Here are some pics from my last ride of the season (maybe) in the Askov, MN area. *We couldn't believe it! *First wild bear I've ever seen.

Here is another, that's me on the MXZ...

Is that ever cool http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif *I cant belive you sat that close to the bear. I see lots of deer and coyote.....And I actually saw my first moose this year but your bear tops that.

I've all sorts of bears, but I can't believe that it had come out of hibernation already. It must be the weather this winter.

What a sight to see there! Trails look pretty darn nice too. http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Nice pics F3600 call me stupid but shouldn't that bear be..... I don't know sleeping? And what are you doing so close to a cub the first thought that would have came to my mind would be where is mama. We have bears where I am from too and when I see them, ya they are fascinating creaters but I stay away from them.

whew those trails wherever they are look great. where are you at there ?

That is AWESOME, would love to see a bear on the trails. *Look at the size of those claws!! *I can't believe he walked by your sled while it was running (looks like your headlight is on). *I would also have to be wandering like Sixer, looking over my shoulders for mamma. *Hope he got back to her. *Where were you when this happened?

Actually, bears often wake from hibernation during the winter. They don't actually 'hibernate' either, in the purest sense of the word. It is unusual to see a bear that early, but it looks like maybe a two year-old, or at best an early born from last year. Its very thin, which would suggest that it didn't stock up enough last fall, hence it had to wake early and find some food. I don't think that momma is anywhere around..but watch your back just the same!

Survival Lesson of the Day:

Remember...black bears eat carrion...fight for your life and you just may keep it...play dead and he'll still take a taste. http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/exclamation.gif

GREAT PICS! http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif * I've seen allot on the trails but never a black bear. *Send that to those tree huggers that think we are scaring the wildlife and what not.... http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

At my cottage right near the trails, we usually get 30 to 40 deers at the end of the sledding season eating some hay that we give em. We pass at a couple of feet from them to get to the trails and they don't seem to mind. I'll try to get some pics next time.

This brings to mind a riddle I heard out in Golden BC a few years ago.

What's the diff. between grizzly bear $%^& and black bear $%^& *??

The grizzly bear %^& has bear bells in it *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

For the uninitiated, a bear bell is a small bell you wear when you're in bear country. Supposedly the bear(s) will hear the sound and wander away from you. I heard the worse thing that happens is when you startle a bear in the bush.

Good idea PH!!!

nice pictures, *when we where out by yellowstone last year at this time *they told us to avoid the bears, * we sae alot of trackss but no live ones around.

Last year on our trip to northern Ontario, we saw a moose on the trail just east of Coniston (east of Subury).

This year when we were doing the loop north of Hearst in the morning, we saw tracks where a pack of wolves had walked on the trail.

On the topic of wildlife can anyone tell me what a Siberian Chicken is? There was a warning on the OFSC trail reports page warning that they had been spotted north of Englehart.

A warning for chickens? they must have some mean looking chickens in siberia.

Haha..Yeah..gotta watch those siberian chickens....they tend to hang out with the jackalope.... http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif Very mean...known to nibble on new seat covers whilst the owner sits in a hottub.. http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Last winter we're heading north in the Matheson area. I get to a railway crossing & stop. I look behind me & I've lost 2 of the group. I can see a couple of headlights down the road. After a couple of minutes the sleds start coming towards us. I knew it was the missing duo.

I got off my sled and walked back when they got to us. I asked them what the problem was. "Oh no problem, just a couple of buffalo at the farm doing the wango tango!" I shook my head, walked back to my sled and kept on going http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif You'd think they were watch Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom or something.

The trails were great, *that area is middle MN about 30 miles away from WI. *We had driven past the cub once, had our heads on a swivel looking for the Mama, after turning around about an hour later we were kicking ourselves for not getting a picture and on our way back there he was again, so we quick got the camara out and snapped some shots. *As I drove by him he had no fear of the sled, kinda looked at me like he wanted help. *But we kept safe distance, ya know how fast those MXZ583's are *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Those are awsome pics. You should send them to the tree hugger sites and everyone who has pics like that do do it also. Thats what sledding is all about enjoyinf the outdoors and seeing wildlife.

Permafrost and I saw 2 elk outside of wilberforce at the side of the trail. Koolest thing I ever saw.What a large animal! The tree huggers can suck my bark! They dont know what they are missing http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/devil.gif

I've heard of a lot of sightings , but never by anyone on sleds. Did they stand and watch you guys or take off into the bush? http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif

They stood there and just looked at us for about 20 mins then slowly walked away.They had radio collars on.

LadyK, we've seen elk tracks on our property and they have been seen about a mile north of there along Hwy. 28. We haven't been lucky enough to see one though. I almost forgot, but on one of my last rides, I saw a fisher running on the snow beside the logging road north of Hwy. 121.