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Interesting Fact about Black Bears

The article talks about bear numbers going down due to hunting. 6% growth rate down from 17% before hunting. And 2/3 were male. I remember reading elsewhere that hunting in alberta for bears actually increased their numbers. Hunting took out the big boars that would have usually killed off the younger competition. And since killing a sow with cubs is illegal the number of sows stayed up the young had more of a chance of making it to maturity.
 
Is the 6% growth rate a bad thing. Hunting season would only be allowed, by the Department of Natural Resources, if there are a surplus. 6% is still an increase so my observation is they did not say what a healthy amount of growth, of population would be. The bottom line is the Department of Natural Resources normally will publish the legal take each year to mange a healthy population based on current conditions as they do in all states for all game. No worries unless there is definitive proof the DNR is not doing a good job, and they normally do a good job with the resources they have.
Best Regards,
 
Bears in Yellowstone have learned what car model trunks are easiest to open......recognize that model.....head for it.

One of the problems of bear proof containers ......big overlap between the smartest bear and the dumbest human.
Making them bear proof and still be able to be opened by humans
 
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One thing I have experience with them is they are extremely inquisitive which can be royal PITA with a back country camp.
Yep, my fishing buddies and had to sleep like "sardines" in our 18' boat one night in northern Quebec years ago after a black bear raided our camp…he swatted the tent and tore it right near my head as we were sleeping.."a rude awakening" to be sure
 
I was told this story from an old guy that had a hunting cabin in the Adirondack Mountains of NY State: Seems he had several tin cans of various fruits, vegetables, and corned beef hash stored on a shelf in the cabin. Upon entering the cabin for the fall clean-up, it was instantly obvious a black bear had broken in and gorged itself on all the canned goods by simply tearing them open with its teeth. During the clean-up the old guy noticed there were a half-dozen unopened cans mixed in with the torn-open empties. And in every single one of the unopened cans were beets! So the old guy surmised this black bear didn't like beets. What he couldn't tell, was the bear able to read the labels? Or was he able to smell the beets inside the tin cans? The mystery continues to this day….
 
I had a bear license last year and had this brute come in only at night. That is a 55 gallon drum he is leaning on.
 

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I had that story from a European hunter who decided to book a bear hunting trip somewhere in Romania in the mid 80's. During the whole week with his guide they desperately try to find a bear to shoot. Anyway on the last morning they climb over a hill, and start glassing over a distant road on the side of the opposite hill. And then they could hardly believe what the saw: a bear was riding a bicycle on that road! The bottom of the story was that a bear from a traveling circus had escaped with the bicycle he was using to do the show and was seen from time to time riding on the local roads. I am not sure how true is the story, but it always captivate the audience around a camp fire.
 
In the old days in NM, a deer tag came with a bear and turkey tag attached. I never saw a bear or a turkey. Fast forward 20 years or so, and I saw my first wild bear... in my tent. Fortunately, we were sleeping in the truck bed about 15 feet away. Unfortunately, I had locked up the guns and ammo in the cab, and left the keys in the tent. When I yelled at her, she stood up and growled. After a while, she went into the woods carrying a bag of Doritos. I got my spare key and retrieved a 30-06. When she came back I fired a warning shot. She left, for about 5 minutes. The second shot wasn't a warning, but I can tell you that through a scope, at 15 feet, all you see is fur. She ran off, and in the morning we found her about 50 yards away. Fast forward another 20 years, and we saw 10 bears in a week while deer hunting. NM is governed by liberals, and the environmentalists limit the number of bears harvested. One day, my buddy called me on the radio and told me to look at my Jeep. A bear was looking in the windows to see if there was any food. I don't go into the woods unarmed anymore. Now the morons want to re-introduce grizzly bears here. Maybe they'll eat some of the wolves.
 
In the old days in NM, a deer tag came with a bear and turkey tag attached. I never saw a bear or a turkey. Fast forward 20 years or so, and I saw my first wild bear... in my tent. Fortunately, we were sleeping in the truck bed about 15 feet away. Unfortunately, I had locked up the guns and ammo in the cab, and left the keys in the tent. When I yelled at her, she stood up and growled. After a while, she went into the woods carrying a bag of Doritos. I got my spare key and retrieved a 30-06. When she came back I fired a warning shot. She left, for about 5 minutes. The second shot wasn't a warning, but I can tell you that through a scope, at 15 feet, all you see is fur. She ran off, and in the morning we found her about 50 yards away. Fast forward another 20 years, and we saw 10 bears in a week while deer hunting. NM is governed by liberals, and the environmentalists limit the number of bears harvested. One day, my buddy called me on the radio and told me to look at my Jeep. A bear was looking in the windows to see if there was any food. I don't go into the woods unarmed anymore. Now the morons want to re-introduce grizzly bears here. Maybe they'll eat some of the wolves.
Right on brother .
 
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