Bear hibernating under house.

[EddieWalker]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I can think of certain politicians I would not mind seeing used as bait. We have a senator here and I know of one in Mass. that would probably work well. )</font>

I must sincerly compliment you on your choice of politicians!!!

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Not sure what you mean by only in Cali. )</font>

Those Columbian bears are the worst! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[JimMorrissey]

That's too bad there wasn't another alternative for the bears. I tend to look at bears a little differently than your standard "pest species". I guess they did what they thought was right and didn't know she had cubs....Bummer.

We have a lot of bears in Vermont, but they tend to keep to the forests. Human/bear encounters are fairly rare. I guess the more encounters and problems you have with particular species, the less compassion you have for it.

 

[_RaT_]

Jim, as you know the Sierras are loaded with bears. This year more then ever, folks think the problem may have been the early and big dumping of snow that "trapped" them from their natural hibernating place. I am not sure what to think, even with all the backpacking I have done from Tahoe to Yosemite, I have yet to actually have a bear problem. They are pretty sharp when it comes to food. If you leave the key in the garbage house (the key is a L shaped square steel rod), the bears will turn it and get in. They have attempted to open the doors but can't get a paw in to get it started. The cabin will be an easier target.

 

[JimMorrissey]

The last time I hiked from Squaw Valley over the ridge around Alpine Meadows I saw a good sized black bear. Actually it was sort of blond in color. I think a dog was chasing it because it looks very concerned and was in a big hurry. I could also hear the owner screaming at the top of his lungs for the dog off in the distance. The bear came out of nowhere and just stopped and stared at us for about 30 seconds, then took off up the hill, almost silently. That's the closest I've ever been to a wild bear....looked it right in the eye from about 20' away. Pretty exciting.

 

[EddieWalker]

A couple of years ago, two buddies and I backpacked up to Half Dome in Yosemite. It's not a big hike, but getting reservations is the really hard part.

After coming down from the peak, we started to set up for dinner. Each campsite is spaced out a little, but still in view of each other.

Everyone was back except for a couple who was still on the trail.

Three black bears just walked right through the campsite, past all of us like we weren't there, and went to the backpacks of that couple. They tore open their packs so fast, nobody reacted. Then we all started making noise, banging pots and throwing rocks at the bears to scare them off.

They were only about 20 yards from my campsite.

Reluctantly, they moved away, but not too far. That entire night, those bears would circle around the campsites, and we'd all end up making noise to scare them off. It was a very long night!

I did manage to get some sleep, but when I woke up, one of the bears had left his deposit about ten feet from my sleeping bag.

 

[DaMadman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
"only in Cali. I hope someone took care of the problem bear by now."

Not sure what you mean by only in Cali. If that implies you need a permit to kill wild animals particularly out of season, then yes. I doubt that type of control exists only in California.

The bear was shot and dragged out. Unfortunately, it had two cubs that were also destroyed. I don't know the answer to these things, I wish it could have been done differently. )</font>

Guess I forgot the smilie. It was just a little joke in light of the fact that there are so many Anti-hunting, anti-gun groups out there in Cali. Got nothing against the place personally and know a few folks that live out that way.

It is a shame that the mother bear and the cubs had to be destroyed, I hope that someone at least put the meat to good use, if that was an option.

Unfortunetly that is what happens when the human population keeps moving further into the wilderness to get away from that hussle and bussle of the city.

I guess I am sort of guilty myself as I just bought 22 acres of prime forest land on the side of a mountain in Montana and plan to move out there to live on of these days. I am however going to try to leave as much natural habitat as possible.

Sorry your nieghbors cabin got torn up and the bears had to be put down.

It happens here in maryland with deer all the time. The developers put up subdivisions and people move in and the deer either get pushed onto the highways and get killed or get pushed into people back yards and become nuisences and then have to be killed.

I am an avid hunter and honestly think it is terrible how the Wildlife populations are being screwed up more and more by the day.

 

[_RaT_]

I understand that, at least the gun issue. I don't own a gun but know a little about the gun laws such as the number of rounds they can have for a pistol or the maximum you can buy in a given period. As far as hunting goes, my friends who hunt don't really have any issues here. Lots of deer hunters as well as turkey. I understand to the perception of "liberal California", but for the most part that is isolated by the SF Bay area and parts of LA and many coastal cities. Other then that, the map is pretty darn red. Of course that is where the bulk of the citizens live. I find most of the folks living in SF are all transports from back East. 7 of my 9 cousins relocated from Pennsylvania to live in the Bay area. Thank You East coast! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[_RaT_]

The bear story made the Sacramento paper. It really makes my neighbor (who I barely know) out to be quite a jerk. Shooting Bear fuels fire!

 

[Bob_Skurka]

_RaT_ seems to me the article made the nature lady look like more of an alarmist/extremist than anything else, but then I've got a practical viewpoint and am not a member of any nutcase animal rights group.

I still think that getting a M-I-L or even a local politician to poke it with a stick and then shoot everything that moved would have caused far less uproar and might have even created an air of support for the property owners!