Chad David has hunted for years. He's seen a lot of things while out in the woods but he's never seen anything like this. Davis got an up close look at a bear, that was caught on film destroying his trail cam.

David hunts with a buddy on his family’s property outside of Mohawk and they have trail cams set up near their deer stands. "We have been using trail cameras to help assess the deer herd, watching movement times, population, deer quality. We pull the card on our way to the stand and review it while on stand, when things are slow."

Over the weekend, David went to pull the card and couldn't find the camera. "It is suppose to be mounted on a tree but it wasn’t there. Then I saw a blinking light at the base of the tree. It was my camera...in pieces."

David first thought a tree branch fell and broke it during the higher winds the day before. When he grabbed the card out of the camera he saw what really happened to it. "I was really excited when I saw it was a black bear trashing my trail camera. I have heard that they were in the area but never caught one on camera. I have never seen one there and I hunt a lot."

After watching the footage, David says he was no longer upset his camera was destroyed. "The experience was well worth the replacement cost."

Photo Credit - Chad David
Photo Credit - Chad David
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The DEC has tips on what to do if you encounter a bear.

Do

  • Use noise to scare bears away: Yell, clap, or bang pots immediately upon sighting a bear.
  • Stay calm: Walk slowly and speak in a loud and calm voice.
  • Leave slowly: Cautiously back away from the bear and leave the area.

Don't

  • Approach, surround, or corner a bear: Bears aggressively defend themselves when they feel threatened. Be especially cautious around cubs as mother bears are very protective.
  • Run from a bear: They may chase.
  • Throw your backpack or food bag at an approaching bear: This will only encourage bears to approach and "bully" people to get food. By teaching a bear to approach humans for food, you are endangering yourself, other campers/residents, and the bears.
  • Further Action
  • If a bear approaches you: Raise your arms and speak in a loud, calm voice while backing away.
  • If a bear charges you: Stand your ground. If you have bear spray (leaves DEC website), dispense directly at the bear.
  • If a bear follows you: Stand your ground. Intimidate by making yourself look bigger by waving arms, clapping, shouting, or banging sticks. Prepare to fight or use bear spray.
  • If a bear makes contact with you: Fight back with anything at hand (knife, stick, rocks, or fists).

WATCH OUT: These are the deadliest animals in the world

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