Northern New Jersey Bear Sightings 2008

January 28, 2008

Was out today with Bailey in the Sparta Glen area scouting the area for the possibility for a new series in 2008. We had pretty well traversed both hills pretty good and, given that there were a few denned bears in the area, I was surprised we hadn't come across any asleep.

I had my wife's camera with a new super zoom and had just taken a picture of Bailey when I heard the sudden breaking of branches and disturbing of leaves. I looked to my left and down in the valley below my "Death by Hemlock Woolly" cache were three bears in full stride darting across the snow. They were all good size so I'm guessing a mom and two yearlings. I turned to shoot (the picture) and the new lense kept focusing on closer trees so I never got a shot. Very frustrating as it was really an amazing sight to see. There goes my National Geographic gig. :smile:

Anyway, keep your eyes peeled if in the area as the bears are staying up past bedtime.

8.1k · January 28, 2008

I thought I saw one at Garret Mtn yesterday...

January 28, 2008

I saw my first "alleged poacher" on Friday in Bloomingdale, NJ near my new caches.

1.7k · January 28, 2008

Bear Story

Saw lots of tracks yesterday.

January 28, 2008

Hey Kevin... I thought they were supposed to be asleep now???

January 28, 2008

I saw pretty fresh tracks last week In Norvin Green SF near and on way to/from "Buck Moutnain Overlook Cache" a few days of weather above freezing and they usually come out for a bit. I have seen tracks near my stable too.

January 29, 2008

I was out hunting cache locations and found one hibernating or so i thought in a 3 foot water dranage pipe that i think is always dry. I went to look in as a possable cache location and there it was just looking at me from 15 feet away in its nest of dirt and leaves in the pipe with it. I did get a good pic with a flash but the camera is new and i dont know how to post them yet.

January 29, 2008

Bear Story

Saw lots of tracks yesterday.

A previously shot bear doesn't sound like a good one to run into... :laughing:

January 29, 2008

Hey Kevin... I thought they were supposed to be asleep now???

Yeah, me too.

The timing of the last approved bear hunt was December 5th as supposedly all the mothers and cubs would be denned for the season. When it turned out that the vast majority shot during the hunt were mothers and cubs, I read an interview in the paper from a naturalist (?) that the readily available food supply with more and more of us humans moving into their neck of the woods was decreasing their need to hibernate. Previously, they timed their sleep to the availability of skunk cabbage and the other things they usually eat. Now, with Burger King down the road, they're pulling all nighters.

This particular person (in the paper) was concerned that it is changing the whole nature of black bears in the northeast. As it is increasingly common to see 500+ pound black bears (where I guess 250 lbs used to be the norm), he was suggesting that it might not bee too long before their timid nature began to change to be more aggressive. :laughing:

The ones I saw yesterday certainly were still timid.

January 29, 2008

Previously, they timed their sleep to the availability of skunk cabbage and the other things they usually eat. Now, with Burger King down the road, they're pulling all nighters.

And in just four short years, they've got their bachelor's degree! :laughing:

January 29, 2008

"This particular person (in the paper) was concerned that it is changing the whole nature of black bears in the northeast. As it is increasingly common to see 500+ pound black bears (where I guess 250 lbs used to be the norm), he was suggesting that it might not bee too long before their timid nature began to change to be more aggressive."

A great book dealing with this issue is "The Beast in the Garden". REally worth a read, but is will have you looking over your shoulder.

January 30, 2008

"This particular person (in the paper) was concerned that it is changing the whole nature of black bears in the northeast. As it is increasingly common to see 500+ pound black bears (where I guess 250 lbs used to be the norm), he was suggesting that it might not bee too long before their timid nature began to change to be more aggressive."

A great book dealing with this issue is "The Beast in the Garden". REally worth a read, but is will have you looking over your shoulder.

Only a matter of time before they grab little Timmy waiting for his school bus to get at his PB&J in his backpack.

January 31, 2008

Only a matter of time before they grab little Timmy waiting for his school bus to get at his PB&J in his backpack.

They actually wait in the Ringwood school yards for the kids to come out; this way they have a better chance at getting more than one pbj. Ringwood has had delayed school closings because they had to get the bears out of the school yards before they let the kids out.

February 5, 2008

Saw these in Wawayanda State Park

Along Old Coal Road (red) trail this past saturday (2/2/08)

Also this bobcat

Edited February 5, 2008 by trowel32

February 7, 2008

Saw these in Wawayanda State Park

Along Old Coal Road (red) trail this past saturday (2/2/08)

Also this bobcat

Someone's been hanging out near Jim's.

