Have you ever shot a bear?

[Buckshot Bear]

I could be developing 'Bambi Syndrome' because looking at the pics of dead bears I do feel sorry for them  and I would rather watch them through a pair of binos than a scope.

 

But just how many bear are left in North America? Looking through pics on hunting sites it seems a helluva lot of them are getting hunted.

 

How regulated is it? If you out in the wilds in bear country how many are you likely to see?

 

[Big Gus, SASS# 66666]

Here in central Virginia we are over run with bears as is most of the northeast.  Despite the fact I am an avid hunter and have taken more than 2 dozen species on two continents I have a hard time pulling the trigger on a bear. Turning into a softie. 
 

[Rip Snorter]

Never shot a Bear, have chased a few Black Bears with a pistol shot into the earth.  Purportedly, we have a whole bunch of Grizzly Bears and they are working their way east here in Montana.  I rather like Bears at a distance, and would only shoot to protect my Family (including my dogs) and myself.  Not looking forward to having to keep a serious caliber rifle on hand in the truck and UTV.

[Blackwater 53393]

I live just a few miles outside of Nashville, Tennessee. If you’re driving outside of downtown, you’ll see a LOT of wooded areas interspersed among the factories, residential areas, commercial centers, and recreation areas.  In the last few years, there have been several confirmed sightings of black bears, one of several species of North American bear.

 

These sightings have literally been within half a mile of heavily populated areas, near schools and shopping centers. I’ve seen whitetail deer inside the old city limits of downtown Nashville! 
 

One of the most recent black bear sightings was within a quarter mile of my house…

[Pat Riot]

Bear hunting is regulated as is all big game hunting in America. In the early 1900’s big game in America was being hunted into extinction. Hunting Conservationists worked hard to regulate hunting and to increase the populations of deer, elk, bear, turkeys, game birds, etc. The biggest enemy of big game and wildlife is human encroachment. Hunting can be regulated. Human idiocy, ignorance and the desire to develop property for greed and profit, impacts wildlife and wild lands. 
The population of big game in America is very healthy. I have seen a few bears, elk and lots of deer. 
I used to hunt deer and Turkey. I hope to again soon, but I would never hunt bear. I have no desire to and would only shoot one if I felt my life or someone else’s was in danger. Just as I wouldn’t kill a big cat or a wolf unless it was absolutely necessary. 
 

[Rip Snorter]

Do not underestimate Black Bears! Over the years they have got some folks.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

I have never had any desire whatsoever to shoot a bear.  However, I've had a BUNCH of "bear encounters" over the years.  I don't think there was ever any real danger, but they were without exception unpleasant. 

 

During the times when deer and bear seasons were concurrent, I began buying a bear tag in addition to my deer tags - as insurance against encountering bears while deer hunting.  Indeed... every one of my bear contacts had been when I had no bear tag.  And ever after, if I had a bear tag and it was bear season, nary a bear was to be seen.  

[Dantankerous]

No, never have and hope not to for any reason. 

 

 

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

I have Killed 49 Black Bears, with bow and arrows, all were shot at under 27 yards some much closer and I shot them all from the ground ...

Not from a tree stand ... One was coming toward me, and I was on one knee on the edge of the trail he was 12 feet from me when the arrow hit him ...

On impact jumped off the trail to his left and rolled downhill about 35 yards, I waited about 5 minutes then went down to check him out ...

My first Guiding job was guiding hunters after Grizzlies....

 

Jabez Cowboy 

[Eyesa Horg]

We have lots of bears. Unfortunately right on our deck all too often. Had 5 different ones last year? Never have seen one in the woods during hunting season. Never seen one in the woods period. Somehow, I think I'd be on the soft side as well, but they do taste good and a rug would be pretty cool.  A bear tag comes with our deer license.

[Cholla]

Lots of bears depending on location. Gatlinburg, TN used kill an average of 300 bears a year that became garbage bears. They mandated bear proof garbage containers and the bear issues dropped significantly.

Many states have black bear and in some states the population is rising.

