Carson Valley, but it probably applies to all three.
Large wild horse herd now in Washoe Valley.
Jacks Valley is more remote and next to National Forest.
A lot of great info is posed here. This sign up at Fort Steele campground in Canada, pretty much says it all though.
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Two reports of bears breaking into houses this week. They are desperate and more dangerous than usual right now. Cold weather will put them down for the winter.
Ppine, Was that in or around Carson City?
They will den up for winter soon, but that is only a respite, not a solution. In spring they will come out of the dens and be even more hungry.
My mom is keeping the 30-30 out and ready. Her neighbors (neighbors there are 1/4 to 1/2 mile away) have had pets and goats attacked and 2 times a bear has gotten inside her chain link fence. So far it’s been OK and the bear ran off, but as they get more used to the presents of people the danger gets worse.
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I wondered who would win.
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The article said they all had bear spray. None were used. If you carry bear spray have it on a holster on your belt. Practice using it.
I packed horses with two people from Powell into the Thoroughfare back in 1988. There were signs of grizz there then. Now reports are that their population has increased a lot due to protection under the ESA. People talk about seeing them every day. It is hard to imagine but some areas around Yellowstone are thick with grizz. Be vigilant at all times.
I’m glad they made it. The guy who jumped the grizz will forever be able to talk about the day he wrestled one.
Yeah, and I bet one of his storied includes the line. “You should see what I did to the bear!”
I knew a guy who wrestled a trained bear. He thought, “I can stay in the ring for one minute, that bear ain’t so big!” He punched the bear and though holy ****, this is no teddy bear. The bear swiped at him and knocked him silly. All he did after that was run around tryng to stay away from the bear. He didnt last a minute.
I have seen them kill elk and deer and one time I saw one kill a cow. I have been to the kill sites of a few horses and sheep and 5 other cattle. Having been around horses and cattle all my life I know how strong and how fast they can be when they are scared or mad, and any animal that can kill hoses or cattle as part of a way to feed itself is NOT an animal I’d want to go one-on-one with without a very powerful gun. In fact even having a big gun is not a guarantee you will win when in combat with a grizzly.
I am quite impressed with that young man’s courage and would shake his hand if I ever get a chance.
Girl was mauled in NJ last week also.
I like watching them, but preferrably from my car, with the motor running and the doors locked. I like the video of the family watching the bear from the comfort of their car, then the bear opened the door. They’re really clever critters.
OK, now that’s the sort of information that would help me. Do you have any specifics or links to news articles that give the specifics like human initiated contact, trying to take a selfie, food in a tent, etc.?
A lot of people dismiss black bears.
That is a mistake.
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Thanks for the extra information! Seems like an unprovoked attack but I wonder if the lady was fixated on the other two bears, didn’t see the third and inadvertently got too close. Sometimes living around critters can make you a bit too laid back, as ppine said.
One of the things that has come up in my Black Bear research is that when they attack they mean it and if you don’t fight back, you’re dead. Interesting wrinkle that in this case, a person merely honking their car horn was enough to end the attack. It may be that habituated bears, which I would consider this one to be, are less likely to continue an attack than wild predatory bears.
Also interesting that the article referenced the NJ Governor ending bear hunting, encouraging overpopulation and consequently more frequent encounters. I talked with an experienced hammock camper/kayaker from the Great Lakes area who said Black Bears in the UP and Canada are usually reluctant to be around humans because of hunting.
At the end of the day though, the bears don’t read the research and act according to their personality and conditioning.
Like we do.
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Well— we had another one this week.
Feel bad for the guy. Obviously could not control his muzzle at one point. But I guess it can be understood. When something with claws and big teeth that can kill a cow IS TRYING TO TEAR YOU APART it may be difficult to keep total control over your appendages. I really hope he makes full recovery.
It does beg the question (even after he’s shot himself in the leg) how he would have done with no gun at all. So it’s a safe bet to say any close combat with a bear is not something you will often come out from unhurt. Still a gunshot wound makes a very bad situation even worse.
I’ll put him on our prayer list at church.
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