# Traverse City area bears



## jimbard (Sep 22, 2009)

In the pass couple weeks I have seen to nice bears where they shouldn't be. One a small 150 on Cass st just north of Hartman in Traverse City. 
Last nite I was coming north out of Kaleva, getting close to Crystal Mt and this big guy decided to walk out in front of me. At first we thought it was farm animal, because it was about 100 ft from house that had cars in the drive. This bear was about 300# so I thought. Drove pass where it crossed the blacktop, and had to back up and look at the track. There on the blacktop was a nice size 11 rear foot print. People in the house where looking out the window, and the bear was behind there house looking at me.


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## -Axiom- (Jul 24, 2010)

There are bears in the Bendon swamp also.


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## captjimtc (Aug 10, 2005)

It's pretty common to see bear in weird areas this time of year. Not alot of natural food out there for them yet so they take to the bird feeders. The one north of Hartman must have been heading to McDonalds.


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## TVCJohn (Nov 30, 2005)

captjimtc said:


> It's pretty common to see bear in weird areas this time of year. Not alot of natural food out there for them yet so they take to the bird feeders. The one north of Hartman must have been heading to McDonalds.


They can and do eat fresh grass. Watched 'em alot in Oregon doing that on the spring green up.


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## thunder river outfitters (Aug 21, 2007)

captjimtc said:


> It's pretty common to see bear in weird areas this time of year. Not alot of natural food out there for them yet so they take to the bird feeders. The one north of Hartman must have been heading to McDonalds.


 
i agree, its a daily thing here, cant keep them from the bird feeders. this time of year is when we see them the most in our yard. all times of the day, no matter the weather, no matter if someone watching or not. i think we have 3 different ones comin in a few times a week...2 for sure. they are hungry. i have been debating going out and playing fetch with my plott hound when we see them...lol


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## UltimateOutdoorsman (Sep 13, 2001)

captjimtc said:


> The one north of Hartman must have been heading to McDonalds.


:lol::lol:


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## sbooy42 (Mar 6, 2007)

thunder river outfitters said:


> i agree, its a daily thing here, cant keep them from the bird feeders. this time of year is when we see them the most in our yard. all times of the day, no matter the weather, no matter if someone watching or not. i think we have 3 different ones comin in a few times a week...2 for sure. they are hungry. i have been debating going out and playing fetch with my plott hound when we see them...lol


 So you need some help with bear population??


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## thunder river outfitters (Aug 21, 2007)

sbooy42 said:


> So you need some help with bear population??


your already in, you will have your bear!


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## jimbard (Sep 22, 2009)

Look at 7 and 4 News today Sunday, Had a 400# male downtown Traverse City. This is not the same bear we had last year. That bear today was following water, Must be fish in the creek, or something good to eat.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Three years ago we saw the one that wondered in town near the intersection of M22 and M72. I live in an apartment then and saw him walking through the meadow there. The one today we deep into town. He followed Kids Creek.


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## GSP Gal (Nov 12, 2005)

What is amazing to me is the people posting on facebook giving the DNR a rough time about traquilizing the bear and relocating it. They think that is should have been allowed to wander out of town on its own. The news feed showed a large group of people following the bear, including kids. :yikes: This is a wild animal folks.

Walt Disney did us no favors.


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## jimbard (Sep 22, 2009)

I have been at a lot of bears in trees. In 1964 Carl T Johnson told me to climb up that tree and get that bear out of there. I started up that tree and he hit me with a stick. He said " Boy never get into a tree with a live or dead bear." I'll never forget that. We cut the tree down. If you watch the 7and4 news you will see a man getting into the tree with a drugged bear to push it out. I would of used the end of the ladder.


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## bucko12pt (Dec 9, 2004)

A good friend saw a smaller bear he estimated at 150#, or so about 10 miles north of TC on M22 just north of Bingham road. Obviously not the same one they darted in TC.


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## fishfurfarmnmore (Jun 3, 2011)

The same night that one was in town another was hit over off west silver lake and secore road there is a swamp running right through there


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

almost hit a 400 lbs bear on 31 inbetween bear lake and benzonia 2 weeks ago. It was 9 am and man was it cool to see. Thats my first live bear beside when filming a hunt 2 years ago.


