Autumn bears.....

[46er]

I am seeing quite a bit more sign, mostly droppings, of bears locally. They should be getting more active now that the days are growing shorter, giving better chances of a sighting. Read a report of a sow and one COY very near to downtown Toms River yesterday. Perhaps we could start a sighting thread, without exact locations, to get a feeling for their distribution down here.

 

[woodjin]

I am seeing quite a bit more sign, mostly droppings, of bears locally. They should be getting more active now that the days are growing shorter, giving better chances of a sighting. Read a report of a sow and one COY very near to downtown Toms River yesterday. Perhaps we could start a sighting thread, without exact locations, to get a feeling for their distribution down here.

that would be a good idea. Despite their growing population many of us who spend a great deal of time in the woods have yet to see one. Come to think of it, a sighting thread might stay blank for a while.

Jeff

 

[46er]

Well, It's either now or wait until spring. I'm headed out today with camera, from what I've seen the past week I hope to find at least some tracks and scat. An actual sighting will be more of an accident.

 

[grendel]

Well, It's either now or wait until spring. I'm headed out today with camera, from what I've seen the past week I hope to find at least some tracks and scat. An actual sighting will be more of an accident.

Why spring? I don't think it is going to be cold enough for the bears to hibernate. However the southern hemisphere just had it's coldest winter in 150 years. Also the sunspot activity is at a century low, and of course the almanac is calling for a cold snowy winter.

 

[46er]

They don't actually enter a state of true hibernation, they just go into a sleep state. This is brought on by the lack of food and temperature; it doesn't have to be a constant freezing cold to cause this to occur. They can also come out of the sleep during the winter and reenter it. Regardless, they won't be moving around as much as they are now once the colder weather comes.

Was out for a bit today, quite a bit of scat around as well as some tracks. I have to find the time to get out very early or around dusk and just sit a while. Wish I had one of those trail camera's.

 

[Teegate]

Some people have bears showing up at work.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/offbeat/2008/10/03/vo.canada.bear.ap

Guy

 

[46er]

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

I wonder what kind of sandwich it had.....

They had a spot on the news of one trying to enter an ER at a hospital, folks on duty watched it walk in, turn around, and walk out. Guess it didn't have med insurance.

http://cbs13.com/pets/black.bear.hospital.2.828161.html

 

[mike242424]

Last year when i was getting my hunting liscense a guy had tolsd me he had corn and mollasses on a bait pile on the north side of 72 in chatsworth and walked up on a bear there. Whether to believe him or not im not sure.

 

[JefferyDollars]

I was thinkin of buyin a trail camera just came into some money recently but i wouldnt know where to set it up. Are the bears down as far as Wharton State Forest?

 

[NJBill]

Unidentified Tracks

Out wandering today on the southern end of the Franklin Parker Preserve and came across this on Bailey Rd. A bit hard to pick up the pattern in the sand but it was definately a pattern and ran about 60 feet before blending in with some tire tracks. They were about 6" across and about 1 1/2" -2" deep. There were four prints as seen in the photo, a space, and then it repeated if that helps. I'm a newbie pines wanderer so no guess on my part, sharing more out of curiosity. The tire tracks and my own boot print only slightly depressed the sand unlike these depressions.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/new...418&posthash=ddfdd761f505fdf8c43ff3a83a19b07c

 

[dragoncjo]

Any shot there are horse hoofs? I spend lots of time off bailey and haven't seen a bear....though the woods is deep and wild there.

 

[Teegate]

NJBill,

Does that link in your last post work for you? I tell's me I don't have Administrator privileges and can't access the page, and I am an Administrator. Odd!

Guy

 

[grendel]

Out wandering today on the southern end of the Franklin Parker Preserve and came across this on Bailey Rd. A bit hard to pick up the pattern in the sand but it was definately a pattern and ran about 60 feet before blending in with some tire tracks. They were about 6" across and about 1 1/2" -2" deep. There were four prints as seen in the photo, a space, and then it repeated if that helps. I'm a newbie pines wanderer so no guess on my part, sharing more out of curiosity. The tire tracks and my own boot print only slightly depressed the sand unlike these depressions.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/new...418&posthash=ddfdd761f505fdf8c43ff3a83a19b07c

Hard to tell from the photos, lots of displacement. About the same displacement as a running human track but 4 foot pattern. Almost all 4 footed animals leave a Y shaped pattern when running full blast. The tracks in the photos make me think bear because I see 2 small and two large(hind) prints. The pattern looks strange, maybe a canter but the 4 foot interval is kinda long. I would have to see several patterns to work it out. In soft dry sand a running deer will displace a lot of sand. A walking deer will barely leave a track in that medium. Same as a human. I would say a bear moving fast is a good possibility.

 

[NJBill]

NJBill,

Does that link in your last post work for you? I tell's me I don't have Administrator privileges and can't access the page, and I am an Administrator. Odd!

Guy

Guy, the link does not work but the thumbnail does open to a larger photo for me. Don't get overly confused if its a first...it was my first attempt at attaching which I struggled with and I could have easily done something wrong. Actually had some nice shots of the Preserve on the southern end but was struggling and had enough for today!

 

[46er]

Those tracks look to be humanoid to me, too many distinct edges.

 

[grendel]

Those tracks look to be humanoid to me, too many distinct edges.

" Humaniod". do you mean bipedal? the track pattern is wrong for that

 

[Monkeywrench]

A few friends of mine have spotted a black bear in the southern part of the pine barrens this fall.