Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Jun 30, 2016 7:04:16 GMT -5
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Post by broseph82 on Jun 30, 2016 11:25:08 GMT -5
Intheswamp I was near your stomping grounds Monday coming back from FL.
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 30, 2016 11:49:49 GMT -5
Their range is not expanding. Black bears were once found through out N. America. They are just reclaiming their territory. As more and more people are leaving the rural countryside and moving to urban centers. The wildlife is reclaiming their old turf. Happening here to. Cougars, bears and wolves are now being reported in the river hills. Also the drop in the hunter population is causing the deer population to explode. Bringing in more top predators. For all you anti gun and hunting people. Can't remember who said this but its true. "every action has a equal reaction" If you are ever in the woods and you come across this. Be afraid, very afraid!
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 30, 2016 11:54:55 GMT -5
Last time out at my claim. I see the Avon lady left me a note on my trailer door. If you look at the lock. A two legged bear was also there. But thats another story I working on.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jun 30, 2016 12:05:12 GMT -5
Not a black bear, but...
There are more and more black bears up in the LA area. Don't need to worry about them down here. Scary, they are destructive and deadly.
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 30, 2016 12:15:47 GMT -5
And very smart.
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garock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,168
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Post by garock on Jun 30, 2016 16:52:42 GMT -5
I have heard of black bear being seen north or Opelika near the town of Waverly ! Waverly is were my Grandfather Foster and Grandmother Foster lived. Both are buried there. My Grandfather operated a grist mill for many years at Stephens Pond. Not far from the dam is where the Alabama blue quartz is found. The old mill is still standing but not in operation. Had lots of fun fishing at the dam. Caught bream with only a gold colored bare hook. Reckon they were pretty hungry ! Opelika was the first town we lived in after Mom and Dad came back from Wyoming. They were there about 2 1/2 years.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jun 30, 2016 17:14:41 GMT -5
And then they can also be quite humorous -
But WTF was the guy on the left thinking at the end? Has he not heard of zoom?
Closer than I would care to get. Mama and young 'uns, could have turned ugly in a New York minute. I can watch on my computer, from the comfort of my living room, with no risk, lol!
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Jun 30, 2016 23:44:41 GMT -5
Years ago, back in the mid-90's me and my BIL were on a half-a-cruise (another story) and were waiting in Skagway, AK for the cruise ship to pick us up for the ride back down to Vancouver (I think that's how it was). Anyhow, we had actually packed our sleeping bags *in case* we had a chance to camp out one night (neither of us had been on a cruise before). Well, being as we had a few days to kill in/around Skagway we went camping. Two roads lead out of Skagway...one heads up to White Pass and into Canada. The other one is a gravel road that dead-ends close to a glacier. Naturally we explored both. We were on the gravel road when we decided we wood park down by the river (was on a rental car) and go back up and sit on the narrow one lane bridge that crossed this beautiful glacier slush river. I had smuggled some of our local rye whiskey on the trip and we were sitting on the railing of the bridge about to have a toast to the glacier slush, or maybe it was a toast to the bridge, maybe to the label on the Alaskan Amber we had got to know... Anyhow about the time I raised my glass to my BIL I looked past him and at the end of the bridge, between us and the car, was a mama brown bear and two cubs and they were wanting to cross the bridge!! We sat there a minute and my BIL in a low voice said "Do you think if we sit here real still they'll walk past us?"... Now this bridge was barely 8' wide. Well, about that time the mama bear sent the cubs back down to the river...then she stood up on her hind feet and acted real friendly waving at us with both big ol' paws!!!!! We got the hint and hopped down off the railing and started walking to the other end of the bridge. As soon as we started walking she started walking behind us and the two cubs rejoined her. BIL and I quickly discussed what might happen at the end of the bridge. We quickly peered over the solid side of the bridge where it joined the road...straight down about 20 feet to rocks. And "mama" was about on us. Well, we were standing at the end of the bridge on one side of the road. When "mama" got to the end of the bridge she turned and crashed into the woods on the opposite side...then one cub followed her...then the second one. We were just hoping neither cub had a mean streak and would let out a little yelp to sic "mama" on us!!! Anyhow, I had my camera with me and managed to get a shot over my shoulder as we were walking off the bridge. I scanned many years ago to go on an old website I had and this is a small image but...here it is. threebears by Intheswamp, on Flickr
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Jun 30, 2016 23:48:36 GMT -5
bushmanbilly, that's a BIG pawprint! No thank you mam, don't want nothing to do with that!!!!!!
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jul 1, 2016 12:08:35 GMT -5
And then they can also be quite humorous -
But WTF was the guy on the left thinking at the end? Has he not heard of zoom?
Closer than I would care to get. Mama and young 'uns, could have turned ugly in a New York minute. I can watch on my computer, from the comfort of my living room, with no risk, lol!
I was thinking the same thing even before the last idiot dude walked into the picture. Even with zoom, that mama could have been on them in seconds. Cubs are cute, but also very curious. They will walk up to you to check you out. Then your dealing with the mama.
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jul 1, 2016 12:34:22 GMT -5
bushmanbilly, that's a BIG pawprint! No thank you mam, don't want nothing to do with that!!!!!! That's not my boot, thank god! Have not come across anything that big on the claim yet. The prints on my door are from a 2 year old. He wanted what the Aholes left behind in my trailer. I had to chase him off a few times while I was cleaning up the mess. After they broke in they must have stayed there for a few days or loaded up the trailer with food knowing a bear could rip the place apart covering their tracks. I cleaned up a garbage bag and 2 five gallon pals of moldy bread, dog food and other rotten food. I bear proofed my trailer the best I could. But the two legged bears are the real problem.
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jul 1, 2016 12:43:41 GMT -5
bushmanbilly, that's a BIG pawprint! No thank you mam, don't want nothing to do with that!!!!!! Sorry couldn't hold this one back. Ya its a cheap shot. I wish all I had to worry about is a little itty bitty snake.
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grayfingers
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Member since November 2007
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Post by grayfingers on Jul 1, 2016 12:59:24 GMT -5
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Jul 1, 2016 18:02:32 GMT -5
So, gonna climb a tree and get away from the bear, eh?
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Jul 1, 2016 18:06:07 GMT -5
Yep, Billy, the two legged kind's the worst!
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Jul 1, 2016 20:21:08 GMT -5
We've even had a couple of bear sightings here on the ranch on the last couple of years. Seem to be expanding their range quite a lot. Protected species here too Jaguars a jaguarundis seem to be expanding int some of their old ranges too. Like we already don't have enough weird stuff showing up here already. Never know what critter is gonna pop out of the brush here in the Hill Country....Mel
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Jul 2, 2016 7:39:50 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 2, 2016 13:07:51 GMT -5
They are around Atlanta too. Along the river. In Florida they eat a lot of Palm berry's. Dry year makes few berries and they feast on garbage. I have seen a mama bear crossing the road with 4 cubs on 2 occasions. Usually just 2 cubs.
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