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Momma Black Bear and Two Cubs!
dreher
Member Posts: 8,791 ✭✭✭✭
My 18 yo daughter, her 16 yo girl friend and my 13 yo son drove up to North Carolina today to hike some of the trails around Chimney Rock. They turned a corner and were within 50 feet of the momma and cubs! I'm jealous! I have never seen a black bear in the wild. Seen tracks, seen poop and have been close enough that I could smell them, but have never seen one.
My wife is positive that they were real close to being bear poop. She is most unhappy.[:D]
My son is a calm boy when things get interesting. He quietly told the girls to be very quiet and to slowly back away. Pretty good for a 13 yo!!
My wife is positive that they were real close to being bear poop. She is most unhappy.[:D]
My son is a calm boy when things get interesting. He quietly told the girls to be very quiet and to slowly back away. Pretty good for a 13 yo!!
Comments
Only thing that saved me was I had just gotten out of Boot Camp and could run.
They did not trust us with live rounds for out M-16's so that was worthless.
Remember the old joke about running from a charging bear? One guy says to the other guy, "You can't out run a bear!" The other guy says "I don't have to out run the bear, all I got to do is out run you!"
Sounds like your 13yo has a smart head on his shoulders. U must have taught him well.[:D]
Luckily he was an adolescent and just ambled back off into the woods.
The coyotes on the other hand I could do without.
Buddy of mine had a bear cub try to nest in his cabin attic that was under construction. Caused a lot of damage and had to have DNR tranq the cub (125# or so) to get him out.
I have never seen a boy more protective of his big sister. He has been that way since he was two. I just talked to my daughter. She said he stepped in front of both girls, pulled his pocket knife and told them if momma attacks to run, he would try and slow her up so they could get away. Wow. Big Sis was pretty impressed too. He has only been 13 for 5 weeks. Yeah, I'm proud of him. He didn't know that black bear attacks are very rare. He was going to protect his sister. Compare him to so many so called men in this day and age.
Respectfully, I'd tend to differ with you regarding the attacks, even though it is a matter of perspective, opinion and what we often hear from Disney.
Supposedly more folks are attacked and more folks are killed by Black Bear than by Grizzly/Brown Bear. No terrible surprise when one thinks about bear population distribution and density. However, most people do not realize the speed, power or deadliness of bears in attacks.
Not relaying any of this for any negative purposes either.
Your son was right on regarding: no running, no quick or sudden movements, stay settled and back out, and a knife or a club is better than naught.
Most Black bear that I have encountered ran at or towards me. Never had a Brown Bear charge me, though I've had several that did not flee nor fade away and were taking the biggest share of the road, trail or creek (period). Have had a number of very close encounters with Grizzlies, not all of which went well.
Your son was right on, correct and has a set of CAJONES. He had plenty of reason to be warry ... and called it well.
Congrats to you all ... your son is knowledgeable and correct.
(PS: Running from a bear is about like a rabbit running from a Greyhound or haviong a cook or chef ringing the dinner bell.
Bears are supposed to be able to run faster than a race horse. I know that I can not run near as quick as even a lame horse!
Anyone that is knowledgeable would never ever recommend running from a bear.)
quote:Originally posted by dreher
I have never seen a boy more protective of his big sister. He has been that way since he was two. I just talked to my daughter. She said he stepped in front of both girls, pulled his pocket knife and told them if momma attacks to run, he would try and slow her up so they could get away. Wow. Big Sis was pretty impressed too. He has only been 13 for 5 weeks. Yeah, I'm proud of him. He didn't know that black bear attacks are very rare. He was going to protect his sister. Compare him to so many so called men in this day and age.
Respectfully, I'd tend to differ with you regarding the attacks, even though it is a matter of perspective, opinion and what we often hear from Disney.
Supposedly more folks are attacked and more folks are killed by Black Bear than by Grizzly/Brown Bear. No terrible surprise when one thinks about bear population distribution and density. However, most people do not realize the speed, power or deadliness of bears in attacks.
Not relaying any of this for any negative purposes either.
Your son was right on regarding: no running, no quick or sudden movements, stay settled and back out, and a knife or a club is better than naught.
Most Black bear that I have encountered ran at or towards me. Never had a Brown Bear charge me, though I've had several that did not flee nor fade away and were taking the biggest share of the road, trail or creek (period). Have had a number of very close encounters with Grizzlies, not all of which went well.
Your son was right on, correct and has a set of CAJONES. He had plenty of reason to be warry ... and called it well.
Congrats to you all ... your son is knowledgeable and correct.
(PS: Running from a bear is about like a rabbit running from a Greyhound or haviong a cook or chef ringing the dinner bell.
