Big Bear

[Twispriver]

My brother sent me this

Subject: Bear Killed by John Deere Combine in Wisconsin


 

 

Bear Killed by John Deere Combine in Wisconsin
 
 
A  huge hibernating male black bear was killed Nov. 26 in northern Dunn County when it was hit by a combine.

Neil Schlough of Boyceville was harvesting corn in a field on the Pinehurst Farm at about 7 o'clock that evening a few miles south of the Dunn/Barron county line, just off of County Road VVV, or about 22 miles north of Menomonie.

The bear was denning in the field, having dug a hole about a foot deep to lay in and pulled in debris from the corn stalks in on top of itself.

According to his wife, Phyllis, Neil came upon the bear with the outside row of his combine head and drove the outside snout into the animal's neck and shoulder and pushed it about six or seven feet.

She said Neil felt the combine strike something and the outside snout was pushed up into the air (the combine wasn't damaged).

"He stepped out of the combine and saw that he had hit an animal," she said. "At first he thought one of our dairy steers over there had gotten out, went in the corn field, ate too much corn and died."

But it didn't take long for Neil to realize it was a bear, but it did take longer to realize how big it was. She said he called her and told her he thought it weighed about 300 pounds.

The DNR was called immediately and Conservation Warden Jim Cleven responded.

A skid steer was taken to the field, and the bear was lifted up so that it could be dressed out.

"With the lights ... we could see that it was a pretty big bear," Phyllis said. "But we had no idea until the locker plant put it on a scale that it weighed as much as it did."

The bear was taken to the Augusta Locker Plant to be prepared for mounting. It was there that the animal was first weighed and measured.

Field dressed, the bear weighed in at 618 pounds and measured 7 feet from head to tail.

The Schloughs were told at the locker that they could add 80 to 100 pounds, depending on the size animal, to reach an approximate actual weight.

"So we figure that bear had to weigh at least 700. We figure 700 to 720," Phyllis said.

It's too early to tell if the massive animal will break any records since the skull has to be dried for 60 days before it can be scored.

Phyllis says they believe it has the potential to break the state mark and will probably break the Dunn County record.

More common

DNR wildlife specialist Jess Carstens said, "This is a thing that, for whatever reason, is happening quite regularly that [bears] are denning up in the middle of fields ­ and corn fields seem to be particularly common . due to the amount of debris from harvesting the c orn that's on the ground. There's a little more stuff to pull in on top of them as they snuggle into the hold that they've dug."

Phyllis reported that they frequently see bears on their land. And she said she recently saw a sow and cub in a corn field that was being harvested.

A full-body mount

After paying $75 to keep the bear, Neil is having the bear full-body mounted by Tom Persons, owner of TP Taxidermy.

"He's hardly ever had time to hunt or fish or anything because of farming," Phyllis said of Neil. " And so, he's going to keep the bear, and he's going to have it mounted. He's really proud of his trophy.."

She said they were told by Persons that he'll have to use a grizzly bear form to mount the bear because there aren't black bear mounts big enough to do the job.

Person reportedly also believes the bear to be 15 to 20 years old, but a tooth will be pulled during the mounting process to determine its age..

According to Wikipedia.com <http:///>  , male bears can reach 660 pounds, but exceptionally large males can weigh up to 800 pounds..

Phyllis said Neil was recently trying to come up with a name for the huge animal that will soon occupy a large amount of space somewhere in their home.

"I thought this was kind of funny. He said, 'I'm going to name that thing Hercules.' ... I thought Hercules for that bear was a good name."

[Huntbear]

My God, either that women is a midget, or that is one freakin HUGE bear!!!!

[Timberstalker]

I think it is Photoshopped.   

[Brooks]

The photo  has not been photo shopped.  Estimated weight was around 700 plus pounds.    Here is the rest of the story.  The bear had been shot by a hunter day or two before by guy hunting deer.  He stated he shot the animal when it was laying down, he thought it was deer.  When he discovered it was a bear he left it because it was out of season.  The farmer came a long with with his combine and hit the bear, thinking he killed it.  The Game officers seized the deer and cited the hunter for killing a bear out season.  The game department of that state now has the bear.

[IBspoiled]

Looks fake, and what is she doing with her hand

[NWBREW]

The photo  has not been photo shopped.  Estimated weight was around 700 plus pounds.    Here is the rest of the story.  The bear had been shot by a hunter day or two before by guy hunting deer.  He stated he shot the animal when it was laying down, he thought it was deer.  When he discovered it was a bear he left it because it was out of season.  The farmer came a long with with his combine and hit the bear, thinking he killed it.  The Game officers seized the deer and cited the hunter for killing a bear out season.  The game department of that state now has the bear.

Since when does a black bear look like a deer? frikin moron hunter.    And I agree.......it's been photoshopped.

[littlebuf]

I think it is Photoshopped.   

or shes standing like 20 feet behind the thing. the super long arm 

[shoot-em-dead]

There isn't even a rope holding it up- turn the bear sideways and you will see that it is photoshoped

[littlebuf]

i think she's supposed to be holding it up

[7mm short mag]

Come on Phyllis........ 

[carpsniperg2]

  shoped for sure 

[Thenewguy]

if its shopped, it is with a big bear!

[jackelope]

that 1700 pound black bear is brothers with the 500" bull that was killed in the selway.

[coriantonk]

I call "photo Shop" If you look close you can see a thin shadow all the way around the bear.  Plus it does not apear to be hanging naturally.  I am no expert, but this looks like a steamy crock of B.S.

[Thefisherman83]

Unless that thing is frozen solid, there is no way a hanging animal would look that stiff. 

