Author Topic: Black Bears in Texas (Read 3275 times)

markc · « **on:** April 18, 2008, 07:03:47 AM »

Interesting article on the TP&W site, one line gave me a chuckle..

If a bear approaches you, stand your ground and raise your arms, backpack or jacket to appear larger. If the bear continues to approach, yell at it to scare it off. If a bear is visiting your deer stand or campsite, scare it with rocks, a slingshot or an air horn.

I already carry alot of stuff while hunting, but no air horn or slingshot.....

Mohawk · « **Reply #1 on:** April 18, 2008, 03:56:10 PM »

That is funny, Mark. I don't carry an air horn either. They once tried stocking the red wolf and black bear in east Texas but the poaching was too much for them to regulate.

Ironwood · « **Reply #2 on:** April 26, 2008, 06:21:19 AM »

In another hunting forum someone captured what seems to be a black bear on their Trail Cam. The photo was taken this past hunting season here in East Texas.

Mohawk · « **Reply #3 on:** April 26, 2008, 05:26:18 PM »

I wouldn't doubt it. Poachers could not have gotten them all. Those bottoms are thick enough to hide an elephant.

redhawksixsh · « **Reply #4 on:** April 27, 2008, 02:55:13 PM »

Someone caught some video of a black bear on their Leakey, Texas deer lease. It made the local news here in San Antonio. I guess they are sneaking up from the mountains in Mexico?

Mohawk · « **Reply #5 on:** April 28, 2008, 08:36:12 PM »

Quote from: redhawksixsh on April 27, 2008, 02:55:13 PM

Someone caught some video of a black bear on their Leakey, Texas deer lease. It made the local news here in San Antonio. I guess they are sneaking up from the mountains in Mexico?

That is a good thought. I could see it happening. I was also wondering about them coming from the east, like maybe Louisiana or Arkansas. I do know the mountain lions have made it to Central Texas. We found a track in Lago Vista that was the circumference of a large coffee cup, much much much too large to be a bobcat.

Ironwood · « **Reply #6 on:** May 01, 2008, 11:51:21 PM »

I thought you guys might find this interesting. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/news_images/?g=black_bears

chutesnreloads · « **Reply #7 on:** May 02, 2008, 02:29:16 PM »

Mowhawk .....be aware that jaguars are NOT extinct in Texas.Some girls caught a baby one when I was I think 6th grade.This just the west side of Waco.A few years later I regularly saw tracks in and out of a spring fed tank.I think the only big cats that regularly swim are tigers and jaguars.Don't think it was a tiger.Also around this time we found a male bobcat torn to pieces.Isn't Texas an interesting state ?

Kbis · « **Reply #8 on:** June 08, 2008, 09:13:13 AM »

The bears are still in East Texas. A coworker of my wifes saw one last week between Crockett and Lufkin.

We have some big cats around here (Crockett), but everyone tells me they are panthers. I have not seen them but my son saw 2 about 1/2 mile from our place.

tjbailey1967 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 13, 2008, 09:18:02 AM »

I have several pics of one black bear attacking my feeder and have two pics of a cow elk.
my lease is in far western crockett co. i have hunted this area for about 7 yrs and it seems
that all the game populations have exploded out there.

markc · « **Reply #10 on:** October 14, 2008, 08:45:24 AM »

That elk likely came from a game ranch with a fence down. There are a good number of exotics that end up roaming free after a good flood that takes down game fences. w. Crockett Co. is a long way from the elk herd in far W. Tx. But since I hunt in Crockett Co, I will be looking for one this year...

tjbailey1967 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 14, 2008, 05:07:15 PM »

im sure your right. my place is 9 miles from iraan, i have talked to the game warden from iraan and he
said he hasnt heard about any gettin out but he said its a amazing that i even got a shot of her at all.
i have a tank about 2 acers in size. it hold alot of game and man we are covered up with turkey this
year have several pic of 2 dozen and more at a time.

markc · « **Reply #12 on:** October 20, 2008, 06:38:46 AM »

Nice, if you have that much water in Iraan area, you are bound to be covered up in all kinds of game. LUCKY! LOL Good for you. Maybe you can thin out a few turkeys and have a holiday meal or two as a result...We looked at property outside Iraan, but bought a place down near Carta Valley instead.

tjbailey1967 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 20, 2008, 04:25:38 PM »

right on!!!! went out to my place yesterday to make final prep. for the up coming
opening day. everything is cool. funny you talked about the turkey, i viewed the pics
of one of my game cams and i counted 23 yes i said 23 turkey. me and my family are
really gonna have to thin out the population this fall and spring. i also have some good
pics of mule deer and alot of whitetail. one really good buck. oh ya several pics of pigs.
so it looks like a good year.

markc · « **Reply #14 on:** October 22, 2008, 07:20:24 AM »

We are on a lease just a bit east of Iraan. We've seen a few Mule deer out there, but never during the short season. Maybe this year as it will be our last there. Saw a good # of feral hogs on our new place in Carta Valley recently, and will definately pop em if they come by once the firearms season begins. Have seen some aoudad as well so hope to see one or 20 of those as well.

