Assume, no. Presume, yes. I guess there's a few people out there that fail to understand some truthful observations about predators and think the outdoors is full of warm, fuzzy creatures that naturally love us and come calling for our help when they need us. They're not a threat, right? YouTube abounds with that BS.
The Bear Behavior Science That Contradicts Everything You Were Told About Staying Safe
- Thread starter IronNoggin
- Start date
For all the "experts" that " can read a bears intentions " because they understand bear behaviour , don't get me wrong I believe it is important to study bear behaviour. But never assume that the bear is on the same page as you are.
Ok, if you say so.
I live in bear country. Iāve also spent the last 20 years dealing with predators of the two-legged variety.
One thing Iāve noticed is that some people assume every sentient being - bear or human - shares their motivations and values, just with a different face.
Thatās a dangerous assumption, but hey! If they want to try āelbows upā with a bearā¦ go ahead and give peace a chance, Iāll cover you.
One thing Iāve noticed is that some people assume every sentient being - bear or human - shares their motivations and values, just with a different face.
Thatās a dangerous assumption, but hey! If they want to try āelbows upā with a bearā¦ go ahead and give peace a chance, Iāll cover you.
thewoodsrunner
Regular
I'm an animal lover and i'm convinced. Who wants a woods full of animal haters? Can you even imagine a person that mistaken in their orientation?
The moment i step out my door i am in grizzly country, there are 9 different griz minimum utilizing at intervals the square mile surrounding my farm these days based on the latest data. One of their trails is 70 feet below my house, another is my lane. Have had two encounters in recent years with sows & cubs, three cubs in each case. I carry pepper spray and a custom .375 H&H rifle, both. Practice with both. Ready as a guy can be for whatever occurs i'd hope, and accept that this could be just about anything - they are complex animals, almost apelike in some regards. So far i've had to deploy neither. (I was once being eyed up as potential lunch by a huge tom cougar, also mentioned in the clip, which lead a standoff at eight paces lasting some minutes. Didn't have to deploy in that case, either, but i was poised and ready.) Hope to never kill a grizzly, but the odds i may have to one day are much, much higher in my case than most. Or that the bear will come out on top, higher odds in my case there too. Honored meanwhile to share their range. If there were no grizzlies here, i might decide to move to where there are some, to get back that spice that comes with sharing the top of the food chain with something non-human. To channel DH Lawrence - "If men were as much men as bears are bears they'd be worth looking at." Thank God for bears. I am amazed how few of us the big predators kill, it's little short of a miracle.
# of combined grizzly/black bears in the world in 2026: just over a single million, estimated.
# of people in the world in 2026: 8.3 billion.
Big Bad
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
^^^I don't think it's any miracle that so few humans are killed by large predators, it's because our proven ability to kill them if they don't keep their distance. All we have to do to retain our status that way is to prove it once in a while.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
No one can read bear behaviour reliably, especially with black bears. They have a poker face.
"Burns its victims... Buries its victims... Chokes its victims... Turns its victims inside-out.
Extremely dangerous... Extremely dangerous... Kill on sight... Kill on sight...
Speed: unknown. Size: unknown.
The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself"
But in all seriousness - how close do you let a bear get before deciding to shoot? Even with a lot of stopping power, from a close distance a bear still can do some significant damage before expiry.
For me the answer depends on what direction it is heading in. I suppose inside 100 yards and heading toward me is a good time to start trying to land a vital shot. However, every bear I've encountered turns and runs.
Extremely dangerous... Extremely dangerous... Kill on sight... Kill on sight...
Speed: unknown. Size: unknown.
The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself"
But in all seriousness - how close do you let a bear get before deciding to shoot? Even with a lot of stopping power, from a close distance a bear still can do some significant damage before expiry.
For me the answer depends on what direction it is heading in. I suppose inside 100 yards and heading toward me is a good time to start trying to land a vital shot. However, every bear I've encountered turns and runs.
Inside 50 yrds. 30 if you can hold on. If I shot a bear between 50 & 100 yrds. I would be charged by DNR.
Mike Tyson once said: "Everybody has a plan until they get hit."
These threads are a great reminder of that.
Everybody has a plan, until the bear actually shows up.
So many myths, so much unpredictability, and soooooo much BS.
Maybe if I put this quote in here... which was kind of the whole point of the above, more folks would get it?
From Pounder: "For all the "experts" that " can read a bears intentions " because they understand bear behaviour , don't get me wrong I believe it is important to study bear behaviour. But never assume that the bear is on the same page as you are."
As soon as one believes that they are "expert" enough to read that bears mind... they have kind of lost the plot, no?
R.
These threads are a great reminder of that.
Everybody has a plan, until the bear actually shows up.
So many myths, so much unpredictability, and soooooo much BS.
Maybe if I put this quote in here... which was kind of the whole point of the above, more folks would get it?
From Pounder: "For all the "experts" that " can read a bears intentions " because they understand bear behaviour , don't get me wrong I believe it is important to study bear behaviour. But never assume that the bear is on the same page as you are."
As soon as one believes that they are "expert" enough to read that bears mind... they have kind of lost the plot, no?
R.
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Ive had 3 bear encounters within 30 feet. 2 were yearlings and ran as soon as they spoted me. 1 was a big boar that I quickly removed myself from into my trailer after it stood up and then slammed its front paws onto the ground. . I had no defensive weapons for the 2 and I had my BBQ spatula for the boar encounter. It wasnt hungry as it left my grilling meat alone and lumbered away. If any had wanted to kill me I would be dead.
I think of black bears as big racoons. Opportunists. Grouping black bears and grizzlies together is not right. Sure they are both bears. One is a bit more bear. Like comparing polar bears to black bears. They're both bears right. Like our Frenchie and our Mountain Bernese are both dogs
My wife had a good solution. We were camping in a national park, travel trailer. us and our dog. A black bear came wandering toward our site. It got to the entry to our site and I heard a slam noise. I backed up to the trailer and tried to get in. She had grabbed the dog and got into the trailer and locked the door. It was across the picinic(get it) table from me when she unlocked the door and let me in.
Big Bad
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Can you point to specific things on this thread that you find funny so that your credibility on the topic of bears can be tested?
Dude...
Did you miss the comedic content? Because there is plenty of it.
Credibility? Based on what, exactly? Tested? By whom? You? Are you an expert enough to judge credibility? What are your credentials?
Not sure what about this particular post has you wound up, but if you care to explain further about what has you concerned, we can certainly sort it out.
R.
