Bears

[J55tyger88]

So whats protocol for encountering mountain lions here in pa? Singing or not, play dead or not, get a sams club sized bag of catnip?

 

[bikerfish]

J55tyger88 wrote:
So whats protocol for encountering mountain lions here in pa? Singing or not, play dead or not, get a sams club sized bag of catnip?

they like to be scratched under the chin.

 

[sandfly]

this;

 

[FarmerDave]

pcray1231 wrote:
There's a lot of old wives tales about bears. While food does attract them, and you don't want one in your camp, it's extremely rare to be attacked in such a situation. Likewise, we always talk about a mother and cub, and not wanting to get between them. But attacks are extremely rare in that situation too.

By extremely rare, ALL bear attacks are extremely rare, but the above types are rare even among bear attacks.

Most bear attacks are lone, large males, and predatory. They aren't curious or protective. They weren't caught off guard. They simply want to eat you. Such a situation is indeed rare, but it's how most bear attacks happen. Being aggressive towards them startles them, and that's GOOD. Prey animals try to run away. Doing so reinforces that you are prey. Other predators challenge them, and most of the time they decide it's not worth the effort. Sure, they'd win. But they might take an injury or two in the process.

That's why they tell you to get big and loud like krayfish did. I don't walk through the woods singing, and if I see a bear I don't shout at it. I'm just not that fearful of them. But if one knows I am there and is still approaching, yes, I hope I have the presence of mind to act aggressive as well.

A bear who clearly sees you yet still approaches slowly. That isn't curiosity. It's thinking about whether you are food or danger, and hasn't made up it's mind yet. When it does, you will quickly find out what it decided, as it will either make tracks towards or away from you.

Well said Pat, including the part about cubs. Those attacks are not common either, but IMO circumstance can increase or decrease the odds. If you come across a bear family in the big woods, chances quite remote that there will be a confrontation. When threatened, the mother bear's natural instinct is to send the cubs up a tree and then scram. Not real far though, so I wouldn't try climbing the tree after the cubs. Leave them alone and everything will be fine.

But what if you stumble into a bear family where there is no escape route like in a corn field, or inside your garage like the lady in Florida? If those bears wanted to eat her, she would be dead.

And then there is the human fed factor that causes most unpredictability. Like most animals, the lose their natural fear of humans the more contact they have with them.

 

[k-bob]

"black bears — the most common bears in North America — have killed only 63 people in the United States and Canada over the last 109 years.

... the black bears most likely to kill are not mothers protecting cubs. Most attacks, 88 percent, involved a bear on the prowl, likely hunting for food."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/science/11bears.html?_r=0

 

[foxfire]

Agree with InCahoots 100%. "Stray" dogs terrify me! Oh, yeah, Racoons as well. I've come across some nasty ones, especially while walking in, pre sunrise. Thats's why I pack. Bears are ransacking the Laurel Highlands this spring - attacking dogs, tearing into garbage, etc. They seem to be everywhere. No fear though from me.

 

[Chaz]

Most bear attacks are on stupid people, they are either carrying food or smell like food they've eaten, black bears are curious and will approach people to see what's up. If they think food is there they will investigate it.
I don't make a habit of carrying food in the woods and when I see a bear I give it a wide berth. Every time I've been in the woods with a bear nearby the bear has been the one to run, but I am very careful not to stay around.

 

[JasonS]

Also, be careful out there with your lady friend if its her time of the month. Pretty sure that's what did in grizzly man.

 

[Night_Stalker]

Everybody knows you can get car insurance in 15-minutes...but did you know bear really love them some strawberry quick!

 

[BrookieChaser]

Timothy Treadwell was a dumbass, plain and simple. He didn't learn the cardinal rule of "don't screw with nature". He got exactly what he was asking for.

By the way, it was said he was killed by a roaming boar.

This reminds me of the girl in my animal welfare class in college that tried to argue she could speak to animals. I told her, during class discussion, if she chose that path the only mystery to her life would be what animal's scat she ends up in.

outsider wrote:

However, I do believe bad encounters with bears will increase, due to human behavior and our encroachment on their environment, along with an increasing bear population.

Do you state the obvious much?
Look at deer/human conflicts (mainly deer damage (car and property)) in and around urban areas. Of course encounters with bears are going to increase as urban sprawl creeps into THEIR habitat. With increased contact comes increased bad contact.

More people are killed by black bears because more people live in the black bear's habitat therefore coming in contact way more frequently with black bears.

I've dealt with many bears. They all are way more scared of me than I ever will be of them. I respect them. Most notably, when fishing, was one day over 10 years ago on Clarks. The bear came down and wallowed in the pool I was fishing. It saw me, got up, and walked away.

 

[krayfish]

Tyger shouldn't have a care in the world. He's a big man and could probably whoop a bear's azz. On the other hand, I'd just be an appetizer for a bear.

Jason also made a good point and that's done in many more men tan a grizzly. :-D

 

[J55tyger88]

Id give a bear a run for his money.

 

[wildtrout2]

I look forward to seeing bears each year while fishing. EVERY time I've encountered one, he/she ran the other way without hesitation. You prolly have as good a chance of being struck by lightning as being attacked/killed by a black bear in Pa.

 

[salmonoid]

wildtrout2 wrote:
I look forward to seeing bears each year while fishing. EVERY time I've encountered one, he/she ran the other way without hesitation. You prolly have as good a chance of being struck by lightning as being attacked/killed by a black bear in Pa.

I wonder how many bears are killed by lightning each year. Or by snake bites.

 

[Festus]

What Chaz said.

Living in Tioga/Potter, and spending as much time in the woods as I do, and with the recent explosion in the bear population numbers, I have had quite a number of run ins with bears. All but one resulted in the bear hauling tail in the opposite direction. Except for one. That one decided to join me in my climbing treestand. I beaned him in the noggin with my steel thermos when he put one paw on the platform. He retreated, but carried off my thermos. Scared the heck outta me. Went back two days later to get my stand, and he had it torn to shreds.

BTW.....500 pound sows are a figment of the imagination. Sows just don't get that big and seldom exceed 300 pounds.

 

[J55tyger88]

Dang man you zipped your thermos at that bear? Thats funny picturing seeing the whole thing go down. You were in your stand so im assuming you were armed...did you get close to drawing on that bear?

 

[pro4mance]

Festus, I think you may have run into my Mother In Law, nasty big sow

 

[pcray1231]

The part about carrying food probably makes you more likely to encounter a hungry bear, but probably not more likely to be attacked. Again, bear attacks are extremely rare, but most are bears wanting to eat YOU, not the food you carry.

I like seeing bears. And they typically act like other animals, which are scared of me.

The most dangerous animal in the woods is certainly the tick. And skeeters, bees, spiders, skunks, and coons all rank above bears and snakes. But I'll give all of the above the respect they deserve if they threaten.

 

[outsider]

Festus:

Why do you (or anyone) think the bear trashed your tree stand? I'm certainly not doubting that it did occur, but it makes me wonder why the bear did it. Pissed off because he couldn't open your thermos and decided to retaliate (ha ha)?

Didn't hear about this one:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/pennsylvania-teen-survives-scary-bear-attack-article-1.1545298

 

[Festus]

That bear circled me all the way out to my pickup, which was a half mile away. Twice he charged me, coming within 20 yards. Twice I had my 48 pound stickbow ready to draw, but he stopped, puffed up his chest and started popping his teeth, then retreated back into thick laurel.

That SOB had me pretty shook up.