Bears? Unheard of in SC!

[Pisgah]

But, no longer. I may just live to see bear hunting in my area of the state, after all!



http://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/yr2012/may3/may3_bear.html

[Blaine]

Some might disagree, but I think black bears are a welcome addition to the local flora and fauna...

[harry]

And dinner table

[Hobie]

There were many hunters up here who saw more bear than deer last year.

[TedH]

It was unheard of around here too. There were reports of a few stray bears down in the Ozark hill country of the SW part of Missouri, but last year a guy hunting on my Uncles property that neighbors us saw a bear while bowhunting. Missouri Dept of Conservation said there could be limited tags available in the next 5 to 10 years.

[RIHMFIRE]

you want bears....come to florida...and I'll show you some bears....
Lake George , Ocala National Forest and surrounding areas are is loaded with bears..
and some big bears too......

[Rusty]

There's room for all of God's creatures...

On my plate right next to the mashed potatoes.

[1894c]

There's room for all of God's creatures...
On my plate right next to the mashed potatoes. :D :D

PETA -- people eating tasty animals... :)

[madman4570]

Wait till you have a 600-700 pounder on your porch/patio looking in your sliding glass doors.
We have had em so big they have to back off the porch cause they can't swing around.
They are absolutely quiet too.(when your outside in the night)one could be few feet away.
Its cool,but it does stick in your mind(always)
Everyone needs some bears.

[jeepnik]

And dinner table

Yea, as long as it is them on your's and not the other way around.

[6pt-sika]

Wait till you have a 600-700 pounder on your porch/patio looking in your sliding glass doors.
We have had em so big they have to back off the porch cause they can't swing around.
They are absolutely quiet too.(when your outside in the night)one could be few feet away.
Its cool,but it does stick in your mind(always)
Everyone needs some bears.

I can relate to that !

When my buddy had the hunting cabin right outside Newfoundland PA in the Poconos I used to go up several times each year during the spring and summer months to fish , drink ,ride around , drink you get the picture . His old cabin only had a cistern for bathing water and an outdoor johnny house . So after drinking a good bit during after dinner livations it became paramount to look out the back door before you headed up the hill to do your buisness . More then once someone popped out the back door only to see a black shadow that moved for reasons other then the flashlight changing direction and come to find out it WASN'T a shadow after all !

Of course the fact that we used to throw the grilling leftovers from that night on a rock about 30 yards from the house didn't help either

[madman4570]

Wait till you have a 600-700 pounder on your porch/patio looking in your sliding glass doors.
We have had em so big they have to back off the porch cause they can't swing around.
They are absolutely quiet too.(when your outside in the night)one could be few feet away.
Its cool,but it does stick in your mind(always)
Everyone needs some bears.

I can relate to that !

When my buddy had the hunting cabin right outside Newfoundland PA in the Poconos I used to go up several times each year during the spring and summer months to fish , drink ,ride around , drink you get the picture . His old cabin only had a cistern for bathing water and an outdoor johnny house . So after drinking a good bit during after dinner livations it became paramount to look out the back door before you headed up the hill to do your buisness . More then once someone popped out the back door only to see a black shadow that moved for reasons other then the flashlight changing direction and come to find out it WASN'T a shadow after all !

Of course the fact that we used to throw the grilling leftovers from that night on a rock about 30 yards from the house didn't help either

Does get your attention for sure 6pt
Sounds like you guys had a blast!

[Leverluver]

Y'all remember back 10-15 years ago when all the talking bobble heads on 20/20, Nightline, 60 minutes, etc all said that the black bear would be extinct by now due to poaching for gall bladders? Evidently the younger Chinese generation rather spend their money on an iphone rather than being better "endowed"

[Stan in SC]

I live in Simpsonville,SC which is in the upstate just south of Greenville,SC.Two years ago we had a bear running loose in the downtown area.He was never caught or shot but created havoc for several days.

Stan in SC

[BAGTIC]

I spent the first 62 years of my life in California and oregon. Black bear were very common in both places. They are not a significant threat to man though they terrorize garbage cans.

Now I live in Missouri Ozarks 1-2 miles from Arkansas line. Two years ago we got pictures of bear on a game camera about 150 yards from house. If it wasn't for photos I wouldn't have realized there was one within hundreds of miles. I have lost lots of livestock in the seven years we have been here but none to bears, or lions, or coyotes. ALL to dogs. Come to think of it more people are attacked by dogs than by all the other three combined.

[Canuck Bob]

A fine animal, congrats on the increaseing numbers. We often find them more of a nuisance than a threat. However most northerners do consider them very unpredictable.

stalking and hunting a bear away from bait, dogs, camps, garbage dumps and the roadside is quite an accomplishment. We can bait here and I don't agree with it but I am in the minority. Baiting is for feeding hungry kids and sport hunting is something else but to each their own.