[Paddlewise] Observation: Bears verses Navigation

The bear thread goes on and on and on, but very little interest in the


navigation thread. What a difference. Want to know about navigation? Buy the


book or check the web site. Its math based, its repeatable, it works the


same everywhere, it's not debatable, and finally, it's "boring" to discuss.





Navigation is science, but dealing with bears is far from it. It's not math


based, not repeatable, changes depending on location, highly debatable, and


very fun to argue about. I like (friendly) arguing so it continues to be


great fun for me.  I think there have literally been as many opinions as


there have been different people.





Here is some of what I have gleaned so far from the bear and related


threads:





*   We should fear bears because they are big and strong and dangerous, but


we should not fear them because you are safer in bear country than in a high


crime neighborhood.





*   Bears both predictable and unpredictable





*   Black do not hunt people, but they intend to eat you if they attack





*   Women on their monthly discharge should not be in grizzly country, ok to


be in grizzly country, should pack out sanitary napkins, should burn


sanitary napkins





*   Look big and strong to avoid attack, shrink away to avoid attack





*   Murderous bears, like murderous humans, are really not responsible for


their behavior and need counseling not punishment:-).





*   Scare bears away with load noises, but never try to scare a bear because


it might become angry and attack





*   Bears should never be shot for self defense because it is their forest,


but they should be shot for defense because we deserve to live





*   Bears should be shot if they attack, but they should not be shot because


it will only make them angrier and they will kill you anyway





*   Hunting pressure favorably modifies large predator behavior toward


humans, but hunting increases your chances of being killed by a bear





*   Prevention is the best defense against bear attack, but prevention has


little impact on whether you are attacked because they are unpredictable


(see above)





 





My personal conclusions (I expect no one to agree and give this post only a


50% chance of getting out anyway):





*   I am afraid of bears, especially grizzly bears. Some of my fears are


rational and some are irrational, but they are mine and have no intention of


giving any of them up.





*   Dealing with bears is not science and is subject to opinion, debate, and


ultimately personal choice





*   Bears are predictable to other bears, but not to humans, unless you are


one of the very few (not me) that have mastered bear behavior, body


language, etc.





*   The probability of being eaten by a black bear if it attacks seems high


enough that I will work on that assumption





*   My wife has passed the monthly cycle years and my grown daughter was


taught from a young age to fear bears and not enter grizzly country when


menstruating. I'll transfer all of my rational and irrational fears to my


granddaughters when they are born and old enough to learn.





*   If I see a grizzly I will shrink away (but not too small or too fast)


while involuntarily emptying my bladder and if I see a black bear I'll make


a lot of noise to scare it away but the bladder will stay full unless he


won't run away





*   If a bear charges, and if I can get to my gun, I'll shoot it. If that


stops it I live and he dies, if it doesn't then I die and he dies later.


Only one of us is walking away from the fight.





*   I'll continue to favor and encourage (by vote and otherwise) responsible


hunting of large predators with proper oversight & management 





*   I'll arm myself with whatever knowledge I can and diligently try to


avoid being attacked because: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of


cure, it's best to avoid unnecessary killing of bears, bear meat is tough


and greasy, I might get in trouble, but most important, stopping a charging


bear before he kills you is far from guaranteed (see above).





 





Steve Brown





 






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