Redonthehead
5 year old buck +
Dayum. Glad you're OK. I suppose ya'all have seen the Revenant?? Glad I don't have bears. or cougars.
All Things Habitat - Lets talk.....
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BEAR ATTACK!!!
- Thread starter NE PA QDM
- Start date
Someday isle
5 year old buck +
For what it's worth - to me it's sounds like you're acting prudently based on what you experienced. While I don't consider anything in my neck of the woods to be dangerous game the reality is they are wild animals and anything can happen. I don't always carry but sometimes feel I should. Interestingly it makes my wife feel better if she knows I have a handgun when I'm out there alone. On those occasions I have a GP 100 in .357 that I carry with me. I shot IDPA with that same gun for a couple years. I've got well over 5000 rounds through it so it's an old, comfortable friend.
Diesel5610
5 year old buck +
I have absoutely noticed more bears/coyotes and bobcats on my properties after heavy hinge cutting. I am certain the bears use some of the bigger piles to den. We have had actual "dens" also. Large holes in the ground, usually under some type of root structure. My neighbor had the same exact experience last year with his beagles, luckily the bear didn't get ahold of the dogs. Crazy experience for you, glad you and your dog came out OK.
MRBB
5 year old buck +
glad you and your dog are ok
bears nesting on top and in the open is NOT that uncommon, BUT 99% of the time its male bears that do this, its rather RARE a female would do this all the more so one that was bred and gave birth
odds are it was a very young female and not experienced, and quit honestly, odds of them cubs making it in her choice of where to give birth, they had a much lower odds of making it due to her inexperience! and the elements that they would face over the next 2-3 months
I have encountered a LOT of bears over the yrs and helped tag and do studies on bears in PA
MOST every single Female bear with cubs WE HUMANS encounteder, she would bust out of den and UP a tree ASAP
it was your dog( and NOT blaming) that actually triggered her attack, as it was just doing what nature told it to to and again odds are young inexperienced bear here, maybe even in lesser health, condition
MOST bred female bears den up LONG before the rest of bears due to being pregnant
a bear that tends to lay on top, tend to fall into this ,
BIG and FAT< young and dumb,
or in POOR shape and stay awake looking for more food till it HAD to give up and lay down
or living near a excess of food and in that case some bears will NEVER den , sleep at all
ONLY true reason bears den at all, is LACK of food, so easier to sleep thru winter than try and search for food
OR to give birth
they are NOT true hibernators as many THINK they are!
males will many time move about all winter long looking for food or just to change places, or if disturbed! (timbering in winter moves a lot of them)
bears nesting on top and in the open is NOT that uncommon, BUT 99% of the time its male bears that do this, its rather RARE a female would do this all the more so one that was bred and gave birth
odds are it was a very young female and not experienced, and quit honestly, odds of them cubs making it in her choice of where to give birth, they had a much lower odds of making it due to her inexperience! and the elements that they would face over the next 2-3 months
I have encountered a LOT of bears over the yrs and helped tag and do studies on bears in PA
MOST every single Female bear with cubs WE HUMANS encounteder, she would bust out of den and UP a tree ASAP
it was your dog( and NOT blaming) that actually triggered her attack, as it was just doing what nature told it to to and again odds are young inexperienced bear here, maybe even in lesser health, condition
MOST bred female bears den up LONG before the rest of bears due to being pregnant
a bear that tends to lay on top, tend to fall into this ,
BIG and FAT< young and dumb,
or in POOR shape and stay awake looking for more food till it HAD to give up and lay down
or living near a excess of food and in that case some bears will NEVER den , sleep at all
ONLY true reason bears den at all, is LACK of food, so easier to sleep thru winter than try and search for food
OR to give birth
they are NOT true hibernators as many THINK they are!
males will many time move about all winter long looking for food or just to change places, or if disturbed! (timbering in winter moves a lot of them)
MRBB
5 year old buck +
I honestly DON"T think I would want to shoot a bear with a .380, or a 9 mm, all the more so with a protection type bullet, there hair and hide is NOT hood for hollow point like bullets, they get slowed down FAST, and neither packs a LOT of energy
better than NOTHING if being attacked, but I don't think there good calibers to be trying to stop an angry bear with! by a bunch!
I also think that could lead to a can of worms, as sadly some game depts don't consider a DOG (mine was a kid to me) as reason to shoot a big game animal out of season
I'd pay the fine gladly, but just saying!
have personal friends that do guided bear hunts in AK< and other places, the stories I hear, are crazy, bear is a BIG solid animal folks, even smaller one's
better than NOTHING if being attacked, but I don't think there good calibers to be trying to stop an angry bear with! by a bunch!
