Hello Bear

Nice bear I snapped on the way to work Tuesday.

Bigger in person than he looks in the picture, which was pretty far away. I'd guess him at about 350 lbs. This is the sixth one I've seen since June. Sorry the pic is so far away, I had to shoot through the window before he ran off. Turns out, he just lumbered away slowly, so I have a picture of his big fat heine too.

This message was edited Jul 13, 2007 8:45 AM

Yikes, he is looking right at you.
We have a few bears here but we never see them, only tracks and scat, or a picture in the paper of a bird feeder raider. I like that they are around, but I also like that they keep to themselves. Much safer for us and the bears.

After seeing how they can rip off a car door, I'd be plenty scared to see one. Especially if it was close to my house.

Really neat picture tho!!

I am with you. We went to Yellowstone once and had a great time. We felt so safe in our little truck camper. We saw quite a few bears.
After, I saw the videos of what a bear can do. I am glad I saw that later as it would have spoiled the vacation. (of course getting eaten, due to ignorance, would have been a spoiler too)

Oh me .. Oh my... What a sight to se e but a scary one too. And form the pic it looks like a baby.

Wonde r if it lookign for Goldilock's house? LOL

Oh nothing to be afraid of starlight, I've seen them all over the place here and there and they usually run away. But he was no baby, this bear was 350lbs. if he was an ounce. Ran into a sow with cubs once and she woofed at me and popped her teeth a little, then ran. Black bears are not too frightening, but a grizzly would be a different story. Luckily, we don't have grizzlies or brown bears here. What we do have are wolves, though. They are getting quite bold around here.

I can't imagine what you guys are so excited about! This guy is about 25 feet from our house. Pic was taken through the dining room window!

I used to think that way too. Until I saw a video of one taking a car door off. I thought the black bears were pretty safe, just wanted to be left alone.
There was a man attacked about an hour from here. (eatting a sandwich, working on his car) Guess he smelled good. It was really bad.
I worry about curious cubs and my dog. Also in a tent blind with my hoard of food, and only a bow and arrow. I think I would just make him madder. LOL
I have a better healthy respect for the black bear now.

It is a great picture though. Thanks for sharing.
I will still keep my "bear attack spray" handy, while walking in the woods.
I don't mind being called a sissy.

I don't keep our patio doors open at night because bears have been known to walk into kitchens. I guess it all depends on what you are afraid of. Personally, I am much more afraid of the wolves around here, they are much more aggressive and unafraid. Once you see a pile of wolf pooh with fawn hooves in it, it sends a chill up your spine.

We don't have the wolves yet. They are in the upper peninsula and very upper MI. But I have seen what coyotes can do to a deer in just a few hours. It is something that you would never forget.
I once had 2 sib huskies come at me way back in the woods. I had to look twice, the way they were growling and snarling, and the size, I thought for a half second they were wolves. They were mighty mean. I was lucky to keep them away by talking angerly and waving my arms alot. (it was a really long walk to the house) The animal control later picked them up. And the owner was found.
I am not scared, just a healthy respect. After all, in the woods, you are in "their" house.

This message was edited Jul 24, 2007 4:55 PM

A couple of the posts make me believe that I led you to believe that I lack respect for the black bears - Nothing could be farther from the truth. With the increased activity we have experienced, I am filled with anxiety every time I work in the yard. The following just arrived by Email from our property owners association:

"Dear Property Owner:

The purpose of this e-mail is not to raise any emergency alarm. However, for the
past several weeks we have been experiencing problems with a number of resident
bears. Many have entered houses and the frequency of these incidents is increasing.

WPOA is working with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries on possible solutions which unfortunately may require the destruction of some of the bears who are demonstrated multiple offenders. These bear incidents have in the past been
seasonal; usually occurring between Mid-May and Mid -July, so perhaps some relief
can be expected from the natural change in habits by the bear.

The following is a list of precautions we have recommended to keep bears away from
and out of your house.

