O
outsider
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- May 28, 2010
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Just be cognizant that bears are recently out of hibernation and they are looking for food anywhere. Don't think that black bears won't attack humans. Yes, the numbers are small but it does happen. Recently a woman was attacked in her garage in Florida and last year a girl was attacked in Michigan.
Last year at this time we had 6 different bears at our cabin in one afternoon, and one real problem bear tried her best to get in our front door. She was a lost soul with mange on her body and head. And her eyes were glazed over from scratching her head. When they have mange on 50 percent of their body or greater, they can lose their sense and sensibility.
When she leaned on the door, I was leaning on the door inside peering through the window. We were face to face for 5 or 10 seconds, and our eyes were about 8 or 10 inches apart, while my wife screamed "get the gun! get the gun!'. So I shot my shotgun out the front window, and she took off. But she came back 3 more times until I blocked the door from the outside with a heavy picnic table.
And last year some fisherman parked a pickup truck along Hammersley Creek and had a cooler in the bed of their truck which was covered. A bear ripped off the cover of and destroyed everything in the bed of their truck. Their trip was ruined.
We have constant problems with nuisance bears. And they are sooo silent, like ghosts in the woods. How many times I looked up and there was a bear within 10 ft of me. They hunt primarily by scent. And the worst situation is a sow with cubs. I experienced a charge by a sow, and it was unnerving.
So what can you do?
1) make noise, announce your presence
2) try not to have the scent of food on you; you won't get between them and food if they want it
3) do not alarm a sow with cubs
4) do not maintain eye contact (animals do not like this)
5) do not run when threatened
6) you can carry a spray bottle with ammonia to deter them or wasp spray that shoots a stream
7) They typically don't like loud noises. I carry a handgun to give a warning shot; they usually run
8) don't think a handgun will protect you from a charging bear unless you are Clint Eastwood.
Last year at this time we had 6 different bears at our cabin in one afternoon, and one real problem bear tried her best to get in our front door. She was a lost soul with mange on her body and head. And her eyes were glazed over from scratching her head. When they have mange on 50 percent of their body or greater, they can lose their sense and sensibility.
When she leaned on the door, I was leaning on the door inside peering through the window. We were face to face for 5 or 10 seconds, and our eyes were about 8 or 10 inches apart, while my wife screamed "get the gun! get the gun!'. So I shot my shotgun out the front window, and she took off. But she came back 3 more times until I blocked the door from the outside with a heavy picnic table.
And last year some fisherman parked a pickup truck along Hammersley Creek and had a cooler in the bed of their truck which was covered. A bear ripped off the cover of and destroyed everything in the bed of their truck. Their trip was ruined.
We have constant problems with nuisance bears. And they are sooo silent, like ghosts in the woods. How many times I looked up and there was a bear within 10 ft of me. They hunt primarily by scent. And the worst situation is a sow with cubs. I experienced a charge by a sow, and it was unnerving.
So what can you do?
1) make noise, announce your presence
2) try not to have the scent of food on you; you won't get between them and food if they want it
3) do not alarm a sow with cubs
4) do not maintain eye contact (animals do not like this)
5) do not run when threatened
6) you can carry a spray bottle with ammonia to deter them or wasp spray that shoots a stream
7) They typically don't like loud noises. I carry a handgun to give a warning shot; they usually run
8) don't think a handgun will protect you from a charging bear unless you are Clint Eastwood.