Bears are supposed to be able to run faster than a race horse. I know that I can not run near as quick as even a lame horse!
Anyone that is knowledgeable would never ever recommend running from a bear.)
Please put your crack pipe down. There were approximately even numbers of Black and Brown bear kills of humans in the 2000-2010 and the 1990-2000 range.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America
and you tell this man to put his "crack pipe"
down.
How bout being a bit more diplomatic/cordial as you
ask others to be?
You should be ashamed of yourself.
When his Sister said he pulled his knife out and stepped in front of her, I figured it was a nice 3" pocket knife he often carries. Nope. He pulled his K-Bar. I asked why he was carrying his K-Bar. He said "Dad, you know what an idiot Sis is. I figured I might have to cut her out of something she got tangled in or cut a limb to lower to her where she slid/fell part way down a cliff." He is correct. She just graduated number 4 in her class of almost 500 and doesn't have one lick of common sense. She is also an incredible athlete, willing to try and climb anything. So his sister getting in trouble is a very real possibility. As I said, my boy thinks and plans ahead.
So Spyder, how many of the K-Bars you sold have been pulled on bears??[:D]
quote:Originally posted by Alan Rushing
quote:Originally posted by dreher
I have never seen a boy more protective of his big sister. He has been that way since he was two. I just talked to my daughter. She said he stepped in front of both girls, pulled his pocket knife and told them if momma attacks to run, he would try and slow her up so they could get away. Wow. Big Sis was pretty impressed too. He has only been 13 for 5 weeks. Yeah, I'm proud of him. He didn't know that black bear attacks are very rare. He was going to protect his sister. Compare him to so many so called men in this day and age.
Respectfully, I'd tend to differ with you regarding the attacks, even though it is a matter of perspective, opinion and what we often hear from Disney.
Supposedly more folks are attacked and more folks are killed by Black Bear than by Grizzly/Brown Bear. No terrible surprise when one thinks about bear population distribution and density. However, most people do not realize the speed, power or deadliness of bears in attacks.
Not relaying any of this for any negative purposes either.
Your son was right on regarding: no running, no quick or sudden movements, stay settled and back out, and a knife or a club is better than naught.
Most Black bear that I have encountered ran at or towards me. Never had a Brown Bear charge me, though I've had several that did not flee nor fade away and were taking the biggest share of the road, trail or creek (period). Have had a number of very close encounters with Grizzlies, not all of which went well.
Your son was right on, correct and has a set of CAJONES. He had plenty of reason to be warry ... and called it well.
Congrats to you all ... your son is knowledgeable and correct.
(PS: Running from a bear is about like a rabbit running from a Greyhound or haviong a cook or chef ringing the dinner bell.
Bears are supposed to be able to run faster than a race horse. I know that I can not run near as quick as even a lame horse!
Anyone that is knowledgeable would never ever recommend running from a bear.)
Please put your crack pipe down. There were approximately even numbers of Black and Brown bear kills of humans in the 2000-2010 and the 1990-2000 range.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America
CAPTFUN,
with respect, that's a pretty rude thing to say. You could have said the same thing in any of a hundred nicer ways. You're the administrator. You should show some tact, Sir.
A fundamental difference between brown and black bear attacks is that brown bears make sudden charges when suddenly confronted, particularly in defense of cubs, or they are attracted to food, and the human in the tent with the cookies becomes part of the snack. Black bears will do both of the above, but also stalk humans as prey.
It is somewhat sobering to come back out of a canyon in the snow where you went looking for deer, and find a bear had followed you in, his tracks over yours.
Capt Fun, you can certainly find more authoritative sources than wiki.
A fundamental difference between brown and black bear attacks is that brown bears make sudden charges when suddenly confronted, particularly in defense of cubs, or they are attracted to food, and the human in the tent with the cookies becomes part of the snack. Black bears will do both of the above, but also stalk humans as prey.
It is somewhat sobering to come back out of a canyon in the snow where you went looking for deer, and find a bear had followed you in, his tracks over yours.
While the Wikipedia certainly is not the end all reference, I find that in this instance the Wiki adequately documents the numbers presented. Also consider that there are well over a million Black bears in the US and Canada alone but only 200,000 Browns worldwide with extensive populations in Russia and eastern Europe.
"Stalking" behavior in bears (Blacks in particular due to their number and proximity to civilization) is directly attributable to them being fed by humans. So in a way, yes that bear that keeps getting into the trash in my neighborhood is probably a lot more dangerous than the one you thought was tracking you in the snow.
http://www.blackbearheaven.com/bear-attack-statistics.htm
No, I did not talley Black / Polar or White / Grizzly or Brown.
