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From: Bob Denton <BDenton_at_aquagulf.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] Bear Warnings
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 08:56:23 -0500
Passed on by a friend in Colorado:

In light of the rising frequency of human-grizzly bear conflicts, the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is advising hikers, hunters, and
fishermen to take extra precautions to keep alert for bears while in he
field.
"We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so s
not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen
to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a ear. It is
also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity.
"Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear droppings
and grizzly droppings.
"Black bear droppings are smaller and contain lots of berries and squirrel
fur.
"Grizzly bear droppings are larger, have little bells in them, and smell
like cayenne pepper." 

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From: Dickson, Dana A. <dana.dickson_at_unisys.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Bear Warnings
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 08:54:15 -0600
Bear bells and pepper spray provide absolute safety from Grizzly attacks in
Minnesota.  In fact the use of bear bells and the threat of pepper spray has
scared the Griz in to the state beyond the next state to the west.

Dana Dickson
who is bound for a Baja paddling fix tonight.

> -----Original Message-----
From: Bob Denton <BDenton_at_aquagulf.com>
Subject: [Paddlewise] Bear Warnings

Passed on by a friend in Colorado:

In light of the rising frequency of human-grizzly bear conflicts, the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is advising hikers, hunters, and
fishermen to take extra precautions to keep alert for bears while in he
field.
"We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so s
not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen
to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a ear. It is
also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity.
"Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear droppings
and grizzly droppings.
"Black bear droppings are smaller and contain lots of berries and squirrel
fur.
"Grizzly bear droppings are larger, have little bells in them, and smell
like cayenne pepper." 
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From: Chuck Holst <CHUCK_at_multitech.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Bear Warnings
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 10:24:35 -0600
>>
Passed on by a friend in Colorado:

In light of the rising frequency of human-grizzly bear conflicts, the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is advising hikers, hunters,   and
fishermen to take extra precautions to keep alert for bears while in he
field.
"We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so   s
not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. We also advise   outdoorsmen
to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a ear. It is
also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity.
"Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear droppings
and grizzly droppings.
"Black bear droppings are smaller and contain lots of berries and   squirrel
fur.
"Grizzly bear droppings are larger, have little bells in them, and smell
like cayenne pepper."
>>

**************************************************************************  *

There haven't been grizzlies in Minnesota for over a hundred years. They
couldn't stand the smell of lutefisk, which was used as a repellent   before
pepper spray, so they all moved to Montana.

Here is the URL for the Minnesota DNR's bear pages:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_and_wildlife/bears/index.html

Chuck Holst

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From: Larry Snow <larry.snow_at_deltec.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Bear Warnings
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 11:40:13 -0600
Chuck wrote:
<There haven't been grizzlies in Minnesota for over a hundred years.>

Dana wrote:

<In fact the use of bear bells and the threat of pepper spray has
scared the Griz in to the state beyond the next state to the west.> 

No, No, these guys have it all wrong.  Minnesota, and the BWCA in
particular, is full of these vicious beasts, and don't forget about all the
man-eating wolves up there.  And don't forget the mosquitoes, which are so
large they can carry away small dogs.  You should stay away from the BWCA
this summer if you don't want to get eaten alive.  The only way to get rid
of all these beasts is to have nobody go to the BWCA so that these critters
will all starve to death.  So remember:  you don't want to go to the BWCA
this year.

Of course, in the interest of science, I'll need to go up there a few times
and monitor the situation.

Larry Snow
Minneapolis, MN
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From: Mel Grindol <grindol_at_my-dejanews.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Bear Warnings
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 18:35:44 -0000
On Fri, 19 Feb 1999 11:40:13   Larry Snow wrote:
>The only way to get rid
>of all these beasts is to have nobody go to the BWCA so that these critters
>will all starve to death.  So remember:  you don't want to go to the BWCA
>this year.
>
>Of course, in the interest of science, I'll need to go up there a few times
>and monitor the situation.

And since all good science must be independently verifiable I may have to go up there and check your findings.  But I think one independent check should be enough.  Everyone else can avoid the area for the year.  :)

Mel
---
There are three types of people, those who can count and those who can't.



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