Bears in Indiana?

[Militarypol21]

Squirrel Hunting starts Saturday and we will be in the same area at daylight (we will be packing some slugs) just incase. If we spot more prints we will try and get better photos along with some size comparison photos that we didn't think about until too late.

 

[Ashkelon]

The print sure matches up nicely but it seems so unlikely that one would make its way all the way north or west as there without being seen in a populated area. Thanks for the post. Will keep a different look out while floating on the ohio next week.

 

[GBultra]

Bear season in Indiana? Woudl be pure awesomeness.

 

[tyler34]

The print sure matches up nicely but it seems so unlikely that one would make its way all the way north or west as there without being seen in a populated area. Thanks for the post. Will keep a different look out while floating on the ohio next week.

well they have jaguars in arizona and new mexico so it's not that far fetched.

 

[Militarypol21]

So possibly a black bear right? I mean I honestly doubt there are any grizzlies running around down there...lol! If you think about it, Brown County / Morgan Monroe / Hoosier Nation is so big there are plenty of places for one to hide and plenty for one to eat. Still waiting on confirmation from the DNR... she sent my photos to a wildlife biologists to see what they think it is.

 

[Mgderf]

i saw bears last year in indiana they played the colts in the season opener!

 

[jclark]

So possibly a black bear right? I mean I honestly doubt there are any grizzlies running around down there...lol! If you think about it, Brown County / Morgan Monroe / Hoosier Nation is so big there are plenty of places for one to hide and plenty for one to eat. Still waiting on confirmation from the DNR... she sent my photos to a wildlife biologists to see what they think it is.

There is a boatload of black bear in sections of KY. Why wouldn't they inhabit sections of IN?

 

[tyler34]

There is a boatload of black bear in sections of KY. Why wouldn't they inhabit sections of IN?

thats one thing I have always wondered as well. it's not like the terrain and climate is much different between the two places.

 

[joshuamckee]

Do you even want to find bigfoot son?

Got to love Bob & Tom.

 

[Arm America]

Bere prints???

Myself along with Jsharmon7 were hiking through Yellowwood State Forest on a BACK BACK.

Here's what we took via a cellphone camera-

THIS IS NOT A BIGFOOT PRINT...

Now this is a really cool thought that bears might be right here in Indiana.
Stupid thought but can you out run your friends or will you be taking an older fat friend with you on your next hunting trip.

I read last year on craigslists "Lost Pets" that a guy was keeping an injured bear for his brother that escaped from its pen near Waverly. I never did hear that it was found.

 

[PappyD]

Hey if it's not a bear it could be "The Skunk Ape"



Went to Brown County State Park last weekend and saw an absolutely excellent talk on snakes at the nature center. The presenter was a young woman who, along with some type of natural resources degree, had a passion for snakes. Everything she showed us was caught by her in the park. First, we saw milk snakes, garter snakes, a 6 foot black hognose, and a 5 foot black rat snake. As if that wasn't enough, we went outside the center where she had 2 rattlers, and 2 copperheads. Took 'em out of the rubbermaid coolers and let them move around a bit. Just incredible! I think I'll be more confident at what I'm looking at during my next (?) snake encounter. And, my 3 teens were very impressed. That alone says a lot!

BTW, she catches the rattlers and other snakes and then turns them loose after a couple of weeks-right back to wherever she found them. Snakes are very territorial and may not survive if they are just "turned loose".

 

[redneck919]

they got armadillo's in southern illinois. why cant indiana have bears?might not even be a bear..could be a big cat who knows!none the less great to see we got more "different" critters showing up.

 

[jmiller676]

Hmmmm bear season would be awesome, probably 300 yrs out with the law suits with PETA and everything but, we can dream right? And keep us informed I am very interested.

 

[Boilers]

instead of crop circles, I always thought that if I were an advanced (alien) race, I would take/breed/multiply and drop off non-native species of animals overnight.

Like, breed a bunch of albino camels and drop them off in Canada some night. 10,000 camels at Niagra falls.

 

[ejscott]

i hunt sothern indiana, have never seen a bear. my buddy said he has seen bigfoot, but hes a little crazy.

 

[Boilers]

I was surprised when we went to Holiday World at all the little chameleons (?) (Lizards) running around the grounds down there. I would have thought the winters would be too cold for them.

But hey, we got bananas being grown in Greenwood, so what do I know.

 

[NateIU10]

Hell yeah there's rattlers down in Brown Co, while there are rumors that DNR restocked them have more or less been debunked, they still admit:

I know a guy that ran across two today in Monroe, right outside of Bloomington

 

[FordMan08]

I have seen a black bear in Brown County while spotlighting for deer, I have seen a bobcat while bowhunting in Unionville Indiana. Its limited, but it is indeed here in Indiana.

 

[Militarypol21]

i hunt sothern indiana, have never seen a bear. my buddy said he has seen bigfoot, but hes a little crazy.

Funny story... Last year a buddy and I went down to the same location we went to the other day and arrived about an hour and half before daylight to do some squirrel hunting. It was so dark you couldn't see anything that deep into the woods. So we were sitting blacked out in the truck waiting for shooting time and one of us mentioned, "you know it would really suck if you looked out your window and bigfoot was standing there staring at you". After about 10 minutes or so of sitting their in the dark I kick the radio on and what do ya know, they were talking about bigfoot on the radio...hahaha!

 

[Boilers]

Throw in 'drinking beers' and this whole thread becomes highly suspect.