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Post by brobear on Feb 13, 2020 9:47:36 GMT -5
Mr. Elkins has these "bear dogs" for what reason exactly? I strongly feel the temptation to use words I don't normally like to use.
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Post by King Kodiak on Feb 13, 2020 12:20:07 GMT -5
Mr. Elkins has these "bear dogs" for what reason exactly? I strongly feel the temptation to use words I don't normally like to use. Yeah, ha ha ha. Looks like Mr Elkins likes to harass bears with trained dogs. Well, 3 of his dogs paid the price.
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Post by brobear on Mar 12, 2020 2:38:17 GMT -5
The Winton Foundation for the Welfare of Bears Bears of the World: AMERICAN BLACK BEARS! Here are ten fun black bear facts for you: ❶ How big are black bears? ◦ The black bear Ursus americanus is the smallest, yet most common, of the three bear species found in America (after the polar bear and grizzly bear). They’re still pretty big though! Black bear weight varies enormously depending on age, sex and time of year – black bears can be 30% heavier in autumn than they are in spring. ◦ As a result, adult black bears can weigh anywhere from 45-250kg. According to one study in California, adult female black bears weighed an average of 58kg, while males weighed 86kg ( 190 pounds ) on average. Black bears living in Alaska that can feed extensively on salmon weigh around 30kg more. ◦ Black bears are hugely strong as well, able to casually flip boulders weighing over 140kg ( 309 pounds ) with a single paw. ❷ Where do black bears live? ◦ Black bears are only found in North America. The species ranges from Canada in the north to Mexico in the south, and lives predominantly in forests, feeding on fruit, nuts, shoots and vegetation. ◦ Across their entire range throughout North America, black bears are thought to have a total population of around 800,000. ❸ Can black bears climb trees? ◦ Black bears are excellent climbers and are often photographed scaling trees. Their claws give them great grip, and the branches offer youngsters safety from predators. Cubs can be very adventurous, climbing high into the treetops. ❹ Can black bears swim? ◦ Black bears are also good swimmers, and will readily enter water in search of fish. Black bear cubs take to the water easily and quickly. One of our favourite black bear facts is that one adult is believed to have swum nine miles along the Gulf of Mexico. ❺ Black bear lifespan ◦ Black bears live for an average of 18 years in the wild, but the record is an impressive 39 years. The oldest captive black bear was 44 years old when it died. ❻ How fast can a black bear run? ◦ Black bears tend to shuffle along slowly when walking, but are able to run at speeds of around 40-50kph ( 30 mph ). However, they cannot maintain this pace for long. Plump bears in heavy winter coats tire out particularly quickly. ❼ Are black bears always black? ◦ Despite their name, black bears are not always black – they can also be light brown, blond or even grey-blue. A subspecies of black bear with white fur, known as the Kermode or spirit bear, lives in British Columbia. ◦ With a population of no more than 400 left in the wild, spirit bears are some of the world’s rarest mammals – but also among the most incredible. ❽ How many cubs do black bears have? ◦ Female black bears can give birth to up to six cubs, but typically have two to three, and usually breed every other year. Cubs stay with their mother for about 18 months. ❾ Hunting black bears ◦ According to Born Free USA, black bears can be legally hunted in 27 states in America, and between 40,000 to 50,000 bears are legally hunted there each year. More are illegally poached, and many are killed in car accidents as well. ❿ What should you do if you see a black bear? ◦ If you come across a black bear at close range, the usual advice is to retreat slowly, still facing the bear. Do not run. Black bears are known to make mock-charges to within a few metres – if they do this, stand your ground and shout. ◌ #BearsMatterMonth ◌ #BearsInTheWild ◌ #EightBearSpecies ◌ #UrsusAmericanus Black Bear by Tammy Nash @ Shutter Life Images www.facebook.com/PhotographybyTammyNash/This was taken from a vehicle about 75 feet away - a big crop and enlarged in Topaz GigaPixel Info Source: www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-…/…/facts-about-black-bears/
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Aug 6, 2020 10:43:24 GMT -5
When do black bears become fully grown ? Is it similar to brown bears? Quick Facts Scientific Name: Ursus americanus Adult size: 4.5-5 feet long and 2-3 ft high at shoulders; approximately 5-6 feet tall when standing on hind legs Weight: 200-600 lbs for adult males; 150-250 lbs for adult females; 4-10 lbs as cubs emerging from den; less than 1 lb at birth Life span: approximately 10 years in the wild Maturity: 6 years for males; 2-5 years for females Litter size: 2-3 cubs (up to 5 have been reported) iseemammals.org/aboutBears
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Post by King Kodiak on Aug 17, 2020 15:13:08 GMT -5
Check this out brobear, the lion in this account here had a chest girth of 48 inches and weighted 350 lbs:
domainofthebears.proboards.com/post/34205/thread
This black bear biologist estimates the weight of black bears by their chest girth. Well, a black bear with a chest girth of 45 inches weights 300 lbs, and a black bear with a chest girth of 50 inches weights 385 lbs.
