Bears

[capt bruce]

The hunters are not saying to KILL ALL THE BEARS...but rather HARVEST the bears in the spring time again......it worked back then, why not now.

You got it Bill , get the pop down to where it can be Sustainable and the bears will stay in the woods and they will not interact with people , no more bear problem , great eating for the hunters and their familys , bears get to eat all the berries etc. they can , win win , I guess its too easy and the love all things people and the its their home we are the invaders , damn next these people will be telling me the bears have treaty rights signed after the 1870 bear wars ???? You tell the people with cottages in the Muskoka's that we the city folks have decided in a land slide vote to give the area back to the rightfull owners "THE BEARS " ...ya like that will happen , hug a bear today ,

[jedimaster]

Also Jedi if you read my second.comment on here you will.see that I said if the bear is a constant nuisance then has to be dealt with. I just don't agree with killing them because we see more.

 

That's the point. The number of constant nuisance bears is on a dramatic rise due to the increase in population. The spring bear hunt more effectively controls the population to reduce these. Why does it matter if they are harvested in the fall or spring. I don't understand how if more bear will be harvested in the spring is a bad thing if the population is increasing to the point where there are an increasing number of nuisance bears that you agree that you want "dealt" with. By dealt you must mean harvest, as relocation is proven many many times over to not work.

[Terry]

Gerald Marois heard the bear before he saw it.

 

“I turned around and he was about 50 feet away — one of the biggest bears I had ever seen in my life.

 

“He looked at me and moved sideways a bit, I start backing up and he just charged me. He came full blast, man.”

 

Marois, 47, a retired steelworker and experienced hunter from Waubaushene, was mauled by a large black bear last Tuesday evening in a remote wooded area about 30 km northwest of Orillia.

 

He was airlifted to Sunnybrook hospital, where he gave the Star an exclusive and terrifying account of his near-death encounter.

 

Marois was planting a food plot in a small clearing about 150 feet inside the bush line, where he planned to hunt deer in the fall — “My Dad taught me that’s where you get the big buck” — when the bear came up from behind him.

 

“His head was huge, his eyes were really far apart from each other and he had tiny, tiny ears, which is the sign of a huge boar — probably 600 pounds.”

 

When the bear charged, Marois said he turned around and ran toward a nearby oak tree — “The one I wanted to put my tree-stand in” — and climbed three-quarters of the way up.

 

The bear followed him up.

 

Marois shakes as he tells the story from his hospital bed, his arms, legs and face covered in deep gashes.

 

Marois said he tried to fight the bear off from the trees upper branches, but it kept coming up after him.

 

“I was hitting him on the nose and on the head, trying to hurt him, and every time I hit him he was scraping me and just pulling on my boots.”

 

The bear pulled one of his boots off and started biting the bottom of his feet.

 

“Then he dragged me almost to the ground.”

 

Marois tried and tried to get away from the bear by climbing farther up the tree, but the bear repeatedly dragged him down.

 

“I was kicking him with the other boot and he grabbed that boot and he ripped it right off.”

 

The bear then tried to rip off Marois’s chest waders.

 

“That was messing him up, because they were coming back like an elastic, eh? And it was hard for him to rip them off.”

 

But the bear eventually got them.

 

“Then he started eating my flesh.”

 

Marois said he watched as the bear started eating into his right calf.

 

“He was eating my meat and he was licking the blood and licking himself and just enjoying every bite of it.

 

Marois suffered his worst injuries to his legs, which required a skin graft to repair. They look torn apart and scrawny when he lifts up his hospital gown.

 

“He ate my whole calf.”

 

Marois says he made at least 10 attempts to climb away from the bear and it kept coming after him.

 

“I was trying to get away from him in every direction that I could in that oak tree, but he kept on dragging me down; he wanted me down on the ground.”

 

Marois, who said he forgot his bear spray at home, then turned to the only weapon he had.

 

“I got my lighter out” — a regular cigarette lighter — “and I started burning his face.”

 

Marois said when he shoved the lighter in the bear’s face it clawed him in the head.

 

“And that was it with the lighter, eh? No more lighters.”

