Bears and Wolves at my Cabin

[@droolies7079]

I've met up with bears, coyotes, wolves and even cottonmouths but what got my China and crystal was a moose lol. He was so cute and very small. So very young. He started coming by every morning and he mostly got an apple or banana and would get a few pats on the head and would move along. This went on for about 2 1/2 years so about 18 months of antler growth (moose start to grow their antlers at about a year old and they continue to grow to maturity when they don't stop growing completely but growth slows substantially at maturity). Everything was beautiful and so was he for a mostly grown moose anyway. I had to have emergency surgery to have my appendix removed but no one told my moose -- so he put his head thru my dining room plate glass window looking for his treat and took out the table, 3 chairs and the china cabinet when he pulled his lead out of the window. The neighbor down the way got a pic of one of my chairs on one side of his antler almost like an earring lol. Yes, being chased by cotton mouths and coyotes is more exciting. Having fellow campers run to their vehicles and leave everything in their camp to the bears really gets the heart pumping - but my baby moose visitor has been my favorite tale for over 40 years. DON'T FEED THE WILD ANIMALS EVEN WHEN THEY ARE LITTLE AND CUTE (but insurance does cover the damage if you live to file the claim)

[@sb859]

We Are Farmers...insurance

[@janettelworth9398]

While at my mother's cabin in Shawano County, WI, a few years ago , word went out that a pack of wolves attacked 2 labs just around our country block during midday. One dog ran back to the family and led them back to the other injured dog and they were able to save it. My mother, while at her cabin, walked down 2 steps into the back hall to find herself on the other side of a large screened window, which was open, face to face with a black bear stand about 10 feet tall. It was standing because it was feeding on sunflower seeds she put out everyday for the birds. That's the kind of place I grew up in.

[@jenky1044]

Scary I'm sure. Also a big black bear at 400 pounds would stand between 7 maybe 8 feet tall and 3 to 3.5 feet tall on all fours.

[@richardbutler5893]

Awesome content. My grandsons will love this one. In these days of so much negativity in the political and major network news, it’s nice to be able to view your content.

[@allenbishop9154]

Callie's scent is the likely reason the bears are not more curious around the cabin and that maybe keeping some of the others away as well.

[@mharper6877]

Thanks for this Shawn! My wolf encounter: I and another middle aged mom, dropped our kids off at school then proceeded to the local creek walking path in the middle of the city (Calgary, AB) to walk and talk. Being a mild winter in mid February it was mild enough for a long walk, deep into the untravelled and uninhabited (by humans) pathways. We walked, somewhat oblivious to the sounds of movement in the bushes beside the path but obscured from view. Finally I said to my friend, something is following us! She agreed. Neither of us were afraid. The bush beside the path was too thick for any human to traverse and being ignorant of animal behaviour (hey this is suburban Calgary!) we sort of ignored the sound, until...we came to a clearing. As we entered the clearing we saw what my friend thought was a coyote! But I knew immediately, it was a wolf and it was huge (Thank you Robert Bateman)! And it stared us down! Still ignorantly unafraid we turned our backs on the wolf and continued our walk - without incident! A week later the city posted a warning prohibiting entrance to the park, because of an "aggressive" lone wolf! I guess ignorance can be bliss - at least in this instance. I remember as soon as I got home I "googled" wolf encounters. I only found one in Canada (an attack) up north. And I expect that only attacks are reported - not encounters! But this year in Banff, AB campers were attacked by a wolf in their campground. Although rare, wolf attacks do happen. BTW: I loved reading other peoples accounts of close encounters - so great!

[@soldatheero]

I also live in Calgary.. i have never seen a wolf in town however i see coyotes all the time, and maybe coywolfs as they are bigger maybe that is what you really saw much more likely

[@mharper6877]

​@@soldatheero Perhaps you are right. Except, that would make, the park rangers who posted the warning sign, wrong as well. I speak with conviction - based not only on my experience but on the park rangers judgement of the species. And in my mind (from what I recall now), it looked just like a Bateman depiction of a wolf. : )

[@soldatheero]

@@mharper6877 oh I see well it sounds like it was a Wolf than, definitely not going to say it is impossible.

[@KelJayP]

I read about the horrifying attack at Banff, and checked the story several days later expecting to read that the wolf identified and put down was rabid. It was not. Yikes!

[@MJ-ee6fc]

I always like to see Callie she so sweet!

[@DustyC75080]

Love your stuff, Shawn. As a quadriplegic from a spinal cord injury, I’m not able to get outdoors in nature as much as I wish, and so your videos are my escapes. Also, dig your philosophical forays, and your leanings not to hurt the beautiful anímala among you (vegetarian myself, for my love of nature, but I don’t proselytize lol, just my take). Tks bud, love the cam shots, and Cali!

