Why on Gods earth would you want to shoot a Bear?

[trumad]

Unless you're Jeramiah Johnson, there ain't no reason why you would want to kill such a glorious creature.

Sure they are overpopulated...and if they need to have their numbers decreased...at least do it humanely.

[Act_of_Reparation]

1. If it came down to shooting a bear or getting my ass mauled, I'd shoot the bear.

Bear hunting, on the other hand, is ridiculous.

[still_one]

2. That is the right answer

[trumad]

3. Well of course

If it came down to some dude killing me or me killing him...I certainly hope I'd win that moment.

[Act_of_Reparation]

4. Luckily, bears aren't a common sight in urban Michigan.

And I don't own a gun. So the chances of me being mauled or a bear getting shot in the commission of a mauling are pretty slim.

Everyone's happy.

[Major Nikon]

25. Bears are rarely aggressive in the lower 48

If they are hungry they will occasionally wander into populated areas, but generally speaking bears don't want to have anything to do with people and typically hunters have to bait them for weeks before they can find any to shoot.

[Act_of_Reparation]

34. Oh, no doubt.

I'm an Eagle Scout. I was a dedicated camper, once a month every month, for the better part of a decade. I never so much as saw a bear in the wild, and with all the food I was lugging around I was practically a walking vending machine.

That said, I was asked to imagine a scenario in which I would shoot a bear. I'm certainly not saying that scenario would be very likely.

[ibegurpard]

5. Because its charging you?

Clearly you don't live in bear country.

[leftofcool]

6. Met one while hiking on the AT. Didn't have to shoot her or run from her.

She just looked at us and sort of shrugged as if to say, "okay, I'll share the trail now get lost!" We kept on hiking away from her.

[Bucky]

7. to save the president!!

[ileus]

8. Unless you like bear stew...there's really not much reason.

I refuse to buy a bear stamp because I just don't have a reason for the meat.

We had one run between my son and daughter a couple of years ago, run right through the backyard up by the house out our frontyard and up into the National Forest.

[hlthe2b]

9. I hike in bear country all the time... Dog wears bear bells on her collar & I carry bear-sized

pepper spray... The only encounter I have had was seeing one retreating upon hearing us.

I don't know why one wants to shoot ANYTHING, frankly, unless it is genuinely for self-defense. Bears, like most animals will generally retreat if you let them.

[IDemo]

14. Grizzly Bear Warning Sign

Due to the frequency of human-bear encounters, the B.C. Fish and Wildlife Branch is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and any persons that use the out of doors in a recreational or work related function to take extra precautions while in the field.

We advise the outdoorsman to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advanced warning to any bears that might be close by so you don’t take them by surprise.

We also advise anyone using the out-f-doors to carry “Pepper Spray” with him is case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorsmen should also be on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between black bear feces and grizzly bear feces. Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear shit has bells in it and smells like pepper.

http://www.outdooroddities.com/2008/07/23/grizzly-bear-warning-sign/

[Blus4u]

28. Don't know about the rest of 'em, but

I got what you said, and it was very funny!

Peace

[uppityperson]

10. Yrs ago a neighbor showed me his bearskin, here in WA. He'd gone to AK to hunt a brown bear

and told us the story of walking along a creek with heavy willows. He spotted and shot the bear once who took off into the willows. He followed the bear, being terrified it would charge him. He spotted it moving and shot it again, into the heavy willows. This was repeated several times until there was no more movement and he carefully crept in to see if it was dead and it was.

I looked at him, appalled. WTF? Why the FUCK would you take the shot in the first place when you would probably only wound it and then have it run into heavy willows. Seriously. It was in no way exciting or cool or neat or any of that but just plain stupid. Torturing a bear like that, risking it running off wounded to do who the hell knows what, starve most likely so you could what? Have a bearskin and an "exciting" story to tell? He couldn't understand why I wasn't impressed but angered.

Not cool.

Living in rural AK, a neighbor there shot a bear that was getting aggressive towards people and felt really bad about doing to. One careful shot and it was done.

People are weird.

[kaiden]

11. Not even when they killed two chickens.

The bears in Colorado are starving and desperate. We couldn't blame them.

[Snobblevitch]

12. To control the bear population.

It is important to get a clean, killing shot so the animal does not suffer. I can't think of an easier way to control the bear population other than hunting. We have around 20,000 bears in Minnesota. Hunters take an average of 3,000 bears each season.

[Travis_0004]

16. Agreed

I have no desire to go bear hunting, and Ohio has about 100 bears, so they need protection.

I have no problem hunting to keep population numbers in check.

[Snobblevitch]

17. I went bear hunting one time.

In order to be able to shoot a bear a bait station is needed. Some people are opposed to baiting bears, but you would never get a shot at a bear without the bait. It might sound easy, but it's not. You have to put out several bait stations and since the bears mostly come at night, you still might not see a bear. So anyway, since I live 175 miles from where the bear hunt was taking place, I only got to put bait out a few times. So, I never saw a bear, I got eaten up by mosquitoes, and I decided to drop it.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

13. I would never shoot bear.

I would always make sure I'm wearing clothes.

