They're here!

MOgal · #1 03/02/10, 11:00 AM

Living in a rural area of Missouri and getting our electricity from a co-op, this letter to the editor definitely caught my attention. We live no more than 5 miles from the point where the writer saw this bear. We have friends who put game cameras on trails and they’ve caught bears on tape in the southern part of the county but nothing this close. Can't say that it gives me a warm, cozy feeling and I'm so glad we have Pyrs!

March 2010 Rural Missouri, p. 14

“I read with much interest the article on black bears. In July or August of 2007, I was driving a tour bus east bound on Interstate 70 around the 159 mile marker. I always look for deer, turkey or whatever. That day, I saw this cinnamon-colored animal in a bean field rubbing the ground and rolling. It was an animal I had not seen before in the wild.

“I contacted the Conservation office a couple of days later to tell them about the sighting. They told me they get a lot of bear reports from the Fulton area. It was probably 150 to 200 yards away from I-70. They also told me that all black bears are not black.

“Now I always look real hard in that area, hoping to have another bear sighting.”

texican · #2 03/02/10, 11:15 AM

Grizzlys and black bears once roamed the continent... given the chance, they will again.

I remember my grandpa telling stories from his grandpa, about seeing an elk when they first came to this area 160 years ago. Apparently buffalo migrated through here in the fall, fattening on acorn mast.

Of course, elk ARE back in the area now... there are two ranches within five miles of here that raise them... last fall, a small bull got out... some folks caught it on their game camera eating out the corn feeders.

I'd love to have some bear in the area... always wanted a half friendly bear, to ride around in the front seat of my truck...

Jerngen · #3 03/02/10, 12:06 PM

We had a black bear that lived on the ridge behind us in the U.P. It never bothered us and we never bothered it. Not a big deal really.
Used to see them on occassion during my hikes too.

seagullplayer · #4 03/02/10, 12:26 PM

Black bear are not much to worry about. They would rather hide from you.

You have more to fear from a stray dog...

upnorthlady · #5 03/02/10, 01:15 PM

We have lots of black bears where I live. I even took photos of them raiding my bird feeders. We are beekeepers, too, and we have to put up an electric fence around the hives almost all year long, except for when the bears are in hibernation. They are pretty secretive animals - I've only seen them 3 times in the almost 6 years I've been living up here.

edcopp · #6 03/02/10, 03:45 PM

I wonder if they taste like chicken.

**Cabin Fever** · #7 03/02/10, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOgal

... We live no more than 5 miles from the point where the writer saw this bear....

We slept no more than 50 feet from the bear that tested the strength of our front door and left these paw prints.

They're here! - Homesteading Questions

meanwhile · #8 03/02/10, 04:18 PM

We had a naughty pair of black bear that used to come visit our Compost Pile which was right behind our house. After seeing the bear, and Mamma Bear several times, we moved the Compost pile all the way down the hill to a lower garden.

The week after we moved the Compost Pile, the bear came and pooped right in front of our front door! The next night, they pooped where the old compost pile was, the 3rd night, behind our house......and this went on until they had pooped five times in a circle around the house!

We next found poop down by the new compost pile and we have not seen them up near the house again! But they were plenty pooped (!) that we moved the compost pile and they let us know it!

MOgal · #9 03/02/10, 04:55 PM

Actually, CF, we are probably closer to where the bear was sighted. Don't you and WIHH have a dog to warn you of such things near your house? Even a little yappy critter in the house? Better your house than mine!

Meanwhile, now you know--a bear does poop in the woods. Same question to you re a dog. This sort of visitation is a good reason why we have 5 Great Pyrenees.

Really not my idea of a good time!

Mickey · #10 03/02/10, 05:06 PM

You'll be fine with all those dogs around MoGal :-)
Mickey

Cindy in PA · #11 03/02/10, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edcopp

I wonder if they taste like chicken.

No, but they do taste very good!

MOgal · #12 03/02/10, 05:12 PM

Mickey, the dogs kept the lady who hand delivered our census forms from entering the yard today. What a waste of taxpayer money not to let the USPS perform that task!

Cindy, I figured that since they are called boars and sows, they might taste a bit like pork. I've eaten a number of game meats but never had the opportunity to eat bear. If one shows up on our place, I may find out.

