Black Bear Sighted

[+Baston]

Geocachers in the Halton Hills area be aware that a black bear has been sighted in Limehouse and Ballinafad area over the past week.

So be aware of your surroundings.

 

Baston

[gm100guy]

 

I think I saw that bear but it was brown and he ran off with my cache.

 

[+canadazuuk]

I suspect this must be a residential area? But just in case, I SAW a black bear on the road 30m in front of me while I was caching somewhere recently.

Edited July 3, 2004 by canadazuuk

[tlg]

Perhaps someone should warn the bear that there might be geocachers in the area. We do far more damge to the bear and it's environment then it could possibly ever do to us.

 

You are more likely to be hurt by a human then by a bear.

[peetz]

I was about 300 meters from the Black Swan at Shawnigan Lk...and just about hit a black bear on the road, it was real close we both could see the color of each others eyes.

[cachewidow]

And this is ... unusual? Last week on the last field trip with my Gr.1 kid to the Sooke Museum, the docent advised us to stay away from the fence edging the property as a black bear was visiting the nearby field eating the skunk cabbage. You can't drive much in the bush around here without jumping a bear, that is, if you can access the bush, which is another issue.

[+Couparangus]

Perhaps a silly question from a city slicker, but does one need to be afraid of a black bear? I can understand you don't want to whack a grizzly on the backside with a stick, but are these black mini-bears to be scared of?

[Cholo]

The best one in Chicago was Walter Payton.

[+DocMagoo]

Yeah, saw this black bear this morning at about 5:10 am, stood up at about 6'2", shaggy hair around the ears....oh, wait....reflection in the mirror...

[+Baston]

A black bear in this area is unusual in that Halton Hill is located 17 km west of Brampton and 60 km from Toronto. Bears are very rare in this area.

I have seen evidence of a bear hunting for grubs/ants in a large log near The Falls Tour: Snow Falls North, Snow Falls West cache just north of Georgetown.

As to running it to a black bear. If you get between it and its escape route or you startle it, the bear may attack.

Just a warning.

If you see it please call the MNR @ 1-866-514-2327

 

Baston

Edited July 3, 2004 by Baston

[+MrMac204]

black bears kill/injure more folks than do grizzlies- and there are way more of them- they are smaller than grizzlies, but they are still larger than us peoples- best to be cautious when in bear country there are some good publications on how to keep yourself safe - leave the perfumes/aftershaves at home etc etc... now as for cougars, I met one in a bar last year that tore my heart out.... ahem.. ok thats another forum.... hehehehe

[+Gorak]

I'd much sooner run into a black bear in the bush than a grizzly. I've come across black bears in the bush on more than one occasion. Make lots of noise and, unless they view you as a threat of some sort, they will usually run away - they have less interest in a human encounter than you have in a bear encounter. To a black bear, you are not food, although some bears that range close to human settlements or popular camp sites may view you as a source for food. When camping in bear country (pretty much all of BC), the biggest threat from a bear is what they will do to a campsite (and your food supply) if you don't keep a clean camp and store your food, garbage and other aromatic items away from camp and safe from bears and other critters. When camping or hiking in the woods, I almost always carry bear-bangers but have not resorted to carrying pepper spray yet. I am considering it, though.

 

If you are concerned about black bear encounters, do yourself (and the bear) a big favour and educate yourself about black bears, dealing with them in the wild and 'bear-proofing' your camp. They're not as scary as you may think.

[+FarSideX]

I used to live in that area and would not consider black bears unusual for the area. Sometimes the media has nothing better to report so they will pick up on something more common like a bear sighting.

Since moving east and starting to geocache I have had one black bear encounter. This was just within city limits but heavly wooded so to think bear a coming within 17km of a city is unusual is a misconception. Go to your city dump sometime, there is a good chance of seeing a black bear there.

 

I did get a bear bell for father's day, someone must be trying to tell me something.

[+murfster]

Bears are a regular thing in Northern Ontario. Bear bells , rocks in a can or a whiltle will keep them away...most times. Lots of info at

http://bears.mnr.gov.on.ca/

 

The key thing is they look cute and are not, the look slow and pokey and are not.

