They never learn (Florence: home, pit bulls, dangerous)

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Your first link was a bear attack. So what. It was in a populated area

The second was a bear that broke into home. Yes, it broke into a home. Why do you suppose it was doing that. It was only a matter of time until the one this thread is about would have done it, probably when it missed the meal it came to get Those are clearly nuisance bears.
There is no evidence the bear in Cottage Grove was doing anything like that. People were feeding the bear. I seriously doubt they would be doing that if the bear was causing them any problems. Yes, they were feeding the bear, habituating it to humans, after being requested to stop. No, it hadn't caused them any problems. Yet.
This appears to be an angry wildlife officer who shot the bear just to spite the people who were feeding it. Which again I don't condone, but that is not a good reason to shoot the bear. I'm sure the officer was angry at the people whose actions and behavior forced him into having to shoot the bear

Anyway none of this explains why Gatlinburg Tennessee has hundreds of bears wondering all over the town including through crowded tourist areas and nobody even bats an eye at them. But in Oregon as soon as a bear wanders into town people start freaking out and calling 911. I just don't get it.

My responses in bold.

Yeah, no problem in Gatlinburg.
https://www.wate.com/news/sevier-cou...linburg-video/
Hundreds?

People who anthropomorph wildlife and do things like feed them are more of a menace to them than any hunter, who at least pays into wildlife conservation funds when buying a license and equipment.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

My responses in bold.

Yeah, no problem in Gatlinburg.
https://www.wate.com/news/sevier-cou...linburg-video/
Hundreds?

People who anthropomorph wildlife and do things like feed them are more of a menace to them than any hunter, who at least pays into wildlife conservation funds when buying a license and equipment.

If there is a video at that link, it doesn't play for me. But from the article.

While spotting a bear in Downtown Gatlinburg is not uncommon, TWRA spokesperson Matt Cameron said some of the people in the video were dangerously close.

“When they started approaching it and chasing it with the camera and all that, it really put them in a dangerous situation,” Cameron said

Spotting a bear in Downtown Gatlinburg is not uncommon. Not uncommon means it is a common occurrence. Despite bear sightings being common in Downtown Gatlinburg and people engaging in risky behavior around them as is outlined in your link, I can't find one single instance where someone has ever been hurt by one of them. None. The worst that happens is that the bears get into people's vehicles or homes and make a mess. Hence the warnings. Hey, you better make sure your vehicle is locked up, or that bear is going to get inside it.

Bears are some of the most gentle animals on this planet. They are not even as dangerous as some breeds of dogs. Just enjoy watching them and stay out of their personal space and everything will be fine. Please stop calling Fish and Wildlife to come and destroy them. There is no reason for that.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

If there is a video at that link, it doesn't play for me. But from the article.



Spotting a bear in Downtown Gatlinburg is not uncommon. Not uncommon means it is a common occurrence. Despite bear sightings being common in Downtown Gatlinburg and people engaging in risky behavior around them as is outlined in your link, I can't find one single instance where someone has ever been hurt by one of them. None. The worst that happens is that the bears get into people's vehicles or homes and make a mess. Hence the warnings. Hey, you better make sure your vehicle is locked up, or that bear is going to get inside it.

Bears are some of the most gentle animals on this planet. They are not even as dangerous as some breeds of dogs. Just enjoy watching them and stay out of their personal space and everything will be fine. Please stop calling Fish and Wildlife to come and destroy them. There is no reason for that.

People Need To Stop Feeding Them. That's it and all it takes. Like someone said upthread, "a fed bear is a dead bear".

Why do you think every single wildlife agency in bear country (which is expanding) begs, pleads and cajoles people to secure their trash cans, take in their bird feeders and, for Gawd's sake, don't feed them?

I grew up in bear country Pennsylvania and know exactly what and why it takes.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Yeah. Bears have territories. Relocate it somewhere else and it might get killed by, or kill, another bear in that territory.

Bears are not territorial. Neither black, brown/grizzly nor polar. They may defend a source of food (kill or carrion site, their in-the-moment spot on a salmon river, a garbage can), their immediate personal space from a buttinsky, or their cubs from a threat (which might be another bear), but they don't defend an area per se. Habituation is not the same thing as territoriality. Yes, a bear may announce its presence in an area using things like mark trails and rub trees. A relocated bear is put at a major disadvantage because it doesn't know what environmental hazards exist in that area or where to find essential things it needs: food, water, shelter. More "local" bears in the relocation area will object most strenuously to added competition for those essentials.

It's bad enough that people don't consider bears or other opportunistic wildlife when dealing with their household garbage, gardens, or livestock, but its even worse to realize that some idiots even hope their property will attract them. They like the bragging rights and sleazy way to impress visitors. They can brag that they are pioneers brave enough to live in "the wilderness" and justify that they need to defend themselves from threats. Helps some particularly clueless justify owning and brandishing a "survival weapon" . I am NOT saying no one should own or carry a firearm in bear country. Many bear-savvy people can and do quite responsibly.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

Bears are not territorial. Neither black, brown/grizzly nor polar. They may defend a source of food (kill or carrion site, their in-the-moment spot on a salmon river, a garbage can), their immediate personal space from a buttinsky, or their cubs from a threat (which might be another bear), but they don't defend an area per se. Habituation is not the same thing as territoriality. Yes, a bear may announce its presence in an area using things like mark trails and rub trees. A relocated bear is put at a major disadvantage because it doesn't know what environmental hazards exist in that area or where to find essential things it needs: food, water, shelter. More "local" bears in the relocation area will object most strenuously to added competition for those essentials.

It's bad enough that people don't consider bears or other opportunistic wildlife when dealing with their household garbage, gardens, or livestock, but its even worse to realize that some idiots even hope their property will attract them. They like the bragging rights and sleazy way to impress visitors. They can brag that they are pioneers brave enough to live in "the wilderness" and justify that they need to defend themselves from threats. Helps some particularly clueless justify owning and brandishing a "survival weapon" . I am NOT saying no one should own or carry a firearm in bear country. Many bear-savvy people can and do quite responsibly.

Kinda like being territorial.

Other than that quibble you and I are on the same page.

[rodentraiser]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

I know some states can and do issue violations to people feeding wildlife, especially if they've been directed not to.

Problem is, they always forget to make exceptions for feeding birds when they pass laws forbidding people to feed wildlife and tons of people feed wild birds. Any you know and I know people will never quit feeding birds. Then some smart lawyer will ask why such a law doesn't apply to ALL wildlife and well, there ya go.

[FrankNSense]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

If there is a video at that link, it doesn't play for me. But from the article.



Spotting a bear in Downtown Gatlinburg is not uncommon. Not uncommon means it is a common occurrence. Despite bear sightings being common in Downtown Gatlinburg and people engaging in risky behavior around them as is outlined in your link, I can't find one single instance where someone has ever been hurt by one of them. None. The worst that happens is that the bears get into people's vehicles or homes and make a mess. Hence the warnings. Hey, you better make sure your vehicle is locked up, or that bear is going to get inside it.

Bears are some of the most gentle animals on this planet. They are not even as dangerous as some breeds of dogs. Just enjoy watching them and stay out of their personal space and everything will be fine. Please stop calling Fish and Wildlife to come and destroy them. There is no reason for that.

You are obviously just trying to gaslight, but here you go. Took about 30 seconds to find this article.

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/...n/69586407007/

The man walked into the kitchen of the cabin, located near downtown, and was surprised by a bear. It "charged the man and swatted at him causing serious injuries to his face and the top of his head," according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The bear also scratched his back, and he was treated at a hospital.

How about just stop feeding them realizing that they are in fact a wild and NON-Domesticated Animal.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by FrankNSense

You are obviously just trying to gaslight, but here you go. Took about 30 seconds to find this article.

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/...n/69586407007/



How about just stop feeding them realizing that they are in fact a wild and NON-Domesticated Animal.

Okay, thanks. I missed that one. That appears to be the only occurrence. Still not bad for a city were bears are commonly seen walking around the Downtown tourist areas.

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

I bolded and underlined the most salient factor-the bear was habituated to humans and the residents were hand feeding it.

So it kept coming back and when it wasn't fed it created issues. Those people have no one to blame but themselves

I wonder if any, or all, of them can be cited for a wildlife violation. I know some states can and do issue violations to people feeding wildlife, especially if they've been directed not to.

Most people don't understand. Bears are not social animals and cannot be pets. Even bears hand-fed as cubs eventually have to be caged. When humans decide to play with them it often turns deadly.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by jbgusa

Most people don't understand. Bears are not social animals and cannot be pets. Even bears hand-fed as cubs eventually have to be caged. When humans decide to play with them it often turns deadly.

Not only can they be, but many people keep bears as pets. It's legal in many states. Obviously not in bearanoid Oregon, but in 16 states it's legal, and people keep bears as pets. Again, not something I would do, and not something I would recommend, but people are going to do what they want to do.

Pet Bear Legal States 2024


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUAW79hnIlM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7rZTZBOrqQ