Luke, Do you know why bears don't hibernate in the winter in New Jersey?
- Thread starter Pearl
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1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
This ...
Hibernation is almost a comatose state in which all of the body's metabolic functions significantly reduce. In bears, there is a reduction in metabolic rates and body temp, but not nearly to the degree of many other animals. Moreover, true "hibernators" need to awaken frequently to eat, defecate, etc. Bears can go for months without urinating because their bodies recycle proteins during their torpor state. One other difference is that bears can wake up quickly from torpor. Hibernating animals, like squirrels, take a long time to regain muscle movement. So if you see a bear that you think is hibernating, still keep away because if he detects your scent, he'll snap out of that torpor quickly.
And then, you know, since he's a f*cking bear and he knows it, he'll probably eat the living sh*t out of you.*
* last sentence not entirely based on fact.
What if I crash into his den, and hit my head... will he see me as no threat, since I'll be knocked out or will he eat me out of spite, since I woke him up from his nap? My hope is that we can just hang out together in our state of torpor.
ChrisG
Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
According to Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, black bears will continue to gnaw on people even if they play dead.
So you're screwed either way. 😛
xc62701
Well-Known Member
Great book!
With all these staten island(no offense, just saying) bear hunters driving their luxury SUVs around north jersey back roads at dawn and dusk looking to blast an unsuspecting half hibernating bear who's been desensitized to the sight of man by living in overpopulated NJ, I'm surprised there are even many left. Don't get me wrong I think hunting is great and I own and love to shoot guns but at what point are we just allowing the culling of a species that is not in such abundance that everyone living north of route 78 is constantly nuisanced by them( like deer in many areas) or in danger every time they go for a hike or take out the trash. These dopes who love to kill for fun and consider themselves real "hunters" should all go try bear hunting in a more open, less populated state. Its not always as easy as walking 10minutes into the woods and blasting the first black shadow that passes within range, earning it takes on new meaning. Sorry for the rant but its just been one of those days and I feel like many "hunters" in this state give people who stay truer to the sacred art and skill of hunting a bad name. And more importantly id rather not have think about getting shot while i'm out riding around during the season. I will step off my soap box now. Besides Who's worried about bears these days....try googling the percentage of wolf DNA in New Jerseys coyote population(or the entire coyote pop in the northeast)...scary stuff for little red riding hoods.
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
Actually, I can answer this rom experience because I did crash into a bear's den once. I don't remember if I hit my head, but the bear was actually very understanding. He just straightened his tie and porkpie hat and asked me if I had a picnic basket.
Arwen's Mom
Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
Really? You're talking about killing bears. I'll grant you skill -- no question there -- but "art"? I'm not against hunting and I could care less if some animal takes one between the eyes. But trying to call it art is a bit of a stretch, don't you think? The definition of art is "the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance." Which of these applies to putting down a bear? Really, hunt all you want and do it in a way that gives you the most happiness, but don't fool yourself into thinking you're expresing some higher form of a sacred act because you're not. You're putting a bullet or an arrow or whatever into an animal that would be indifferent to your existence so long as you leave it alone. Hunting can be necessity, hunting can be sport, hunting can be a means of control. But it isn't an "art".
Arwen's Mom
Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains
Truthfully I dont like hunting at all.
And yes "art" was not the best word to use, but I understood the point he was trying to make.
And yes "art" was not the best word to use, but I understood the point he was trying to make.
