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Black bears that appear threatening
- Thread starter Philtrum
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Must be a long spring! A bear thread! Yahoo, haven't had one for a while! I have had many, many encounters with bears. There seems to be two schools of thought - be afraid of the bears and give up your spot, or be aggressive to the bears and make them aware that humans are not hot dog dispensing machines. Indeed, humans are something to be afraid of.....I'm in the latter category, and if a bear is overly friendly and invades my space, I will discourage him with whatever tools be at hand, ranging from bicycle pumps, to 30-06's to big fat white cats.
C'mon uncle Rob, tell us that story of the cat you threw at the bear in your backyard again. That was the greatest Bear story EVER!
A small percentage of black bears are predatory on humans. You don't know what order they come in. Do not take any encounters with bears lightly.
My neighbor was charged last spring while working on a house up at Lake Tahoe. He is a serious hunter and considered the bear's behavior to be predatory. It was underweight and beat up looking. It hung around the work site for 25 minutes sizing up the crew. Without warning he lowered his head and charged. My friend made it to the safety of his truck and a pistol with 30 feet to spare. He left the bear unharmed but called in a description to the Nevada Dept of Wildlife.
My neighbor was charged last spring while working on a house up at Lake Tahoe. He is a serious hunter and considered the bear's behavior to be predatory. It was underweight and beat up looking. It hung around the work site for 25 minutes sizing up the crew. Without warning he lowered his head and charged. My friend made it to the safety of his truck and a pistol with 30 feet to spare. He left the bear unharmed but called in a description to the Nevada Dept of Wildlife.
Philtrum,
They are all Ursus americanus. Canadian bears seem to be the most aggressive. The bear in question above did no clacking of jaws or woofing or showing signs of being agitated. He was left alone and ignored by the crew building the house addition. His charge was swift and purposeful. He was determined. We will never know if it was a bluff charge, but it was definitely offensive and unprovoked. Chances are it was predatory. My neighbor works around bears a lot. There were 6 different bears on that one job site because it was in an area with lots of boulders and good denning sites. He said that bear was different.
They are all Ursus americanus. Canadian bears seem to be the most aggressive. The bear in question above did no clacking of jaws or woofing or showing signs of being agitated. He was left alone and ignored by the crew building the house addition. His charge was swift and purposeful. He was determined. We will never know if it was a bluff charge, but it was definitely offensive and unprovoked. Chances are it was predatory. My neighbor works around bears a lot. There were 6 different bears on that one job site because it was in an area with lots of boulders and good denning sites. He said that bear was different.
G
Guest
Guest
A friend of mine has spent a lot of time outdoors both in the ADKs and West and Canada. he said that the western black bears acted very differently than the ADK and Maine ones. He was more concerned about the blacks than the grizzlies in some western areas. He had no worrys about he ADK ones.
Turtle
Turtle
I don't see any difference in black bear behavior other than the western ones I have seen are majorly aggressive toward human food. I have watched a black dismantle a Coleman Stove in Yosemite and another bear enter a tent. take the doritos and leave by a bear made door while the human exited by another door. Probably more a result of human behavior vs bear behavior.
I don't assume anything about bears that exhibit "bluff" behavior. I don't know what triggers the switch from "bluff" to charge. I have seen a few and just backed away. Most of my sightings are of bears exiting though.
I don't assume anything about bears that exhibit "bluff" behavior. I don't know what triggers the switch from "bluff" to charge. I have seen a few and just backed away. Most of my sightings are of bears exiting though.
Thanks to Turtle and Yellowcanoe. I like this forum because of the experience level of the participants. Bears have equipment and some have attitude, so give them lots of room.
Likewise, in the bush my most common view of a bear is his two arse cheeks pumping like two pigs fighting under a blanket as he skedaddles away from me. Not so in town, the buggers find out that scrawny bipeds can't point boomsticks at them, and that the aforesaid pale humanoids generally run away in fear, even if Mr. Bear is ransacking their garbage or BBQ. After a few encounters with the screaming, fleeing humans, Mr. Bear becomes convinced that all members of the Homo Sapien tribe are the same, and even if he encounters one that beats him with a bicycle pump, or busts a can of diet coke on his head, or even chases him with an axe, Mr. Americanus Ursus "bearly" blinks, and just resumes chomping on the BBQ. Although these brazen bears are usually fairly polite, and will even play with your dog, the odd one will sometimes discover, like the cannibals of old, that humans are an easy and tasty brunch.
I'm pretty sure these town bears are a lot like park bears, or bears used to a lot of people and their tasty treats. That's why I avoid those areas, and keep tripping on Crown Land, where the bears run scared and humans don't.
I'm pretty sure these town bears are a lot like park bears, or bears used to a lot of people and their tasty treats. That's why I avoid those areas, and keep tripping on Crown Land, where the bears run scared and humans don't.
The best Bear song eva........
