Posted: 10/27/2014 2:21:17 PM EDT
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Went camping with friends and kids this weekend. Oldest kid was maybe 7.
Around the camp fire after kids went to bed the adults got to talking and bears came up. We were taking about if a bear were to come to the camp, food left out at night or something, and we ended up shooting the bear. The discussion came to some were thinking if we shot the bear if we would have to call the ranger.the thinking was if we didn't and got caught with the bear we would be fined for poaching. What would happen if we didn't call and got caught with it? Then it moved to what would happen if we did call the ranger. Would we be able to keep it? Or would they take it? We would be fined? |
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I think they would probably take the bear. You would be arguing self defense vs hunting over bait correct? What happens if you hit one with a car, can you keep it? Edit: hell, just remembered. Guy at the lease hit one with a car last year and called the ranger. They came and checked it out but let him keep it. |
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It depends on where you are and what time of the year the bear encounter happens. If it is during legal hunting season, you are in an area that allows hunting, you have the necessary hunting license and permits, and you use the proper weapon to dispatch the bear you are GTG. If the bear is attacking you may be able to get away without being fined. If you have a crop depredation permit you can dispatch the offending animal. Almost any other scenario will cause you trouble with the man, they confiscate the animal, your gun, possibly your vehicle, you lose your license to hunt and you wind up in court.
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So if a bear comes into camp, we feel threatened and I shot and kill it, then you think we would be fined?
I was of the mind set, call ranger, report it, fill out any paper work, and we can keep it. Of course this would be at a camp site, with kids, and we get lucky as hell by being able to shoot it before it attacks us.... |
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do you recall the story back from 2007 where the Marine was camping north of Helen, and killed a bear that came in to camp with a log? He got charged with not securing his food
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/19374624/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/ex-marine-kills-bear-log-gets-ticketed/#.VE6ir6HD9Co |
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DNR tracks the hunting pretty closely...
Hunting bears with dogs or over bait is prohibited. Harvested bears must be reported to personnel of the Wildlife Resources Division, Gainesville Office (770) 535-5700 or Armuchee Office (706) 295-6041 within 24 hours of harvest. After hours, call 1-800-241-4113. At a minimum, the hide and skull must be taken to the Gainesville or Armuchee office within 3 business days of harvest for tagging. Harvested bears may also be checked at any WMA check station in the counties listed above that are open for a managed deer/bear/hog hunt between 8 a.m.–8 p.m. during the bear season. That said, if self defense and not reported it's a different can of worms. Reported, then I guess all stories better match up. Bottom line, if it were me, don't shoot unless you have to, not just b/c you can. Otherwise, you could possibly be in a heap of trouble (kinda like self defense vs. 2 legged animals). ymmv, ianal etc... |
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Quoted:
So if a bear comes into camp, we feel threatened and I shot and kill it, then you think we would be fined? I was of the mind set, call ranger, report it, fill out any paper work, and we can keep it. Of course this would be at a camp site, with kids, and we get lucky as hell by being able to shoot it before it attacks us.... If it came into your camp (not sauntering about on the perimeter or wayy back in the woods) and you felt threatened, you could dispatch it. You would then notify the ranger and explain your story. The ranger isn't going to afford the bear more rights than another human being who was threatening deadly force against you or loved ones. In the scenario you describe, I believe it would be a quick 20 minute chat with the ranger, as long as it was obvious you didn't pour out food or other items to bait it into your campsite for the sole purpose of dispatching it. I am a wildlife biologist, but this is only my opinion based on my background knowledge. Others with more hunting experience may know the potential pitfalls of a similar situation. TLDR ; You should be GTG in that scenario |
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I spoke with a ranger several years ago while trout fishing in the Cohutta Wilderness. My friend was open carrying, scared to death of bears and snakes. The ranger took his weapon because guns weren't allowed there except during designated hunts, many campgrounds have similar rules. When asked about protection from bears he laughed and said if my buddy was that scared he should stay out of the woods. His suggestion was to stand our ground and make a lot of noise and the bear would usually leave (I have done just that on several occasions, BTW). He went on to say that it would not be acceptable behavior to shoot a bear out of season and without the proper license except in the extremely rare case of an unprovoked attack. That was several years ago but I haven't seen anything in the rules that have changed much in that regard.
From my personal experience, the GA black bears aren't very aggressive and unless you get between a sow and her cubs they will avoid contact. I've encountered them all over the Southeast and never felt threatened, out west is a different story. One particular night I had several bears come into our camp on the Noontootla river, we must have camped right on their main trail, one came through every 20-30 minutes. I had a .357 in my tent and grabbed it for insurance but just clanging some pots together and yelling at them was all it took to reroute every one that came through, there were at least 5, one may have doubled back as it looked familiar. That trip I had my family with me, the wife unit was not happy nor amused with my antics and stubbornness. Best plan is to keep a tidy camp. Don't leave food and garbage out and don't spit your toothpaste on the ground near camp. If you do your part to keep the camp squared away your chances of an encounter become far less. |
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Quoted:
I spoke with a ranger several years ago while trout fishing in the Cohutta Wilderness. My friend was open carrying, scared to death of bears and snakes. The ranger took his weapon because guns weren't allowed there except during designated hunts, many campgrounds have similar rules. When asked about protection from bears he laughed and said if my buddy was that scared he should stay out of the woods. His suggestion was to stand our ground and make a lot of noise and the bear would usually leave (I have done just that on several occasions, BTW). He went on to say that it would not be acceptable behavior to shoot a bear out of season and without the proper license except in the extremely rare case of an unprovoked attack. That was several years ago but I haven't seen anything in the rules that have changed much in that regard. From my personal experience, the GA black bears aren't very aggressive and unless you get between a sow and her cubs they will avoid contact. I've encountered them all over the Southeast and never felt threatened, out west is a different story. One particular night I had several bears come into our camp on the Noontootla river, we must have camped right on their main trail, one came through every 20-30 minutes. I had a .357 in my tent and grabbed it for insurance but just clanging some pots together and yelling at them was all it took to reroute every one that came through, there were at least 5, one may have doubled back as it looked familiar. That trip I had my family with me, the wife unit was not happy nor amused with my antics and stubbornness. Best plan is to keep a tidy camp. Don't leave food and garbage out and don't spit your toothpaste on the ground near camp. If you do your part to keep the camp squared away your chances of an encounter become far less. Best advice you could get |
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I'm not worried about bears around these parts. Neighbor the doors down had one in their back yard. A flood light scared it off.