Old Vet · #13 03/02/10, 05:54 PM

I live in an area that has lots of black bears and in a place to where the problem bears are borough in and turned loose. All you need to do is not feed them and you will not have any problems. All your composting may have to be in a barrel or container and don't leave dog food available. Even the frozen foods are an attracting. There was an neighbor that had a full freezer and he came home to find the freezer broke in to and stuff scattered offer a large area. As for them killing something to eat the chances of that are very slim.

tinknal · #14 03/02/10, 09:02 PM

They are pretty much just big raccoons. They are afraid of all people and every dog. I've walked right up on them at night while coon hunting. They just turn and amble off.

Oldcountryboy · #15 03/02/10, 09:14 PM

A few years ago my kids were raising rabbits. We would keep the fryers locked up in a commercial bought rabbit pen that is well made. Not some homemade hammer and staple job. One night something came along and ripped back the front of the pen. I grabbed a hold on the face of the pen to see how much strength it would take to ripe the "C" rings loose and I couldn't budge them. I know raccoons couldn't ripe the front open like that. The only solution was it had to be a bear.

Whatever it was, it made well on a good dinner for itself.

Ozarkquilter46 · #16 03/03/10, 07:48 AM

I live in Mountain View Mo right on Hwy 60 between Poplar Bluff and Springfield. Two years ago a black bear walk right down my fence line (In town) crossed the hwy and back up into the woods. I was told when I moved here in 93 they had some black bears come into town before and went thought everyones trash left out for the garbage man.

**Cabin Fever** · #17 03/03/10, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOgal

Actually, CF, we are probably closer to where the bear was sighted. Don't you and WIHH have a dog to warn you of such things near your house?...

No dog here....yet. But we do sleep with loaded guns on both of our bedside tables. We have a sliding door in our bedroom, so most of the spring, summer, and fall there is just a screen between us and the out-of-doors.

Michael W. Smith · #18 03/03/10, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seagullplayer

Black bear are not much to worry about. They would rather hide from you....

Last year in the Fall, the one night the dogs behind the house just barked and barked. I went out to investigate and could find nothing. As the barking continued, I would open the window from time to time and yell at them and it seemed like I could hear tree branches breaking. So I went out and shown the flashlight around - all to no avail.

The dogs barked ALL night long and when I woke up - they were still barking. So I went and looked out the window and there was a black bear up in the spruce tree - the tree that one of the dogs is chained to!

I went out, unhooked the dog from the chain and started away from the tree. No sooner had I turned around with the dog and starting walking, the bear bolted down the tree and ran into the corn field.

I surmise that what happened is the bear came out of the corn field and one of the 3 dogs (all are chained up) spied it and barked at it. The bear climbed the nearest tree around which just happened to be the tree one of the dogs was chained to (I'm thinking THAT dog was probably in her box sleeping when the bear came out from the cornfield.) Once up the tree (and with the scratching and breaking of branches) this alerted the dog who was chained to the tree which came out to investigate and started barking with the others. Most bears are afraid of dogs, so sadly that bear had to spend ALL night in the tree.

But like I said, as soon as I got the dog away from the tree, the bear came down very quickly and scampered into the cornfield.

You only have to be afraid of a bear if you happen to corner it (and it has no place to go) or you end up between the mother bear and her cubs.

salmonslayer · #19 03/03/10, 03:37 PM

Quote:

You only have to be afraid of a bear if you happen to corner it (and it has no place to go) or you end up between the mother bear and her cubs.

Or if someone wounds it. We have back bears in our yard all the time to the point where we dont feed the birds in the summer (we feed Stellar Jays peanuts and the bears like them too) and we stopped composting fish remains. I used to hunt both brown and black bears but as I have gotten older I appreciate them more alive. One year we had an old sow decide to hibernate under our back deck and nothing I could do could get her to leave. It was eerie because you could see her between a couple of the deck boards and the cats would not go on that side of the deck..then one day I came home from work and she was gone.

Most of the problems with bears around here is that they get habituated to humans and become garbage bears and then end up having to be killed. They are special to see and if you have them in your area you may rarely if ever see them but its still a plus to have them IMO.

MOgal · #20 03/03/10, 03:54 PM

Most of the bears in Missouri have migrated north from reintroductions made in Arkansas in the late 50's and 60's. Sorry, I don't want them. When we lived in central AR in the mid 90's, we saw a young one and that was plenty.

All our composting and birdfeeding efforts are within our fenced yard where the dogs can patrol. Maybe that will keep them at distance. The coyotes sure don't mind getting close to the fences though.