I also think that could lead to a can of worms, as sadly some game depts don't consider a DOG (mine was a kid to me) as reason to shoot a big game animal out of season
I'd pay the fine gladly, but just saying!
have personal friends that do guided bear hunts in AK< and other places, the stories I hear, are crazy, bear is a BIG solid animal folks, even smaller one's
Terrific_tom
5 year old buck +
Finally someone that knows what they are talking about when it comes to bears.
j-bird
Moderator
Glad your OK. I'm not sure I would have the stones to kick a bear. I love my dogs, but kicking a bear isn't something I would look forward to. I'm sure it was more of a reaction vs a well thought out plan.
I don't carry a weapon with me most of the time on my place. Biggest predator we have are yotes and they tend to not stick around. We run into the occasional sick coon and the like, but never anything real serious. I really should probably carry while out and about - just in case. I used to carry all the time - had my CC permit for a long time. Biggest issues I have ever had was that of the human kind. Some of those I would love to kick in the head!
I don't carry a weapon with me most of the time on my place. Biggest predator we have are yotes and they tend to not stick around. We run into the occasional sick coon and the like, but never anything real serious. I really should probably carry while out and about - just in case. I used to carry all the time - had my CC permit for a long time. Biggest issues I have ever had was that of the human kind. Some of those I would love to kick in the head!
bigbendmarine
5 year old buck +
Extremely glad you AND your dog are ok, and absolutely think you did the right thing. Don't really see what choice you had at all. I would pick saving the life of a beloved family dog over any bear any day, and I don't say that with ill will for bears (though they can be a nuisance in my area and I have several that regularly frequent my property).
Not sure how many forum members are from WY, if any, but love to know if the story represented in this plaque is true... glad kicking worked for you and you didn't have to resort to biting!
http://i.imgur.com/o8dDb9m.jpg
Not sure how many forum members are from WY, if any, but love to know if the story represented in this plaque is true... glad kicking worked for you and you didn't have to resort to biting!
http://i.imgur.com/o8dDb9m.jpg
MRBB
5 year old buck +
quite honestly the most dangerous critter in the woods is a HUMAN< and on many game lands, forested lands today, there is even more BAD one's out there now than ever, growing dope or making it on and in the woods is more and more common
I have encountered an easy 500+ bears in my yrs in the forest and farms and backyards, and other places
never had a single experience in which I have felt in danger, and yes been about several dozen mothers with cubs
I can tell you, that can change in a heart beat too, but bear attacks are VERY rare in 99% of the places they live
bears that attach MOST times are startled bears, next will be bears injured or starving or both, a double bad deal for those that encounter these types
MOST all rural places, bears learn to adapt to humans, way better than bears in wilderness area's where human bear contact is LOW if any
thus in places like that, bears can see you possibly as FOOD
99 % of all other places bears tend to think of humans as problems they rather NOT deal with!
I carry a gun almost 24/7 and have for most of my life, love to say I never had to use it,
But over the yrs its had to come out of a holster. on several occasions
I have more concerns of humans when I wander the woods, be them public, or my own private one's.
as from all my experience , humans seem way less predictable than animals
ON a side note, I have kicked a few bears over the yrs too, and all ran off when I did so too LOL
and I'll add a FACT,
in PA's entire history, (from time they kept records say late 1800's)
only one person has been killed by a bear(or up to about 2006) don't track records like that anymore!
SO< again, odds of a bear being a killer in the woods, is rare as to humans!
I have encountered an easy 500+ bears in my yrs in the forest and farms and backyards, and other places
never had a single experience in which I have felt in danger, and yes been about several dozen mothers with cubs
I can tell you, that can change in a heart beat too, but bear attacks are VERY rare in 99% of the places they live
bears that attach MOST times are startled bears, next will be bears injured or starving or both, a double bad deal for those that encounter these types
MOST all rural places, bears learn to adapt to humans, way better than bears in wilderness area's where human bear contact is LOW if any
thus in places like that, bears can see you possibly as FOOD
99 % of all other places bears tend to think of humans as problems they rather NOT deal with!
I carry a gun almost 24/7 and have for most of my life, love to say I never had to use it,
But over the yrs its had to come out of a holster. on several occasions
I have more concerns of humans when I wander the woods, be them public, or my own private one's.
as from all my experience , humans seem way less predictable than animals
ON a side note, I have kicked a few bears over the yrs too, and all ran off when I did so too LOL
and I'll add a FACT,
in PA's entire history, (from time they kept records say late 1800's)
only one person has been killed by a bear(or up to about 2006) don't track records like that anymore!
SO< again, odds of a bear being a killer in the woods, is rare as to humans!
j-bird
Moderator
I saw a statistic once that more people on average are killed by cows in this country every year, than bears, alligators and sharks combined. Now those obviously are not "wild" cows...but you get the point. I will also agree that the number of trouble makers out in the wood sis on the rise as well. Those growing weed, making meth and lord knows what all else is a very real threat. Sounds like I just talked myself into renewing my CC permit and packing while enjoying the property as well! Maybe I need a gun rack on my tractor!
Around here most of the bears are small and afraid of people. I happened to find one that was asleep on top of her cubs, she was likely mostly scared and confused. Some of you poo-poo a 9mm as not a "bear" gun but I could have crushed her entire skull with one shot with that gun. Not as powerful as a 45 but at point blank range enough to get the bear off my dog. And if the 1st round wasn't enough there are 14 behind it. So this talk about the gun itself I think is less valuable then whether or not to have one.
PA game commission made it pretty clear that they would NOT have charged me had I killed the mom. I still feel bad I killed her cubs by virtue of them feeezing after she abandoned them but it was at least nice to know that I wouldn't be punished for protecting my dog.
MRBB
5 year old buck +
HAHA< I wouldn't, sadly
trust the PA game wardens word of NOT charging you, seen them change there mind before on things like this!
and as a FACT, not so long ago here at my place I had a bear get hit by a car, and called a warden to come dispatch it!(refused to allow me to, or even a retired warden that lives by me??)
the warden showed up to dispatch it, with a 12 gauge slug gun, rifle sights 870, , and at 20 ft or so,
he sort of missed, (hit it in the ear) and told me THE SLUG bounced off its head and that happens a lot?? YUP< 12 gauge slugs bounce off bears heads all the time at point black like range! LOL
or that's what he wanted me to believe! , which I DON"T, nor did!
SO< AT point blank range a full metal jacket 9 mm MIGHT get in there, bear skulls are thick, and again lot of had to grab and slow down a self defense like bullet!
better than nothing like I said , but sure wouldn;'t be something I'd recommend doing!
MY personal carry gun is a 10 mm with real loads in it! and still NOT something I'd want to do!(and it was also my carry back up gun in AK, )
and please I am NOT looking for a pi$$ match about calibers or PA wardens, , the above is a true story, bear got away, limped off and , all warden said was coyotes have to eat too and left!! in case your wondering what happened!
so sadly, less than impressed AGAIN with PA wardens! I have several Poor experiences with them in PA, ONLY state I ever had a bad experience with any game dept worker too, shame to me in my home state!
trust the PA game wardens word of NOT charging you, seen them change there mind before on things like this!
and as a FACT, not so long ago here at my place I had a bear get hit by a car, and called a warden to come dispatch it!(refused to allow me to, or even a retired warden that lives by me??)
the warden showed up to dispatch it, with a 12 gauge slug gun, rifle sights 870, , and at 20 ft or so,
he sort of missed, (hit it in the ear) and told me THE SLUG bounced off its head and that happens a lot?? YUP< 12 gauge slugs bounce off bears heads all the time at point black like range! LOL
or that's what he wanted me to believe! , which I DON"T, nor did!
SO< AT point blank range a full metal jacket 9 mm MIGHT get in there, bear skulls are thick, and again lot of had to grab and slow down a self defense like bullet!
better than nothing like I said , but sure wouldn;'t be something I'd recommend doing!
MY personal carry gun is a 10 mm with real loads in it! and still NOT something I'd want to do!(and it was also my carry back up gun in AK, )
and please I am NOT looking for a pi$$ match about calibers or PA wardens, , the above is a true story, bear got away, limped off and , all warden said was coyotes have to eat too and left!! in case your wondering what happened!
so sadly, less than impressed AGAIN with PA wardens! I have several Poor experiences with them in PA, ONLY state I ever had a bad experience with any game dept worker too, shame to me in my home state!
aerospacefarmer
5 year old buck +
Wow what a story. I think that yellow one of yours would have given that sow a real battle. I still remember that dog with the turkey lol. Glad you and that gorgeous black lab are doing ok. Those holes look very painful.
