Bears?

[HarryPotterFan]

A bear wandered on to the grounds of the National Weather Service headquarters today. But that’s not why I’m posting. I’m posting because of the fantastic recommendations on what to do if you see a bear. Commentary in parenthesis is my own.

https://patch.com/virginia/ashburn/black-bear-invades-national-weather-service-hq-sterling

Quote

• Stay calm. If you see a bear and it has not seen you, calmly leave the area. As you move away, make noise to let the bear discover your presence. (But the bear doesn’t see you and you can escape unseen, why let the bear know you’re there?)
• Stop. Back away slowly while facing the bear. (So bears are like royalty, you can never turn your back on them)
• Give the bear plenty of room to escape. Bears rarely attack people unless they feel cornered or provoked.
• Do not run or make any sudden movements. Running could prompt the bear to give chase, and you cannot outrun a bear. If on a trail, step off the trail and slowly leave the area. (Bears will read and follow the “Stay on the trail” signs)
• If there is a bear in your yard and it approaches you, make yourself look big and make loud noises. Remain at a safe distance and throw rocks to make the bear feel unwelcome. (Wouldn’t throwing rocks aggravate the bear?)
• If there is a bear in your house prop open all doors to the outside and get out of the way of the exit. Never close a bear into a room. (Can you imagine? *locks bear in a bedroom* “Guess we have to sell the house now.”) Make noises and yell at bear to leave the house. (“Go away, bear! Get out! Leave! This is my house!”) Don't approach the bear but make sure it knows it is violating your territory. (*pees on the floor to mark my territory*)(Which let’s be honest, we’d be peeing ourselves in fear anyway. Might as well make use out of this natural fear response)
• If you surprise a bear speak softly. This may reassure the bear that you mean it no harm. (“Good bear. Who’s a good bear? You are! You’re a good bear! Nice bear.”)
• Fight back. (Wait, what? This seems like a terrible idea. This entire list is about doing everything possible to avoid fighting a bear). If a black bear attacks you, fight back. Black bears have been driven away when people have fought back with rocks, sticks, binoculars and even their bare hands.(Bare hands? Really? Really? I’m going to fight a bear with my bare hands? THE BEAR WILL WIN BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACTUAL BEAR HANDS!! THEY WILL BEAT YOU BEAR HANDED!)

 

 

[PennySycamore]

I'll have to ask my daughter who majored in meteorology if she's heard about the bear at NWS HQ.  

I don't know if they still sell them but some backpacking outfitters sold bear bells to put on your backpack's frame to alert any bears to your presence.  They were also known as dinner bells.

[HarryPotterFan]

Just now, PennySycamore said:

They were also known as dinner bells.

To alert the bears that it’s dinner time?

I feel like bear bells is a better name. Or maybe something more threatening, like Scare Bear.

[PumaLover]

Love the commentary! You can fight back against a black bear. If it's a grizzly you're most likely screwed.

A lot of these suggestions are similar if you run into a mountain lion (cougar, panther-all the same thing). Don't run, make yourself look large, fight back if attacked. I live in mountain lion and bear territory so I kind of expect to run into them at any time. I also make a lot of noise if I hike and I have a pole I'm going to start taking with me when I walk the dogs, just in case.

Funny story, years ago when I saw a bear in Yosemite, I panicked and ran away. Exactly what you're NOT supposed to do! 

2 minutes ago, HarryPotterFan said:

To alert the bears that it’s dinner time?

I feel like bear bells is a better name. Or maybe something more threatening, like Scare Bear.

I also have a large keychain that I'll clip onto my backpack when I'm hiking. It's always better than wild animals (especially large ones that can eat you) know you're coming!

[PennySycamore]

I think the bells did not quite work as intended.  They were supposed to make it less likely that you'd run into a bear as most bears will avoid human contact.  There are those rogue bears, though, and bells let them know there was a snack around.

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

3 hours ago, PumaLover said:

A lot of these suggestions are similar if you run into a mountain lion (cougar, panther-all the same thing). 

There are cougar sightings in my city some years, usually in my parents' general area and usually in the summer. (They've all been younger males who seem to be trying to establish a territory.) So when we leave my folks' house to walk to my car after an evening visit, I try to remember to keep my kids close by, and I'm less likely to shush them. If we're all together and a bit noisy, we probably look less vulnerable. I hope. I don't know if I could strangle a young cougar, like that guy in Colorado did, but I'll give it a try if I have to.

The closest I've been to a bear was a zoo, or when one was running across a road we were travelling down. Thankfully!

