Found a bear in a den

[Steuben Jerry]

55 minutes ago, LET EM GROW said:

I know very little on black bears, actually all bears in general really. But, do black bear here in Southern-tier/Western NY really hibernate in the winters? I always thought they did, but just the other day my brother in law had an adult set and several cub tracks(sow with cubs) walk down his driveway over night. He began to tell me that he didn't think they hibernated, or at least not for very long if they do it all. Again I do not know much about them, I see them and get plenty of pics of them, but never got the interest in learning much more about them. 

In 2009/2010 I had a sow and three second-year cubs winter over in a dug out "pit" left by a tree toppling over. I was taking a winter hike checking camera cards and saw the "black fur pile" at a distance, presumably hibernating. Once I knew they were there I kept an eye on the area from time to time and saw them a few times over the winter out and about, either in person or on trail cams. I also occasionally came across recent tracks in the snow leading to that area. I think they slow their metabolism down, but maybe don't truly hibernate around here.

[LET EM GROW]

In 2009/2010 I had a sow and three second-year cubs winter over in a dug out "pit" left by a tree toppling over. I was taking a winter hike checking camera cards and saw the "black fur pile" at a distance, presumably hibernating. Once I knew they were there I kept an eye on the area from time to time and saw them a few times over the winter out and about, either in person or on trail cams. I also occasionally came across recent tracks in the snow leading to that area. I think they slow their metabolism down, but maybe don't truly hibernate around here.

That's what I'm leaning more towards. Like a cold vacation. That's cool you got to see that. I'd love to see that someday. But not be in danger lol not very often we see or hear of "dens" which lead me to think for the amount of bears around I don't think there is the equivalent in bear dens .

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[Steuben Jerry]

I remember when I saw the black fur, I started marching right toward it as I thought it was a dead bear for a few seconds and then realized "um, no they're hibernating". I only had my old flip phone camera that day so the pics I took from a distance were useless.

They were pretty much just laying on the ground with the tipped up roots making an ever so slight cover for them. When I checked it in the spring and they weren't using it any longer, I saw that it was dug out a bit, but it couldn't have been more than six inches deeper than the depression the roots left when they tipped up.

[LET EM GROW]

Wow, I was just going to ask you if they had any cover. That's neat. But gotta be brutal for staying any length of time exposed like that. Impressive animals

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[The_Real_TCIII]

Black bears don't truly hibernate, they'll come out and forage occasionally


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[Steuben Jerry]

1 hour ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Black bears don't truly hibernate, they'll come out and forage occasionally


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Which makes it pretty impressive when the DEC guys crawl in a den and trank one so they can remove and examine the cubs. Can you imagine the adrenaline that guy is feeling? And they go in face first!

[LET EM GROW]

That is wild. I don't think I could imagine that one lol

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[The_Real_TCIII]

They wear safety goggles, piece of cake

[Rattler]

Well, took a hike up to the cave again today just to see if the bear had returned.  No sign of any animal activity at all in the old snow around the opening.  Had a good flashlight with me this time and peered into the cave with it.  The cave is half full of water.  Otherwise it's empty.

Guess I won't be telling the DEC to come out when they call me back in March.

I was really hoping to see some cubs there.

 

[Pygmy]

I've seen two fresh bear tracks in the last week, one while rabbit hunting and one while working on the property.

It COULD have been the same bear..Same general area..  However I had multiple bears on trail cam there last summer/fall...

[the blur]

On ‎2‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 2:58 PM, chas0218 said:

I have always wanted to shoot one and had my chance twice but whiffed it both times. First time I hit him good but only got 1 lung and he lived all night and ran off with no blood. The other I hit the limb of my bow on my leg sitting down trying to shoot him. Both bears were in the 500lbs.+ range.

You think they are 500lbs.   But they are truly much smaller.   When I got my 1st bear, I thought it was a monster.  I was pumped, until I found it,  it was 130 lbs.     The guide told me black bears are very difficult to judge from the stand.

[chas0218]

4 hours ago, the blur said:

You think they are 500lbs.   But they are truly much smaller.   When I got my 1st bear, I thought it was a monster.  I was pumped, until I found it,  it was 130 lbs.     The guide told me black bears are very difficult to judge from the stand.

They both were over 7' tall on their hind legs. I'm 6' and fully extended with my arm up they were taller. All the bears I have seen over 7' were more than 500lbs alive and dead. I kid you not these would have filled the bed of my pickup truck. If you wanted to compare them to something they were a little smaller than a dumpster. No joke they were big freaking bears. One bear reached up the tree I hung my camera on to smell the branches I touched the other I shot came out of the thicket stood up 40 yards from my wife in the cut field and towered over her. She about crapped herself.

Edited September 12, 2017 by chas0218

[slickrockpack]

beer thread