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Russian Brown Bears
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Russian Brown Bears
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And one more thing about statistics by hunters. When we compare countries, which allow trophy hunting, those countries naturally have statistics of big animals shot, when comparing to countries, which won´t allow trophy hunting. In Finland and I think, that in other Scandinavian countries too hunting is based on bear populations. So hunters aren´t allowed to go there and try to find biggest possible bears. They have certain area with certain number, that how many bears they are allowed to shoot, what sex and minimum age. Sometimes there can be some big ones, sometimes not. So if there are bears in hunting statistics, those are biased to certain direction, there is no other possibility when in some area people can and will seek for biggest possible and in some other area they just have to shoot whatever they happen to find that time.
It´s good to discuss about these issues, I´m not sure how many people really stop to think these things or are aware.
Hello!
In Romania is the same situation, actually when bear attacks humans or cattle, they are hunted. Regarding trophy hunting, yes, the biggest males are extracted but actualy when they are getting old, in order to allow them sufficient time to pass their valuable genes to as many females as they can find. (06-04-2020, 04:29 PM)eagleman Wrote: Hello! Yeah, it´s good to have it so even though I personally dislike trophy hunting. What Ceausescu did back then and made others do... those are crazy things and stories, but it was different era back then. Well, I have no doubt about it, that there are some very big ones. Bears can gain a lot of weight in good years what comes to food. And we have some assumptions about Californian grizzlies who didn´t hibernate at all and still they were considered to be very big. Some give numbers like 1000 kg, but I think that there are lbs´s and kg´s mixed up by someone. I have never seen suggested, that Californian grizzlies would have been bigger or heavier than bears of Kodiak Islands and Alaska and it doesn´t make really any sense. But it looks like, they have been in between, so big males over 400 kg doesn´t sound impossible, when we know how huge some bears in Alaska are. But is it so in Carpathia, that is what I was thinking because I haven´t seen any studies suggesting so. And as Juuso bear proves, bears up north can gain a lot of weight too. He is clearly bigger than other male bears in same zoo in which he lives and naturally bigger than any other bear in any zoo in Finland. Vyöti, another male bear from same zoo as Juuso getting same food has been in his heaviest condition a little bit over 300 kg if I remember right. And then there in between in records are at least 4 wild bears over 350 kg. It´s for some reason quite difficult to find information online about hunting statistics in Finland. 
ФГБУ "Земля леопарда" имени Николая Воронцова
Fat amur brown bear.  *This image is copyright of its original author
(06-29-2020, 07:51 PM)Lycaon Wrote: ФГБУ "Земля леопарда" имени Николая Воронцова This looks like to be an Asiatic black bear, not brown bear. Seems to be in quite good condition as a bear should be :) (06-30-2020, 05:39 AM)Lycaon Wrote: Центр «Амурский тигр» There is an article on that case, which mentioned that they broke the barbed wire and the trail camera, so there was no clear winner. These were Ussuris, with one of them being from China, the other from Russia, and this is an area with the Amur tiger, credit: Amur Tiger Centre! https://siberiantimes.com/other/others/n...te-border/
This is one site and interesting article from 2008 which I noticed. When opening the link it´s in Russian so translator is needed when reading it.