February 7, 2008

Oops, hit enter two times fast.

Edited February 7, 2008 by Team Rampant Lion

1.7k · February 8, 2008

Hmmmm someone has been eating my porridge.

Lisa Jackson sees no relationship between incidents and lack of hunt.

March One approaches, which is the traditional time for earliest movement. Might be time to schedule our annual Wawayand Bear Hunt Hike.

February 9, 2008

Hello from the New England section!

I just wanted to share that I often visit your "Bear" threads, and am always amazed! Keep them pix coming! I'm facinated by Bears.......I can't explain it I'm glad I am not alone

The other evening, I read the thru these Bear threads right before bed lurking for new pix, and what do you think happened? I had the most bizarre bear dream! Woke up in a cold sweat You need to place warnings on your threads!

Have a Beary special caching year & Stay safe!

February 10, 2008

Plenty of fresh tracks in Waywayanda State park about 2 weeks ago. I do not think black bears hibernate in the classic sense that they sleep in winter. I believe they merely get sluggish, hang out close to their dens and keep a much closer radius to their den area (maybe a few miles at most).

I have lived in West Milford NJ for 12 years. I have seen bears every winter, and last year I saw them on very cold days in heavy snow. However, I also think they had a den just up the road as my new neighbor was new to 'garbage detail' and they had a ready supply of food.

Take care in the woods up this way for bears, but hunters as well. Sundays are better, but both bears and hunters may be out.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/gallery.asp...4e-bab1ce99ecd9

March 4, 2008

Was up in Sparta Glen (against doctor's orders) to film a video tribute to my uncle who passed away (a real outdoorsman) and to hide one of my brand new TRL geocoins in Sparta Best View. On the way up I passed these monster bear tracks. They looked more like elephant tracks in the snow. I'm not sure my pictures do them justice but that is one BIG critter that made those. Ordinarily, I am more than happy to see a bear -- this time I was pleased to just see the prints. WOW!

March 5, 2008

Saw fresh bear tracks in the snow at Wawayanda this past weekend on the Pumphouse Trail. Same vicinity my son and I saw a bear in last June (vicinity of "A Real Silver Mine" cache).

10.1k · June 15, 2008

Okay, so it wasn't in New Jersey...

Helping my sister with the Maine DeLorme Challenge, and we pulled into Calais, Maine in the early afternoon, and we saw a bear wandering about downtown Calais, by the river. Guess he had as much problem getting into St. Stephen, New Brunswick as we did!

38.2k · June 16, 2008

I saw one on Burnt Meadow Rd last week. He retreated before I could get the camera out. Big guy

Slightly funny bear story regarding the same trip. I was working with two other people building the new Lake Sonoma Trail in Norvin Green SF. I had placed two new caches along the route during work breaks. We had cut and blazed to a woods road and decided it was a good turning around point. Two of us went ahead to blaze the return route while the other guy stayed behind to rake the path.

Turns out that he ran into a bear on the new trail that refused to move. The bear was between him and his tool box, so he abandoned the tool box and retreated via another route and met us back at the car. We were coming back in 2 days so we figured we'd get the tool box then.

Then I receive a "found it" note on one of my new caches from IM Spider and a follow up e-mail about a tool box he found on the trail. He left it there so we were able to snag it on Friday. No bears then though.

June 16, 2008

Backround, I grew up in North Jersey, I've seen a few back then.

I saw in another post somewhere here in these forums about why would someone need to pack a gun. Then I saw this on a different forum I belong to and thought it would fit in here just nice

:laughing:

June 21, 2008

Saw a biggun on May 25th at the Edison Mines monument (Sparta, NJ). We pulled into the lot and saw him sauntering through the woods a few feet in. Most of the group was walking the opposite direction, my wife and I were walking towards him to get a pic with my cell phone (no real camera with us, of course).

June 22, 2008

see my post at Needful Places looking out at Hanks Pond!

we watched him for a long while. perhaps 15 mintues. great spot. This makes 11 bears in 8 trips to the Newark Watershed for me in the last 12 months.

July 13, 2008

Was out in Mountainside Park with ThirstyMick and saw a Black Bear on the way back to the car along the Yellow Trail. Just as I was pointing him out to ThirstyMick he was scared away.

