[kman]

my brother, and our hunting buddy went to a parcial of are favorit hunting land, saw great sign deer tracks food plots ate down, a few pics on my favorit spot to hunt one of a small buck, then they went to their favorite spots found a bear track they said it was bigger than their hands with claws on the end only two tracks found in food plot one of front and one of rear. the next plot they checked on was complety gone a hog rooted it up and wallard a hole in the plot ( he has got to go).

the bear thing in mississippi is scary because we do not have many endargerd specis and all their are childern that go hunting down their with us( a 12yr girl& 16 yr boy) do black bears every act agressivly towards humans or is it a common thing for one to run away at the sighting of a human.

as you can see a couple does, and one little buck but he refused to give us a good picture.

[bryarx]

I don't believe black bears are aggressive -- that being said, I wouldn't try to tickle one either. Here are some writings from a quick google search article I found: The full article can be found here:

http://www.runtheplanet.com/trainingracing/safety/blackbearsafe.asp

Bear encounters
Encounters with aggressive bears are extremely rare. Attacks are even rarer. The tips in this article will help prevent bear-human conflicts, but it is always good to be prepared for an encounter. There is no fool-proof way of dealing with a bear encounter (each bear and encounter is different) but the following responses have worked in the past:
If you see a bear in the distance respect the bear's need for space – try to make a wide detour or leave the area.
If you suddenly encounter a bear at close range remember that bears may act defensively if startled, or if protecting cubs or a food cache.
Remain calm. Do not run. Identify yourself as human by talking in low [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]tones[/COLOR][/COLOR], with arms outstretched. Move upwind so that the bear can catch your scent.
Don't crowd the bear - leave it a clear escape route and it will probably exit.
The bear may "pop" its jaws or swat the ground while blowing and snorting. Watch the bear but avoid direct eye contact (a sign of aggression).
A bear may charge in an attempt to intimidate you – usually stopping well short of contact.
If a bear actually attacks in a "sudden encounter" situation, you should fight back aggressively with any available object. Note that different responses apply to black bears, grizzly bears and [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]polar [COLOR=blue ! important]bears[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]. If a black bear actually attacks, the standard rule is to fight back aggressively as this will encourage the bear to "give up" and leave. It is deadly to do this with a grizzly; the best chance is to "play dead".
If a bear follows you
Bears very rarely exhibit predatory behavior (following you before attacking). If a bear follows you, try to be intimidating - make lots of noise, appear as large as possible, throw rocks and sticks. Let the bear know that you will fight back if attacked and that you are not easy prey. If the bear continues to follow, place your pack or other item down as a distraction. During an offensive, predatory attack such as this you should fight back.
Remember, bears are far more likely to enhance your wilderness experience than spoil it. Knowing how to interpret their behavior and act responsibly is part of the thrill of sharing [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]forests[/COLOR][/COLOR] and mountains with these amazing creatures.
True or false?
A bear that stands on its hind legs is preparing to charge.
FALSE. A bear that is standing on its hind legs is usually trying to identify you by scent or sight. Bears rarely attack, but when they do it is on all fours with their heads down.
A bear's sense of smell is better than a dog's.
TRUE. In fact, it is one of the most sensitive noses in the animal world.
Bears are naturally aggressive towards humans.
FALSE. Bears are shy, retiring creatures who only act aggressively as a last resort – usually when they feel threatened.
The best way to get away from an aggressive bear is by running.
FALSE. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse for short distances, and running may trigger their chase response.
Bears cannot run downhill.
FALSE. Bears can run faster than any human – in any direction.
When hiking or running in bear country, it is good to make noise to warn any bears of your presence.
TRUE. Making noise will alert the bear and give it time to move out of your way without feeling threatened.



And here is your state's policy on black bears and their sitings:
pulled from:

http://home.mdwfp.com/wildlife/species/bear/default.aspx

Welcome to the MDWFP Black Bear Program Website

Mississippi is actually home to two subspecies of black bears. The American black bear (Ursus americanus) occurs in the more northern counties of the state and is listed as state endangered. The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) is found in the southern half of the state and is listed as federally threatened under the terms of the Endangered Species Act. The two subspecies of bears are basically indistinguishable to the naked eye.

The MDWFP Black Bear Program was started in June of 2002 at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. The initial focus of the program was to conduct research on Mississippi black bears in an effort to learn more about this endangered species. At the time of the program’s inception, it was estimated that there were less than 50 bears residing in the state. Today, estimates of our bear population have more than doubled. This population increase is due primarily to the recent appearance of female bears in our state which has led to the births of 11 cubs in the last four years, something not documented in Mississippi in the previous 40 years. Additionally, general sightings of bears have increased dramatically all over the state, likely due to dispersing bears from populations in neighboring states. The Black Bear Program is now housed within the Wildlife Bureau of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and continues to conduct research and educate the people of Mississippi about our black bears. Another primary objective of the program is the prevention of conflicts between bears and people.