1. Take down and store bird feeders.
2. Put outdoor grills with food smells in an enclosed area (garage)
3. Insure that all first floor doors and windows are closed (screens don't even
slow them down)
4. Take garbage to compactors as opposed to storing it outside your home.
5. Make sure the door of the compactor is securely shut when you use it.
6. Don't hesitate to call the Police Department (911) if you have any problems.

Again, this message is not intended to overly raise an alarm (no aggressive behavior
has been observed), but rather to assist you in enjoying your house at the resort."

I have pepper spray and some weapons I won't mention. Probably the most contributing factor to all this is the people that put out "food." They call it bird food and deer food but, it attracts the bears.

I think bears are a beautiful creature. Maybe I just watched to many National Geographic programs, but they are in their way a magestic beast, but don't think I woudl like to come face to face with one.

I love the woods and hiking and camping and I know I have gotten more cautious about where i hike and what I do . I don't know if they even have bears down here, but comign from the north orginally know that they can be anywheres.

Think I would definately be more afraid of a wolf than a bear. With bears at least ther e things ya can do to protect yourself and try adn prevent an attack, but always was told a hungry wolf will attack anythign and anybody .

I'd be far more frightened of a bear - there's numerous documented cases of people being attacked by bears, but, as far as I'm aware, not a single one ever, anywhere, of wolves attacking people intentionally. All cases of "wolf" attack that have been investigated have turned out to be wolf-domestic dog crossbreeds, which don't have a wolf's natural fear/respect of man. Wolves do of course attack livestock on occasion, but even that is fairly rare; far more cattle and sheep are killed by uncontrolled dogs, than by wolves (even taking predator population size into account).

Worth looking into Native American views of wolves, they are far more accurate than the old European myths most of us tend to believe.

Resin

Really interesting thread and lots of good information. I really like the bears too. I am an avid hunter, but do not hunt bears. There are not too many around this area for hunting. (even though it is legal to do so)
I think if they started to wander in the house, I would have to reconsider this notion.

I agree. I never would have thought about carrying pepper spray into the woods with me, but think I will ad d it to my list of things to carry. Very intersting.

The spray is alledgedly very effective but, let me suggest that you need the heavy duty spray designed for bear defense. Dispensed upwind, it forms a cloud that repels the bear. Hopefully, you will never get close enough to a bear to use the product available at the checkout counters for human attackers! A good example of the bear spray can be found at the following:

http://www.mountaingear.com/pages/product/product.asp/imanf/UDAP/idesc/Magnum+Bear+Spray+%26+Hip+Holster+%2D+9%2E2+ounces/Store/MG/item/395113/N/0

Here is the picture of our bear. I think it is the same bear that came in the yard twice while I was outside working. The first time I saw it just after I went in the house. The second time it was at the birdfeeder and the dog chased it off. I called the dog off and was scared to death. I never knew it was there until the dog went growling after it.. This is a full grown bear. The picture doesn't do it justice but was taken thru the livingroom window. Which felt so much safer then being outside!

Did anybody happen to catch Good Morning America thsi morning. They had this woman on that calls herself the Bear Whisperer. She goes around using a vegatable paint ball gun and one that uses blanks that makes loud noises and goes aroudn yelling and talking too to the bears to get them to go back into the woods and stay away from areas folks don't want them in.

Saw where she was gettign them to go away, but wonder if they ever came back.

They was saying on trv how with the drought and wildfires that the bears really gettign to be a problem cuz they have lost their habitat and now looking for alternative food sources.

That would have been something to see. Seems like it might work. But, I don't know, you have to have a bear's brain to figure that one out.

After catching up on everything I am so glad there are no bears or wolves in Nichols!!!

Bear hollerer, that's a good one! Wait till she meets a bear that doesn't scare.

Yes, I think about all those bear experts that get eaten after a few years. You cannot predict their behavior, besides, it may make them mad to get hit with a paintball. I wouldn't want one ticked off at me.

OMG, a friend just sent this to me:

http://officespam.chattablogs.com/archives/051310.html

Me either. I'll keep admiring them from the zoo.