[@graemeswetman5738]

Hi this is Graeme from Hamilton, New Zealand I love watching you and Cali I don't think I have seen such a happy dog ,you have such beautiful scenery around you its great to see how you construct your home and buildings what a great way to live.We have some great scenery and trout fishing in New Zealand but I think Canada is really beautiful.The only thing we don't have is dangerous animals apart from man.Thanks for going to the trouble of producing these videos I really enjoy them Thanks Graeme

[@franceshenry2239]

Stay safe Cali.🐾🐾🐾🐾

[@ericlozen9631]

It's Therapy Time ~ After watching your videos I'm recharged and somewhat back in the right frame of mind. ILUV'EM!

[@jeanettec6212]

Man that red wolf looked healthy! I appreciate the footage as always!

[@lindsaylittle6535]

Shawn, my wife and I have had bears on our back porch ( when the wife was cooking). We also had them bluff charge a couple of times. (quite humbling). We have had wolves eat our sunflower seeds at bird feeders when the pickings get tough in the winter. (Which was in a Hollywood film). One bear ( a male) that bluff charged us was not fearful of people and someone had to put it down. (not me). We had a fatality in MN here a while back just southwest of us. Very unfortunate. We are more careful with a bull moose in the rutting season here in the Arrowhead of MN. Great video Shawn! You are welcome to come over and visit in our neck of the woods at our log cabin.

[@luisolivero423]

sunflower seeds also attract bear...lolol

[@lindsaylittle6535]

@@luisolivero423 just 10 min ago we reviewed our outdoor video camera and at 2am this morning a bear came up on the porch and walked over to a mountain ash tree and was eating the berries. Poor blueberry crop this year , so they are eating anything to put on fat for hibernation.

[@luisolivero423]

@@lindsaylittle6535 yikes!!!

[@bridgetbowman7078]

Think the animals smell all your great cooking 😍😍 You and Cali always stay alert and focused of your surroundings!! Stay safe ❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@jamesbockenstette4332]

Cali is a great dog. She enjoys your/her home there off the grid. It is comforting to know you are aware of the wildlife.

[@WhiteFox011]

Nice picture of the Eastern hardwoods starting to show off their fall colors. Thank you.

[@brianspencer4220]

Sure makes your location more of a wilderness than watching your construction efforts may indicate. Even down in Pickering it is amazing what is outside at night. On my solo canoe trip just south of Algonquin during September I was struck by the absence of eye contact with any critters even at meal time in camp. Thanks for the video Brian 79

[@larsthisgaard8071]

First off all...greetings from Denmark. I’m not an outdoorsman myself, bur I really enjoy your videos and the way you share your work and thoughts about life. A few months ago I searched for videos about craftsmanship and the use of handtools...and one of your early videos appeared on the screen. I was captured by the way you make your videos...no music...your beautifull camerawork and the content off course. Now I have made my way through all of them...and enjoy the new uploads, when they appear every week. The self reliance aspect is interesting. It will not be possible for everyone to do it...there is not enough land and natural resourses available...however I share your thoughts about taking control of your life and making good longterm choices that supports this.

[@daleross9357]

Lars Thisgaard Hi Lars wait to you see outdoor oven he's a good cook wild onions and tubers Bacon Eggs homemade sauces dressings CHEESE. his wife is shy but Brilliant Have A Good Nite Lars😅

[@Wingfield4]

Always enjoy your calm balanced explanations about wildlife encounters. My cabin properties back up to the Smoky Mountain National Park here in Tennessee and I encounter black bears quite often in the yard and even on our porch at the cabin. You can see some of our pictures on our Facebook page Wingfield Cabins ... Black bears are more naturally relaxed compared to most other species of bears. Thank you for such an enjoyable channel and Congratulations as you quickly approach One Million subscribers

[@IsthatSew]

Congratulations on 100,000 subscribers on this channel. Looks like you're close to a million on My Self Reliance.

[@ShawnJames1]

Thanks

[@joshbabb7470]

I was in the Adirondacks in early summer. I camped out near a lake. Around 11:40 at night I heard a moose walking around camp I yelled at it to go away. A few minutes later it was back. While laying in my hammock I yelled at it again. It ran and charged at me. It got so close that I could hear him breathing. Thankfully I didn't get hurt. My dad and I quickly through our sleeping bags into the canoe and paddled across the lake, and hiked back to the car where we spent the rest of the night. Since then I haven't been able to sleep on camping trips. I'm trying to get the incident out of my mind so I can sleep better, but I still love getting outdoors.

[@longnamenocansayy]

anyone who has had bear come into their camp will remember that incident the rest of his life. even if he just walks through. i am no outdoorsman. no way. i believe the only good bear is the bear in the zoo, or in alaska.

[@maryhall4074]

I used to live in the Adirondacks too. We had a trail that started at the edge of the property and went through down to the main road. When we moved there I had wondered why there was a trail going through the property. Come to find out it was made by the bears moving down the side of an old mountain. They would crosd the main road and go further on another trail that led to the landfill. Or dump. Every evening the fogs barked and barked at around the same time as it was getting dark and you could not see so much as to what was happening. Dogs kept their distance and were never hurt. We used to go to the landfill in early evening to watch the bears feed on the garbage. They were all sizes. The biggest ones standing up right looked to be about 6 or 7 feet tall. I used to have dreams of the bears trying to get into our home. They never did.