 

Proof of the bear’s swipe comes in the two long rows of stitches on the top and side of Marois’s head.

 

“I got really weak from that hit. I had barely nothing left, so I told God I was putting my life in his hands.”

 

He said he prayed to God to send his guardian angel to protect him, because he couldn’t fight the bear off any longer.

 

At that moment, the bear threw Marois from the tree — Marois figures about 20 feet — and he landed with a thud and a loud groan.

 

When he looked up he watched the bear dive out of the tree in the opposite direction.

 

“It seemed like God scare him, man. People don’t believe in God, but I’m telling you, man, something scare him. Because he got scared, he jumped in the rough and he took off.”

 

Marois said the attack definitely lasted more than 15 minutes, though he says it “felt like forever.”

 

But he knew he still wasn’t safe.

 

He heard the bear roaming around him, gnashing his teeth and making a guttural barking noise Marois called a “bawl” — the same noise it made before charging at him.

 

“I was sure I was dead. I told God, ‘Keep your hand over me, protect me.’”

 

Marois called his wife and then 911, but the rescue team and emergency crews couldn’t find him in the thick bush.

 

It took rescuers — with the help of Marois’ wife, Louise Beauchamp — more than an hour to find him. All the while Marois could hear the bear nearby.

 

Eventually the rescuers found him, and with Marois’s legs ripped to shreds, they moved him to a clearing where the air ambulance helicopter could land.

 

“That’s when I finally could breathe.”

 

The next thing Marois remembers is waking up in the hospital.

 

Marois’ health has been improving every day, but doctors tell him he may need plastic surgery to fix his legs. He says he has nightmares about the attack every time he sleeps.“It’s extremely hard for me to rest.”

 

Though he sometimes struggles to tell the story, Marois speaks angrily about the cancellation of the spring bear hunt in Ontario more than 10 years ago.

 

“I want (Premier Dalton McGuinty) to reconsider the spring bear hunt, so this doesn’t happen no more.”

 

Mike Harris’s provincial government ended the spring bear hunt in 1999 after it had been in place for 30 years. Critics called the spring hunt “barbaric” because it often left behind thousands of orphaned cubs. All other Canadian provinces with bears have spring hunts except Nova Scotia. Ontario still has a fall bear hunt, which starts in September.

 

A spokesman for Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources said Friday that they thought the bear may have mistaken Marois — bent over and wearing chest waders — as a deer.

 

But Marois believes the bear was tracking him.

 

“He didn’t mistake me for nothing. That bear wanted to maul me; he was hungry and he came to get me.”

 

The ministry says bear encounters are not on the rise in the province, but Marois says he and his neighbours have seen different.

 

“We live up north, the bear are coming in our town, in our kids’ schoolyard. They walk the streets with their babies.

 

“I want the population of Toronto to be aware that they’re not scared of us. They roam the forest and if they’re hungry, they’ll get you, man. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

 

Marois said his rescuers — a combination of OPP officers, paramedics and Port Severn firefighters — risked their lives entering the bush the way they did, not knowing if the bear was still in the area.

 

“I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

 

Marois, who has been living in the Waubaushene area for more than 20 years, comes from a hunting family in rural Quebec.

 

“I was born with a rabbit snare and a pellet gun in my hands.”

 

But now he says he may never hunt again.

 

“It will be really hard to go back in the bush after this.”

 

 

[John]

Gerald Marois heard the bear before he saw it.

 

“I turned around and he was about 50 feet away — one of the biggest bears I had ever seen in my life.

 

“He looked at me and moved sideways a bit, I start backing up and he just charged me. He came full blast, man.”

 

Marois, 47, a retired steelworker and experienced hunter from Waubaushene, was mauled by a large black bear last Tuesday evening in a remote wooded area about 30 km northwest of Orillia.

 

He was airlifted to Sunnybrook hospital, where he gave the Star an exclusive and terrifying account of his near-death encounter.

 

Marois was planting a food plot in a small clearing about 150 feet inside the bush line, where he planned to hunt deer in the fall — “My Dad taught me that’s where you get the big buck” — when the bear came up from behind him.

