Black bear.

[BeeKool]

I watched some locals skin a black bear in the northwest territory Ontario Canada when I was 14. I remember going up and holding a paw and touching the teeth. I wouldn't want to run into a angry live one. I believe they ate the meat too.

Bear meat is good, although a bit greasy.
It's necessary to cook it thoroughly though because bears can have Trichnosis

 

[dual fours]

My Father and Uncles would render the fat and use it to rub on their joints in their older days of life. They claimed it worked.

 

[BeeKool]

My Father and Uncles would render the fat and use it to rub on their joints in their older days of life. They claimed it worked.

Probably does, they use Emu oil for the same thing

 

[mopar 3 B]

The natives used bear grease to keep the mosquitos away.

 

[Xp29h]

I guide Maine black bear hunts. They are awesome animals and we do our best to make sure the hunters do it as correct as they can. Hate it when one gets away. Fortunately we have not had that happen! We've helped out some other guides search so I know what it's like to lose one. Not good. We've taken some really good above average bears in the last several years. I've attached a pic of one 2 seasons ago

Bear meat is awesome. The trick is you cannot let it hang at all. You must get it into a cooler and skinned as soon as possible. The fat the bear is trying to put on soaks into the meat if allowed to remain. If it does, grease, stinky ranset nasty!

Good luck with your hunt!

 

[mopar 3 B]

I guide Maine black bear hunts. They are awesome animals and we do our best to make sure the hunters do it as correct as they can. Hate it when one gets away. Fortunately we have not had that happen! We've helped out some other guides search so I know what it's like to lose one. Not good. We've taken some really good above average bears in the last several years. I've attached a pic of one 2 seasons ago
View attachment 575318
Bear meat is awesome. The trick is you cannot let it hang at all. You must get it into a cooler and skinned as soon as possible. The fat the bear is trying to put on soaks into the meat if allowed to remain. If it does, grease, stinky ranset nasty!

Good luck with your hunt!

You sure the bear can not see you in all that. Personally would be more concerned about their hearing and ability to smell. But have never hunted bear.

 

[steve from staten island]

So my grandfather back in about 1975 a year or so before he passed had this trailer in the mountains were he would spend spring through early fall. He was legally blind by this time. He would putter in his shed during the day. One day he came out of this shed and saw a large black man on his hands and knees lurking outside his shed. He started yelling at the guy to get "the hell out of here". My grandmother heard the commotion and came out on the porch and started screaming at my grandfather. The black man was a black bear. My grandfather was within a very short distance of the bear, leas than 15 20 feet. He must have focused and realized that it wasn't a black guy on his hands and knees. He slowly backed up and locked himself in the shed. Grandma took some pots and pans and made some noise and the poor confused bear retreated to the safety of the woods, rather than two manic senior citizens screaming in Italian. True story i kid you not

 

[NJRR]

I have a summer house in upstate NY, been going there for over 50 years. There's always reports of black bears but I've never seen one. I do keep a 12 gauge pump with 00 buckshot and rifled slugs just in case one comes too close. My buddy took a 300 lb one last year with a compound bow from a tree stand. He found a trail and used a trail cam to track it's movements, was only in the tree for a couple of hours till it came around.

 

[NJRR]

So my grandfather back in about 1975 a year or so before he passed had this trailer in the mountains were he would spend spring through early fall. He was legally blind by this time. He would putter in his shed during the day. One day he came out of this shed and saw a large black man on his hands and knees lurking outside his shed. He started yelling at the guy to get "the hell out of here". My grandmother heard the commotion and came out on the porch and started screaming at my grandfather. The black man was a black bear. My grandfather was within a very short distance of the bear, leas than 15 20 feet. He must have focused and realized that it wasn't a black guy on his hands and knees. He slowly backed up and locked himself in the shed. Grandma took some pots and pans and made some noise and the poor confused bear retreated to the safety of the woods, rather than two manic senior citizens screaming in Italian. True story i kid you not

Steve- I grew up with one of my best friends who's Italian. His old grandmother didn't speak a word of English but when she started yelling at us in Italian, we all ran !!! SO I know how that bear felt !!!!!

 

[mopar 3 B]

I have a summer house in upstate NY, been going there for over 50 years. There's always reports of black bears but I've never seen one. I do keep a 12 gauge pump with 00 buckshot and rifled slugs just in case one comes too close. My buddy took a 300 lb one last year with a compound bow from a tree stand. He found a trail and used a trail cam to track it's movements, was only in the tree for a couple of hours till it came around.

Doesn't he know black bears can climb trees?

 

[NJRR]

Doesn't he know black bears can climb trees?

Guess he was faster than the average bear !!!!

 

[DeltaV]

Doesn't he know black bears can climb trees?

...and rocket fast too!

 

[DeltaV]

I used to see black bears (and dropped evidence) when I lived in Tioga County N.Y. Beautiful animal and cute cubs. My German Shepherd would let me know when the bear were nearby and block me from going down the path. Good boy!

 

[Xp29h]

Mopar, that's not me in the pic. That's one of our hunters. You are correct though.We get em dressed up pretty good. Our tree stand set up is pretty darn good. If you can sit still, you can hunt in jeans and a t shirt! Well, almost anyway! Lol!

Black bear will usually circle the bait or stand area before coming into a shooting area. Sight and smell are crucial to their survival. It's very important for the hunter to be still! We make sure our stands a favorable for the wind too!

 

[mopar 3 B]

I have studied bear habits and will be ready for them when they once again get back to their native home.
Before being hunted into nonexistance in the surrounding Kansas City area there was a large population of black bear. At least the Missouri Wildlife has acknowledged their existance in the south part of the state and Ozark region. The population has been growing.

 

[Ranger16]

Black bears will rarely attack. They are more like deer and will run (assuming of coarse that they are not cornered or you are not between a mother and her cubs). If they get too close to cabins or such, simply making yourself known and yelling at them will usually scare them off. I wouldn't worry much about safety. Their western cousins, Grizzlys and Browns are another story.

 

[mopar 3 B]

An electric fence will keep them out off things you don't want them in.

 

[dual fours]

Black bears will rarely attack. They are more like deer and will run (assuming of coarse that they are not cornered or you are not between a mother and her cubs). If they get too close to cabins or such, simply making yourself known and yelling at them will usually scare them off. I wouldn't worry much about safety. Their western cousins, Grizzlys and Browns are another story.

As long you do not run out of marshmallows. Upstate Pa., the locals there do not like when the Flatlanders feed the Bears. The Flatlanders feed them, the Bears, on the weekend and then goes home. Later in the week the Bears come back for more scraps and goodies left behind. The locals really hate to walk into a Bear in the night. It's getting so all the local Bears think the humans all have marshmallows to feed them. If you do not have the treats (they smell them) you can scare them away, if the Bear smells marshmallows, you better have a full bag and pray the bear leave before you run out. One guy was picking fire wood about 50' off the road away from his truck, turned around and guess what, there's a Bear between him and his truck. I think he had to sit on a plastic bag to drive back to camp. There is a first time for everything. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/bear-shot-with-444-marlin-attacks-hunter.167704/ If possible, always circle a safe distance around and approach what you think is a down and dead bear from the rear. If you have taken two, three or more shots to bring it down, reload and put one more round in the Bear before you move in to close.

 

[mopar 3 B]

And it goes no good post signs to not feed the bears or any other wildlife.
Just like the neighbors bison the electric fence is to keep people out and not them in. Its posted all over the place to stay away for the fence.