[@gladtidings4all]

When you go to bed, do you close the outside window shutters to prevent bears breaking the window glass?

[@jackiereeves9280]

Good reason to be aware of no matter when you are out and about. Once its dark outside the critters can have it, game cameras would be as close as i wouldwant to get!

[@dougtaylor6410]

A few years ago I was bluff charged by a black bear, I recognized it as a bluff and waved my arms and blew my whistle and acted super aggressive, the bear then turned tail and ran. If the bear's ears are in an upright position, not laid back, then it's a bluff charge. The worst response would be to run away, always stand your ground when encountering an aggressive black bear.

[@daleross9357]

Doug Taylor Lucky. MAN. I Escaped from a Blueberry Patch just North of Coeur De Lane Idaho can t much more North that I could ramble all night sweet dreams 😘

[@redhauscreator146]

I've had surprise run-ins with bears, moose, and buffalo. And I can tell you that they were as afraid of me as I was of them. We always went our separate ways.

[@robertoedlin]

Hi shaun. I've already commented on your other channel asking for this but it would be really cool if you did a video giving us a tour of your place. Show the house kitchen garden and sauna and talk through it all. Think that would be a really popular video.

[@anthonytaylor9232]

Yep, I think this is a great idea. Additionally, I would respectfully request, an aeriel type view of Shawn's plot, even a rough sketch drawing would be good, I think it would help all of we viewers and followers, to more easily visualize, in our mind's eye, the various locations in relation to each other, of your individual buildings, and the landscape beyond. (Just a thought). Peace.

[@carvingthecottonwood]

Even grizzlies will tend to avoid people rather than attack. While backpacking in Banff National Park we had a huge grizzly come walking through the forest towards where I sat beside a pack with fish in it. When I jumped up and hollered, he turned and left as quickly as he'd come. Thought I was going swimming and leaving the pack behind!

[@evank7370]

I have been following you for ruffly for about six months, and I am checking every so often for your new videos! I am proud you represent Ontario in such a manner with so much love and respect - for what the land has to offer! You are truly living the Canadian dream! What you have achieved in your endeavors is absolutely amazing also sharing your knowledge and lifestyle with us is a true blessing! Much love from a fellow Canadian Outdoors man

[@ericchilver9113]

I would be curious to see a cam on Cali Shawn . Just to see of her meetings if any 👍🇦🇺

[@HelloHello-ej4lk]

Good idea ..put a 📷 on Cali ..and see were she goes ..😊✔

[@lydachesher2559]

SHAWN JAMES THAT IS SOOOO NEET, I LOVE THE WILD LIFE . THANK YOU FOR SHARING.

[@pedroquinones6795]

this guy makes the best content. i have your videos playing literally all day. in the morning while i eat breakfast, while im working during the day, and i pick a long one when im going to bed. I feeds my urge to be outdoors because unfortunately i cant go camping this year.

[@tompowervlogsandvids]

What about the Second Dog you were planning on getting !! There getting awfully Close to the Cabin , wouldn't want nothing happening to Cali !!😮🙂😮🙂

[@jesusismykinghallelujah5303]

My thought as well.

[@darrendavidsonoutdoors]

I live in Northeastern Ontario and an avid outdoorsman so I encounter wildlife quite often. I've had a black bear sniff my tent once while camping but just kept walking since I never keep food in the tent. Also while walking my little Jack Russell mix dog we came across a bear on the trail once. My dog was on leash and quietly growled but at the time was only a puppy so wasn't sure what to think of it. At first I just stood a little ways back and hoped it would keep walking off the trail. I was downwind from it so he couldn't smell me. Suddenly it stood up on it's back legs staring at me. First instinct I thought was run but knowing the way black bears are, I knew to stand my ground. I jokingly looked at my dog and said try to look big, even though he only weighed about 10 pounds at the time. Suddenly the bear came down on all fours and started charging at us. Again, I stood my ground, yelled at it to back away, but also reaching for my pocket knife thinking I just might be getting into a bear fight. About 20ft from me the bear came to a dead stop,( known as a false charge), let out a growly poof sound, sniffed the air, then looked to his right, then to his left, and one last look at me as I was standing ready with my knife yelling at him, its your call bear. What's it gonna be? At that moment he turned to the left and ran away as I took a deep breath while shaking. Although, the worst encounter was with a bull moose during the rut while I was setting up a bear stand for hunting. I heard a grunt off in the distance but thought nothing of it until after breaking a bunch of branches to clear a spot for my stand. I here the sound of tree branches moving directly behind me. I turn and see a moose nose sticking out between two pine trees and right away I say; please be a cow moose. Suddenly it let's out a couple of big grunts as he steps forward and I see this massive rack barely 10 feet from me. Again, I try the bear method of yelling at it in hopes it would run away. Instead, being the rut, that moose decided I was trespassing and needed to get me out of there. I knew I had to run when I saw his eyes get real big and he cocked his head sideways tilting his rack at me. I started running, jumping over logs and small trees and all I heard was the sound of hoofs behind me crashing through the trees. I thought I was done but out of nowhere comes this other bull moose which got the attention of the one chasing me and the two of them went at it head to head. After my adrenaline rush came down I got in my truck and thought; that's enough for today. Those are the only major incidents I had. But 98% of the time, any wild life I encounter, avoids me once they know I'm there.

