RE: [Paddlewise] Guns and Polar Bears

On 3 Nov 2003 at 12:51, Steve Holtzman wrote:

> > One thing to note on polar bear behavior in Churchill vs the arctic
> > - the bears are more accustomed to people.  They are garbage-dump
> > bears and nuisance bears that have become used to seeing people. 
 
> The polar bears in Churchill are wilderness polar bears. 

I guess the news reports I've heard on Canadian TV and radio the last 
several decades are all faked then. The situation isn't as bad as in
the past, it still remains that there are problem bears in the area:

Quote from Winnipeg Free Press web site: 
<http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/leisure/story/1281984p-
1525362c.html>
" Nervous with excitement, we're all hoping to catch a glimpse of a 
polar bear, even though we know damn well that A) The great white 
beasts living near the town rarely visit during the summer; B) It's 
wrong to approach wild animals; and C) It's humiliating to visit a 
garbage dump to do anything other than dump garbage, and even that's 
a bit of a stretch. "

This in August, well outside the wild bear window (Oct to mid Nov)

While wilderness bears are in the majority, you can't tell them from 
the garbage dump bears and the latter will stick around much longer 
than the six-week wilderness bear window.  The fact that the bears 
are a major tourist attraction and lots of folks are brought out to 
see the bears every year means that they are more accustomed t0 
people than true wilderness bears.

Personally, I'd not want to rely on bear spray for a polar bear.  And 
if you're going to use a shotgun, use slugs, not shot.

Mike
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