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I found a fishing partner on my local pond. He/She would fly to meet me over a period of two years. He knew exactly what was going on, he would intently watch my fly on the water, and react upon a strike. Over the course of an evening, I would toss him one small bluegill, but didn't want him to become dependent on my hand outs.
"People tend to get the politicians and the fishing tackle they deserve" -
John Gierach, Fishing Bamboo
http://www.tenkaraflyfish.blogspot.com/
My dad got attacked by a loon one morning as we put the duck boat in the water. He tried to be gentle about shooing it away, but it kept swimming back and stabbing his waders until he booted it halfway across the boat launch area. It left him alone after that
"Trust, but verify" - Russian Proverb, as used by Ronald Reagan
Was trying to post a snake on a log (with no success) and saying "watch where you sit"!
Last edited by DaleW; 02-06-2014 at 01:36 AM.
There's a domestic goose that lives on one of my home lakes. If you catch a small sunfish, and drop it on the ground, that goose will attack that fish with a vengeance. I know that the gent that patrols the lake (and runs the bait shop) would prefer that all the geese and ducks quietly "disappear". Feathers?????
And no, I wouldn't do anything to harm them. The City would have a problem with that. So would the neighbors that come in and feed the darn things.
Now, the hawk that lives on one lake did make a duck dinner a couple months ago.......
Gosh Hap, I didn't mean for my experience to rile you up so much. I stand by my statement that the bear could have had the fish if he came across the river and came after me. Maybe with your vast experience and calm demeanor around a bear chasing you could have simply had him whimpering and backing off from your knowing stare but unfortunately for me you weren't there to do that and I had no intention of trying to walk away from the bear and just stare him down as I walked.
The three times I saw the bear try to cross the river he started in very splashy, then hit a hole and current and backed out. I don't think MN woods black bears have the knowledge of water that bears feeding (and yes, I've seen video of the diving bears) and living off the water do. We had no salmon to feed on in MN rivers. I do know the year they closed the dump in Finland MN we had horrendous bear troubles for a couple of years with them breaking into cabins, stealing dog food, ripping up garbage cans because they were used to feeding on the dump food we tossed out and I've had my share of trouble with black bears on camping trips but never had one wanting to take the fish I had on a stringer before and had no intention of putting myself in a position of finding out who wanted the fish more. He wins.
If I ever had the chance to fish Alaska I'd only do it with a guide who knew the bear situation and depend on him. Just watching the bears wandering around the fisherman on TV is enough to make me nervous.
My heron buddy was extremely well behaved and well mannered. He would stand about 10 feet away and watch for for hours. What surprised me the most is that he remembered over the winter, even though I hadn't fished for 3 or 4 months.
I felt a bit bad because over the course of an evening I might catch 20 or 30 fish, and would release all except the one I would toss him. He didn't seem to mind since he always came back.
Last edited by pszy22; 02-07-2014 at 10:18 AM.
"People tend to get the politicians and the fishing tackle they deserve" -
John Gierach, Fishing Bamboo
http://www.tenkaraflyfish.blogspot.com/
vicrider,
Not weighing in on right, wrong, or indifferent. Having spent most of my adult life earning a living in the woods of Northern Minnesota, the behavior you describe sounds to me like a bluff charge. I've seen it several times, with or without water involved.
Wild animal encounters? Yes, but I forget her name.