Spring theme

[Jon Holcombe]

An old location and a couple of new from the past month. DIdn't post these because they I though they were not distinctive. However, I am posting now, because when I was on the bridge at the Sleeper Branch yesterday, I heard two or three distinct loud snorts, about 100 feet or so out of sight, in the woods. My first thought was big animal, like a horse, but the area is swampy and I was a half mile from a road. I wondered if beaver or deer make loud snorting noises. Being a chicken of the forest, I was pondering bear, but I try not to jump to conclusions, lest I hurt myself charging back out of the woods, dropping photo gear behind me.

Sleeper Branch

Rockwood Bogs

Brendan Byrne

 

[Boyd]

I heard two or three distinct loud snorts, about 100 feet or so out of sight, in the woods. My first thought was big animal, like a horse, but the area is swampy and I was a half mile from a road. I wondered if beaver or deer make loud snorting noises.

Nice shots.

No doubt it could have been a variety of things, but deer make some very loud snorting noises. Have scared the hell out of me a few times in a quiet spot.

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Nice shots.

No doubt it could have been a variety of things, but deer make some very loud snorting noises. Have scared the hell out of me a few times in a quiet spot.

That makes sense. I have been in wet areas on three occasions, and saw deer up to their abdomen in water. Last year I was with my son at Wescoat Bogs. He was just out of sight up river, when there was suddenly a loud crashing noise like something was charging through the swampy area adjacent to the stream. A few seconds later he came high stepping, in his waders, through knee deep water at a high rate of speed, looking over his shoulder like a 400 lb. black bear was hot on his heels. The level of athleticism one can achieve when one believes they are about to be eaten is truly remarkable.

 

[46er]

http://www.newsheadquarter.com/news/7980912154

 

[Jon Holcombe]

I know this is New Jersey, not Wyoming, and black bear (rarely seen) are not the much more aggressive brown bear. But still, when I'm deep in the woods by myself, the thought does cross my mind when I'm out there. Maybe as black bear continue to populate, NJ will liberalize the bear spray laws.

 

[bobpbx]

Maybe as black bear continue to populate, NJ will liberalize the bear spray laws.

If you want it and can get your hands on it, bear it (pun intended).

 

[46er]

Maybe as black bear continue to populate, NJ will liberalize the bear spray laws.

I doubt it, NJ is a liberal state.

I have a couple canister's from our early Yellowstone/Grand Teton trips packed away somewhere. I'm sure to find them when the valves start leaking. Since then we donate the canister's to the backcountry office when we were leaving.

You do not need the all-out bear spray used for the Grizzly, the lighter dog spray like Halt or Sabre, is effective for Black Bear, or so the experts say. It is legal in NJ, but must be purchased in person or online and shipped to a store for pickup, and be 3/4 ounce or less of liquid. Better than just screaming.

From the NA Bear Center;
"About one black bear out of a million kills someone for food. These predatory attacks probably account for all 61 killings by black bears across North America in the last 108 years. Predatory black bears are not angry, defensive, or highly motivated to attack. They just want to eat you. The odds of meeting a predatory black bear are extremely low, but if you’d rather be safe than sorry, any of the three brands of pepper spray at the Bear Center (Counter Assault, Halt, or Dog Shield) should deter it from eating you as easily as these products deter black bears from eating other foods."

 

[Jon Holcombe]

I doubt it, NJ is a liberal state.
You do not need the all-out bear spray used for the Grizzly, the lighter dog spray like Halt or Sabre, is effective for Black Bear, or so the experts say.

I've researched this a lot a couple of years ago. The stats are reassuring while sitting in front of my computer, less so when deep in the woods, walking on a dyke in a bog, pushing through heavy brush with bog to the left and stream to the right, only one way forward and back, in the darkness 40 minutes before the sun comes up. Or when seeing the photos of the bear that killed the unfortunate Rutgers student three years ago, in a NJ WMA. I am also skeptical of a .75 oz pepper spray canister stopping a 400 lb black bear. I've read accounts of mastiffs or Rottweilers not being very affected by handheld pepper spray and they are smaller than a medium bear. I have not read an account of someone actually using a .75 to deter an actual predatory black bear, which makes sense since those encounters would be very rare. And bear spray blasts up to 30 ft. Now, if one were to order directly from a company that sells bear spray, I believe they would ship a 7 or 9 oz canister to an interested person. This is, of course, supposition. {EDIT} Very interesting link below.

https://craigmedred.news/2017/06/29/bear-spray-yes-or-no/

 

[46er]

I guess nothing is certain in this world. If it really wants you, it will get you. But if I were concerned about what walks around in the woods, and I'm not, I would carry it. As I said, IMO it's better than just screaming, the odd's are it will deter the animal, but you have to use it correctly. There is plenty of stuff written on what to do , and what not to do, but it is probably written by someone sitting behind a desk.

