What do you know about Bears?

[mreid]

Just do a google search for Timothy Treadwell. Select "images" if you are brave. Bears are unpredictable.

[legion]

They apparently choke during the second half. That's what I learned about bears today.

[mreid]

Lol

[motion]

I live within 1/2 mile of all kinds of things that can potentially eat me: brown bears, grizzly bears, mountain lions and wolves. We regularly hike on trails near the house that are fairly infested with all of the above. I am scared $hitless of these things! But, I also take solace in knowing that they don't normally eat people. The statistics are on my side, so we go ahead and jump in, armed with bear spray and bells. I wouldn't worry too much about them. Just use common sense.

[Outback Porsche]

Nasty bastards them drop bears

[Por_sha911]

In case of a bear attack, all you need to be safe is a .22 pistol.

[rusnak]

When I was a kid, my family had a weekend cabin at 7,000 ft. We would hear occasionally of a bear attack, and bear damage to cabins were an annual thing. Our solid 2" door was half way ripped apart by a bear while we were gone. Locals knew not to go out at night without a flashlight and preferably something to make a lot of noise. We were advised to not let the dogs out beyond the range of the cabin flood lights because not only are there bears, but mountain lions too. One of our neighbors came face to face with a bear, and he was looking out his second story window.

A Black bear is every bit as dangerous as a grizzly. They are eating machines and very intelligent. A .22 pistol would not even slow a grown bear down. Best advice is to avoid at all costs, and keep your trash in a very heavy bear proof trash container. Never keep food in the car.

[Por_sha911]

I was waiting for someone to throw me the straight line.

You can't outrun a bear. You shoot your friend in the leg and outrun them...

[Cajundaddy]

We have encountered bears many times in the San Gabriels, the Sierras, and Alaska. Black bear attacks in Calif are extremely rare but in Alaska they are all business when the salmon are running.

All the ideas expressed above are wise: Keep food stored in bear-resistant containers, hike in groups, give bear sightings plenty of room, and carry bells, bear spray and a proper knife.

[aigel]

If that was my cabin in the woods, that bear would be dead. That is dangerously close and a continuous risk to be around. But I assume this is in resort type area. Then I guess you'll have to go to the front desk to complain. At a minimum that sucker needs to get a few rubber bullets in the rear to make it run. Unfortunately, from what I read, once a bear is accustomed to snack on trash, it is not going to break the habit. It is so much tougher to go find food in the wild ... It usually needs to be killed. People that leave out trash or worse, feed the bears, don't understand that they are killing the bears ...

I am an avid black bear hunter. Never have been charged, even in close encounters on the ground. All bears wanted to GTFO away from me ASAP. Also startled a couple on the trail - all ran. I can tell you - they are extremely strong and fast. They climb a tree and descend as fast as a squirrel and I have seen them fight dogs - as a two legged creature, you would not stand a chance - even for a couple seconds if one decided to go for it. That includes any bear, even a sub-adult. They are machines.

G

[aigel]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

That's the bear? It has a big scar on its back section. Have to wonder where that is from?

G

[PetrolBlueSC]

I know that spring black bears are good in lentil soup. Just made a pot this evening. Wife loved it.

[aigel]

Favorite stew meat at my house for sure! But not a trash bear - all mine are acorn eating fall bears ... phenomenal.

G

[Bill Douglas]

I grew up on Yogi bear so I love bears.

[look 171]

When we were in Tahoe some years ago, I saw a black bear jumped off an 8 foot wall (trash can was behind there)about 20 feet right in front of us. All I hear was a click from his nails or claws. I had my two kids with me as we were walking back to our room. Scared the siht out of me because my kids were 1 and 3 years old. That SOB ran, stopped, turned and looked at us as I shine my flash light at it. I wouldn't know what to do if that thing came at us? I would slow it down until my kids run to safety, but the little is only one and where would they go? There was no one around. This was about 8:30pm. I am still shaking thinking about it now. my wife laughing at my ass all night, but I know the real danger and what could happened. She watches too much TV and thinks its a cute stuff animal.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

In case of a bear attack, all you need to be safe is a .22 pistol.

Your math is a bit off imo...

.22 x 2 + mag + luck

Edited...unless your with a honey.

Seriously....this is in the Smokies....black bears were often seen at locations near people even when I was a kid...going through trash cans, etc. Some folks got smarter...others tasted like chicken .

[IROC]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I would hope they'd cut me a little slack. We'd been here all of 30 minutes after driving 6 1/2 hours to get here. All we were thinking about was, "At last - a week off." All I had to throw at him was a camera and a martini glass. Not sure he would be impressed. There was a small table on the deck but I doubt the owners would appreciate me chucking their furniture off the deck into the ravine.
Thanks for the advice. We cached some sticks of firewood next to the door to chuck at them if they wander through again.

We rent cabins in the Smokies pretty often since they are less than an hour from our house. Bear sightings are common, and bears have gotten somewhat comfortable with people being around, but do not for a minute think they are harmless. I would specially be wary of young ones with a mother around. A black bear will ruin your day.

Also...welcome to East Tennessee!!

[wayner]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

I know quite a lot about bears.

How many of you glossed over this without reading it?

A GOOD LAUGH

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Treadwell was an idiot.
It is a purely blunder of nature that he lived as long as he did.
A hippie from calf, that would spend vacation in Alaska harassing the bear population.
Not in a bad way ,but in their midst thinking he could name and talk to them....
The bears were busy .
It worked out of sheer luck because the bear population was harvesting salmon for the long run of winters sleep.
I thought he at least camped out in a large tree fort .
Nope, he slept on the ground in a tent for protection.
Needless to say, he and his GF became bear poop.
Russian roulette is a bad game .

Zackly.
They woulda ate him earlier if he didn't smell so bad.

Stinking hippies

[flipper35]

He also stayed later in the year when they were fattening themselves up for winter. I think they had him trained pretty well.