What is this?
10-06-2013, 06:12 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 8
What is this?
I just went coyote hunting in Hamlin county South Dakota this weekend and while walking around I saw these prints. I am new to hunting and am not sure what this is. I didnt think that bear were that far east and for those of you who dont know where Hamlin county is, it is in the central-eastern part of SD. It is about 4.5-5 inches wide at its widest point and 3.5-4 inches long. It looks like it has some claw marks too. Should I be carrying my 45/70 next time i go up there?
10-07-2013, 04:42 PM
#7
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 8
Yes there were other tracks. It had been raining all night before i saw the tracks so the mud was very sticky. The tracks look like they led to an area with a bunch of grass pushed down. I know it wasnt a deer because i saw deer tracks and it looked nothing like them. Could it be possible for a bear to be that far east?
Last edited by Nfisichella456; 10-07-2013 at 04:43 PM. Reason: Wrong word
10-08-2013, 12:46 AM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Maine
Posts: 12,564
Were all the tracks round like the one you have shown in your picture? Yeah, I think black bear almost covers the entire country.. They live here as well. With quite a big population and are seen in around towns quite often. Mostly in towns during the spring though.
10-08-2013, 05:14 AM
#10
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 8
Yea that seemed to be the best print i could find. We walked the perimeter of the soybean field that my dad and i found those tracks in and we didnt see any better tracks. I did see some droppings that looked like black bear but were a lot smaller than any pictures on line. What else could that be? And could a bear be killed in self defense with a 7.62x54r? Or should i carry somthing bigger