Bears (live, alternatives, good)

[DannyL]

Bears want about as much to do with us as we do with them. Awareness and distance will do the job pretty much all the time.
And if you go camping (at least here), don't get stupid with your food at your campsite.

[ian_m]

Noone really knows. Bears are unpredictable. Some will steal your food and run away w/ it. One might attack, others won't. You take your chances and have an adventure whenever you are outdoors in Alaska.

[Xa'at]

Danny is right. The best way to stay safe is to let bears know where you are. So! When you are hiking, sing, talk, once in a while yell a bit... make noise. They make bear bells but that's not really necessary as long as you're willing to have a little fun!
I've never had a genuine "bear encounter" (out in the woods, got too close... most of the time I will see them meandering around the outside of my house) but from what I've been told, usually the best course of action if a bear gets too close is to face it, look it straight in the eye, and back away. I've also heard that if(when) a bear charges you, the first time is meant as a warning, and it won't usually touch you. If you've followed all the advice given so far, 99 times out of 100 you won't have to ever experience being charged.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by ian_m

Noone really knows. Bears are unpredictable. Some will steal your food and run away w/ it. One might attack, others won't. You take your chances and have an adventure whenever you are outdoors in Alaska.

Bears are not unpredictable, just the opposite, they are very predictable. If you keep a clean camp, stay aware of your surroundings, make your presence known, and use a little common sense, you will not have a bear encounter. It is moose that are unpredictable.

[travelmate38]

Just remember this when dealing with bears..............They are cute, they look cuddly, they are to be admired.................they are capable of ripping your face of with one swipe of their paw, with little effort. Oh and they are actually one of the fastest animals on earth for 100 yards. They can run 38 mph, the average human, 10 mph. Best respect them and admire them from afar

[User 2]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Bears are not unpredictable, just the opposite, they are very predictable.

These are quotes from people who make their living interacting with bears, biologists who study bear behavior and government wildlife websites..

The grizzlies are so unpredictable- smooth and deliberate one moment and then quickly lumbering towards you the next and I sometimes wonder if this will be my last day."

EDIROL by Roland - Unpredictable Wild Captured Via DV-7

Brown Bears are unpredictable and safety must be foremost in the mind of anyone contemplating going out to view Brown Bears.

Be Bear Aware

Bears are unpredictable, just like people, they are individuals, just like people, some are good, and some bad, just like people. Jim Stamates, wildlife photographer

http://stamates.ifp3.com/

Brown bears are unpredictable. More unpredictable than a polar bear.

http://www.subsistence.adfg.state.ak...hPap/tp248.pdf

When people watch bears in the wild they should never forget that these are wild animals that must be treated with caution. They should not be fed. Most bears will hastily retreat if a person approaches too closely, but one should not take unnecessary chances, as bears, like people, are sometimes unpredictable. They are interesting to observe and photograph, but they can be dangerous at close quarters.

Hinterland Who's Who - Black Bear

Timmy Treadwell thought bears were 'predictable'......

Bears ate Timmy Treadwell.
.
..

[icarian]

Good points above about the unpredictability.

I'd say Tim Treadwell's close proximity to the bears and the end result was rather predictable.

I wonder as he lay there getting mauled and begging his tent partner to help him if he wished they were carrying. My estimation is "yes".

I'm sure it occurs, but the last several "kill bears in defense of life, limb, property" are not hikers/campers/ATVers/hunters (for other game) actually showing that self reliance/responsibility that we preach as Alaskans. It has been people around houses...I know at least one of the kills last summer was questionable (bear on the property, but wasn't going after animals/humans/etc). If found guilty of an illegal kill, I hope that homeowner suffered somehow (incarceration or monetarily)...you are in frigg'n Alaska, a bear doesn't know "property lines".

So once again, I get off the beaten path, I will carry. It will not be my first choice. I do consider it my personal responsibility. And if I don't carry bear spray or a weapon and end up getting mauled to death...one of the last things that will go through my mind will be "IDIOT".

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by icarian

Good points above about the unpredictability.

I'd say Tim Treadwell's close proximity to the bears and the end result was rather predictable.

I wonder as he lay there getting mauled and begging his tent partner to help him if he wished they were carrying. My estimation is "yes".

I'm sure it occurs, but the last several "kill bears in defense of life, limb, property" are not hikers/campers/ATVers/hunters (for other game) actually showing that self reliance/responsibility that we preach as Alaskans. It has been people around houses...I know at least one of the kills last summer was questionable (bear on the property, but wasn't going after animals/humans/etc). If found guilty of an illegal kill, I hope that homeowner suffered somehow (incarceration or monetarily)...you are in frigg'n Alaska, a bear doesn't know "property lines".

So once again, I get off the beaten path, I will carry. It will not be my first choice. I do consider it my personal responsibility. And if I don't carry bear spray or a weapon and end up getting mauled to death...one of the last things that will go through my mind will be "IDIOT".

You're right about Tredwell's last bear encounter, it was indeed very predictable. I am always armed for bear, and thus far have never needed to defend myself or my property, and I hope I never do. It is always better to carry a firearm and not need it, than to not carry a firearm and need it. The only way I would shoot a bear to protect my property is if my survival depended on the property being destroyed. If a bear where to rip up my shed in my backyard, for example, I would not be very happy about it, but I wouldn't shoot the bear. I have some firecrackers laying around for the purpose of scaring away "pests." Bears are worth more to me than a few hundred dollars and the inconvenience of replacing damaged property.

[DannyL]

One growing problem is that in some areas not only are they loosing what little "fear" they had of man, but bears are now considering us as "pests".
Here's a small story:

CapitalCityWeekly: News: Hoonah deals with growing brown bear problems 11/28/07

I talked to a VPO (village police officer) last fall who finally was able to kill a dump-loving bear, the bear not only had no fear of man at all, but walked thru town to get to the dump, straight thru peoples yards. He was an fairly old sucker also, estimated at 16 years old.

[Marty Van Diest]

If a brown bear walked through town when I was growing up, there would be NO CHANCE that he would make to the other end of town. Actually, it did happen a few times with predictable results. Bears did not have a chance to become habituated. It was a zero tolerance policy.

Since then I have been close to lots of bears, never had to shoot one. Have chaced them away with noise a few times, and have looked at them down the barrel of a gun but never pulled the trigger...except when actually hunting them of course.