear country. I carry spray, keep my food in an airtight/“smell proof”container, am always aware of my surroundings & make noise as not to startle bears that may be nearby. I hike with walking sticks and if I encounter wildlife, I put my jacket on them & raise in the air to look larger. For what it’s worth, I’ve used my spray before & it worked. Flawlessly. I also live in the vicinity of mountain lions & in all honesty, I’m more weary of them than bears.
Remember that you’re more likely to get in a car accident & encounter unsafe people (or even get struck by lightning) than you are to be attacked by a bear. Good Luck!
P.S. The reason why this bear pursued him is because he acted like an idiot. Seems to me he was more interested in filming the encounter for social media than he was in behaving like a good steward of the land & her natural (and beautiful!) inhabitants. If he would have done the right things, this encounter would have ended in less than a minute. Not only would it have kept him safe, it would have taught this bear to fear & not approach humans in the future. This also would have kept the bear safe; they always lose in the end and end up getting destroyed due to people’s careless behavior.
@@bobnunyabiznz4917 thank you Bob for the quick response and good advice. I really do appreciate it. I have always lived in the country, and enjoyed learning about the wildlife that surrounds me. I have woods on all 4 sides of the property, and see critters passing through on a regular basis. The 2 yr. old bear concerns me because of my neighbour refusing to put away their birdseed during the summer last year, and it came by often to feed. I seen pictures of it sleeping on their lawn, and a video of it coming up on the deck to the door! I warned them it would get bold as time went on…. Now they are nervous! I’m worried this bear will not be afraid of me if I see it on my path. I don’t have anyone who likes to hike, but have been thinking about finding people who do. I do think that will help me gain my confidence back.
He liked what he saw ;)
Awww he is cutie. Just throw him a samich. He’s just a little fella.
You are on the road just move a little bit out and he will pass and go away.
You block his way HIS WAY.
You make him on defensive mode
Its like you are telling him its my territory now...lol not wise