Edited May 22, 2019 by WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?
riffle

[squiddysquid]

Makes me think of that Weeds episode:

 

[PumaLover]

It's funny that I saw this post and commented earlier. My dogs were out in the kennel and barking like crazy. I went out to see what they were barking at, figuring it was the duck. She was nowhere to be seen and they were looking up on the side of the mountain. As a joke I said, is there a mountain lion?? (They are my favorite wild animal and I've studied them for over 10 years.) Then I heard a very loud cat cry. I was a volunteer at a wild cat sanctuary for two years and it sounded just like the mountain lion I used to work with. (The origin of my username). So what does PumaLover do? Run outside with her phone, of course.

No pumas to be seen but the dogs were dead set on something up the mountain in the dense trees. Puma Cub usually goes down the hill to lock up the chickens in the evening but I made Mr. Puma go with her tonight and take the gun, just in case.

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

@PumaLover, better safe than sorry!

[adidas]

Oh gosh. And you guys think we have some scary critters here in Australia!  

I would seriously shit myself. At least you can squash a spider. I mean, yeah it’s not fun when a big huntsman jumps on you but at least they don’t eat your entire arm off. 

[Palimpsest]

 

@PennySycamore:

Quote

We advise the outdoorsperson to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advance warning to any bears that might be close by so you don't take them by surprise. We also advise anyone using the out of doors to carry "Pepper Spray" with him in case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorspeople should also be on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between black bear feces and grizzly bear feces. Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear shit has bells in it and smells like pepper...

Around here it isn't unusual to have black bear sightings in broad daylight at this time of year.  A couple of years ago we had a mama black bear and 2 cubs hanging out in a little strip mall parking lot one Sunday morning.

The locals couldn't decide whether the bears wanted dance classes, to use the ATM, to buy a pizza, or to attend services at the (Fundie) Church of the Holy Mustard Seed.

Everyone stayed in their cars or in the buildings and the bears eventually wandered away.

[Terrie]

5 hours ago, adidas said:

Oh gosh. And you guys think we have some scary critters here in Australia!  

I would seriously shit myself. At least you can squash a spider. I mean, yeah it’s not fun when a big huntsman jumps on you but at least they don’t eat your entire arm off. 

I remember talking with someone from Australia and discovering... Australia has no megafauna. Show an Autralian a picture of a moose that has something in it for scale, and they basically go "Holy shit, kill it with fire!"

The real reason for bear bells, etc... You ever turn around and find someone standing behind you that you didn't know was there? You know how some people instinctively hit someone when that happens? Yeah, you don't want to startle a bear like that.  

[HarryPotterFan]

6 hours ago, adidas said:

Oh gosh. And you guys think we have some scary critters here in Australia!  

I would seriously shit myself. At least you can squash a spider. I mean, yeah it’s not fun when a big huntsman jumps on you but at least they don’t eat your entire arm off. 

I’m still convinced spiders can eat your entire arm off...my reaction to spiders makes my family think I’m being murdered.

[PopRox]

The most Canadian way to get rid of bears

[PennySycamore]

@PumaLover, a good friend of mine used to live in the mountains near Black Mountain, NC which is not too far east of Asheville.  She was sitting in her backyard early one evening when she saw a puma crossing down near the woods.  She told me that she knows that they are not confirmed in the Eastern US, but she knows what she saw.  It was definitely not a bobcat.  There have also been sightings in SC.

Speaking of bobcats, did you hear about the guy who let a lost cat into his house and posted about the lost kitty on Craigslist?  It wasn't someone's lost kitty; it was a bobcat.  No wonder it wasn't tame!

One night when I was in high school (so about 45 years ago), our outside dogs barked their heads off.    I'm not sure if we told them to shut up, but in the morning, my dad went outside and one of his beehives was knocked over.  One of the dogs looked scared to death, too.  We'd had visiting bears.

Then there was the time we were in the Adirondacks and my daughter got up when her boyfriend's dog started barking about three in the morning.  My daughter looked out the door and tried to quiet the dog.  Next morning, we saw that the trash had burned turned over (my now son-in-law had forgotten to put the trash barrel in the little shed.), there were claw marks on the side of the cottage and the screen had been pushed a bit into the living room.  That motherfuckin' bear had been trying to get in the cottage.

 

[MomKB]

On 5/21/2019 at 9:20 PM, HarryPotterFan said:

A bear wandered on to the grounds of the National Weather Service headquarters today. But that’s not why I’m posting. I’m posting because of the fantastic recommendations on what to do if you see a bear. Commentary in parenthesis is my own.

https://patch.com/virginia/ashburn/black-bear-invades-national-weather-service-hq-sterling

 

 

OMG your commentary is hilarious!

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

Well, that's new!

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/bear-spotted-near-columbia-village-subdivision/277-088b5db9-f7ef-40ac-967c-dc94169427c3

Not an area of town I would have expected a bear to visit. It's next to sagebrush and semi-desert, not hills and the river. Go figure.

[PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea]

The apparent disparities in the list are because not all types of bear or situations are the same (but it's confusingly worded).

