Another Bear Mauling Death. Sad deal. (Valdez: cost, eat, oil)

[akck]

Originally Posted by rifleman

Don't bother to climb a tree eiher. Blacks will easily follow you, and as we used to say, a big grizz will just push the tree over and get'cha when you're on the ground whimpering!

I realized that the first time I saw how quickly a black bear climbed up a tree in our backyard. We were watching him from the house when one of the boys made a noise and he was up the tree and into the branches 25' off the ground in about 1.5 seconds. When the kids were young, my wife thought the only reason she went hiking/camping with us was because everyone could outrun her. One son said the first thing he's do was trip mom.

While they generally recommend not hiking/camping with pets, I've always felt safer with our dogs along. Our GSD would spend his time herding the group, running from the front to the back of the group, trying to keep us closer together (at least 100 yards apart at times). Once, when we were hiking out of an area known to have brown bears, he was tense and alert the whole time, keeping about 10' in front of us (kept the kids close). He relaxed some when we were a mile out of the area.

[Metlakatla]

And by the way, nwcountry, what I stated was that IF you can't handle the wildlife, you should stay away. I said that because you were going on so much about being afraid of being killed by a bear. That's I feel about anyone who goes to wild places whether they're in Alaska or not -- they are afraid of the wildlife, they should stay away. I stay away from gang infested urban centers because I'm afraid of the humans there, btw. It seemed that every time anyone tried to assure you that your chances of being killed by a bear are extremely small, you'd come back with some quip. I stand by what I said. I was addressing your statements and not the person that you are.

You might not actually be all that afraid of being killed by a bear, but your posts indicate that you are. I honestly don't know how anyone could be happy in a place where they are in constant fear.

[rifleman]

BTW, here's some of the recognized sprays. I happen to know the chap who developed the Counter Assault Spray. He had a personal experience!

But all of them, as long as they are 15% active ingredient (Capsasin pepper resin), (not 5% or 10%, or even 12%), and presents with a solid long distance stream rather than a fog. The fog types are OK for a campus woman who is beset upon by a thuggo @ 4 feet, but the fog, out in the wilderness, can and will drift back onto you, giving your arms and legs a nice Cajun seasoning, (not to mention your own eyes...) for Big Momma Bruin to sample before really tucking in for din-dins!

http://www.medvede.sk/picture/bearspray1.jpg

http://www.resistattack.com/i/c/shar...STECH-BR-9.jpg

There are presumably others, but the tiny little purse size mini-sprayers? @ 5 or 10% active ingredient?

Forgedahbowhdihht!

[rifleman]

For a good seminar on what NOT to do, or how NOT to react and behave, I believe you can get the documentary from Netflix on Timothy Treadwell, (Grizzly Man, I think it's called...) who got his innocent girlfriend killed as well as himself (but then, he sorta wanted, I think, to go that way...) by his arrogant and anthropomorphic assumption that he was psychologically "one" with the wild bears.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wyv4s9L6sy...ly_man_003.jpg

... by Werner Herzog, the acclaimed docmentarian:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JbOknwQdKo...rizzly-Man.jpg

The newby bear that happened into Treadwell's camp that fateful afternoon had no such reservations nor prior warnings about Tim's good intentions, and promptly attacked and ate him. Tims' camp location was staggeringly stupid, as was his determination to have absolutely no means of defense, not even non-lethal pepper spray or a boat horn!

And the results were thus predictable! And simply did not have to have happened!

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by rifleman

In this case, it would be good to know if or how the victim was setting up, perhaps for an overnight campsite on the beach, (wold not be my choice...) and if so, how did he disperse his food cache, and did he have a fire, etc. Did he have a big streaming-can of 15% pepper spray (which, btw, is initially very effective)

Could you elaborate on that last statement please? Why did you qualify it with the word "initially"?

[nwcountry]

Thanks for all this info and I'd much rather be around older people that have been there and done that thank you

I do appreciate all this info and am off to view the links you included; Denise

Originally Posted by rifleman

Actually, we tried the Taser up in Churchill, MT. (I wrote a short paper on it in The Canadian Wildlife Journal I think it was. Hey; it was in about 1979, so you'll have to excuse my now fast-fading neurology. And btw, I'm far more nervous in bear country now than I ever was then. To young to be smart back then, eh?

Anyhow, yes, a Taser, if it gets properly inserted into the animals' fur, or if the fur is wet, will give
'em quite a jolt. We also tried a 50,000 volt (but v. low amp; ≈ 0.5mA). energize three-wire fence. We electronically regulated the ensuing jolt, as is done in the Taser, to be of a certain frequency; about 20Hz (times per second) mimics the necessary frequency to induce muscle tetany. (Which is a sort of all-body Charlie Horse, if you will.)

