Fragments From Floyd

In the New Orleans paper yesterday a bear attacked a mother,her daughter and her son in Tennessee. The girl died. Tell Ann she might want some heavier artillery.I'll be bringing a 9mm and/or some bear mace but I don't expect I'll need either. It never hurts to be prepared.

Those Asian Black Bears are much more aggressive towards people than our own N.A. Black Bear; I'd definitely keep my distance if I stumbled across one of those ornery critters.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiatic_black_bear)

I would also keep an eye on any bear you come across in a busy national park. They quickly grow to associate humans with free food; you're likely to be in a world of hurt if you find yourself cornered without a candy bar or hamburger to share...

I recently read that black bears are at 85% of their pre-settlement numbers in the Eastern ranges. While that's good news on one hand, on the other, like coyotes in the western states, they've adapted to cohabitating with humans. Which makes them more opportunistic and dangerous as they are less fearful of humans and know we have tasty treats.

Ann definately should up the caliber of her protection to stopping power and her skill to a kill pattern. As much as it would grieve both of you to kill a wild creature, you better be prepared to do so if necessary.

I dunno about Eastern black bears, but one would assume the same holds true, male bears in the Sierra range are attracted to human female scent. Hikers and campers have long been warned not to go into bear country alone; during their menses in particular.

As someone who used to do a lot of camping in grizzly country, I was never concerned with smaller, less aggressive black bears. But black bears do attack people, although it is an extremely rare event. The recent attack in TN makes that rare event so tragically real.

For a serious look at this issue, check out, "Bear Attacks: There Causes and Avoidances" by Stephen Herrero. Stephen lays out all the possible issues that one could imagine without being a bear himself. But in the end, he comes to the conclusion that with life comes risks, including the risk of being killed by an animal. This risk is worth taking, he says, in exchange for retaining some wildness in our world. Simply don't go into the woods if you cannot acknowledge that you could be attacked by a bear, similar as to not driving if you don't accept the fact that car accidents happen.

I don't know if everyone in bear country should arm themselves. It's not really practical and may not be safe. For example, the early westward migration shows pioneers were killed mainly by gun accidents and almost never by the "hostile" indians they were trying to discourage. But for now this is a decision that Americans get to decide for themselves.

Problem is Jim, Fred and Ann cannot avoid their yard, pasture and driveway, all part of the bear's habitat as well as the surrounding forest.

They plant a veggie garden, use a BBQ grill, have a dog kennel and garbage cans; all bear lures...bird feeders, compost heaps and even freshly cut green wood hearts will attract bears.

They could buy a trank gun, if local laws allow, but it too needs to be used properly.

You can also use a dry chemical fire extinguisher to scare off a bear in a pinch...another good reason to keep one in the kitchen or on the back porch. You need to practise with a fire extinguisher too...most folks have never used one and they are heavy.

However trying to repell a bear with any means is risky if you don't have a means to protect yourself or escape.

Ever seen what a bear can do to a car or a house? Not only do they shred whatever is in their path, but they urinate to mark the territory...an odor that is difficult to remove or neutralize.

Hopefully Goose Creek's bear(s) will seek a more remote range because repeated human contact usually doesn't end well for the bears with or without firearms.