Bear Chases Jogger: CNN Video (Could happen to hikers)

[bangorme]

I've met many bears in Maine and my cougar imitation has always sent them running. As long as bears are hunted in the state where you are, bears will be very timid. If hunting them is outlawed, black bear attacks are not rare. A bear can very easily take a man, so we are prey for them.

[Yankytyke]

Typical Canadians.... They were way too polite & didn't want to hurt the bears feelings
BTW this is the closest i've got to a bear. (I'm a photographer so I have a reason)

[JumpMaster Blaster]

I came upon a black bear while deer hunting on a friend's property. The bear was definitely not afraid of humans, and proceeded to to keep walking towards my friend as he was working on his truck (he didn't see him). The bear showed NO signs of fear or any intent to move away- he just walked straight up to within what looked to be 20' from my friend. And this is where bears are legally hunted.

[rafe]

Typical Canadians.... They were way too polite & didn't want to hurt the bears feelings
BTW this is the closest i've got to a bear. (I'm a photographer so I have a reason)

Great photo. He looks like he's considering a new paradigm.

[Deer Hunter]

Typical Canadians.... They were way too polite & didn't want to hurt the bears feelings
BTW this is the closest i've got to a bear. (I'm a photographer so I have a reason)

Nice pic.

[rafe]

this is one of my biggest fears about hiking

On the AT, mostly nothing to fear. They may very well go after your food or your pack if left unattended. Attacks on hikers are rare in the extreme. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever heard or read a credible report of such an attack.

On the CDT, maybe your fears (or at least respect) are well founded. Grizzlies are not to be messed with. Eastern black bears are mostly docile.

[Sarcasm the elf]

[Ricky&Jack]

Oh great! Now we have to watch out for cats on the A.T.!!!!

[mad4scrapping]

Typical Canadians.... They were way too polite & didn't want to hurt the bears feelings
BTW this is the closest i've got to a bear. (I'm a photographer so I have a reason)

This is exactly what I was thinking. They were being way too nice to the bear-- "thataboy". They were encouraging the bear to follow them.

[DLP]

I just got back from Yosemite. An old 400 lb bear with a lame paw walked past me about 30 yards away. I had my back to it and my sister was focused on getting the dirt out from under her fingernails. A German couple walked right into our camp and I thought, "WOW! I guess they have a different idea of personal space!" The German tourists were looking at the bear... and I was looking at tourists and my sister was looking at her fingernails, and we both missed the bear.

It is possible for a bear the size of a Smart Car to silently walk by you and you might never know it was there.

We think the bear watched us eat dinner and when we kept a clean camp, it left.

It is said that we "Pack our Fears", and if bear spray makes you feel better, take it. Either you'll get sick of carrying it and ditch it... or you'll feel better and keep it. Probably will never use it, and will be one of those "just in case" kinds of things that never gets used (most likely).

[Kingbee]

The only bear that didn't run away was in SNP close to Gravel Springs hut. It ran across the trail in front of me and stopped about 30 ft. away and sat there looking at me. I backed away about 50 yards down the trail and came back making as much noise as I could but the bear wouldn't budge. I retreated again and just waited for it to move away.
A while later it came down the hill toward the hut and scared some other hikers . It paid no mind and started turning over logs.
From a few trail journal entries I think that bear stays in that area.

[rocketsocks]

What's bad about it is that as bears see us up close more and more like in that video they learn that we are not to be feared

I agree, bears that get sprayed with hot burning what ever it is made of will likely spread the news, humans are mean and not to be trusted, give a wide berth. I don't understand why more folks don't carry bear spray...I know why hikers don't, too heavy, not needed, **** cost $50 bucks...savin' for a new pack.

I don't carry it, perhaps I should. perhaps we all should.

[rafe]

The woods belong to the bears (and ticks and mosquitoes.) We're just guests in their woods.

[Tuckahoe]

Got up this morning with this one on the news -- http://www.wvec.com/my-city/vabeach/...263599821.html

[Pedaling Fool]

Got up this morning with this one on the news -- http://www.wvec.com/my-city/vabeach/...263599821.html

That's incredible that a bear was right there, in the middle of the suburbs. I know this area fairly well I use to live there in the early/mid 90's; very close to Lynnhaven mall, just to the east (other side of Oceana NAS) of where the bear was struck.

That entire area has some open areas, but there are tons of packed suburubs all around, especially closer to the ocean and to the north towards Norfolk; however, there is still a lot of farmlands, horse ranches, open lands to the south and southwest, but to get where he was he had to navigate thru/around a lot of densely packed suburbs; I've ridden my bike all over that area and use to ride down to NC on many weekends.

[Pedaling Fool]

That's incredible that a bear was right there, in the middle of the suburbs. I know this area fairly well I use to live there in the early/mid 90's; very close to Lynnhaven mall, just to the east (other side of Oceana NAS) of where the bear was struck.

Correction, should have read: "just to the west"

[Tuckahoe]

I am not surprised that a bear got hit in that part of the beach as bear sitings have become rather common, especially along the I-264 (old Rt44) corridor. Though they are usually juveniles.

Last year there was a young male that was being tracked ranging from upper New Kent County near Richmond, all tne way down to Newport News.

And to get completely off topic, this guy got hit and killed down in Dare County -- http://wtkr.com/2014/05/26/12-foot-a...n-dare-county/

[Pedaling Fool]

Maybe I'm looking at this in my 1990's mindset; I don't remember ever hearing of a bear sighting in the suburbs. However, after looking into it, it does seem to be an increasing thing. This sighting was deep in a Va beach neighborhood http://hamptonroads.com/2011/04/bear...s-quite-ruckus I couldn't believe it when I looked at that area on a map.

[WingedMonkey]

Of all the deaths on the AT, there are no known cases of anyone hiking the AT being killed by a bear.

Or a wild hog, or a snake,or a spider, or a mountain lion, or................

[Pedaling Fool]

And to get completely off topic, this guy got hit and killed down in Dare County -- http://wtkr.com/2014/05/26/12-foot-a...n-dare-county/

Maybe I'm looking at this in my 1990's mindset; I don't remember ever hearing of a bear sighting in the suburbs....

However, I do remember of reports of alligators being sighted in that area of Va in the spring/summer time.