July 13, 2008

We saw one on the park road near the entrance booths when we were leaving Wawayanda SP last saturday. My boyfriend exclaimed "Bear!" and it immediately took off :huh: This is actually the first one I have seen in NJ in more than five years (saw one in the Adirondacks last fall). We used to see them all the time.

August 6, 2008

Here are some of my pictures and videos on NJ bears on

ENJOY!

August 6, 2008

Here's a mom and one of her two cubs I saw by Camp Hoover this past Sunday:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerirl/2730348116/sizes/l/

August 7, 2008

Here's a mom and one of her two cubs I saw by Camp Hoover this past Sunday:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerirl/2730348116/sizes/l/

Wow! Great picture.

38.2k · August 7, 2008

Saw this near my Overlook Rock cache a few weeks ago. Not sure if it was a bear or a yeti.

Actually it was a momma bear and 2 cubs. There was also an adult male (I assume) feeding about 100 feet away at the same time. They all took off when we approached so I couldn't get good shots at them. The photos didn't come out too good either :anitongue: .

September 5, 2008

My wife and I were camping at Harmony Ridge (terrible campground by the way) in Branchville, NJ last month. We took a drive up to the top of Sunrise Mountain, which is said to be the highest point in Sussex County, and saw a mama bear with a few cubs on the way up AND on the way down. It was amazing; we got video of them.

1.7k · September 5, 2008

Packanack Lake last night. Unusual for bears to roam Wayne. We have had a lot of sightings this year.

September 6, 2008

Great Video Team R.Lion!!! Loved the music-nice touch!

also clicked on the similar video of blackbear getting into a hammock.....too cute!

September 16, 2008

Spotted a Black Bear in the Federal Hill section about 350 feet away from 565 (we are on the road to nowhere) (GC1146Z) on September 7th.

November 11, 2008

Spotted another bear. This time in the Terrace Pond Section of Wawayanda. It was in a valley about 150 feet away from How High the Moon (GC1H2VZ). I was on top of the ridge looking for benchmarks after signing the cache log sheet.

November 12, 2008

I was hiking with trowel32 up onto the ridge overlooking the Charlotteburg Reservoir to find my "PMC - Hibernia" cache, and we saw 1st) a single bear right by the cache "on the road to Charlotteburg", and then shortly thereafter, a mom and 3 cubs on the white trail loooking down at us. They took off, and I just got one crappy photo of the mom, who stalled to look back at us.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/301125...705681f65_b.jpg

Edited November 12, 2008 by GerIRL

November 17, 2008

Saw another bear today while doing Harry Dolphin's "Arneb" cache. See my log at http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...32-aaace02d7760 .

November 19, 2008

Ok then - here (hopefully) are the photos. Thanks to BrianSnat for helping me figure out how to insert them right into the forum posting.

I was about 200ft away.

December 27, 2008

Came across this guy yesterday in Sparta Glen. Seemed very woozy as I think he/she had just picked up its head to see who was passing by. Took a few shots with the camera while keeping Bailey from seeing the bear and headed on our way.

January 4, 2009

As an aside, just came back from the Smokies having hiked 74 miles on vacation and came across no bears at all. While in NJ see them all the time.

38.2k · February 15, 2009

First one of 2009 for me. I was going to remove the second stage my recently archived "Into the Valley".

As I approached it I noticed a dark cave. Well I got to about 10 feet away when the "dark" moved and all of a sudden I saw a huge head looking at me. Judging from the size of this sucker's head I'd hate to see the rest of him.

Snapped a photo but I doubt it came out. If it's any good I'll post it.

1.7k · July 2, 2009

Vernon is reporting a bear attack on a human. Seems like the man was loading his car, and had a sandwich with him , the bear attacked to get the sandwich. In State of NJ Speak the DEP labeled an "incident". I am not trying to be too harsh in my view of NJ Officialdom, for it is impossible to do that. The locals are calling it an attack, the man calls it an attack, but the state dep calls it an incident.

This is the exact scenario that hunters and wildlife experts have been predicting for some time, bears will become aclimated to being around humans and their food and will become agressive in pursuit of the food, it is not that they have anything personally against humans, but if humans stand in the way of food, the humans will get swatted around. The bear will fight the human for food.

Anyone want to be the last sponsor of the sardine sandwich hike at Wawayanda on Sunday ?

Edited July 2, 2009 by Packanack

Northern New Jersey Bear Sightings 2008

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