If you are experiencing problems involving black bears or want to report a recent bear sighting, please contact:

Brad Young
Black Bear Program Leader
601.432.2242
brad.young@mdwfp.state.ms.us

[G. Green]

Relatively cheap and easy peace of mind deal is pepper spray. It is remarkably effective. Most of the data comes from Alaska and grizzly bears, but it was effective in the high 90% area. If it'll work of a grizzly I would think it would on a black. In the Alaskan cases in the 4 or 5% of cases where in didn't completely deter an attack there were no serious injuries. It's also great for aggressive dogs. Not foolproof, but nothing is.

[kman]

thank both of you, for your responses i knew we had two different kinds, the only bear i have every saw in the wild hear was what i was told was a beaver bear it was probably 50 yards away and stood on hid legs, i was only 16 yrs old scared me to death i got in the truck and left rather quickly. this is just something you do not see hear much you know they are their but never see them, just kinda tends to frighten you when one apperas.

[deerhuntertyler]

The articles above pretty much cover everything. I hunt black bear here in MN and have never herd of an attack here. The only way I can really see it happening is if you get between a mother and her cubs. They are very timid animals and hate to be by humans. They are kind of like coyotes in that.

[moosemike]

I've lived around black bears my whole life and never had a problem. We have a camp here in PA and the bears sometimes walk through the yard when we're outside. Not much to worry about really.

[rdale501]

I have hunted bear in Calif. and Oregon for over 40 years. Up until the last couple of years I would have said black bears pose no threat to humans. Every one I encountered was on the run away from me at record speeds. A few years ago the state made it illegal to hunt them with dogs, and I have seen a change in their behavior. I have had them "pop" their jaws at me while elk hunting. Two of my hunting buddies have had the same thing happen. My theory is that the dog hunters had bears so afraid of man at such an early age. There were many hound hunters in the west and the bear were hunted heavily. Now most bear hunting is done in conjuncture with elk or deer hunting, and the new genteration of black bears don't have the same fear of man that their parents and grandparents did. The old timers around here tell of bear encounters in the old days. So I guess I am saying that I believe it is relative to how they are hunted. I think a black bear with no fear of humans is pretty dangerous. Not like a brown bear maybe but don't underestimate them.

[moosemike]

They pop their teeth at you when you're too close, they may even bluff charge you too. give them their space and you'll be fine. Don't make more of this than it really is, it's an animal you need to respect not live in fear of.

[SwedeSteve]

I agree with Moosemike.

[ArkansasHunter]

Quote:       Originally Posted by kman

my brother, and our hunting buddy went to a parcial of are favorit hunting land, saw great sign deer tracks food plots ate down, a few pics on my favorit spot to hunt one of a small buck, then they went to their favorite spots found a bear track they said it was bigger than their hands with claws on the end only two tracks found in food plot one of front and one of rear. the next plot they checked on was complety gone a hog rooted it up and wallard a hole in the plot ( he has got to go). the bear thing in mississippi is scary because we do not have many endargerd specis and all their are childern that go hunting down their with us( a 12yr girl& 16 yr boy) do black bears every act agressivly towards humans or is it a common thing for one to run away at the sighting of a human. as you can see a couple does, and one little buck but he refused to give us a good picture.

I share your concern. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commishion secretly
planted black bear that they traded for (where I forgot) Anyway this was done quiet a few years ago and amazeingly the bears florished in population all through out South Arkansas.
If you live or hunt close to the Arkansas border this maybe some of the bear.
I don't like it they did that. This is a rural state with clusters of small town communitys or clusters of small homesteads and family farms.

Arkansas use to be known as the Bear state in by gone days and it appears it might again.

I just feel there is a risk involved now.

Lastly a number of years ago Alligator population's were increased here to and there have been several occations where poachers have shot and left 12 to 15 foot long Alligators where they shot them.

You would think these critters would pose a hazard to humans someday.

LOL !!! You sure don't see the 5 gallon bucket crowd fishing off the banks of our river, creeks and streams anymore because of the alligators !!! LOL

And I'd almost bet some have given up hunting to because of the Bears !! LOL

[kman]

speaking of gators they have got so bad in two of our rivers the state now as a season for those to parts and their are some massive gators coming off of them, we also had our first gator attack this year the person was killed body never found, or at least i never heard about it if they did find the body.

MDWFP Photo Album

checkout some of those gator pictures in the link above A.H.

[moosemike]

Quote:       Originally Posted by kman

speaking of gators they have got so bad in two of our rivers the state now as a season for those to parts and their are some massive gators coming off of them, we also had our first gator attack this year the person was killed body never found, or at least i never heard about it if they did find the body. MDWFP Photo Album checkout some of those gator pictures in the link above A.H.

Tell Brett Favre I said Hi.

[forestgleaner]

I live in Pa where there are pleanty of bears. I have had them destroy feeders, and walk by pretty close. Photographed one the walked up to less than five feet from me, he eventually put on one of those fake charges, but not at me, at the crowd that had gathered to watch him in one of the yards.
The are powerful, they are faster than they look. They don't go looking for trouble, and yes like the coyote, they are scavangers. Also like the coyote, the more contact with people, the less fear they will have. Some places trap and move the bears to try to keep them out of trouble, other places chase the bears off with dogs and gun fire, not live rounds.
Coyotes have attacked humans, mostly where they have lived near the humans, and have had no hunting pressure.