Bear Tracks and Death Calls

[cuervosail]

Out walking my dogs on the Rose Valley Reservoir Road west of Kelowna yesterday and saw a couple of bear tracks in the mud. Pretty surprising to see those at this time of year. I guess they must've gotten up from their nap to stretch their legs and check out the scenery. Then later, down towards the reservoir, I heard some animal meeting it's maker. It was up high on the east side of the canyon and the sound made my two dogs stop dead in their tracks and made their tails, ears and guard hairs stand up straight (and these are two ex-sled dogs that have pretty high predator instincts themselves - I wish I could use them hunting 'cause they always know where the deer are long before I do ... but I digress). Initially I thought the noise might be a real rowdy magpie, but it was longer in duration than a typical magpie call. I've heard rabbits/hares squealing, but the sound I heard wasn't that high-pitched. It sounded more like the noise I made when I was a kid and I put my hands together with a thick blade of grass between my thumbs and then blew into it. I've never heard the sound a deer makes (if any) when it's in the jaws/claws of a cougar, but that's what I thought it could've been. Theories?????

[bowhunterbruce]

i had a feeling with all the warmer weather we have been having around the okanagan this last week might just bring a bear out for a mid winter snack as the sounds of melting water can tend to bring them out of thier winter sleep,rest assured the bear will climb back in to finish off his/her nap as thier primary spring food of new growth vegitation hasn't even considered start to grow yet.
as far as what you may of heard it very well coulda been a deer meeting its death as i have heard those sounds come from deer before.i would consider taking your dogs up around the area where you think the sounds came from to do some investagating,ya never know you could just come across a new provincial or even world record .just let the dogs and any birds show you the way

[hunter1947]

Bears do go out from there dens at times during the winter months then back into the den ,some bears don't even den up for the winter..
The noise you heard could even been a bird of some kind ???..

[325 wsm]

.
The nois you heard could even been a bird of some kind ???..

or a sasquatch:-D

[thunderheart]

or a sasquatch:-D

now theres a possiblity .. nods and a good idea for Sasquatch story thread ...

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Sounds could have been someone out calling yotes?? ....although the area you were in might be part of the Regional Park??
Heard a couple of stories over the yrs of yotes trying to get dogs when people are out walking them.

Or could have been yotes ar a cat killing something?? Fawn in distress is pretty high pitched.

SSS

[Big Lew]

Have you ever heard a bobcat or cougar cry or call? If it wasn't a cat yowling, it likely was an animal being killed by one. Bears out for a stroll during winter are usually quite lethargic, so, unless opportunity was close, I don't think they would go after a sizeable animal.

[cuervosail]

Sounds could have been someone out calling yotes?? ....although the area you were in might be part of the Regional Park??
Heard a couple of stories over the yrs of yotes trying to get dogs when people are out walking them.

Or could have been yotes ar a cat killing something?? Fawn in distress is pretty high pitched.

SSS
It is part of Rose Valley Regional Park. I can't imagine it was someone trying to call in coyotes. Extremely steep hillside, bordering on what a lot of people would call a cliff, and the only view is down into the canyon where the road is, and maybe out onto the reservoir, although it would be off in the distance. Unless it was real keener practicing his call. I definitely was not a bird and didn't sound like any cat I've ever heard - either domestic or wild. Maybe there's something to this Sasquatch thing ... maybe it's a female and we can call her Rose!

[hotload]

Just yesterday I was also very high above the Rose Valley Reservoir,and I can tell you I ran into bear track all over the place. Made me wonder if these bears were just up for awhile and back into the den or they were up for good. It was very warm and springlike. To make it even seem more like spring there was the sounds of squirrels everywhere. Odd to say the least.

[dave_fras]

about a month ago i was heading home from the gf place.... and just as i hit my road i looked up and i could see a deer hanging upside down from a fence... i got out of my truck and heading over to help her out... it was a young doe... she tried to jump over a steel gate and her leg got caught!.... i donno how it didnt break... but she was letting out to loudest squeal ive ever heard!! i did manage to free her... but i stillcant believe no noise she was making!!!

[.303]

Out walking my dogs on the Rose Valley Reservoir Road west of Kelowna yesterday and saw a couple of bear tracks in the mud. Pretty surprising to see those at this time of year. I guess they must've gotten up from their nap to stretch their legs and check out the scenery. Then later, down towards the reservoir, I heard some animal meeting it's maker. It was up high on the east side of the canyon and the sound made my two dogs stop dead in their tracks and made their tails, ears and guard hairs stand up straight (and these are two ex-sled dogs that have pretty high predator instincts themselves - I wish I could use them hunting 'cause they always know where the deer are long before I do ... but I digress). Initially I thought the noise might be a real rowdy magpie, but it was longer in duration than a typical magpie call. I've heard rabbits/hares squealing, but the sound I heard wasn't that high-pitched. It sounded more like the noise I made when I was a kid and I put my hands together with a thick blade of grass between my thumbs and then blew into it. I've never heard the sound a deer makes (if any) when it's in the jaws/claws of a cougar, but that's what I thought it could've been. Theories?????

Maybe it was a kid who put his hands together with a piece of grass that he managed to find under the snow....:mrgreen: