Camper Survives Bear Mauling

[DougPaul]

The differentiation of black and grizzly bears, may be quite difficult at times.

Fortunately not very difficult in the Eastern US and Canada. No griz here.

Doug

 

[Quack]

Hell's Bells

"We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle the bears. We also recommend outdoorsmen carry pepper spray with them in case of a confrontation with a bear."

My cousin is a guide based in Jackson and frequently makes trips into Montana. He jokingly refers to bear bells as "dinner bells". Apparently, the bears have learned to follow the sound of bells for an easy snack.

 

[afka_bob]

Fortunately not very difficult in the Eastern US and Canada. No griz here.

I didn't get Neil's joke at first, either.

 

[Waumbek]

OK, I guess it's time for the classic bear joke:

Q: How can you tell a grizzly bear from a brown/black bear?
A: The grizzly has little bells in its scat.

 

[Chip]

I listen to news radio 880 out of NY all day at work. They have not mentioned this story ONCE, and this is normally the type of thing they would be all over. I wonder if they know more than we do about this story.

 

[hikerbrian]

Lots of good stuff here. I'll add this as food for thought. Is a gun sort of like a cell phone? A way to make up for lack of knowledge/care/skill? Also, would people seriously consider adding that kind of weight to their pack? Just curious.

It's an interesting story about this group that had the encounter. Based on the scarce details that I have seen and my limited knowledge, they did EVERYTHING they tell you NOT to do before and after you encounter a bear. It's really pretty amazing how closely the bear followed the predicted behaviors that I have read about. "If you run, it will chase you" etc.

In Alaska my wife and I awoke one morning to a huffing sound outside our tent. I got out slowly and took a look around and noticed a full grown black bear maybe 5 feet from our tent. It was tenaciously devouring soapberries and blueberries. I got back in the tent and listened as it ate like a madman for another 5 or 10 minutes, then sauntered away. Encounters with non-habituated bears are pretty incredible. I hope everyone does what they can to keep the wild animals wild.

 

[Warren]

Is a gun sort of like a cell phone? A way to make up for lack of knowledge/care/skill? Also, would people seriously consider adding that kind of weight to their pack? Just curious.

For some, maybe. In my view carrying one in the context we are talking about here- animal defense- requires a good degree of skill.

I don't think I'd wan't to go anywhere where such is required.

To stay somewhat on topic, thanks to those who chimed in on bear behavior, I learned a lot.

 

[DougPaul]

I'll add this as food for thought. Is a gun sort of like a cell phone? A way to make up for lack of knowledge/care/skill?

A gun gives one a feeling of safety in a potentially dangerous situation. Whether it actually impoves one's safety is another question. (Please let
us not try to decide here...)

"Bear Attacks, their cause and avoidance" by Steven Herrero is a worthwhile read for anyone interested hiking in black or grizzly bear territory.

A reasonable web reference:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3775/is_200305/ai_n9273224

Doug