Black Bears

[mjarrels]

I'm up in age and have spent alot of time in the woods, mountains, state and national parks but have never seen a bear in the wild. Yesterday, I was putting some stuff in my burn barrel, turned around and there was a 200 pound black bear looking at me. Both of us went the opposite direction. I live in a rather developed area, 36 hole golf course next door, housing development north and south, large dairy farm east. Makes me wonder where that bear came from?

mark

 

[groundcover]

When two bears love each other very much.... :laughing:

 

[2LaneCruzer]

When two bears love each other very much.... :laughing:

I can give you maybe half credit for that answer gc.

 

[Clint S]

We get them here every now and then. This spring my dad called and asked if my dog was loose (he is a big dog) as he saw him across the road where I throw fish carcasses after I fillet them. I said no he is right here, looked across the road and there was a smallish black bear eating. Over the next few weeks saw him in my compost pile. Finally it moved on

 

[timster2]

I was putting some stuff in my burn barrel,

mark

Burn barrel BBQ all the same to the bear. Holiday weekend he was looking to crash your BBQ perhaps have a few beers. Most bears in the wild will go the other way rather than make you "dinner".

 

[Marveltone]

I can give you maybe half credit for that answer gc.

TBN... It's free to play and the points don't matter.

Bears are opportunists. They often make their way into residential areas if they think there's more food available than they can find in the wild. We've had many instances where black bears have had to be moved out of town for that very reason. They typically don't want anything to do with the people, but we'd still rather they stay out of the city limits.

Out here on the farm, we have to be real careful in picking up any food scraps when we eat in our screen porch. We've had to repair the screen a few times because somebody left a little scrap out there and a bear came crashing through the screen looking for a free meal.

Joe

 

[timster2]

My wife's cousin, who lives a mile or so from me, had a black bear jump through his screen door to get at a bag of trash he had left on his screen porch. Seems he forgot to take it to the dumpster, he lives in a gated community. They heard a crash from the porch and watched through the sliding glass doors as the bear helped himself to the trash. After he had his fill he jumped back out the screen door and was on his way. They get bolder and bolder and are no longer afraid of human contact. Don't leave anything around that the bear would consider food and he will move on looking for some easy pickings.

 

[dmccarty]

There have been black bears seen in two of the cities around me in the last couple of years. Last month there was a bear seen in the middle of a large town/small city near us that is very developed. People have seen black bears in my county but it is rare.

I was watching a show about FLA and they were talking about a black bear that had a tracking collar. They showed the path the bear walked, which went from SW FLA, south of Lake Okeechobee, up to I4 at Walt Disney World. The bear walked along side I4 for quite some time. It surely looked like it was trying to cross I4 but could not figure out how. I guess it wanted to go to the Bear Jamboree at Walt Disney World. :laughing::laughing::laughing: The bear then headed back south and went back to the area it started from. I have seen the show twice and we can't figure out how long it took the bear to do this walk. The show was unclear but we think it was only a few months.

Later,
Dan

 

[KTurner]

The newspaper here runs a story on bear sightings about once a year or two. People will see a bear and call in the sighting as its rare to see them here. The news story says these bears were out in search of new territory and crossed the river. Depending on where they crossed, it was between a 1.5 and 5.5 mile swim. Either they like it here, or they don't want to repeat that swim

Keith

 

[sfloggie]

Our land is 2 miles East of the Dismal Swamp. Bears travel from the swamp under the new HWY17 via a "bear route". Our surveyor saw one year before last that was about 250lbs and 50' away. It moved on as thye stood still.
Yesterday my neighbor to the West saw a mom and two cubs with one in a tree. He stood still with his dog and watched the mother atch his dog as te treed cub came down They then moved off.
I have smelled them in the cold, but not seen one. The Warden said he had to put a 400 pounder down that got hit by a truck. It was sad. A lady was leaving food for it and it would cross the road. Never should have fed it as this got it killed.

