[Buba Garrett]

After many years of wanting to go on one of these bear studies I got the chance last weekend! Learned allot about them!

This is a male I found out on years where we have a poor mast crop the females have males because males travel further- this female was 6 or 7 years old and had 2 Male cubs she weighed 185, it was a fun trip!

 

[Buba Garrett]

I also learned that not all Bears will actually "Den" up, this one wasnt
I learned that in Arkansas Bears dont actually "Hibernate"
After checking out Momma I also learned I dont want to wrestle no bear either!

 

[Selfbow]

I also learned that not all Bears will actually "Den" up, this one wasnt
I learned that in Arkansas Bears dont actually "Hibernate"
After checking out Momma I also learned I dont want to wrestle no bear either!

Nice!
Tell me more........If she wasn't denned up, where was she staying? Was she awake when you found her? How fast can you run? excetera......

 

[HANDGUNNER]

Looks like it was fun!! How'd you get lucky enough to go on one of those trips????

 

[Buba Garrett]

Nice!
Tell me more........If she wasn't denned up, where was she staying? Was she awake when you found her? How fast can you run? excetera......

Selfbow she was denned up next to a fallen pine tree in a briar thicket! Fellers from the Gand F went to the bear- she had a tracking device and sedated her and then the rest of us got to come to where she was, they collected data on the Momma- Hannah I believe her name was and also they collected data on the cubs! This bear was in Winona WMA and they do allot to ensure these bears are safe as well as the cubs!

 

[Buba Garrett]

Looks like it was fun!! How'd you get lucky enough to go on one of those trips????

HG It was one of those Friend of a friend of a friend type deals and I got to take someones place! Lucky I guess

 

[Buba Garrett]

Here is a better picture doesnt have my ugly mug in it! Also dont know this lady so I hope she dont mind me putting up a picture:thumb:

 

[ryanh_johnson]

Thats pretty cool Buba!! So I"m assuming that the area you were in does not have a bear season? those little jokers are born with long nails ready to slice something up!

I dont know much about the seasons or hunting for all that goes....however I do hope that sometime in the near future I can take one!

 

[Buba Garrett]

Thats pretty cool Buba!! So I"m assuming that the area you were in does not have a bear season? those little jokers are born with long nails ready to slice something up!

I dont know much about the seasons or hunting for all that goes....however I do hope that sometime in the near future I can take one!

Actually Ryan I think you can Bear Hunt in Winona but dont quote me on that, as I have never studied the bear seasons! I cant afford another vice like Bear hunting!

 

[ryanh_johnson]

Actually Ryan I think you can Bear Hunt in Winona but dont quote me on that, as I have never studied the bear seasons! I cant afford another vice like Bear hunting!

So do you know how many are tracked via tracking devices? Obviously all of them prolly dont have them.

 

[Buba Garrett]

The put the bear to sleep Rifle

Working on Momma

The cubs

 

[Buba Garrett]

Ryan I know there were a couple in this area, they usually when they trap them they collar them I Think! One thing I did hear that was distrubing is with Nuisance bears seems some folks like to feed bears this as I understand it causes them to be more likely to become Nusance Bears whenever a bear gets caught being a nusiance the 3rd time they must be DEALT with. It is ashame that some folks by feeding em they think they are helping em and in actuality they are likely being their demise!:smack: I know of one instance of one around here that this person was constantly feeding the bears and on one occasion a bear bit this person- well the bear was put down and if the person had of let them alone thats 1 bear that might still be enjoying life in the wild!

 

[ryanh_johnson]

Pretty interesting Buba,.....thanks for sharing this and trying to answer my questions!! If they ever go again and have and open spot remember me!! That would be awesome! :thumb:

 

[buckhorn]

That is really cool. I went with the Conservation class in college on the same
experience. We pulled a 250 lb momma out of a den south of Huntsville.
We met the Biologist on Hwy 23 where the Mulberry River crosses. It was a really cool experience. Like Bubba said, we weren't allowed close until she had been sedated. It really wasn't a den it was more of a hole in a couple of
Rocks at the bottom of a bluff. She didn't have any little ones but was denned up with a yearling cub. I can't remember if it was 75lbs or 125lbs.
We took all of the measurements and checked out her radio collar. It was a
experience I wouldn't trade for anything. I just wish I had had a camera:smack:
It is a humbling experience to handle a 250 lb bear that is still breathing.
Oh yeah, It is a lot easier to pull the bears out of the den vs stuffing them back in.

 

[Manybeards]

Sounds like fun :thumb:

 

[Hobbshunter]

That is cool!
I thought I had read at some point or another that there were no brown black-bears in the Quachitas. They were in the Ozarks bc of the transplants from up north, but the original AR bears were almost never brown and often had the white chest patches. Apparently that was all wrong!

 

[Selfbow]

Selfbow she was denned up next to a fallen pine tree in a briar thicket! Fellers from the Gand F went to the bear- she had a tracking device and sedated her and then the rest of us got to come to where she was, they collected data on the Momma- Hannah I believe her name was and also they collected data on the cubs! This bear was in Winona WMA and they do allot to ensure these bears are safe as well as the cubs!

Awesome!
I lived in Winona last summer and had a bear stealing bags of sweet feed out of my barn. Maybe it was her.........
Are those little bears different colors? It looked like momma has a little hint of red in her coat also.

 

[Buba Garrett]

Awesome!
I lived in Winona last summer and had a bear stealing bags of sweet feed out of my barn. Maybe it was her.........
Are those little bears different colors? It looked like momma has a little hint of red in her coat also.

Your right Selfbow Momma was a "Cinnamon Phase"
1 cub was black and one was brown! The Mooma has been around Winona since 02 when they first collarded her!

 

[MallardMaster]

That is neat, I don't care who ya are!! I know you enjoyed that!

Ain't them baby bears cute as a button!? Won't be that easy to handle long, tho!

 

[Selfbow]

Your right Selfbow Momma was a "Cinnamon Phase"
1 cub was black and one was brown! The Mooma has been around Winona since 02 when they first collarded her!

Awesome!
I have seen maybe 20 bears in Arkansas and never have seen a color phase bear. I took big black a few years ago with a big white V on his chest but that is pretty common.

Thanks for sharing this with us Buba!