FWIW, a friend of mine in MT worked with the NPS teaching, promoting and training government agency personal on proper use, storage, and general education using the spray deterrent. He showed my wife and I how to use it. He has had to use it twice to deter both a grizzly and a black bear. If you do decide to carry it, get the inert canister as well and practice with it.

 

[noboat]

Deer..

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Deer..

You mean you throw a deer at a bear if it threatens you? I bet that would work.

 

[Boyd]

Being attacked by a bear is about the last thing on my mind wandering around the pines. When I start reading reports of it happening in the pines, then I might start worrying. I saw a bear while hiking around Wawayanda State Park back in 2004. https://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/wawayanda.1222/

The photos at that link don't work because the NJPB gallery no longer exists, but here's my blurry bear picture.

 

[46er]

I saw a bear while hiking around Wawayanda State Park back in 2004.

I have only had one sighting in NJ, years ago; it was springtime in the DWGNRA. A black blur came rolling down a steep hill alongside the road, into and across the road in front of us. It was a sow with 5 cubs, highly unusual, they ran down the opposite embankment and into the Big Flat Brook. I got some blurred pictures, but are on slides or prints tucked away. We reported it to the NPS VC at the Gap, they asked for the location on the map. They suspected some of the cubs were adopted due to the other sow's death.

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Nice shot Boyd. I figure any black bear in the pines may be in more isolated areas, especially in bogs or wherever there are berries or food. From Wikipedia: "Generally, American black bears are largely crepuscular in foraging activity...". My concern is when I am in an areas like this, and I have been here multiple times 40 minutes before sunrise by myself:

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.7476321062538&lng=-74.60160357758514&z=16&type=hybrid&gpx=

Just to get to that area, you are pushing through very heavy brush, and briars. Not that many people would go there at midday, except for hunters I would think.

So if my shooting is "crepuscular", and the foraging patterns of black bear are "crepuscular", and they are in the bogs looking for food, ipso facto, I have put myself in a situation that very few people that go into the pine barrens are in, and my odds of being transformed into bear scat have increased from say, one in a million, to one in 20,000. Of course people are in tents in campsites all through the pine barrens at night, but they are not in bogs, and they are generally not alone.

I feel quite a bit less anxious with bear spray on my belt.

 

[46er]

Just to get to that area, you are pushing through very heavy brush, and briars. Not that many people would go there at midday, except for hunters I would think.

You might look into getting a PLB if you are out of cell range. One of those 'nice to have if...' things.

 

[Boyd]

and my odds of being transformed into bear scat have increased from say, one in a million, to one in 20,000.

Well, of course, do whatever you need to do in order to feel safe. But I don't agree with your arithmetic, because there actually has to be a bear in the pines in the first place. I know we get the occasional sighting, but I've never seen claims of a resident bear population.

 

[Jon Holcombe]

Well, of course, do whatever you need to do in order to feel safe. But I don't agree with your arithmetic, because there actually has to be a bear in the pines in the first place. I know we get the occasional sighting, but I've never seen claims of a resident bear population.

Here is a quote from Division of Fish and Wildlife: ..."black bears are thriving and there are now confirmed bear sightings in all 21 of New Jersey's counties."

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts.htm

The territory where black bear have been seen is definitely expanding. Maybe they are commuting from North Jersey to South Jersey and back again, but they have been spotted in Cape May County, which is quite a distance south of Wharton.

I am friendly with a hunter who hunts in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey and has encountered bear in North Jersey. I told him that I was a little embarrassed to carry pepper spray in Wharton because bear are so seldom seen, and maybe it was overkill. He essentially told me that there ARE black bear in the Pine Barrens. One man, one opinion, and maybe he was arguing for effect.

My assumption is there are black bear in the Pine Barrens. And they are not walking down Rt. 206. They are baiting for humans, specifically for photographers, deep in the woods at Friendship and the Tulpehocken. And when my guard is down, they will strike, and attempt to eat me. But I am ready for them. And I do not taste good, not at all, because fear spoils the taste of the meat!

 

[Boyd]

Looking forward to your story about how the bear spray saved your life!

 

[46er]

My assumption is there are black bear in the Pine Barrens. And they are not walking down Rt. 206. They are baiting for humans, specifically for photographers, deep in the woods at Friendship and the Tulpehocken. And when my guard is down, they will strike, and attempt to eat me. But I am ready for them. And I do not taste good, not at all, because fear spoils the taste of the meat!

Well, given the thousands reported to be in NJ, they certainly are not making their presense known. State stats for this year;

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/bear/activity_ytd18.pdf

Depending if your an animal lover, or not. Dust yourself with some capsaicinoids or meat tenderizer.

 

[Boyd]

So a bear is chasing two guys through the woods. One guy says, "I sure hope we can run faster than that bear". The other guy says "I sure hope I can run faster than you!"