 

“His head was huge, his eyes were really far apart from each other and he had tiny, tiny ears, which is the sign of a huge boar — probably 600 pounds.”

 

When the bear charged, Marois said he turned around and ran toward a nearby oak tree — “The one I wanted to put my tree-stand in” — and climbed three-quarters of the way up.

 

The bear followed him up.

 

Marois shakes as he tells the story from his hospital bed, his arms, legs and face covered in deep gashes.

 

Marois said he tried to fight the bear off from the trees upper branches, but it kept coming up after him.

 

“I was hitting him on the nose and on the head, trying to hurt him, and every time I hit him he was scraping me and just pulling on my boots.”

 

The bear pulled one of his boots off and started biting the bottom of his feet.

 

“Then he dragged me almost to the ground.”

 

Marois tried and tried to get away from the bear by climbing farther up the tree, but the bear repeatedly dragged him down.

 

“I was kicking him with the other boot and he grabbed that boot and he ripped it right off.”

 

The bear then tried to rip off Marois’s chest waders.

 

“That was messing him up, because they were coming back like an elastic, eh? And it was hard for him to rip them off.”

 

But the bear eventually got them.

 

“Then he started eating my flesh.”

 

Marois said he watched as the bear started eating into his right calf.

 

“He was eating my meat and he was licking the blood and licking himself and just enjoying every bite of it.

 

Marois suffered his worst injuries to his legs, which required a skin graft to repair. They look torn apart and scrawny when he lifts up his hospital gown.

 

“He ate my whole calf.”

 

Marois says he made at least 10 attempts to climb away from the bear and it kept coming after him.

 

“I was trying to get away from him in every direction that I could in that oak tree, but he kept on dragging me down; he wanted me down on the ground.”

 

Marois, who said he forgot his bear spray at home, then turned to the only weapon he had.

 

“I got my lighter out” — a regular cigarette lighter — “and I started burning his face.”

 

Marois said when he shoved the lighter in the bear’s face it clawed him in the head.

 

“And that was it with the lighter, eh? No more lighters.”

 

Proof of the bear’s swipe comes in the two long rows of stitches on the top and side of Marois’s head.

 

“I got really weak from that hit. I had barely nothing left, so I told God I was putting my life in his hands.”

 

He said he prayed to God to send his guardian angel to protect him, because he couldn’t fight the bear off any longer.

 

At that moment, the bear threw Marois from the tree — Marois figures about 20 feet — and he landed with a thud and a loud groan.

 

When he looked up he watched the bear dive out of the tree in the opposite direction.

 

“It seemed like God scare him, man. People don’t believe in God, but I’m telling you, man, something scare him. Because he got scared, he jumped in the rough and he took off.”

 

Marois said the attack definitely lasted more than 15 minutes, though he says it “felt like forever.”

 

But he knew he still wasn’t safe.

 

He heard the bear roaming around him, gnashing his teeth and making a guttural barking noise Marois called a “bawl” — the same noise it made before charging at him.

 

“I was sure I was dead. I told God, ‘Keep your hand over me, protect me.’”

 

Marois called his wife and then 911, but the rescue team and emergency crews couldn’t find him in the thick bush.

 

It took rescuers — with the help of Marois’ wife, Louise Beauchamp — more than an hour to find him. All the while Marois could hear the bear nearby.

 

Eventually the rescuers found him, and with Marois’s legs ripped to shreds, they moved him to a clearing where the air ambulance helicopter could land.

 

“That’s when I finally could breathe.”

 

The next thing Marois remembers is waking up in the hospital.

 

Marois’ health has been improving every day, but doctors tell him he may need plastic surgery to fix his legs. He says he has nightmares about the attack every time he sleeps.“It’s extremely hard for me to rest.”

 

Though he sometimes struggles to tell the story, Marois speaks angrily about the cancellation of the spring bear hunt in Ontario more than 10 years ago.

 

“I want (Premier Dalton McGuinty) to reconsider the spring bear hunt, so this doesn’t happen no more.”

