Somebody talk to me

[starkvegasdawg]

My 12 year old son took this pic last week about 100 yards from my house and I live about two miles outside the Starkville city limits. That's his footprint just below the track for scale. Track is probably 6-7" long and about 4" wide at the toes. Any thoughts to an ID? I've been racking my wildlife degree knowledge and the only thing I can come up with I really didn't think inhabited this area. I sent it to MDWFP earlier and hope to hear from them tomorrow, but I'm impatient. For the record, I did not see the track. He finally remembered to tell me about it this evening and by now it's gone.

[preachermatt83]

Bear maybe

[Commercecomet24]

I'm thinking it's a large black bear.

[starkvegasdawg]

Bear is what my mind is going to, but not in this part of the state and this close to town. Granted, I'm in a wooded area and I've seen coyotes, fox, and deer, etc in my yard but bear never crossed my mind. One thing, though, is I had noticed that once it gets dark my 12lbs yorkiepoo dog has been terrified to go outside for that one last grass watering. He used to never even hesitate but the last week or so we have literally had to sig him out from under the nearest piece of furniture and take him outside and then stand with him. I'm starting to wonder if he has sensed a large predator in the area.

[FISHDAWG]

Bear is what my mind is going to, but not in this part of the state and this close to town. Granted, I'm in a wooded area and I've seen coyotes, fox, and deer, etc in my yard but bear never crossed my mind. One thing, though, is I had noticed that once it gets dark my 12lbs yorkiepoo dog has been terrified to go outside for that one last grass watering. He used to never even hesitate but the last week or so we have literally had to sig him out from under the nearest piece of furniture and take him outside and then stand with him. I'm starting to wonder if he has sensed a large predator in the area.

Definitely bear as I have hunted them before ... They are liable to surprise you as to where they are and their numbers ... I remember a bear had traffic shut down one am on the Cobb cloverleaf - that's a major intersection in North Atlanta

[Johnson85]

Bear is what my mind is going to, but not in this part of the state and this close to town. Granted, I'm in a wooded area and I've seen coyotes, fox, and deer, etc in my yard but bear never crossed my mind. One thing, though, is I had noticed that once it gets dark my 12lbs yorkiepoo dog has been terrified to go outside for that one last grass watering. He used to never even hesitate but the last week or so we have literally had to sig him out from under the nearest piece of furniture and take him outside and then stand with him. I'm starting to wonder if he has sensed a large predator in the area.

A little dated, but there have been bear sightings outside of Starkville. https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunti...bum/bear-maps/

I also would not be surprised by it being that close to town. I doubt they are getting crowded into town like they are in other places (by other bears and by development by humans), but it's pretty amazing how little cover they and wild animals in general need stay relatively hidden.

[DownwardDawg]

A little dated, but there have been bear sightings outside of Starkville. https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunti...bum/bear-maps/

I also would not be surprised by it being that close to town. I doubt they are getting crowded into town like they are in other places (by other bears and by development by humans), but it's pretty amazing how little cover they and wild animals in general need stay relatively hidden.

Prior to around 2006 or so, (my dates won't be exact), there were no documented cases of any resident female bears in the entire state of Mississippi. All a bunch of traveling males which will travel miles and miles. Around that time, some females came across the river and loved it here so much, they decided to stay. Now we have a population that is growing at a really good rate. Multiple cubs seen each year now.

[OLJWales]

Prior to around 2006 or so, (my dates won't be exact), there were no documented cases of any resident female bears in the entire state of Mississippi. All a bunch of traveling males which will travel miles and miles. Around that time, some females came across the river and loved it here so much, they decided to stay. Now we have a population that is growing at a really good rate. Multiple cubs seen each year now.

Fascinating and AWESOME! Pardon the dumb question though but these bears cross The MS? And have the female's later arrival caused any problems being outnumbered by males? I've watched wildlife for decades on TV and I'd advise any professional to consider doing a show on this as I think many would enjoy especially considering it's a really cool Recent Event with Baby Bears to boot. They'd just hafta guarantee in writing no college mascot discussion.