The person who wrote this article is: OLGA VLADIMIROVNA KUVYKINA biologist , winner of the "Book of the Year" award (2010, for the book "Letters of Insects") graduate of the Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov journalist, author of popular science articles and books WWF supporter Research interests: palynology, allergology, higher plants, endemics, nature conservation, regional studies, mythology Article is: "Meeting with a bear The shaggy "master of the taiga" has a moody temper, and his behavior is unpredictable." One interesting quote how she sees brown bears of her homeland: "Aggressiveness of bears depends on their habitat - for example, Caucasian and Central Russian bears are considered peaceful. Biologists have more than once shared with me their stories of how they encountered bears feeding in raspberry or hogweed bushes, and peacefully dispersed. Bears in Kamchatka are also relatively calm, if the year turned out to be fruitful for berries, nuts and fish. The most "vicious" bears are found in the Siberian taiga , but even here it all depends on the case - each toptygin has its own character. If the bear is scared, hungry or has a toothache, he will attack a person. Himalayan bears try to avoid meeting people, but if this happens, they rush to the person in fright. The bear does not feel reverence for man as a being of a "higher order" and treats him approximately like a tiger. Some brown bears are enraged by one kind of people and, when they meet, they may even start throwing stones, especially if, having climbed some hill, they see a person below. Mostly large males are distinguished by such antics - they are generally “infernal” creatures, on occasion they will not disdain to pick up and eat a smaller young bear or a cub. " Whole article is interesting to read: http://www.vokrugsveta.ru/telegraph/theory/569/ (12-12-2020, 12:00 AM)Shadow Wrote: This is one site and interesting article from 2008 which I noticed. When opening the link it´s in Russian so translator is needed when reading it. One interesting part from that same article above. Quote: "As a typical example of human stupidity, I will cite the Kamchatka story from Mikhail Krechmar, a biologist, hunting expert, a great connoisseur of bears and the author of the most interesting book "The Shaggy God": Quote:Suddenly, the lookout saw a bear swimming across the river near the ship.In this case, there were no casualties, although it usually happens otherwise. Confirmation of this is the numerous deaths of photographers who got too close to the bears. More such photographers have died than from the paws of tigers or shark teeth. Probably, you have also seen the photographs of Vitaly Nikolaenko, Michio Hoshimo and other photographers, where the bears are captured almost point-blank. " This is a picture, which is said to be from that book, nicely drawn.  *This image is copyright of its original author I wonder if someone here has read that book or knows more about this possible incident? I find it something in the limits of possible. If a bear reaches up enough to get a grip on the side of the boat like in the picture I have no doubt that it could climb in the boat quickly. But is this kind of incident mentioned somewhere else too or only in this book? It would be very interesting to know more if this really happened. If it happened like told above then those people for sure deserved to swim :)
One interesting article of bears in Russia from August 2018. https://ilim24.ru/news/21116.html
Again in Russian language so most need to use translator. Interesting article to read, some quotes of dangers with bears. "The owner of the taiga is a bear, not a man" "The recent accident, in which a 62-year-old resident of the village of Tubinsky became a victim of a bear, is very indicative. Recall that the body of a man with traces of the impact of bear paws was found near the Tushama station on July 12. According to the original version, the man was collecting honeysuckle when he was attacked by a bear. In search of the club-footed killer, a group of specialists went to the area of the incident, which, after examining the territory, came to the conclusion that the deceased was illegal hunting for brown. “A samolov was put on the bear - a loop attached to a log. The bear fell into it, but did not die. The predator was large. Trying to get rid of the noose, in a rage he literally smashed everything in his path - he just broke trees 10-15 centimeters in diameter with one blow, - says Denis Krivosheev, senior state inspector in the field of environmental protection of the department of the Sosnovsky district forestry of the Ministry of forestry of the Irkutsk region. - From the traces left, it is clear that the man was chasing the beast, but at some point he himself was in his field of vision. The meeting turned out to be fatal for a person. It was established that the bear went into the taiga, the inhabitants did not report its appearance. " "And there are also such irresponsible citizens who specially feed the bears for fun." "[i]“Well, first of all, a person can become a victim of a bear. Even if this feeding session went smoothly, it is not a fact that the next time everything will be as smooth. A bear, accustomed to getting food from cars, begins to consider the territory of the road as his own, and a car or person standing on the side of the road is a source of food or a competitor who needs to be driven out of his territory, says Denis Vladimirovich. - By feeding a wild animal from the hands, people are doing it a disservice. To feed the bear is to kill the bear. Getting used to food and people that they easily get, they can forget how to get food for themselves in the taiga and, of course, will start to go out to people fearlessly, because they lose their natural fear of a person and begin to feel on an equal footing with him. The beloved