What about estimating the weight of a black bear? It’s tough on the hoof, but after the bear is down, the task can be easy. A girth measurement is the easiest method in estimating weight. Here’s how you do it. The chest circumference should be taken around the chest immediately behind the shoulder. The tape should be snug, not tight. Girth measurement: 25 inches - 55 pounds live weight, 30 inches - 108 pounds, 35 inches - 161 pounds, 40 inches - 225 pounds, 45 - 300 pounds, 50 inches - 385 pounds, 55 inches - 481 pounds, 60 inches - 588 pounds.
www.tiogapublishing.com/potter_leader_enterprise/hints-for-sizing-up-black-bears/article_c2dc1d63-2eec-5e09-87d7-3b1d2fa1e432.html
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Post by King Kodiak on Nov 7, 2020 7:19:06 GMT -5
WEIGHTS OF BLACK BEARS:
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Nov 7, 2020 8:45:55 GMT -5
These black bears in Pennsylvania are heavier than average.
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smedz
Ursus abstrusus
Recent Graduate
Posts: 410
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Post by smedz on Dec 14, 2020 17:50:38 GMT -5
bear.org/myth-when-bears-lose-their-fear-of-people-they-become-more-likely-to-attack/ Myth: When Bears Lose Their Fear of People, They Become More Likely to Attack Untrue. Bear researchers across America have found that such bears are no more likely to attack, and may be less likely to attack, than other bears. Here is a summary of the evidence, starting here near Ely. In nearby Eagles Nest Township, MN, residents have fed wild black bears since 1961. Dozens of bears have lost their fear of people over the years. No one was attacked. A story about one of those bears is here: “Ed Orazem: the man who feeds bears,” published in the Ely Echo, August 26, 1985. At the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary near Orr, MN, people have hand-fed and petted hundreds of wild black bears for decades. Until the mid-1990’s, the public was free to mingle with the wild bears without rules or supervision. People teased bears with food for pictures. Toddlers steadied themselves against 500-pound bears. People lifted children up to bears’ mouths for reasons beyond understanding. There were occasional nips and scratches, but no attacks. Around Ely, researchers have worked closely with wild black bears since 1969 (plus 2 previous years in Michigan). No bear came after them and hurt them. For over 30 years, Ely researchers and 100+ volunteers spent thousands of hours walking with dozens of black bears, including mothers with cubs (Rogers and Wilker 1990). There were occasional nips and scratches, but no attacks. The more accustomed the bears became to observers, the more they ignored them. In Michigan, Dr. Terry DeBruyn spent 4 years walking with wild black bears, including mothers with cubs, for his Ph.D. The bears did not attack anyone. Read his experiences in Walking With Bears here on the Book Table. Ely researcher, Lynn Rogers recording data In Pennsylvania, Dr. Gary Alt spent over a decade studying a 7-square-mile community called Hemlock Farms where 7,000 people coexisted with 21 bears. That many bears in 7 square miles is a higher bear density than exists in any national park or national forest. People regularly hand-fed the bears. No one was attacked. In Smoky Mountains National Park, Dr. Jane Tate studied wild black bears that people fed along roadsides (Tate 1983). She watched in disbelief as raucous tourists crowded around bears to hand-feed them, pour beer over their heads, lure them into cars for photos, and put honey on kids’ faces for bears to lick. She reported that the bears were “amazingly tolerant and restrained.” When people tried to pet bears that were not used to it, some bears defensively nipped or cuffed people, causing minor injuries, but the bears did not attack. The more accustomed to people the bears became, the less likely they were to cause injury. Between 1900 and 2007, wild black bears killed 60 people across North America. None of these bears were accustomed to being fed or petted. Forty-seven of the killings were in remote areas of Canada and Alaska where people and bears have little contact. Only 3 were in eastern states (2 in Tennessee, 1 in New York) where encounters are frequent. See more on these killings elsewhere in the Bear Center. People mingle with bears at dump For decades, people mingled with black bears at garbage dumps where bears had lost their fear of people. In 1989, a researcher asked hundreds of bear biologists at an Int’l Bear Conference if they had ever heard of anyone being attacked at a garbage dump. No one had. Near Grand Marais, MN, Jack Becklund formed close relationships with 10 bears around his rural residence during 1990-1995. His book Summers with the bears tells his experiences. No one was hurt. But what about grizzly bears? At McNeil River Sanctuary in Alaska, people have closely observed