The bottome line for Bear Country: everyone will do what they feel comfortable with. We have a saying here in Alaska..."You don't have to worry about out-running the bear, you have to worry about out-running me". That said, knowing everything there possibly is to know about bears and their behaviour will not do didly to save your butt when you are hiking up a trail with willow bushes so thick you can't see beyond 4 feet and a bear charges SILENTLY out of those willows at you. You have 2-3 seconds to respond...is the threat real or perceived? Is the bear bluffing, or did you stumble between it and a cub? What are you gonna do? Until one has spent much time in bear country, it is very easy to despout over-population of humans, encroachment of wildlands, etc.. One thing to remember, when in bear country, humans are no longer at the top of the food chain. If you want to walk out alive, after a bear encounter, you better be prepared, period. Not a single paid professional can say with absolute certainty how to detect between a feint or a bluff charge, or what to do when the bear throws a right hook, or that by 'dropping their right shoulder, they're throwing an uppercut Rocky, so step right'! Go spend a week in their territory, and stare wide-eyed at your tent ceiling when you hear them splashing through the river towards your camp; or in the berry bushes behind your tent, erstwhile your mind is racing wondering just when they are going to decide to invesitgate your tent and just how in the blazes are you going to get outta that sleeping bag quick enough to escape their curious bite?? Many times bears have been known to 'sample' humans, only to 'spit out' the bad taste in their mouth and move on. The problem is, that one bite will ruin your day. And all it takes is one. So, go out with all the conjecture you want, but know with certainty what exactly are you prepared to do when it's you that bear is after. Scott in Alaska *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Jun 24 2003 - 13:45:11 PDT
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