I’m good friends with the range officer at the local gun club. He texted me yesterday saying there are bear tracks at the outdoor rifle range. I was there the day before and didn’t see them or just didn’t notice. I guess bears don’t hibernate when there’s enough food around.

I’m thinking maybe I shouldn’t go alone anymore. I’m at least going to carry an extra loaded 30 round magazine to keep in the gun after I’m done practicing. Black bears don’t usually come around or approach people but, just in case, is 5.56 ok for bear?

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
Black bears don’t usually come around or approach people but, just in case, is 5.56 ok for bear?

Not if you're in between a mom and her cubs.

other than the mom and cub thing, if you clap your hands Black Bears will go into hyperdrive to get the hell out of there

I would be amazed if a bear would stay nearby with all the noise. Use care and be alert when you arrive, but I wouldn't worry once you start the noise.

Just know the difference in the fundamental nature between a black bear attack and a brown bear attack. And check to see if there is food or garbage attracting those guys. Prob not but you should check anyway. No, I'm not a bear person, just what I've read about.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
I guess bears don’t hibernate when there’s enough food around.

Food availability is the major factor in when bears hibernate and another is pregnancy status. Also, bear hibernation isn't the multi-month coma most people imagine.

Slight drift.
Several times during the summer our range calls a cease fire while the Antelope cross it.
They stop and graze for a bit then move on.......

PC

You could see this as an opportunity for a classic "Bear defense pistol caliber?" discussion!

Bears at the gun range..That's nothing. How about Bears in my backyard!

08290383 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/199946329@N05/]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: urbanwarrior238,

Have the occasional Black Bear that raids my bird feeders. Once with cubs. I lean out the patio door and bang two pots together and the bear vanishes. Might be a different story if I should surprise Mom and cubs in the woods.

Bears won't go to your range in the first place if nobody leaves food lying around. Any that do will be frightened off by your gunfire.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Any that do will be frightened off by your gunfire.

Yeah, I think after the first round or two down range, Yogi is going to try to get out of Dodge

We used to get black bears in our neighborhood in Georgia.

Around here, people panic when they see a bobcat or coyote in the neighborhood.

I have a video of a bear in my backyard can’t get it to post. Black bears are big rats. Digging in trash. I wouldn’t worry about especially at a gun range. Unless you get between a mom and her cubs. But that’s even less likely.

We have called a cease-fire for bear, deer and turkey on the hundred yard line. Noise does not deter them, I guess they have not been hunted.

Haven't seen any bears yet, but yeah deer and wild turkeys all the time. Completely undeterred by gunfire.


Range Deer by kpkina, on Flickr

Our neighborhood could be classified as city / suburban, definitely not rural. Houses on my street are separated by maybe twenty or thirty feet.

For the past few months, we have had night time visits by one or more black bears, several times each week, wandering through our yard.

Couple times the camera showed the bear lying down on the grass, taking a little rest, before getting up and ambling off to check another yard.

Back in November we were headed up a forest service rd. to a section of the Duncan Ridge Trail for a hike. Stopped to clear a tree that was across the rd. and as I was getting the chainsaw out of the back of the jeep a black bear came running down the bank onto the rd. about 25 yds behind us and took off down the rd. in the opposite direction from us. Man they can move.

quote:

Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
I would be amazed if a bear would stay nearby with all the noise.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Any that do will be frightened off by your gunfire.

Some bears aren't as shy as you'd imagine. Cousin and I were sitting on a hilltop practicing for an ELR match. Our target was 1250 yards away on another hillside. 30 or so minutes in, a good sized black bear comes meandering out beneath our target and begins looking for grubs under rocks. He set up show about 25 yards down the hill from our target and after almost an hour of him playing with his food, I started shooting again. Didn't bother that big bastard one bit. He sprawled out getting some sun once he was finished eating and all in, was there with us shooting directly over top of him for about another 45-50 minutes before he finally headed out.


Similar story from earlier in the summer of that year too. 5 of us were set up on our 700 yard range getting some practice in when 12 deer (does and bucks) started coming out of the woods adjacent to the field we were shooting over. They grazed for food and water for the rest of the afternoon while we continued shooting over top of them. We had to pause when a couple got onto one of the ridges that cuts across the field as they were in the line of fire.


Moral of the story is: range animals don't give a shit about noise, until it's time to hunt them and a twig snaps 5 miles away

true that. they get used to certain noises and patterns of noise, and it becomes background noise to them the same way it does to us. nothing new there.