Black bear behavior, need your help

[saskgunowner101]

They say the only stupid question is the one not asked...not too sure after I make this post though

Anyways, sitting at home this evening and low and behold, see not one, but two black bears from my kitchen window, 140-150 meters away max walking without a care in the world hanging out by a slough for about 5 minutes before disappearing like ghosts into the bush. Both of them basically the same size, somewhat lanky and not small but not big. Obviously not young of the year, and ballpark guess 150-200 lbs each. Wild guess would be 3 feet to the top of the back, but they had that lanky look...not skinny but nowhere near chubby porkchops. I wasn't geared up for hunting at the moment, but I live rural, so I can be full hunt ready in about a minute.

I ended up watching them as it felt weird to me (is it?) that 2 of them were just hanging out. I'm not sure if I expected a mama to walk out (late bloomers won't leave the nest kinda idea?) or what, but I didn't gear up and pull the trigger.

I've got to know, is this normal for bears to simply hang out? There's no human created food source here, no bait and no oats etc. In my area, I've always seen either single bears or what I presume to be a mama with cubs. Could it be a young mating pair? There was no aggression or funny behavior while I watched.

Two second year cubs from the same mama chased away so she could breed?

I haven;t taken a bear yet, but I would have, had I seen the same size bears alone and watched to make sure no mama. Again, no explanation, it didn't feel right. Any insight into their behavior appreciated. If bears actually hang out together and I lost a chance, no big deal, the animals get to win now and then in my books.

 

[Paul_T]

Two second year cubs from the same mama chased away so she could breed?

Yep

 

[45ACPKING]

could be siblings but i'm no bear expert.
We had a sow and cubs hanging out around a lake I fish a lot that is kinda out of the way. Distinct marking on the sow made her easy to distinguish.
When her cubs got to that age where it's time for them to leave on thier own, her two cubs , now grown and no longer cubs, hung out together for that whole summer but she was nowhere to be seen. Spotted her two years later on a burn slope a few kilometers away with another set of young twins.

 

[tactical lever]

Believe I read that it's not uncommon for sibling cubs chased off to stay together for awhile. Never witnessed it firsthand, but it makes sense that adolescent bear who weren't quite ready to leave on their own are going to be a little more comfortable together.

 

[Gatehouse]

Could be siblings but could also be a horny male looking for love. I've hunted lots of bears and it happens you see two together but the male ois usually recognizable.

 

[350tracker]

I came across triplets last year with no mama in sight. They weren't big but nice black bears, looked very healthy and all heading in the same direction toward the marsh. I've seen triplets before in my area but with mama bear just hanging around my field.
My daughter does lots of cycling down old railway lines and this year she's had problems with bears following or heading in her direction even when she makes noise. Had to pick her up this Saturday as she couldn't make it back to her truck. This is what I call strange.

 

[saskgunowner101]

I'll go look around and see what kind of tracks they left in the muck to help judge their size in any event.

 

[DVXDUDE]

I would say siblings on their own now. I had a pair of young bears that always came to my bait together. They would spend more time fighting each other than eating, Nothing overly vicious, Typical sibling relations I guess

 

[Jimbobob08]

Momma and twins on cam until June 7th. June 8th one cub on camera alone. The other twin was likely a boar that was run out of mom’s range. June 9th momma on camera with a big boar, can’t be sure but looks like keeping him at bay most of the day, bred at 11:25pm.

Pictured is the yearling I was watching the other evening for reference. Definitely not 150-200 lbs.

 

[cruisercam]

They say the only stupid question is the one not asked...not too sure after I make this post though

Anyways, sitting at home this evening and low and behold, see not one, but two black bears from my kitchen window, 140-150 meters away max walking without a care in the world hanging out by a slough for about 5 minutes before disappearing like ghosts into the bush. Both of them basically the same size, somewhat lanky and not small but not big. Obviously not young of the year, and ballpark guess 150-200 lbs each. Wild guess would be 3 feet to the top of the back, but they had that lanky look...not skinny but nowhere near chubby porkchops. I wasn't geared up for hunting at the moment, but I live rural, so I can be full hunt ready in about a minute.

I ended up watching them as it felt weird to me (is it?) that 2 of them were just hanging out. I'm not sure if I expected a mama to walk out (late bloomers won't leave the nest kinda idea?) or what, but I didn't gear up and pull the trigger.

I've got to know, is this normal for bears to simply hang out? There's no human created food source here, no bait and no oats etc. In my area, I've always seen either single bears or what I presume to be a mama with cubs. Could it be a young mating pair? There was no aggression or funny behavior while I watched.

Two second year cubs from the same mama chased away so she could breed?

I haven;t taken a bear yet, but I would have, had I seen the same size bears alone and watched to make sure no mama. Again, no explanation, it didn't feel right. Any insight into their behavior appreciated. If bears actually hang out together and I lost a chance, no big deal, the animals get to win now and then in my books.

There known to each other. Let them fatten up for fall. If you have water they will come for it

 

[saskgunowner101]

Momma and twins on cam until June 7th. June 8th one cub on camera alone. The other twin was likely a boar that was run out of mom’s range. June 9th momma on camera with a big boar, can’t be sure but looks like keeping him at bay most of the day, bred at 11:25pm.

Pictured is the yearling I was watching the other evening for reference. Definitely not 150-200 lbs.

Yeah, these two I was watching were a fair bit bigger. I'll see if I can find an internet pic that looks similar in my minds eye.

 

[Jimbobob08]

Momma of twins for reference

 

[saskgunowner101]

Momma of twins for reference

They were definitely not that size either. I tried to find a good picture, but google has failed me. I did take photos of the prints, but the edge of the slough is so soft and boggy that it distorted the prints. I don't believe the paws had a 5" span. I read somewhere that the quick n dirty was to measure the width of the paw print, add an inch, and that would be your rough bear size in feet.

In hindsight I'm guessing I should have taken one for a first bear victory, but such is life. Pouting about it won't accomplish anything lol

 

[struff55]

if you are guessing at age and size hardly trophy material
a trophy bear will be 5-7 years old

 

[saskgunowner101]

if you are guessing at age and size hardly trophy material
a trophy bear will be 5-7 years old

The premise of the thread was more what I thought as a newb to bear hunting to be odd behavior (bears hanging out together) and why, and 0 percent guessing as to whether they were trophy size at all.

 

[Dogleg]

Sound’s like siblings. I often see bears together even 2 seven footers sharing a bait. As long as there’s enough for everyone its all good. Bears are lazy; if there’s nothing to fight over they won’t fight.

 

[hoytcanon]

Yep

No... 1 1/2 year old cubs get chased off by the sow when she goes into heat, and they are the size of a medium Labrador Retriever. The sow will not allow them to den with her the second year, because she will be having new cubs in the den in February. What the OP saw were 2 1/2 year old twins that denned together their first winter on their own, they will split up this fall, it is rare siblings to den together a second time as they are reaching serial maturity and become combative.

 

[Autolite]

Ii used to work bear control at my last place of employment. Only ever once had to take down a nuisance black bear after a year-n-a-half on the job. If there are no children in the vicinity then the bears should be no real threat. Black bears (in general) tend to avoid humans but they will chase you if you run or scream or otherwise act like prey. I don't like having to shoot a bear myself unless it is a danger or I was going to eat it.

I would suggest try making a loud noise as a deterrent like using an air horn in a can or a flash-bang. Black bears are really annoyed by loud noises. That should keep them away. I've chased away black bears just by clapping my hands and yelling at them...

 

[Autolite]

Sound’s like siblings. I often see bears together even 2 seven footers sharing a bait. As long as there’s enough for everyone its all good. Bears are lazy; if there’s nothing to fight over they won’t fight.

If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down. If it's white, say good-night!

 

[350tracker]

We have lots of black bears in my area around the house and most of the time they leave us alone. One time my wife came out of the house and was going to do a little yard work and came across a couple of cubs just a few yards away and thought how cute are they until it clicked , where's mama so she headed back in the house till it was safe.

My gun is always ready but have never had to deal with a bear problem and it's going on 20 years now since I move from the city.