That being said last time we were all camping a ranger came through and talked to us, he mentioned a women left her food out and got a visit from a bear. I have always been careful about that (although I had never heard about tooth paste...). He said the bear ripped the tent up....but I got the feeling he was just trying to scare us into doing it. This is what spurred the conversation. I brought my 454 this time :-) |
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Quoted:
I spoke with a ranger several years ago while trout fishing in the Cohutta Wilderness. My friend was open carrying, scared to death of bears and snakes. The ranger took his weapon because guns weren't allowed there except during designated hunts, many campgrounds have similar rules. When asked about protection from bears he laughed and said if my buddy was that scared he should stay out of the woods. His suggestion was to stand our ground and make a lot of noise and the bear would usually leave (I have done just that on several occasions, BTW). He went on to say that it would not be acceptable behavior to shoot a bear out of season and without the proper license except in the extremely rare case of an unprovoked attack. That was several years ago but I haven't seen anything in the rules that have changed much in that regard. From my personal experience, the GA black bears aren't very aggressive and unless you get between a sow and her cubs they will avoid contact. I've encountered them all over the Southeast and never felt threatened, out west is a different story. One particular night I had several bears come into our camp on the Noontootla river, we must have camped right on their main trail, one came through every 20-30 minutes. I had a .357 in my tent and grabbed it for insurance but just clanging some pots together and yelling at them was all it took to reroute every one that came through, there were at least 5, one may have doubled back as it looked familiar. That trip I had my family with me, the wife unit was not happy nor amused with my antics and stubbornness. Best plan is to keep a tidy camp. Don't leave food and garbage out and don't spit your toothpaste on the ground near camp. If you do your part to keep the camp squared away your chances of an encounter become far less. uh, did you friend not have a concealed carry permit? I always carry a pistol in cohutta, and I'm not afraid of bears in the slightest. I almost got bit by a rattlesnake deep in the Cohutta Wilderness, luckly my rifle made sure that didn't happen. You never know what, or who you will run into up there. |
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Quoted:
uh, did you friend not have a concealed carry permit? I always carry a pistol in cohutta, and I'm not afraid of bears in the slightest. I almost got bit by a rattlesnake deep in the Cohutta Wilderness, luckly my rifle made sure that didn't happen. You never know what, or who you will run into up there. Quoted:
Quoted:
I spoke with a ranger several years ago while trout fishing in the Cohutta Wilderness. My friend was open carrying, scared to death of bears and snakes. The ranger took his weapon because guns weren't allowed there except during designated hunts, many campgrounds have similar rules. When asked about protection from bears he laughed and said if my buddy was that scared he should stay out of the woods. His suggestion was to stand our ground and make a lot of noise and the bear would usually leave (I have done just that on several occasions, BTW). He went on to say that it would not be acceptable behavior to shoot a bear out of season and without the proper license except in the extremely rare case of an unprovoked attack. That was several years ago but I haven't seen anything in the rules that have changed much in that regard. From my personal experience, the GA black bears aren't very aggressive and unless you get between a sow and her cubs they will avoid contact. I've encountered them all over the Southeast and never felt threatened, out west is a different story. One particular night I had several bears come into our camp on the Noontootla river, we must have camped right on their main trail, one came through every 20-30 minutes. I had a .357 in my tent and grabbed it for insurance but just clanging some pots together and yelling at them was all it took to reroute every one that came through, there were at least 5, one may have doubled back as it looked familiar. That trip I had my family with me, the wife unit was not happy nor amused with my antics and stubbornness. Best plan is to keep a tidy camp. Don't leave food and garbage out and don't spit your toothpaste on the ground near camp. If you do your part to keep the camp squared away your chances of an encounter become far less. uh, did you friend not have a concealed carry permit? I always carry a pistol in cohutta, and I'm not afraid of bears in the slightest. I almost got bit by a rattlesnake deep in the Cohutta Wilderness, luckly my rifle made sure that didn't happen. You never know what, or who you will run into up there. We were told by the ranger that under Federal law guns were prohibited on Federal Wilderness areas except during managed hunts. I seem to remember finding that to be true while researching the incident after that trip. That happened in the late 80's, the wilderness area rules have probably changed since. Cohutta was and is under different rules from the state WMA's since it is a Federally designated wilderness area. Piedmont NWR is also under federal oversight. I carry when I go there but not openly like he was, if he was CC the incident probably never would have happened, I don't know if he had a carry permit or not. |
