Grab the bear gun! MORE MOVING IN #62

[MrTrolleyguy]

I can hardly believe it. A black bear is roaming around on the border of Philadelphia. The fifth largest city in the country, it is bad enough that we have 800 to 900 deer in our city's Fairmount Park, we now have a black bear problem.

Every year they get closer to densely populated suburbs and the city. It seems to happen most often in the spring.

I have heard horror stories about how bad the bear problem is in certain northern parts of New Jersey. They need to use special bear resistant trash containers. I hope we don't see that level of bear population in densely populated areas. Pennsylvania has a huge wooded central section, not to mention mountains.

Thank god we do not have the wild hog problem the southern and western states have. There are some in PA.

Sounds like there is a need for a longer hunting season. Is that part of the answer?

What is it like where you live (if in an urban area).

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This 300lbs bear was photographed near a school, which was put on lockdown, in Camden County, Atco NJ.....which is about 20 miles from Philly.

 

[bullmack]

Looks like he's just grabbing a nap to me!

 

[BigBill]

I had a 350#/400# bear in my back yard. He's still in the forest.

 

[brucev]

Bear problems... black, white, grizzly, whatever? M-1 Garand stuffed w/ a clip of plain Jane AP would settle his hash... or that of any other bear in short order. Just put his pumpkin on the fence post and it's lights out. Problem solved.

 

[DR505]

I had one trying to crawl in through my window last summer...detailed here:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/325941-strange-day-bear-colander-saucepan-bull-snake.html

 

[Texas Star]

Bear problems... black, white, grizzly, whatever? M-1 Garand stuffed w/ a clip of plain Jane AP would settle his hash... or that of any other bear in short order. Just put his pumpkin on the fence post and it's lights out. Problem solved.

Don't think I'd use AP ammo. That might not kill as well as proper hunting loads. It's illegal for hunting, I think.

I realize that this is a defensive use, but would still use softnosed bullets.

 

[kaaskop49]

In many areas, shooting or acting against ANY animal is a no-no and one may be arrested. I have heard this is so here in Vegas. This is why many areas are totally befouled by geese.

There was an incident in PA, I believe, several years ago when a camper killed a bear attacking his wife and child. He was cuffed, arrested, and charged with multiple offenses, (illegal discharge of FA, reckless endangerment among others). Those charges were dropped but he received a citation for not maintaining a proper campsite. I do not think his rifle was returned to him, but perhaps others know more about this.

 

[amazingflapjack]

****spray*****

 

[rwsmith]

Dang hogs

Thank god we do not have the wild hog problem the southern and western states have. There are some in PA.



[{/QUOTE]

Bears have a couple of cubs every year. Hogs can have two litters of six almost twice a year. A few long seasons on bear would whittle them down quick, but those durn pigs.......

Bears need to learn to stay in the National Parks where they belong.

 

[BobC357]

It is interesting how different areas of the country react, over-react or don't react at all to bears. In my neighborhood, there's a creek that runs through the park at the elementary school and a family of bears lives in the creek. Sure, you pay attention but they don't go into lockdown mode when the bears come out. They do for the coyotes and mountain lions however. Anyway, bears just want to be bears and do what bears do. We see them a lot and DOW says there are 7 in our neighborhood. People know not to feed them, keep their bird feeders and pet food away and keep their garbage locked. This way, we peacefully coexist with our furry smelly friends. I've been here almost 20 years and no bear incidents.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

A number of years ago, we had a migrating male black bear about 40 miles east of Columbus. ODNR shot him. Their reason: Ohio has no bears! Ivan

 

[Fishinfool]

I spend a lot of time in the Bald Eagle state forest in central PA. I see and photograph quite a few bear. PA has a large population. Bears in Philadelphia are actually fairly common. A second year male who has just "left the nest" will roam far and wide in search of a new territory. Phil. sits only a short distance from prime bear habitat.

I remember back about 1983 or so, I was a CT state trooper. Got an "all car available" call to a corn field in downtown Southbury for a "dangerous animal"?? When I arrived, two other troopers, two local constables, and a guy in civvies had a young bull moose semi-surrounded in the headlights of their vehicles. 9mm's drawn. Someone had the bright idea of "herding" him to a better location with his cruiser. Moose didn't like that, and started stomping, and waving his rack around. About 20 shots later - dead moose. Felt like a bad comedy.

Lots of angry people when the news got out about it, and how it was handled.

Not more than a couple months later, another bull moose in a field along side I-84 in Newtown CT, the next town over from Southbury. This time the DEP tried tranquilizing it, and promptly ended up killing him instead.

That's two bull moose in a state that has not had a moose population since maybe the mid 1800's.

At the time, Maine was starting to experience a population growth of moose, with a small scattering of animals moving into areas of NH, VT, and northern MA. So that's a good example of how animals can travel.

Larry

 

[Muss Muggins]

I've got a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in .45-70 that ought to be able to make a nice rug . . .

 

[mc5aw]

I spend a lot of time in the Bald Eagle state forest in central PA. I see and photograph quite a few bear. PA has a large population. Bears in Philadelphia are actually fairly common. A second year male who has just "left the nest" will roam far and wide in search of a new territory. Phil. sits only a short distance from prime bear habitat.

