While fishing the Baptism River in MN I worked my way up to the natural barrier where there are 3 falls dumping into a holding pool. I caught a couple of decently fleshed salmon and a couple of black ones. I kept the fresh ones to smoke and started back with them on a stringer. Heard a splash and there across the river was a kind of skinny looking black bear (and this was fall). He must have thought my salmon would help him with his winter fat storage and was looking for a place to cross the river. He started in a couple of times but deeper current would drive him out. I started out of there at a good clip and the first path out is up a good hill. The bear worked down to the outlet of the pool and got about half way across the river. I decided if he came across I was going to toss the salmon down the hill to him and get my butt in gear. He hit the current again and backed to the other bank. I walked along and he followed me on his side about halfway back to the car until he hit a spot he couldn't stay along the river. He tried crossing again but chickened out again. I lost him and got back to truck and he wasn't there in the parking lot waiting for me so I beat it out of there.

We had some great smoked Chinook Salmon the next day and he left me a good story to tell. Had he ever got across the salmon were definitely not worth arguing for and he would have had his meal and I'd have gone home and changed shorts.