[@ShawnJames1]

Those are awesome encounters

[@darrendavidsonoutdoors]

@@ShawnJames1 I agree cause I lived through them. I may not have liked them if the outcome came out differently although I never blame wildlife for their actions. I would blame myself for not educating myself enough to understand why they did that. Now while in the outdoors, I'm constantly trying to learn more about every species so I know what to expect when I encounter them depending on what time of year it is. Like mother bears in the Spring with cubs or bull moose during the rut which can be way more dangerous than any bear. Wolves and coyotes on the other hand are hard to understand. So far, any wolves I've encountered have ran the other way although my uncle's dog was lured into a field by a female wolf and the pack tore the dog apart. I'm hoping that never happens with my dog but with the wolf and coyote numbers going up around here, I'm always worried when I don't see my dog for awhile. There's also the mixed breed called the coywolf popping up in this area now as well which may be what you have around. They're the size of a wolf but look like a coyote. I'm still learning more about them.

[@123turby]

Darren Davidson &

[@tegannottelling]

What a great attitude, education is the key which is another reason Shawn’s down to earth calm explanations are fantastic. 😊😊

[@jimdiroffii]

Best Story In a KZbin Comment Candidate.

[@lilbo1Y1]

I agree, looks like a 🐺 wolf, he seems thicker than a coyote

[@mikefedele4521]

I think the key to not having any issues with wildlife is simple respect. I was portaging a canoe several years ago and was taking a break and along the trail come along a black bear. I was shocked it was as close as it was say 60 or 70 feet. we sort of stared at each other and it eventually very casually went on its way. that was the closest I had ever been I was nervous but I lightened up after that. I think you got it figured out I think the local wildlife has accepted that your there.If it works why change it. I think it is awesome that it all works.

[@jd2055]

Hi Shawn I've only had one very close encounter with a black bear . I was walking my dog down a trail along side the river I live close to .Thankfully my dog was on its leash as this bear was not happy in the least and stuck it's head out and growled at us from about ten feet away. My dog started barking which certainly didn't help but I managed to pull her back as we backed away. We ended up having to slog through 2 feet of mud for about 300 yards to get back to the parking lot. It's the only time I've ever encountered an angry black bear and hopefully my last.

[@gemhunter99]

My black bear close encounters always happened on the same mountain, we used to collect minerals at a remote mine at the top. The first 3 or 4 times they saw us and went around us, the last time I was alone and crested a ledge that I had just climbed to hear a bear in the raspberries about 50 yards off. About the time my mind said "that's a bear" the bear got a message too and I heard huff huff huff and the raspberry bushes started parting like the red sea. I went down over the ledge a lot faster than I had climbed up, fortunately the bear did not follow.

[@kekoamaunakea4473]

Had to check out an old journey of yours. Always a good journey to reflect on...ML&Aloha Your Boy Duke&Ohana.🤙🏽🌺🤙🏽

[@jennifertaylor6026]

My husband and I enjoy watching your videos, very surreal, relaxing, informative, and interesting!

[@randycrews3432]

I had a Teddy Bear when I was small!!!

[@kmacradio]

Do you still have him?

[@ThomsSimpleLife]

Always informative Shawn, thanks.

[@gaylemesser136]

Shawn, Good show today. I have only had one experience with a bear. Here in Missouri we only have between 300 and 400 black bears. So I have never seen one in Missouri. My only experience was out in Colorado. My wife and I were coming off of 12,000 foot Independence Pass and stopped at Twin Lakes to get some photos. I didn't see the trail up the small hill which I was climbing, so I bushwacked around and up the hill. About half way up I passed a hole in the hillside that was about 12" or so wide. I was 7' or 8' away when I noticed it. I thought it was either a bear or badger den. So I didn't stop to investigate. We have plenty of badger in Missouri. Good way to get your leg sewed back up. I had a creepy feeling come over me, so I moved on. I made it to the top of the hill and started taking pictures with my camera. The scenery was nice. There were a lot of small cabins overlooking the upper lake. The whole time I had this feeling I was being watched. I couldn't see anything, so I take a bunch of photos. I just turned in a circle while I snapped photos. Later when we got home I studied those shots and never saw the bear. I see the trail heading back to the car and decide to go back that way. Wise move. I get back to the car and put my camera in the back seat. I get in the car huffing and puffing. All of a sudden my wife said "bbbbbear!!!" I said, what? She says, "bbbbear." I says, where? She said, "rrrrrright there!!!" She pointed to where I had bushwacked my way up. I didn't see him at first, but when I did he was down like a cat when it's stalking its prey. Then it stood up. My wife says, " get your camera!" I said, it's in the back seat and the only way to get it is to get out of the car. The bears about 25' away, but I am not going to give him the chance to chew on my leg. So I says no way! She said, " you got time." Both of us had our cell phones and could have taken pictures with them. I guess in the excitement we just totally forgot about the phones. So that's it. The one and only bear siting of my wife and I. Vaughn

[@HelloHello-ej4lk]

Wow, Autum looks Beautiful 👍😊

[@HamsterLife_EnglishLearning]

Congratulations on making it to the 100k and beyond in such a short time, and a million on *your MY SELF RELIANCE* channel!!!