I wonder what the behavior of the bear was that killed a walker in NJ last year was. Supposedly a predatory attack. I think I read the victim may have been running.
Also a toddler was eaten several years ago by a bear not far from NYC. Snatched from a stroller
Also a toddler was eaten several years ago by a bear not far from NYC. Snatched from a stroller
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It's true that a bear ate a small child a couple of summers ago in the Catskills but, after the fact, it came out that the child's face was covered in melted ice cream and the bear had been in the area watching folks for a while. It was a long dry summer and most of the natural food source had either dried up or never materialized so the bears started frequenting villages, dumpsters, second homes, etc. to find whatever they could. In this case the family was from one of the summer Hassidic communities which are pretty much closed off to everyone but themselves. From what I remembered hearing/reading, they weren't aware of the increased sightings of the bear so were unaware of the potential for problems. The autopsy on the bear indicated it was fairly thin and in need of food so that was the probable "reason" given for the attack on the child. Other than this one incident, I don't know of any other unprovoked attacks by bears in the Catskills or my area of central NY; although I have had them on my front lawn but that's another story.
That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.
snapper
PS - The bear on the AT that attacked and killed the college student in NJ was determined to be a predatory animal in the end. That conclusion came from NJ's version of fish & wildlife.
That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.
snapper
PS - The bear on the AT that attacked and killed the college student in NJ was determined to be a predatory animal in the end. That conclusion came from NJ's version of fish & wildlife.
G
Guest
Guest
the NY wildlife biologist I heard mentioned this attack. He said the baby had a full diaper and that was the probable cause. He mentioned this when speaking about cautioning parents of babys not putting garbage cans out too soon.
Turtle
Turtle
For the non-believers, and for everyone it is useful to look up some videos of "aggressive and predatory black bears." A recent one in Alberta shows to joggers being trailed for miles.
The theory about bear behavior in different parts of the country is interesting. Most bears in North America spend the majority of their time in and around forests because that is where the food is. Western geography changes rapidly causing lots of variations in elevation, aspect, rainfall, etc. The variety of habitats reflects all of those variables.
The density of settlement is quite different between East and West. Bears in the western US go for long periods without interacting with humans. Bears in the East spend more time around people.
The theory about bear behavior in different parts of the country is interesting. Most bears in North America spend the majority of their time in and around forests because that is where the food is. Western geography changes rapidly causing lots of variations in elevation, aspect, rainfall, etc. The variety of habitats reflects all of those variables.
The density of settlement is quite different between East and West. Bears in the western US go for long periods without interacting with humans. Bears in the East spend more time around people.
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You'd think that with 23,000 bears in Maine and 1.4 million people there would be lots of interaction. No. There isn't. Most of the 23,000 bears may be in the half of the state with 5000 people. We have had a bear by the mailbox.. but he left quickly when people approached.
The funny thing about black bears... we camp on smaller islands to cut down on potential bear visits, the only bear we have seen in the wilds was the one swimming out to the larger island we were camped on. We had seen tracks all over the moss on that island, which was much larger than our usual haunts. After watching this bear cross a half kilometre of open water to our island, we packed up, moved 4km and were set up once more in 80 minutes.
1 actual bear sighting in 6 years of tripping in Manitoba. Plenty of signs of bears, just more them watching us than us watching them.
1 actual bear sighting in 6 years of tripping in Manitoba. Plenty of signs of bears, just more them watching us than us watching them.
I hate it when bears read my mail.
We think he was awaiting Harry and David Sausage and Cheese. Actually my neighbor went to find out who owned the new "Newfie". She did not have her glasses on. Bear stood by while myopic neighbor finally figured out the error. Little bear. IIRC it was spring when yearlings are confused and show up at the darnedest spots.
A few years ago one was waiting at the school bus stop.. The kids waited a ways away.
heck, I woulda waited by your mailbox for Harry and David Sausage and Cheese. Glad your neighbour figured out the little critter before any problems. I've had a close call before. Wasn't a bear though. I stepped outside to herd our cats indoors. Yeah. It's true, you can't herd cats no matter how hard you try. It was dark. One of our cats is black with a little bit of white fur. What else could it be avoiding being herded in the back door? The cats scattered. "Oh bugger it." I bent down to pick up the sassy one and ...oh. Thank God it was just a baby skunk. It musta thought I was playing or something. It just pranced across our patio and into the bushes. I didn't pursue. It took me a couple stiff drinks to calm down. I left the cats outside.
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My first encounter with a black bear was of this nature. It was late September and my then-wife and I had bushwhacked a half-mile or so to find and photograph a small waterfall in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. While there I mentioned that I had a funny feeling that we were being watched. She was concentrating on her camera and didn't notice anything. When she was finished shooting we turned around to follow our GPS heading back to the car. We hadn't retraced our steps more than a few yards when I barely avoided stepping in a pile of poop so fresh it was steaming.
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