People make this big stink about black bears. We did a drive up near cluvers lake an on the last drive the guys kicked up a black bear an that bear so happened to come within 7 yards of one of the guys posted on the top of the ridge.
The guy tim said once he closed in the bear looked right at him curled his lip rolled his ears back an bolted like a bat outta hell threw the briers. They said it looked like a dozer plowed threw the briers. So I guess that goes to show that they fear us as much as we fear them.
I myself have never seen a bear in jersey but have herd stories of them being nasty buggers with no fear in humans.. So I'm guessing for the most part its all hype
Other than when they have cubs..
Just wanted to share my fun filled weekend!
I have been hunting bears myself and since before i was leagal to hunt with my Dad. I have never once in all the hundreds and hundreds of times that I have seen bears felt like a black bear was going to hurt me.
"Grizz" That is a little different story.
There was a show an episode of Monsterquest that specifically referred to Black Bear's in NJ.
They even had a guy with a recurve in his back yard showing just how close the bears actually were and how unafraid they were. He got within 20 yards of them with the camera crew and they didn't move.
The show wasn't about their being violent, it was the fact that they were so close to houses trying to find food.
There was a similar Monsterquest episode on domestic pythons in Florida and feral dog populations in Detroit.
Interesting stuff.
Wolfie that sounds like a great weekendand thanks for sharing! For the most part i couldn't agree with you more, they tend to be big babies that want nothing to do with us. When things go bad more often than not it is peoples fault, i.e feeding them or not giving them the proper space.
At the height of our bear problem i was seeing more bear than deer while bow hunting and only ever had one problem. I was pulling a stand in the middle of August and found a bunch of clawed trees and chose to ignore the territorial warning. Well the big male caught me in his space and bluff charged me twice till he was 6 or 8 ft away popping his teeth and huffing at me, instinctively i held my ground and yelled back. After a while he stopped and sat there and i slowly left. Luckily i was able to go home unscathed and a little wiser. Like you said they get a bit of a bum rap and they can be nasty but it tends to be when they aren't given the proper respect.
Look at this video from Biggie Hoffman. This is a big bear that is standing his ground. I think this was in canada.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=000083
Yeah like I said I've never had an encounter always the fear from hearing all the bad horra stories about people gettin their butts ripped up.
I pretty surprised I haven't seen any cause I do a lot of backpacking up in that same area.
A few years ago when I lived in Jersey. I was a group of tradgangers doing Our NJ Winter Bow hunt/get together. The last drive we did was on Cardiac Hill, I did a walk down along the delaware just incase the deer ran down that way.
All most to where everyone else was, I got this feeling I wasn't alone, then I got a wiff. If you have ever smelt a bear before You know what I mean. Then I started to hear the popping sound. I looked over the ridge I was walking on and down by the river was a Big Black Bear.
The bear was walking the trail I walked and even looked up at me. He didn't have any fear I was just lucky He didn't get in range sooner when I was walking thu the thick stuff.
Sometimes Bears will run, other times they just want to Hurt/eat someone/something. Your friend was lucky.
Yeah everything I hear is mixed opinions.. Who knows?? But the poor guy got an adrenaline rush of a life time an said it was an awesome experience
I work with black bears(at times). Literally, I have been feet away from them. They are really impressive animals IMO.
They are highly intelligent. I have seen a sow drag a log out of the woods and ground out an electric fence guarding dumpsters.
To say that they arent a threat, well I think thats a generalization. Most arent, and most will run away. Thats what you want. You dont want them to have no fear of humans, or associate humans with food, or come between a mother and cub.
They all have to capability to wreck you if they so choose. That is not something to be taken lightly. I cant remember if it was a show I watched or information I got through work, but it said something to the effect of "a high percentage of black bear attacks are predatory in nature. Whereas most grizzly attacks are due to surprise or defense." You play dead with a grizz, chances are you may live. You play dead with a blackie, and you wont. I seem to recall that black bears kill more people than grizzlies, on average. Im gonna try to dig up that info.
Not meant in any way to offend or discredit. Its great you have them around, but there are precautions and knowledge you should be aware of.