 

[CliffordK]

No bears around the neighborhood, as far as I know, although we do have some large cats including cougars, and bobcats, i think. And, of course, coyotes.

For the bears, just be careful with your trash, you don't want to train them to hang around your house.

I've seen, perhaps 3 bears on various camping trips (not counting driving in Yellowstone). Actually, all three were along the Illinois River in southern Oregon. Elsewhere, I've seen bear sign, but not bears.

One morning, I was say 6 miles from the trailhead, having pancakes for breakfast, and heard a bunch of rustling up on the trail. I thought it was too early for someone to have hiked in that far. Anyway, I finished breakfast, packed up my boat, and pushed off. The bear came down over the hillside, right across the middle of where my campsite was, and jumped in the river right in front of me, swam across the river, and headed up the other bank, essentially oblivious of my presence.

 

[sam5570]

I'm up in age and have spent alot of time in the woods, mountains, state and national parks but have never seen a bear in the wild. Yesterday, I was putting some stuff in my burn barrel, turned around and there was a 200 pound black bear looking at me. Both of us went the opposite direction. I live in a rather developed area, 36 hole golf course next door, housing development north and south, large dairy farm east. Makes me wonder where that bear came from?

mark

well don't know what part of virgina your in but here in southwest va we have them all around, had one laying in the neighbors yard a couple weeks ago. round about 1989 the game commission stocked the black bear here and ever sence they have created a problem for the farmers. a couple years ago they found about 13 that had been shot next to a farm close to us. june and july is there mating season so there on the prowl. I get at least one and some times as many as 4 on my trail cam every week. before they stocked them here I had never seen one here in all my years hunting these mountains.

 

[bullbreaker]

Here in sw/Fla we have a ton of bears . With humanoids so called progress and developement our wildlife is running out of places to live/hide.

Boone

Consider yourself fortunate you didn't end up like my friends X-wife

 

[Jstpssng]

This time of year they cross my property on the way to the blueberry fields out back. They don't bother, although I do keep my dog a little closer. The only time I worry is when a sow has cubs... but then I don't mess with a mother of ANY species.

 

[timster2]

Well my friend that lives a few miles away just sent this picture of a bear walking up his driveway tonight about 8:30 Another good reason to carry.

 

[Bird]

In our travels, we've actually seen bears in Canada, Alaska, and twice in Minnesota. Then when I was doing a gas leakage survey in Pennsylvania, the local newspaper ran a story about one being seen later in the evening in the same area I had worked that day, and another time when we had to cross a mountainous area and parked our vehicles in front of a country house, the homeowner told us to be careful because he's seen a bear there the day before.

 

[/pine]

lots of black bears around here...The ones you have to be extra careful around are those with cubs...

They are noble beasts...respect them...!

 

[deerseeker001]

i had 2 bears about month ago in my backyard,also the neighbor had seen 4 sighting they are looking for food.

 

[/pine]

Well my friend that lives a few miles away just sent this picture of a bear walking up his driveway tonight about 8:30 Another good reason to carry.
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Black Bears are hardly a reason "to carry" ...IMO...unless there is problematic one around or you get between one and their young they are no real danger...just respect them and enjoy the fact that you have seen a noble beast...

usually the squirrels will let you know when one is around (if you don't smell them first) awareness and intelligence trump firepower in most situations with (potentially harmful) casual wildlife..

 

[timster2]

Black Bears are hardly a reason "to carry" ...IMO...unless there is problematic one around or you get between one and their young they are no real danger...just respect them and enjoy the fact that you have seen a noble beast...

usually the squirrels will let you know when one is around (if you don't smell them first) awareness and intelligence trump firepower in most situations with (potentially harmful) casual wildlife..

True most of the time they will avoid you and go the other way. If you get between momma and the cubs that could be a problem. You can carry pepper spray as well or instead of a firearm. However, as I found out this week, there are other four legged animals that are far more dangerous than a black bear like a pack of pit bulls.