[sdbob]

We live out in the country. 4 homes behind us on dead end road and all woods into a hollow. I heard a commotion on back porch figuring possum,or other animal trying to eat bird seed we have stored in 5 gallon buckets with lids on. So it's dark I turn lights on open both doors,there staring at me 6ft away is a black bear on all fours trying to get at the seed.He or she was about 40 inches across shoulders. Oh sh.......I thought I was next not knowing bears. Game warden called,calmly he said numerous calls in our area. There are cubs too! Bears coming out after hibernating looking for food like bird seed. They wont harm 'gulp' humans just make noise put lights on. I work in detached garage coming in after dark. 60 yrs never had this happen.Next it'll be big foot!

[bird72]

Hide the bird seed, it is a bear attractant. And they remember. I have a bear thing. Like I carry spray and 10MM in the woods here in MT. Funny thing is Griz usually want to avoid you. Black bear can sometimes be more volatile. So I just bought land in remote high country in New Mexico. My road is Bear Road. Bear is the state animal. MT has 15,000 black bears. NM has 6000 blacks. MT has 800 Griz. I say that number is low. I love, respect, and avoid bears.

[Firedup6975]

Yikes! thank goodness it didn’t attack you. I keep my seed in a metal mini trash can with a lock lid. It’s s on my back deck against the house right outside the sliding doors. One night late heard the can bang, thinking someone was trying to get in the doors, I flipped the spots on and pulled the curtains away and in my face were two Does trying to get into the seed. I screamed.....they ran down the steps and took off. I was so close I could see the moisture in their nostrils. luckily they didn’t kick the glass doors or get tangled in the deck railing leaving. Well I’m glad you’re ok.

I leave the seed outside because if in the warm house, the moth larva’s hatch in the seed.

[jhein]

That'll get your attention. I also live in a rural area. I only have 6 acres but the back of my property borders forest land. Directly behind is commercial timber, but that is continuous with national forest land that goes on forever. We have every imaginable small animal come across our property as well as deer, Elk and bobcats. Strangely, I've never seen a cougar or bear. Not that I want to but I know people who live closer to town than me who say they see cougars and bears with some regularity so I'm a little surprised that we don't. I hear coyotes all the time but never spotted one. Although, I suspect they've all spotted me. When I'm out with my dogs I'm always armed.

[carcrazy]

Originally Posted by bird72

Hide the bird seed, it is a bear attractant. And they remember. I have a bear thing. Like I carry spray and 10MM in the woods here in MT. Funny thing is Griz usually want to avoid you. Black bear can sometimes be more volatile. So I just bought land in remote high country in New Mexico. My road is Bear Road. Bear is the state animal. MT has 15,000 black bears. NM has 6000 blacks. MT has 800 Griz. I say that number is low. I love, respect, and avoid bears.

Montana seems to be loaded with bears...saw at least 40 (including many grizzlies) when I was up at Glacier hiking and climbing 2 years ago. Came across one in thick brush while we were on a hike. That will get your heart rate up! Always carry your bear spray out and ready to go! My neighbor's hiking partner was attacked by a grizzly in Yellowstone about 10 years ago...required 300 stitches. Bear came out of the brush, body slammed him, slashed him up pretty good and then turned around and left. He had bear spray but it all happened so fast there was no time to deploy.

[grandam1979]

Wow that’s crazy I’m running.

[sdbob]

Never even heard of bears here for past 50+ yrs. Warden said the population is growing,esp around here,why? alot of working farms wheat,corn, dairy plus wooded areas with berries. I just stared at first frozen! I was shaken for an hour. Just something you dont expect. Read couple info from Pa Game Commission.

[Half-Inch Stud]

You are nearby. So are the bears.

[tigergto]

I live in a rural area, known to have black bears. Last fall as I was walking to my detached garage, I locked eyes with a black bear sticking its head out of the brush. It ducked back into the woods immediately. I’m not sure if it was A cub or an adult.

[HO Kenny]

I took my Brother and his girlfriend for a hike a couple years ago in kananaskis just west of Calgary.
This guy was between us and the parking lot when we came back.
We ducked behind a ridge, kept the dog quiet and circled around him.
We were fine but it was interesting that’s for sure.

