Bear behind my house

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Psa1m144

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I took my 2 daughters for walk earlier today on a trail through the woods behind my house. I decided to go down a section of trail that I don't normally travel and happened across a chain link fence that had been bent in half with blackberry bushes on the other side (didn't think much of it at first glance). We kept on walking and about 10 feet down from there I noticed a rather large pile of feces, it was black and scattered with a variety of small berries and blackberry seeds. The feces were very fresh, no bugs and still very moist. This is about the time of year that bears seek out as many berries as they can to get fat for the winter. At this time I put 2 and 2 together and got my kids the heck out of there.

My question is, if I had to shoot a bear on my walk in self defense would I be allowed to harvest it? It was not on my property. I'm not going to go looking for trouble with a bear, and definitely not going to shoot one unless absolutely necessary. I'm thanking God that I did not see it and would never want to be put in that position(definitely not with just my Glock 22, which I was carrying, albeit better than nothing). The whole situation just got me thinking. Also, is that an event that I would have to report to the authorities (sheriff, game warden etc)? What about if the bear comes on my property?

(Moderators sorry this isn't exactly "hunting" related but I figure that hunters would be the most likely to know the answer to my questions, please move or remove if necessary)
 
You wouldn't be able to harvest it if a) it was out of season b) you don't have a license/tag c) the property owner disapproves. By the way, a .40 will stop a black bear; so long as you are practiced with it. Having 16 rounds at your disposal doesn't hurt any.
 
I see black bears almost every day, Most of them are very shy and will go out of thier way to avoid humans, they become a problem when people start feeding them. You need to contact your local wildlife officer 1st.
 
You will have to call a wildlife officer and maybe police and sheriff depending on where you are and if out of season it will more than likely be take'n. But before you go and wound a bear take some bear spray with you and use that first. Shooting wounding a bear is likly for a non-hunter and that could be the worse thing you could with kids around you.
 
^^^ I'm guessing the reason that Winnie's pooh was so fresh and scattered is because you scared it out of it and it was going while running away from you. Most < I said most > of the time Black Bruins can/will be like that. They want less to do with you then you of them. Not saying it *will* happen like that all the time though.

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/bccjunessa/images/bearscant_scale.jpg

Like previously typed ... get a can of GOOD bear-spray. Check the label and make sure it isn't over say four to six months old it does have a shelf-life of about twelve to fourteen months ... then replace it!!

It's lost its full potency and *might not help* and get one that has at least 2.0% Capsaicin, 10% Oleoresin Capsicum (OC), related Capsaicinoidsis, and is oil based. This one is suppose to be reliable http://www.udap.com/Bearspecifications.htm

Since you seem to live in Bear-Country you could probably get bear-spray at a local store or hunting supply place or gun store or such right down the street from your home.

Your G22/40cal could maybe work with the right Hard Cast Flat Nosed ammo but I would not try to use any type of Hollow Point ammo.

this part is very important
< yes I have read before that you can shoot that stuff out of a Glock as long as you CLEAN THE BARREL BEFORE you shoot it and DO NOT SHOOT anything else out of it UNTIL YOU CLEAN IT AGAIN and DO NOT SHOOT more then 25 rounds or so AND THEN CLEAN IT AGAIN BEFORE you shoot ANYTHING anymore >

But I myself would feel a bit more warm and fuzzy with a G20/10mm or a Ruger Redhawlk 4" 44mag because in your area it might not be just and only a Black-Bare that you could encounter ... so here's a good excuse to give to the Queen that you need a new gun !!

Next time you may only have a few seconds to decide it's time for action, that could be as few as 7 to 3 seconds!!!

Spray first and if that didn't work ... and it is still coming at you as a last ditch effort draw and fire and hope that works. And never ever never ever ever just turn and run because they will give chase so as scared as you or the children may be tell them do not run, and since you seem to have bears in your area go over this and make a plan as to what to do if you/they do have any bear encounters with or without you around.

And YES .... most important too is to check with the local Wildlife Officials to see what their local laws are as they vary from area to area.

And may the force be with you ;)
 
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Psa1m144 said:
My question is, if I had to shoot a bear on my walk in self defense would I be allowed to harvest it?
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My question is, if you truly had to shoot a bear in self defense, why would whether you got to keep it or not be of any concern at all? One reason many jurisdictions confiscate animals shot like this is because otherwise, every bear hunter that didn't draw a bear tag would be shootin' one in "self defense".

Odds are that bear has been behind your house for some time. I'd be more worried about him gettin' in my garbage and makin' a mess than worried about him attackin' me for no good reason. True Black Bear attacks are extremely rare and the few that do happen, are generally done by bears used to associating humans with food or protection of cubs. Even then, most attacks are not really attacks' but bluff charges meant to scare the intruder away. You more likely to contract Hantavirus from your walks in the woods than attacked by a Black bear. Be aware and make noise if you don't have a gun....best way to avoid contact with bears. A dog, regardless of size, will do more to protect you against Blackies than a handgun.
 
I have actually read (in many books) that unlike grizzlies, the majority of blackbear attacks are predatory.
 
I worry more about feral dogs and the neighbors grumpy bull than black bears. They are seldom more than a nuisance. They LOVE to rip up garbage cans, destroy sweet corn, and bust open bird feeders.

Talk to your local game warden. You need to file a report and get a permit to shoot a nuisance bear in many places.

Black bears are not aggressive unless they are cornered or threatened. There are usually fewer than three black bear attacks a year. Some of these attacks are from caged, captive bears. If you look at the number of traffic fatalities and murder rates, black bear attacks are just not something to worry about.
 
Frozen North said:
Talk to your local game warden. You need to file a report and get a permit to shoot a nuisance bear in many places.
QUOTE]

That's why you only shoot the bear in one place. ;)

In all seriousness, the only time you should really worry about black bears is if you're walking around the woods at night. That's when you are more likely to be attacked by a hungry black bear. During the day they are practically harmless as they will more likely avoid you. But they are animals and can be unpredictable, so best be prepared.
As far as harvesting it, it's a fair question. I get that unscrupulous hunters (or poachers as most of us call them) would be a concern, but as a legitimate SD shooter, you wouldn't want to see it go to waste after properly reporting it.
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ShawnC, that is pretty much my experience as well. According to the reports, the black bears to be most concerned about are the young males. At night, having black bears close enough to smell them can be quite un-nerving and I would have a gun in my hand.
 
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