there's still a garbage can in the woods behind that house somewhere that I was never able to find 🙂
whoa relax guy. I'm not doing anything but riding my bike in winter, albeit slowly and a bit like a freight train. I said I thought hunting was "great"(which I shouldnt have used, im just not completely against it), I don't hunt myself. I've hunted three times in my life, twice bow hunting for deer and once for hogs using dogs, nowhere near NJ. I never continued because I just can't justify taking a life for a cheap thrill and some meat. Unless were talking carp shooting..yeehaw!! But when I was in college I spent a few weeks over summers volunteering at a Native American reservation, and I know that some, not all, of those people would disagree that hunting is not a form of art. To most native cultures(and also ancient cultures) around the world "the hunt" is one of their most sacred acts and considered beautiful and an expression of both themselves and the give and take relationship man has with nature. But hey, those people are just poor drunks clinging to a culture that is all but dead and wrong in its opinions anyway right? I guess wearing fancy colored sneakers or tatting yourself up with symbols that look "really cool" is much more an expression of art than hunting. When it comes to hunting in NJ, I think at this stage in population/suburban sprawl, we should really only be culling for the sake of population control, so as not to effect the already mega over taxed natural environs or to eradicate non native species(we dont need jumping carp in our rivers).
However, I wasnt trying to spark a debate about "what is art" or gun or hunting control. I'm just a big dumb gorilla who likes riding his cheap trek all winter long or until the frame snaps. I don't want some trigger happy stock broker who can wait to shoot his brand new 10k rifle and has been sitting in his dear stand for all of 20mins freezing his butt off, firing at me while my big dumb slow ass rides down the trail wearing a black hoodie because I ran out of the house and forgot my awesome orange "don't shoot" sash. The hunters in this state are a disgrace. Example: Many people here ride chimney rock year round. Does anyone recall the big decapitated deer that was laying on the red trail all winter long after a hunter took a couple steaks and left it? ...or the baby it left behind that was barely alive and just walking around stunned on the other side of the lake half the winter? And I realize that the black bears can be very bold and in close proximty to people in the this state. I got approached from behind in the parking lot at deer park last season. The damn thing got pretty close before I heard it and turned around and it ran away. But I look at it like I am in their enviroment and maybe sometimes I have to give way to the apex predator in the area and not just demand that any "dangerous" animal that comes close to me be killed for daring to do so.
Besides, with coyotes turning into wolves and sasquatchs out there squatching it up left and right, bears seem like an old neighbor you hate living next to you but you'll be sorry when he moves out and some crazy russians move in.
And now I will relinquish the soap box to another party member. Hopefully it doesnt get too squatchy in here. We're all just friendly bike riding comrades at the end of the day.
However, I wasnt trying to spark a debate about "what is art" or gun or hunting control. I'm just a big dumb gorilla who likes riding his cheap trek all winter long or until the frame snaps. I don't want some trigger happy stock broker who can wait to shoot his brand new 10k rifle and has been sitting in his dear stand for all of 20mins freezing his butt off, firing at me while my big dumb slow ass rides down the trail wearing a black hoodie because I ran out of the house and forgot my awesome orange "don't shoot" sash. The hunters in this state are a disgrace. Example: Many people here ride chimney rock year round. Does anyone recall the big decapitated deer that was laying on the red trail all winter long after a hunter took a couple steaks and left it? ...or the baby it left behind that was barely alive and just walking around stunned on the other side of the lake half the winter? And I realize that the black bears can be very bold and in close proximty to people in the this state. I got approached from behind in the parking lot at deer park last season. The damn thing got pretty close before I heard it and turned around and it ran away. But I look at it like I am in their enviroment and maybe sometimes I have to give way to the apex predator in the area and not just demand that any "dangerous" animal that comes close to me be killed for daring to do so.
Besides, with coyotes turning into wolves and sasquatchs out there squatching it up left and right, bears seem like an old neighbor you hate living next to you but you'll be sorry when he moves out and some crazy russians move in.
And now I will relinquish the soap box to another party member. Hopefully it doesnt get too squatchy in here. We're all just friendly bike riding comrades at the end of the day.
Arwen's Mom
Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains
agree
gtluke said:
disagree
JWill said:
truth.
I also do not want any of my comments to be...misinterpreted... and have this turn into an ugly hate thread about whether or not hunting is good or bad whatever.
I simply state that I understand where you are coming from. Whether I agree or not is not important. It is possible to understand without agreeing with.
BTW, I do not condone hunting and especially of any predator species...dont even get me started on the hunting of wolves