Black bears (the small ones) - mostly don't attack humans but once in a while they do. They appreciate not being surprised by you (hence the bells). You can make some noise and scare them off by looking big, etc. Keep your food locked up and inaccessible, etc.

Grizzlies and polar bears - could attempt to eat you if hungry. For polar bears, they suggest playing dead, not running.

Bears showing up in suburbia is on the one hand scary, but on the other hand, a positive ecological come-back story!

[Marmion]

Believe it or not , but according to my parents , among the first to visit us , shortly after I was born , was a black bear . It had come right up to the house window and looked in at me .  We had lived in the wooded area of western Pennsylvania at the time .   Also this reminds me of this joke .  

[Ozlsn]

On 5/23/2019 at 12:12 AM, Terrie said:

I remember talking with someone from Australia and discovering... Australia has no megafauna

Well we had megafauna... but it vanished. *looks shifty* At about the same time humans arrived. *shuffles a bit* Total coincidence of course... admittedly also helped along by climate change at the time. If you're ever in Naracoorte the megafauna fossils there are pretty cool. Wombats the size of hatchbacks. Pythons with dinner plate sized ribs  (so kind of anaconda-sized). Koalas over 30% larger than now. Marsupial lions.

Also red kangaroos are pretty big, although not on the same level as bears. And they don't eat you, just disembowel you. Bears are something that I do find scary - I'm used to reptiles that will eat you, but not mammals!

[PumaLover]

16 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

Well we had megafauna... but it vanished.

I really, really want the Thylacine to still exist. It's one of the pages I follow because I'm a nerd. Not sure if they would be considered Megafauna though. But an apex predator, maybe?

@PennySycamore the eastern puma was extirpated in the early 19th century but western pumas are slowly making their way back and recolonizing. I believe the eastern puma was officially declared extinct within the last 10 years or so. A lot of people fear them but they are so beneficial to the environment, keeping deer in check. Here in California, the wolves are slowly started to creep back and inhabit our wildlands too. A lot of people hate them and fear them (cougars too) but they really are amazing and beneficial creatures.

I was giddy with excitement to photograph a rattlesnake on our property last week. Most people up here kill them on sight but it's a creature that deserves to live, too.

[Maggie Mae]

On 5/29/2019 at 7:54 AM, PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea said:

 

Black bears (the small ones) - mostly don't attack humans but once in a while they do. They appreciate not being surprised by you (hence the bells). You can make some noise and scare them off by looking big, etc. Keep your food locked up and inaccessible, etc.

Black bears are curious, which means you'll be more likely to come across them. They are mostly black but can also be brown or cinnamon. They are more likely to kill you. They are also more likely to be driven off if you fight back. 

On 5/29/2019 at 7:54 AM, PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea said:

Grizzlies and polar bears - could attempt to eat you if hungry. For polar bears, they suggest playing dead, not running.

For polar bears, you should say your prayers if you can't get inside or somehow put an object (like a car) between you and the bear. Most likely someone else will shoot it if you are lucky. Or you'll find a way to get in the vehicle or building. 

Brown Bears (Grizzly Bears are a subset of brown beads) are large, often not brown, bigger, and pretty shy. They likely won't attack if you leave them alone. This is only if they aren't displaying predatory behavior, then you fight back if you are attacked. There is a difference between attacking and charging person to keep them away from food caches or whatever else. 

On 5/29/2019 at 7:54 AM, PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea said:

Bears showing up in suburbia is on the one hand scary, but on the other hand, a positive ecological come-back story!

It's not a good thing. It means urban sprawl has reached a point where they have no where else to go. Bears don't belong in the suburbs, people will have to change their lifestyles regarding trash. That's too hard, so it means more bears will die. 

[Ozlsn]

8 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

For polar bears, you should say your prayers if you can't get inside or somehow put an object (like a car) between you and the bear. Most likely someone else will shoot it if you are lucky. Or you'll find a way to get in the vehicle or building

I read a great story by a guy who went kayaking around an Arctic island with a friend when he was on vacation from university. They were very careful about where they camped etc but one day they were paddling away when he realised that they were being chased by a swimming polar bear who was apparently pretty intent on catching them. And - of course - they'd packed away the rifle securely in the waterproof bag and had no way of getting to it. He and his friend paddled like crazy until the bear finally decided they weren't worth the effort and they could collapse with relief. The best bit? The entire time he had "Staying Alive" by the BeeGees running on his walkman. I really need to remember who the author was because it was a funny book!

[Terrie]

Can I just note that now that's Pride month, I am mightily restraining myself from soooo many jokes?

[Marmion]

8 hours ago, Terrie said:

Can I just note that now that's Pride month, I am mightily restraining myself from soooo many jokes?

Ah , you mean  bear subculture .    I get the reference .