bears suck

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to move one of my climbers to a spot I like to hunt during the rut. As I got close the stand, I noticed it was turned around facing the opposite direction of where i always have it facing, and saw gray foam and mossy oak fabric scattered all around. The straps were all intact, but the foam and fabric that make the seat, were torn to shreds. At first, I thought maybe one of the a-holes from the Broad Top Land Lease, (who I would expect this kind of action from) did it....but then I noticed what looked to be claw marks on the foam, and a nice big pile of bear poop. By the way, I noticed bears don't digest corn any better than we do.
 
I did leave a gut pile about 30 yards from the stand, after I killed a doe a few saturdays ago. I don't usually leave gut piles near my stands, unless I don't plan on hunting out of that tree again in the near future. I left the stand with the intent of moving it to a new location within a few days, and figured leaving it in the woods, rather than taking it back home would aviod getting human odor on it. My first thoughts were that I may have touched the stand with some blood on my hands after field dressing the deer, but after thinking about it, I didn't touch the stand afterwards. I also didn't use any scents this year or last, other than spraying the stand with scent away w/ fresh earth spray. I don't take any food with me this time of year, since I don't set all day. So, other than my own human odor, I can't think of any scent that would make the bear have any interest in ripping up my stand.
 
My parents have had a problem bear since summer time. This stand was maybe 1/2 mile from their house, and i'm assuming it's the same bear. It has nearly destroyed some apple trees, and a pear tree they planted years ago, after breaking off limbs to get the apples on it, and knocked over garbage cans, broke down the fence around their garden, and some other things I probably forgot to mention.
 
Have any of you guys ever had a bear mess with your stands or anything else?
 
....maybe it wasnt even a bear, maybe it was one of the mountain lions the insurance companies and the PGC are stocking...or, maybe it was a bigfoot. I hear the PGC is stocking them, too.
 
 

I like this one better.

dan

bears arent your only worry. ever notice how hangons have a removable seat.

dont forget about coons! they will destroy a stand every time.

Had 2 trial cameras destroy by bears this year.

Over the years I've had 2 deer targets destroyed by bear and one by a buck.

i found an area at my camp were one nocked down a bunch of small pine trees they can really tear stuff up

Porcupines will chew on some of the old wooden homeade stands till there is nothing left.
 
On the bear note there is an idiot and his wife in the Kane / Bradford area (don't want to pin it down any further than that on here) that is hand feeding bears in a wilderness area, at his camp that is way off the beaten path.  Any way he has over a hundred pictures of him and his wife and grandkids hand feeding these huge 3-400 lb bears all summer, some have cubs. The pics are amazing, but this guy or one of his family members is going to get mauled before long.