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#281051 - 06/12/16 09:59 PM I see a baby bear!
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
I went to a friend's cottage this weekend, and got a little nature therapy and a lesson in being bear safe.

I crossed paths with a baby black bear on my walk in the woods today. It took me a few seconds to process what I was seeing, and then I thought "Oh no! Where is, mama." I didn't see her, and the cub was 100 or so yards in front of me, heading perpendicular to my trail. I had been talking to my video camera for a while, so didn't think I'd scare mom. I yelled and spooked the cub. It took off at a run in the other direction, but I was still worried about mama. I backtracked on my trail, a couple hundred meters, to the nearest ,fire road and headed home, blowing my whistle as I went. Never did lay eyes on mama. We notified the neighbours to be cautious.

Phew! Not sure I did the right thing, but I did get outta there safely. So glad I had a whistle and a walking stick. I went minimal on the walk, taking only a whistle, folding knife, bandana and my camera. A ten minute walk from a cottage doesn't usually feel potentially life-threatening.
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#281052 - 06/12/16 11:40 PM Re: I see a baby bear! [Re: bacpacjac]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
My inclination would be doing either exactly what you did, or alternatively -- given the distance, and moving perpendicular to your trail, and being in the opposite direction from safety -- silently turning around and departing.

It's not clear to me that the silent withdrawal would have been better.

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#281053 - 06/13/16 06:13 AM Re: I see a baby bear! [Re: bacpacjac]
haertig Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
Along the trail one day a few years ago, near Rocky Mountain Park in Colorado. Mommy was watching us closely, the cubs seemed oblivious. We certainly didn't go any closer - probably 50 yards away in this picture when we noticed what was on the stretch of trail below us. There was a second cub there, but I can't find him in this picture. At least I wasn't stupid enough to walk down there and try to take a selfie with the bears. You wouldn't believe how many idiots around here try to do that exact thing - with bears, moose, elk...

(I'm trying to attach the picture, but I'm not sure if that's going to work. The forums allow "attach file", but it's not showing up when I preview...)


Attachments
along_the_trail.jpg (369 downloads)


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#281081 - 06/16/16 04:13 AM Re: I see a baby bear! [Re: haertig]
brandtb Offline
Addict

Registered: 11/26/04
Posts: 500
Loc: S.E. Pennsylvania
Try keeping an eye out for bear feces as you walk. It's brown, and has whistles and little bells in it.
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#281083 - 06/16/16 05:40 AM Re: I see a baby bear! [Re: brandtb]
haertig Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
Smells peppery too.

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#281085 - 06/16/16 11:54 AM Re: I see a baby bear! [Re: haertig]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Originally Posted By: haertig
Along the trail one day a few years ago, near Rocky Mountain Park in Colorado. Mommy was watching us closely, the cubs seemed oblivious. We certainly didn't go any closer - probably 50 yards away in this picture when we noticed what was on the stretch of trail below us. There was a second cub there, but I can't find him in this picture. At least I wasn't stupid enough to walk down there and try to take a selfie with the bears. You wouldn't believe how many idiots around here try to do that exact thing - with bears, moose, elk...

(I'm trying to attach the picture, but I'm not sure if that's going to work. The forums allow "attach file", but it's not showing up when I preview...)


WOW, Haertig, great pic! I have a hard time coming up with a more dangerous situation than getting caught between her and those cubs.

I love a good nature pic too, but safety first. Always. People can be so dumb! I was so glad I stopped and waited to be sure of what I was seeing before I kept heading down the trail. Who knows what I would have walked into. A scared skunk would have been bad enough.
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#281086 - 06/16/16 11:54 AM Re: I see a baby bear! [Re: brandtb]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Originally Posted By: brandtb
Try keeping an eye out for bear feces as you walk. It's brown, and has whistles and little bells in it.


LOL!!
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Mom & Adventurer

You can find me on YouTube here:
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#281091 - 06/16/16 02:28 PM Re: I see a baby bear! [Re: haertig]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Originally Posted By: haertig
Smells peppery too.


If there's a cannister, you know it's a grizz.

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#281292 - 07/10/16 05:26 PM Re: I see a baby bear! [Re: bacpacjac]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
A different approach: if you're a boxer, punch it in the nose. Myself, I would have put my money on the bear. But you never know. It worked this time. Maybe I need to spend some time on a heavy bag.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/nati...7971/story.html

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