The place to go to hunt black bears is in Ontario, Canada. We went twice. My wife got one the first time, I got one the second time. They are blueberry bears, meaning they feast on blueberries and the meat is very tasty. To me, it tasted like a sweet type of beef. Guides claim that a bear tastes like what they eat. They also told me to never eat a bear that eats lots of dead fish, like those hunting along the coast in British Columbia. They also say a spring bear tastes awful while a fall bear tastes great.

We have black bear here in Arizona and could have them in our back yard at times. We have not seen bear, but we have seen mountain lions at out water tank.

To answer your question, they estimate there are 900,000 black bear in North America. The populations are steady and climbing in many locations. This doesn't count the grizzly or brown bear, which is what's in the photo you posted. They, luckily, are only in a few western states and western Canada.

[Cholla]

https://wildlifeinformer.com/black-bear-population-by-state/

[Yul Lose]

When I was in the two-way radio business in Arizona back in the 80’s I had a customer that was a fence contractor and a bear guide. He invited me along on a bear hunt as an observer one time. The hunt was up in a remote area southwest of Show Low, Arizona. We stayed in his RV not far from the hunt area the night before and got up early and hit the trail with his client. The bear guide used an electronic call to call the bears in. Well we were glassing a big open hillside and probably 1-2 miles away we spotted a big black bear. It looked like a 55 gallon oil drum with little short legs it was so fat. I thought we’d stalk and get closer but the guide had us get in position under a big spruce tree and he went out into a meadow about 100 yards from us and set up his caller. It was a recording of a baby crying. As we were watching the guide come back to our blind the bear stood up, sniffed the air, got back down on all fours and started running towards us. I was absolutely amazed that that crying baby could be heard that far away. Well it probably wasn’t but 10-15  minutes and here it comes and the hunter drops it with one shot from his rifle. The guide told me that he’d guided many successful hunts using that very call. 
 

The hunter gave me some meat from the bear and after eating it and listening to my practice (ex) wife complain about how bad it tasted I never had the urge to shoot one of my own, even though I’ve had the opportunity on a number of occasions while out deer and elk hunting.

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

I took one in 1985. It was common to buy a bear license to go with your deer tag. Sat on a log for about 5 hours opening morning and a cinnamon phase black bear (kind of brownish) came walking up the ridge across from me at about 200 yards. Only one I have shot but have seen hundreds. I live near many orchards and in the fall you will see them most days foraging amongst the fruits that have fallen to the ground from the trees. A local biologist told me that they relocate 20 or so to other areas each year to avoid human interaction as their only alternative is to destroy those that pose a danger to people. Don’t know how they decide life or death.

used to have a spring bear hunt but idiots were killing to many sow’s leaving cub’s to die. Now it seems like they are everywhere. Including in my pasture and several nearby wildlife areas. 

Regards

    

Gateway Kid

[Sedalia Dave]

2 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said:

I could be developing 'Bambi Syndrome' because looking at the pics of dead bears I do feel sorry for them  and I would rather watch them through a pair of binos than a scope.

 

But just how many bear are left in North America? Looking through pics on hunting sites it seems a helluva lot of them are getting hunted.

 

How regulated is it? If you out in the wilds in bear country how many are you likely to see?

 

 

 

FYI, while Grizzly bears are quite large the photo you posted was shot using a forced perspective to make the bear appear MUCH larger that it actually is.

 

The Camera is very close to the nose while the man is 7 or 8 feet away.

[Rip Snorter]

No garbage or pet food outdoors, bird feeders can be an issue.  I take the garbage to the dump twice a week. If you live in the country, there will be critters. Can only do your best.

2 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

 

FYI, while Grizzly bears are quite large the photo you posted was shot using a forced perspective to make the bear appear MUCH larger that it actually is.

 

The Camera is very close to the nose while the man is 7 or 8 feet away.

No, I believe that was a Kodiak.  I know a few photo tricks.

[Sedalia Dave]

Knew somebody many years ago that had both a Black Bear and a VERY old Timber Wolf that were both mounted in the classic rug fashion.   The skull of the wolf was almost twice the size of the bears.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

I have them all over my ranch at times.  I leave them alone and they politely reciprocate. 

 

I have had scary encounters on Llama packing trips in the high Sierra Nevada.  I threw rocks to chase one out of camp one night at Agnew Pass  and had it double back behind a deadfall and wait for me.  I walked around the downed tree and was less than 15 feet from the big male.  I hit him with a big rock.   He vocalized and took off.  I had my  .357 mag in my hip holster, but didn't bring it up.  But I couldnt sleep after that.  He scared the wits out of me. 

