DuckSouth.com

Went over to Mcntosh Al yesterday thru Chatom and Wagarville and came across a Bear Crossing sign on Hwy 56 between Chatom and Wagarville. I mentioned it in the office this morning and one of the drivers said that he saw a bear in a cut-over around the same area. This is the only sign I know of south of the Smokies that has to do with bears. Do ya'll have any bears around where you live?

[ June 07, 2002: Message edited by: Waboduck ]

There's a bear crossing sign in Mayersville, MS or near there. Locals have seen several bears cross in that spot in the last ten years.

There's a "bear crossing" sign on Hwy 1 in Rosedale if I'm not mistaken. It's on the south side of town, close to the Port of Rosedale turn-off.

I went to school with a fella at Moorhead. He went by the name of JackRabbit..but he was much, much bigger than a jack rabbit. He claims to have seen a black bear in the parking lot of Piggly Wiggly in Rosedale! That was back in '93 and it was reported on the news. People see them frequently around here, especially around Rolling Fork. Too bad when the rednecks shoot them.

Wingman
ISAIAH 40:31

Cooter sounds like you and I hunt pretty close together, Robbie Kihnel had some pictures of that bear at his place in O'Keefe.

there are several in my area. we saw 3 or 4 bears last year and had some we used to go see at night around the bee hives close to benoit. we videod them several times and i saw a few riding 4 wheelers north of shelby several times last year. we are close to the river and that is probaly the reason. we have had these bears over here for 5 or 6 years now and every year we get more as the river rises each spring

No crossing signs but about a year ago i received a call that there was a wreck on hwy 3 between hwy 4 and sara post office and sure enough a guy frm missouri hit about a 135# bear cub well this got me excited because that is real close to one of my duck holes. Everyone said i was crazy to worry that it was just a baby bear i told them he didnt fly here is momma and daddy got to be close

There's a substantial population of black bear in White River NWR, just across the river from Rosedale MS. In fact i had heard at one time they were gonna issue a few permits to take bears off refuge to moderate the pop in that area. Seems like every year or two a bear gets hit or is sighted near Rosedale. Usually juvenile males that are dispersing to find a new home, which simply doesn't exist in the state. Year before last it was a sow with two cubs that was doctored up and released on Dahomey NWR, west of Boyle. She mended and last I heard she and the cubs had gone back over to White River NWR. Ever now and again a turkey hunter or two reports seeing a bear on Dahomey. Dahomey refuge is about 10,000 woodland acres and as of yet inadequate to sustain a pair of bears. Tensas NWR down in LA also has bears of the federally recognized "endangered" subspecies. It's been reported that bears travel fairly extensively up and down the river batture area. I've heard that there may be as many as 12 year-round bears in Mississippi. Now panthers, well that's a whole different story altogether...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by no angel:
<STRONG> we videod them several times and i saw a few riding 4 wheelers north of shelby several times last year. </STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Say what?!!! I'd love to see that video. You know, the one where the bears are riding the 4-wheelers. What kind were they riding? Grizleys, Big Bears? How do they pay for them? Do they sell "bear claws" type honey buns? Sorry!! I just couldn't resist no angel. All in fun! [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

Double_R: Arkansas had a limited bear hunt in southeast Arkansas this past fall. My uncle belongs to a club that borders the White River NWR. I have seen bears up there the last 3 years.

I have a picture on the wall in my office took Aug 16, 1999 of a bear walking in a cotton field at Dundee east of 61. This one is supposedly special as he was a Louisana black bear we were told and there are reportly only 25 known. MDFWP trailed him to a bridge where he went under 61 and towards the levee. I have seen several bears near Jeffries ( SW corner of Tunica Co.)Last year there was a bear climbed a light pole out towards Marks and got electrocuted slapping a transformer. Story was he musta thought it was a feeder. Makes sense. I used to hunt the St. Francis Nat. Forest north of Helena and have saw lots of bear there. All they gotta do is cross the river.Same with the White River Refuge.

Few years ago the feds got together and demarcated endangered (Louisiana black bear ie Ursus americanus leteolus) and non-endangered subspecies of black bear (Amercian black bear ie U. americanus) in Mississippi: North of Highway 82 and the bear is recognized as the non endangered subspecies; south of highway 82 it is recognized as the federally protected subspecies. Do you reckon they thought to tell the bears that use the batture lands as a travel corridor and cross that line?!

I have only seen one bear in my life and that was out side of Chattanooga on the Natchez Trace. Several people had stopped and were watching him. When the GW got there they shot him with a Tranquilizer and that was the end of that. They hauled it off but would not tell where they were going to take him. This took place in 92-93.

Heard a story from a pretty reliable source that a bear broke into a bus at a deer camp which was used to store dog foor and other supplies. This supposedly happened about 99. The camp is just about centered between Kosciusko, Vaiden, and Possumneck. This was during the summer.

Just yesterday I saw photos of a tree which had been mauled. The marks are at least nine feet high. The tree was located and photographed by an individual. Two days later he and another guy went back to take some more photos and there were more marks on the same tree. The tree is in an area between Kosciusko and Vaiden.

GW also has found tracks on the new Wildlife Management area (which will open for the first time this year) between Starky and Kosy.

we saw 3 bears that had been pushed out by high water yesterday while flying in bolivar county. we do have it on video and it is very common to see them around the levee anytime of year. i thought everyone had heard of the bear getting shocked in rosedale as he climbed a light pole and got too close to transformer. it is always a few bears seen in the town of rosedale every year. hell there is a sign right past the golf course on hwy 1 south and one about 5 miles north.