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Bear story

Jinglebob

Well-known member
After reading about Jersey's black panters, it made me think of this.

I met an older cowboy one time and we had lots of time to visit. He talked about all the places he'd cowboy'd.

Said he worked on a big outfit up in Canada in BC, I think. Claimed the guy who owned it was American and just loved to hire American cowboys.

I'll tell the rest in his words.

"They had this tribe of indians up there. Good people, but ugly. A lot of them worked on this ranch.

When I hired on, they told me, that one guy named Billy, would trade me out of any horse in my string that was a booger and bad too buck, as that was the kind he liked. And they also told me that Billy roped bears. "Yup" I said" I've roped lots myself!" Shoot, I can BS with the best of them.

I found out that Billy dang sure could ride and he dang sure liked them nasty ones. Thats all he'd ever ride. If he got a gentle one, he'd trade him off.

One day we was movin' some cows up thru' the trees and there were big openings there, kind of like a park, where there weren't any trees growing. All of a sudden, I realized that I was the only one that was pushing cattle and that everyone else was gone.

About then, one of the guys came loping over the hill, hollering, "Hey Gary, come on! Billy's got a bear roped!"

I holler'd back and told him I had 4 or 5 tied down in the trees, myself!

He insisted that Billy really had a bear roped and seein' as how I wasn't gettin' much done by myself, I quit what I was doin' and loped after him. When we topped a hill, why sure as hell, Billy had a grizzly roped around the neck and one front leg.

(at this point I asked if he was a big bear and Gary replied, "All grizzlies are big, when they're on the end of your rope!)

Billy's horse was snortin' and tryin' to turn and run and Billy had this bear on about the end of his rope. One of the guys hollered at me to ride in and heel the bear. I told him to go to hell, as I'd never lost any bears!

Now, I know you think I'm makin' all this up, but I swear it's all the truth and the only problem is, it gets worse!

Them guys went to tryin' to get their horses up close enough to throw a heel shot. Finally one did and caught a hind leg. I braved up and rode a little closer. I hollered at Billy and asked him how he was going to get his rope off. He told me, "I don't know about these guys, but I'm going to give this bear, my rope!"

They stretched him down and BRANDED and CUT this bear!

I know, your callin' me a liar and I wouldn't believe it either, if I hadn't been there and watched them do it.

We was in that neighborhood for several days and that bear just laid under a tree and rested, all the time we was workin' that part of the country. He'd just lay there and grunt.

(About that time I replied to Gary, " Yup, I'll bet he had all the fill of cowboys, he wanted!" He just smiled.)

I ain't sayin' this is a true story, but it was told to me as the truth and I've been around a few cowboys and good hands who dang sure would try this stunt, so I never called him a liar. And after all, it was a good story! :lol:
 

Jinglebob

Well-known member
the_jersey_lilly_2000 said:
Great story Jinglebob......I know a fella who'd try that!!! A couple maybe even.
Thanks for takin the time to type all that, and share with us.

:oops: Aww shucks Ma'am, twern't nuthin'.




:wink:
 

Denny

Well-known member
I'd try it if the chance arose what do you got to lose :shock: There was a guy here tried to rope a rabbit at a rodeo years ago hence his nickname and name of his ranch "Rabbit Choker" his brand looks like a playboy bunny..
 

ranchwife

Well-known member
Denny said:
I'd try it if the chance arose what do you got to lose :shock: There was a guy here tried to rope a rabbit at a rodeo years ago hence his nickname and name of his ranch "Rabbit Choker" his brand looks like a playboy bunny..

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

JB---GREAT story!! So glad I took the time to read it since you took the time to tell it....well worth the read!! Actually got quite a visual as the story went on!! :D :D
 

Northern Rancher

Well-known member
There's a sculpture in our ag. building of our pasture manager roping a bear on a three year old colt-a big grey-Grey Badger bred horse. Bears sit on their butt if you don't jerk them off their feet then paw their way up the rope-at least this one did-it was pretty western-it kind of ruined that colt-lost all faith in man and bears after that.I've wanted to try it ut never caught one far enough in the open to get a run at him. Most horses are more scared of moose than bears for some reason.
 

jodywy

Well-known member
Rancher in Ten Sleep told me this story said they had a cowboy riding up in the Big Horns .Well next to his cow camp a State Fish and Game Biologist was trapping black bears in a culvert live traps. The cowboy had helped the biologist tranquilize and tag a couple of bears. Well Friday night rolls around and the biologist has a date for the weekend, but he so close to getting the number of bears he needs tagged so he makes a deal with the cowboy to dart and tag a bear if one gets into the trap. Well Saturday morning there a bear caught, the cowboy darts the bear and after its knocked out opens the trap and crawls in with the tagger just as he tags the bear he hears click as the door swings shut and it won't open!. He thinks for a minute that this is the last place he wants to be when the bear wakes up.
He reaches into his pocket and he only got a small pen knife he feels around the bear’s neck till he finds a pulse and started to saw.
Sunday night rolls around the biologist shows up and there one sick cowboy locked in the trap on top of a dead stinking bloated dead bear, not to mention all the flies on the blood .
 

