Bear behavior - “playing dead” when shot

[rickyw]

‘Chaos, Chaos, Chaos’ near Cooper Landing: Woman, dogs survive bear attack https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2...ooper-landing-woman-dogs-survive-bear-attack/

This is a good representation of how bears will play dead. Luckily a positive ending. Something similar happened on our spring bear trip a few weeks ago but no mauling involved.

 

[BRWNBR]

I don’t think it’s playing dead so much as recovering. Brown bears do it a lot after being shot. It seems a bear senses can kinda “reset” after getting shot before they are capable of thinking and acting again

 

[rickyw]

I don’t think it’s playing dead so much as recovering. Brown bears do it a lot after being shot. It seems a bear senses can kinda “reset” after getting shot before they are capable of thinking and acting again

that’s plausible. Tony Russ discussed this at length in his book. I believe he may have termed it playing dead but either way.

 

[Nine Banger]

Anthropomorphizing of "actively dying".

 

[rickyw]

Anthropomorphizing of "actively dying".

Sure. The point being, they lay very still after a mortal wound and then they get back up. They’re not really “playing.”

 

[BLJ]

I don’t think it’s playing dead so much as recovering. Brown bears do it a lot after being shot. It seems a bear senses can kinda “reset” after getting shot before they are capable of thinking and acting again

You think they are composing themselves mentally and physically for one last fight?

 

[CRJR45]

You think they are composing themselves mentally and physically for one last fight?

Bears have no idea of a guns capabilities, when they get shot I’m sure a part of them are WTF ?
What was that ?
I don’t know but I’m still going to kill somebody.
What was that ampho word ?

 

[rickyw]

What was that ampho word ?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthropomorphic

Meaning, the term I assigned to the bears behavior is not really indicative of what is actually going on in the bears head. Which is a fair argument.

 

[BLJ]

Bears have no idea of a guns capabilities, when they get shot I’m sure a part of them are WTF ?
What was that ?
I don’t know but I’m still going to kill somebody.
What was that ampho word ?

Agree with “I don’t know what’s going on but something is going to die”.

 

[CRJR45]

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthropomorphic

Meaning, the term I assigned to the bears behavior is not really indicative of what is actually going on in the bears head. Which is a fair argument.

I knew what you meant , just making light of it .

 

[RockAndSage]

I don’t think it’s playing dead so much as recovering. Brown bears do it a lot after being shot. It seems a bear senses can kinda “reset” after getting shot before they are capable of thinking and acting again

Don't bears have a kind of dominance aggression that kinda gets turned off once something submits or plays dead - as opposed to predatory aggression from something like a cougar, that will just continue to kill and then eat? Could their momentary "play dead" just be a bit like the feinting goats, when hit hard enough, before coming back to their senses in full-on kill mode?