 

Mike Harris’s provincial government ended the spring bear hunt in 1999 after it had been in place for 30 years. Critics called the spring hunt “barbaric” because it often left behind thousands of orphaned cubs. All other Canadian provinces with bears have spring hunts except Nova Scotia. Ontario still has a fall bear hunt, which starts in September.

 

A spokesman for Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources said Friday that they thought the bear may have mistaken Marois — bent over and wearing chest waders — as a deer.

 

But Marois believes the bear was tracking him.

 

“He didn’t mistake me for nothing. That bear wanted to maul me; he was hungry and he came to get me.”

 

The ministry says bear encounters are not on the rise in the province, but Marois says he and his neighbours have seen different.

 

“We live up north, the bear are coming in our town, in our kids’ schoolyard. They walk the streets with their babies.

 

“I want the population of Toronto to be aware that they’re not scared of us. They roam the forest and if they’re hungry, they’ll get you, man. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

 

Marois said his rescuers — a combination of OPP officers, paramedics and Port Severn firefighters — risked their lives entering the bush the way they did, not knowing if the bear was still in the area.

 

“I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

 

Marois, who has been living in the Waubaushene area for more than 20 years, comes from a hunting family in rural Quebec.

 

“I was born with a rabbit snare and a pellet gun in my hands.”

 

But now he says he may never hunt again.

 

“It will be really hard to go back in the bush after this.”

 

Not sure what the point is Terry but I would rather fancy my chances with a bear than this..........

 

Colorado shooting victim survived Toronto Eaton Centre shooting

 

20/07/2012 12:01:00 PM

 

Matthew Coutts

A woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a Colorado movie theatre had survived Toronto's recent Eaton Centre shooting and wrote in a blog that she was "blessed" to have survived the first incident.

 

A woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a Colorado movie theatre had survived Toronto's recent Eaton Centre shooting and wrote in a blog that she was "blessed" to have survived the first incident.

 

Jessica Ghawi was among 12 people shot dead early Friday morning when gunfire erupted at a midnight screening of Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colo.

 

Jordan Ghawi confirmed to San Antonio TV station Kens5 that his sister was killed in the attack. Ghawi had recently moved from Texas to Colorado to pursue a career in sports broadcasting.

 

Ghawi wrote and tweeted about hockey under the name Jessica Redfield.

 

In her last blog post, dated June 5, 2012, Redfield wrote in great detail about her experience shopping at the Eaton Centre moments before gunfire rung out, killing two people and injuring several others.

 

"Who would go into a mall full of thousands of innocent people and open fire? Is this really the world we live in?" she wrote.

 

According to the post, Redfield was at the mall to get sushi and go shopping during a vacation to Toronto. She stepped outside just moments before gunfire erupted.

 

"I was on a mission to eat sushi that day, and when I'm on a mission, nothing will deter me. When I arrived at the Eaton Center mall, I walked down to the food court and spotted a sushi restaurant," Redfield wrote.

 

"Instead of walking in, sitting down and enjoying sushi, I changed my mind, which is very unlike me, and decided that a greasy burger and poutine would do the trick.

 

"I rushed through my dinner. I found out after seeing a map of the scene, that minutes later a man was standing in the same spot I just ate at and opened fire in the food court full of people. Had I had sushi, I would've been in the same place where one of the victims was found."

 

Redfield wrote that she had a funny feeling after eating and decided to head outside for some fresh air instead of shopping at the nearby SportChek.

 

"The gunshots rung out at 6:23. (sic) Had I not gone outside, I would've been in the midst of gunfire," she wrote.

 

Redfield stayed near the mall and watched as paramedics rushed a young, shirtless boy into an ambulance. She said the moment eventually overtook her, and she was left feeling nauseous.

 

"My mind keeps replaying what I saw over in my head. I hope the victims make a full recovery. I wish I could shake this odd feeling from my chest," her post concluded.

 

"The feeling that's reminding me how blessed I am. The same feeling that made me leave the Eaton Center. The feeling that may have potentially saved my life."

 

Tributes to the young sportscaster came across Twitter on Friday.

 

The You Can Play Project, a program founded by the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, said she was working there as an intern.

 

"We will miss her intelligence, kindness and work ethic greatly," they wrote on Twitter.

