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Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Hi guys,
Just a question out of curiosity. I saw one of the bigger black bear boars I've ever seen on a piece of Jocko Creek Ranch land. I observed him the first evening eating on a hillside. The following morning I saw him running two horses on the same land. Not sure there was malicious intent. Probably just being awnery. Two days later the cattle came into the same pasture with very young calves. I was wondering why a bear of that size wouldn't just take a calf or two.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Yes absolutely. Cows, calves, horses, everything...
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Of course they do. Calves, sheep, whatever.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Yes, in some areas they are a real problem, sometimes even worse than wolves.
I gleaned private access to one of BC.s largest ranches many years ago solely on the promise
that I would shoot any black bear I saw near their calving grounds.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
They're sneaky buggers. They'll lay down in a low spot or long grass. The calves being curious will come check them out. Can be a big problem. In landowners in Alberta can shoot them without a licence. Wish they'd let us deal with the hump back bears this way.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Bears love babies. Be it human or animal. They eat everything. I know some ranchers in bc that SSS when it comes to bears. A large mature boar can kill a surprising amount of cows once they realize how. Dumb the cows are
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
I've killed 2 black bears in full charge after our sheep, killed 3 more that were creeping towards lambs. I was a bit choked to cancel bear tags because bear hunting for us is always kinda fun and relaxed, but we get two tags a year, and using the tags eliminated excess paperwork.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Blackies LOVE deer Fawns and Moose Calves ! Black bear are Predators - and DEAD ones are the BEST ! RJ
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Many years ago my cousin who owns a large cattle ranch North of Mayerthorpe Alberta lost four pigs to a black bear. The bear fatally mauled three large sows to death and carried the other one off. The bear was never found and it never returned.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sportster
Many years ago my cousin who owns a large cattle ranch North of Mayerthorpe Alberta lost four pigs to a black bear. The bear fatally mauled three large sows to death and carried the other one off. The bear was never found and it never returned.
A number of years ago a grizzly took out a bunch of pigs in one assault at my friends place. He didn't have a gun and said all he could do was watch and yell, but the grizz just ignored him. Grizz came back again, too.
Cougars have taken lots of animals around here, too.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Lets hope gcreek chimes in soon!:mrgreen:
Over the years we saw more than a few calves killed by predators probably bears or cougars.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
My black bear this year was taken very close to a large catle ranch. He wasn't a far walk from the pen with the very new borns
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
mpotzold
Lets hope gcreek chimes in soon!:mrgreen:
Over the years we saw more than a few calves killed by predators probably bears or cougars.
There are some here who prefer not to hear my opinion so will keep it short.:wink:
Black bears kill a lot of livestock.
Last fall we had a large boar kill a 4oo lb calf right beside the main road coming into our ranch. Area of struggle was less than 10 sq. ft.. No doubt this bear had done it enough to become very skilled. His stepping into a foot snare set for him ended his career as a cow thief.
The Gang Ranch manager has told me that before rules were changed and employees of ranches were legally allowed to protect their employers' cattle from predators, (previously only an owner could shoot a predator in the act of killing or having killed livestock) that the Gang lost up to 150 calves annually in their calving pastures to black bears that only took the belly full of milk and left the rest of the calf for the coyotes.
Thanks to all you guys who fill your bear tags!
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
gcreek
There are some here who prefer not to hear my opinion so will keep it short.:wink:
Black bears kill a lot of livestock.
Last fall we had a large boar kill a 4oo lb calf right beside the main road coming into our ranch. Area of struggle was less than 10 sq. ft.. No doubt this bear had done it enough to become very skilled. His stepping into a foot snare set for him ended his career as a cow thief.
The Gang Ranch manager has told me that before rules were changed and employees of ranches were legally allowed to protect their employers' cattle from predators, (previously only an owner could shoot a predator in the act of killing or having killed livestock) that the Gang lost up to 150 calves annually in their calving pastures to black bears that only took the belly full of milk and left the rest of the calf for the coyotes.
Thanks to all you guys who fill your bear tags!
Exactly, good post. Of all the blacks I have shot in my life I'd say 90% were on ranch land and in the immediate vicinity of cow/calf pairs.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
I was always under the impression that a rancher could legally protect their livestock weather it is black, grizz , wolf whatever without a licence?