[DownwardDawg]

Fascinating and AWESOME! Pardon the dumb question though but these bears cross The MS? And have the female's later arrival caused any problems being outnumbered by males? I've watched wildlife for decades on TV and I'd advise any professional to consider doing a show on this as I think many would enjoy especially considering it's a really cool Recent Event with Baby Bears to boot. They'd just hafta guarantee in writing no college mascot discussion.

Yes. Most of our bear population has swam across the Mississippi from Arkansas and Louisiana. We have a mix of the Louisiana black bear as well as the Northern black bear. Females are having cubs every year so that's why we're jumping in population so much. I can't answer about the lack of females being a problem. I just know the males are traveling sometimes hundreds of miles searching for females and running from other dominant males.

[99jc]

Prior to around 2006 or so, (my dates won't be exact), there were no documented cases of any resident female bears in the entire state of Mississippi. All a bunch of traveling males which will travel miles and miles. Around that time, some females came across the river and loved it here so much, they decided to stay. Now we have a population that is growing at a really good rate. Multiple cubs seen each year now.

Actually there were 50 black bears documented in Mississippi in 2002 5 of those were females. I don't remember the year the female bear and her cub traveled from Bolivar county across the delta through Oktibbeha county and was hit by a car right near downtown Columbus Ms but you can look it up it was several years ago.

https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunti...bum/bear-maps/

[DownwardDawg]

Actually there were 50 black bears documented in Mississippi in 2002 5 of those were females. I don't remember the year the female bear and her cub traveled from Bolivar county across the delta through Oktibbeha county and was hit by a car right near downtown Columbus Ms but you can look it up it was several years ago.

https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunti...bum/bear-maps/

I knew my dates were off but the females you are referring to never settled down in Mississippi. I graduated from State in wildlife management and I had a buddy in the black bear research program. I kept up with it for years because I love bears. Once that momma bear saw fit to raise cubs here, that was a game changer.

[Commercecomet24]

Bear is what my mind is going to, but not in this part of the state and this close to town. Granted, I'm in a wooded area and I've seen coyotes, fox, and deer, etc in my yard but bear never crossed my mind. One thing, though, is I had noticed that once it gets dark my 12lbs yorkiepoo dog has been terrified to go outside for that one last grass watering. He used to never even hesitate but the last week or so we have literally had to sig him out from under the nearest piece of furniture and take him outside and then stand with him. I'm starting to wonder if he has sensed a large predator in the area.

Gotta be a bear or Bigfoot.

[AROB44]

Gotta be a bear or Bigfoot.

I'm going with Bigfoot!

[PCHSDawg]

Down here in Perry County, not too far from Hattiesburg/Petal area a friend of my wife's had to have a black bear relocated because he was hanging out in her backyard. MDWFP tagged and relocated him, he managed to find his way back. Guess they moved him a little further the next time, because he hasn't been back.

[PCHSDawg]

...

[99jc]

absolutely a bear track. a friend of mine has a large track of land on Suncreek road off 389 and he sees bears about twice a year they roam a lot.

[Hot Rock]

absolutely a bear track. a friend of mine has a large track of land on Suncreek road off 389 and he sees bears about twice a year they roam a lot.

My daughter saw one in the road in Chickasaw county between Houston and Okolona a few years ago. It was daylight and a back road that was not well traveled. She was a social worker for the health dept and managed home health cases. It just sat there looking at her blocking the road. I was no doubt a black bear as we had seen them many times going to Gatlinburg. It in no way was threatening, it just didn't care about the car. Finally, it wondered off into the brush and she moved on.

[OLJWales]

Rebel Spy masquerading in their mascot suit. Need a new city ordinance declaring all Black Bears be shot on site in Vegas and surrounding area.

[DownwardDawg]

What part of the state? Bear population is really growing.

[Pancho]

oktibeha