Anyone interested can google "Fatal Bear attacks of the 2000's". Edited to add this, as it shows a decent comparison.
Most that I've encountered on the east coast have been moving in the opposite direction with the swiftness of the proverbial scalded cat.
I've only encountered one - in the Catskills - all 450lbs + of him at about 20 yards - that knew I was there and showed no fear. This was in the spring during a turkey hunt. Thankfully, he just looked at me and went on about his slow merry way doing whatever was on his mind at the time. I was armed with a turkey gun, but my confidence wasn't too high at the time, given his rather large body. Amazing how little a really large bear's ears look on that big head (I didn't really think about that until he was going the OTHER way!)
I'll tell ya what if that were me in Tims shoes I woulda wanted to shoot that sucker. 7 yards is too close for my comfort.
Try seven feet...lol. Sometimes they dont pay me enough. My closest encounter was with a 350 lb(give or take) male with a really nice white blaze on his chest. He wanted food in the cooler, the campers wanted him out of their campsite. He took some convincing...I almost needed a fresh uniform.
I have seen some really large bears too....thankfully, they were at a reasonable distance...LOL.
So far I haven't been spooked by black bears but like ishiwannabe said they have capability of messing you up that alone deserves respect. You never know witch one might be having a bad day.
Olin
Those that want to experience black bears need to spend a hunting season in South East Utah mountain ranges.....
I hate them, I hate them, I hate them....
I hate them,
Todd
Hike around in Eastern or Western Washington woods and there are bears around. I love them, I think it would be a sad world without them. I have never had a bear stand up to me or act agressive. They are hunted actively here in spring and fall so they stay away from humans.
Make no mistake, any bear can rip you to pieces, and it is simple fact that black bears attack, kill, and eat more people than brown bears and grizzlies. It is also fact that these black bears are normally in areas where they are not hunted and tend to relate humans to food.
I hunt without fear while in bear country. I pay attention, walk slowly and quietly, and stay well away from sows with cubs. I also always carry a bear tag in season. That way no bad, no foul if there ever is a problem and I have to put one on the ground for good. I always carry enough firepower to finish the job on a large black bear. We can carry modern handguns during archery season here so I have a back up just in case.
QuoteOriginally posted by just_a_hunter:
Those that want to experience black bears need to spend a hunting season in South East Utah mountain ranges.....
I hate them, I hate them, I hate them....
I hate them,
Todd
I get the feeling you aren't partial to them... ;) Why? All black bears or just the ones where you hunt?
The fact is that Black Bears kill more humans than all the other species combined. Is this due to the fact that more people get too close to more black bears? Who knows but black bears can be and are dangerous.
I've bowhunted black bears many times and have only been worried once. In British Columbia and once in North Carolina while on a spot n stalk bear hunt I did have a rifle backup with the guide. We got 8 step close and "you just never know" how that bear will react.
BC with a rifle backup.
(http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m123/JDS3_2006/Animals%20-%20Wildlife/InternetExplorerWallpaper.jpg)
My only close call happened in Alberta hunting over bait. The bear came in and stopped before the barrel; looked up at me and then walked under my tree and climbed up... The bear climbed to within a couple feet of the stand. For whatever reason the bear just looked at me for a minute then climbed down and went to the barrel.
I was a bit "concerned"... LOL
John III
NOT an expert, but I have been a few feet away from a couple.
The information I like to carry with me up front is the show I saw once about black bears. They touched on the myth that all black bears are pretty "safe". They then went on to describe three different black bear encounters where people were either killed. killed and eaten or stalked. Two of the bears were what would be called alpha bears. They were big, boss bears. The third was starved and attacked out of delerium and despiration.
They will let you know what their intentions are. Usually.
Joshua, taking nothing for granted concerning bears.
QuoteOriginally posted by knife river:
QuoteOriginally posted by just_a_hunter:
Those that want to experience black bears need to spend a hunting season in South East Utah mountain ranges.....
I hate them, I hate them, I hate them....
