Black bears out in acreages

[jamesonepp]

Well, they're out again wandering around the acreages and resort where my aunt lives. One boar sighted, and one sow with a cub in tow. This will be the second year for sure with this cub, if it's she's the same one as last year. There was another ? sow last year with two cubs - would she have chased the older one away already?

Next q: warden told me last year that as long as I have a signed letter from nah property owners, and legal land description, it's legal any time of year.

That being said, what to do!

It's not necessarily that the bears are a nuisance, besides the regular property destruction of bushes etc. once the berries come out in the summer, but it's a residential / resort area with kids around, and everyone is outdoors all summer. These bears aren't scared of humans - they're used to them. Bear scares are ineffective. My thoughts are that they need to go. But I would have reservations going after a cub...

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by jamesonepp

Well, they're out again wandering around the acreages and resort where my aunt lives. One boar sighted, and one sow with a cub in tow. This will be the second year for sure with this cub, if it's she's the same one as last year. There was another ? sow last year with two cubs - would she have chased the older one away already?

Next q: warden told me last year that as long as I have a signed letter from nah property owners, and legal land description, it's legal any time of year.

That being said, what to do!

It's not necessarily that the bears are a nuisance, besides the regular property destruction of bushes etc. once the berries come out in the summer, but it's a residential / resort area with kids around, and everyone is outdoors all summer. These bears aren't scared of humans - they're used to them. Bear scares are ineffective. My thoughts are that they need to go. But I would have reservations going after a cub...

If these particular bears are not causing a problem, then you should consider keeping them as a friendly resident. If you kill these ones others Will move in and the new tenants might be a nightmare.


This old boar has been around for over ten years. The bear and I had a "discussion" early on and came to terms on some strict rules. He has stayed out o the garbage, never been confrontational, well, except for during the rule making meeting, and has only hogged the patio on one beautiful fall day.

"Evicting" him will mean trying our luck on the personality of a new bear.

[Toromir]

Originally Posted by jamesonepp

Well, they're out again wandering around the acreages and resort where my aunt lives. One boar sighted, and one sow with a cub in tow. This will be the second year for sure with this cub, if it's she's the same one as last year. There was another ? sow last year with two cubs - would she have chased the older one away already?

Next q: warden told me last year that as long as I have a signed letter from nah property owners, and legal land description, it's legal any time of year.

That being said, what to do!

It's not necessarily that the bears are a nuisance, besides the regular property destruction of bushes etc. once the berries come out in the summer, but it's a residential / resort area with kids around, and everyone is outdoors all summer. These bears aren't scared of humans - they're used to them. Bear scares are ineffective. My thoughts are that they need to go. But I would have reservations going after a cub...

Can't fish and wildlife come in and relocate them or something? There is no way my kids would be outside playing with a bear in view. People seem to think that Bears are not dangerous and they come to "understandings" with them. That's garbage, ask the poor woman at suncor, oh wait, you can't. If fish and wildlife would do nothing and it came to my kids playing safely I might have an accident or two with my bear spray or an uncontrollable vehicle chasing them away....

[jamesonepp]

F&W told me that they would not relocate or take care of them, unless there was a large number of complaints concerning destruction, or in the event that they attacked a human being.

Which begs the question, why does it always seem that nothing "official" will be done until something drastic happens!

WB, I agree with your sentiment about keeping them if their not necessary problem, esp. Since the next instalment of bears would be an unknown quantity, and possibly more of a nuisance than these ones. But the flip side, is that these bears' familiarity with humans is learned behaviour, and that possibly a new batch might be more easily chased away with bear scares and spray...?

I don't know much about bear behaviour though, or how territorial they are.

[creeky]

Originally Posted by jamesonepp

Well, they're out again wandering around the acreages and resort where my aunt lives. One boar sighted, and one sow with a cub in tow. This will be the second year for sure with this cub, if it's she's the same one as last year. There was another ? sow last year with two cubs - would she have chased the older one away already?

Next q: warden told me last year that as long as I have a signed letter from nah property owners, and legal land description, it's legal any time of year.

That being said, what to do!

It's not necessarily that the bears are a nuisance, besides the regular property destruction of bushes etc. once the berries come out in the summer, but it's a residential / resort area with kids around, and everyone is outdoors all summer. These bears aren't scared of humans - they're used to them. Bear scares are ineffective. My thoughts are that they need to go. But I would have reservations going after a cub...

how do you know that, and what kind of bear scares are you describing?

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

If these particular bears are not causing a problem, then you should consider keeping them as a friendly resident. If you kill these ones others Will move in and the new tenants might be a nightmare.


This old boar has been around for over ten years. The bear and I had a "discussion" early on and came to terms on some strict rules. He has stayed out o the garbage, never been confrontational, well, except for during the rule making meeting, and has only hogged the patio on one beautiful fall day.

"Evicting" him will mean trying our luck on the personality of a new bear.

With bears, familiarity breeds contempt, something people tend to forget. You wanna wait till there's a serious incident and somebody gets hurt or killed?