Man, we love those big hills around Iraan. Quite a scenic place..

tjbailey1967 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 22, 2008, 07:39:47 AM »

well im with ya its the most diverse i have ever seen. i didnt see any mule until last year, my little brother shot a 16 pt. or
8x8 last year the things wieght was 260. the biggest deer i have ever seen. but i have seen alot of doe and young doe this year.
what trips me out is how green it is this year, was out the other day and its greener out there than it is at my house in bandera.
had a very good bean crop from the mes. trees.
i just cant wait, im pumped my little bro is calling me two or three times a day goating me to leave next monday.

tjbailey1967 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 22, 2008, 07:43:25 AM »

forgot to say, if you are east of iraan we are close to each other, i am 9 miles east of iraan.

markc · « **Reply #17 on:** October 27, 2008, 08:53:21 AM »

Yep, we are fairly close. We are around 17 miles east, hunting the Black Ranch on the north side of the hwy. We'll be going the 2nd weekend of the season. Won't be staying long, heading to our place in Carta Valley. Longer stay around Thanksgiving.

Graybeard · « **Reply #18 on:** October 27, 2008, 09:43:13 AM »

Mark isn't Carta Valley pretty far out in West Texas? I recall an exotics hunting outfit that went by that name that I seem to recall was pretty far out there in the western part of the state.

I'm not that familiar with county names and locations in Texas what town would I look for on a map to see the area your ranch is located near?

markc · « **Reply #19 on:** October 28, 2008, 07:05:44 AM »

GB, there is a pretty well known place called Carta Valley Wildlife just a few miles from us. They run a fenced operation with a lot of axis, feral hogs, etc... Read a story about them just yesterday. If you go about 124 miles west of San Antonio on Hwy 90, you will come to Bracketville. We are around 30 miles N/E of Bracketville. So we are around 30 minutes to either Bracketville or Del Rio, either one..

Graybeard · « **Reply #20 on:** October 28, 2008, 11:32:16 AM »

OK Mark I got it now. I was able to locate the area on the map from that description.

markc · « **Reply #21 on:** October 29, 2008, 08:04:54 AM »

If these worked, then these are a few pics of the place outside Carta Valley.

Graybeard · « **Reply #22 on:** October 29, 2008, 01:22:21 PM »

They don't seem to have worked Mark even tho the format looked right in your post for them. I suggest you open a photo hosting account with us at www.myhostedpics.com and use it. That definitely works on these forums. The outfit you used works some times and doesn't others. It seems unstable to me based on the photos I've seen folks host there.

mardrobe · « **Reply #23 on:** October 29, 2008, 06:12:33 PM »

My wife was born and raised in Iraan. I used to hunt out there alot before it all started going for high cost leases. The country is great but hunting was ruined just like most of the rest of the state by corporate leases.

markc · « **Reply #24 on:** October 31, 2008, 06:54:37 AM »

GB, I am seeing all 3 pics. They are hosted at Photo bucket. Are you still not seeing them?

Graybeard · « **Reply #25 on:** October 31, 2008, 11:54:12 AM »

They are there now Mark but weren't last time I looked. That's really quite common with Photobucket.

Do you own all the way to the top of the far hill in the first two images? Is the second taken from the cabin in the third? How many acres did you say you ended up buying?

Sure nice looking country. I assume eventually you'll be moving out there?

markc · « **Reply #26 on:** November 03, 2008, 07:19:37 AM »

Bill, the fence line in the first pic is actually over the top of that big hill. The 2nd pic with Teresa in the Rhino is almost the same spot as the 1st pic, just looking back to the east, rather than to the north. I have a really tall hill in the center of the property and the little cabin pic I took from half way up the tall hill. It is just 71.42 acres. There's another 88,8 acres adjoining it for sale and I hope someone I kow will buy it soon...