(see what I did there?)

[Aerows]

15. I would if one tried to climb into the tent with me.

I know what you are saying, that frivolously killing them is wrong. That's true. Just in case, though, I'll make sure I run faster than you do - because I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to be quicker than you are!

[Snobblevitch]

18. On a serious note...

Never run from a black bear. That puts you in the category of prey. Make as much noise as you can. Pick of a stick and hold it high in the air so you appear larger. Throw rocks at it if you can. This is if the n bear is approaching. Otherwise, just stand there and wait for it to leave. On the other hand, if a brown bear is coming at you, curl up on the ground and cover your head with your arms.

It's easy to tell the difference between black bear scat and brown bear scat. Black bear scat has fruit seeds and undigested plant matter. Brown bear scat has the same but there are little bells mixed in.

[Aerows]

19. I'll keep your advice in mind

and pray that I'll never have to use it!

[Snobblevitch]

20. Are there many black bear in your area?

(I know there are raccoons...I was a lurker for a long time before I signed up to DU.)

[Aerows]

23. Plenty of deer (it's kind of funny to have them just blythely stroll across the yard)

more raccoons than you can shake a stick at, and enough feral hogs to raise an eyebrow.

I've never seen a bear. Please forgive me if I never want to!

I saw something on the way to the hair place one morning (I go extra early because the old biddies annoy the heck out of me, and I don't like gossip) at 5:30am. It ran across the road. It was not a dog, it was way too fluid in movement. It was a reddish gold color. I still speculate that it might have been a cougar, because it was shy, moved like flowing liquid, and had a burnished penny color coat.



Who knows? We have a bunch of critters around here.

[Snobblevitch]

35. I live in suburbia and we have all kinds of wildlife.

We don't see much of it during the daytime because there is a 3,000 acre wilslife refuge adjoining our property.

I know we have the usual, raccoons, fox, coyote, etc. we have a pond out back and our neighbor is a retired guy and a photography hobbyist. He got a photo, close up using a long lens, of a bald eagle snatching a green head mallard out of the air 50 yards behind the houses. It would have been a National Geography type photo except a wing blocked the view of the eagle's head. The eagle has a nest in a dead oak tree behind the pond about 200 yards from our house. I bought a spotting scope to keep an eye on the nest and the eaglets as they fledged.

[Aerows]

38. My word, what a phenomenal shot

It doesn't even matter that it wasn't complete - just seeing that is what counts!

I get tickled by the red headed woodpeckers and the great Horned Owls. The owls scare the absolute tar out of you because they just sit there until they hoot like a foghorn.

I love them, though. I hoot at them and they hoot right back (once they are done scaring the bejesus out of me).

[Snobblevitch]

40. One of the things I miss about our last house,

it was in an area thick with oaks, is lying in bed and hearing the great horned owls hoot at night, espcially in February during the mating season. Even with the windows closed (February in Minnesota) their call could be heard. Of course the owl was about 25 feet away up in the oak tree. I also miss hearing the acorns fall and land on the roof and bounce down. What I don't miss is the lack of sunshine coming through the windows.

[Aerows]

41. I quit smoking, but when I did smoke

I went out on the back porch. This Great Horned owl would hoot at me, and I would hoot right back. It was absolutely hilarious.

I am infinitely glad that I quit smoking (never smoked inside) but I miss those strange little interactions I once had outside.

[Snobblevitch]

45. I quit smoking many times.

I quit smoking for six months and another time, two years. I quit for good almost ten years ago. Of course, I should have done it sooner.

We had a cat when we lived in the woods. We let him outside and he would sometimes not come home for a couple of days (even though he was fixed). We would put cat food out by the front door for him. Late one night I went out for a smoke and there was a mama skunk and five little ones eating the cat food. I was in the doorway, and they casually turned around and walked away. There were no raised tails aimed at me. The same thing happened another time with a mama raccoon and three babies. We stopped letting the cat outside. He was going to have to be satisfied with watching the squirrels at the birdfeeder.

[Aerows]

47. Mine is fat, sassy

and piled up asleep. She sleeps like it's an Olympic event, and she's going for the gold.

[Blus4u]

30. See post number 14

for how to set up this joke.

Peace

[Snobblevitch]

36. Yeah, you're right.

I posted from a phone and responded without first reading the thread again.

When I was a kid we were in British Columbia on a camping trip. A couple of weeks after we were at a particular campground two people were mauled to death by a grizzly.

[hunter]

27. I've never had one investigate my intimate sleeping places, unlike skunks and raccoons...

... but I have had bears poking around my camp, even one time I was in charge of a mess of many very clueless, unruly, and very excitable urban sixth grade boys.

Bears, like most humans, tend to be fairly reasonable.

[Aerows]

42. As opposed to raccoons

which are far too clever for their own good!

[lumberjack_jeff]

21. Any suggestions as to more humane methods than shooting?

You have an odd view of what motivates hunters.

And yes, bear meat is eaten, although it's not especially delicious.

[Brickbat]

24. +1

[hunter]

22. I lived rough for a time in a remote rural place where there was this harmless bear.

Utterly harmless. You could scold him for tipping over and digging through your garbage and he'd run away.

