MANGE and bears

[sproulman]

Are you folks seeing MANGE on bears ?We are having problem here in pa ..I will try to post some pictures...Bears are being killed do to it ..

People BAIT before 31 days before season opens which is legal here in pa to get pictures .They are now finding out that it is causing MANGE to get worst do to the bears rubbing each other etc at BAIT..

I saw 11 this summer with it and all were shot..

[hunter with MS]

Mange is caused by mites burrowing under the skin . Fox get it often I have seen coyotes with it bears I have not seen . The only way I figure the bears are getting it is maybe a fox or other animal with it visited at the bait site . Coyotes can survive the mange I think a bear could also Maybe what you are seeing is rubbing depending on time of year going from winter coat to summer or summer to winter. Has any of the bears been tested for mange ? I am not saying it can't happen.

[Buszone]

Yes they have a problem with bears having mange in Pa. just do a google search. Seems to have always existed to some degree but in the last 3 years it is showing up very often in certain parts of the state. a few years ago we saw a big wolf just south of Hurley Wi. that looked like he had his hair cut like a poodle and was very sick and disoriented.

[hunter with MS]

I stand informed. Great this i will be something to watch for in Mass as we have a good size bear population ,

[sproulman]

I have pics just learning how to put it on.

Yes it comes from mites in my area I would say 20 were killed with Mange ..They get very sick as they cannot hibernate in winter so they look for food which is not there.

My small munsterlander runs into them in grouse season in feb.WCO told me too shoot them if they look bad.

hair is gone and it looks like they are wearing fur boots..Ivermetin cures it same stuff yu give dogs for worms etc.PGC gives bears a donut with it in it..

What should be done is camps stop feeding bears so they do not rub each other.Also donut with Ivermetin in it will help prevent it ....

[Phillyarcher]

Yes it is happening in Pa. were my camp is in North Central Pa. and I have seen one in late fall. Also I know guy that lives up there and he has seen two large Bears with very little fur on them. The Game guys from my understanding are trying to put them down. This was early last fall when I talked to him. Some of the other people I know up there also have been seeing some with bare skin. I believe how coyotes population have grown here in Pa. that they could be spreading this to the Bear population. Strange though all of the Fox that I have seen on my cameras both Red and Gray I did not see mange on them or the other critters. I do know all of the predators population have been on the rise. I'm seeing more in everywhere I hunt being up my place or in Southeastern Pa.

[sproulman]

Mange is caused by mites burrowing under the skin . Fox get it often I have seen coyotes with it bears I have not seen . The only way I figure the bears are getting it is maybe a fox or other animal with it visited at the bait site . Coyotes can survive the mange I think a bear could also Maybe what you are seeing is rubbing depending on time of year going from winter coat to summer or summer to winter. Has any of the bears been tested for mange ? I am not saying it can't happen.

A lady and her daughter were at HYNER VIEW and ran they saw BIGFOOT..We heard it on scanner..So I went to view and she was right it was BIGFOOT..It was bear with no hair on rubbing its back on tree waving its arms while standing on its rear legs with his tongue way out .

sadly he was put to sleep ..Its terrible what is happening.We never had this in bears until a few years ago.We never had Ticks like we do now.We never had predators like we have now also they are all over..