[Harold Pickens]

Hunting in the wild and wooly places that we do, I'm surprised these interactions don't occur more often'. I have had 3 bear encounters, 1 wolf encounter, and 1 coyote encounter while hunting. Probably have related these before but here we go:
around 1989 in the UP, my Brittany Jess started a moving point that turned out to be a crippled and emaciated bear. It had a broken back, as it was pulling itself along with its front legs and couldn't have lasted much longer--yes I put it down with my VH 20 26" cyl/mod and a load of 8's.
Many years later, Jess the Brittany was 14 and quite deaf, but still hunting. As we moved thru a little clearing in the cut, a black bear rose up then charged across toward the unknowing dog--I fired 2 shots at it from 40 yds with my 1frame VH 16, and it veered off into the cut.
A pack of wolves closed in around us one day off the Big Wheels RD( sure COB knows where that is at). Betty was in full blown heat, and I believe that attracted them. I snapped a leash on her, fired 2 shots to scare off the wolves, and got the heck out of the area.
This year in Kansas, on the first day, a coyote jumped up just in front of Fancy, then whirled and came running back toword her--I greeted him with 2 loads of Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #5's.
Forgot about my first setter, Thicket--hunting one day off Deerfoot Lodge Rd, he came running back as we ran into a sow with 2 cubs--momma sent the two cubs up a tree--looked at us then backed off. The Parker 16 was on my shoulder and safety off. That cover has ever since been known as the Black Bear Cover.
Don't ever want to run into a big cat--but those at hanging out in the UP also.