That one particular bear was probably small at around 350 pounds. He was sitting under my tree eating a granola bar which I shared with him. He sits on my porch and we wrap grape vines together, he leaves me alone as long as I share the grapes generously. He is a friendly. He had a cut over his eye one day which I doctored up. He respects me, but I respect him more. The neighbors get alittle tiffed over him being fed, donuts, ( his favorite) apples, and granola, and one day they tried to shoot him, instead taking out my water barrel and putting a few slugs in the front of my camp on the wall. They claimed they were target shooting, but I am afraid, my bear was the target. He never bothers anyone and is getting old with me. He is now gray-haired. A few years ago, he brought his youngins around for me to see. I admired them from the distance. He has made the newspaper many times in my area because I did columns on wildlife, camping and hiking. I got a huge response with many people sending in their stories of one, a Sneaky Snake which was funny, all kinds of animal doings. I loved them.
I think I answered your question if I would shoot him. Although, one day, I nearly had to thanks to my husband's stupidity. That was the day I threatened him with the D-Word, if he didn't stop playing with the bears and wanting to feed him, handfeed him bologna.
Our bear, his name is the Yard Sale Bear, by the way, came down this one particular day. I could see he was moody. We were sitting on the porch and he was sitting under the tree you see in the picture. Well, my beloved went inside and got his pound of square bologna out and started up the hill to him. I said, easily, " ah, I wouldn't do that... he looks grumpy."
As all men, what does women know.
So, he continued up the hill. The bear started walking away from him. Well, he had to follow with his hand out with the square bologna. Then, the bear stopped, turned his head to look backwards, giving him the hairy-eyeball. I said easily, " okay, come down now, now..."
The bear walked, he walked. I watched with my eyes getting bigger.
Then, the bear stopped turned around again, this time, looking meaner.
I said easily, " if you don't come down now, I am going to divorce you, I swear if I have to shoot this bear..."
The bear started walking. My nearly divorced husband started walking with the square bologna.
THEN, the bear stopped. HE stood up. He turned around. His fur stood straight up.
I stood up. I easily went inside got the gun, which at the time we only took the 22, and came outside. I started to aim, and I was so mad... it was a coin toss at WHO...
My beloved husband backed down, never turning his back, just walking back a step at a time, and once, a few feet away the bear got back down on all 4's and walked away.
The point to this story is they don't like friggin square bologna
*Addt note for Ian about a 22, it ain't going to kill a bear, it would only make him madder.