Bears!

[Tumblebush]

OOps

PS... generally once they get really comfortable being around people...there is usually no hope for them.

It's a sad thing...it really is.

[Cherokee_Kid]

Tumblebush,
"The occasional Griz"? "Chasing bears with a big stick"? Are you a local?

[Tumblebush]

Used to be...I now live far, far north...in the great northwest.

and yes...I walk softly but carry a big stick. 

And if all else fails...I get a much bigger stick...my wenchester rifle. 

Tumblebush,
"The occasional Griz"? "Chasing bears with a big stick"? Are you a local?

[ChrisLynnet]

I had to laugh, that's such a funny image -- a really angry man waving a big stick chasing a grizzly bear, who's thinking "Who IS this guy??!!"

[luvithere]

Good Times! 

[ChrisLynnet]

 

[artology]

There was a very large dead cat on SR138 in the area of Lone Pine Cyn this morning.  From the size of it and the real long tail I think it was a bobcat. 

I know this is off topic, but I just noticed this post. This may have been what we think might be a Jaguarundi, which I have seen twice and I know others have seen it as well. We joked about it being a "Chupacabra". Here is a link that shows a photo. That's what I saw outside my house chasing a coyote!!

http://endangeredmammals.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/jaguarundi-herpailurus-yagouarundi/

[Chuck]

Why does that monkey make me think of Clint?

[ChrisLynnet]

I know this is off topic, but I just noticed this post. This may have been what we think might be a Jaguarundi, which I have seen twice and I know others have seen it as well. We joked about it being a "Chupacabra". Here is a link that shows a photo. That's what I saw outside my house chasing a coyote!!

http://endangeredmammals.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/jaguarundi-herpailurus-yagouarundi/

Are you kidding me!? (Rhetorical question.) That's amazing! I vaguely remember hearing about one but thought it was South American. In hindsight, I probably did confuse it with the hopefully-mythical chupacabra.

And it was chasing a coyote? I'll bet it was chasing Mr. Coyote away from the cat's lunch. I'd love to see one. The Jaguarundi I mean, not its lunch. (Ick.) I had no idea they were up here.

[artology]

Are you kidding me!? (Rhetorical question.) That's amazing! I vaguely remember hearing about one but thought it was South American. In hindsight, I probably did confuse it with the hopefully-mythical chupacabra.

And it was chasing a coyote? I'll bet it was chasing Mr. Coyote away from the cat's lunch. I'd love to see one. The Jaguarundi I mean, not its lunch. (Ick.) I had no idea they were up here.

I couldn't believe my eyes! The Jaguarundi (s?) are found in Mexico, so it could have snuck across the border . Also saw it in the big dip down in the lower curves of LPC.

OK -- back to the topic (sorry)

[luvithere]

That is one beautiful "kitty-cat". What a sight that must have been. To see him live, not dead 

[Tumblebush]

I had to laugh, that's such a funny image -- a really angry man waving a big stick chasing a grizzly bear, who's thinking "Who IS this guy??!!"

Yeah...I always stop and  have to laugh...like 'what the heck am I doing?' But would you mess with a really angry woman suffering from PMS running at you with a big stick?
But it's mostly Blacks I chase off and an occasional young grizz that's migrating through.
Had a little cinnamon sneak up on me one day as I was setting targets up for some practice. As I stood up and turned around, I caught him as he was sneaking through some tall grass. I just turned and waved my arms up and yelled, 'what the heck are you doing!?' and his eyes got huge and he turned and ran away like he had a swarm of bees on his butt. He probably thought I was a faun as I was kneeling down at the time. I was just thankful it wasn't the huge black we have around here. I probably would have fired the gun and filled my drawers.

Hmm....pardon me...but am I in the wrong topic? I thought this was one was about bears?

[ChrisLynnet]

Yeah...I always stop and  have to laugh...like 'what the heck am I doing?' But would you mess with a really angry woman suffering from PMS running at you with a big stick?

Not me -- just ask my sister!

Seriously, I would just drop dead of fright if saw a bear while I was on the trail. Fortunately my dog is a Bear-o-Meter and when he smells one he turns from a confident walker to a "Mom, GET ME OUT OF HERE." I always listen and away we go!

[Tumblebush]

I have more fear of walking up on a moose with calf or seeing a bull moose in rut walking onto the property, than I do a bear.
Bears I show respect
Moose I shake in fear
go figure

[Tumblebush]

I might also add, the bears up north here are a less accustomed to humans and therefor have a little more fear and a little less curiosity in them when it comes to humans. Although we get the relocated 'trash bears' that come through every now and then or one that you can tell has been fed by someone that has lost all logic, as they just stand and look at you 'like where is my Twinkie?'. But those bears soon learn their wild ways again after being shot at from time to time by a disgruntled rancher or farmer. Sadly to say, most end up dead.
I can be standing more than 400ft away looking through binoculars, watching one pick berries, but as soon as they catch wind of me in the slightest of breeze...they turn...they sniff and off they run.
They are not like National Park bears or urban bears that have grown so accustomed to people that they have lost their fear of them.
So I wouldn't advise anyone to try chasing one of those kinds of bears with a big stick unless you have something better to back it up with...like bear spray or a side arm.

[Tomas]

It takes persistance, but it is very possible to retrain a bear to act wild. We had a bear down in Big Pines that got into buildings for food and was showing up during daylight hours. It would walk towards people's voices and up to cars. My dogs and I chased the bear off the property and or neighbors property for about 2 weeks. But it worked and the bear is still alive. It still passes through in the middle of the night, but as soon as my bulldog barks the bear runs off.

[Tomas]

They're Baaack...

If you've gotten careless about disposing your trash it's time to tighten back up.

I went to my dumpster to throw away my trash, only to find it flipped completely upside down. The bear only flipped the dumpster with trash in it. Thankfully, my broken bear bar stayed in place.

[ChrisLynnet]

That's good advice. I don't think we have spotted any bears on our streets (Summit & Easter) but we find scat in the Sheep Creek Wash, which runs just below us. Just as well -- although I would love to spot a bear from the comfort of my living room I wouldn't love to deal with destroyed trash cans.

It should go without saying that if I spotted a bear on a HIKE then I would just lay down and die.    Luckily my dog is a champion bear-sniffer. One whiff and he's out of there, which is how I know to quickly turn around and high tail it out of there! I greatly admire those animals, but from afar!

[cedar]

It should go without saying that if I spotted a bear on a HIKE then I would just lay down and die.   

If a Black Bear is in the area, give them room and walk away keeping your eyes on them. Most bears are not interested in interacting with people hiking in the woods. With Black Bears that act aggressive: (all our bears in Wrightwood are Black Bears) stand your ground, look big, yell at them in as deep a voice as you can.  Laying down is a very bad idea with Black Bears. 

If you are up North in Grizzly Bear country there are different procedures.  Make sure you know what to do before going into Grizzly country.

[ChrisLynnet]

Hi -- I know what to do, I would just have to decide if I'm going to have a coronary first.