 

On one other occasion llama packing in Sequoia National Park, we had a pretty young Park Service Backcountry Ranger stop at our camp and ask if I had a weapon (carrying a gun was legal at the time and still is legal if you have pack stock).  I responded and she asked to borrow my .357 mag. to dispatch a trouble bear that was mock- charging backpackers to get their packs a mile down the trail in the Big Arroyo.  

 

About an hour later we heard three shots followed a minute later by a fourth. Then later she hiked back into our camp,  returned my gun, offered to pay for the ammo, and thanked us. 

--- Who woulda thought ?!

 

Fascinating, beautiful animals (speaking of the bears, not the pretty Rangers here).  I'd shoot one only if I had to.  

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

Up here in Alberta Canada Our Black Bear numbers are increasing by about 15,000 per year.

When I was guiding on the Little Smokie and Peace Rivers it was not unusual to see 200 plus bears a day in the spring at first "Green Up" along the river...

 

 

Jabez Cowboy 

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

Have I ever shot a bear?

No.

Have I ever intended to shoot a bear?

Yes.

Was it a wise choice?

Let me put it this way.

Me dear pappy built me a .36 caliber flint rifle, still have it: fine squirrel rifle, exquisitely accurate, carries a patched round ball the same size as a Navy Colt fires.

I was maybe fifteen when I struck a bear track on the ridge above our house.

A thin tracking snow was on the ground.

I thought, "Bear is shaped like a big groundhog. I've skinned out groundhogs. Mama could use a nice bear skin rug to keep her feet off that cold floor in wintertime."

De Lawd lukes out atter fules an' chilluns, and I qualified as both in that moment.

Armed with a single shot, flint lock, muzzle loading rifle with a ball the size of a sweet pea over about 40 grains of DuPont FFF, I began tracking that b'ar with full intent to fetch Mama home a tootsie tickling pelt.

The Almighty took pity upon me and sent sun enough to melt the tracking snow on the south ridge faces; I lost the tracks, and a good thing.

Had I put a .36 ball anywhere but down the ear canal or into an eye socket, the b'ar would likely have become very unhappy with me, and that's not good, for at that age I was crunchy and would taste good with ketchup.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

40 gn of fff wouldn't likely be enough for a black bear, but a well placed bigger charge of 70 to 80 gn certainly could send that .36 through the vital areas of a bears throat or through the ribs into the heart.  Either would bring him down shortly.   It is as much about velocity and aiming as about projectile mass.  

 

[Buckshot Bear]

The bear numbers that folks have posted up are impressive. They aren't going extinct anytime soon.

 

Australia has no native 'big game' we have feral Water Buffalo (hundreds of thousands that do untold damage), Feral Camels (numbering up to millions), Feral Donkeys (6 million +), half a million Feral Horses, Feral Deer (numerous species up above 3 million). Feral Pigs something like 30 million + ( a HUGE problem) and other assorted ferals.

 

The first white men must have had to make do with kangaroos and wallabies. 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

440 lb Black bear sow near Kemmerer Wyoming Fall of 1963.  Distance stepped off to approximately 60 ft.  .35 Remington Model 8 autoloader with 210 grain bullet.

 

She dropped where shot and I have always regretted killing her, but she was very old and crippled up and winter was coming on.  The man whose land we were on was the father of a girl I was dating.  He told me she needed to be put down but he didn't have the heart for it.

 

Had more bear, cougar, bobcat and coyotes in southern California than we had in Utah all the time I lived there.  We had more deer and elk than any place I lived until we moved here.

[Pat Riot]

37 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said:

The bear numbers that folks have posted up are impressive. They aren't going extinct anytime soon.

 

Australia has no native 'big game' we have feral Water Buffalo (hundreds of thousands that do untold damage), Feral Camels (numbering up to millions), Feral Donkeys (6 million +), half a million Feral Horses, Feral Deer (numerous species up above 3 million). Feral Pigs something like 30 million + ( a HUGE problem) and other assorted ferals.

 

The first white men must have had to make do with kangaroos and wallabies. 