Grizz

[creeky]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

With bears, familiarity breeds contempt, something people tend to forget. You wanna wait till there's a serious incident and somebody gets hurt or killed?

Grizz

somewhere in between familiarity-breeding contempt and mutual respect there's a line. It's tolerance and it's a happy place. Just because you don't understand something and are not comfortable with it should not mean you have the thing euthanized or destroyed.

[creeky]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

If these particular bears are not causing a problem, then you should consider keeping them as a friendly resident. If you kill these ones others Will move in and the new tenants might be a nightmare.


This old boar has been around for over ten years. The bear and I had a "discussion" early on and came to terms on some strict rules. He has stayed out o the garbage, never been confrontational, well, except for during the rule making meeting, and has only hogged the patio on one beautiful fall day.

[B]"Evicting" him will mean trying our luck on the personality of a new bear.

user/keetspics/media/IMG_0318.jpg.html]

Once upon a time.

Hey, remember all those neat photos in the 90s with polar bears playing with tethered/chained sled dogs around Churchhill? Well one particular day some country star (let) was being shown around in a jeep and they got it stuck and some bear got uncomfortably interested and scared them all the way to you know what.Authorities took em out and the void got filled with bears that ate chained sled dogs.

The End.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by creeky

somewhere in between familiarity-breeding contempt and mutual respect there's a line. It's tolerance and it's a happy place. Just because you don't understand something and are not comfortable with it should not mean you have the thing euthanized or destroyed.

Tolerance and a happy Place are Human concepts, not Nature's.

Grizz

[badbrass]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

With bears, familiarity breeds contempt, something people tend to forget. You wanna wait till there's a serious incident and somebody gets hurt or killed?

Grizz

That is a fair sized bear! NO?

[creeky]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Tolerance and a happy Place are Human concepts, not Nature's.

Grizz

tolerance is natural-and that would make you wrong. Happy?

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by creeky

tolerance is natural-and that would make you wrong. Happy?

I sure hope you're not the guy responsible for human, bear interaction at Suncor.

Grizz

[Forest Techer]

Originally Posted by creeky

how do you know that, and what kind of bear scares are you describing?

X2?

Cover a 5lb can of mace with peanut butter and leave it on the edge of whatever development your concerned about. To attract flies of course. Then post pictures of a black hairy behind running away.

Or tell me a bear finished off the peanut butter and washed it down with a litre of capsaicin like it was cool aid.

[creeky]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

I sure hope you're not the guy responsible for human, bear interaction at Suncor.

Grizz

the predatory black bear @ Suncor was an extreme anomaly-same species different universe

[jamesonepp]

creeky, to answer your questions, I have family out there, had a run in with momma and cubs last summer, but my two young kids were inside the house at the time. The mutual respect thing worked for me then, but with wildlife in what is essentially a residential area in the summer time, how long will that last?

The bear scares I've seen used are the pen style, pull-to-launch bangers. I've seen one launched within feet of the boar, and he just turned his head and sniffed. Either he's deaf or immune.

[220swifty]

Bean bag and/or rubber slugs to spank it when it crosses the line. I've seen then for sale in 12 ga before. Make human presence unpleasant, and they will become more prone to keeping their distance.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by creeky

the predatory black bear @ Suncor was an extreme anomaly-same species different universe

I guess if you're willing to bet the life of you, your wife, kids and neighbors on the belief you'r living with Yogi and Boo-Boo, it's your choice.

Grizz

[creeky]

Originally Posted by jamesonepp

creeky, to answer your questions, I have family out there, had a run in with momma and cubs last summer, but my two young kids were inside the house at the time. The mutual respect thing worked for me then, but with wildlife in what is essentially a residential area in the summer time, how long will that last?

The bear scares I've seen used are the pen style, pull-to-launch bangers. I've seen one launched within feet of the boar, and he just turned his head and sniffed. Either he's deaf or immune.

So what where the circumstances around your run in with the sow and cubs, did you get between them, from how far away did she charge you from and then quit. Are these bears getting into food introduced by humans (bird feeders, dog food etc), or is someone feeding them?

Where is this (BC or AB), and who in particular is conditioning these bears with the bangers, a professional?

[creeky]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

I guess if you're willing to bet the life of you, your wife, kids and neighbors on the belief you'r living with Yogi and Boo-Boo, it's your choice.

Grizz

Well, i guess we are all in big trouble then with approximately 40,000 Black Bears here in Alberta.

Is this bear alarmist thing you have going only for the weekend or are you on watch for them the whole time until the snow flies?

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

I guess if you're willing to bet the life of you, your wife, kids and neighbors on the belief you'r living with Yogi and Boo-Boo, it's your choice.

Grizz

Ok, you changed my mind. I agree with you that we should kill every bear in sight.

[skidderman]

Shoot, shovel and shut up.

[bessiedog]

Interesting approach with the boar WB.

Would you recommend this approach to someone with small kids and dogs?

