Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Europe Higher bear density on earth in Europe ?

Both the populations in Sweden and Alaska seem to be growing around 4%/yr and that is good news for hunters. And bears too.

Vancouver Island, where I live, is supposed to have the highest density of black bears in North America, estimated population, 12,000, Vanocuver Island is 32,134 km2. Grizzly bears are starting to show up on the north end of the Island.

Yeah, it's hard to breed without a female around. BTDT.

Not true. No Alaska black bear will reach the maximum proportions of those, in say, Pennsylvania. Depends on available food and climate both, I think.

You won't find any world record black bear weights from up here, I think- don't know how the "average' would hold up.

We might have a few fat heads here tho... .

If the main food is grubs and ants, the bear does not necessarily need to be agressive to survive. I should think a dense population would make them more competitive, though.
Randy

I can't comment on the accuracy of the European data, but I can tell you what I've observed within a half a mile of my own house.

There is a large corn field where the mountain comes down and merges with the flat valley land on my property. When my neighbor cuts his corn - he drives around the field - starting at the outside, and circling his way in towards the center of the field as he works. So far - the record for his field while he cuts down the final center strip and all the bears are forced to bail, running back to the woods for shelter - is 22 bears! This is out of one - 40 or so acre cornfield.

One one evening I left the house and sat at the base of the hill - I only had an hour of time available - and as I sat I watched 8 individual bears walk in to the corn - in 60 minutes!

I don`t know how many parts of the world could top the bear density where I live. I guess it`s possible though.

I also saw a grizzly within 5 miles of my property, as well as having black, brown, cinnamon and blonde bears on the property. Last year, I also saw a black bear that had a black back half of his his body, and reddish brown front legs and head - that circling my house last year - while sizing up my wife's miniature donkeys.

When it comes to bear hunting - this region just might be paradise.

Brian,

I can just imagine the sight.

However, this post, started by grandeveneur and the data later presented by jpb, was dicussing brown bear densities - the only type we have here in Europe.

cmg
Wasn't there a Bear that was killed in the South of your Country 3 years or so ago?
IIRC, May have been the first to visit in quite a few years?

There have been killed brown bears i Scandinavia at 350kg/770 pounds , but that is very very rare. I agree over 200kg is a big Scandinavian bear.
The biggest known bear in Scandinavia ,named "Rugg", live in Vassfaret Bj�rnepark in Norway and in the end of October it is about 450kg/990 pund. I know that's not out in the wilderness, but it shows that bears in Scandinavia really can become BIG!

Bucktales,

yes, there was. "Bruno". The bear came over from Austria/Italy.
Man raised bears get relocated in Trentino NP.

It was getting into chicken coops, getting hit by a car and close by mountain biker. Did not show to much fear around humans, though no open aggression either.

They braught in finnish bear hunters - in 14 days they could not get close enough to the bear to tranquilize. Culvert trap did not work either.

In the end he was shot.

I would like to see a report regarding Griz on Vancouver Island. I would think it quite impossible unless introduced. Is there more info available?
Thanks.

R.

Just dug this up quickly:

http://bullsheet.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/grizzly-bear-sighting-confirmed-on-vancouver-island/

I would say that someone is introducing the bears?

R.

I beleive they are swimming over from the mainland, doing some Island hopping as grizzlies have also been spotted on the northern islands north of Campbell River.

I understand that Croatia has a pretty decent population of European Brown Bear and that they shoot some fairly large specimens.