The Bear Necessities

[jpinkster]

After a month away, I decided to awaken from hibernation and post my latest blog. It's bear season!

 

http://pikepinksterab.blogspot.ca/2015/05/the-bear-necessities.html

 

[Guest bigdirty]

Great post!

[jpinkster]

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/black-bear-expert-says-fatal-attacks-are-very-rare

 

With what happened earlier this week, my blog seems more timely. Just a reminder that these are very dangerous animals.

[Muffin]

Great blog entry again Pinkster.

[trailhead]

I always think it's funny that people think Grizzly's are more dangerous than Blacks. Yet more people are killed by Blacks every year than Grizzly's. Then there are the Polar Bears, the Inuit have a saying that when a human and a bear meet there will be a death.

[Vagabond]

It only makes sense that black bear attacks are more common then grizzly with close to 1 million black bears inhabiting the entire 4 corners of the continent vs <20,000(?) grizzlies confined to mostly remote areas in a handful of Rocky Mt states and provinces.

At least 50x more blacks than grizzlies in North America,but nowheres near 50x more attacks from blacks.Id think grizzlies are far more aggressive,there's just not as many of them.Not even sure if "aggressive" is the proper term,but they are simply an apex predator that doesn't need to flee nor take any crap from anybody nor anything?

Just be thankful there's not a million grizzlies roaming the continent?

[jpinkster]

It only makes sense that black bear attacks are more common then grizzly with close to 1 million black bears inhabiting the entire 4 corners of the continent vs <20,000(?) grizzlies confined to mostly remote areas in a handful of Rocky Mt states and provinces.

At least 50x more blacks than grizzlies in North America,but nowheres near 50x more attacks from blacks.Id think grizzlies are far more aggressive,there's just not as many of them.Not even sure if "aggressive" is the proper term,but they are simply an apex predator that doesn't need to flee nor take any crap from anybody nor anything?

Just be thankful there's not a million grizzlies roaming the continent?

I think this basically sums up my thoughts on the discussion. Comparing black bear attacks and grizzly attacks is kind of apples to oranges. On a very scientific "attacks per capita" scale, I'd wager that grizzlies come out on top.

[trailhead]

I've had two close calls with bears. Once a young Grizzly charged me and then veered off and split. The other was a black and he was stalking me. Way more scared with the black than the grizzly, then there was my buddy who was chased around a tree for what he said was forever. Only thing that made the black bear leave was anther couple of hikers that the bear went after, they had bear spray and got the bear to leave. The bear was put down a week or so later, a healthy male black bear in his prime. Kind of like to one that killed the guy sleeping by his fire a couple of weeks ago in BC.