[GT182]

Bears are no way no how fun. I took a shot at a mama bear that had snuck away from her 2 year old son. I took a shot at her and missed. Still it scared the crap out of her. She went by my like a freight train at full bore. And she was only 2 feet away from me when she went by. She went thru a page wire fence and a barb wire fence. While she was hightailing it past me I took another shot and missed...... thank God! My ex brother-in-law shot and killed the cub. If you think you can drag a bear out of the woods, think again. Try dragging jello with a rope.

Next day I went back to my spot and found out she came back looking for me. Where I had sat on the ground was torn up all to hell.

[tooski]

We had a house built in the woods, with some logging and farming in the area. Our home had a 30* bend in the middle. The V shape area it opened up was for a custom sun room, open to the outdoors waiting for the 'kit'. Access is through sliding patio doors from the master bedroom, and living room. It's the middle of the night. I'm at work. I get a call. My wife is hysterical. She heard a noise outside the patio door, turned on the lights, opened the drapes, came face to face with a black bear upright. After a bit of screaming (the I'm gonna die kind, not the get the hell away from me kind) the bear leaves. There was nothing outside that would attract bears. Maybe there should have been to keep it from wanting to get in.
The moral of the story: You invade their territory, they may invade yours.

[bird72]

Most bear attacks are where one startles a bear by surprise at close range. An old ranger here, who retired, hiked alone for decades in Glacier National Park. He said he always sang while hiking. That way the bears always knew he was there. He never had a bad incident. Since I moved here 25 years ago, there have been a few fatalities. Hiking alone is typically a bad idea, and mountain bikes are bad (startle them quickly). The worst story I read was a non fatal, but the guy had an awful description of seeing his own mustache on the ground.

Also, how to tell black bear poop from Griz poop:

Griz poop has Bear Bells in it.

[Heybuck]

No bears in Australia (but plenty of other nasty biting critters) but I had one US experience with bears:

In May 1999, I was in Portland OR. Met with the now deceased Peter Klabo. We got on well and he invited me for a day trip up to the mountains to get some parts he had stashed up there. We went up along the Columbia River in his small pick up truck to a town called Dufor and from there way up a dirt track through thick woods to an old house. Peter had about 20 old cars up there. Mostly Pontiacs.

I clearly remember thinking that if you wanted to dispose of a body, that would be a real good place

So we were unbolting a hood from a 1967 Grand Prix and we heard a noise near his truck. A dark brownish coloured bear had pulled his plastic ice box out of the tray and was tearing it apart to get our lunch. We were maybe 100 feet away. He told me to keep quiet and it would most probably wander off, which it did. It wasn't a huge looking bear but it sure commanded respect from Peter. I sure did what he told me.

[sdbob]

Amazing stories. I guess I'll be singing, banging noises. Wife came in we have bear poop to clean up she said. I'll told good friend. He came back how's Yogi and booboo doing? They were from cartoon about Jellystone Park. I said they took wife hostage Sunday night,they want peanut and jelly sandwiches! Now I can laugh but that second d when I saw bear was a ahhhh moment.

[Elarson]

Originally Posted by Firedup6975

I leave the seed outside because if in the warm house, the moth larva’s hatch in the seed.

My wife has an indoor bird.....some sort of African something. She stores the bird seed in the freezer to keep the bugs from being an issue.

FWIW:
Eric

[RocktimusPryme]

They used to come down and drink the nectar out of my grandmas hummingbird feeders.

Just sit down on its butt like Winnie the Poo and tilt back the feeders one at a time.

[David Jones]

...... and I was excited at seeing a groundhog in my backyard.

[unclescratch]

No bears here....just coyotes, cougars and rattlesnakes.......

[beemergary]

Wife , kids and I are hiking in Glacier Park and its getting late. Wifes getting nervous and says I 'll sure be glad when we get back to truck. Get back to truck and there's a momma grizzly and two cubs beside truck waiting for us. Got a video of a grizzly in Alaska charging friend and I . He's in blueberry heaven now.