Jinglebob

Well-known member
jodywy said:
Rancher in Ten Sleep told me this story said they had a cowboy riding up in the Big Horns .Well next to his cow camp a State Fish and Game Biologist was trapping black bears in a culvert live traps. The cowboy had helped the biologist tranquilize and tag a couple of bears. Well Friday night rolls around and the biologist has a date for the weekend, but he so close to getting the number of bears he needs tagged so he makes a deal with the cowboy to dart and tag a bear if one gets into the trap. Well Saturday morning there a bear caught, the cowboy darts the bear and after its knocked out opens the trap and crawls in with the tagger just as he tags the bear he hears click as the door swings shut and it won't open!. He thinks for a minute that this is the last place he wants to be when the bear wakes up.
He reaches into his pocket and he only got a small pen knife he feels around the bear’s neck till he finds a pulse and started to saw.
Sunday night rolls around the biologist shows up and there one sick cowboy locked in the trap on top of a dead stinking bloated dead bear, not to mention all the flies on the blood .

Eeewww! I wonder if he wished he hadn't killed the bear? :shock: :lol:
 

Silver

Well-known member
I know guys that have roped bears, some of them in my family. I haven't tried, but I've run down on several with a horse. NR is right, lots of horses aren't scared of bears but don't want anything to do with moose. I kinda feel the same way. I've been chased by more moose than bears. (Although I've never had a moose claw it's way into my tent :? )
He's right on the other count too... bears tend to come up the rope at you, at least that's what those that have done it tell me.
 

Jinglebob

Well-known member
This is a pretty damn good one, by Sunny Hancock 


The Bear Tale

I was up in the Sycan Black Hills Camp
   workin' for old Z-Cross,
This was my own piece of country,
   I was cook and crew and boss.
The afternoon of that year
   was comin' on as I recall,
Meanin' summer'd hit the cap rock
   and slid right down into fall.

The days was warm and pleasant
   though the nights were kinda sharp.
I had a nice snug little cabin
    to keep the cold wind off my tarp.
Aspen leaves was turnin' yellow,
   bees was buzzin round the hive,
And it was just one of them there days
   when it was great to be alive.

So, I'm a-ridin' along that mornin'
   lookin' out beneath my hat.
I thought I'd make a little circle
   down through Silver Dollar Flat,
And maybe brand some big slick yearlin'
   with the address of this farm,
Because I sure did need to limber up
   my old stiff ropin arm.

I'd been just kinda' travelin'
   down this little open draw
When I came around a corner
   and I's amazed at what I saw.
I pulled my horse up, sat there a-gawkin'
   and my eyes went plumb agog,
'Cuz there's a big old brindle he-bear
   diggin' ants out of a log.

My old heart commenced to poundin'
   and I couldn't get 'nough air,
I knew I'd never have a better chance
   to rope myself a bear.
I was trying to jerk my rope down,
   my old horse began to dance.
Hell, old Bruin, hadn't seen me,
   he's still busy diggin' ants.

I got my rope tied hard and solid
   so I said a little prayer,
Then I let out a cowboy war whoop
   and I built right to that bear.
The old beast heard me comin'
   and he beat it for the trees.
They weren't no moss a-growin' on him
   and he sure did split the breeze.

But I pulled right in behind him
   and like that bible story told,
I cast my bread upon the water,
   and it came back a thousand fold!
Well, I pitched the slack right at him
    and I turned my pony neat,
And I heard him grunt as he hit the ground
   as I jerked him off his feet.

Then I towed him toward the timber
   just the way it should be done.
Hell, there wasn't nothin' to it;
   ropin' bears is lots of fun.
In the timber I got busy
   dodgin' limbs and brush and such,
And I ain't had time
    to check up on my cargo very much.

I'm gonna start by breakin' him to lead
   or at least that's what I hope.
Then I looked back and here that bear come
   hand over hand right up my rope.
Well things sure started lookin' different
   so I tells him, "OK Bruin,
I'll start payin' more attention
   to this little job I'm a doin'.

"I'll just zig and zag and circle some
    now you just follow me
'Cuz you're about to meet your maker
   on some big old Jack Pine tree."
Well I zigged and zagged and circled
   but it seemed to no avail
And next time I checked,
   old Teddy's right behind my horse's tail.

About that time, why, my old pony
   made a funny little jump,
And that old bear he started climbin'
   up my rope, across his rump.
I yelled and squalled and hollered
   and I slapped him with my hat,
But that old bear was plumb determined;
   he's comin' right up where I'm at.

You know, I've knowed a lot of people
   in the hills and on the plains,
and nobody ever told me
   I was over blessed with brains.
But it didn't take no Einstein
   with no special high IQ
Nor no call from God to tell me
   what that bear was gonna do.

I know a coward's way out's a bad one
   in most anybody's book,
But that's the only route left open now
   so that's the one I took.
I just bailed off and checked it to him,
   but a big rock broke my fall.
Old boy, I said, it looks to me
   like you just bought it all.

As they went crashin' through the timber,
   why, I realized, of course
That I'd just lost a damn good saddle
   and the company'd lost a horse.
And how's a man supposed to tell it
   with the boss astandin' there
You took a plumb good horse and saddle
   and just gave 'em to a bear!

These thoughts and lots more like 'em
   kept a-runnin' through my mind
As I went limpin down that cow trail
   tryin' to leave that wreck behind.
My clothes was sorta tattered
   and I'd lost some chunks of hide,
But my body wasn't hurtin'
    near as much as was my pride.

Then I heard a noise behind me
   and the sound began to swell,
Back the way that I'd just come from
   and I wondered what the hell?
Then I seen my horse a-comin',
   steppin' lively down the slope
That old bear's up in my saddle,
   got a loop built, swingin' my rope.


© 2002, Sunny Hancock
 

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