a reply to:
halfoldman
I used to work for the forestry service in BC... We had to attend a "Bear Awareness" training class... What to do if you encounter a bear or
cougar.
They told us one story about a woman having to "feed" her hand & arm to the bear to keep it from eating her face... I think it still chewed on her
face in the end, but she survived.
Plus, I think you have your reactions backwards... You punch the black bears, but play dead or climb a tree for Grizzly bear... or walk away from then
if possible. Remember, a grizzly can run up to 30 km/h.
There is a saying in BC... "I don't have to out run the bear, I just have to out run you!"
This sign is hilarious! I'm sure I seen it posted somewhere in the interior of BC.
I've encountered about dozens of bears. They might stand up to get a good look, but they usually go the other direction.
True story: When I first moved there... I lived in a isolated area in a town w/ about 100 people tops living in it. They didn't have garbage pickup,
so we would just drive it to the dump and throw it into a huge pit. Usually the bears will come out of the woods to see what you are throwing out...
5 or 6 at a time...
Anyway... My garbage was filled up, and I had it outside next to my porch... (remember I'm new to the area)... Anyway, my girlfriend yells "There's a
bear in the yard"...
I go look, and this HUGE bear has my large garbage bag between his legs like it was a bag of popcorn... He had it open and was just shuffling things
about through the opening... Very strange to see... I almost wanted to go out and pet him, he looked so soft & furry! Anyway, I opened the door to
get a better look and the bear took off...
Still a neat experience and a good lesson to learn about disposing of my garbage...
Anyway... yeah, pretty sure don't wanna start exchanging punches with a Grizzly bear...
ETA: I guess with cougars, you are suppose to look them dead in the eye and they won't attack... There is some tribe somewhere that wears masks
backwards for this very reason... They like to sneak up from behind ya. Usually cougar attacks on adults are low because an adult skull won't fit in
their jaws, however kids will get jumped, as will house pets...
edit on 17-3-2022 by ByteChanger because: (no reason given)