There is a big difference in how one would deal with a grizzly bear versus a black bear. I've only heard of a "bear expert" being eaten by a grizzly, not a black bear.

The black bears will usually mosey off on their own to get away from humans, and if not, we raised to make ourselves look as big as possible, and make a lot of noise, throwing rocks at them if necessary. This has always worked for us on camping trips and when we lived in the Sierras. The jet stream nozzle on the garden hose has worked too. It hurts when it hits.

http://www.humboldtredwoods.org/images/bearbrochure2000.pdf

Of course, we didn't leave any food outside around the house to attract them in either. The household garbage stayed in the garage until shortly before pickup.

Interesting article, gm! I like the line, "People who pick up cubs without authorization will be cited." Yeah, or worse! The redwoods are wonderful--such an ancient, peaceful place.

Thanks KyWoods.

I especially like the green box in headline font that says "People have a responsibility to the wildlife whose habitat they are sharing."

This article about the cat chasing the bear up a tree may have been posted before, but I thought I'd include it here:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/06/060613-cat-bear.html

LOL, yep, that's what I was thinkin'--I'll bet a lot more people would comply if the sign said that!

It's what I'd always understood - that most of the time, Black Bears will run away, but make the slightest hint of interfering with a cub, and its mother will make sure you get a Darwin Award

Resin, that would be true of any mother coming to the defense of her child.


Sometimes the cubs wander farther away from their mothers than expected, and humans don't always wait for mom to show up. We've had a few incidences where passing motorists have picked up an "orphaned" cub and taken it to a shelter.
Another issue we have is with some ignorant "macho" types who steal baby wildlife to keep as a pet to enhance their "image". The poor animals inevitable grow up to be more than their captors can handle and are inevitably killed.

That so sad. I sure the wildlife would miss its baby as much as we would one of our own children.

It's cruel to take an animal baby from it's mother. They are stressed trying to find it. Their instinct is to protect it at all costs.

This is an interesting thread. I have had some visits from a few bears. My fruit trees are nearly ripe & they consider them their's. I have a Pluot tree that is almost ripe, they do not care if they are ripe or almost ripe or even a little green, they break down the branches to get to them. I also have pear & apple trees but those are a bit later. I have finally put a fence around my Pluot to keep them from destroying it. I cut all the low hanging braches.
I know that the fence is not much of a deterrant, but my shotgun with salt in it may be. I have bells attached to all 4 sides of the fence & sleep with my windows open so I can hear if & when they are breaching my fence.
So far they have left it alone, maybe the bells are annoying to them. I know they have been in the yard, they have left me "signs" they were there!
Plus all the dogs bark when they start coming in.
These bears are not afraid of dogs or people. I have seen one several times & my dog was viciously barking (from behind a fence) about 20' from the bear. Didn't bug the bear! I yelled at it & wiggled my high powered flashlight at it & it only picked up it's pace a bit.
There has been a couple up near my house, my yard dog is older & doesn't always hear the stuff that goes on below our house. We live on 4 acers in the woods & have all sorts of critter visits. She has been a good guard dog, only barking @ the serious stuff. Bears, cougars, coyotes & an occasional stray dog. She is not as alert as she once was, & misses some "goings-ons" once in awhile. She did chase one from near our house a few weeks ago, tho "chase" might not be the word, she ran at it barking like she was going to eat it, the bear calmly turned around & walked off in the direction in which it came. I could hear it but not see it. (too many trees)
I'd love to get close enough to get a pic of these tree robbers, but I'm not stupid nor very brave when it comes to bears!
They are being very destructive in our area right now, Raiding peoples bee hives, fruit trees, garbage cans, campgrounds & even a garden shed now & then, I guess they'll eat fertilizer!
Tis the season!
Bj

I think I would be worrie d that if they couldnt get at your fruit trees that they might try to get into your house.

been sittign her e tryign to think of that old time tv show that had the man and the bear. Love d that show. Think that what got folsk thinking they coudl approach them.

Are you thinking of the TV show "Grizzly Adams"?