Some brave out-of-town hunter shot and killed him.

[Warpy]

26. Some people want the meat and the hide.

Others are assholes who just like to shoot animals.

It's probably more humane than starvation, but just.

[NuclearDem]

29. Because Charlton Heston really wants that BBBEEEAAHHHHGGHGHRRR

[madfloridian]

31. Black bears were only recently on the endangered list in Florida.

But this bear hunt will take care of them.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027240674

[PowerToThePeople]

32. Because you enjoy killing things?

eom

[madfloridian]

33. FL bear population est. at 3000. NOT over populated.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027240674

[Fla_Democrat]

37. I dunno, lemme ask around....

http://www.people.com/article/florida-teen-bear-attack-dog-saves-her-leah-reeder


Leah Reeder was out for a walk with her dog, Ralph, on Sunday when she was suddenly attacked by a black bear in Eastpoint, Florida.

"I was down on the ground, and ended up on my face," she told ABC News. "The bear was on my back biting me."

<snip>



But undergoing surgery, Reeder is expected to make a full recovery with very little scarring, which is nothing short of a miracle considering the damage the bear did to her.

"It bit her face open, and beside her ear on her scalp," said Mann. "It was very, very bad."




Never mind, I remember now. It's a freaking bear. I don't mean Yogi and Boo-Boo type of bear, but attack a girl in town, a block from her home, bear. I remember one of the locals complaining (late 70's, early 80's?) that those idiots in Tallahassee wanted to make bears part of Florida's tourist attractions, as a selling point to ignorant visitors that didn't understand that a bear is a wild animal. "I don't know how many tourists are gonna want a picture of a bears ass hanging out of a dumpster..." I remember a dog tore apart.

As for decreasing their numbers, I have it on good authority that some honey comb and strychnine is very effective. It's just that the carcass disposal is somewhat problematic.

As far as I am concerned, a bear is just a fuzzy alligator. They are cute in pictures, and nice in theme parks.. http://www.gatorland.com/ http://www.alligatorfarm.com/ http://tallahasseemuseum.org/
but, when they start attacking people and pets, they lose any good will from people who actually live around them.

[trumad]

51. I agree

And I have no problem if they remove the Bears in a humane way.

[Aerows]

39. My strategy for dealing with bears

is the same as my strategy with handling alligators.

I endeavor to stay the hell away from them, and I'm pretty sure both are as happy as I am with that plan.

Feral hogs are becoming a problem around here, though, and I can't guarantee that they are going to fall into that category.

[pinboy3niner]

44. That was not the comparison I expected from you

But far be it from me to mention the r-word.

[Aerows]

46. I quit smoking six months ago

So I don't have a reason to go outside unless it is to water the plants .

[yuiyoshida]

43. Certainly not over a few pic a nic baskets!

[nadine_mn]

48. I grew up in northern Minnesota and saw lots of black bears

In my hometown, bears came around if the berry eating was slim. You could tell if they were in your neighborhood by all the overturned garbage cans. I lived near Lake Superior in a town of 3000 and "in town" still meant lots of wooded areas. Once I went out in my backyard and saw two bear cubs .. the automatic response of awwww cute was quickly replaced by get in the house because momma is around.

I also saw an adult bear across the street from me peering through the grasses next to a creek. Not sure who was more scared...I just backed away and took another route home. There was a senior housing complex that fed bears..because old people are awesome.

And we used to drive out to the dump to watch the bears because it was more fun than 3 TV channels.

So all of this is just to say, I really like bears and because all of my interactions with them have been harmless, I can't imagine shooting one. Some idiot took a shot at a momma bear and winged her...she was pissed and that was worse than if they left her alone.

Controlled hunting to thin populations so they don't starve is one thing, shooting for sport is just awful.

[hfojvt]

49. for revenge

there was a Far Side cartoon (at least I think it was Far Side) with this guy tied up. One hunter says to the other.

"There's Jake, just like all the others. Trussed up and with his hunting license stuffed in his mouth. I am telling you Fred, I want this bear."

[MineralMan]

50. I wouldn't want to.

Thanks for asking.

[IDemo]

52. When one is biting your head

Sleeping Idaho hunter wakes up to black bear biting his head

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A hunter asleep in the remote Idaho wilderness woke up when he felt something tugging on his hair. Then he heard the black bear breathing.

Stephen Vouch, 29, reached behind his head and felt it was wet. He yelled when he realized a bear was biting at his head.

"He got a hold of my head, and that's what woke me up," the Boise resident said Wednesday, who was in the rugged area hunting bighorn sheep with friends. "That's when I kind of freaked out. That's when I could hear the bear breathing on me."

His scream startled the bear, which jumped and hit the tarp above where they were sleeping. The tarp tumbled, entangling the animal and the hunters around 2 a.m. Friday.

http://news.yahoo.com/sleeping-idaho-hunter-wakes-black-bear-biting-head-224130179.html

[pinboy3niner]

53. Damn you trumad!

You pre-empted my Jeremiah Johnson reply so I got nothin'.

[trumad]

54. Have you seen this?