 

Moments before Friday morning's shooting in Colorado, Redfield exchanged tweets with Sporting News NHL writer Jesse Spector, teasing him for missing the early showing of the highly-anticipated Batman movie.

 

"Words are useless. Guns more so. If you ever had any interaction with @JessicaRedfield, you know the world is much worse off without her," Spector tweeted on Friday.

[jedimaster]

Not sure what the point is Terry but I would rather fancy my chances with a bear than this..........

 

Colorado shooting victim survived Toronto Eaton Centre shooting

 

20/07/2012 12:01:00 PM

 

Matthew Coutts

A woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a Colorado movie theatre had survived Toronto's recent Eaton Centre shooting and

 

Not sure what your point is? Isn't this thread about Bears? I doubt you would find a a hunter, fisherman, northerner, or City person that wants to see gang or gun violence.

[Leecher]

The Bear has a great tune playing now

 

106.9

Edited July 20, 2012 by TroutJunkie

[Live2fish85]

I think he is saying that there are a lot worst things to worry about then bears. Like the shootings that are so often now in Southern Ontario.

 

The point terry posted was very uncommon and as it is sad I don't think the guy knows what the bear was thinking. I do know that running up a tree is one of the worst things you can do. When he did that bear probably though food as he ran.

 

John post shows some thing that we see way to often. Remember 4 killed this week and a bit in 3 shootings. Plus the mall a month or so ago. I would be more worried about my daughters at the mall then hiking up north.

[glen]

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

[jedimaster]

May 22nd 2012...

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/22/dunbar-lake-winnipeg-bear-attack_n_1537140.html

 

A Winnipeg man had quite a personal encounter with a black bear that dragged him out of an outhouse in a northwestern Ontario campsite over the weekend.

 

OPP said there has been more bear activity than normal this spring in the Sioux Lookout area, possibly due to the early onset of spring.

 

So far, the Ministry of Natural Resources' (M.N.R.) response to the dangerous escalation in bear/human conflict has been limited to the Bear Wise program, which is currently under government review. The program's own statistics reveal there is an upward trend in bear occurrences (resulting in phone or onsite response) to an estimated 12,645 in 2007/8, up from 8,547 in 2004/5. The trend would be downward or stable if bear populations were being well managed.

 

http://www.thedailypress.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1129961&archive=true

Queen's Park not bear wise

Bear Wise program's own statistics reveal an upward trend in bear occurrences to an estimated 12,645 in 2007-08, up from 8,547 in 2004-05.

[capt bruce]

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

The bear population has to be controlled by people.

 

 

MISTER TREE HUGGER P3TA SAYS :

 

the human problem has to be controlled by bears

 

the human problem has to be controlled by bears

 

the human problem has to be controlled by bears

 

etc. etc.

 

and maybe the odd mange ridden hungry coyote

 

real men hug catus

[jedimaster]

I think he is saying that there are a lot worst things to worry about then bears. Like the shootings that are so often now in Southern Ontario.

 

The point terry posted was very uncommon and as it is sad I don't think the guy knows what the bear was thinking. I do know that running up a tree is one of the worst things you can do. When he did that bear probably though food as he ran.

 

John post shows some thing that we see way to often. Remember 4 killed this week and a bit in 3 shootings. Plus the mall a month or so ago. I would be more worried about my daughters at the mall then hiking up north.

 

 

What does Working towards solving one problem (Too many bears and a need to control thepopulation) have to go with gun violence? and BTW gun homicides in GTA are at a lower rate right now than previous years, I guess some people choose to ignore fact and sensationalize whatever they feel.

[glen]

Too bad those shooters in TO dont make a few trips for bear.

 

I think thats his point anyway.

[Live2fish85]

Yea the homicide is really looking good.

 

I am saying that it is stupid to.wprry about bear sightings when there are more serious matters like these clowns shooting all kinds of people.

 

I guess I am a tree huggers because I don't agree that we need to hunt an animal so that no one sees them anymore.

 

You have no clue who I am not nearly a tree hugger just not a moron that wants a rug and blames it on the fact that people see more bears since the hunt was taken away.