grizzly/brown bears ever since the area became a sanctuary in 1967. No fences separate bears from people. Bears fight, mate, and nurse cubs within a few feet of observers. In over 60,000 encounters, no one has been hurt (Herrero et al. 2005). In Yellowstone National Park, grizzly bears that have lost their fear of people forage beside roads, ignoring tourists who vie for pictures. Dr. Stephen Herrero (2005) wrote that these bears have not injured any bear-viewers and “are less likely to attack hikers or bear viewers on a per-encounter basis.” In Alaska, Dr. Stephen Stringham leads bear-viewing groups to watch grizzly bears that are accustomed to close observation. On the basis of over 10,000 encounters, he wrote, “There is little risk of being mauled by fully acclimated bruins.” Conclusion Bears that are used to seeing people are less likely to flee but are no more likely to come after people and hurt them than any other bear. Does this mean people should approach wild bears and attempt to feed and pet them? Does it mean bears can live around people like pets? No. When people touch wild bears that are not used to being touched, the bears may shy away or occasionally nip or slap, causing minor injuries. Bear Center researchers do not consider these mild defensive reactions to be attacks. In over 50 years of working closely with wild black bears, Bear Center researchers have never had one come after them and hurt them.
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Post by tom on Dec 14, 2020 18:38:34 GMT -5
Good article Smedz. Now.... I would have pause to think that this would be true with Grizzlies. What happens when they come for food and there is no more food to give, then what?
Coastal Brown Bears are used to seeing people, sometimes up close... too close. However, most are not feeding the Bears just viewing, taking pictures and the Bears usually have plenty of food at their disposal anyway. I personally would not trust trying to befriend a GRizzly by feeding him for fear that if I ever ran out of food he may get pizzed.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Dec 14, 2020 18:58:54 GMT -5
The simple solution: Always respect the bear’s space and never let them associate you with food. A bear which loses its fear for humans are a dangerous force.
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Post by brobear on Jul 3, 2022 6:04:15 GMT -5
A study on Himalayan Brown Bear in India by Rajkishore Mohanta and Prakash Mardaraj. American Black Bear ( Ursus americanus ) Appearance Medium-sized black furred bear with a brown muzzle, but its coat can also be blue-grey, cream ( Kermode bears ), and even brown, which often results in people confusing them with brown bears. They lack the shoulder hump seen in the brown bears, and have strong, highly curved claws which are used for digging and climbing. Size Adult male black bears range from about 1.3 to 1.9 meters in length and weigh 60 to 300 kilograms. Black bears very considerably in size, depending on the quality of the food available. Males may be from about 20 to 60 percent larger than females. At birth, cubs weigh 225 to 330 grams. Habitat Black bears are normally found in both arid and moist forested areas from sea level to over 2,000 meters in North America. They are good tree climbers and strong swimmers. They often live in the same habitat as brown bears. They hibernate in the harsh winters of the northern areas. Distribution Black bears are widely distributed throughout the forested areas of North America although although they have been totally driven out from some of their original range. They are presently found in northern Mexico, 32 states of the United States, and all the provinces and territories of Canada except Prince Edward Island. Diet Black bears are omnivores ( feeding on both plant and animal material ) and feed on a wide range of foods, depending on what is available. Insects, nuts, berries, acorns, grasses, roots and other vegetation form the bulk of their diet in most areas. Black bears can also be efficient predators of deer fawns and moose claves. In some areas of coastal British Columbia and Alaska they also feed on spawning salmon. Threats and Status The most numerous of all bear species with around 600,000 in the wild. Legal hunting for sport, trophy and pests accounts for the deaths of over 40,000 bears annually. Hunting with dogs and with bows and inexperienced hunters causes much suffering to bears. A growing number of these bears are killed just for the gall bladder, which is sought after in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
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Post by brobear on Aug 12, 2022 7:02:09 GMT -5
The Brutal Wasteful 19th Century/early 20th: *Note: as often happens, picture vanished.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Aug 18, 2022 5:59:17 GMT -5
/\ The century where many bears and other animals were killed .
