"It is terribly sad that more than 1,700 bears lost their lives in California simply for 'sport,'" Brian Vincent, communications director with Big Wildlife, told Outposts. "There is nothing sporting about chasing down bears with packs of dogs, running the terrified animal up a tree and blowing the bear away so some hunter can have a throw rug in front of the fireplace." http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/12/california-bear-hunting.htmlhttp://deepcreekhotsprings.net/dchs/forum/read.php?1,18633,18633#msg-18633Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:12:12 -0700 Phorum 5.2.10 http://deepcreekhotsprings.net/dchs/forum/read.php?1,18633,18647#msg-18647 http://deepcreekhotsprings.net/dchs/forum/read.php?1,18633,18647#msg-18647
During a good deal of hiking over the last 4-5 months there, I've seen a good bit of bear scat in the Deep Creek canyon, but no bears, yet. I'd sure like to see, and get a picture of, one before I head back home. I'd love to see a mountain lion, but that's a pretty high hope, I'm afraid. I've only found tracks once, and I'm not positive that it wasn't just a large bobcat.

Jim]]> Rivernude Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, CaliforniaMon, 21 Dec 2009 21:44:46 -0800 http://deepcreekhotsprings.net/dchs/forum/read.php?1,18633,18639#msg-18639 http://deepcreekhotsprings.net/dchs/forum/read.php?1,18633,18639#msg-18639
One morning back around 1979 or 80, I was sitting in my front yard drinking coffee while my daughter Asha was playing. We looked up to see a big black critter running between my cabin and the road. "Who's dog is that!" I exclaimed. It was then that I realized what it was. We got a good look at the north end of the bear heading south as it loped on over the hill across the road.

The hamlet of Forest Falls has a persistant bear population and we encountered one while leaving "El Mexicano" one dark evening. I'm not really sure if it was the good cooking there or the live acoustic music that attracted it to the locale. My wife and I slowly backed away and went back into the restaraunt leaving it to ponder the contents of the nearby dumpster.

Down on Deep Creek, bears have been known to wander through in places like where Willow creek connects with Deep Creek proper. Big Bear also has a resident population that wake up on trash day. There's an old saying....a fed bear is a dead bear.

I hope everyone here is enjoying the season. Take care]]> LaughingBear Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, CaliforniaFri, 18 Dec 2009 01:25:09 -0800 http://deepcreekhotsprings.net/dchs/forum/read.php?1,18633,18633#msg-18633 http://deepcreekhotsprings.net/dchs/forum/read.php?1,18633,18633#msg-18633"It is terribly sad that more than 1,700 bears lost their lives in California simply for 'sport,'" Brian Vincent, communications director with Big Wildlife, told Outposts. "There is nothing sporting about chasing down bears with packs of dogs, running the terrified animal up a tree and blowing the bear away so some hunter can have a throw rug in front of the fireplace."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/12/california-bear-hunting.html]]> Rick Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, CaliforniaThu, 17 Dec 2009 20:24:39 -0800