Seen in Print

[Rufus T. Firefly]

........... don't ask a bunch of toy train nuts...........

Quite probably the one bit of advice you can actually depend on.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

[MurphOnMillerAve]

This is most enjoyable receiving all these replies to my inquiry about venturing into a coyote and bear-rich forest, Upstate NY. Thank you, all, for taking my safety seriously. I am going to respond to each during the day today..

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I wonder how that approach would work with the coyotes that are on the increase within the forests of NJ. And given their presence here, can you imagine their numbers in Upstate NY dense and broad forests!?

Works same with coyotes, javelina. mountain lions* and most dogs here in Tucson. Does not work with dogs trained to attack people, alpha male Javelina or free range cows with calves. The cow was a surprise. When I tried to scare a calf off the bicycle trail by charging at it, a cow charged me.
...
..Housing construction is taking land away from wildlife here in the Sonoran desert. Some, like these javelinas, return to their old habitat.

*Have not had the pleasure of confronting a mountain lion yet. Closest I have gotten was seeing one on the other side of a canyon watching me.

As I am sure you well-know, Wayne, the operative word about that mountain lion is that it was watching you, probably deciding if the effort would be worth it. You have heard about the occasional biker being taken by them in California, not too long ago, right?

Super interesting about the cows and calves, too. Good to know. I had no idea, and have walked up to several around Cortland, NY, thinking nothing of it. Now, I'll be more distance-sensible.

And Javelinas, never heard of them, but I am aware of the talk about wild boar proliferating Upstate, also, so since they look similar, I'll take your words to heart about them also.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I wonder how that approach would work with the coyotes that are on the increase within the forests of NJ. And given their presence here, can you imagine their numbers in Upstate NY dense and broad forests!?

Early in the morning I've seen coyotes standing along the edge of the rest-area parking lots on the Northway (I-87) Murph...they are apparently looking out for slow-moving tourists...

Yes, it's been in the news advising motorists to not allow children to wander around such parking lots, and to keep a close-eye on toddlers and small pets, perhaps busy at taking a dump (the pets).

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Murph, a few words of advice. I don't think I'd be walkin' into the deep woods with a "rattle".

...Bears have a very keen sense of smell and hearing, although their eyesight is a bit weak, but they can be very curious. The last thing you'd want is to be calling in the bears.

Remember that the common black bear is 6 times stronger than a man, so don't think you can fight it off. I've read that the recommended defense if attacked is to curl in a tight ball and play dead. Don't know if I'd put much faith in that either!

Second,..., the .44 has a fairly vicious recoil, requiring a solid two hand hold, and along with that, (after you've become proficient on paper targets), you would need to remain extremely calm to dispatch one very controlled shot into a vital area to stop a charging bear. There are lots of weapons that can kill a bear, but you don't need to kill it on the first shot; you need to stop it. Break the shoulder bones, or one thru the heart or head....
Third, if you are venturing very deep into the woods, I'd suggest you carry a pocket GPS with plot charting ability, (and an extra set of batteries; they're tough on batteries). It's easy to get lost in the big woods, especially when it's relatively flat, as everything tends to look the same. If you can't hear cars or trucks on the road where you parked, you need to be able to get out and back to the car. As long as the GPS chart plotter is on and working correctly, you just put in your starting co-ordinates and follow the line home.

And last, you'll know you're in bear country if you come across a big pile of bear crap that has a whistle in it and smells like bear spray.

Wow, Mitch, that's a generous amount of solid advice from you. I appreciate the time, thought, and effort.
+OK, the rattle is out.
+So is rolling up into a ball (as if I could!)
+The 44 is not even being considered, esp, now given your thorough explanation about its realities.
+I'm going to look into acquiring that GPS device and/or check to see if my new iPhone has that capability.

+Regarding the pile of bear crap, that I have seen before, having led a group of teenagers, back in the 70's, on a hike/nature collecting expedition up the side of Bear Mt. in NJ, whereupon , I immediately directed "everybody back into the bus, NOW!" That was a short ten minute hike. I had no damnbusiness being there with them in the first place - what a jackass! I had figured the name was just a quaint relic of our Colonial past.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Murph,
I asked my friend what to do if the animals house was not known to me .
He said if you went towards it the animal would become more aggressive
and you were going away more passive. That makes sense and I have seen
it work with alligators.
To some of us the forest is the same as a cathedral.

That's very good advice. Thanks for asking your friend. The information is" in the vault", ready for use if needed. Thanks again!
I'm glad we agree about the forest and the cathedral. I thought we might.
Murph

[HONDO74]

Just to add a little more to the conversation about bears. In the last month they have had 2 sightings of bears within the city limits of Republic Missouri. About 15 miles from where I live. We have black bears throughout the Ozarks.

A video of a bear attack that happened recently that was posted on the internet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsCqmotxyME

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Ok all righty then , Hondo!!!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you for that reality-check. I think you just convinced me to stay in the car and enjoy the scenery without even the disease-carrying Mosquitos to pester me and cause long term harm, let alone bears that seem far enough away to avoid or escape but are NOT. That first video is a very
Good perspective to have learned so vividly. I'll be watching all the others at that link .
THANK YOU !!!

[rogruth]

Murph,
How close have you been to a bear in those woods in the past?

[robert.]

You better know nj's gun laws before you carry a 44 !

[Roy]

A video of a bear attack that happened recently that was posted on the internet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsCqmotxyME

Any bear attack you can walk away from, is a good one.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

You better know nj's gun laws before you carry a 44 !

I'm not getting that gun.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

You better know nj's gun laws before you carry a 44 !

I'm not getting that gun.

He's getting a pet bear......

[webenda]

I thought this site was about model trains? Oh well, I don't have any model train photos or stories today, so bears it will be.
Curious bears photo:

curious_bears.jpg (116.67 KiB) Viewed 2616 times

Strong bear video: https://youtu.be/YpUxXU6qnzk

Glenn, from Alberta Parks, says, "The bear was not recently released, it just showed up. The trap is empty. Traps are very heavy (450 lbs) and hard to move. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened! The smell from the old bait would have still been there."

Get BearSmart tips about how to stay safe around bears at http://bearsmart.alberta.ca