[@paulr.9193]

It would be cool to see a video explaining how to react in the event you encounter a bear or a wolf.

[@ChrisProuse]

Congrats on the 100K Shawn! We had a very large black bear come into our campsite 3 times during a recent backcountry trip with the little one. Came within 2 meters of Julia at one point, but she eventually scared it off while I held Cedar on the other side of camp. We both held bear spray at the ready, and I caught a little bit of the encounter on video for the next series coming up. Previous campers had left food packaging in the fire pit, so I can't say I was surprised to see it at our site... but it was already getting dark when it did, and we couldn't paddle out. It came twice more during the night and so we cut our trip short. Though we went back to Algonquin a few weeks later and had a wonderful time :)

[@joelwest5541]

I was hiking the Jack River trail here in north Georgia. Came up over a hill (with a low line a sight) and walked right up on a black bear. We stared at each other for less then a minute (which felt like eternity) and it turned around and left.

[@idaberrones3809]

I’m so glad I found these ,My Self Reliance videos ,watch everyday ,interesting life style,it’s beautiful and love all the accomplishments and stories,the adventures too with Cali 👍

[@bogger5119]

They are interested in reintroducing wolves to Ireland again. Perhaps we can feed the politicians to them. Have a great weekend Shawn! Hugs to Cali!!!!!

[@janetwithers7427]

Great video and answered lots of questions about bears and wildlife coming near the cabin. Glad you have lots of experience with it. Cali would let you know if something came around and is very protective. Thanks for sharing. Congrats on 100K !! :-)😺💞🎃

[@edowlut2004]

Lovely to see the wild life you have captured on camera, and congratulations on 100K subscribers and not before time may I say

[@daalig6327]

I love when he is recording and out of the blue, Cali just walk by in the he background...lol

[@jamesbentonticer4706]

Da Ali G Me too! Always makes me smile big.

[@Stretcher1974]

Me too, she just frolics by lol

[@TheGoodHeart1000]

I’ve noticed that too-she wanders in and out in the background of the camera lens-tail wagging, checking out things, back again with her toy-sitting patiently for Shawn to throw it. She is just the cutest!

[@martinberry1960]

I envy you Shaun. I have my own black bear encounters while living in West Virginia but ive never had a wolf encounter. Now living here in North Florida we have blsck bear here but my daily encounters are with gators... Lots of gators. I will take my chances any day with bears, coyotes, and mountain lions than these damn gators. I see one constant difference between gators and the animals id rather be aeound and that is the cold nature of a gator. Ive had five encounters with these animals, one was an 8 footer, two were 6 footers, a tiny 3 footer and the last one was bigger than the 8 footer (couldnt tell ya how much bigger but after 8 ft it really doesnt matter) and all are just a cold calculated animal. They will attack anything they feel they can overpower.... Nothing is off the menu. I personally had to deal with the 8 footer and not to drag this post out too much it was one hell of a fight. Four hours that e ded with a 5.56 nato round. I couldnt get this thi g out of my yard and i have ducks, dogs and cats but it had come after my wife one morning and that was the last straw. Anyway love your channel and your videos get me through the week. Thank you

[@SpyderRTL2022]

down here in manatee county i have a 12 footer in my pond, my dog won't go near the water,,, orange eyes in the water at night will freak you out the first time you see them.

[@user-ti3xf6gn2q]

Martin Berry 9

[@mindyvaughn8217]

The bear and wolves that live there are sweet and easy to get along with because they are Canadian. Every Canadian I have me has been so adorable. They are just sweet people and I believe the animals have the same mentality. I love getting to see all the animals on your videos. The trees are magnificent. It was 100 degrees here yesterday again. 💖

[@miaamorcorazon871]

Yeah I see on your camera , Sir Shawn James . lovely wolf bear and small animals .. You are really brave and strong person .

[@davidcloutier6771]

The behavior of a bear always seems to come to the forefront with questions. The key to your message is that you have had several experiences with bear and you have applied what you have learned over the years. I am still in the belief system that it is rare to ever come across a bear since through all the years of my canoe tripping or just camping I have never seen one in the wilderness. I think most people are more nervous for never seeing one to gain that experience than someone like yourself who has multiple encounters. Great video Shawn! Thanks.

[@brianwhite9555]

Love seeing your fall colors in the drone footage by the beaver meadow. Beautiful area! I carry a large sidearm while working the garden. Never know when a vicious pack of brazen chipmunks might run through the area. :)

[@bellarosesmama2597]

Always good to see your programs. They are always interesting and contain a lot of good information. On learning, we can all learn something new every day. My father use to always say you can learn something every day until you leave this world. Always my best to you and yours and our precious puppy Cali.🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺😊😊😊😊😊👍👍👍👍👍

[@shadetreehomestead4276]

Keep the great videos coming shawn.