garbage dump where he feasts on leftovers, the bear considers it its prey and will protect it from humans. It is impossible to predict how the animal will behave at the next meeting. Conclusion - feeding predators increases the likelihood of human prey. And if a bear has tasted human blood at least once, it will not stop. Experts are forced to shoot such animals. "[/i] There are cases when lured bears, having not received food again, attacked cars, attacked people and eventually killed them - this is how the desire to feed cute bears turns out. Another shocking information appeared in urban groups on social networks - the user said that in the dacha cooperative "Foresters" children played with a bear cub who came to "visit" until one of the parents dispersed the company. Whether the story is true is unknown, but if so, it’s scary to imagine how it could end. After all, there is always a she-bear nearby with a curious bear, who is ready to fiercely protect her child. And the bear protecting her offspring is a terrible beast that nothing can stop." (12-12-2020, 04:13 AM)Shadow Wrote: One interesting article of bears in Russia from August 2018. https://ilim24.ru/news/21116.html A bit more from same article above, good things to know for anyone who might meet a wild brown bear: "Experts note that meeting with wild animals in their native environment is a rarity, because they cannot show themselves to a person. All animals are very careful and, sensing a stranger, they rush to retreat. Therefore, being in the forest, you need to be noisy. For example, you can listen to music on your phone, talk. The main thing is that the beast must hear the approach of a person in advance. “If the beast decides to attack, then the person will know about it at the very last moment. Despite its impressive size, the bear can move completely silently and at the same time possesses amazing agility - in a jerk from a place, its speed can reach 60 km / h. In general, a person is not included in the natural diet of a clubfoot, therefore, if an accidental meeting does take place, the main thing is not to panic. You should not run away, show aggression. You can try to calmly bypass the beast, without looking into its eyes and without turning your back to it, as slowly as possible. I do not advise you to take non-hunting dogs with you, - says Denis Krivosheev. - An untrained dog can lead an animal to its owner. As a last resort, you can use light-noise pistols or firecrackers to scare off the beast. You only need to shoot up." https://ilim24.ru/news/21116.html  *This image is copyright of its original author
This is one interesting article from Russia. This is about it how bears were seen in past and also about mythology concerning bears. Very interesting to read how people saw animals back then, when vast forests had more animals than people.
Quotes: "THE MASTER OF THE TAIGA: THE CULT OF THE BEAR AMONG THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF SIBERIA Not only Siberian peoples considered the bear to be the Master of the Taiga, but namely Siberians turned their attitude to the bear into a cult. Moreover, this cult played an important role in the rites of hunting magic and everyday life." "Evenki living in Transbaikalia and Amur Region call themselves “Orochons” and have the most serious and multi-layered cult of the bear. It is believed that every Orochon hunter is allowed to kill a strictly defined number of bears that cannot be exceeded. If this happened, the hunter would forfeit his life. Hence the sacred mystical awe of the Evenks before the Master of the Taiga. In this respect, the story of the Evenki hunter Aleksandr Erdyneevich Stepanov is indicative; it was recorded during one of the ethnographic expeditions: “If you catch a bear, you have to apologize. You should say that you are sorry, but you just needed some fat or something else. Indeed, the fat is curative. Earlier Evenks used to hunt bears for the sake of fat, they didn’t eat so much meat, only took fat and bile. Of course, before they killed the animal, they prayed and sprinkled some vodka or milk. They asked for permission of the burkhan (spirit), saying: “Nandikan, allow us to take the bear, not the Master himself, but an ordinary bear”. After they killed the bear, they dressed his body; they had to say that they were not really dressing the body, only ants were tickling the bear. When they finished and took everything they needed and buried the meat, then they had to put a branch in the dead animal’s mouth, tie it up, then place the head on a tree, so that the animal’s spirit would not chase them”. The rite of the Orochons connected with the head of the killed bear is full of deep pagan symbolism: Evenks believe that the soul of the killed bear does not die, but remains in the forest for some time, after which it moves to another bear, and thus the delicate natural balance is not violated." "The attitude of Buryats to the bear is also interesting. Buryat language has two ways of designating a bear: babagai and guroohen. The first word is a combination of words - baabai (father, ancestor, forefather) and abgai (elder sister, elder brother’s wife, elder brother). It is known that when Buryats were talking about a bear or were just mentioning the animal in a conversation, they often gave it family names: a mighty uncle dressed in a fur-coat; a grandfather in a fur-coat; a mother or a father... By the way, the word babagai is a general definition of all living and deceased older relatives. So it is very symbolic that the bear is called exactly in the same way. A similar respectful names and perception of the bear as a close relative is characteristic not only of Buryats. For example, Khakasses called the bear aba, ada, aga, apchakh, abai, which also meant a father, a mother, an elder brother, ab uncle and other terms denoting close relations. The second name of the