Black Bear in Winona County

[Bogsucker]

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[Walleye #1]

That hasn't been the only sighting in the last two years. Last year around Houston a couple of black bears were sighted. Rumor has it the DNR are starting to plant them down in the woods of SE MN. Fact or Fiction? That is the questions. Also there has been timberwolf sighting as well down here. I know two people personall that have seen them run past their tree stands.

Walleye #1

Can anyone back up the rumor by eyehunter that the state park buck by Caledonia was shot? I guess a guy in town had the deer about 20 yards from his tree stand during bow season and he couldn't pull the bow back because he was shaking so bad. Put yourself in his shoes. That would be nuts. I think I might fall out of my tree stand.

[Jmnhunter]

my roomate is from houston,mn and said there are occasional wolves, and cougars, in fact he ran into some tracks during theweekend of a cat. I can see that area being prime for cougars and bears.

jn

[Walleye #1]

JM- I probably taught your roomate last year in school. I know a guy down by New Albin, IA, which is only about 30 minutes from Houston who has gotten a mountain lion on his deer cam this last summer. One time it was ready to pounce on a 6 pointer. Those pics would make you think twice about going into those woods. You know they say that if you are hunting cougars or mountain lions that if you haven't seen one for a couple of days chances are it is hunting you.

All of these animals just makes you wonder what thigns are running around these bluffs of SE MN. Bogsucker I know you have story or two.

Walleye #1

[ironranger420]

Walleye 1:

I've heard similar things regarding cougars/mountain lions. My brother has friends from out West in the Rocky Mtn states, and they say that when they're hunting up in the mountains, mountain lions are their biggest concerns. I would have thought it would have been Grizzlies, but they said that they aren't nearly as much of a concern as mountain lions. Probably for the same reason you said, they'll hunt you. They told my brother one story of a lion jumping out of a tree onto the back of one of their fellow hunters. Little scary! My brother and I actually saw a mountain lion run across the highway a few yards in front of us about 5 miles North of Cook, Mn. in Saint Louis County a few years ago. Let's just say, I pack iron when ever I go into the woods You never know whats out there.

[lawdog]

I used to go to Wyoming every year to hunt deer and we occasionally saw mountain lions. One guy I was hunting with had one sneaking on him when he spotted her. She was about 40 yards away in full sneak mode coming right towards him.

If it was me I personally would have shot the dang thing since it was trying to eat me (and since the season was open anyway) but he just stood up and she bolted... The rancher wasn't thrilled, he would have preferred it shot too and said we should definitely do so if we ever saw another one and then drive to town and buy a tag for it.

I am always amazed at how some people panic over these black bear sightings. They are about as docile an animal as you'll find and aside from some garbage they may mess with, they aren't going to bother people.

[JIvers]

The DNR is not planting bear, timber wolf, or anything else in SE Minnesota. Both animals are common up north, where mild winters and hunting restrictions have led to an increase in their numbers. As a result, young bears and wolves are forced to wander far from their home ranges in search of new territories. Mountain lion numbers have also increased out west because of restrictive hunting policies, and they are expanding their range on their own, without any help from the DNR. Bears and wolves have popped up in SE Minnesota before, and there are confirmed sightings of cougars in the state as well, although there are probably very few of them for now.

The DNR may make some muddle-headed decisions, but they are not and will not be stocking predators in SE Minnesota. The wolves, bears, and cougars are capable of getting here on their own.

These DNR conspiracy theories are great. When I lived in Winona, I worked with a guy who knew a guy who said he saw "an unmarked DNR truck with its lights off after dark stocking pairs of male and female coyotes every mile". So, I asked him how this guy knew it was a DNR truck if it was unmarked and the lights were off, and if it was at night, how did he know the coyotes being released were male and female. That stopped this ridiculous rumor in its tracks. Down here in Iowa where I live now, a few mountain lions have wandered into the state from the west. A guy I know swore they were being stocked by the DNR. Right after he said that, a rash of cougar sightings was reported by people he talked to. He then added the detail that the DNR marked its cougars with purple paint. After that, people started reporting purple mountain lions. This shows how gullible some people are--they believe any crazy story you tell them. I've heard stories of other conspiracy theories making the rounds that are even dumber than these. Problem is, some people actually believe them.

[Walleye #1]

eyehunter-

I believe what you are saying with the whold DNR thing. Many times people just want to blame it on someone. I have had good experiences with DNR and I have met DNR who have been on power trips.

I was talking with a guy yesterday who said back in Wiscoi Valley that a year ago a farmer what getting the hinds taken out of his cattle. So him and his brothers sat out one night next to the cattle yard and waited until the cattle got startled it finally happened and when they turned on the spot light they saw..................... a black panther. Imagine that. I have heard of those in Texas but not MN.

Big Buck Update - A Houston guy show a 18 pointer this last weekend. It scores in the 180's. Big Buck!

[big drift]

Do not take any Black bear meeting for granted two researcher for Canadian were killed by one stalking them, a kid from Bemidji was mauled by one at the Tomahawk scout camp years ago, I have had a pair of boots shredded by one while sitting over a bait station, my brother in law was treed by a boar for 3 hours until we came for him, lots of incidents w/ blackies and w/ human contact so common now they are not as afraid as they used to be. A guy was charged while deer hunting a cornfield this fall it is in the MN DNR enforcement reports yes he ended up shooting it and soiling himself.later

big drift