Hi Tweets

Don Baccus writes:

>Since black bears mostly bluff and (in the statistic sense) rarely hurt or
>kill folks, if you're in grizzly country worry about griz.

Actually, you shouldn't take black bears Ursus americanus for granted: they
will stalk, attack and eat humans as prey, as well as defensively attack
whereas grizzly bears U. arctos apparently treat humans as not-prey, and
their attacks are defensive (cubs, food, den-site)--the exception being
young-punk yearling grizzlies unsure of what is prey and what isn't; also,
they're more likely to confront with surly attitude as they're at that
rotten 'you gotta problem with me, pal?' age where they need to establish
'respect' and dominance. If you ever have a face-to-face with a north-woods
homey, just remember, there's no such thing as a 'bad' young grizzly, it's
just insecure.

Secondly, black bears grow *very* big up north, big enough that occasionally
one will wake up with a sedative-hangover and a grizzly-bear-study radio
collar around its neck being awarded a free 500-km chopper flight to a
destination of the biologist-in-charge's choice (no, they can't collect
frequent-flier miles, that's only for grizzlies).

Strongly second Don B's recommendation of Herrero's book as the best on the
subject, though I should point out the first half of his book is seriously
graphic and highly-detailed in its descriptions of attacks and their
consequences, and should have the caution: Warning--gory violence within. No
kidding. If you're squeamish, be warned.

Both bear species bluff-charge as well as gonna-kill-ya charge. The trick to
telling them apart, I gather, is to know the body language. For the above
reasons, black bears are equally dangerous as grizzlies, though sometimes a
bit easier to intimidate, and there's been quite a few black bear attacks on
humans. One interesting idea about grizzly females with cubs resorting to
such hyperviolence as a defence is that they're typically in tundra-type
habitats where there's no trees for the cubs to climb up out of harm's way.

Andy Sorenson writes:

>More often than not, it seems most people are not prepared for an attack
>regardless of what they are carrying for protection. While working through
>thick alder brush, its fairly difficult to maintain ones sense of sanity
>much less readiness for a bear encounter. Often, the
>spray/firearm/flare/whatever gets buried in a pack somewhere and is useless
>if needed in a hurry.

Someone once said that bear country in BC is anywhere outside a city: there
was even an agressive mother black with cubs on the dikes at Pitt Meadows BC
a few years ago (eventually shot, I believe, by BC Wildlife after a number
of runs at people). I'd say anyone who does not have their bear deterrent
*to hand* in bear country, and *in their hand* in thick alder brush if they
know there's bears around, better stay in the car.

With all this hair-raising stuff, it's gotta be said that most bears are
like most people: they want a quiet life with enough food and comfort, and
want to avoid trouble. Interesting: part of me knows this and wants to be a
quiet, sympathetic observer who only wants to see them just going about
their daily business, and another part--quite paranoid--sees a bear with my
name on it behind every tree. A birder's oogieboogieman.

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)