[@alantally5604]

You are SO LUCKY to live there. I'm a backpacker and love the Wilderness. Talking about living in paradise. You are one of the luckiest people I've could encounter.

[@annconnellan4902]

Please read” The Bears of Blue River” if you haven’t already. My dad read it aloud to my brother and me in the sixties.

[@jeanblythe1595]

When I was 30, I was camping on wild land outside Cannon Beach, OR, and freezing to death in the tent because my boyfriend decided to leave the door open, just the netting across the door, and a cold wind was blowing right over me. So I couldn't sleep forever, but finally did. We were up against a deep tidal slough almost flooding due to a neap tide, and these blackberry bushes that weren't ripe yet--needed another 2 weeks. Anyway, I was so tired, finally I just didn't react to anything. I heard heavy footsteps and this chuffing sound right against the door net about 3 feet from my head, and ignored it figuring it was a dog. In the morning the tent was surrounded by large bear prints. I'm so glad I didn't know, because I had banana bread and pumpkin bread inside the tent. I freaked out in the morning when I saw those very clear tracks. I don't know if it was a brown or black bear, but most likely black. I was not an experienced camper at all, but my boyfriend was, and he didn't tell me not to keep the food in the tent. And we were right against the berry bush. Glad they weren't ripe!!!

[@justkidding7523]

Black bears and coyotes here in NW Florida in the surrounding wooded areas. No threatening encounters. I will admit I have a soft spot for Coyotes. But... I did have a very close encounter with a bull shark snorkeling at the reef in Key West, FL. Such a close encounter I could reach out and touch it. That was definitely a humbling experience. It intensify my already huge respect for the ocean. Bull shark swam a half circle around us (curious?), who knows... then it swam away. Once it was out of sight I swam back to the boat as if my life depended on it. Loving the stories about the wild life around there. I pray one day I see a wolf. Thanks for sharing.

[@kevinthorrington2131]

My aunt was a Realtor, I was showing woods property for her. The property was way out in the woods with only a foot path to get to it. I was walking down the foot path with the buyer, we came up to a huge tree that fell across the path. The wind was in our face when we walked up to the tree across the path, a very large bear was digging grubs on the opposite side of the log. When the bear realized we were there he stood up on his hind feet. We were so close I could feel his breath on my face as he was working hard digging grubs. I looked at the bear, looked at the guy with me, I looked back at the bear. The bear was gone and so was the guy. He decided not to buy the property.

[@giselefranca3182]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣I'm still catching my breath!

[@dorothyrolison1761]

I am surprised the bear didn't took after you

[@sschiavo8190]

You are brave! I would have disappeared faster than the buyer....

[@donnajakubos4249]

Always water that draws the wild life, how fun to see them all!

[@discernment4theSoul]

You are a inspiration for me! I’ve been dreaming of living in an off grid cabin in the Rockies since I was a kid. 41 years old now and raising 4 teenagers still stuck in the daily grind. I may never make it happen but I’m glad I get to watch your experiences!

[@josephsauve1921]

Hi Shawn, best one it was berry season in Petawawa. Out in the training exercise, pitch black out no NVG’s. The bears where out in droves, and we where set up in a defensive position. All we could hear all night was bears growling and arguing. No live ammo on training exercises, no incidents just the sound of them arguing over food. LOL

[@gordoncook7613]

Was at my camp in the Adirondacks a few weeks ago and a bear took a bite out of the corner of my cabin. Scratch marks on both side of the corner of the camp. Not to sure what he was after had no food in the cabin at that time.

[@Tonniece3]

No stories just really enjoy your channel ❤️❤️❤️. Hugz

[@annrhodes3544]

Back in the 60s, I was sleeping in a tent at a Safari camp at the foot of the Yatta Plateau on the Tana River in Kenya. Some elephants came around in the middle of the night and one of them decided to go to sleep leaning on the side of my tent. This was an 8ft square canvas tent with two iron bedsteads inside. The elephant was snoring away, and I could hear all the rumblings in its belly from the Doum Palm nuts that it had eaten. Only the metal frame of the bed saved me from being squashed flat.

[@JeffWinter1]

Have bears, moose, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, porcupine and even a groundhog come up to my front door at my cabin up by Kirkland Lake. Have photos of bears and moose looking in the front door when I'm not there. Last month got woken up by a family of wolves at 1am that were teaching their pups to howl about 200m from the cabin. Have over a dozen trailcams on the 160 acres and even got a photo of a Lynx. And trespassers!

[@ogulcanyolcu8714]

I'd wanna hear those wolves teaching pups and I'd wanna see the Lynx. Mysterious animals

[@TheArt4M]

I’d be more afraid of trespassers than wildlife..🙏❤️

[@theresalero7039]

Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions we have all wondered about. The trail cam footage will really change your mind about what's around in the dark, in the quiet times! Stay safe and tell Cali not to be a hero! Thanks for posting.