[rasbo]

i think she's supposed to be holding it up

checking the sex of the bear

[bearpaw]

Too bad the farmer couldn't keep it since it was shot on his place anyway.

I think the lady was just moving the ladder in the background and it gives the appearance she is at the bear. Look how big the garbage can looks...

Sometimes when you first hang an animal with rigomortis, they do not hang the same as a limp animal, so I don't think it was necesarily photoshopped.

No matter what the story, that is one huge bear.

[washelkhntr]

Photo shopped. As stated earlier, nothing is even holding it up.

[ThePascoKid]

Snopes has the same story but the bear is much smaller

[let.it.fly]

the "there is nothing holding up" arguments is bull. there is a strap wrapped around the shoulder and coming up between the front legs. it may be photo shopped but how do you know. what makes you the expert mister critical criticiser. my 

[Broken Arrow]

OH MY.....what BIG....um....theeth, you have!

[FWilliams]

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/feb/25/news/chi-ap-nd-bearshooting

[littlebuf]

the "there is nothing holding up" arguments is bull. there is a strap wrapped around the shoulder and coming up between the front legs. it may be photo shopped but how do you know. what makes you the expert mister critical criticiser. my 

your not serious are you?its one of the cheesiest pictures Ive seen try to be passed off as real. that's a bear laying on the ground then flipped and pasted on a pic of grandma.

[let.it.fly]

the "there is nothing holding up" arguments is bull. there is a strap wrapped around the shoulder and coming up between the front legs. it may be photo shopped but how do you know. what makes you the expert mister critical criticiser. my 

your not serious are you?its one of the cheesiest pictures Ive seen try to be passed off as real. that's a bear laying on the ground then flipped and pasted on a pic of grandma.

notice how the bears head is looking toward its right shoulder. being that i have only taken 3 bears im no expert but they usualy dont look toward the sky when dead. also notice the crease just below the bears shoulder. that would be indicitive of a strap holding the bear up.  size might have been doctored but that bear is definetly hanging.

[let.it.fly]

you can also see the hoist rail on the ceiling. i dont think its shoped. just an optical illusion, kinda like long arming.

[littlebuf]

the "there is nothing holding up" arguments is bull. there is a strap wrapped around the shoulder and coming up between the front legs. it may be photo shopped but how do you know. what makes you the expert mister critical criticiser. my 

your not serious are you?its one of the cheesiest pictures Ive seen try to be passed off as real. that's a bear laying on the ground then flipped and pasted on a pic of grandma.

notice how the bears head is looking toward its right shoulder. being that i have only taken 3 bears im no expert but they usualy dont look toward the sky when dead. also notice the crease just below the bears shoulder. that would be indicitive of a strap holding the bear up.  size might have been doctored but that bear is definetly hanging.

i honestly don't see any of this. and when you photoshop a pic you take the background out, his head could be propped up

[MichaelJ]

the "there is nothing holding up" arguments is bull. there is a strap wrapped around the shoulder and coming up between the front legs. it may be photo shopped but how do you know. what makes you the expert mister critical criticiser. my 

your not serious are you?its one of the cheesiest pictures Ive seen try to be passed off as real. that's a bear laying on the ground then flipped and pasted on a pic of grandma.

Little, I swear you're always one of the firsts to call BS on another post...  Thats a MONSTER bear and I agree its an optical illusion from crappy photography...

Michael

[MtnMuley]

Photoshopped or not, that's a brute!

[rasbo]

im no expert but they usualy dont look toward the sky when dead.



Hes a bear of great faith...

[runamuk]

im no expert but they usualy dont look toward the sky when dead.



Hes a bear of great faith...

  thats funny

[littlebuf]

the "there is nothing holding up" arguments is bull. there is a strap wrapped around the shoulder and coming up between the front legs. it may be photo shopped but how do you know. what makes you the expert mister critical criticiser. my  

your not serious are you?its one of the cheesiest pictures Ive seen try to be passed off as real. that's a bear laying on the ground then flipped and pasted on a pic of grandma.

Little, I swear you're always one of the firsts to call BS on another post... That's a MONSTER bear and I agree its an optical illusion from crappy photography...

Michael

um i wasn't the first   and i didn't say the bear wasn't big i agreed that the photo was shopped. and last time i checked I'm pretty sure I'm not the one that pissed in your Cheerios's

[jager]

I personally dont think that the bear is photoshopped.  I saw a larger pic of it and it looks like the woman ( who may be five feet tall and weigh 120lb) is standing on the other side of the bear. I do believe that it is being held up by the strap under the arms as well. Just a poor photo to judge size by.

Here is a pic of a 727lb bear shot in WI this year. 80" nose to base of tail. Granted the hunter is probably pushing 300lb. Note: the bear is laying on a 4x8 sheet of plywood

[littlebuf]

that there is a fatty bear

[jackelope]

guys...with the age of the internet and web forums a thread wouldn't be a thread unless someone dropped the photoshop bomb...it's come to be a fact of life that there's always got to be someone to call b.s. on something.

[bikenut64]

I play a lot with photoshop at work and my opinion for what it's worth is that the bear pic has been tampered with. Not a very good job either.

[MtnMuley]

Thanks for posting jager.  Huge bruin for sure!

[Cylvertip]

Looks like the lady in the background is just moving the ladder out of the way.  Those corn fed bears sure put the girth on.

[hirshey]

I did a little web searching... Maybe a little more info on the matter.. seems like either way it was a decent sized bear and expired under unusual circumstances.

Here was the most interesting article I found:

http://naturalplane.blogspot.com/2009/02/dispute-over-giant-700lb-black-bear.html

Looked at the date too... older than I thought. I wonder why I hadn't heard a peep of this last year!