 

I do carry bear spray.. just check the wind before you spray ;-)

 

Murfster

[+Gorak]

I do carry bear spray..  just check the wind before you spray ;-)

The other thing to keep in mind about pepper spray is that, while it is a good deterent at close quarters, bears are attracted to the odor so don't be 'trying it out' around camp.

[+Olar]

A lot of years ago the wife and I camped quite often in the Canadian Rockies. Campground bears were always a problem because of the amount of food being cooked particularly at breakfast time. Banging a couple of cooking pots together was usually enough to shoo them off but you didn't dare leave food laying out or more importantly in your tent. We saw numerous camps torn down because people left food coolers etc. in their tents while out sight-seeing during the day.

The scariest time was when we were raided while eating breakfast. The bear ended up grabbing a tupperware container of sugar right off our table and running off with it. The scary part was when my wife got mad and chased after it. That bear didn't have a chance in haddies of getting far with it.

 

Olar

[+geoSquid]

I've seen 3 black bears while geocaching within 100 km of Ottawa. Must be just that time of year.

[gm100guy]

I was looking around and a bear was shot in the general area this weekend. I could not get the story because I don't have a subscription to the Hamilton paper.

 

[+Couparangus]

That for the bear essentials information.

I'll not go caching with chunks of raw meat strapped to my person!

 

Too bad they shot the bear - doesn't sound entirely necessary.

 

Cheers

Coupar-Angus

[the4granolacrunchers]

The story about the bear can be found here. It was in our town. Poor thing was so scrawny looking .

[+chris-mouse]

I found a couple of news items on it. nothing to do with the bear being killed though.

The Independent & Free Press - Jun 25th

The Independent & Free Press - Jun 30th

The Toronto Star - July 02

[Taxman003]

I am a hunter, but do not hunt bear. That being said, the bear population is moving more and more south every year. The government cancelled a spring bear hunt at the pressure exerted by a Robert Schade and the science has indicated bumper crops and a great increase in the numbers of bears.

 

I agree that bears will normally take off at the sight of a human, but it is when they approach populated areas that they become accustomed to humans and lose their sense of fear. This is where the problems occur.

 

I am not trying to start an hunting - antihunting debate here. It's just that the bear hunt reduces the population without huge publicity and the bear shot in Dundas this past weekend draws all kind of attention.

 

My $ 0.02.

 

Mike

[+yorelken]

I was in the Crawford Lake area this morning and the gate attendant told me two bears have been shot recently. I guess she meant the one mentioned above and another one. They have a sign warning visitors to keep alert. Improved my speed re finding the cache and logging in.

[+Amazon Annie]

The story about the bear can be found here. It was in our town. Poor thing was so scrawny looking  .

 

I was in the Crawford Lake area this morning and the gate attendant told me two bears have been shot recently. I guess she meant the one mentioned above and another one. They have a sign warning visitors to keep alert. Improved my speed re finding the cache and logging in.

 

Yikes, I live between the two places... I know there are lots of deer and rabbits around here this year, more than usual. My cat was trying to take on something last night - I think it was a racoon.

 

I used to live in Banff many, many years ago and one night I was coming home from town and there was a bear sitting on my back stoop. Had to walk ALL the way around to the front to get in. Many of the bears in town were 'garbage bears' - ones that they kept flying out to the back country but they kept returning 'cause they knew where they could get a cheap and easy meal. Silly bear didn't know I was a starving local who ate out for the most part.

[+DocMagoo]

Wow! No sooner does this thread pop up and I start seeing black bears. Saw one today on the way out to cache just north of Mission City, BC (Tunbridge Rd.)....strolling along right down the middle of the road. Went to go and take a pic from about 300m down the road, but he didn't seem that interested to have me do so. Noticed it was garbage pickup day too...so seems he knows where a good cheap meal is too.

[Fire Eater]

Bear Sighting

 

Anyone interested, we have spotted a large black bear in the Peterborough area. Just east ( Keene Rd. & Hwy #7) We have spotted a few going through our farm field over the years, but have never had any problems. Even with the cattle in the field and their calf's.