 

I am not against hunters my family is full of hunters.

[capt bruce]

Live2fish85 , I thought he was saying we have to make sure these bears dont own hand guns , BAN BEARS FROM HAND GUN OWNERSHIP.

[Live2fish85]

You just want to feel like a man because you can control nature. Makes you feel bigger I guess shooting some bear for the fact that we see more. They aren't causeing any harm other then eating morons trash that they leave outside and shouldn't.

[Live2fish85]

You say that shooting the bears will make the others stay away from humans as I read up further.

 

Not going to happen the others didn't get shot most likely because they didn't get seen. So if they find garbage they will still eat it and come back they won't be anymore affraid of humans then they are now.

[capt_hooked]

[capt bruce]

You just want to feel like a man because you can control nature. Makes you feel bigger I guess shooting some bear for the fact that we see more. They aren't causeing any harm other then eating morons trash that they leave outside and shouldn't.

I guess these remarks are directed at me .. Dont have a clue at "what it is to FEEL LIKE A MAN" please explain what this man feeling is and I have hunted and fished all my life and Im still the size I was Genetically predisposed to be . I do want the rights to harvest the lakes and forests as my fore fathers had when the populations can support it . I fish and hunt to put wildfood on my table as is my right not for any Imagined what did you say "MANLY FEELING"

sorry dude you got me all wrong ..

[Leecher]

Man O man you guys just don't give up eh?

 

Like it or not, we as humans, are at the top of the food chain and dictate the outcome of any wild life roaming this planet... this including our animals roaming the water ways.

 

If we like them, we let them be... but if we don't like them, they're taking care of

 

Bears will be bears and whales will be whales as long as do not cross over our territory everything is fine That's in a perfect world but reality is, it's not

 

Anyhoot, just thought I mention this before this thread goes down south.

 

TJunkie

[Live2fish85]

I never claimed to be a man. You were saying I am a tree hugger, you said a few times a real man does this and that.

 

I am the farthest thing from a tree hugger. The only feeling of being a man I know is being there for my kids and loving them. I don't know what a man really is I guess.

 

I grew up with my grandfather being a hunter and lots of other family. I don't for the fact that I don't have the patience to sit and wait for a few hours. I would enjoy hunting birds an that as it osn't so much waiting. I just would rather spend my money on fishing rather then hunting.

 

All I was saying that regardless of the spring bear hunt bears will always find people and cause a nuisance. So saying that is the reason for wanting the.dpring bear hunt is a joke.

[BillM]

Maybe we can get the crack/drug dealers in TO to thin out the bear population?!?!??!?! In the end everyone will be happy! Cause I'm sure the bears will win a few rounds!

Edited July 20, 2012 by BillM

[Squid]

For bear's sake just shut up and go fishing already!!

[jedimaster]

I'm not too sure if you are choosing to not pay attention to the facts or you just didn't see them. I'll lay it out one more time.

 

Since the cancellation of the spring bear the estimated population of bears has increased a tremendous amount. This has caused bears to have a lack of food in the forests. They get pushed out in search of food and look for food in towns, and cities. There range encroaches more and more on the human populations every year.

This has resulted in an increase in nuisance bears.

This increase in nuisance bears gives more opportunity for something bad to happen. Attacks, maulings, property damage etc...

Relocating nuisance bears does NOT work.

The Bear hunters are the only thing that keeps the bear population in check.

The spring bear hunt is the most effective time for that to happen in terms of numbers for population as well as meat quality for the hunters.

 

There will always be nuisance bears and there always have been. However not in the numbers there have been since the cancellation of the spring bear hunt.

 

You can choose to ignore these facts that have been referenced and quoted in this thread from reputable sources if you want. It doesn't change that they are facts.

 

I presume you will choose to reply back with a quip of how you are a man and not afraid of bears. or they are cute and cuddly and you have never been attacked or that there are street gangs shooting people, or some other ludicrous statement. But I would think it would be worth sitting for a few moments and reading the facts before responding.

[Squid]

Jedi- Give it up buddy!!!

[davey buoy]

Hurry up guys,I have a feeling this is done real soon!