Story:
Bedobe and I started from my camp at Ruby Meadows to do the Grouse Creek Road, War Eagle Lookout, Schlissler Creek, and Warren Dredge Ponds loop in the Payette National Forest, Idaho.. We did not plan on doing an Everytrail Trip as we have done this loop several times before, but plans change.
Bedobe and I started from my camp at Ruby Meadows to do the Grouse Creek Road, War Eagle Lookout, Schlissler Creek, and Warren Dredge Ponds loop in the Payette National Forest, Idaho.. We did not plan on doing an Everytrail Trip as we have done this loop several times before, but plans change.
I was in the lead going downhill on the Schlissler Creek ATV trail. Turning a corner, I saw two black flashes crossing the trail about 40 yards in front of me and saw them start to climb a tree. They were two black bear cubs. As I realized they were bears, I saw a much larger bear running across the trail about 50 yards below the cubs. I stopped and started trying to video the cubs. After a short while Gary pulled up behind me and started to photograph the cubs in the tree.
Almost immediately mama bear started roaring and tearing up stuff in the forest about 20 yards on the other side of the cubs. I could see a black object about 30 yards from us in the underbrush, but couldn't tell if it was a burned stump or a bear. Mama bear roared about four times and each time the cubs climbed higher in the tree, and we got more nervous.
Not wanting a bear fur coat, especially one that was chewing on us, we quickly departed before it got uglier. As we started off on our ATVs, the black stump/bear moved parallel to us for a few steps before turning away.
Almost immediately mama bear started roaring and tearing up stuff in the forest about 20 yards on the other side of the cubs. I could see a black object about 30 yards from us in the underbrush, but couldn't tell if it was a burned stump or a bear. Mama bear roared about four times and each time the cubs climbed higher in the tree, and we got more nervous.
Not wanting a bear fur coat, especially one that was chewing on us, we quickly departed before it got uglier. As we started off on our ATVs, the black stump/bear moved parallel to us for a few steps before turning away.
About a mile further on, we saw a lot of wolf tracks in the trail. After studying and deciphering the sign, we concluded that a wolf pack of 6 to 8 wolves had been heading up the trail when we were coming down it. We followed the wolf tracks down to where they cut off the trail on the west side of the dredge ponds.
We warned some fishermen, who had a dog with them, about the wolves and continued back to Ruby Meadows without further excitement.
Tips:
Stay alert! You never know what you will encounter.
Stay alert! You never know what you will encounter.
Tags:
black bear cubs, Ruby Meadows, Warren Wagon Road, Grouse Creek Road, War Eagle Lookout, Wallis Cabin, cottontail point, Schlissler Creek, Warren Dredge Ponds, Warren Dredge, Payette National Forest, Polaris 550 XP
black bear cubs, Ruby Meadows, Warren Wagon Road, Grouse Creek Road, War Eagle Lookout, Wallis Cabin, cottontail point, Schlissler Creek, Warren Dredge Ponds, Warren Dredge, Payette National Forest, Polaris 550 XP
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