I'm making an assumption here that it's just you and your wife there?

Habituated bears to human habitat areas = too much risk, wild omnivores bring too many variables into the situation.

Bear must go.

Note I said habituated.

Man could I go on about this.

[creeky]

Originally Posted by bessiedog

Interesting approach with the boar WB.

Would you recommend this approach to someone with small kids and dogs?

I'm making an assumption here that it's just you and your wife there?

Habituated bears to human habitat areas = too much risk, wild omnivores bring too many variables into the situation.

Bear must go.

Note I said habituated.

Man could I go on about this.

original poster stated the bears "are not a nuisance" i think more clarity is needed to determine whether these bears are habituated, or not. If they are habituated, as opposed to just being there, then that changes things.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

Ok, you changed my mind. I agree with you that we should kill every bear in sight.

That's not what I said. Lots of ways to discourage them, starting with no garbage or other attractants around. Good dog will do wonders. Bears know where they're not welcome. Just hunted a big black last week. Tracks 100 yds. behind the house, where I was working, but the old boy knows unpleasant things will happen if he comes too close. These people live with both kinds of bears, just across the fence, and have never had a problem, unlike some of their neighbors.

Grizz

[bessiedog]

Originally Posted by creeky

[/B]

original poster stated the bears "are not a nuisance" i think more clarity is needed to determine whether these bears are habituated, or not. If they are habituated, as opposed to just being there, then that changes things.

Ok. Not a nuisance.... But coming in the yard.....So should we not say.... Not a nuisance... Yet.

Do you know what's gonna set a bear off???

Oh we have general ideas... Food, garbage, noise, maternal protective instincts...

How bout bears that just loose it ...... Cause it's Tuesday?!!....

Co habitation with bears can only be a one way thing. We can go into their zones.... They cannot go into ours.

Too many variables creeky. Use common sense.
Animal variables... Kid variables.... Dog variables... On and on.

[Young Eldon]

Then there was the old fellow in Revelstoke that spent his evenings on his veranda watching grizzlies eat the plumbs off the trees in his back yard - after the bear walked through the school playground to get there from the river whear it slept during the daytime.
I dont think he had Grizzly or Adams in his name!

[bessiedog]

Timothy Treadwell?

Lol

You need a bear hug

[creeky]

Originally Posted by bessiedog

Ok. Not a nuisance.... But coming in the yard.....So should we not say.... Not a nuisance... Yet.

Do you know what's gonna set a bear off???

Oh we have general ideas... Food, garbage, noise, maternal protective instincts...

How bout bears that just loose it ...... Cause it's Tuesday?!!....

Co habitation with bears can only be a one way thing. We can go into their zones.... They cannot go into ours.

Too many variables creeky. Use common sense.
Animal variables... Kid variables.... Dog variables... On and on.

Original poster does not say bears are in the yard, he says:"wandering around the acreages and resort where my aunt lives"

So- i would dearly love to know the scale of this place as to where his Aunt's place is in relation to these bear sighting's particularly in that F&W won't relocate unless there are more complaints! What's the proximity, 1km/2km/25 yards, is it a resort bordering wilderness what is it, where is it? It's important-then we have some context of scale. Hopefully the original poster will provide that information so we can get that gaping hole of vital information cleared up?


I spend a boat load of time in bear country and around bears Bessiedog, and "Common Sense" i can assure you goes a long long ways.

[pdfish]

Originally Posted by bessiedog

Ok. Not a nuisance.... But coming in the yard.....So should we not say.... Not a nuisance... Yet.

Do you know what's gonna set a bear off???

Oh we have general ideas... Food, garbage, noise, maternal protective instincts...

How bout bears that just loose it ...... Cause it's Tuesday?!!....

Co habitation with bears can only be a one way thing. We can go into their zones.... They cannot go into ours.

Too many variables creeky. Use common sense.
Animal variables... Kid variables.... Dog variables... On and on.

Damn I hate those Tuesdays, always set me off too.
Be careful Bessie, you're making WAY too much sense for these boards.

[Mulehahn]

To the original poster, if it is the same bear as last year, yes it is likely that one of her cubs has already left. She should be going into heat soon if she hasn't already. That means that there is probably a few more boars around that you don't know about. No doubt you saw the dominant male, but others could be in the bush or up a tree sleeping. In your post you mentioned berries, does your Aunt plant them or do they naturally grow in the area? It doesn't really make a difference as both will attract bears and there is really nothing you can do about it, but it would make a difference in how I deal with them. If your Aunt plants them and people come over to visit and pick them, I would say the solution is a rifle. If the berries are just wild all over the acreage then I would be a lot slower to kill them. New bears will come in, and you will have to kill those to.

You could try contacting Margo Supplies out of High River for bean bag rounds or rubber shot. Those are a lot more affective in conditioning them to avoid humans and creating space. Loud noises to me are better for letting a bear know you are there and to not mess with you. Bear Spray is effective in the event of an attack, but it is also documented to attract areas to the area sprayed.