Can you “hunt” the buffalo, deer and pigs? I put hunt in quotation marks because I am not sure shooting a water buffalo would actually be hunting. At least the ones I encountered have been dumber than hammers and slow as heck. 
Wild pig tastes pretty good if they get enough water and good food. 

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

I've never hunted bear, but have eaten some.  Bear meat is delicious.

 

Here is a road sign I saw in Alaska.  

[Buckshot Bear]

17 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Can you “hunt” the buffalo, deer and pigs? I put hunt in quotation marks because I am not sure shooting a water buffalo would actually be hunting. At least the ones I encountered have been dumber than hammers and slow as heck. 
Wild pig tastes pretty good if they get enough water and good food. 

 

Wild Pigs are shot in their hundreds of thousands proper tuskers.

The others are shot in their thousands as well. Its 'open season' 365 days and nights a year. There's also millions of Wild Goats.

 

Overseas hunters are also catered for, there would be thousands of tour guide shoots like these below -

 

https://www.bookyourhunt.com/en/big-game-hunt-in-australia

 

https://www.australiawidesafaris.com.au/wild-boar-hunting-safaris-2014/

 

https://huntingtrips.com.au/

 

Duck shooting is a bit on the nose down here with so much bad press with the Lefty Greenies doing there best to stop it and cause problems by interfering on wetlands and stopping duck hunters legally hunting ducks.

 

 

 

 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I am in New Hampshire, the bear population is estimated at 5000. F&G targets the bear kill at 500 per year which keeps a pretty stable population without large numbers of bears marauding the cities. One year, I think it was very wet, there was not a lot of food in the deep woods which caused the bears to move out of the deep woods in search of food. 500 bears were killed early in the season and the season was stopped.

[Tennessee Trapper Tom]

Too old to safely hunt bear anymore.  But as a younger person I ate my share of Tennessee black bear.  Absolutely some of the best wild game I’ve ever eaten. Of course, it was prepared by those who know how to. Bear steak with garlic and onions was my favorite

[Painted Mohawk SASS 77785]

Saw a 'bear behind once !

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

33 minutes ago, Painted Mohawk SASS 77785 said:

Saw a 'bear behind once !

 

 ..... was you peeking ?   

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

3 hours ago, Bellatrix said:

Arrow placement ?

Slightly to the right of center, sliced inside right lung, cut veins/arteries of top of heart cut femoral artery inside left leg exited rear .

Found arrow behind where bear had been, complete penetration front to back. 160 grain "Snuffer" 3 blade cuts a big hole.

Bow used was a custom recurve made here in Canada, arrow was a 2419 Easton shaft, feather fletched.

 

Jabez Cowboy  

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

I have not had to shoot one , as of yet , IF they leave me alone , I do the same 

 

 I have had a few very close encounters with black bears , NO grizzys , in AR , that I know of 

 

 closest , was in a grape orchard , turned the corner , was about 20 ft , I looked at it , drew the 1911 , It looked at me 

 

 pretty well a stand off , I back up a couple of steps , it did the same , then off it went , 

 

  got a couple on the land down south , so far we get along just fine 

 

  Chickasaw Bill 

[sassnetguy50]

11 hours ago, Bellatrix said:

was once bowhunting for elk, walking down and old overgrown logging road. I rounded a corner and found myself about twenty yards or so from a big sow with a couple cubs. we stared at each other for a minute. then I just slowly backed away.

from the ridge I watched them for about an hour.
one of the cubs climbed up a tree. ran up it about as fast as a squirrel would. eventually the sow and other cub moved off up the ridge across from me. when they left, the cub in the tree started wailing.

the sow gave out a bark and that cub ran straight down that tree, to join them.
till then I had no idea bears could climb so well.

Momma bear can climb twice as fast if she sees you in a stand up that same tree.

[Michigan Slim]

I know of five different bears using my 40 acres in Michigan. That's just what we have seen. 

[Buckshot Bob]

12 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

 

FYI, while Grizzly bears are quite large the photo you posted was shot using a forced perspective to make the bear appear MUCH larger that it actually is.

 

The Camera is very close to the nose while the man is 7 or 8 feet away.

That tends to be a fairly standard practice in hunting and fishing photos