I remember back about 1983 or so, I was a CT state trooper. Got an "all car available" call to a corn field in downtown Southbury for a "dangerous animal"?? When I arrived, two other troopers, two local constables, and a guy in civvies had a young bull moose semi-surrounded in the headlights of their vehicles. 9mm's drawn. Someone had the bright idea of "herding" him to a better location with his cruiser. Moose didn't like that, and started stomping, and waving his rack around. About 20 shots later - dead moose. Felt like a bad comedy.

Lots of angry people when the news got out about it, and how it was handled.

Not more than a couple months later, another bull moose in a field along side I-84 in Newtown CT, the next town over from Southbury. This time the DEP tried tranquilizing it, and promptly ended up killing him instead.

That's two bull moose in a state that has not had a moose population since maybe the mid 1800's.

At the time, Maine was starting to experience a population growth of moose, with a small scattering of animals moving into areas of NH, VT, and northern MA. So that's a good example of how animals can travel.

Larry

About 10 years ago, I read a story about a fellow who was driving north on 95 up near Mystic. Out of the darkness an animal appeared and he took it out, luckily not killing himself. He thought he hit a deer ... it was reported to be a bull moose, an animal not normally seen in Mystic ... ever.

Last week coming back from the gun club, I rounded a corner and came upon a pick up stopped in the road. The driver was pointing to the left, and there in the yard of a home right on the roadside was a family of bruins ... three juveniles, momma and papa. Never seen a group of five before, only solo bears.

As far as Philly, perhaps the ruling class will ease up the firearms laws within city limits now that there is a marauding bear in its midst. Philly has considerably more problems keeping its citizenry safe than with policing a wild bear.

 

[pluspea]

Seems harmless to me, he's just waiting on boo boo to return with the picanic basket, and keeping an eye out for the ranger.

 

[fat tom]

I think that I would concern myself more with the two-legged animals that are already a problem in urban areas. Just sayin'.
f.t.

 

[brucev]

Don't think I'd use AP ammo. That might not kill as well as proper hunting loads. It's illegal for hunting, I think.

I realize that this is a defensive use, but would still use softnosed bullets.

With respect, do respect the law as to hunting, etc. Always have. M-1 w/ AP was mentioned simply b/c the combination is immediately effective on bears that intrude into residential areas.

 

[PA Reb]

Philadelphia has bigger problems than black bear and deer if you get my drift!

It can get very, very expensive (or worse) in Pennsylvania if an individual is caught shooting at, killing or harassing either of them out of season so acting on suggestions on how to kill them would be a bad move (unless you can prove self defense). A longer hunting season in or around the area the bruins are straying in from may help some but there are a lot of scenarios that would play into that also. The PA. Game Commission will trap and move nuisance bears but they are also strapped because of manpower and the availability of traps. PA is a tough state to manage game in because there are some highly populated cities surrounded by dense forested areas and the people either want a good population of bears or they don't. Its difficult to have it both ways due to the obvious fact that bears, especially in the spring, pay no attention to the boundary lines that separate the wild from the city. So, the best defense is human education, common sense, a watchful eye and of course tolerance. If things get really out of hand its always best to allow the agency tasked with the problem to handle it. Around here, bears move in and out all the time and nothing serious has ever happened.

 

[PA Reb]

About 10 years ago, I read a story about a fellow who was driving north on 95 up near Mystic. Out of the darkness an animal appeared and he took it out, luckily not killing himself. He thought he hit a deer ... it was reported to be a bull moose, an animal not normally seen in Mystic ... ever.

Last week coming back from the gun club, I rounded a corner and came upon a pick up stopped in the road. The driver was pointing to the left, and there in the yard of a home right on the roadside was a family of bruins ... three juveniles, momma and papa. Never seen a group of five before, only solo bears.

As far as Philly, perhaps the ruling class will ease up the firearms laws within city limits now that there is a marauding bear in its midst. Philly has considerably more problems keeping its citizenry safe than with policing a wild bear.

".....three juveniles, momma and papa...." I've never seen five together either but one of them being the "papa" would never happen - the sow would never allow a boar near her cubs. If the sow had cubs with her, its also very doubtful one would be an earlier or older cub as she normally chases them away at two years of age or sometimes three but would never have an earlier cub and new cubs at the same time. I wonder if it was possibly two different sows with their cubs or one sow with her cubs and an adult sow tagging along? That would also be very unusual. I will say that the sight you saw is very interesting and unusual. I wish I could see a picture of it !

 

[Arik]

I've never seen on in Philly but not surprised. Just check out the Northern suburbs in Bucks County. We are spreading further out. My cousin just had a McManssion built a little north of Newtown. Their development is like 10 houses in the middle of nowhere. But once there more will follow. I went to high school in Newtown , graduated in 98. Back then it was not rural but now it's practically NE Philadelphia. The Bears arnt coming to us, we are going to them. And of course the first reaction, like so many have said here, is shoot it, shoot it.

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