Warning!!.......Land Posted By Big Black Bear!

While walking atop the Bald Eagle Mountain range in Central Pennsylvania last week, I came across some interesting Black Bear sign. The photo below is known as what us Hill Billy's call a "Barr Tree" or "Bear Tree". A dominant Black Bear will mark his territory by reaching as high as it can on a Pitch Pine Tree and mark the tree with it's claws and urinate on it, he also rubs his belly and ass on the tree to ward off other male Black Bears from entering it's Posted area, in other words a trespass sign for Bruin,s. I think the Black Bear chooses the Pitch Pine Tree over other tree's is that his fur and urine sticks to the pitch and further adds his scent to the tree for longer periods of time. I have also seen Barr Scratches on other tree's as well, Apple, Oak and My Dad's log cabin! 

 

By the height of this Barr Scratch, "over eight feet high", and the width of it's claw marks at 1/4 inch wide and the scratch's over 12 inches in length, I estimate the Bear to weigh roughly 450 to 475 pounds give or take?, it's most likely a "Hog Bear" as we mountain folk call them, a round, fat,  short legged Bear, compared to a "Dog Bear" a skinny lanky, long legged Bear. Your probably asking your self, how I know it's a Dog Bear?,  well I can smell him Pilgrim!, his scent has a strong pungent order associated with eating lots of Acorns, Grubs, Fish and Age, a sign of an Old Mountain Bear that prefers the mountain tops over garbage cans, that a Dog Bear cannot resist.

A Bear that perhaps has been trapped many times in it's youth and relocated to wilderness areas and is just fed up with being captured, or just an Old Wise Bear that has evaded modern man's weapons? nevertheless a true Grand Old Mountain Black Bear he is!, and a Bear that most hunter's would enjoy bagging this season if you know where his dark, deep hollow mountain lair is. 

Before I left the Barr Tree, I took some survival trinkets with me, a hand full of hard Pine Pitch with Black Bear Hair stuck to it for a true Mountain Mann Torch with essence of Barr Fur, a candle that you will not find in any store or potpourri boutique!, a flame Lady Liberty herself would be proud to hold on a long winters night. So get out and enjoy the woods while we all still can!, the Reaper's at our backs and life is short!.

Tuesday / Nov / 11 / 2013.