Trappers makes an incidental black bear catch and attempt to release it. Things get a little tense as the bear doesn't exactly thank them for its freedom.
A young trapper caught a medium-sized black bear in a set he'd made for coyotes. He goes home and enlists his family to come out and see the bear in the trap and try to figure out what to do with it.
After a brief conversation, when the dad suggests that perhaps he could lasso the bruin, they decide to go back home and return with a sheet of plywood and a little more courage and common sense.
Two of the young trappers approach the agitated bear with the plywood in front of them, creating a barrier to hopefully keep the bear at bay. They've got a foot-sized notch cut out of the bottom of the board where they intend to insert the trap chain and trapped bear's foot.
Dad has his lasso handy.
They approach the bear and are surprisingly successful in quickly getting its foot positioned properly in the board. Dad reaches down and releases the trap, and that's when things get a little jumpy.
As soon as the bear is released it lets out an audible growl and leaps up against the board. The young men and Dad holler and scramble backwards as the plywood falls, and the bear hesitates before deciding that freedom is better than attacking.
Woohoo! One of the boys thumps his chest and declares, "That makes sure you're alive, eh?"
Fortunately the bear weighed only around 100 pounds or so, and the trappers could handle it pretty well. Still, they obviously held a healthy respect for the beast. Even a small bear can do a lot of damage if it decides to get aggressive.
But all's well that ends well and they have a story to tell for years to come.
Like what you see here? You can read more great articles by David Smith at his facebook page, Stumpjack Outdoors.
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