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Post by brobear on Jan 27, 2023 10:23:49 GMT -5
American black bear defenders.org/wildlife/black-bear#:~:text=Black%20bear%20fur%20is%20usually%20a%20uniform%20color,cinnamon%2C%20and%20blond%20coloration%20in%20addition%20to%20black. The American black bear is the smallest of the three bears species found in North America and is found only in North America. Black bears have short, non-retractable claws that give them an excellent tree-climbing ability. Black bear fur is usually a uniform color except for a brown muzzle and light markings that sometimes appear on their chests. Eastern populations are usually black in color while western populations often show brown, cinnamon, and blond coloration in addition to black. Black bears with white-bluish fur are known as Kermode (glacier) bears and these unique color phases are only found in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Defenders' Impact Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for black bear recovery. Thanks to conservation efforts by the state of Florida, Defenders of Wildlife and others, the Florida black bear was removed from the Florida state threatened species list on August 24, 2012. We work with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on developing long-term plans for managing and connecting bear habitat throughout the state and reducing bear mortality on roads. We have also provided a variety of coexistence programs and resources, such as bear-resistant dumpsters, to help prevent human-bear conflicts.
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Post by brobear on Feb 4, 2023 5:51:11 GMT -5
Black bears may play important role in protecting gray fox Date: June 3, 2021 Source: University of New Hampshire Summary: Bears are known for being devoted and protective of their baby cubs, but research shows that they may also play a significant role in shielding gray fox from predators like coyotes, who compete with the fox for food and space. The research is one of the first studies to show how black bears provide a buffer to allow other, smaller carnivores to safely co-exist. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210603171252.htm Bears are known for being devoted and protective of their baby cubs, but research from the University of New Hampshire shows that they may also play a significant role in shielding gray fox from predators like coyotes, who compete with the fox for food and space. The research is one of the first studies to show how black bears provide a buffer to allow other, smaller carnivores to safely co-exist. "Even though black bears and coyotes are the two most common carnivores in North America, we're still learning how they affect the ecosystems around them," said Rem Moll, assistant professor of wildlife ecology and lead author of the study. "What's unique about bears is that they hibernate, so they literally disappear for half a year, which we now know can shift animal habits in the ecosystem." In the study, published in the journal Oecologia, researchers took a closer look at the hierarchy of carnivores to see if a major life trait, like hibernation, had a significant effect. In the western part of Nevada, near Lake Tahoe, the researchers tracked and monitored the top species of carnivores which included black bears, which are the largest and most dominant species, followed by coyotes, bobcats, and finally gray fox, which are the smallest (a bit larger than a cat) and most subordinate species. They found that in summer the gray fox stayed close to areas populated by black bears which appeared to provide a top-down buffering effect helping to protect the gray fox from the coyotes. But in the winter, when bears were hibernating, this pattern reversed and coyotes were three times more likely to move into the now vacant bear territories and the gray fox, no longer secure by the presence of the black bear, moved out. This pattern suggests that the top carnivore -- black bears -- provided a shield for the gray fox from competition with coyotes. But this "bear shield" was only seasonal, disappearing when the bears hibernated. "In our field of research, there is something called the "landscape of fear" -- the idea that there is a pecking order and that both predators and prey will change their behavior to avoid getting killed," said Moll. "For decades this was overlooked, so there aren't a lot of studies showing the connection between black bears and coyotes -- two of the most common carnivores in the U.S. -- but this work suggests that fear is important in defining the species roles in the ecosystem." The researchers say even though this study was done near Lake Tahoe, where black bears were nearly extinct a few decades ago, they believe these instinctual actions could be a very common dynamic in any area where black bears, gray fox and coyotes co-exist.
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Post by Montezuma on Mar 25, 2023 22:18:49 GMT -5
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Post by Montezuma on Mar 25, 2023 22:20:05 GMT -5
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Post by Montezuma on May 16, 2023 3:47:06 GMT -5
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Post by brobear on Nov 4, 2023 2:36:20 GMT -5
How High Can a Black Bear Reach? bear.org/how-high-can-a-black-bear-reach/ The bear on the left, a medium-sized male reaching for the backpack is taller than most female black bears. He stands about 6 feet to the tip of his up-stretched nose and is reaching to maybe 7 feet. Adult bears are not good at vertical jumping, so anything above 7 ½ feet would be out of reach for this bear and most bears. The huge wild male on the right with the 6-foot researcher is about as large a black bear as a person could hope to see. At 876 pounds, he is only 4 pounds short of the world record for a wild bear. He could not reach above 9 feet. The U.S. Forest Service recommends hanging food above 10 feet, which undoubtedly will put food beyond the reach of any black bear. Lynn Rogers and Duffy
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Post by brobear on Nov 4, 2023 2:39:33 GMT -5
In the picture above; Notice the white V on Duffy's chest.
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