bear in the Buryat language is guroohen. This is already a more “zoological” word. Depending on the species, the bear was called khara guroohen (a brown or black bear) or sagaan guroohen (a polar bear). Probably, this bear’s name was derived from the general term “an guurol” meaning “wild animals”." "Buryat shamans considered the bear itself to be a shaman, morover, the strongest shaman of all. Buryat language has the following expression: “Khara guroohen boodoo elyuutei”, which translates as “The bear is higher that the flight of the shaman”. Buryat shamans often used fir bark in their practices; the bark had to be taken from a tree scratched by a bear. Such trees were usually called “baabgain ongolhon modon” – “a tree consecrated by the bear”. "The Buryat folk calendar contains direct associations and similarities connected with the image of the bear. For example, one of the winter months in the calendar of the Khori Buryats is called “Burgan” and an “ekhe Burgan”, which literally means “a big male bear” in the Alar dialect. One more evidence of the sacredness of the bear’s image in the traditional culture of Buryats is the oath with the use of the bear’s skin. Such an oath is usually given alongside with eating or biting a piece of the bear's skin and is considered the most binding and having the most terrible consequences." "Besides, since ancient times, the bear has been one of the most popular characters of folk games of Buryats. A description of the bear games is found in the notes of travelers who visited Buryat uluses. For example, A. Potanina wrote about this folk leisure: “Here people try to correctly imitate all the movements of this powerful animal as strongly as possible. The person who imitates a bear shows the animal’s strong jaws and teeth. That person tries to take different things with the teeth and carry them to one place, thus the bear puts all people present at the game to that place. To keep the game going, everyone grabbed by the bear’s teeth should show no more signs of life and obey, no matter where the imaginary bear wants to put a person”." Well, that was actually all the text, not too long I hope. From this article: https://1baikal.ru/en/istoriya/khozyain-...kh-narodov
One interesting article again about brown bears in Russia and what they represent there and impact in culture etc. Something else than always talking about some kg here or there. This is from August 2014.
Quotes: ”The master of the taiga: the perils of life where the brown bears roam free The brown bear – a symbol not only of Siberia but the whole of Russia – is not listed in the Red Book as an endangered species and is not threatened with extinction like the snow leopard. However, it comes out of the forest and into cities and towns, towards humans, thus confirming the common myths about Siberia. ”Vladimir Kozhechkin is a senior research scientist at the nature reserve and a specialist in the ecology of large predators. He began his work at the reserve in 1979 and defended his thesis on the wolverine, a rare and difficult-to-study species, but the brown bear has also been within the field of his scientific interests for a long time now. However, outside the urban jungle, V. Kozhechkin does not look like a PhD in biology and an armchair scientist, he rather looks like a forester: warm trousers with a belt, a stretched grey turtleneck with a wide neck, rubber boots on his feet and an old blue-grey backpack on his shoulders.” ”The master's tracks The bear in Siberia, just as in the whole of Russia, is more than just a bear. Political engineers use it as a symbol of national power, marketing specialists as a profitable regional brand, journalists as an excuse to boost the ratings of their evening news, and citizens use it as a horror story for foreign tourists. However, for zoologists, the brown bear is simply a brown bear, a large carnivorous mammal found in almost Russia’s entire forest zone. “The bear, as you are saying, is the master of the taiga – but how can it be?” Vladimir Kozhechkin is genuinely surprised. “There are also wolverines, wolves, lynx... The brown bear is simply the most numerous predator in our reserve.” ”During the long period of their shared history, humans and bears ate the same food, used similar shelters and often preyed on one another. It is no coincidence that the indigenous peoples of Siberia, in particular Evenks, treated the bear with reverence and called it "amaka", which means "grandfather", while Russian peasants and Siberian long-time residents called the bear "the master" in conversations with each other in the late 19th and early 20th century. Hunting for this animal was for them a natural means of survival, and was accompanied by complex rituals and holidays. ” Source: https://www.rbth.com/travel/2014/04/09/t...r_of_taiga A little bit about Evenks, native inhabitants in Siberia, since they have been mentioned in some articles. "[b]The Evenki,[/b] formerly known as the Tungus, are spread over a huge territory (about 2,500,000 km²) of the Siberian taiga, or boreal forest, from the Orb River in the west to the Sea of Okhotsk in the east, and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to Manchuria and Sakhalin in the south. Having occupied this vast region since the Neolithic era, they are recognized as one of the indigenous peoples of the Russian North. with a population of more than 35,500. Anthropologically, the Evenki belong to the Baikal, a Paleo-Siberian Mongolian group." https://www.mikaelstrandberg.com/2012/04/09/evenki/ Two maps showing where they have been/are living.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Text for this latter map: "Evenk settlement in Russia by municipal areas and urban districts in percents of the total number of this nation in the Russian Federation. According to the 2010 census" |
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