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
xcaribooer
I was always under the impression that a rancher could legally protect their livestock weather it is black, grizz , wolf whatever without a licence?
It makes total sense.
We don't hunt bears because we don't or ever will eat bear meat.
If we shot a bear in self defence we always carry portable phones & would phone the CO ASAP. Don't need a license!
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
xcaribooer
I was always under the impression that a rancher could legally protect their livestock weather it is black, grizz , wolf whatever without a licence?
Owners always could. It has only been in the last 10 years that a manager or employee had the same right/responsibility.
Then you have to see them in order to shoot them...…………..
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
mpotzold
It makes total sense.
We don't hunt bears because we don't or ever will eat bear meat.
If we shot a bear in self defence we always carry portable phones & would phone the CO ASAP. Don't need a license!
Well, mpotzold please don't include ME in your universal use of the words "we don't or ever will eat bear meat". I've hunted black bear since 2006 or so. Used to take 2 black bear just about every year. I had the good luck to hunt on some private ranch land which in 2012 was bought up, the new owners subsequently forbade hunting on that land. Each bear I killed was only for the purpose of eating just about all of it (including the head meat and the paws for soup; actually, all the bones too).
I find, black bear every bit as good tasting as deer, elk or moose. Just a little different. Since 2012, private land has become harder and harder to gain permission to. Last two years I knocked my head against a wall to take a bear on Crown Land and failed. And not for lack of effort or gasoline. This year, I would KILL (black bear, wolves, coyotes, whatever) to develop an ongoing relationship with an agricultural landowner so as to help that landowner with problem black bears, etc.. I appreciate the symmetry of how harvesting black bears, which nourishes my family, also nourishes the landowner in livestock (profit) NOT lost to those black bears. I eat and really like black bear meat; I know, I know..... I'm odd.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
35 years ago I had a small 7 acre farm on the Surrey Langley border and used lethal force on any predator that entered my land with visible intent to harm my Simental cows and/or calves.
Due to the local geography I was limited to use of shotguns not my center fire rifles.
Several Coyotes, one cougar, one skinny black bear( I think it was lost), and 3 dogs running in a pack all got what I could dish out...
I also had pigs,chickens and 2 Arab mares on the farm and I was dammed if I would sit on my hands when any predator came on my land with murderous intent on their minds!
I did have local RCMP respond to my farm twice for shots fired,but after I explained my position to the city rookie that showed up there was no problem.
At the time I was legally allowed to do what I did, if I could have used my moose guns I would have,but that was not
allowed within Surrey city limits.
It appears that right of farmers to protect their animals has changed somewhat since then..
Its not a pleasant thing to have to provide armed protection of your livestock, but,it’s understandable
that predators need to eat. Domestic livestock are usually easy pickings.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
From the “Grisly end for a cow” thread.
It was actually a large calf that the sow killed & the sow was considerably smaller than an average black bear.
Bear kills calf
…the Wyoming Game and Fish was contacted about a grizzly bear that had attacked a calf along the highway north of Cody. On Friday Game and Fish personnel captured the 7 year old, 219 lb sow that was responsible for the attack. However, because the sow had two cubs that could not be caught, she was returned to the area and will be monitored for future activity.
https://mycountry955.com/grizzly-bea...graphic-video/
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
REMINGTON JIM
Blackies LOVE deer Fawns and Moose Calves ! Black bear are Predators - and DEAD ones are the BEST ! RJ
totally agree...you got to weed your garden if you want the good stuff to grow!!! :)
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
Gateholio
I've killed 2 black bears in full charge after our sheep, killed 3 more that were creeping towards lambs. I was a bit choked to cancel bear tags because bear hunting for us is always kinda fun and relaxed, but we get two tags a year, and using the tags eliminated excess paperwork.
You could have done that with out bear tags because you are allowed to protect live stock .
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
gutpile
You could have done that with out bear tags because you are allowed to protect live stock .
I had the tags anyway. No big deal really
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Sure there more than a few ranchers .........SSS.........
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
Frank grimes
Bears love babies. Be it human or animal. They eat everything. I know some ranchers in bc that SSS when it comes to bears. A large mature boar can kill a surprising amount of cows once they realize how. Dumb the cows are
Interesting comment lots of ranchers dont like elk, deer or other ungulates either wonder if they do the same to them. Lots of ungulates have died because of some ranchers.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
LBM
Interesting comment lots of ranchers dont like elk, deer or other ungulates either wonder if they do the same to them. Lots of ungulates have died because of some ranchers.