[@aliceg9571]

100K subs and going strong. Thanks for sharing Shawn and Cali.

[@CwBDaveis.716]

Very awesome footage of the wildlife!!

[@granny13ad33]

You've been philosophical recently. Respect of our fellow creatures! It is amazing how we can live side by side with them. It is equally amazing we can live side by side with humans, who are often more dangerous than bears and wolves.

[@roymitchell4563]

I live in Lancashire in the UK, there are no bears wolves or wolverines here, nothing but concrete and urban deprivation, this is why I like to escape into the realms of these great videos!

[@quentinalcock8299]

Envy is not one of my failings - except when it comes to you and calli.

[@sterhh100]

Shawn thank you! Grittings from Estonia!

[@tedsmyth1759]

My wife's cousin's husband lead hunting groups in Colorado at one time for many years. One time as he was trying to help an younger hunter get his Elk, he was attacked by a Grizzly bear. At that time there had not been a grizzly in Colorado for years. He wrote a book about it called "Grizzly Attack in Colorado. The Ed Wiseman Story. Long story short, As the Grizzly had him on the ground taking bites out of his leg and arm, He was able to grab one of his arrows and stab the bear twice. One getting the vein in its neck which did kill the bear. He at present is living in Marion Iowa now and is still tough as nails . If you are interested the book is on Amazon I believe. It is quite a story of how they got him out of there.

[@daleross9357]

Ted Smyth ya got my attention what the heck happened waiting patiently 😎

[@andrewyork3869]

That's some true grit right there.

[@tonyj8947]

Thankfully he is fine...If that was me id move back to the city, lol.

[@northwoodsrat6686]

What a rich diversity of wildlife you have on your property, Shawn! Really enjoyed all the cool trail cam footage and pics you managed to capture, especially that of the ever elusive Fisher, as well as the fantastic daytime footage of that Wolf! (def not a 'yote; possibly a hybrid, or as you mentioned, a Red Wolf - hard to know for sure w/o DNA testing, of course. Fascinating, either way!) Congrats on arriving at 100K subs, and 1million subs on your other channel!! I enjoy both of them, but have a slight personal preference for this one, based on style and content. Thanks as always : )

[@americanpatriot9193]

Every time I watch one of your videos I wish I lived in the Forrest myself. You are one fortunate man.👍

[@janettelworth9398]

Last night I watched for the 1st time your videos from May and June 2015 solo canoe trips all over Algonquin Park. Best stuff Shawn. Loons galore. I watched August 2016 and a whole mess of them into the a.m. In one video there were 6 loons together. Loved it. We haven't seen any loons here for the last 2 years because of cottage overcrowding on all the lakes and I sure miss them so thanks for those videos.

[@jimmypics1570]

I live in NYC. The RATS here can TAKE DOWN ANY BEAR!!! HAHAHAHA

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Shawn .

[@skinnylovelasttheyea]

Thanks Shawn, keep it up.

[@sharleenparrino2297]

Greetings Shawn Love hearing you talk about all your experience with wildlife encounters! Great knowledge and very Fascinating! 🌹🌲

[@thenorthshore6472]

Great video, Shawn! Awesome video of those Red Wolves...beautiful animals! You're living the dream! God bless!

[@alexpage7292]

Thanks Shawn, I was curious about the bears in particular

[@keithmorrison2853]

Hey Shawn, good video! My brother in law and I were canoeing across a lake in algonquin, coming up to the Portage spot and I noticed a bear and cub, soon as they realized we were close the cub darted to the base of a tree ready to climb and the female stood up on her hind legs... we slowed down and hung back out away from shore, took a few pics and gave them a few minutes, then I smacked the canoe paddle on the water and they ran off into the woods. We waited a few more minutes and cautiously made our way to the Portage and crossed it without incident. Great encounter.

[@melissan.208]

Down the road we had a black bear walk into a home with an open door. A woman was canning jam and was confronted by the bear. Sadly the woman didn't survive the attack. I've also had a bear try to get into my home. It was a time when there were so many bears in our area due to an over population and little food for them to eat. I've been face to face with a baby bear through a glass window and it wasn't on purpose. It's definitely something to be that close to a wild animal so cute and dangerous at the same time. Mamma bear had to be close by. I have to admit I am a bit leary of bears and walk around with a bear bell when I'm in the woods.

[@rodneywroten2994]

The great thing about mans best friend as a rule they have the eyes and ears and sight to help in warning of any intruders.

[@sequoiatreescape1356]

Thank you for calling them Red wolves. And for mentioning the wolf population in Algonquin Park is healthy.

[@mtcannon2541]

My father's arctic wolf was the most loving smartest animal I've ever experienced.