Different people have different needs, wants and agendas. When it comes to bears of any size, shape, color or classification they are fast, powerful and probably were not raised watching "Smokey the bear" and such fare.
Chances are darn good that not all bears fully appreciate and realize that no man or woman on Earth would ever mean to cause them or theirs any harm. Nor would any human ever take fish or other game that the bear would like to eat. So bears need not feel any need or desire to defend their territory, young or self.
Some people believe that if they have good intentions and do everything "right", "correct" or "proper" they'll have no trouble with bears ... hopefully it goes that way ... but that is NOT always how it works out.
I could care less what sort of bear is the potential threat, or "bluff charges" or attacks, or mauls or kills humans.
Many people will claim that Black Bear are "good" bears, or they are no threat to people; ... or maybe no "real" threat to adults; ... or maybe to adult men; ... or that they will not "kill" people.
There are also many that claim that Black Bears will be readily scared or frightened away. That depends on the bear, the situation and many other factors. (Some bears are "bad" individuals some individual bears have "bad days" ... none appreciate being surprised or startled or feeling threatened.
I'd not bet my life or that of anyone else on the notion that bears in general, or Black Bears in particular, can not be a potential and very real threat to humans' life, health or good day.
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/31/3636026/bear-attacks-injures-woman-at.html
According to the article, "...Paxon said the woman and her husband are avid campers and did everything right, including locking up all their food and cookware in the cab of their pickup truck and not having any food in the tent. ..."
Now, the campground has been shut down until August 31st, and the black bear will be hunted down and "euthanized."
"Only seven bear attacks have been documented in Arizona since 1990, including Thursday's, according to Game and Fish."
Yeah, two attacks in the past two years, according to the article. Kinda makes a person wonder why?
Big Al
One might want to keep in mind that many "Brown Bears" (for what ever reason reported) are identified due to their BROWN COLOR, rather than having identified specifically as one of the Ursus arctos.
Bears that attack or harrass or become "nuisance" bears in Yosemite National Park in California are often reported as being "Brown Bears", even though the Ursus arctos horribilis were hunted down and exterminated throughout CA. the last one was shot and killed in 1922.
Most people report the color of the bear, not the species.
I was taking the AM garbage out and came around the corner, just in time to run face2face with it at the cans!
Bothe my and the bears eyes got big as dinner plates and we both HAULED BUTT the other way![:0]
KC
quote:Originally posted by CaptFun
quote:Originally posted by Alan Rushing
quote:Originally posted by dreher
I have never seen a boy more protective of his big sister. He has been that way since he was two. I just talked to my daughter. She said he stepped in front of both girls, pulled his pocket knife and told them if momma attacks to run, he would try and slow her up so they could get away. Wow. Big Sis was pretty impressed too. He has only been 13 for 5 weeks. Yeah, I'm proud of him. He didn't know that black bear attacks are very rare. He was going to protect his sister. Compare him to so many so called men in this day and age.
Respectfully, I'd tend to differ with you regarding the attacks, even though it is a matter of perspective, opinion and what we often hear from Disney.
Supposedly more folks are attacked and more folks are killed by Black Bear than by Grizzly/Brown Bear. No terrible surprise when one thinks about bear population distribution and density. However, most people do not realize the speed, power or deadliness of bears in attacks.
Not relaying any of this for any negative purposes either.
Your son was right on regarding: no running, no quick or sudden movements, stay settled and back out, and a knife or a club is better than naught.
Most Black bear that I have encountered ran at or towards me. Never had a Brown Bear charge me, though I've had several that did not flee nor fade away and were taking the biggest share of the road, trail or creek (period). Have had a number of very close encounters with Grizzlies, not all of which went well.
Your son was right on, correct and has a set of CAJONES. He had plenty of reason to be warry ... and called it well.
Congrats to you all ... your son is knowledgeable and correct.
(PS: Running from a bear is about like a rabbit running from a Greyhound or haviong a cook or chef ringing the dinner bell.
Bears are supposed to be able to run faster than a race horse. I know that I can not run near as quick as even a lame horse!
Anyone that is knowledgeable would never ever recommend running from a bear.)
Please put your crack pipe down. There were approximately even numbers of Black and Brown bear kills of humans in the 2000-2010 and the 1990-2000 range.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America
CAPTFUN,
with respect, that's a pretty rude thing to say. You could have said the same thing in any of a hundred nicer ways. You're the administrator. You should show some tact, Sir.
Be careful, he's not the administrator, he's the OWNER. I can't believe you've gotten over 10 posts without discovering that little tidbit. You sir are a guest here. You aren't a customer, a member or anything else of value. You have an issue with rudeness? Please.