Black bears & moose predation

I believe that the black bear is mostly overlooked and while its rare this is a very impressive and rare display of a black bear's true strength (killing something more than twice his weight).
Big bons stated that the exceptionally large male blackies become bolder and more carnivorouse than the rest.

Bear Attacks Bull Moose in New Hampshire
By Jim on November 17th, 2008


Very cool story from today’s Union Leader about a guy who saw a bear chasing a moose here in New Hampshire:


The chase unfolded about noon Tuesday as Simons, a Lincoln resident, was hiking a 12-mile loop along the Lincoln Woods trail, about 6 miles out from the Kancamagus Highway.

He paused on the suspension bridge at the junction with the Cedar Brook trail, taking in a snowy, windswept view of the woods and water.

“All of a sudden, I see a shadow on my left, and as I turned to look, I see a moose with antlers moving quickly past the bridge and down to the water,” Simons recalled.

He grabbed his camera and was trying to focus on the bull moose, which he estimated to be about 1,000 pounds, as snow fell around him.

“As I was trying to get it into focus while it was snowing, he came right down to the stream and stopped for a second, looking over its shoulder,” he said.

Although that picture is very blurry, it is clear to see the moose taking a look behind it at water’s edge.

“I was trying to get off another shot, and as I was focusing, I see another shadow at the river,” Simons said. “I looked over, and out comes a bear running full bore, looking straight across at the moose.”

That picture is a little clearer, as the bear splashed across the water. He estimated the bruin was well over 200 pounds, and at its closes point, was 10 yards below Simons on the bridge.

“I thought, ‘Oh my god.’ I just knew I had seen something that was once in a lifetime. It all happened really quick; as quick as it started, it was over.”


www.freenewhampshireblog.com/index.php/2008/11/17/bear-chases-bull-moose-in-new-hampshire/
share.shutterfly.com/share/received/album.sfly?sid=0ActWjRu4bsmLG3g&startIndex=0&fid=3e1940d376eef7f7



LINCOLN - In hindsight, Mike Simons wonders what would have happened if he had decided to sip coffee on the trail rather than pause on a bridge last week while on a hike in the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

"It could have been ugly," he said. "There would have been claws, antlers, hooves and coffee as we all scared the hell out of each other."

Instead, Simons was far enough off the path of what he's calling his "once-in-a-lifetime moment" when he witnessed a bear chasing a bull moose "full bore" and even got off a couple of shots with his camera.

"He is very lucky to have seen that and gotten some shots," said Fish and Game Department bear biologist Andrew Timmins. "It's a very unique situation."

The chase unfolded about noon Tuesday as Simons, a Lincoln resident, was hiking a 12-mile loop along the Lincoln Woods trail, about 6 miles out from the Kancamagus Highway.

He paused on the suspension bridge at the junction with the Cedar Brook trail, taking in a snowy, windswept view of the woods and water.

"All of a sudden, I see a shadow on my left, and as I turned to look, I see a moose with antlers moving quickly past the bridge and down to the water," Simons recalled.

He grabbed his camera and was trying to focus on the bull moose, which he estimated to be about 1,000 pounds, as snow fell around him.

"As I was trying to get it into focus while it was snowing, he came right down to the stream and stopped for a second, looking over its shoulder," he said.

Although that picture is very blurry, it is clear to see the moose taking a look behind it at water's edge.

"I was trying to get off another shot, and as I was focusing, I see another shadow at the river," Simons said. "I looked over, and out comes a bear running full bore, looking straight across at the moose."

That picture is a little clearer, as the bear splashed across the water. He estimated the bruin was well over 200 pounds, and at its closes point, was 10 yards below Simons on the bridge.

"I thought, 'Oh my god.' I just knew I had seen something that was once in a lifetime. It all happened really quick; as quick as it started, it was over."

The hightailing moose and bear followed the same trail Simons eventually resumed.

"I finished my coffee," he said with a laugh. "I think I gave them a good head start, about 10 minutes. I was working on the probability that no one has been attacked by a bear in New Hampshire in a long time."

Simons said he followed moose and bear tracks for about a mile before they veered off.

"As I walked along, I made a fair amount of noise," he said, blowing the emergency whistle he carries in his pack every minute or so.

He completed his hike without incident and presumes that the moose lived to see another day.

"I saw no carnage," he said.

Timmins said that while predation of bear on moose and deer is not something that has been studied in New Hampshire, there have been cases where bears have killed deer fawns and moose calves shortly after birth.

In Canada, he said, moose calves are a major source of food for bears.

"I believe the bear would have had a very tough time taking down a bull moose," Timmins said. "This could have been a bear that has learned to be a predator and maybe had some luck killing a deer. It may have stumbled on an opportunity to see if it could catch a moose."

www.wildsurvive.com/outdoor-camping-forum/index.php?topic=3407.0

Can anyone verify this story ?