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

> casscityalum said:
> 
> 
> > almost hit a 400 lbs bear on 31 inbetween bear lake and benzonia 2 weeks ago. It was 9 am and man was it cool to see. Thats my first live bear beside when filming a hunt 2 years ago.


400# eh?:16suspect why not 600# as long as your spinnin a yarn?:evilsmile:lol:


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

QDMAMAN said:


> 400# eh?:16suspect why not 600# as long as your spinnin a yarn?:evilsmile:lol:



lol yes tony 400 lbs. Forget i filmed dans hunt with encounters with tons of bears ranging from 200-535 lbs. I know bears. Back your orignail guess back about 50-70 lbs and youll be about right. He was huge :yikes:

Side note, sitting at the IPM meeting with the local cherry and apple growers today they sure where complaining about the bears. There hoping to get their area outta the baldwin unit


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## HunterHads (Jun 28, 2005)

QDMAMAN said:


> 400# eh?:16suspect why not 600# as long as your spinnin a yarn?:evilsmile:lol:


lol Tony this is what I told him when I first heard about this "400lb" bear.

"&#8206;400lbs - your exaggeration because you don't know how to size bears = about 200lbs. Its simple mathematics."

:lol:


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## SPITFIRE (Feb 10, 2005)

Casscity I know your a good freind and all, but your girlfreinds have told me your off on the size too! :gaga: :lol:


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

no faith no faith, 

Hads, I did do simple mathamatics. I thought the bear was 500+ so 400 is pretty good guess. Besides seeing that 535 lb bear in person which i suppose you havent ever seen one that big makes you the expert?? 

Again hunting with connell we seen 2-5 bears daily and watched plenty of videos so judging them on the paw isnt that hard


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## fishfurfarmnmore (Jun 3, 2011)

casscityalum said:


> almost hit a 400 lbs bear on 31 inbetween bear lake and benzonia 2 weeks ago. It was 9 am and man was it cool to see. Thats my first live bear beside when filming a hunt 2 years ago.


Doesnt suprise me that you seen one that size .
Being from the area I know there are quite a few alot bigger than that around .
My buddy had one come out and run next to hs car right in the same area last fall while running the paper rout.
Its back was over hood high he said around 350-400 lb at 3 in the morning he said it stayed right with him for quite a ways .


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## j-rock (Dec 17, 2008)

there tryin to scare the fudgies away:tdo12:


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## fishfurfarmnmore (Jun 3, 2011)

_Posted via Mobile Device_another one seen.this.morning at silverlake elementary school there are pics will load put them up later


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## jimbard (Sep 22, 2009)

Look at the bear that was on school property off Silver Lake rd yesterday at 7:30 Am 6/13/11. How big is she, this is the mother of the road kill at Silver lk and Secor rd. The pic is on 7 and 4 news this morning.


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## 7mmsendero (Dec 2, 2010)

We had a bear on our property near Ellsworth last fall for a few days. We always knew it was possible and that bears were in the general area. However, the population seems to be doing pretty well, and they seem to be on the move.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Lots of food and little hunting pressure could make some bears get pretty big. I have seen some pretty big ones in the EUP in areas where they are just not hunted. I guess some guys have predetermined that getting them out is not worth the effort to hunt there. I don't imagine that the DNR issues too many permits in GT county


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## fishfurfarmnmore (Jun 3, 2011)

Robert Holmes said:


> Lots of food and little hunting pressure could make some bears get pretty big. I have seen some pretty big ones in the EUP in areas where they are just not hunted. I guess some guys have predetermined that getting them out is not worth the effort to hunt there. I don't imagine that the DNR issues too many permits in GT county


There are only 50 permits for all of Baldwin unit which covers from 131 to lake Michigan and from a little bit of kalkaska to just north of cedar springs a lot of area for 50 permits and average 50 % kill rate and most are 150_175 lb 18 month old bear so there are.some.monsters out there I know of.at least 5 that are in the 500 lb range
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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