I hate them,
Todd
I get the feeling you aren't partial to them... ;) Why? All black bears or just the ones where you hunt? [/b]
I really don't hate them. I don't mind a few, but where I hunt in Utah, they are more aggressive then they ought to be. These ones have constant exposure to humans and they loose their fear.
I've killed one in self defence in 2005, and been chased by several since. I even hit one with a rock in the rib cage this year. Me and fellow TG'r ksbowman got full blown charged by a huge boar this year.
Where I hunt, they are no joke... Come to think of it, I do hate them. I too though would hate to see them not around...
Todd
Well I have numerous encounter with bears. Trust me in this they are unpredictable...that's the best way to describe them I think.
case in point:
A rouge black bear in Liard hotsprings.
I think this is a pretty dramatic account of it.
http://www.readersdigest.ca/mag/1999/04/drama_01.html
having said that I can't say as I have had anything life threatening with black bears. If they put their ears back and start to circle you your now FOOD.
I have been charged by grizz though and that can be exciting.
jerbear
Oh yea! Black Bears can be very unpredictable , last one I shot with a bow took a snuffer through the boiler room , climbed a tree decided he was pissed off climbed down went up my buddys tree and tryed to attack him lucky he had a rifle and shot him point blank in the face , I had another arrow on my string but had no shot as bear came back . very real // never take a Black Bear lightly if they are in a bad mood even small ones are dangerous!
blackbears generally shy away from humans as they are not usually on the menu.most black bear attacks on humans is caused by one of four variables:
1-young inexperienced bear
2-old bear that is starving because it cannot catch its normal prey any longer.
3-sow with cubs
4-the human runs for it when confronted by a bear and triggers the kill instinct.
i know these things because i stayed at a holliday inn express last night. :D :D :readit:
s@w 500 = the bear shoulda ran.any bear gets rowdy on me its game on man.i was actually chased by a blackie when i was a kid,my brother and i had to walk a mile up hwy 101 on the oregon coast every day to feed calves for a farmer (first paying job ever) coming home one morning we surprised a bear eating blackberries on the other side of a barbed wire fence next to the road.the bear ran about 50 yds then turns and stands up popping its jaws.i told my brother not to move.i turn to start walking off and my brother was gone runnin like hell towards home which is about two hundred yds away.i looked towards the bear and he's running towards me,i passed my brother before we got home.his running triggered the kill instinct in the bear and i was the bait.quit the job the same day.scared the you know what outta me.
I dunno.....I think the statistics are splayed by the park bears or others who have been habituated to human activity.
What constitutes being "chased" by a bear? I've had a few charge me huffing and popping their teeth but they always pull up short. And I've had some follow me a ways but never get closer than 40 yards or so. Had a few climb the tree I was in but they were more curious than dangerous.
I'm not disputing anything any of you guys have said but we have a natural intimidation factor when it comes to bears and other things that go bump in the night. UNless you've jumped into a truck or killed the bear after he took a nip at you, how does a "bear chase" end? Cause if he wanted to get you, you ain't gonna outrun him.
Well, I've never been threatened by a whitetail deer either, but that doesn't mean people haven't been attacked by them. I wouldn't say it's all just "hype". There are always exceptions to the rules. Yeah, 99 times out of a hundred the bear will flee from human scent.
I'm oh so glad I haven't experienced any of that stuff. I would some day like to have an encounter with one when I'm ready with a camera while hiking and of course down wind.
To have one climb the tree I'm hunting outta bear season or not I think that the case woulda been. bear down bear down. That's a little much.
The only reason I say while hiking is cause that's when I carry my good camera with the ridiculous zoom. I could almost use it as a spotting scope. The one I use for hunting is only good for close ups.
QuoteOriginally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
I dunno.....I think the statistics are splayed by the park bears or others who have been habituated to human activity.
What constitutes being "chased" by a bear? I've had a few charge me huffing and popping their teeth but they always pull up short. And I've had some follow me a ways but never get closer than 40 yards or so. Had a few climb the tree I was in but they were more curious than dangerous.
I'm not disputing anything any of you guys have said but we have a natural intimidation factor when it comes to bears and other things that go bump in the night. UNless you've jumped into a truck or killed the bear after he took a nip at you, how does a "bear chase" end? Cause if he wanted to get you, you ain't gonna outrun him.
I didn't want to get into details about the one I killed in self defence on this website so I won't. What I did do was shoot a bear right in the tip of the nose at 4 yards with a .54 cal flintlock that was still aggressivly walking toward me. I guess you couldn't really call that a chase. It's documented with the Utah Division of Wildlife.
The bear that "mock" charged me and Ben Saye (ksbowman) this year started at 250 to 300 yards away and didn't stop until 30 to 40 yards, and I honestly believe with everything I have that the only reason that SOB stopped is because there were three of us and only one of him. There was evil in his eyes as he barreled down that hill. There were no cubs, His 'boys' were the size of grapfruits! We did not startle him. That sucker sat up on that knowl and watched us walk down that two track and when our backs where to him he came. Course you couldn't really call this a chase either I suppose...
I've been "chased" numerouse times by the concerned momma bear, including one that followed me out for two canyons. Course that wasn't a chase either... It took a pissed off dog and a few rocks thrown at her too before she left.
I've had them popping and snapping and flicking there tounge at me more times then I care to talk about.
A young bear this year "followed" me and my dog for a while before I pelted it in the ribs with a sizable rock at just a few yards. This wasn't a chase either I suppose..
98% of the bears I have seen have tuck tailed the other direction just as fast as they could..
I've never been nipped at and I'm gonna try my hardest to keep it that way.
I totally respect your view on them though. You only have your experiences to base your oppinion about them. Just like I only have mine.
I hate them, I hate them, I hate them...
Beautiful suckers for sure though... Can't wait till I draw my tag...
I still hate them,
Todd
Where I'm from in WV most of the bears fear humans and will turn tail and go the other way. I've had a number of sows with cubs come by me while spring gobbler hunting and I usually just holler before they get too close and they head the other way. I have seen a lot of dogs get torn up and killed while hunting them because they decided they didn't want to run any more and they weren't going up a tree. I good friend of mine got mauled pretty bad a few years back because he jumped in to save his dog during the training season and didn't have a weapon. I think most of the problem bears are in parks, camp grounds, and area's where they aren't hunted and have lost fear of humans and have actually learned that we are a source of food; whether it's our trash, food in our cooler, or us. I think its best to be cautious around all bears, but be extremely cautious around the ones that don't associate humans with danger.
Ken
Guys who make those sorts of assumptions about wild animals usually end up in headlines somewhere
every one is unique and will react differently
if it's an old bear with worn down teeth looking for an easy meal you might come up on the short end of the stick and that's just ONE scenario
QuoteOriginally posted by just_a_hunter:
I've never been nipped at and I'm gonna try my hardest to keep it that way.
Todd [/QB]
Now there's a good plan!
Quote...There was evil in his eyes as he barreled down that hill. There were no cubs, His 'boys' were the size of grapfruits! We did not startle him. That sucker sat up on that knowl and watched us walk down that two track and when our backs where to him he came. ...
Todd [/QB]
Exactly. Some bears live in an area without much human activity, are dominate enough and big enough they won't/don't like intrusions and will attack you for that alone. I agree a lot of atttacks are by bears that are conditioned and/or by humans doing stupid things.
Its the bear like Todd encountered or described on the show I saw that I worry about. They do not give up easily. I don't go in fear, but with awareness.
Joshua
when i see one and he sees me he is gone like the wind.
Right until they smell that slim jim or snickers ya got in your pack. Then its ball game
Or should I have said game over
the bear that was after us was coming fast and i wasnt sticking around to find out if it was a bluff or i looked like a lunchable.i was puttin my sneekers to good use and pronto i tell ya...i think what really saved my bacon was that six strand barbed wire fence,he most likely couldnt get through it to easily and gave up.
the bears in the eagle caps have no fear of man.they rarely see people and just arent scared of you.we had a small chocolate phase walk right into camp in broad daylight with people sitting there talking.starts gettin all puffed up trying to scare us off so he could raid camp.couple of 45 slugs changed his mind.