Be aware of your surroundings when hiking and you sould not have any problems.

 

Fire Eater

[+murfster]

Have a look at this cute story..

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/08/18/bear...reut/index.html

 

Murfster

[boreal jeff & sons]

Black bears are cute and cuddly. Your chances of sighting one increase if you hike alone and as quietly as possible. The cutest ones are the young adult male bears. If one approaches you, just sit still and enjoy the attention. If you come apon a mother with a cub, try petting the cub. Its a real thrill.

 

I love those cute, black things. Its a good thing they eliminated the spring bear hunt. Although it denied a proper lively hood to many and forced some on welfare, it ensure a bountiful supply of these smart, gregarious creatures.

[+graciious & twosips]

This actually happened not to far from Ottawa, it's really sad that this can go on and nothing comes of it..

 

Friday, September 12, 2003

Man attacks cub, wanted it for pet

By CP

 

WAKEFIELD, Que. -- A Quebec woodsman, who wanted a black bear as a pet, ran

over a cub several times with his Jet Ski on the Gatineau River this week as

the cub's mother snarled from shore.

 

The cub, nicknamed Buddy Bear, was swimming across the river near Wakefield,

north of Ottawa, when Denis Ryan grabbed it.

 

The bear broke free several times by clawing at Ryan and tried to swim to

shore, only to be dragged back out into deeper water.

 

To wear out the bear, Ryan ran over it with the Jet Ski, forcing the cub's

head under water.

 

The 55-year-old woodsman got his best grip on the cub by holding it upside

down by one of its hind legs. He then dunked the animal repeatedly to drain

the cub's energy.

 

The cub was moaning, desperately trying to breathe.

 

"I just lifted him up and then I could dunk him. Then he couldn't breathe. I

kept dunking and kept dunking him," Ryan recalled.

 

"I was never mean to the bear. There was a couple of times I wanted to hit

him over the head with a pipe or something but I didn't do that."

 

To stop the cub from jumping off the Jet Ski, Ryan tied a rope around one of

its hind legs, kept one hand on a leash, the other on the handle bar.

 

He drove toward a public landing in the heart of Wakefield. He figured a cub

on the back of a Jet Ski would make a good picture for the town's weekly

newspaper, The Low Down to Hull and Back News.

 

But the rope came loose and the cub escaped. As it swam for shore, Ryan's

Jet Ski started to run out of gas.

 

The bear reached shore just as Andrew Wilson, the newspaper's reporter,

appeared with his camera.

 

Ryan jumped off the Jet Ski and tackled the bear as it tried to scramble up

the bank.

 

"Then I tied him again and dunked him again to get the energy out of him. I

tied him pretty good this time. He was so tired out," Ryan said.

 

Wilson took some photographs, then called Quebec wildlife officers.

 

Wildlife officers eventually took the animal, tagged it and released it into

 

the woods as an orphan near Montebello, Que. Quebec's wildlife protection

squad is investigating the incident.

 

Anyone convicted of possessing a big game animal without a permit could face

 

a $2,000 fine.

 

 

If I knew the guy I would drown him.. just to get the energy out of him!

- graciious

 

[+Niss Feiner]

Bears 'N Beers

[+Algonquin Bound]

I'm not sure what is more irresponsible. The moron trying to tire the cub by dunking it in the water, ought to be locked up for a very long time and should have some serious parole restrictions when he is released.

 

That said, I think it is just as irresponsible to advise people on a public forum that bears are cute and cuddly and that you should try to pet the cubs, especially when their mother is there.

 

Wild animals are wild animals and should be treated with respect, dignity and some measure of caution. They are unpredictable. Any attempt, for example, to "pet" the mother who watched as this idiot dunked her poor little screaming cub, might be ill-advised. Leave them alone and admire them from a safe and respectable distance. Chances are, they will return the favour.

[thorin]

55 year old Ryan the "Woodsman" seems pretty clueless to me.

 

Thorin