GPS study tracks grizzlies as they follow hunters

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - GPS study tracks grizzlies as they follow hunters

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:29:16 PM EDT

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/11/24/gps-study-tracks-grizzlies-as-follow-hunters/

This GPS system is a real bear.

Eight Montana grizzly bears have been outfitted with GPS trackers in an ongoing study that could bring some unnerving news to hunters.

The study is aimed at bolstering the theory that grizzlies, which can be as stealthy as they are ferocious, stalk hunters from as close as the length of a football field in order to steal their prey. Already, data has shown at least one grizzly following oblivious elk hunters almost from the moment they left the parking lot, according to the Billings Gazette. Scientists believe the bear may have been following the humans in hopes of getting to a fallen elk before they did.

"Bears opportunistically scavenge carcasses throughout the active season and commonly usurp kills of other predators, such as cougars and, since their reintroduction in 1995, gray wolves,” stated a report last year by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. “Remains left by hunters also provide grizzly bears with meat, and bears are attracted to areas outside of national parks when these remains become available during the fall.”

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:30:58 PM EDT

[#1]

Nobody ever accused them of being dumb.

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:33:12 PM EDT

[#2]

Bears are probably smarter than the average human

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:33:41 PM EDT

[#3]

Yogi and Boo-Boo are some cunning creatures...

It's all about the pick-a-nick baskets.

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:33:44 PM EDT

[#4]

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Nobody ever accused them of being dumb.

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at least not to their face and lived to tell...

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:36:18 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:

Bears are probably smarter than the average human

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdM9YOYrcbs

Awesome. Read it to my wife. This ought be good for another handgun.

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:36:52 PM EDT

[#6]

que the" clever girl" pic.

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:37:30 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
Bears are probably smarter than the average human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdM9YOYrcbs

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Oh my GOD! That is so damn funny!

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:38:50 PM EDT

[#8]

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:39:48 PM EDT

[#9]

Hai, hunters.

Posted: 11/24/2014 4:49:35 PM EDT

[#10]

From what I'm told, gunshots are pretty much dinnerbells for the bears in the Big Horns of Wyo.

Posted: 11/24/2014 5:01:36 PM EDT

[#11]

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Quoted:

Oh my GOD! That is so damn funny!

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Bears are probably smarter than the average human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdM9YOYrcbs

Oh my GOD! That is so damn funny!

Loved when he stood up and started tapping it and backing up.

Posted: 11/24/2014 5:25:26 PM EDT

[#12]

I did a fly-n-fish in Canada years ago, pretty remote, and the bears would shadow us on shore, knowing we were likely bringing fish back. Certainly makes sense some see hunters and do the "got some food" math...or figure, if nothing else, eat the hunters.

Posted: 11/24/2014 5:27:08 PM EDT

[#13]

Bears ARE hunters.

I don't know what you call the humans in this story.

Posted: 11/24/2014 6:56:55 PM EDT

[#14]

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Quoted:
From what I'm told, gunshots are pretty much dinnerbells for the bears in the Big Horns of Wyo.

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Same thing around here in PA. The black bears will usually wait for you to gut the deer, but some will make a lot of noise trying to scare hunters off from a kill so they can get more than just the gut pile.

I imagine that someone quartering an elk leaves a bigger meal for the bears than someone gutting a whitetail, though. So the grizzlies might have learned that simply being in position to be the first bear to the carcass is what's important, not spooking the hunters off their kills.

Posted: 11/24/2014 7:33:35 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
This GPS system is a real bear.

"Bears opportunistically scavenge carcasses throughout the active season and commonly usurp kills of other predators, such as cougars and, since their reintroduction in 1995, gray wolves,” stated a report last year by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. “Remains left by hunters also provide grizzly bears with meat, and bears are attracted to areas outside of national parks when these remains become available during the fall.”

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The part in bold is a pretty good description. We're just predators with thin skins, self-awareness, and opposable thumbs.

Posted: 11/24/2014 7:35:39 PM EDT

[#16]

The Animal Kingdom is filled with FSA OGers.

Posted: 11/24/2014 8:27:27 PM EDT

[#17]

It's a bit unnerving seeing griz tracks on top of yours walking in the snow.....BTDT

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 11/24/2014 8:29:41 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Yogi and Boo-Boo are some cunning creatures...

It's all about the pick-a-nick baskets.

View Quote

"Smarter than the average bear!"

