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Old 07-23-2012, 08:50 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh area
9,912 posts, read 24,543,247 times
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They've set a trap out now for the second bear: Bear hunt: Trap set after Frazer mall gets unexpected visitor - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Turns out that 150lb is actually typical for a second year bear, so the smaller one they caught already was born last year not this year. I looked up more on the life cycle and they don't reach full size for a couple years and actually typically spend about 18 months with their mother. Usually born in Feb so this one was still hanging around with mom from last year I'll bet, basically an adolescent bear.
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Old 07-23-2012, 09:19 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 107,645,904 times
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REPOSTING!

Hubby tells me that the bears making into the suburbs is because the gaming commission underestimated the bear population by 30k a few years ago and didn't allow enough bear hunting to keep the numbers under control. He says these bears are young male bears. They travel up to 500 miles in a year via adult male bears pushing them out of their territory. If the gaming commission increases the hunting of bears, less young male bears would be pushed into the urban areas.
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Old 07-23-2012, 09:57 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh area
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These traveling bears are female though in this case.
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Old 07-23-2012, 10:03 PM
 
2,236 posts, read 2,961,761 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
REPOSTING!

Hubby tells me that the bears making into the suburbs is because the gaming commission underestimated the bear population by 30k a few years ago and didn't allow enough bear hunting to keep the numbers under control. He says these bears are young male bears. They travel up to 500 miles in a year via adult male bears pushing them out of their territory. If the gaming commission increases the hunting of bears, less young male bears would be pushed into the urban areas.
Hopes,

Your husband is absolutely correct. Here is a recent article from our local paper.

County tells lawmakers hound hunts are
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Old 07-24-2012, 05:01 AM
 
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Another problem is the tree huggers are preventing proper state and national forrest management. The canopy is so dense that there is little low growing food near the ground. Not being able to cut down trees or do controlled fires is pushing the deer out of the forrests looking for food. The bears have to follow the deer since the deer are bear food. All of this is bringing the bear population closer to the urban areas.
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Old 07-24-2012, 06:58 AM
 
2,236 posts, read 2,961,761 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
Another problem is the tree huggers are preventing proper state and national forrest management. The canopy is so dense that there is little low growing food near the ground. Not being able to cut down trees or do controlled fires is pushing the deer out of the forrests looking for food. The bears have to follow the deer since the deer are bear food. All of this is bringing the bear population closer to the urban areas.
Hopes,

I've never heard of a black bear stalking and killing deer. Mountain lions and coyotes are the primary predators of deer.

Most people encounter wildlife because of a reduction in habitat caused by human encroachment, or as your husband mentioned in your previous post, a lack of proper game management. Another reason could be there are fewer hunters.
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Old 07-24-2012, 07:32 AM
 
43,011 posts, read 107,645,904 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eccotecc View Post
Hopes,

I've never heard of a black bear stalking and killing deer. Mountain lions and coyotes are the primary predators of deer.

Most people encounter wildlife because of a reduction in habitat caused by human encroachment, or as your husband mentioned in your previous post, a lack of proper game management. Another reason could be there are fewer hunters.
While bear are not the main preditors of deer, bear do prey on dear.

Predators of the Whitetail Deer

But since the diet of the black bear is 85% vegetation, improper land management of forrests is the greatest contributor to bear and deer migrating closer to urban areas. Most of these malls, with the exception of the Mills, have been around for well over 60 years, so human incroachment is less of an issue in these specific instances.
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Old 07-24-2012, 07:39 AM
 
Location: Planet Kolob
429 posts, read 650,955 times
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Hopes, I think you are trying to defend urban sprawl as being a non-issue. When in fact it is a major issue when dealing with our natural habitat. I understand what you are saying in that bears are coming into surburban areas due to looking for more food. However, suburban areas have majorly shifted towards what use to be bear habitat majorly in the past 50 years.

Humans have majorly changed even the natural habitat of the whole east coast since European settlement. The forest are completely 100% different in what they use in species of trees and animals.
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Old 07-24-2012, 08:36 AM
 
Location: Pennsylvania
1,723 posts, read 2,215,691 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SPSGuy View Post
Hopes, I think you are trying to defend urban sprawl as being a non-issue. When in fact it is a major issue when dealing with our natural habitat. I understand what you are saying in that bears are coming into surburban areas due to looking for more food. However, suburban areas have majorly shifted towards what use to be bear habitat majorly in the past 50 years.

Humans have majorly changed even the natural habitat of the whole east coast since European settlement. The forest are completely 100% different in what they use in species of trees and animals.
I agree. Hunting is only part of the story, although always a convenient solution when one thinks there are too many animals.

Quote:
Originally Posted by eccotecc View Post
Hopes,

Your husband is absolutely correct. Here is a recent article from our local paper.

County tells lawmakers hound hunts are
Yeah - the CA state government is considering to ban the use of dogs to tree bear and wild cats. That kind of hunting is especially popular with people willing to pay $ to be driven out in the woods, pull out their gun, and then shoot a mountain lion or bear after the dogs have chased it up a tree. Apparently some people like just chasing the animals around, too. It's not surprising that certain people like doing that and think it should continue.
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Old 07-24-2012, 01:41 PM
 
Location: Penn Hills
1,326 posts, read 1,998,041 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
While bear are not the main preditors of deer, bear do prey on dear.

Predators of the Whitetail Deer
Not much of a source there, when it specifically says they're not much of a threat to deer. It is considered rare and unusual.
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