next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects
--_4a8f6f29-b2f3-41d2-b598-df9579c2457d_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi All=2C
=20
I've had a few close encounters with Black Bear over the years mostly when =
they pop out of the woods onto the trail in front of me and in all but one =
occasion they were gone before I could react. On the one occasion=3B when t=
he bear was walking toward me on the same trail I was on=3B I had to yell a=
t the bear to get its attention before it saw me and beat a hasty retreat.
=20
A study of the history of bear attacks published in May in the Journal of W=
ildlife Management came to the surprising conclusion that around 90% of bea=
r attacks are males hunting for food and that mothers defending cubs made u=
p only a small proportion of attacks. This study tells me that if I'm going=
to get attacked by a bear it will likely be a male that is stalking me as =
a meal. It is almost never going to be a mother with cubs=3B unless you are=
unlucky and get between the two=3B and virtually never from a chance encou=
nter in the wild.=20
=20
Thus=2C if you encounter a bear by chance it will almost always flee when i=
t sees you. The same goes for a mom with cubs - on most occasions. On the o=
ther hand if you note a bear following you you should try and reach safety =
as soon as possible and be prepared to defend yourself. I always carry a lo=
ud whistle=2C knife and walking stick but in a pinch gather rocks and a stu=
rdy branch. You can use a cell phone to call for help if possible. Bear spr=
ay can be effective but make sure any wind is at your back before you use i=
t or you may get more spray than the bear.
=20
Much of what I advise here would hold for coyotes or cougar=3B should you e=
ver be lucky enough to encounter one.
=20
I can't imagine listening to bells while hiking=3B It would drive me crazy.
=20
All the best.
Fritz McEvoy
Sunrise Valley=2C CB =20
Date: Sun=2C 3 Jul 2011 04:26:30 -0700
From: rrtwoods@yahoo.com
Subject: [NatureNS] black bears
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
You may have stumbled across a family group. Cubs may stay in with the moth=
er for two years. A two year old bear probably looks adult size. In my Albe=
rta hiking days though I did not usually stick around to asks the bears th=
eir age when I came across a group of them. Checking out the noise is certa=
inly possible. I often found bears more attracted to the bear bells than no=
t....Some times the bears learn that the bells mean food. But NS bears woul=
d not have that training.
Rob
=
--_4a8f6f29-b2f3-41d2-b598-df9579c2457d_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<html>
<head>
<style><!--
.hmmessage P
{
margin:0px=3B
padding:0px
}
body.hmmessage
{
font-size: 10pt=3B
font-family:Tahoma
}
--></style>
</head>
<body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>Hi All=2C</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr> =3B</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>I've had a few close encounters with Black Bear over the yea=
rs =3Bmostly when they pop out of the woods onto the trail in front of =
me and in all but one occasion they were gone before I could react. On the =
one occasion=3B when the bear was walking toward me on the same trail I was=
on=3B =3BI had to yell at the bear to get its attention before it saw =
me and beat a hasty retreat.<BR> =3B<BR>A =3Bstudy of the history o=
f bear attacks =3Bpublished in May in the Journal of Wildlife Managemen=
t came to the surprising conclusion that around 90% of bear attacks =3B=
are males hunting for food and that mothers defending cubs =3Bmade up&n=
bsp=3Bonly a =3Bsmall proportion of attacks. This study tells =3Bme=
that if I'm going to get attacked by a bear it will likely be a male that =
is stalking me as a meal. It is almost never going to =3Bbe a mother wi=
th cubs=3B unless you are unlucky and get between the two=3B and =3Bvir=
tually never from a chance encounter in the wild. =3B</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr> =3B</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>Thus=2C if you encounter a bear by chance it will almost alw=
ays flee when =3Bit sees you. The same goes for a mom with cubs - on mo=
st occasions. On the other hand if you note a bear following you you should=
try and reach safety as soon as possible and be prepared to defend yoursel=
f. =3BI always carry a loud whistle=2C knife =3Band walking stick b=
ut in a pinch gather rocks and a sturdy branch. You can use a cell phone to=
call for help if possible. =3BBear =3Bspray =3Bcan be =3Be=
ffective but =3Bmake sure any wind is at your back before you use it or=
you may get more spray than the bear.</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr> =3B</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>Much of what =3BI advise here would hold for coyotes or =
cougar=3B should you ever be lucky enough to encounter one.</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr> =3B</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>I can't imagine =3Blistening to bells while hiking=3B It=
would drive me crazy.</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr> =3B</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>All the best.</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr> =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B&nbs=
p=3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =
=3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B Fritz McEvoy</D=
IV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr> =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B&nbs=
p=3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =
=3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B =3B=
Sunrise Valley=2C CB =3B =3B<BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>
<HR id=3DstopSpelling>
Date: Sun=2C 3 Jul 2011 04:26:30 -0700<BR>From: rrtwoods@yahoo.com<BR>Subje=
ct: [NatureNS] black bears<BR>To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<BR><BR>
<META name=3DGenerator content=3D"Microsoft SafeHTML">
<STYLE>
.ExternalClass DIV
{=3B}
</STYLE>
<DIV style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: 'times new roman'=2C 'new york'=2C times=2C seri=
f=3B FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<DIV>You may have stumbled across a family group. Cubs may stay in with the=
mother for two years. A two year old bear probably looks adult size. In my=
Alberta hiking days though I did not  =3Busually stick around to asks =
the bears their age when I came across a group of them. Checking out the no=
ise is certainly possible. I often found bears more attracted to the bear b=
ells than not....Some times the bears learn that the bells mean food. But N=
S bears would not have that training.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Rob</DIV>
<DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV> </div></body>
</html>=
--_4a8f6f29-b2f3-41d2-b598-df9579c2457d_--
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects