Bear encounters

[DShock]

Dave,
My point was the worst case scenerio. A inexperienced hunter or one that's very nervous. Just watching a Bow Hunting TV Show makes me shake!
Experience has to be the key to taking care of business and maybe teamwork.
I am not a hunter but I have a lot of respect for them. I watched a moose hunting show and it took 3 days to haul the moose out. I still haven't figured out how the hunters got the moose out of the water.
Doug

[rainbowchaser]

Hey Maodiver If you need twenty-five rounds to hit a bear with scatter gun your eyes must be even worse than mine. If a charging Grizzly is within effective shotgun range you probably don't have five seconds anyway.

[tomf52]

MikieFinn - Don't live far from you up here in Hamlin PA area. Moved here from NW New Jersy where bears are about as common as stray dogs. Had about four bear encounters myself on the Big Flatbrook in Sussex County the year before we moved here. One was with cubs. That was a hair raising incident but got out of it ok. Instruction as given by NJ Fish & Game is to not run from bears. They supposedly will chase after you if you do. Instead walk backwards waving your arms and shouting as loud as you can. Bear spray has minimal effect for some reason on black bears, or so one source at least has said. Be alert and make a lot of noise if you see them in your area. Here in PA I carry one of those freon boat horns (a pocket size version) and a .357 as a last resort.

[PA Dave]

Dave,
My point was the worst case scenerio. A inexperienced hunter or one that's very nervous. Just watching a Bow Hunting TV Show makes me shake!
Experience has to be the key to taking care of business and maybe teamwork.
I am not a hunter but I have a lot of respect for them. I watched a moose hunting show and it took 3 days to haul the moose out. I still haven't figured out how the hunters got the moose out of the water.
Doug

Doug, I wasn't trying to be a wise guy, it just struck me funny! Your point is good (which is why my buddy hunts bears and I don't.)

[Grubb]

I can't Bear to read anymore of this...

Oh come on, it's early and I haven't finished my first cup of coffee yet, it sounded funny to me...

We have black bear here, moutain's on both side's of us. I'v seen a few when hicking or walking in to streams. Both mom's and cubs, and a pappa bear, I just chill out and let them go about there way. Never run, Any way, so far I'm still here.

[cea]

I've seen a lot of bears, both grizzlies and black bears. I saw two grizzlies over easter weekend - a photo of one is attached:
It never ceases to amaze me how stupid many people act when they are around bears. What is truly amazing is that we don't read about more attacks. If anything, the bears are incredibly tolerant of us. If you look at the http://www.udap.com testimonials, there is one from glacier park with a black bear that chased some kids under their vehicle. The testimonial was mine, as are the photos. I don't know what set that bear off, as we came across the event after the bear already started following these folks, but the bear spray worked well on that bear, which unfortunately was later destroyed. That is the only time I have seen a bear do more than grunt or stamp its paws at someone. Generally, they don't want to be around you at all - so in bear country make a lot of noise, the more obnoxious the better. My singing, and that of my wife and kid has worked well to clear the trail.
Also, I saw one previous poster indicated he would use a .380 as backup to a can of bear spray after an incident in Yellowstone. Others commented on using a firearm for bear protection. Firearms are illegal in Yellowstone, Glacier and other national parks, so that really isn't an option there anyway. Second, if you've seen a bear really move, you know you'd never get the chance to use your spray and then a gun. They are incredibly fast. Even when you have a gun, chances are you'll not be prepared to use it on the bear.
Bears are just plain incredible animals. My thoughts are that for anyone in bear country, the best thing for you and the bears is to make so much noise you don't see any bears, and if you do, just plain leave them alone.

[Coach]

CEA hit the nail on the head. I wrote earlier about black bears in PA as they are not a serious threat to humans unless you jump out of a tree onto their backs while they are feeding or something else just as stupid. In PA bears are bigger than most states ans bears have been weighed in that tip the scales over 800 lbs. but the average is about 200 lbs. of muscle. Statistically speaking, black bears do kill more people than grizzlies in other states and Canada so keep that in mind when hiking in other areas. And always remember they are not pets or teddy bears!

By the way, great picture of a grizzly CEA. My original post was to let people know (especially in southern PA) that the woods are not a dangerous place to go. I once heard a man telling his kids and grandchildren he would never venture out of his cabin in Tioga County without a firearm. He was telling his family at a large New Years Eve celebration in one of our local restaurants. The kids sat all wide eyed, the adults all nodded in agreement, and the other locals sitting around them just smiled and drove home to our houses in the woods and made it safely inside without our weapons.

That is Northern PA and I am sure there are parts of MT that have the same stories circulated, with a little help from those locals who prefer to have fewer visitors!

Good post CEA.

[Gramps]

There's a reason they call this place Big Bear. I pretty much pay no attention to someone telling me black bears aren't dangerous.

[salmonguy]

Hi Everyone,

With all seriousness aside, here's how to handle a bear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIlkWP_vICA

Alan (salmonguy)

[Gramps]

LOL. That had me rolling on the floor.