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Thread: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

  1. #11
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    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Lets hope gcreek chimes in soon!

    Over the years we saw more than a few calves killed by predators probably bears or cougars.

    “People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.” -Otto von Bismarck
    Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.-Albert Einstein


  2. #12
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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

  3. #13
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    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Quote Originally Posted by mpotzold View Post
    Lets hope gcreek chimes in soon!

    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.

    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!

  4. #14
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    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Quote Originally Posted by gcreek View Post
    There are some here who prefer not to hear my opinion so will keep it short.

    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.
    "BORN TO HUNT"
    Foxton's Cuervo Gold "KEELA" Oct. 2004-June 2017. Always in my blind and my heart.

  5. #15
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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?

  6. #16
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    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Quote Originally Posted by xcaribooer View Post
    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!
    “People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.” -Otto von Bismarck
    Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.-Albert Einstein


  7. #17
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    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Quote Originally Posted by xcaribooer View Post
    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...…………..

  8. #18
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    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Quote Originally Posted by mpotzold View Post
    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.
    Last edited by Madeson; 06-12-2019 at 04:07 PM.

  9. #19
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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.

  10. #20
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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/
    “People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.” -Otto von Bismarck
    Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.-Albert Einstein


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