I don’t honestly know. I’ve heard rumours of ranchers allowing fn to “harvest” elk/deer off their land, but no first hand knowledge. And that’s not a shot at fn, just what I’ve heard. Could be anyone for all I know.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
[QUOTE=gcreek;2097110]There are some here who prefer not to hear my opinion so will keep it short.:wink:
Guess I'll just have to wait till the fall to hear the longer "unabridged"opinion ...
A trip to Weyburn Sk in the middle of a prairie blizzard is a teachable moment about carbon taxation.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Frank grimes
I don’t honestly know. I’ve heard rumours of ranchers allowing fn to “harvest” elk/deer off their land, but no first hand knowledge. And that’s not a shot at fn, just what I’ve heard. Could be anyone for all I know.
The guy that owned the ranch on copper crk road in Kamloops,(10yrs ago-ish) used to let Indians shoot does.
Pretty sure he went back to the prairies, I dont think he fit in all that well in BC.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LBM
Interesting comment lots of ranchers dont like elk, deer or other ungulates either wonder if they do the same to them. Lots of ungulates have died because of some ranchers.
This is most likely what happened to the missing Elk in the east koots, unknown numbers of Elk shot (cows) on private land.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
338win mag
This is most likely what happened to the missing Elk in the east koots, unknown numbers of Elk shot (cows) on private land.
Very interesting observation...so basically a portion of "all the game has disappeared" is GASP!! White farmers letting "injuns" shoot elk/does/deer on their farms to help the domestic animals survive better? Wonder if the average Indian basher ever thought of that. Lol
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
Mosin
Very interesting observation...so basically a portion of "all the game has disappeared" is GASP!! White farmers letting "injuns" shoot elk/does/deer on their farms to help the domestic animals survive better? Wonder if the average Indian basher ever thought of that. Lol
Dont let facts get in the way...I have seen it.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mosin
Very interesting observation...so basically a portion of "all the game has disappeared" is GASP!! White farmers letting "injuns" shoot elk/does/deer on their farms to help the domestic animals survive better? Wonder if the average Indian basher ever thought of that. Lol
Hmmm you mean the farmers could stop "them " from shooting game ? Not in BC !
Ahh another thread side tracked ......
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
338win mag
Dont let facts get in the way...I have seen it.
So have I, but I wish there was a magical way to figure out ratios of how many are killed and in what fashion whether it's legal, illegal and of course what percentage is for traditional use. We will never know for sure
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
Dannybuoy
Hmmm you mean the farmers could stop "them " from shooting game ? Not in BC !
Ahh another thread side tracked ......
I apologize for the derail.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
338win mag
I apologize for the derail.
I think he was talking to me dude!! No need to apologize...I will apologize....so sorry to all the people I have hurt with my posts... independent thought is bad.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
*shrug* actually if you scroll back , it was good ol LBM that that stirred the proverbial pot .... of course the answer to the original question was common sense .
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mosin
Very interesting observation...so basically a portion of "all the game has disappeared" is GASP!! White farmers letting "injuns" shoot elk/does/deer on their farms to help the domestic animals survive better? Wonder if the average Indian basher ever thought of that. Lol
This is a well known issue and I bet many here even know ranches that do it. Don’t see how it improves the negative outlook many have on FN hunting knowing there are ranchers exploit FN hunting rights( in some cases FN are not within their rights but COs won’t touch them) to deal with ungulates. Elk are the main one ranchers do this with
This actually just shows another issue around Unregulated FN hunting.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dannybuoy
*shrug* actually if you scroll back , it was good ol LBM that that stirred the proverbial pot .... of course the answer to the original question was common sense .
interesting please explain
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LBM
Interesting comment lots of ranchers dont like elk, deer or other ungulates either wonder if they do the same to them. Lots of ungulates have died because of some ranchers.
I know this to be 100%fact.
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Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears
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Originally Posted by
LBM
interesting please explain
Even though i am contributing to the derailment .... what does post #25 have to do with whether or not bears kill ranchers calves ?
Let me answer that 0.0