I have some interesting photos and old 8mm movies (I told you I was old!) showing a pb crawling under our "wire", and then we'd energize it and he'd double up, fold into the ground and then when we turned it off, he'd do a double-time retreat, looking frantically over his shoulder!

The latest Tasers are very small & handy. In Canada I believe they are still illegal to carry, but not here. And I am sure some young research student has bravely tried them on a captive brown, black or polar bear by now.

Dr. Steve Herrero is a long-time friend of mine. He's faculty at the Univ. of Calgary in Alberta, Canada Calgary and has consolidated all the info on such tests. He's THE bear attack expert now. He's also written a few books on the subject of bear attacks and potential repellents as well.

This is the latest and best:

Bear Attacks Revised by Stephen Herrero

He refs some of my work in there, but I was also an early responder so to speak. Still, it educated me as to the many different ways bears can and do react to human interaction. There is no specific predictable way; they are essentially as unpredictable as us hominids!

Still, I carry 15% Bear Spray, which will stream-spray out to about 20 feet. (Of course, I also carry a .454 Casull with a 350gr hard-cast boollit, MV of about 1700 fps...) ...)

My pet protector...

http://www.kitsune.addr.com/Firearms...rms_Casull.jpg

Then, when the bear is incapacitated by that spray, it's time to make tracks. It seems that when they recover from the spray, it no longer works nearly as well when they perhaps come a-quick-running down the path after your sorry hide!

Don't bother to climb a tree eiher. Blacks will easily follow you, and as we used to say, a big grizz will just push the tree over and get'cha when you're on the ground whimpering!

Anyhow, if you act properly in bear country, and let them know you'r around (bear bells, frequently yelling"Hey Bear", and humming or happily playing your harmonica, they will usually stay away. If they do not, be prepared to defend yourself with that pepper spray, and if that does not work, and you wish to become suitably proficient, you can always carry a 12ga or a short-bbl'd .44 Mag or .454 Casull (vicious recoil though!).


Shooter POV: Freedom Arms .454 Casull 260/300gr to S&W 9mm with double tap burst - YouTube

(go to 0.36 sec...)

[nwcountry]

Will do RM, I've heard some about this guy as well as his death. I'd like to read more so I thank you again for the links Denise

Originally Posted by rifleman

For a good seminar on what NOT to do, or how NOT to react and behave, I believe you can get the documentary from Netflix on Timothy Treadwell, (Grizzly Man, I think it's called...) who got his innocent girlfriend killed as well as himself (but then, he sorta wanted, I think, to go that way...) by his arrogant and anthropomorphic assumption that he was psychologically "one" with the wild bears.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wyv4s9L6sy...ly_man_003.jpg

... by Werner Herzog, the acclaimed docmentarian:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JbOknwQdKo...rizzly-Man.jpg

The newby bear that happened into Treadwell's camp that fateful afternoon had no such reservations nor prior warnings about Tim's good intentions, and promptly attacked and ate him. Tims' camp location was staggeringly stupid, as was his determination to have absolutely no means of defense, not even non-lethal pepper spray or a boat horn!

And the results were thus predictable! And simply did not have to have happened!

[Frostnip]

Isn't it illegal to taze wildlife in Alaska? I think I remember reading something about that in the paper and finding it funny, because tazing a bear would not even have occurred to me.

[Frostnip]

Originally Posted by pigeonhole

I don't like the reader of "States News" who says "bear horribilis". Bears are in their last natural preserve in those islands. If that guy doesn't like bears, he can live his whole life, even in Alaska I guess, without meeting any. What does that insensitive guy want ? eradicate all brown bears? Humanity is already successful enough at destroying Mother Nature. Grizzlies are superb creatures. I love to watch them hunting salmon , on my sofa, on my tv, a glass of good wine in hand. What's "horribilis" there ?

That's their scientific name, dude. A grizzly is "Ursus arctos horribilis". I guess you could write an angry letter to Carl Linnaeus or whoever gave the grizzly it's Latin name or something.

Bears like to scavenge so going your whole life without ever meeting one if you spent it in Alaska would be a stretch. Humans make a lot of things that bears want to eat and you see them even in the large cities. Hell, a guy who lives near me hit a bear on the highway. They're all over the place.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

Isn't it illegal to taze wildlife in Alaska? I think I remember reading something about that in the paper and finding it funny, because tazing a bear would not even have occurred to me.

I think it's illegal, although Fish and Game have used it in a few instances.

It seems to me that electric shocks cause animals to become aggressive; I really think it might not be the best defense against a bear unless you're in a situation where you can get yourself to safety very quickly.