From 1960 to 1980,black bears injured more than 500 people.Only 35 were serious injuries and there were 23 deaths.There are supposed to be 10 times more black bears than grizzlies.
Unlike grizzlies,90 % of the black bear caused deaths involved predation.That is why they tell you not to play dead.The bear isn't trying to stop a threat,it intends to eat.One of the deaths involved a mother and cubs.
Evidently most of the injuries caused by black bears in parks result in minor injuries,in contrast to grizzlies where 50% of their attacks result in serious injuries.
Of 20 black bear caused deaths that were studied,50% were under the age of 18.Half those were younger than 10.There were 9 adult males killed.
The large incident of black bear injuries has to do with a much greater amount of human/black encounters than with other bears.
Black bears are as individual in personality as humans.Some are afraid of there own shadows and some are just not nice and all have varying moods.I've heard enough stories to be convinced that there are a few areas where black bears tend to be more agressive.
I like black bears and find them fascinating.I don't ever expect to have a life threatening encounter but understand that they are capable and it does sometimes happen,so treat them with respect and try to always have a plan.
The only time I have ever had one come toward me was when I was in a treestand in Saskatchewan watching a 180 # boar work the bait.I got bored and was fidgeting in my pocket and when I looked up,he was riveted on me.
He marched straight over to the tree and started up the wooden ladder.The normal response is to stamp your feet on the platform but that didn't work.He came on up the ladder.I really didn't want to poke him with the recurve as one quick bite could have put that out of commission.
The only other thing I had was the hickory arrow in my hand and when he reached the platform,I smacked it across his snout.He just scrambled back down the ladder and resumed working the bait and was still there when it got dark and I climbed down and left.
I have no idea whether he was just curious or mildly touched in the head.They are all different.I really didn't want to punch my tag with that bear,so early in the hunt but if it had been in Montana I probably would have done things differently.
I expect that in most areas,the overwhelming number of encounters with black bears will end with the bear high-tailing it but that is no reason to be complacent.It pays to be aware of your surroundings and have a plan.
Don't forget the fact that far more people get mauled/et by blacks than grizzlies & browns...
I've killed one big black boar, seen a few others up close, & don't trust them any more than I would a pit bull I encountered loose on the street. For sure you'll never hear me refering to them as big babies...
On canoe trips to the BWCA and in Canada we run into them every year. Only once did one come into camp and sniff the tent, someone left cherry rolaids in the tent pouch. The danger of black bear sows with cubs is overrated. I know of a researcher that handles cubs all the time with mama looking on and has never had one try to attack. When you meet up with a black bear and it puts on his show of popping and snarling, it is just telling you it is scared and wants some space. The rare bear that stalks like a cat is the one to watch for. With the hundreds of thousands of bear human interaction in the boundary waters over the years there was only one time when a sick bear got overly aggressive with a father and son. One year when the blueberry crops failed, we had four bear incidences in one day. I cannot say that with any of them were we really in any danger, our food pack was in danger however, but we blocked them from getting to it. One big old fat male let out a howl that made the canoe vibrate as we pulled up to a landing. The party behind did the fastest back up in a canoe that I have ever see. Even after we chased the bear away they refused to enter the narrows that led to the landing. Most people never see the bears that they walk past. If you want to see bears on a canoe trip, you need to to keep your nose into the wind and move very slow and quiet just to get a glimpse of them leaving most of the time. There are problem bears that learn how to raid campsites, that is what the fall bow season is for, if they survive until the bow season.
i have had literally hundreds of runins with Black bears - only once did I think I was in trouble - I was not paying attention trying to slip up on deer in the edge of a cornfield. Slipping down the edge of the field I got within yards of a 250 range bear sitting like a dog looking at me popping his jaws, ears laid back. NOT COOL!
I am no expert by ny stretch of the imagination - would love to see a grizzly in the wild but they say a black bear is more of a predatory attack meaning to eat you, while a grizzly the majority of the time is just a whoop the snot outta ya cause ya spooked me attack. Either way your gonna get killed.
Most black bears I have run off easily, as soon as they saw me.
J
I've had them with in five feet of me here in CT. I've heard one's that are around people get a bit jumpy but I've had no issues.