Posted: 11/24/2014 8:32:57 PM EDT

[#19]

That's awesome.

Posted: 11/25/2014 2:25:04 AM EDT

[#20]

Hopefully the bears didn't see the thread about the fur seals.

Posted: 11/25/2014 2:30:01 AM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
Bears are probably smarter than the average human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdM9YOYrcbs

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Not all of them.
http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=4047

Posted: 11/25/2014 2:42:23 AM EDT

[#22]

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Quoted:
Bears are probably smarter than the average human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdM9YOYrcbs

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Damn that is awesome. Freaking smart as hell

Posted: 11/25/2014 11:59:10 AM EDT

[#23]

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Quoted:
Not all of them.

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=4047

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Quoted:

Quoted:

Bears are probably smarter than the average human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdM9YOYrcbs

Not all of them.

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=4047

Probably a tweaker trying to steal some copper.

Posted: 11/25/2014 1:05:54 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
It's a bit unnerving seeing griz tracks on top of yours walking in the snow.....BTDT

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

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Yeah, and all the bullshit advice about making noise to scare 'em off is just bullshit. I de-scent, move quietly, and keep my head on a motorized swivel. So far it's worked for me but it still keeps me on edge. I hate moving in the dark. Makes the neck hair crawl.

ETA I was talking to a wildlife biologist and they started finding their culvert traps had been compromised. The bait chunk of deer was gone, and the door had dropped but there was no bear inside. They started setting them up with game cameras trained on the traps. What they found was the bears had learned to get in the trap, stick a rear leg straight back to keep the door from fully dropping, grab the meat, and shimmy backwards back out under the door.

Posted: 11/25/2014 1:32:06 PM EDT

[#25]

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Quoted:
Bears ARE hunters. I don't know what you call the humans in this story.

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Uhhh.... ; Weevils in the bisuit ?

Posted: 11/25/2014 1:34:10 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:

Oh my GOD! That is so damn funny!

View Quote View All Quotes

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Bears are probably smarter than the average human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdM9YOYrcbs

Oh my GOD! That is so damn funny!

You can almost see the gears turning in that bears head. I LOL'd.

Posted: 11/25/2014 1:38:44 PM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:

Yeah, and all the bullshit advice about making noise to scare 'em off is just bullshit. I de-scent, move quietly, and keep my head on a motorized swivel. So far it's worked for me but it still keeps me on edge. I hate moving in the dark. Makes the neck hair crawl.

ETA I was talking to a wildlife biologist and they started finding their culvert traps had been compromised. The bait chunk of deer was gone, and the door had dropped but there was no bear inside. They started setting them up with game cameras trained on the traps. What they found was the bears had learned to get in the trap, stick a rear leg straight back to keep the door from fully dropping, grab the meat, and shimmy backwards back out under the door.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
It's a bit unnerving seeing griz tracks on top of yours walking in the snow.....BTDT

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Yeah, and all the bullshit advice about making noise to scare 'em off is just bullshit. I de-scent, move quietly, and keep my head on a motorized swivel. So far it's worked for me but it still keeps me on edge. I hate moving in the dark. Makes the neck hair crawl.

ETA I was talking to a wildlife biologist and they started finding their culvert traps had been compromised. The bait chunk of deer was gone, and the door had dropped but there was no bear inside. They started setting them up with game cameras trained on the traps. What they found was the bears had learned to get in the trap, stick a rear leg straight back to keep the door from fully dropping, grab the meat, and shimmy backwards back out under the door.

All I can think of is...Planet of the Bears.

Posted: 11/25/2014 1:43:40 PM EDT

[#28]

Quote History

Quoted:
Bears are probably smarter than the average human

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdM9YOYrcbs

View Quote

If that bear was smarter than me he would have just turned the fencer off right off the bat.

Posted: 11/25/2014 1:46:38 PM EDT

[#29]

You have to be able to 2+2=4 when scavenging is a big part of your diet.

After a while, the animal that has this smell, looks like this, makes these sounds, kills those creatures and usually leaves behind some of it. Well, if I'm really quiet I can get pretty close.

Option 1. These mofos never even see me and I can eat what they leave, very little work involved just be quiet.

Option 2. These mofos be all up in my house, I aint standing for that, even if they do make it easier to get food.

Nothing really special, just humans typically forget why we are the dominant species. It isn't because of physical toughness, and that's why people get freaked out by what comes natural to wildlife.