If you run into a bear in the woods

stretch5881 said:
All well and good. But what your brain knows and what your legs do can be totally unexpected. As far as talking calmly to identify yourself as being human, nope, couldn't do it.
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“And waving your arms.” 😱
I’m going with ‘take a large dog with you who barks loudly.’
 
I.ve been face to face with black bears, (even extremely large ones) a few times and stand still until they are distracted by something else
and a few times I've walked away boldly, not running, but as if I were determined to be somewhere.

I was in a small boat once near Sitka AK and saw a grizzly swimming to a nearby island. He was only about 8-9 feet away but he paid no attention to me. Having lived up there, I've heard stories of grizzly attacks that are so terrible I don't want to repeat them.

People think bears are so cute, like in the cartoons but they are dangerous. I've never been concerned with black bears but grizzlys can be on top of you while you are getting your camera out to take a picture. They are not to be underestimated.
 
Teddy bears are cute. Black bears and grizzlies; not so much. I’ve encounters many bears in my camping hiking adventures. Most of them were not intimidating but there were a couple of times where I almost swallowed my heart. Luckily I’ve had a large dog with me most of the time which they ‘are’ intimidated by. I’ve never just ran though.
 
I've encountered a lot of bears, a few grizzly (brown) but mostly black. Never really felt in any danger. A good practice is to make lots of noise and not move too quickly, most bears would rather not meet you. And when you do see one try and keep a safe distance away.

Fishing from a bridge in Yakutat, Alaska there used to be a big bear who would sit on the river bank watching the bridge. Every now and then he'd come up and run the fishermen off to take your fish or bait, or any goodies you left him. I learned to put salmon into the truck when caught, keep lunch there, and grab any bait when running back to the truck. You could tell the tourists from the locals, most of the locals ignored the bear or yelled and threw rocks to run it off. To my knowledge it never actually hurt anyone. In Alaska I have felt more threatened by inexperienced folks carrying guns for bear protect than by bears...
 
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My mom had an encounter when we went camping in Baxter State Park in Maine in 1967. My dad and I had gone fishing and she was alone at the campsite. This is what she reported: the bear entered the camp and grabbed the cooler chest and threw it against a tree. My mom was terrified, but another camper came over when he heard the commotion. He shouted and threw a huge rock at the bear, which then hastily retreated. My mom said the rock just bounced off the bear's body. We kept that cooler even though it had a dent in the lid (which was all metal back in those days) for a long time as a souvenir. It was likely a black bear which are the most common in upstate Maine.
 
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I've encountered a black bear outside the village on my way to work a few mornings years ago. He was running up a steep lawn near a home, but apparently the owners were not intimidated at all. Then last year right in our neighborhood a black bear was photographed nibbling on a bird feeder! They do show up occasionally, but then we are in the Catskills.
 
A bear in the woods - I’ve had them in the backyard. I live in the city. There’re probably more than I realize wandering about; a neighbour saw one his security camera.
 
Have seen several here, one at the dumpsters, one walking across the end of my property, one crossing the road munching on grass when I was driving in the mountains. All were at a safe distance. The scariest one was the one I did not see. I was out walking the property one day and taking pictures. Later when I downloaded the pictures there was one laying in the edge of the woods, just watching me. Can you see him?

IMAG0876 (2).jpg
 
This happened just a couple of hundred yards down the road from us, we could see the house from our yard. The story is not completely accurate, I am sure the bear wasn't 400 pounds, and I don't think it went to the Osceola National Forest... But the rescue did happen, and the pictures are real. Unfortunately I wasn't at home, so I missed all the excitement. On Alligator Point we had bears in our yard probably every other night, no one was hurt, but we couldn't keep a birdfeeder and had to secure the garbage cans.

Brave Man Saves Drowning 400-lb Black Bear – Possibly One Of THE Greatest Rescue Stories Ever!
https://www.pawbuzz.com/brave-man-s...ibly-one-of-the-greatest-rescue-stories-ever/
 
We have black bears around here. Some years, one will take up residence on my place, other years they just pass through. When the apples are ripe in the orchard they help me by taking care of the windfall fruit. We have a live and let live relationship.
 
Judycat said:
I pat them on the head and tell them they are a good bear, a smart bear, a pretty bear. The bear will then fall over on it's back and want a belly rub
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I know yer being funny

but

That's pretty much what Tim Treadwell did
Right up to the time they ate him

Check out the Grizzly Man documentary

I've been around many a blackie
Mostly they just wanna eat yer garbage and move on

Cubs around.....
Things get sketchy
 
Running is fruitless. Bears can run at close to thirty five miles per hour. I have black bears in the woods around my house and have many trail cam images of them but I rarely see them when I walk in the woods. I have heard them running away though. The have a tremendously powerful sense of smell but cannot see that great. Speaking of smell. They stink so if you encounter a strong smell of shite there is a good chance that one is visiting that area.
 
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Gary O' said:
I know yer being funny

but

That's pretty much what Tim Treadwell did
Right up to the time they ate him

Check out the Grizzly Man documentary

I've been around many a blackie
Mostly they just wanna eat yer garbage and move on

Cubs around.....
Things get sketchy
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Poor Tim. I remember that.
 
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