[@longnamenocansayy]

wolves domesticate well. my scoutmaster had a wolf, someone gave it to him as a puppy. that was an unavoidable adoption. the really bad thing about wolves is that they have no civil rights. if someone steps on your dog's tail. and what if he yelps and snaps? that might happen. and the guy might complain. and they might come pick your dog up. and there might be a trial. the trial might be for your dog's life. but you know what? the judge might just see it in your dog's favor. he might just say, "don't be stepping on some dog's toes, and thinking it all strange when the dog trys to defend himself." it could all happen. but a wolf? a wolf you raised from puppyhood. count him all gonners at the slightest call of distress from any idiot in the county no matter what they did to him first.

[@coindesigner7477]

@@longnamenocansayy I had a client that owned a full blood wolf. He even slept in her bed with her. She was tiny person, maybe 5'1. He was a big animal, definitely out weighed her. When she had her first child, her other dog, ( a springer spaniel) would not let the wolf near him ( no doubt her sensed the danger. He would get between them, always herding the wolf away) . She and her husband came home from town one day to a horrific scene. There were 15 piglet strewn on either side of the ditch slaughtered. Another time, they came home to a commotion in the barn (they raised Charolais cows) The larger bull was dead, and the younger one was being eviscerated while he was alive. . This wolf also frequently raided the neighbours prize chickens, so you can imagine what their relationship was like. Having said this, I do love and admire the wolf, and feel they aren't a huge danger to humans, but to own one is another story. They do retain their natural instincts.

[@longnamenocansayy]

@@coindesigner7477 of course i wasn't taking sides as in all wolves are bad. but i don't think anyone should take wolves out of their kingdom. my scoutmaster's wolf was an unavoidable adoption. meaning at that time and place the wolf puppy had only one chance for survival, and that was to go with my scoutmaster. is it right to treat them as a menace to society even if they've done no wrong? best tac is just leave them in the forest with their family if at all possible. get a dog. no reason to paddle upstream fighting the current. just get a dog and be happy.

[@coindesigner7477]

@@longnamenocansayy I applaud your scoutmaster for taking that wolf pup in and saving it's life :-) .... I was surprised at the amount of destruction the animal I mentioned caused. I'm sure there are many people that have either full wolf, or hybrid dog/wolf pets with no issues at all. I have had the pleasure of having in my family group, four Malemutes in my lifetime (absolutely love the breed) and, going into wolf enclosures during my years of wildlife painting and photography, they were very similar to my dogs in physiology. I don't believe the wolf should be viewed as a villain as there are virtually very few recorded instances of humans being attacked. They are far more afraid of us humans than we should be of them. I would however be wary of a pack of wolves around my dog.

[@leann4925]

In the area that I live they have been cutting down the wooded areas to build and coyotes have been spotted in the area. A lot of wildlife is being ran out. I do have respect for them as this has been there way of living before humans took over. As long as they don't bring harm let the go about there business is the way I look at it. Enjoyed seeing the footage of the wildlife. Thanks!

[@tegannottelling]

Leann 49 oh that’s so sad, is anyone trying to provide more habitat for the animals that have been displaced? Around here our government sometimes provides land owners with grants to restore the natural Bush ( Australian for forest ) and or keep existing Bush

[@puckrabbers1612]

Thanks for sharing...you still seems relaxt with the wild animals around you.👍🏻 for about 2 years there is a wolve couple with 3 cubs (cups?) spotted in the east side of our small country the netherlands....the country is in “shock”😄 then again; we are already in shock by 1cm of snow.

[@ShawnJames1]

Lol

[@mediatect]

Glad to see that you're almost to 1 million subscribers on the MSR channel! The folks in charge of programming and content on the TV and movie networks are the ones disliking your videos because your content is eating up their ratings and viewership! :-)

[@ShawnJames1]

Lol

[@ronaldrose7593]

Hello Shawn, thank you for sharing your fine video. All the best to you, your family and Cali. Great idea with the trail cam. Take care. 🤗

[@devonseamoor]

Thank you, Shawn, for explaining so clearly how you experience the wildlife around the homestead, bears and wolves, and warning the subscribers to not think they can walk up to them and enjoy a picnic together, haha. I'm from The Netherlands, where the population is the most dense, compared to other European countries. I call it a frog pond at times. I returned to my Dutch home in March this year 2020, and learned that now, wolves are beginning to thrive again, in the National Park De Veluwe, since 2017. I wish for you to enter the new year 2021 with undisturbed living comfort, with Cali and other loved ones visiting. Good luck 🍀👍

[@jerrydague5686]

I have to say shawn you have the life👍👍👍

[@Early8Q]

Thank you for both of your channels, I truly appreciate them. I thought I would share that my long standing significant other lost a long time friend last month to a black bear attack. I know it is unusual, however it is worth noting. She was well versed in her geography and animals. I suspect that when faced with an engagement with her dogs she acted quickly and instinctively and found herself with uncommon behavior from a black bear and two yearlings. It is a sad reminder that we need to be careful with our beloved dogs when faced with quick decisions in the woods. I would never want to hear that you lost your great Calli, but do be mindful out there. We love you both.

[@margaretbedwell58]

Loved the videos of the wildlife around you. Beautiful animals. Thanks for sharing your experiences with them. Have a Blessed day.

[@andrewslone7236]

Afternoon Mr James, everything looking nice!