Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Black bear population in TX slowly growing

Heck, we even get them in Ahia.

The report doesn’t mention it but there have long been sightings reported in Northeast Texas by Arkansas and on the Texas side of Lake Texhoma.

Black bears were reintroduced into Misery by the state dept of conservation several years ago.
They are doing a bang-up job of mischief, thuggery, and destruction in the places where they live.

Couple years back a juvenile male out on walkabout found his way into downtown Fulton, MO.
It took half the cops in Callaway County to run him off. I can't remember what they wound up doing with the poor guy.
Probably tranquilized him and hauled him off into the woods somewhere for a nap.

Kind of like mountain lion sightings....

speaking of cougar/mountain lion/ wildcat whatever they are called, we are told they only exist in our Upper Peninsula of MI and then only travel through the area for a short time. I guess there is even a web page set up to show confirmed sightings although it must not be kept up to date?

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news...-cougar-sighting-in-michigan-since-2019/


This past week there was very clear trailcam evidence of a very real (and very large) mountain lion is a town called Howard City which is on the northern outskirts of suburban GR (34 min from the center of town) Michigan has hundreds maybe thousands of black bear. I guess we have to get used to co-existing.

I found out the hard way that my to do list that included stringing fishing line above the small narrow outdoor run for our chickens should have put that task at the top of the list. LAst week after hearing a rooster distress call for like 10 min straight I found a large Redtail Hawk standing on the ground in the run next to what appeared to be a very dead chicken. I scared him up to the nearest branch and he was quite determined to hop from branch to branch but stay close to the coop so he could finish his meal. I turned back around and the chicken was up on one leg hopping very slowly but with damage to one eye and a hole in his neck and behind one leg. I think he was really struggling and I feel badly for not dropping everything and running over to investigate sooner.

I guess the hawks need to eat too. My young daughter who sees these chickens like her 'babies' put the chicken in the hospital (a tote in our basement and has been trying to give food, water and keep her warm) She looks ready to give up. Bloat is set in, stool is green, not eating/drinking. Probably won't make it. I may have to sneak out after hours and leave the chicken out in the woods for the hawk or coyotes again.

We ended up putting up that fishing line pronto to prohibit any aerial predators.

But you can see where a mountain lion could bound over fences and make quick work of any pets or livestock.

Quite a few years ago.
I saw some really big cat prints on my land. Then a glimpse of what looked like a mountain lion. I wasn’t missing any livestock and found no remains of deer. I called the Game Warden who told me that there had been a breeding pair in the hills around the local lake. He also said that it was illegal to molest them and he didn’t want to hear about me shooting it.

Well... they might help with the hogs.

A couple of days ago, my grandson went there hunting. We hunt corn feeders. He saw one doe, a squirrel and a dozen hogs. Typical.

He didn’t shoot a hog. We don’t pop a cap during deer season unless it’s a keeper sized buck..The hogs will be there all year.

Lol Dave I can shoot hogs with deer all around and it doesn’t bother them much at all. Guess they glad to get rid of them also

Pat, I might be able to do the same thing but don’t try. Those pigs will damn sure be there after deer season.

I have been in a blind right over deer when a person that I set up in a nearby blind has taken a shot.

Both times, the deer squatted a little, stopped all forward progress, and perked up their ears and swiveled them in all directions to identify the danger. After a minute, or two, they then stood up tall and lifted their noses to scent for danger.

They then resumed walking slowly in the direction they were going before, albeit a hair more cautiously.

One of those times, my daughter was in the blind with me, and just about to get a huge doe in her shooting lane. The idiot kid*** that had shot three times at a buck, decided to walk back to the truck to get more ammo, during prime hunting time! As soon as the group of does heard him walking, they scattered like the wind.

IMO, walking into and out of blinds, to feeders, and to cameras during the season is far more likely to move deer off of the property than firing shots. Driving ATVs is even worse, unless the deer are used to people driving those during normal daily activities.


*** I used to take this kid hunting because he was estranged from his father. Which unsurprisingly resulted in a lack of common sense in many areas. However, he is now in the Air Force - and is responding very well to an entire system designed to teach you common sense in specific situations!

Way to go on the kid Rod. I’ve done 4. One didn’t work and is about to be released from prison.

Batting .750 would get you into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Good job on the three that were helped!