Anyone who has an interest in or a fear of Wild Black Bears should watch this Sunday's addition of Animal Planet at 7PM Eastern. I spent four days with the Biologist [Dr. Lynn Rogers] in this program last Fall 'living' with these beautiful animals. I think you will find the program most interesting in pointing out how this magnificent animal is so misunderstood.

Happy Easter.

 

Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Wildlife Conservation - GIS Mapping

Black Bear season! Good luck and good hunting!

 

And they're great on the grill if ya season em right.




Actually, I'd like to roll around with a big cat.



The Shambala Preserve presented by The Roar Foundation



Deja vu ATE?

 

List of fatal bear attacks in North America - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Timothy Treadwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



I love Bears, but it really isn't a game in the wild. You are in the food chain.
We had a gal up this way killed and partially eaten by a pack of wolves recently. She went jogging with an MP3 player instead of a pistol. Last mistake-ever.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the program Stretch 8.
Unfortunately I do not have ready access to the referenced television station.
I would like to watch the program at some point. Perhaps it will show up on the internet?

Jungle makes some interesting observations. I've had black bear meat. In spaghetti sauce. And as sausage. Pretty tasty.

Personally, I've developed a pact with bears wherein I have promised not to mess with them if they don't mess with me. Indirectly I have been involved in the killing of brown and black bears though, as I have flown their hunters around. Mixed feelings about that which are better discussed over a few beers among friends. People in Alaska can get pretty upset over the discussion of bear hunting depending on a lot of things.

The young teacher killed by wolves is a tragedy. For her family, and for the wolves. The incident will be used as ammunition by those who fear wolves, and also politicized by parties on both sides of the issue. It remains to be seen if the wolves were rabid. AK Fish and Game is pursuing the incident.

On my side, during non deer hunting season, I tend to walk noisily through the old growth, well armed. A Mossberg 500 or 7mm Remington Magnum. Historically these have been a good match for an aggressive brown bear, although in the past grizzlies were hunted with Winchester 30-30's among other calibers. One of the greatest sources of conversation in Alaska is the preferred caliber or gauge of bear protection. During deer season (black tail on Admiralty Island) though I have walked stealthily through the old growth forest and tried to remain vigilant. In Southeast Alaska most of the people who have been messed up by Brown Bears have been hunters.

I have heard that most negative human-bear encounters in modern times involve black bears. I do not know if this is true.

I would suspect it is though as the black bear still ranges widely compared to brown and grizzly bears and their historic N. American ranges.

There is a balance, as Jungle alludes. You know this also. I suspect most of us would rather more enjoy living in an America with wild predators "out there". Alaska has been a political hotbed as far as predator control and attendant concerns, but rest assured there are people "out there" who share your appreciation for the wild that is still around. Even the parts that can kill us.

 

Wow, that's a sad story for sure.

I can't imagine donning earbuds and heading into even the "local trails" this time of year. Most of my black bear encounters have been around Anchorage (vs. the "real" AK) between Girdwood and Eagle River. While I knew that there were bears in that area, each encounter involved a startle on both my and the bears part. The last thing I'd want to do is answer a startled Bear (or Wolf) with the inattention that comes with MP3 players.

That said, the Crow Pass trail is a fun hike that I highly recommend.

 

I have great respect for all bears. I give them their distance, and hope they respect it.

My friends and I are moving to the South side of Anchorage, so I may start seeing more black bears.

 

If you go to bear.org you can order the uncut video along with the first one. You'll learn a lot about bears that you never realized.

I carry a sidearm while hiking, but it's NOT for fear of bears, wolves, or coyotes [we have 'em all around here], it's for COUGARS that haven't eaten for days. Even then, it would have to be a full-blown charge before I'd unload on them. Bear spray will work for those worried about bear "attacks".


jungle -

That's an interesting link. However, the word "attacked" is almost always used without knowing just what provoked the bear in the first place. The same could be said about all encounters with wild animals.

 

As the ever eloquent Mr. Trout has stated, there is a balance. Certainly all of natures creatures are beautiful and worthy of study and understanding.
There is a real problem with what we call "bambiists"-those who seem to attribute human qualities to animals and inhuman qualities to hunters. It ends up being a bad joke to all involved.

Very few of us get to experience a true wild encounter with large predators. Respect for the animals is not fear, but a true understanding of what they represent. They do exactly what they are designed to do and people should just try to stay out of their way for the most part.

Both hunting and wildlife biology play large roles in the preservation and respect for these animals.


There is an old joke about a hunter and a bear. The bear convinced the hunter to put down his weapon and talk. The hunter only wanted a fur coat and the bear only wanted a full belly. At the end of the negotiations they both got their wish.

 

The National Park Rangers are advising hikers in Glacier National Park and other Rocky Mountain parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter.

They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them.

This might cause a bear to charge.

Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear's sensitive nose and it will run away.

It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.

Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper